Pre-Season: Houston @ Sacramento

[a-rod]

@: Arco Arena





PG-Beno Udrih #19

SG-Kevin Martin #23

SF-John Salmons #15

PF-Mikki Moore #33

C-Spencer Hawes #31





PG-Rafer Alston #12

SG-Tracy McGrady #1

SF-Ron Artest #93

PF-Luis Scola #4

C-Yao Ming #11

[sackings916]

Does Artest get booed or cheered?

[cdt3]

He will be cheered. The decision for him to leave was good for evereyone.

[Joseph17]

It's on channel 6002 on sopcast.
-no lag
-good quality
-in Chinese

[Cruel_Ruin]

Spencer is running absolute circles around Yao. Awesome. 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists in the first half alone.

Pace is frenetic because we are playing solid defense.

[pillwenney]

Wow. Great game from Spencer statistically. I'm just disappointed I didn't get to see it. Was Yao guarding him for most of the time?

[King Baller]

Yes Yao and Hawes were going at it on both ends. Hawes looked pretty good on defense except when Yao caught it a couple times at the rim. Hawes had his best game as a King. Williams and Thompson looked good also. Those two along with Hawes would be my 3 man big rotation until Brad comes back.

The Kings played well and would have been better with Beno, Brad and Francisco.

Go Kings,
KB

[KF10]

I missed the game as well. It seems that Hawes had one of his best games ever as a Kings...Too bad we lost though. But then again, it's preseason...

[Cruel_Ruin]

Spencer was a monster tonight. Right now, he really is a more athletic Brad Miller. The razor sharp passes, the sweet stroking jumpshots, the pump fake dribble drives... this guy is monstrously talented. I'm starting to think that our best lineup may be Spencer at the 5 and Brad at the 4. If Spencer continues to crash the glass like he has this preseason, we might just be a decent rebounding team.

Though, eventually, I'd like to see him be able to create offense from the low post with his back to the basket. He tried it a few times today, but was unable to back down even Chuck Hayes, who's a good 4-5 inches shorter than him. I'm sure when he gets stronger in the legs and base, he's going to be a beast down there as well.

Quick notes about Spencer's defense: more of the same that we've been seeing all preseason, high activity level but really unpolished. Spencer is more than willing to jump out in a pick and roll, but there was this one instant where he and Martin half trapped McGrady, who was able to pass it out and sent our defense scrambling. Another factor is that when he steps out, he stands there with his hands up, allowing the perimeter player to go right around him. Get into a defensive stance, Spencer! Don't let guards get around you so easily. His post defense was solid today, as he fronted Yao pretty effectively while holding his own as best he could on Yao's back. Again, more physical maturity should cure this.

I'm sure these things will be corrected over time. There's plenty of reason to believe that he won't not only be adequate, but I think Spencer can be quite a good defender sometime down the road. He's a smart kid, and is willing to work on that end.

[SacKingZZZ]

Wow, what a statement by Spencer, too bad it was preseason.

Ron Artest cannot gaurd Kevin Martin. 'nuff said.

Jason Thompson looked good tonight, bout time haha. Jerry didn't like him playing SF but I think he is fine playing that spot. The problem was at the time he was playing with Mikki and Kenny. Not a good lineup at all and the one that cost us the game. Jason played Ron well on both ends. He got baited a few times but he did a very good job, even posted up Ron and got a hook shot to go in on him.

Overall this was the best game of the preseason by far. You can see the possibilities for sure. Very disappointed Donte didn't play, WTF Theus! More Jason too please!!! By far the best lineup we had was when Spencer and Jason were out there together.

[deNIEd]

What about a lineup at times of

J. Salmons/K. Martin/J. Thompson/B. Miller/S. Hawes

[cdt3]

I counted in the game Mikki Moore gave up 25 points of a Kings lead while in the game. He was horrible, with Thomas very bad also. The young big Hawes-Shelden-Thompson looked very good. Hawes was dominant tonight (25/16/3assists in 40min). Much more athletic and better footwork than B.Miller. The Shelden-Hawes-Thompson frontlines were excellent against one of the best frontlines in the league playing a lot of minutes. Can Theus please not say this team has no big guys who can score 15+ a game? Shelden had 6/2/2 in 11 min, if he played 40 min like Hawes he was on pace for a 22/8/8 night. Very impressive Shelden, please all you Shelden haters stop he was hitting jumpers too and tough defensively had the Kings ahead by 10 points while he was in the game. Thompson was just as good with 10/7/2 in 23 min, on pace for a 18/13/4 if he played 40min. I loved the young big guys game, very impressive for all big guys, except Moore's 7/3/4 in 26 min, 11/5/6 if he played 40min. This has been the same story in the preseason with Portland frontlines, the Kings get dominated when Moore is in the game, Shelden-Thomspson-Hawes plays imressive to keep things close in the first half, then Moore gets dominated again in the 2nd half with Moore in the game. This team should expect a lot from its big guys, and they gave it tonight. Moore should get no more than 16 minutes a game coming off the bench as an energy guy at forward, like Bobby as a guard. This is a tough team with the Hawes-Shelden frontline, they compliment each other well, Hawes is better on offense, Shelden on defense. Thomspon also looks great. I am impressed with all threes performance. I just don't know how this team will win close games, hopefully Garcia, Martin, and Salmons can pick some up for the big guys. I am ok unloading or keeping Miller and also because Hawes-Shelden-Thompson are each better players than Miller at this point, this team showed what it could do pass well (23 assists), shoot well (42%), and defend well without the vets. I know Moore-Thomas make a lot of money but please remain seated for most of the year for the benefit of the team.

[cdt3]

The 3 and 4 big guys at times in the game would be a good idea. They have so many big guys, Kmart-Greene-Thompson-Miller-Hawes would work, even Mikki could run with them in place of Brad also. This is a very versatile team.

