Hey...we almost won tonight!

[RIPskaterdude]

Game is over and no game thread? Oh well...

We almost won, which is good...even though the Pistons didn't have two of their starters. Partal blame to Coach Natt, he didn't make the adjustments on Stuckey in the 4th quarter. Obviously Brown couldn't guard him, and when Garcia came in, it was too late and the game was out of reach.

[SacKingZZZ]

Few more nights like this from Brad and we can get on with it.

[pillwenney]

Good effort from our guys. We just had a poor shooting night, but we got to the line a lot and yeah, that late adjustment by Natt was really the difference-maker. But, hopefully that'll help him learn for the future.

[kevin44]

Who cares. This team and franchise is a joke. The only positive thing is we can't get much worse.

[KingInExile]

Who cares. This team and franchise is a joke. The only positive thing is we can't get much worse.

Sounds like someone likes to focus on the negative.

[RIPskaterdude]

Who cares. This team and franchise is a joke. The only positive thing is we can't get much worse.

Oh it could. Kenny Thomas could actually get some playing time!

[SacKingZZZ]

I say play Kenny Thomas!!! Why not? We aren't focusing on development right now so why not play him. You never know, he may starting beasting it like he did when he first came here and a team will get desperate and go after him. That way we can move him without having to lose anything else.

[pillwenney]

I say play Kenny Thomas!!! Why not? We aren't focusing on development right now so why not play him. You never know, he may starting beasting it like he did when he first came here and a team will get desperate and go after him. That way we can move him without having to lose anything else.

We're still focusing on trying to be competitive and Kenny does not coincide with that. I mean we'll have to get pretty desperate to play him. On the other hand, it may be worth looking at if we're in the midst of a blowout

[SacKingZZZ]

We're still focusing on trying to be competitive and Kenny does not coincide with that. I mean we'll have to get pretty desperate to play him. On the other hand, it may be worth looking at if we're in the midst of a blowout

What the hell do you think this is!? I'd hate to see your definition of "desperation"!

[pillwenney]

We're still focusing on trying to be competitive and Kenny does not coincide with that. I mean we'll have to get pretty desperate to play him. On the other hand, it may be worth looking at if we're in the midst of a blowout

What the hell do you think this is!? I'd hate to see your definition of "desperation"!

It's a game by game thing. I don't think we've been desperate since the Boston game.

[SacKingZZZ]

It's a game by game thing. I don't think we've been desperate since the Boston game.

We've been making it a "game by game thing" for far too long. It's a big part of the reason we are so behind in this so-called "rebuild".

[pillwenney]

It's a game by game thing. I don't think we've been desperate since the Boston game.

We've been making it a "game by game thing" for far too long. It's a big part of the reason we are so behind in this so-called "rebuild".

No, it really doesn't affect the rebuilding much at all.

[vincecarter4pres]

There was no game thread tonight?

[SacKingZZZ]

No, it really doesn't affect the rebuilding much at all.

How many 3rd worst teams in the league are trotting out a 33 year old, a 32 year old, a 36 year old, and rotating another 32 year in out the basketball graveyard during crunch time??? 10 man rotations are normally pretty (Please Use More Appropriate Word), but for a rebuilding team that plays vets to what, win? No, that is pretty much the anti-rebuild. I really don't know what the heck has changed to be completely honest, I thought with Artest gone there would be room to breathe, if anything it's gone from annoyingly stuffy to down right suffocating. Look at the box scores, hurts my eyes seeing so many guys getting a hair over or under that dreaded 20 minute mark. I am starting to become convinced we are tanking doing everything we can to make sure this team plays as inconsistently as possible.

[pillwenney]

No, it really doesn't affect the rebuilding much at all.

How many 3rd worst teams in the league are trotting out a 33 year old, a 32 year old, a 36 year old, and rotating another 32 year in out the basketball graveyard during crunch time??? 10 man rotations are normally pretty (Please Use More Appropriate Word), but for a rebuilding team that plays vets to what, win? No, that is pretty much the anti-rebuild. I really don't know what the heck has changed to be completely honest, I thought with Artest gone there would be room to breathe, if anything it's gone from annoyingly stuffy to down right suffocating. Look at the box scores, hurts my eyes seeing so many guys getting a hair over or under that dreaded 20 minute mark. I am starting to become convinced we are tanking doing everything we can to make sure this team plays as inconsistently as possible.

