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THE KINGS ARE RUINING NATIONAL TV
Critic
Uh, could the Kings
please let some top team make it a game
on national tv now and then? Here I have
been looking forward to first the Kings-Nets
game and now the Kings-Mavs game and each
time the Kings have made it a rout early
and poured it on all the way. In past years,
the Kings used to suck on national tv and
to me it was a proxy for how they would
handle playoff pressure. Uh, things have
changed. They are playing like a team that
could go close to 15-0 in the playoffs.
If I were a consultant, I'd just say, "hell,
you don't need a consultant -- just do what
you're doing." It just isn't possible
to play much better than they have vs the
Nets and Mavs and they played damned well
at LA. I think I'm revising my NBA rankings.
I still rate the Kings at the top, but I
draw a line under them and make the close
group the Pacers, Mavs and Nets below them,
with Phx and Lakers still outside threats.
While
Peja showed why so many of us consider him
the best outside shooter in the NBA, and
Bibby was playing awesome ball and Christie
and Vlade and Jackson and Clark were all
contributing, there is no doubt that this
was Webber's night. Don't sweat the FTs,
Kings fans. If CWebb plays like he has the
last three times I've seen him on tv this
year? Cakewalk to winning rings, even if
he shoots 45% on FTs. Seriously, he has
never in his career played anywhere near
this well (and he has at times played well,
even by Critical standards). He was looking
MVP good and I have NEVER used those initials
and his name in the same sentence EVER before.
He had Dallas completely punked, spooked,
psyched, whatever. They haven't the slightest
clue how to cope with him. He was dominant
in the paint, attacked the rim at any chance,
and he was offering Dallas a choice of ways
to get burned when he got the ball away
from the basket -- let him shoot lights
out or double him and let him hit the open
man. The Kings should run this film over
and over and over to let them visualize
how well they can play when they are on
top of their game. The passing was better
than any other team can even approach. Webber
also was the emotional leader of the Kings
and was head cheerleader for the crowd.
Congrats
to the Kings on a dominance-proving win
and to CWebb on one of the very best performances
of his career.
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