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minutes
into the first quarter then we won't have to worry
about those and-1's anymore because his rear will
be on the bench.
Now,
that argument sounds kinda silly when you look at
it that way, huh Laker fans?
I
do have to give Shaq and Phil credit for seeing that
the refs were going to basically let Shaq do whatever
he wanted this game and then tailoring their game
plan to take advantage of it. I've often wondered
why the Lakers don't go to Shaq 100% of the time when
he is getting to have his way like he did today.
This
may sound like simple ref bashing by a Kings fan,
but when the announcers of the game, who clearly favor
the Lakers, plus the media in the city of Los Angeles
itself, no less, are saying that Shaq is getting away
with rape and mayhem down low one must wonder
if any other team will be given a chance to derail
the "Laker Dynasty" that the league clearly
thinks it needs to make the most money financially.
Maybe they already have the "Dynasty" videos
all made to sell to those millions of rich Laker fans
in the LA area.
Today's
Game
Paesans
I'm
not going to complain about the officiating in today's
game because it is obvious to anyone watching the
game that Shaq gets to play to a different set of
rules than anyone else. If that is what David Stern
and the NBA wants, then the NBA and David Stern will
reap what they sow. It may not happen this year or
even next, but eventually the popularity of the NBA
will dwindle if this sort of biased officiating is
allowed to continue. I think the Kings can still beat
the Lakers even with this huge disadvantage. Phil's
defensive schemes are always defeated by quick penetrating
guards. Even in Chicago, this was true. JWill, Peja,
and yes Hedo could be the difference in this series.
Time to steal game 2 on Tuesday.
Is
Jeri-Curl Fox going to be allowed to basically hang
all over Peja and foul him every time he touches the
ball for the rest of this series? I hope Rick Adelman
goes on the offensive with this, because you know
that Phil Jackson would be screaming bloody murder
to the league if Peja were on his team and SleazeBall
was guarding him that way.
I
heard an interview of Stern recently about the state
of the league, and he seems in denial about the whole
thing. Maybe it's time for fresh blood in the commisioner's
office. David Stern had the benefit of an MJ league
for many years and benefitted by the popularity of
one of the most amazing athletes of this century.
Stern has done very little himself to improve the
league. He is really more of a parasite to the league.
Time for fresh blood. Bring in a real commisioner
that will allow the sport to be played as a SPORT
rather than an solely as an entertainment/TV venue.
Reno
Lady
Yes,
people do want the game to be more of a sport - a
little excitement and entertainment if you please
NBA. That's why the Kings are so popular, because
they give the game some personality. It isn't always
a dribble the ball, at a slow crawl, up the court,
pass to the biggest guy on your team who's always
in the middle of the lane and let him bowl everyone
out of the way while he makes a basket. The Kings
are pushing the tempo, running, passing, and doing
some interesting things with the ball. How exciting
was it to see Jason Williams going right at Shaq the
last few seconds of the game? (BTW-I thought this
was a good play, Jason just should have gotten in
a little closer & he would have either had the
basket & a foul or a foul with 2 attempts at
the line). Talk about David & Goliath! Anyway,
other teams are learning they can play the way the
Kings do and still win games but have more fun doing
it; I look for even more teams to turn to the Kings
style of play next season.
Speaking
of pushing the tempo: Why didn't Adelman tell Jason
to do that in the 4th quarter? Even if it meant taking
the big guys out (except Pollard, who can keep up)
I think it would have made a difference. The Kings,
players & coaches, need to encourage Jason to
go to the hoop more as once again he blew right by
everyone.
Obviously
Bobby Jackson isn't 100% yet. I hope he gets more
treatment and feels better by Tuesday.
Shaq
didn't like Jim Gray's question about the game being
so close did he? I thought it was a valid question-why
be afraid to answer it?
I'm
looking forward to Peja's response on Tuesday. This
kid is such a competitor and hates it when he feels
like he's let his team down; I really expect him to
be on fire Tuesday night. I'm glad it's a night game
as well because the Kings still play better at night
than they do in day games, although they're getting
better at that too. They've made such an incredible
leap this season; they've accomplished so many things,
broken so many streaks. A few more made free throws
today by the Kings and the scores would have been
reversed in this game and I think the Lakers know
it.
Bawsor
Obviously
I thought the officiating was one-sided. But we just
have to accept the calls and move on. What I found
troubling was Vlade's reaction to the calls or non-calls.