[_SRV_]

25/16/3 on Yao Ming, touche Spence, touche.

[Wolfay]

Anybody know what kind of reaction Artest got from the crowd? I hope my fellow Sacramentans showed him at least a little love.

Great to hear about Spencer. Should be a good boost for his confidence.

[cdt3]

My prediction for wins with the Kings was 40 and just missing the playoffs. Right now with the big guys my order is:
1. Hawes
2. Miller
3. Williams
4. Thompson
5. Greene
5. Moore
6. Thomas
I just don't see any need at all for Moore or Thomas. They take minutes away from the young guys.
The Udrich-Martin-Salmons-Miller-Hawes lineup is our best lineup. We could definitely go .500 with them if the guards can finish in the games. Go with Jackson-Garcia-Greene-Thompson-Shelden off the bench. Save Our Season,No Mikki or Kenny! I would also feel comfortable trading Miller, since the youngs guys are very close. This lineup will be a good passing-good rebounding-good paint def team. I think we are still 2 or 3 year away from being title contenders for the team to gel.

[mobiuseinz]

the future looks bright :dream:

PG. Udrih/2009 draft pick/Brown
SG. Martin/Garcia
SF. Greene/Salmons?
PF. Thompson/Lee (sign him?)
C. Hawes/WIlliams

[pillwenney]

I think we need another veteran presence besides Brad on the front line, but I think that if we have to choose between Mikki and Kenny for that, we kind of have to choose Kenny be default, since he is totally untradable, and Mikki is not. That doesn't mean I want Kenny to play much--maybe 10MPG tops.

But this team won't go .500 this year. To say that is to suggest that we're better without Ron, and we're just not. People will harp on his shot selection, saying he shot us out of games last year (when in reality, he took maybe a couple bad shots in those games), but even if you want to say that (which I would disagree with, mostly), you can't ignore the many times when he carried the team on his back to a win.

[cdt3]

I don't care about a veteran prescense if it is Moore or Thomas. Miller and Hawes are the best combo. I am not kidding you, I kept track of Mikki yesterday. He starts the game, leaves with the Kings down 7 points in the 2nd Quarter. Hawes-Williams-Thompson bring the Kings to a 9 point lead at half (a 16 point swing). Veteran Moore starts the second half with 9 point lead which is erased when he leaves the Kings are down 7 again (another 16 point swing). Moore is responsible for a 32 point swing in the game. Mikki Moore sucks! He is a 12 point/5rebound guy. If Shelden and Thomspon are given 25 minutes they will be 15/10 in the same time. We won 1 game in the preseason, Mikki's veteran prescense gave us 4/2 in 25min. He and Thomas are equally crappy. Shelden and Thompson both played solid def in both games against Oden, Mikki was killed. It is an absolute mistake to put Mikki or Thomas in the lineup instead of Shelden and Thomspon. Miller is a enough already. The Kings have been good under Petrie 1 young and 1 old big. Every player and the entire league is marking the night they get tro score 40 points on Moore. Who do you think MM is clutch like Robert Horry? Shaq? He has the game of a shooting guard but is slowed by injuries and dunk once a game when there is no one to block his shot. When he was in college he used to be a shot blocker, but has 0 in 8 games. This dude is taking minutes from better players. He is a seven foot Bobby Jackson, but has to guard Greg Oden, Shaq, Al Jefferson, Biedrins, Brand, Ming, Bynum,etc. Every team is loaded. Mikki was a12/7 guy in college, both Thompson and Williams, were 20/10/3block guys. They are both head and shoulder both better at both ends than Moore. We will stink if Moore starts, I guess if it takes us going 2-8 in our first 10 games before Theus says, holy cow, Moore is bad. Mikki had 1 more rebound than BJAX last night in 5 more minutes!

[cdt3]

Moore has averaged less than 7 points and 4 rebounds in 21 min a game in the preseason. If he played 40 minutes a night he would be at 13/7 and 0 blocks. Which is very close to his college average. Miller is a 15/10/1 block guy so he should still start. Hawes-Williams-Thompson played very good def, unlike Moore, and all are potential 15+/10/1block. If the Kings get good defense they can get to .500. They will be up and down, but I think there will be a lot to like. Artest and Salmons and Garcia are equal as one on one defenders and scorers. Artest-Miller combo was horrible (Miller had as many blocks as Artest and Moore together) at team defense in the paint. Artest did not help guards and forwards that got beat. He is not a PF, he is always been a SF. The Kings formula for success is Good passing by Bigs + Good Shooters+ Good Def in the paint =Lots of Wins. Last year we had the worst def around, were bad rebounders, and were not really good passing. What exactly does Mikki Moore do to improve our weakness. Good guy. Yes. Good rebounder. No. Good defender. No. Blocking shots? No. 7 foot? Yes, but so are 5 other Kings. Very good offense? No. Good post up? No. I will be proven right this year when MM starts and we go 2-8 to start the season, and Theus decides my job is on the line and I am playing Moore. Darko Milicic is considered a flop he averaged 7/6/1.5 in 23 minutes last year (better than Mikki in the 7/4/0 in 21 min in the preseason). Moores ranking from last year in the NBA #50 in reb, #63 in scoring, # 130 in block shots and #163 in assists. You have too low expectations of the Kings if you are cool with MM taking minutes from up and coming youngsters who we don't. Mikki turns 33 in Nov, he is not getting any better. Injuries get worse every year, ask Shareef and Kenny. Hawes and Miller frontline immediately improve the Kings to a .500 team because Hawes fixes their weaknesses. Miller's vet presence and Hawes youth and energy will propell this team. No Mikki-Miller frontlines, you might as well put a red carpet in the paint with "Welcome NBA" stitched on it.