Well the Wizards, for one, are pretty close. They're certainly not looking to be very competitive, so why are veterans like Jamison, James, Dixon and Stevenson getting minutes over Pecherov, Crittenton, and sometime MgGee. Or in Oklahoma, why are 29 and over guys like Mason, Collison, Watson, Joe Smith and Wilkens getting minutes over guys like Sene, Swift, Petro, and Weaver?

You're arguing under the assumption that playing time=development, and that's just not how it works. Looking around the league, I have a hard time finding cases where experienced veterans are getting benched for inferior young players in the name of "development". Right now this team is trying to get to the point where people are going to want to watch it, and it can get there, I think (to a certain extent obviously). They have shown signs of it on this road trip. Things will never be great this year, but they can get better than they are.

This team isn't going to be good enough to have a solid rotation. We just don't have good enough players. All a rotation would mean for this group is that certain guys would get cut out and not get to play despite the fact that said players could possibly help the team on a given night.

[SacKingZZZ]

Well the Wizards, for one, are pretty close. They're certainly not looking to be very competitive, so why are veterans like Jamison, James, Dixon and Stevenson getting minutes over Pecherov, Crittenton, and sometime MgGee. Or in Oklahoma, why are 29 and over guys like Mason, Collison, Watson, Joe Smith and Wilkens getting minutes over guys like Sene, Swift, Petro, and Weaver?

You're arguing under the assumption that playing time=development, and that's just not how it works. Looking around the league, I have a hard time finding cases where experienced veterans are getting benched for inferior young players in the name of "development". Right now this team is trying to get to the point where people are going to want to watch it, and it can get there, I think (to a certain extent obviously). They have shown signs of it on this road trip. Things will never be great this year, but they can get better than they are.

This team isn't going to be good enough to have a solid rotation. We just don't have good enough players. All a rotation would mean for this group is that certain guys would get cut out and not get to play despite the fact that said players could possibly help the team on a given night.

Probably the worst comparison possible. They have no choice, they have made moves in the entirely OPPOSITE direction the last couple of years. They just dumped their money for the next 4-5 years on their vets to return, and when healthy there is no comparison between Gilbert Arenas and Mikki Moore. They aren't a rebuilding team, they are just completely stupid in their dealings, guess it's an example of how it could be worse though.

In OKC there isn't much competition, difference is though their top prospects are playing. Ours? Sporadically at best. They are a team that has already been through the triumph of sucking your way into some legit talent to build around. I'd bet the young guys on our team would have a consistent role in OKC if they had Spencer Hawes or maybe even Jason Thompson at those positions. Maybe even Shelden. When you just broke the record for the worst start up to this point in the season in Sacramento Kings history there is no "inferior". You do what you can to salvage some type of long term positivity, not slug around from game to game.

I'm telling you, just watch, soon as we get healthy the "not good enough to have a rotation" thing is going to destroy what little cohesion there is left in the locker room. I don't even care what they look like on the court, the locker room is more important at this point.

[pillwenney]

Probably the worst comparison possible. They have no choice, they have made moves in the entirely OPPOSITE direction the last couple of years. They just dumped their money for the next 4-5 years on their vets to return, and when healthy there is no comparison between Gilbert Arenas and Mikki Moore. They aren't a rebuilding team, they are just completely stupid in their dealings, guess it's an example of how it could be worse though.

In OKC there isn't much competition, difference is though their top prospects are playing. Ours? Sporadically at best. They are a team that has already been through the triumph of sucking your way into some legit talent to build around. I'd bet the young guys on our team would have a consistent role in OKC if they had Spencer Hawes or maybe even Jason Thompson at those positions. Maybe even Shelden. When you just broke the record for the worst start up to this point in the season in Sacramento Kings history there is no "inferior". You do what you can to salvage some type of long term positivity, not slug around from game to game.

I'm telling you, just watch, soon as we get healthy the "not good enough to have a rotation" thing is going to destroy what little cohesion there is left in the locker room. I don't even care what they look like on the court, the locker room is more important at this point.

