Game 46 Thread - Kings (26-19) vs Grizzlies (31-15)
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:35 pm
Kings look to bounce back after a rough loss to a shorthanded Philly team in a tough matchup against the Grizz.
Things I'm looking for tonight:
1. Keep the kiwi off the glass. Steven Adams is listed as questionable tonight but if he's good to go, we're going to need to figure out some way to keep him off the offensive glass. In the last matchup, Adams logged THIRTEEN offensive boards. That simply cannot happen if you want a chance to win against anyone. Second chance points are a killer, especially for a team that struggles defensively like we do. If we can't grab defensive boards on the stop that we are able to get, we are going to be in for a rough, rough night.
2. Send help. Fox and Sabonis have been playing at all star levels, Keegan Murray has been terrific since a somewhat slow start, Huerter has been on fire and HB has been playing great as well. Statistically, our starting unit has been one of the best 5 man units in the league, but lately our bench has not been giving them any help. We'll have the occasional lights out game from a random guy off the bench and Davion still has been steady with his defensive effort but we need the bench as a whole to step up and provide some help on the offensive end. If we can get solid play from our bench on a consistent basis, we have the chance to win every night.
3. Stay out of foul trouble. In our last few losses we've had guys get into foul trouble that have interrupted our rotation patterns and disrupted the flow of the game in general. Memphis is a team that is particularly adept at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. Huerter and Sabonis have most frequently gotten into foul trouble so we need them to eliminate the ticky tack fouls so that they can get the extended minutes we need them to play. On the flip side, we also need to take advantage if we get into the bonus, ourselves. I believe we were in the bonus for the last 6-8 minutes of the fourth quarter the other night and didn't get to the line at all (once or twice at most that I'm just misremembering).
Things I'm looking for tonight:
1. Keep the kiwi off the glass. Steven Adams is listed as questionable tonight but if he's good to go, we're going to need to figure out some way to keep him off the offensive glass. In the last matchup, Adams logged THIRTEEN offensive boards. That simply cannot happen if you want a chance to win against anyone. Second chance points are a killer, especially for a team that struggles defensively like we do. If we can't grab defensive boards on the stop that we are able to get, we are going to be in for a rough, rough night.
2. Send help. Fox and Sabonis have been playing at all star levels, Keegan Murray has been terrific since a somewhat slow start, Huerter has been on fire and HB has been playing great as well. Statistically, our starting unit has been one of the best 5 man units in the league, but lately our bench has not been giving them any help. We'll have the occasional lights out game from a random guy off the bench and Davion still has been steady with his defensive effort but we need the bench as a whole to step up and provide some help on the offensive end. If we can get solid play from our bench on a consistent basis, we have the chance to win every night.
3. Stay out of foul trouble. In our last few losses we've had guys get into foul trouble that have interrupted our rotation patterns and disrupted the flow of the game in general. Memphis is a team that is particularly adept at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. Huerter and Sabonis have most frequently gotten into foul trouble so we need them to eliminate the ticky tack fouls so that they can get the extended minutes we need them to play. On the flip side, we also need to take advantage if we get into the bonus, ourselves. I believe we were in the bonus for the last 6-8 minutes of the fourth quarter the other night and didn't get to the line at all (once or twice at most that I'm just misremembering).