Sacramento Kings Baby!! (1 Viewer)

[Chris_Anders]

They just beat the Jazz, up next Dallas. I think having such a tough first round has made them a better team. The Jazz were a bunch of roughnecks.

I feel sorry for all those Laker fans out there, because when the Kings and Lakers meet, well, lets just say that the lakers wont be competing for their 3 consecutive championship.

 

[Chris_Anders]

Any other kings fans out there or what?

 

[PhilS]

The Kings over the Lakers? Yeah, right.

 

[Alex-C]

Watching the Kings stick it out against the aging Jazz is one thing. Beating the red hot Mavs is an entirely different matter.
I am pulling for the Kings, but the Mavs look awesome right now. Maybe the Kings can force them to go inside which is the obvious challenge since the Mavs are an outside shooting team and a damn good one. Right now, today, the way every team looked in Rd 1, I'd say the Mavs have a better shot of de-throning the Lakers then the Kings do.
of course, the Lakers, they are blessed....did you see that game 3 ? the T-blazers were up 5 points with 1 minute and change, and choked. Did anyone notice Wallace pulling up for a 3 point shot with lotsa time still left on the 24 sec clock ? wot an idiot !
We'll see how Rd 2 plays out.
I hope the Kings go all the way, but if not, I hope the Mavs smack the Lakers where it hurts.

 

[John Spencer]

I've been a Kings fan since their Kansas City version, and I am very impressed with this year's squad. I think the reason they might fare well against the Mavs is their similar style of play. Utah is just a bruiser of a team, and the Kings haven't handled that well for the past few years. They are a much better team when they don't have to bang it up with their opponents. And there probably isn't a more balanced lineup around than their main 6. So, hopefully, they will be able to shut down the Mavs just enough to wear them down and move on. But this should be one hell of a series.

 

[Paul Jenkins]

I agree, should be a great series. Compare starting lineups, who do you like?
Nash versus Bibby - Nash
Finley versus Christie - Finley
LaFrentz versus Divac - Divac
Nowitzki versus Webber - Dirk
Najera versus Stojakovic - Stojakovic
Dallas bench versus Sacramento bench - Dallas
Slight edge to Dallas, IMHO. Of course, being a huge Mavs fan, I'm sure my opinion is clouded
Paul

 

[Johnny wilson]

They look good, but can they beat the champs? I hope so!

 

[Chris_Anders]

Paul? Nowits over Webber? Dallas' bench over Sacramento's? No WAY. There is just no way. Webber is the best all around player in the league. Credit to Nowits for sure, but Webber can do it all. Sacramento is also KNOWN to have the deepest bench in the entire NBA. Throughout this whole season the bench has come into games and bailed out the starters time and time again. They cover every position. Bobby Jackson for Mike Bibby is no let down. He's a contender for 6th man of the year. Pollard is a defensive rebounding fool. Hedo Turkoglu has moments of absolute brillance when he's not acting like a rookie. They have two solid rookies who can come in and compete by the names of Gerald Wallace and Mateen Cleeves.

And Finley may be a better offensive player than christi, but wait and see what kind of tough defense Christi plays on Finley. He is one of the top defenders in the league.

Should be a good series.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that this Dallas team resembles Nelsons Warriors team of old with Run TMC. They were a run and gun team who never made it to the second round, they just didn't have a playoff brand of basketball. Dallas seems to resemble that Warriors team. If they do beat the kings, there is no way they could stop the Lakers, but then again, I don't think they'll get past the Kings.

 

[Paul Jenkins]

Yep, Dirk over Chris, sorry. Webber was the best all around player in the league, he isn't any more, IMHO. Dirk has one weakness, and that is his defense, but that has come along this year and he is still very young. I'd take Dirk over most anyone in the league except Shaq and possibly Kobe, he is that good.
Sacremento isn't KNOWN to have the BEST bench, which is the key, now isn't it?
We are obviously homers for our respective teams, personally I think Sacramento is the most overrated team in the league, and I think Dallas will win in 6. That is why they play the series though, isn't it
As for the LA/Mavs matchup, that will also be a good one. I wouldn't sell Dallas short against LA. I think we may be a year away from being to beat LA, but I think once we dispatch Sacremento and LA dispatches San Antonio, the Dallas/LA series goes 7 games, and you never know what happens in a 7th game!

 

[Chris_Anders]

Yes, actually, Sacramento Is KNOWN to have the best bench in the league. Just look around at NBA sites, or listen to the comments of the broadcasters and coaches. Not just the Sacramento Press but the US press. Look into it a bit and you will see what I'm (and the rest of the country) is talking about.

Yes I will still stick with Webber over Dirk. I think you are wrong on that point. Having watched Webber play the last three years, AND improve (He will get Better as well) I have to say that Dirk cannot do anything that Webber can't except shoot the three better. Webbers tougher D makes him a better player than Dirk.