I thought his reaction was poor and it subsequently
affected his plays and decision making. In addition,
his reputation and his tendency to "flap"
might have hurt his credibility with the officials.
On the other hand, I thought Pollard handled himself
well. He accepted the calls and moved on.
We
should not foul Shaq when it is obvious he will dunk
the ball. How many times have we seen opponents stupidly
picking up a cheap foul and giving Shaq a freebie
foul shot. Instead, Chris, Vlade and Scott should
preserve their fouls to use in the fourth quarter.
Overall
I thougth we lost because the Lakers played a smarter
and more controlled game. Having said this, I still
like our chances. We just have to stay focused, play
smarter and make better decision down the stretch.
Ignore the referees and just play hard. Unlike the
glamorous Lakers, nothing comes easy for us. We just
have to roll up our sleeves, put on the hard-hat,
and just work harder.
Kingme
Look
we all agree that more help is needed to stop shaq.
Cwebb comes over to help occassionally, but he can't
pick up a lot of fouls and still be effective himself.
that means Pollard,Vlade and even Hedo need to try
and deny him the ball or push him out away from the
basket. Not an easy task when the man is almost an
immovable object. but that's why I'm so angry about
Vlade not bringing it. He's our center for crying
out loud! that's his job to guard shaq. I hear all
these callers and radio hosts say, presumably with
a straight face, that Vlade has to come out and hit
the 18ft. Jumper to be effective and draw Shaq away
from the basket. These theories sound good but when
vlade's bricking shots - easy ones - it messes up
a big part of the King's inside strategy. I mean,
if you were PJ, and being an astute judge of human
behavior and having watched Vlade's performances recently,
would you tell shaq to go out to guard Vlade? No Way!
In fact even in the games we've won against the lakers,
Shaq never fell for that. I just don't know why Shaq
gets to play by a diferent set of rules. Being biger
than everyone else shouldn't matter. People still
call other players for loose ball fouls even though
they may have longer arms than other players. And
thankfully i missed Walton's color work cause I turned
the sound down at tipoff and listened to KHTK!
Jeremydb26
Unfortunately,
I was only able to watch the first half of the game
today. I thought the Kings played well and was just
hoping it would be close at halftime. To my disappointment,
they had the lead at halftime and all the Kings fans
know what that means. Nice game by Webber and Pollard.
One thing that I liked about the game was that the
Kings showed their willingness to play physical as
well.
As
I told a friend of mine on Thursday, the league will
not let Shaq foul out of a game. I will admit the
refs gave the Kings a few as well with Webber's posts
down low. However, Shaq hitting Vlade in the face
with his arm is a foul. Another thing that has always
bothered me. Once a player has position (Pollard,
Vlade, Sabonis), Shaq should not be allowed to use
his body to knock him out of that position. A defensive
player has a right to establish himself and if the
offensive player knocks him off of that it is a foul.
Shaq should not be allowed to go through anyone he
wants while the refs just consider that just Shaq
establishing position. That type of non call is what
upsets me most.
Kings
still have a chance in the series. I love the way
Hedo played, the way the Kings played physically,
and the aggressiveness with which they played. Get
Peja on track, hit FTs, have Jwill penetrate, and
use the bench effectively and this will be a great
series.
Webber
Bonsy
I
think it's time for the Webber bashers to acknowledge
he played a great game today.
Unfortunately,
Peja was harrassed and looked harrassed all game but
I expect him to be mad on Tuesday and come out strong.
Hedo
was very impressive. So was Pollard. Jason did very
well. Christie was terrific. Actually, we played a
darn good game.
The
big factor in this game was Shaq and his ability to
go where he wanted and do what he wanted.
Aaah,
Joe Crawford. How did I know? Now, on Tuesday, it
will be our luck to have the other Crawford.
Still,
I was impressed that we didn't let the refs get in
our heads and only lost by 3 points. I figured we'd
lose this first game because it's Sunday. We rarely
win on Sunday. All along I figured we had a better
chance to win on Tuesday. The only thing I really
wanted to see was us play with them and make it a
game. And they did.
Remember,
Shaq never has 2 big games in a row. I look for Vlade
and Pollard to be more of a factor on him Tuesday.
Interesting
little stat:
Regular
season
Game
1 Officials: Dan Crawford, Dee Kantner, Sean Corbin.
Kings lose.
Game
2 Officials: Dan Crawford, Greg Willard, Jason Phillips.
Kings lose.
Game
3 Officials: Joe Crawford, Jim Clark, Mike Smith.
Kings lose.
