Are the Kings Tanking?

[ICMTM]

It's just a though. I just feel anytime Luther Head plays extended minutes we're asking for bad things to happen.

[Castor_Troy]

Tyreke was hurt and Beno can't cover Westbrooks shadow...Head was the best defender they had to throw out there. It didn't work, Westbrook owned, no one is surprised.

[pillwenney]

Head didn't play extended minutes. He played the first 5 minutes, was horrendous, and then he was taken out and didn't even get minutes in garbage time.

So no, we're not tanking.

[perezident]

Oh not this thread again. I'm so tired of hearing are we tanking. We just flat out suck at execution and running plays. We're headless chickens on the court just running all over the place with no "direction". "Direction" because, there are plays being called, but no one still knows where to be.

[408Kings]

No, I don't believe we're tanking. Someone had to replace Tyreke, and P-Dub probably thought Head was the best available defender against Westbrook. We really needed someone other than DMC to step up in that game to even have a chance at making it competitive.

So when the players still don't get it halfway through the season, is that their fault or coaching?

Another thought: If we can, draft Terrance Jones and try to lure John Calipari to the NBA?

There would be 3 of his former players on that team. Tyreke, DMC, and T. Jones (who had 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals in yesterday's game against Miss. State).

[KF10]

^^^

From what I heard from both Tyreke & Cousins thoughts about Calipari as a NBA head coach was pretty negative. They said something like his "coaching style" will not suit well in the pros etc" From that, I never believe Calipari will be a good coach in the NBA. If you have your best two players from couple of years ago not giving as much endorsement to Calipari, it's very telling.

[darkadun]

We've been playing excellent basketball, aside from the OKC/SA games, both of whom are 50+ win teams. If we were tanking, we wouldn't even be competetive.

[dozencousins]

The CAVS were tanking not us !

[Wolfay]

I'm not sure if we're tanking, but I do believe that management thinks that losing probably isn't the worst thing in the world right now. Might as well get that lotto pick.

[ICMTM]

We're on pace for a 20 win season and we're playing not to be the worst team record wise in the league. If you don't think we're tanking then Reke, Cousins, Et Al IMO aren't worth building around.

[bjax24]

We wouldn't be in these games if we were. I look at some of the teams with better records than us and honestly feels we are better equipped than them.

[SacKingZZZ]

The last two games aside, the "core" pieces of this team have battled toe to toe with the NBA's best for a legit stretch of games. I ain't worried.

I think we all know what's wrong with this team and it will hopefully be corrected moving forward. We have enough "play makers" but a main problem is that they aren't used well enough as that, and I'm mainly referring to Cousins and Evans. What this team lacks on the court and even on paper are FINISHERS to go along with them. In order to get the most out of two players like Evans and Cousins is that when they make plays they have to have somebody that can actually finish those plays within the context of the offense on a consistent basis. Casspi is the best we have right now and Cisco would really help in this area but we need more. Beno is more of a "play maker" than a finisher, the type of play maker that really isn't needed with what both Cousins and Evans are capable of doing. Landry is the same way. We need guys that can stand out of the way that are primed waiting for their chance to finish a play and are in turn a threat without the ball. Beno, Landry, and a few others will typically catch the ball off of a made play than recreate a play off of that. That makes the entire team less threatening as a unit because defenses know that even if the player catches the ball in a wide open position they are most likely going not going to score immediately which gives those defenses time to adjust. There's not nearly enough cutting, shooting, etc. on the floor at almost all times and other teams know that. It's the main reason why teams can pretty much shut this team down with a basic zone.

[YC42Balla]

We're on pace for a 20 win season and we're playing not to be the worst team record wise in the league. If you don't think we're tanking then Reke, Cousins, Et Al IMO aren't worth building around.

NO, its as simple as that. We're not tanking, we're playing good ball. And for the record, DMC and Reke are going to be a great duo in the near future.

[wiltchamberlain]

Oh not this thread again. I'm so tired of hearing are we tanking. We just flat out suck at execution and running plays. We're headless chickens on the court just running all over the place with no "direction". "Direction" because, there are plays being called, but no one still knows where to be.

Bingo. The Kings aren't tanking, they're just that awful.

[_SRV_]

I sure hope so, there are 3 possibilities
1. The current roster sucks
2. Westphal
3. Tanking

Or any combination of the 3.
Ever since all star break of last season, the Kings only deteriorating.

[SacKingZZZ]

Although, it should be noted there is some pretty staggering evidence at hand that could very well suggest tanking i.e. that starting lineup in the OKC game. Wow.