I'm sure I got a few of these wrong. I count on you, the readers, to tell me what I'm wrong about and why. And based on last week, you're willing to help me in this way. Chime in with your comments below.
Isaiah remains the 1b to DeMarcus' 1a. He's been a great facilitator off the bench, and if he's upset at his bench role he hasn't shown it. Isaiah continues to make the most of whatever minutes he's given. Isaiah did struggle in both games against Portland, at least by the standard we hold Isaiah to. IT bounced back with a brilliant performance against the Nets, finishing with 19 points, six assists, and six rebounds. Keep an eye on this DeMarcus vs Isaiah debate, because Isaiah is still nipping at DeMarcus' heals for that number one spot.
Vasquez had a fantastic game against the Nets, as Ziller discussed. But he also had pretty decent games against the Blazers as well. I'd still like to see more impact on the defensive end, but Vasquez has consistently been a positive contributor for the Kings. For this week, that's enough to grab the number three spot.
McLemore earned a starting role this week, and we couldn't be happier. That doesn't change the fact that McLemore struggled in limited minutes in the first Portland game, and that he struggled against the Nets as well. He often still looks every part the rookie. He gets the nod simply because when he's on the floor, McLemore works hard. He's a spark plug, and you never know when he's about to do something amazing. The Nets game notwithstanding, McLemore gets a lot of credit for his attitude and effort on the court.
I had some difficulty putting Thornton this high. If it wasn't for the Nets game, he'd be much lower on this list. Don't get me wrong, that Nets game was a perfect reminder of why so many Kings fans love Thornton. But goodness he looked awful in those Portland games. Absolutely lifeless. If DeMarcus Cousins acted the way Thornton did during the Portland games, we'd be reading every national writer lamenting Cousins' attitude issues. Maybe moving to the bench is the wake up call Thornton needed. If he can go back to being a volume scorer off the bench, and can accept that role, he could thrive and rise up these rankings.
JT moves down a spot, largely due to a couple lackluster performances against Portland (seems like a recurring theme, no?). Thompson struggled, but still did enough to beat out the next two players on this list. Thompson was inserted back into the starting line-up as part of Coach Malone's efforts to improve the effort on the floor. Thompson responded with his best game of the season, finishing with nine points and 11 rebounds.
Patterson is lower than JT simply because I've become incredibly frustrated with Patterson squandering his opportunity. He was given every chance to succeed, and managed to put up worse per-minute numbers than Thompson. Patterson, like many of the Kings, did have a good game against the Nets. It's too little too late in my book. Patterson also went 2-9 from beyond the arc this week. Please, PPatt, please stop jacking up threes.
I've begrudgingly come to appreciate Travis Outlaw this season. I appreciate his effort and his attitude. I'd be perfectly fine with Outlaw as the Kings starting small forward. Is this what Stockholm Syndrome feels like?
I still believe Jimmer deserves a spot in this team's rotation. Thornton having a good game off the bench doesn't help Jimmer's cause. Until we see it on the court, I just can't justify putting him higher.
11. Luc Mbah a Moute (Last week: 12)
Mbah a Moute isn't going to fill a stat sheet. I just wish he could fill a role for more than one game in a row.
12. Hamady N'Diaye (Last week: 13)
Hamady played 28 seconds this week. He put up no stats. He had a plus/minus of +21, somehow. Good enough for me!
I don't know how Salmons gets compromising photos of every head coach we hire, but I know he uses them to maintain a spot in the starting line-up.
***
Not going to rank these guys until they get into a game.
***
0 Comments
Badge Legend