Game
4 Officials: Luis Grillo, Don Vaden, Rodney Mott.
Kings WIN!
Yep,
just a funny coincidence.
Just
one thought on Fox's comment that Adelman must be
Dunleavy's brother... no, actually. In this case I'd
say Adelman is Jackson's brother.
Remember
last year, all the whining and moaning Jackson did
after we beat them twice. Suddenly Webber was playing
illegal defense. Boo hoo....
I
watched the tape of that game afterwards and saw Webber
illegal MAYBE twice in the whole game.
But
Jackson's complaining worked. We all remember how
Joe Crawford made sure he called the Kings for illegal
defense, not once, not twice, but wasn't it three
times in the first quarter of the very next game?
Final game 5?
The
best coach at whining and complaining about refs is
Fox's own coach.
Refs
protecting Lakers
ken
Shaq
was bumping Kings under the basket.
Fox
was hugging Peja all game lone.
No
call. The Lakers can do whatever they want -- no foul
on them, and the they won by a close margin.
That's
exactly what favorism is all about, people. I've repeatedly
and furiously talked about how the league/refs will
bail the Lakers out and nobody ever believed me. I
was once convinced that I was wrong, the Lakers aren't
favored, and the league/refs won't alter the outcome.
But
today, the reality reveals.
THe
Kings failed to blow out and Lakers. Close game, refs
spoiled Shaq. All those celebrities at Staples cheered.(You
recall how many famous faces NBC showed today? That
was only part of everybody.) Kobe's and Shaq's commercials
continue to roll in our TV.
You
can say I am stubborn. You can say it is a loser's
attitude. But I've predicted this before, and I still
hold firm about the conspiracy.
It
is only 1 game, but do you guys still believe the
league/refs will allow the Kings to win this series?
This
is a freaking 3-points game, ok? Had the refs called
the game more fairly, those "mistakes" wouldn't
even have happened.
Had
the refs called the fouls on Shaq and Fox when they
committed the fouls, they would have to sit on the
bench and all those "Lakers boards, 2nd chance
pts' would not have been so overwhelming and there
would have been no need to double up Shaq, Peja would
have gotten more open looks, and the 3 point difference
can easily go the other way.
Yeah,
getting the opponents into foul troubles is a key
strategy in basketball but only works if the refs
are fair.
Yes
I am a die-hard Kings fan and I will continue to be
one.
But
do you know how much I hope that I am wrong about
the conspiracy? How much I want to see some evident
that there is no favorism in the league? But from
all obervations, facts, reasonings, I just can't play
naive. We, or at least I, have to deal with the reality.
And
this is what I believe but I sincerely hope I am wrong:
the Sacramento Kings will never win the champ (fruitless).
Not because they aren't able to, not because they
aren't good enough, but because 1)they don't have
a supterstar with a ton of commercials, 2)the richest
people/celebrities aren't Kings fans, and 3)the NBA
doesn't make the most profit from the Kings market.
(I
know the Kings merchandise are selling good these
days, but I ensure you that can never top Lakers merchandise,
WORLDWIDE.)
Sorry
Kings fans, I know I am bitter. But please!!!! Please
prove me wrong!
I
am not saying anything against the Lakers. I am just
saying the LEAGUE is unfair at certian degree and
do all things based on $ and profits.
"It
is a business" says it all.
A
Laker Fan's View
Laker
Prophet
No
quality team with talent (like any team with more
than 50 wins this season, like the Kings) is going
to lose all the time on close calls.
Kings
lost in the end (on paper at least) because:
a)they
gambled and lost on not doubling Shaq properly. Lots
of teams have done this in a game 1. Expect things
to change for game 2. Adelman is not going to gamble
twice that he can survive a 44 pt 21 rebound assault
like that.
b)
turnovers and turnover points. The two teams were
equally sloppy, but the Kings gave up 8 more points
this way.
c)
not contolling the glass. It is one thing to be outrebounded,
another when most of the difference is on the offensive
glass.
d)
they did nothing to use their advantage from three
point range. Going 4 or 11 is not going to cut it
when you need points, and you need to push the pace
along ahead of the Lakers.
In
theory, had the Lakers been just as rusty from a week
off, and the Kings not made these mistakes or made
the correct adjustments, the game could easily have
gone the other way. Instead, both teams have game
one behind them, and they have to use what they know
for game two.
I
think Adelman takes the right tack though in trying
to single out Fox. The conspiracy guys at the league
office may be more willing to let him foul out of
a game.
