Cadee and Whittington?

Powell will not be gone. We need to replace Blake, but that's it. I don't care if we lose the Hawks game tonight, it's not our talent or roster that is hurting us, we're just not generating enough good offense out of our half-court shuffle set at the moment... too many passes around the perimeter before it's low shot-clock 3s and relying on Newley or Lisch to create something from nothing.

the pure continuity shuffle was good with a 30 sec shot clock ( or 35 in NCAA) and a full 30 reset on a defensive foul or offensive rebound.

Its not as good a fit for today's rules, other wise the old "the wheel" offence would have likewise have survived as an effective offense into the 35sec shot clock era of the NCAA, it didn't and the shuffle ( in its pure repetitive form ) won't either.

Kings need to start playing defence again. In their win streak they were forcing something like 18 turnovers per game, last round it was 8.5.

Their scoring hasn't dropped away but other teams are piling on the points. Three of the past four games they've given up more than 90, that only happened once in the first 10 games.

Whittington's foul trouble has been the biggest reason our D has dropped away IMO... he needs to stay on the court, which means less swiping at the ball on opponent drives... whether they're clean or not, they are easy calls for NBL refs to make.

The Kings definitely need to fix their piss weak defence that has been losing them games, I think that's the primary key...

Running a better offence would be nice as well, but if I had to choose one, it would be fixing their D...

Agree that it's not just two scorers, although both Cadee and Whittington have been in a funk lately, so they need to come in focused...

Hawks by at least 8 if I have to base it on both teams current form...

Yeah, he and Newley create a lot of trouble defensively when they're on together with their length and athleticism.

Tonight's a big test because the Hawks will roll 11 guys through whereas the Kings only seem to have seven the coach trusts with Blake gone.

Maybe Prewster will get a few more minutes tonight but he hasn't looked as comfortable on the floor as he did last year. He's looked susceptible to pressure and there will be plenty of that tonight.

Is Blake coming back to Aus eventually, or are the Kings replacing him?

Bevo to show why he's the best coach in Australia

Is Blake coming back to Aus eventually, or are the Kings replacing him?

Cadee, apart from some freakish shooting early on, has not been consistent - which is the story of his career. His defence leaves a bit to be desired. He is at best a backup guard. Whittington has been on and off, and has been in foul trouble. He has a habit of running beside the man with the ball and called for soft touchy fouls. If you are going to foul, make it count.

I think Cadee leads the league in +/-. Sydney are +89 with him on court and -48 with him off. Whittington (+74) is the only other King who's above +40.

He has been a very good leader for the Kings this year and they have suffered because of his form slump. But yes, his D can always improve.

Whittington looking switched on tonight

That was a superb first quarter particularly near the finish when the refs swallowed their whistle. Two questionable soft calls on Whittington and no unsportsmanlike when Prewster went down heavy and had to sub out with blood, lets see how consistent with that call the refs are tonight.

Incredible game to watch so far, like two heavyweights going at it. I got some new respect for Gaze coaching, he's really taking the tactical game up to Bevo with Jeromie being the surprised sub and running some new offensive sets.

Hill has been a little rough and has made some mistakes, but I like his hustle, I think we've missed that when Whittington isn't on the court.

Hill has also sat out of 8 games this season because there were not enough minutes to go around. He is great when given the opportunity.

Yeah, I think I've been as vocal as most re: playing Hill over Tommy (although he's done OK tonight).

For someone with his size and bulk, Jeromie moves very very well. A lot of his mistakes come from his urgency to try and make strong, energetic plays. Its hard to blame him with the few minutes he's been given. I just feel that if he can switch it on and off, it'd give him better control and feel for the game. That deceptive quickness can work to his advantage when his big man match-up is caught off-guard and to do that he needs to keep them guessing his pace.

How good is this game? It seems almost every game is high-quality over the past month. Love it.

What game are you guys watching? It's been pretty much one way traffic since quarter time.

The press really kills the shuffle when it takes us all 8 seconds to get it over the half way line.

Ha ... and after I write that the Hawks go on a 12-2 run. You're welcome ;)

yep, sure does

Cadee's had a couple of awful turnovers this quarter.

"No Cad... YES CADEE!" = all Kings fans most the games the past couple of years.

I don't get why the Kings guard non-shooting 5s and 4s so tight at the 3pt line.

Why wasn't Lisch called for that carry?

Never seen Tommy challenge so many shots around the basket.

Rotnei Clarke... jeezus.

Kings doing a great job of leaving Oscar open tonight.

Reports of the death of Rotnei Clarke have been greatly exaggerated.

And again.

Well, that was a pretty huge block.

Great game by both teams. The Hawks chucked the kitchen sink at the Kings and Sydney picked it up and threw it back! :)

Yeah, entertaining, and always felt like Hawks were going to work there way back in with some crazy shooting from Oscar and Clarke. A real relief to pick up the W to be honest, not feeling good about the Cairns or Melbourne games coming up.

Travels and illegal screens seems to be the emphasis this year. Maybe carries will be next year.

Wonder who kings will sign, could be hard to beat with a good 3rd import

Kings fans would have to be pretty pleased with that.
When you can cop some runs from a quality team in their own building and still come away with the win, that's a good sign.

Is Blake coming back to Aus eventually, or are the Kings replacing him?