The Kings overrated? No way. They get the "overrated" stereotype just because they are a small market team. Have you watched them play this season besides the highlight reels? They are truely a terrific team and deserving of the 61 wins this season. How can a team be over rated when they have the best record in the league? People say they won't win simply because they haven't proven themselves in the playoffs yet.

Remember this: Nelsons Warriors = Nelsons 2002 Maverics

 

[Paul Jenkins]

round and round we go I don't agree that Sacremento has the best bench, nor does many around the country. Here is a quote from ESPN on that subject:

Sacramento has a solid bench with Scot Pollard, Bobby Jackson and Hedo Turkoglu. Jackson is a high-energy player who plays aggressive defense, gets the team into an uptempo game, shoots the 3-pointer, drives to the basket and rebounds on the offensive end surprisingly well. Turkoglu is a versatile player who can play almost any position and plays tough defense. Pollard, meanwhile, is a banger. Dallas will come off the bench with Nick Van Exel, who will pose an excellent challenge for Jackson. The Mavericks will also use Adrian Griffin, Wang ZhiZhi, Greg Buckner (if he's healthy) and Shawn Bradley. While he is somewhat erratic as a shooter, Van Exel is very good with the ball, makes few mistakes and can put points on the board. Even though Adelman's three key bench players give the Kings an edge in depth, they have no one like Van Exel, who is a big factor for Dallas

As I said, Sac has a deeper, but not better, bench. I agree with Ramsay's assessment.
I think you are wrong about Dirk versus Webber. And, yes, I watch a lot of basketball with the NBA League pass, Sacramento games included. In my opinion, Dirk is the better player and given the choice between Webber and Dirk, I'd take Dirk.
Lastly, this whole Warriors == Mavericks remains to be seen, I don't see them as the same, this Mavs team has a legit shot at beating both the Kings and Lakers and taking the NBA title. One series at a time, obviously.
At least we agree on the one important thing in this, that it will be a heck of a series to watch!

 

[Chris_Anders]

Agree we do on the excitement level of this series. I honestly think it will be the best to watch of the playoffs short of a Lakers Kings rematch. An I say a Lakers Kings rematch would be as exciting simply because of the heated rivalry between the two teams (and cities).
Good quote from ESPN. You did your Homework
Conceeded is the fact that Dallas has better talent off the bench. But talent vs. depth equals out. All around, a fairly matched series is looming.
You take your Dirk, and I'll take my Webber, and then we can both be happy. We shall see who will be happier after this series though.

 

[Paul Jenkins]

We shall see who will be happier after this series though.

You betcha! Saturday can't come fast enough. I'm a bit bummed out I had to give up my season tickets last year due to financial reasons. Sure would be nice to have those seats now that we are in the playoffs! Hopefully I can at least watch them in HDTV on HDNet or locally on UPN21

 

[Chris_Anders]

GO KINGS!

 

[ikiru]

Another Dallas homer (and ticket P1) chiming in...

Sacramento is a very tough team, especially at home. However, the key to this matchup is at point guard. I think that Dallas has the best point guard combo in the league with Nash and Van Exel. They are responsible for most of the good looks that Dallas gets because they have the speed and skill to penetrate and score inside.

Dallas matches up well against Sac. They beat them 3 out of 4 times (once without Dirk, in Sacramento). Sacramento is great at home with a home record of 36-5, but 2 of those losses are to Dallas.

Going to be a great matchup!

-ikiru

 

[Howard Williams]

I think this series is gonna pan out to be your classic home court advantage shoot out. Great shooting team always shoot better at home. Sac will win all their home games, so will Dallas. Sac is a little more likely to steal one than Dallas. Sac has a little better defense and inside/outside balance than Dallas. If the jumpshots aren't falling, what cha gonna do Dallas? Sac can go inside with Divac and Weber, and get some fouls on Dirk. Next thing you know Dirk is sitting on the bench watching Sac turn on the boost.

Either way, I agree this will be the best series this year.....until the next round.

 

[ikiru]

Given the most recent history, I think that Dallas should win 1 if not 2 games on Sacramento's home court.

One other thing that Dallas has over Sac is how few Dallas turns the ball over. Dallas does not make dumb mistakes very often and is very good at turing possessions into scoring opportunities.

-ikiru

 

[Juan_R]

I think the Kings and the Mavs are playing for second place.

 

[Alex-C]

I just have one question for discussion:

If the Lakers are soooo good and unstoppable, then why didnt they win the Western Conference ?

I'll admit, they look strong, but they did lose their share of games as well.

Same goes for the Mavs.

I guess it comes down to who plays best at this time of year. Just ask Tom Brady !

 

[Brian Perry]

If the Lakers are soooo good and unstoppable, then why didnt they win the Western Conference ?

Boredom