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Hard defense or cheap shots?
Ailene Voisin: Kings, play some 'D' - or earn an 'F'
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports...15064710c.html
SAN ANTONIO - The white flag went up five minutes into the game, five minutes into the postseason, or right about the time Tony Parker darted past Mike Bibby, caught Brad Miller with his back turned, and scored another in an endless series of unmolested layups.
Bibby thrust his hands in the air, gesturing wildly.
Bibby turned and stared, screamed at no one, screamed at everyone.
Where was the help? Where were his teammates? Where was the defense?
Where were the Kings?
Parker could have sprinted all the way to France before any of the visitors placed so much as a fingernail on his 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, his early exploits establishing a pattern that persisted throughout the worst playoff performance in Kings franchise history.
Again and again, as if playing against sore-kneed baby boomers at the Y, the fourth-year point guard curled around screens, sliced between would-be defenders, scored with the left hand, scored with the right hand. Or he penetrated and passed to an open teammate for similarly uncontested deep jumpers. Or he did something else, say, slipped underneath for five rebounds, furthering the Kings' misery and enhancing the feeble essence of their effort.
"We knew exactly what they were going to do, and we couldn't stop them," Bonzi Wells said in a locker room that, with the exception of Bibby, was surprisingly devoid of emotion. "Tony Parker sucked us into the lane and exposed our defense.
"We had a lot of different schemes and none of them worked."
Here's a thought.
Why not get close to your man?
With apologies to Eva Longoria - and no one is suggesting anyone inflict serious harm to her longtime boyfriend - but the Kings are desperate here. The options against the defending world champs are all physically painful, yet given the alternatives, better than anything else that comes to mind. Sac's reputation as a vastly improved defensive team is about 48 minutes from being gutted.
A repeat performance Tuesday night, and the Kings can gather their belongings, slink back to Sac, and reclaim their familiar standing among the league's consistently agreeable opponents.
One would hope that, at least for a night, they could emulate the world champs and make a little noise. Heck, why not "Pop" someone once in a while?
The next time Spurs coach Gregg Popovich directs Parker to attack the lane, send a subtle forearm into the Frenchman's midsection. The next time Manu Ginobili shreds a double-team, land an elbow to the hip. The next time Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel, Brent Barry, etc., etc., etc., race into the deep corners, extend an arm and nick a wrist?
Ditto the next time Tim Duncan steps out and launches one of his patented bank shots, or backs into the lane for a turnaround, or hoists one of his half-hooks, or one of his step-throughs, or resorts to any of his other varied but amazingly basic tricks.
Someone, anyone.
Share your angst with the Spurs, or forget about it, forget about it all. The impressive midseason turnaround. The occasions when the ball was shared, when players collectively and eagerly pursued loose balls and rebounds, when the words of Ron Artest actually resonated. When the Kings of late 2005-06 actually seemed intent on establishing a new iden y, embracing the fundamental concepts (defense and rebounding) that remain at the roots of any legitimate postseason program.
"We have to come with a different approach or maybe an entirely different game plan for Tuesday's game," offered Kenny Thomas. "It's not like the regular season anymore."
No, as the seedings indicate, the Spurs are the clearly superior team. Duncan is the most complete player in the game, and Parker and Ginobili are sensational counterparts. Additionally, the bench is deeper, the coaching is exceptional, and the home-court edge inside the AT&T Center is significant. But why assist in the execution? Why not at least offer the pretense of playing with a sense of purpose, of wanting to prolong life, and with the degree of intensity and mental acuity so common to the postseason, even among losing teams?
Instead, there was too much of the same. Brad Miller with one rebound. An astonishing 18 points in the paint allowed in the opening quarter. A pathetic disadvantage in rebounding (51-32). An early deficit that grew to 34 points before halftime.
Where were the Kings?
Better yet, who are the Kings?
We still don't know.
Hard defense or cheap shots?
One would hope that, at least for a night, they could emulate the world champs and make a little noise. Heck, why not "Pop" someone once in a while?
The next time Spurs coach Gregg Popovich directs Parker to attack the lane, send a subtle forearm into the Frenchman's midsection. The next time Manu Ginobili shreds a double-team, land an elbow to the hip. The next time Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel, Brent Barry, etc., etc., etc., race into the deep corners, extend an arm and nick a wrist?
Oh no she didn't!
I do like her as a writer though.
More like a woman frustrated that she just lost $1000 in an office bet that the Kings would win game 1.
While watching yesterday I was hoping that they would sit the starters cause I knew that either Artest or Bonzi were gonna get frustrated and start some . Game 2 is gonna be called closely with Bavetta and Palmer probably coming to town. So I'm already getting ready for a 4 hour free throw contest.
former
hath no fury...More like a woman frustrated thats he just lost $1000 in an office bet that the Kings would win game 1.
While watching yesterday I was hoping that they would sit the starters cause I knew that either Artest or Bonzi were gonna get frustrated and start some . Game 2 is gonna be called closely with Bavetta and Palmer probably coming to town. So I'm already getting ready for a 4 hour free throw contest.
Last edited by angel_luv; 04-23-2006 at 02:23 PM. Reason: Thanks Boutons!
Whenever anybody puts out a call to hit people, he/she is admitting defeat.
"Bee" stung!
What is this 's email?
You can email her at [email protected] or give her a ring at (916) 441-4100.
Hey that worked for the Nuggets and Sonics last year right? Cheap shots slowed down the spurs then too didn't it?
yeah it worked on Tony too earlier in the year.
But Parker picked himself up and went back at em again.
This isn't the old Spurs where you can knock em down and expect them to fold up.
These boys have guts.
I would expect a more physical game from the Kings, but cheap shots would be a sign of sore losers.
E-mailed to Voison.
I read your article related to the Kings deliberately throwing elbows to stomachs and hips. I hope parents of Sacramento children threw out that paper before their children had a chance to read that trash. Pathetic.
Funny, I thought I did see them resorting to cheap shots in Game 1 and it still didn't help them any.
I have a couple of cousins in the area... i"ll send them to say Hi to him
Why is it that some ignorant writers confuse very easily good defense with cheap shots?
The Spurs are a great defensive team, but they are far away from being a thuggish team. Some people even call them "soft", so if you wanna play Spurs defense, the last thing you need is to go "Artest" beating up people.
Even if they chose to use the thuggish startegy, it won't work. Players like Manu or Tony will keep punishing you with penetrations, and many of your fouls will end in an And 1.
The Kings I believe aren't that type of team that can give cheap shots, throughout the whole series. Maybe Artest and Corliss Williamson, but thats about it.
If they wanna play that type of game, then they're gonna lose at that as well.
They'll be waiving the white flag very soon.
Exactly what I was thinking
Rumors of the vast improvement in the Kings defense were greatly exaggerated.
Looked like same ol' porous Kings defense to me.
You would have thought Chris Webber was still on the team.
The white flag has been raised. One wonders if she watched the game past the 1st quarter, because Artest was certainly following her theme later on.
What a difference a game makes. Before the game, the Spurs were the weakened champs, a team ripe for the upset by an team revitalized by a midseason acquisition, a team that supposedly had shown that they can win in the at&t Center. Now the Spurs are the 300 lbs playoff gorilla.
dumb!
How 'bout losing with a little dignity and good sportsmanship? Maybe they didn't teach ethics in her journalism school.
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