Steve Blake has a net worth of around $30 million back end of his career he didn't need the NBL lol

They said that the Kings have an announcement to make on Blake tomorrow, and I imagine it's either his replacement or that an announcement of a replacement will be made shortly.

Kings 4-5 with Blake, 5-1 without him. Don't think they're holding their breath, especially with Lisch and Cadee combining for 45 tonight.

I don't think it's a simple as blaming Blake, but it would be nice to get a reliable backup 1/2 guy who isn't ex-NBA and won't be a distraction.

It's not about blaming Blake, just acknowledging he wasn't getting the job done. His defence was poor and oppo went at it consistently. When your import is being shown up by Adam Doyle and Damon Heuir it's time to look elsewhere.

"They said that the Kings have an announcement to make on Blake tomorrow, and I imagine it's either his replacement or that an announcement of a replacement will be made shortly."

who said that?

Travel weary Hawks was the difference in this one

I'm sure Rosen said the Kings were expecting to make an announcement tomorrow on Blake, during the 3rd or 4th Q.

IMO its not as simple as saying Blake's defence stank or he was in a shooting slump, etc etc. The problem with Blake was the differences in style of play and types of players between NBA and NBL. The old adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" aptly fits the situation.

I think for most of his playing career, Blake was used to having team mates that were far more athletic, able to move up the court faster and finish spectacularly in offense. He fed off offensive juggernauts that can draw multiple defenders when they penetrate.

In defense, he's more likely to have bigs that are very intimidating in both size and ability to protect the rim so his responsibility was mainly to shadow his man at the perimeter and funnel their path towards that paint enforcer.

He was trying to do what he's been doing all his career but it wasn't working without those playing environment or types of team mates he needed. Changing his play style was probably too much to ask at this stage of his career in a foreign country with different sets of rules and conditions.

Great game tonight!

Kings shouldn't sign anyone new. It'd stuff their rotation. Gaze is gonna have enough trouble finding minutes once Khazzouh is back.

And who we kidding, Gaze won't play deeper than 8 or 9 anyway, so may as well invest the $$$ in youth & energy.

I wouldn't sign another import. I think Cadee needs the minutes he is getting, and they're probably not going to do much better with the money left on the table. I would give Blake's spot to an up-and-coming Aussie guard, or even an old vet who can contribute but doesn't warrant many minutes - someone like Rhys Carter - and then let this team marinate. They're going to be just fine I think.

It was a great game to watch too.

Yeah I agree that the Kings are in a nice position as it is. They've got the luxury of not needing anyone else at the moment, so I think they'd be wise to keep the extra import spot up their sleeve as injury insurance just for the time being.
As the playoff qualifying deadline approaches they can reassess any areas of need before making their move, possibly allowing a higher-value player for the same money since they're paying for a shorter time.

Indeed interesting that Cadee finds form again with Blake out of the picture. Kings will be thinking very carefully about their next move. Maybe a strong defender and passer who doesn't demand a lot of the ball might be the right way to go.

That is, assuming rumours are true and Blake isn't likely to return

I reckon that business about Blake not being able to adapt to a game without athletic teammates is a bit weak and unlikely. He made an excuse about the different game balls at one point. A point guard out of any position should be able to adapt their game to suit. His percentages were poor and you can't blame that too much on teammate athleticism.

Realistically, I think our league is reasonably strong for a guy on his way out of the NBA, and I think our locals and established imports are at points in their careers where they have more drive and motivation.

Yeah I don't think we can blame the results on Blake, but his involvement isn't a coincidence... The Kings looked like the team before his arrival tonight and not just because he wasn't there... Greg was back to form, still had one or two silly fouls (and I agree about his running along side his player, so frustrating!) but still amazing to watch... Those few inbounds plays were nice...

Great win from the guys tonight, weathered the predictable barrage of threes, leaving Oscar open to nail his first one was a BIG mistake, I don't care if he's missed his previous 20...

Noticed Luke Kendall sitting on the bench with the coaching staff, in what looked like Kings gear, Is he on staff or could he be being considered as a replacement for Blake? I've no Idea if he is fit or still playing. etc. Anyone know what he is up to these days?

Seemed like a good game from the bits and pieces I caught between replays and close-ups.

First time Powell played serious D and rebounding, and what a difference.. Cadee, Whittington and Garlepp also stepped up. How many blocks did we get when Powell and Whittington played serious ball? Lisch and Newley awesome as usual. Well done Kings !!!!

And F@#$K YES Kings need another PG ASAP - whether it be an import or Aussie, for when Cadee has an off night or someone is injured. We have only Prewster, who looks so unsure all the time.

If it's not an import, not sure who else is out there as far as backup PGs go? Is Isaac Turner still on the practice squad? Not sure he is a PG as much as a 3pt shooter, but he's technically an import who could maybe play spot minutes and give us some insurance on ball handling duties if Lisch or Cadee pick up an injury.

Isaih Tueta did a pretty good job for Breakers. Is he allowed to sign with another team after playing as an injury substitute for NZ? I don't see why not.

Isaac Turner IA definitely more of a two, but I think that's good if it means none of this combo guard BS & Lisch is THE POINT guard every minute he is on the floor.

He runs the team & IS the best player in the league.