Typical
Cat
Man
Still
say officiating comes out in the wash, although Shaquille
O'Neal clearly gets a wider berth than most players.
Even if they call those two obvious non-calls in the
first half, it doesn't change the outcome. Maybe it
keeps Vlade Divac off the bench, but who's to say?
More
important was the Kings' lack of movement on offense.
Peja Stojakovic should have been coming off two screens
to catch and shoot, and that Jason Williams missed
some opportunities to kick out on his drives into
the lane. And L.A. got back to prevent the transition
game pretty well.
This
one's going seven, so there's no need to panic.
So
how do we play Shaq and win?
The
Kings must get better movement on offense in Game
2: Peja Stojakovic coming off two or three screens
to catch and shoot; Jason Williams penetrating, then
kicking to an open man if the Lakers collapse on him;
cutting without the ball to the basket and into passing
lanes to disrupt the Lakers defense and create opportunities
elsewhere.
And
they've got to make the close shots so Shaquille O'Neal
doesn't have rebound opportunities. On defense, they
were able to get Shaq away from the basket when he
shot but couldn't keep him there, and he abused them
with put-backs. If they can limit his second chances
-- a big if -- the transition game should open up.
The Lakers can't run with the Kings.
Hido
+ Pedja
parso
I
think this line up should be given a chance because
its in my view our best defensive lineup because its
substitutes a 6 footer with a 6-9 one. Interesting
enough when Hido was on Kobe, Kobe did not attack
him other than forcing a fadeaway over the long arms
of Hido... maybe it was just because Shaq was just
going balistic downlow... Laker Prophet Hido can easily
handle Fisher on the defensive end and he would post
the something out of him... hell he can post of probably
any Laker guard since Kobe's post up defense is weak...
but lets get not over board the Kings would not want
to rely on Hido downlow and he would probably not
get the ball after one missed shot... I really wish
Adelman would be more of a risk taker though. I mean
even if we are outplayed big time he does not react
with any substitutions. I think a little change at
times might change the games and the other 4 Kings
players game too... just my take
It's
All Good
Elbow
Pass
There
are many positives to take from today's game. It's
been 5 hours since the final buzzer, deep breath,
Kings fans need not to panic or worry that there is
a conspiracy against us. Remember last year, we got
walked on in three games in LA. I like our chances,
I hope on Tuesday we get a little more ball movement,
set some picks for Peja, use the double team more
on Shaq. I think the key to taking a game in LA is
our defense. Limit LA on the second chance opportunities,
grab loose balls, and not complain about calls. It
would be one thing if the Kings didn't show up today,
but they did, they played hard and almost won on the
road. Hedo and Pollard played good off the bench,
Jwill got the minutes and played decent, Webber took
the ball the the hoop more often than settling for
the outside jumper, Christie played solid on defense
and Peja just didn't get the looks due to aggressive
defense by Fox ( not saying it was legal defense just
aggressive). I'm upset, but I'm not angry, we definitely
have some things to work on and I'm looking forward
to Tuesday. We're prepared,. the opportunity is there
and with a little luck hopefully we can get the split.
GO
KINGS
p.s.
I almost forgot, how can someone send a complaint
to NBC. Unfortunately I was not in a position to mute
the tube and listen to 1140, so I had to tolerate
Walton the whole game. Games are so much more enjoyable
on the local channel.
Tough
Game, But...
Critic
Once
again, the Kings lost a close first game. This time
tho, they were playing away from home. I wouldn't
get too down about that loss. They played hard but
just lost, despite a poor shooting game by Peja. While
I'm usually a ref-apologist, this time I agree with
the ref-bashing. I thought they were very bad and
while the errors may have evened out in numbers, almost
all of the blatent errors I saw that went LA's way
tended to keep Shaq in the game. Without Shaq, LA
would get blown out. With him, especially when treated
as 007, well, they're really hard to beat. It gets
to be Mission Impossible for Vlade and Pollard when
it's called that way. Shaq has enough great moves
w/o letting him also get by with simply smashing all
in his path. I thought Fox was just playing good D
for the most part, but Shaq seems to be playing an
entirely different game. With all that? Just a 3 point
loss on the road. They are much more competitive with
the Lakers this year than last.
I
had to keep turning the sound off. Walton was a buffoon
today and his mouth was in gear constantly. He has
zero credibility as an analyst and should be put out
to pasture or back in the studio for halftimes.
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