Season Opener: Sacramento @ Minnesota

[a-rod]

Reporter: Charles, how is your back feeling?
Charles: My back feels as bad as your face looks.

I started playing Pokeman in college. It's the main reason I dropped out.

[a-rod]

I'm so excited about this season....

Go Kings!

[Smills91]

This is definitely an opportunity to win a season opener. Let's not blow this one.

[KingInExile]

Damn...we have to start the season with an early game. Luckily I have to go to work early Wed. for some field work...which means I have a good excuse to come home early.

[SacKingZZZ]

Hahahahaha. F'n classic.

[UKF]

The season has finally come. We all know that this team isn't going to do that great this year, but it is nice to finall see that the Kings have started the rebuilding process. I was tired of having an average/old team and knowing we wouldn't be going that far in the playoffs. We are young and have the potential to be something very good in the oncoming years.

As for the game, here's our chance to start our undefeated season. Our undefeated season may only last two games, but I'm alrite with that. I'm going to take the Kings 103 Twolves 92.

[PaKwAn]

The season has finally come. We all know that this team isn't going to do that great this year, but it is nice to finall see that the Kings have started the rebuilding process. I was tired of having an average/old team and knowing we wouldn't be going that far in the playoffs. We are young and have the potential to be something very good in the oncoming years.

As for the game, here's our chance to start our undefeated season. Our undefeated season may only last two games, but I'm alrite with that. I'm going to take the Kings 103 Twolves 92.

Not only that but if we win that game against the wolves we would be tied for the best record

[SadKingsFan]

Im so excited for this season to finally get underway. I honestly think we can surprise some people and win some games that others dont expect us to. In order for us to do so, it will all depend on us staying relatively healthy...and the young players like Hawes and Thompson to come along quickly.

[andaaaay]

I'm going with kings win 107 - 103
hopefully we can at least split this road trip, but we need this one to start. GO KINGS!

[Ballings7]

I think were going to get played up inside too much and ultimately that does us in, losing by 5-6 pts

However, Jason Thompson will shut down Kevin Love

[KF10]

Nice, the first game of the year and I will miss it due to work...Argh...But anyways, I would assume that the Kings will win but the Wolves are a young dangerous ball club, so if we underestimate them (like we always do to every bottom feeder teams last year) we will lose this game...Hopefully, we got rid of that attitude. But yeah, Martin will probably kill any defenders by the Wolves. I remember Martin just EFFORTLESSLY scored on ANYONE from the Wolves.

Go Kings!

[The__Dude]

Brewer can defend Martin better than anyone on the kings can defend Jefferson. Wolves win.

[KF10]

Brewer can defend Martin better than anyone on the kings can defend Jefferson. Wolves win.

Probably. But then again, Martin averaged 33 PPG against the Wolves last year. Especially the 48 point outing against the Wolves. I'm not really sure that Brewer can guard Martin better than Williams/Hawes could guard Big Al though.

Will see, I guess.

[The__Dude]

http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fa ... 3-07/08/25

The Kings lost the game Martin scored 48 points, and the wolves won the series last year 2 to 1.

[KF10]

http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/boxscores/sacramento-kings-vs-minnesota-timberwolves/2008-03-07/08/25

The Kings lost the game Martin scored 48 points, and the wolves won the series last year 2 to 1.

Yeah, I knew that. The Wolves won the season series against the Kings last year. But it wasn't what I was arguing about. I was simply stating that Williams/Hawes could guard Big Al better than Brewer on Martin.

That is why ended my statement "Will see, I guess " Anything can happen tomorrow. I don't really talk smack against other teams though. So, hopefully this will be a fun game to see.

[SadKingsFan]

http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/boxscores/sacramento-kings-vs-minnesota-timberwolves/2008-03-07/08/25

The Kings lost the game Martin scored 48 points, and the wolves won the series last year 2 to 1.

Thats not what you were talking about though, you mentioned how they would defend martin...and they cant. That has absolutely nothing to do with what the season series was.

[Ballings7]

Overall, assuming Brewer is the guy guarding Kevin (over the course of the game) - Brewer has to have the defensive help around him for there to be a respectable possibility of slowing down Kevin. Unless Kevin has one of those semi-passive/passive nights, which I would expect he'll grow out of now, being insignificant or just not really there anymore.

But specifically, Al Jefferson and Kevin Love isn't much of a defensive combo up front, and the Wolves are still a young team in terms of chemistry, focus, and consistency on defense. I doubt they're going to have the defensive fluidity.

Regardless, they'll never be a consistently solid defensive team anyway with Jefferson and Love up front. Just not enough of a presence from either, nor combined. Since, each of them need somebody to complement them, and for there to be an increase of defensive ability from somebody compared to what Jefferson's is. Since Jefferson is the guy who will probably stay in Minny of the two, assuming they'd adjust things up front next to Jefferson. Which, if they know basketball well enough in Minnesota, they ultimately should do so, for a more balanced and better starting line-up. Get Jefferson his above-average helper big man on the inside playing defense and rebounding, hitting mid-range shots, deferring offensively, like other high-level big men have historically had (and all should have, if not ideally another star-level guy (who complements the other guy, of course) ).

[Smills91]

I'm going to laugh when Brewer gets 2 cheap fouls within the first 5 minutes of the game.

[Cruel_Ruin]

Three types of games we could play this season.

1. Those that we will probably win
2. Those that we could win, but only if a kid or two steps up, which probably means we lose
3. Those that we will probably lose unless the team plays over it's head

All things considered, I'd put this T'Pups game in category two. If we had Miller and Garcia and if it wasn't their home opener, I'd say it would be category one. They have some pretty glaring weaknesses, but we can only exploit them if Hawes steps up big time. Minny doesn't have good interior defenders (kind of like us), so Spencer needs to go to work down low. Martin will be Martin, Salmons will be Salmons, Mikki will be Mikki. Biggest X-factors are Beno and Spencer.

Defense will be key this game. They have a ton of good shooters around Big Al, and our rotations have to be fast.

Surprise of the game: Quincy Douby will come off the bench and score 15+ points.

[Klomp]

Good luck Kings fans, but not too much fun. It seems like fans of both teams are pretty confident they can win this game. Honestly, I think this is the best possible matchup for each team to begin the year. I think both teams are pretty similar too. Once again, good luck.