You said out of the "3rd worst teams in the NBA", and the Wizards basically qualify. But the more important point is that they aren't competing regardless of whether or not they're trying to. And Gilbert's inclusion is rather irrelevant, considering, I'm specifically talking about how they're playing right now--without him.

Swift and Sene were both lotto picks, but if you're really complaining about the playing time Jason and Spencer have gotten, I don't know how to argue with you, because the playing time they're getting is just fine. Jason and Spencer would possibly get time there, but the important point is that it wouldn't be a given just because they're young.

And no, when you're off to a horrible start, the idea is to get better. It's easy for you to have your attitude when you're not the one that will be losing millions this year on this team. So much for the theory that some around here had that "well once you're not a playoff team, the fans aren't going to care anyway". Compared to this year, Arco was a mad house all of last year. And I defy anyone to spend one game there this season and tell me that this team doesn't need to try to salvage some level of fan interest. The good news it that we don't have to sacrifice any player development to do that, since the vast majority of player development happens in practice.

[SacKingZZZ]

You said out of the "3rd worst teams in the NBA", and the Wizards basically qualify. But the more important point is that they aren't competing regardless of whether or not they're trying to. And Gilbert's inclusion is rather irrelevant, considering, I'm specifically talking about how they're playing right now--without him.

Swift and Sene were both lotto picks, but if you're really complaining about the playing time Jason and Spencer have gotten, I don't know how to argue with you, because the playing time they're getting is just fine. Jason and Spencer would possibly get time there, but the important point is that it wouldn't be a given just because they're young.

And no, when you're off to a horrible start, the idea is to get better. It's easy for you to have your attitude when you're not the one that will be losing millions this year on this team. So much for the theory that some around here had that "well once you're not a playoff team, the fans aren't going to care anyway". Compared to this year, Arco was a mad house all of last year. And I defy anyone to spend one game there this season and tell me that this team doesn't need to try to salvage some level of fan interest. The good news it that we don't have to sacrifice any player development to do that, since the vast majority of player development happens in practice.

For the last time, my issues aren't about the playing time specifically, it's how they are getting the time, what they are doing with it, and its consistency.

They aren't choosing to lose (well, I have a theory myself about that) but they went out of their way to make sure they were put in a position to do so. The problem is that they've gone half way, which is a reccuring theme the last couple of years.

And as for Swift and Sene, comparing them to Hawes and Thompson makes about as much sense as comparing our situation to the Wizards. Two entirely different set of circumstances, although Swift has been coming along somewhat well from his knee injuries, still looks like he won't ever be the same to me however.

[pillwenney]

For the last time, my issues aren't about the playing time specifically, it's how they are getting the time, what they are doing with it, and its consistency.

They aren't choosing to lose (well, I have a theory myself about that) but they went out of their way to make sure they were put in a position to do so. The problem is that they've gone half way, which is a reccuring theme the last couple of years.

And as for Swift and Sene, comparing them to Hawes and Thompson makes about as much sense as comparing our situation to the Wizards. Two entirely different set of circumstances, although Swift has been coming along somewhat well from his knee injuries, still looks like he won't ever be the same to me however.

Yes, but I still see that complain as being unfounded. The playing time is typically pretty consistent and it comes because they earn it. They develop their skills and then try to apply them to games. If they aren't working, they need more practice, in most cases. They'll use them when they're ready.

Who went out of their way to make sure they were put in a position to lose? The idea for this team was to be as competitive as possible this year, while rebuilding. That has been the team's stated position time and again. They two things go hand in hand just fine. We just happen to suck more than management probably thought we would.

How is the principle of it any different? Sene and Swift get fewer minutes than veterans because they contribute less to a successful team than veterans like Smith and Collison. Sometimes, the same is true for Jason and Spencer, and so they are benched in favor of veterans. But they get more playing time than the others because they earn it.

[SacKingZZZ]

It's not about playing time, it's about consistency and role.

When you trade your two best players at the time for the packages they were traded for, it most likely makes you worse in the interim correct? What the heck would you call it?

Oh, and by the way look at the headlines....won't say I told you so. Hehe. It's already starting, too many mouths to feed and it's only downhill from here baby!!