Hoops

Kings vs Breakers, Nov 19

Also, as a side note re: Jules's lack of impact on the game, and not to take away from Pledger's solid effort (I agree he's had some quality bitch-making games against us in the past as well!) I talked to Jules after the game as I saw that he'd pulled up sore on the bench at times and he said that he got a cork in the first quarter and couldn't feel his leg all game, so that's got to have some effect...

Think ive found the issue - PG. Cadee doesn't take over and control the offence in those sticky situations. The ship goes rudderless and you have Garlepp, Khazzouh, Cadee going iso with no offence. Cadee needs to be a floor general instead of allowing it to turn into a shambolic mess.

Exactly... I was hoping that Markovic would be filling this role this season and help ease Jase into it and lead by example, but BUH BOW... And only < 5 mins for Steve last night as well, so obviously not 100?
The wheels well and truly fell off, NZ made a couple of big time shots and then it all fell apart and everyone was taking idiotic/quick shots, no plays were run, no defence, ugh... Lack of leadership was a huge problem the last couple of seasons and that's not going to get fixed with a young aussie like Cadee who is still more a SG than a PG and a SG import that they want to be a PG but who can't even give it up to another player on the fast break for an alley oop...

Another tough pill to swallow, especially with Jackson and Jackson on the bench, and Vikona on 4 fouls with 5 minutes to go. Should have gone inside to Harrington or Kazzouh to get that last foul on Vikona. But our offence seems to be shoot the 3 pointer with no rebounders in sight.

I reckon both of them were on 4 fouls for most of the 4th quarter... youd' think that nearly every time the Kings took it inside and got a proper play instead of just spinning and chucking, they either got the easy basket or got fouled, but they refused to do anything other than take (often early) silly shots...

The Kings really seem to be off with the fairies at times and seem to have no game plan...when that mode sets in both offence and defence have huge issues and they play without purpose or heart. If that doesn't come back to coaching, I don't know what does.

As above re: wheels falling off, but in addition to this, where are all the people who spoke up last week when the Kings won, saying how amazing a coach Cotter is and that he shouldn't shoulder any of the blame? They're probably still spouting the same old crap about "Chill has been injured", "He didn't pick the players"... But a quality coach inspires the players, instils in them the tools and processes that they can fall back on when the wheels fall off, and doesn't make consistently poor and uninspired decisions during the game...


Seriously though, so how does a professional team get outrebounded nearly 2:1? I was talking to Ben Knight after the game and suggested that we should have suited him up and gotten him to get some rebounds and he looked seriously disheartened with their rebounding effort... "Can only try to teach them so much, but you've got to want to get them..." And Jeromie with no game time and he's one of the few that seems to actually want to get after them... Looks like he's got the Cody Ellis seat on the Kings bus this season with Coach Cotter...

"Yeah, Pledger was huge and had me thinking several times that here was a bench player owning a highly rated starter. "

Fair call but before injury Pledger was considered a highly rated starter, obviously not on this forum but in other circles he was rated. Time off allows people to forget how truly effective he is at protecting the rim and crashing the offensive glass.

Yup Charles Jackson gets up and down the floor quick and a couple of times a game Ced Jackson is tossing the ball ahead high above the opposition guards and finding him in the paint. He doesn't always finish but that is improving as is his team chemistry.

NZ still have Tai Wesley to come back who was playing some of his best basketball before the birth of his child and appendix operation.

Another tough pill to swallow, especially with Jackson and Jackson on the bench, and Vikona on 4 fouls with 5 minutes to go. Should have gone inside to Harrington or Kazzouh to get that last foul on Vikona. But our offence seems to be shoot the 3 pointer with no rebounders in sight.

Another limp 4th quarter. Khazzouh had a stinker. Sometimes the team doesn't go to him for so long on offence that he gets out of rhythm.

Cadee's stat line from this one probably looks ok but he failed to control the game, especially when NZ took control in the 4th.

What position is Carter even playing? He's like a shooting guard that barely shoots.

paul, it happened just as we said. Massive lapse in the 4th and completely went away from what they were doing.

Think ive found the issue - PG. Cadee doesn't take over and control the offence in those sticky situations. The ship goes rudderless and you have Garlepp, Khazzouh, Cadee going iso with no offence. Cadee needs to be a floor general instead of allowing it to turn into a shambolic mess.

That Jackson injury looks serious. Reminds me of when Rose did his knee.

Just wondering, if this is Childress's suspension game which is what I'm sure I heard the commentator say, how is it that Sydney get to play with two imports?

Just checked the half-time stats, was wondering how NZ had 28 rebounds when SYD had only missed 15 shots then noticed the O boards - NZ are killing them.

Yeah, no faith in the Kings winning this one. NZ are back to firing on all cylinders, should take this out.

NZ have been playing the twin towers of Alex Pledger & Charles Jackson together a bit lately to try and dominate the rebounds and rim protection with Corey Webster and Abercrombie on the wings to spread the floor and give Ced Jackson some lanes to drive. It worked well against Perths imposing front court and will most likely be tried against the Kings with Wesley out and Vukona playing limited minutes.

It's very hard to see Sydney win games when they don't play the full 40 minutes. They play great in spurts, but then have a tendency to throw all their good work away with sequences of brainless offence (i.e. bombing from outside or taking rushed decisions - stop playing through Khazzouh).

With that being said, they're a very dangerous team because if they hit those outside shots they can beat anyone.

Defensively, they need to make a big stride as they have given up 96, 94 and 99 points in their last 3 games.

Tipping Breakers by 2.

Breakers should get this one.
Webster & Abercrombie both have their jumpshots locked in and Jacksons passing game has been on point. Charles Jackson is showing what Vickerman was talking about and Pledger has been improving with each game.
Vukona should be playing some minutes but I believe Wesley won't travel while he recovers from having his appendix removed.

Cadee will need to be handcuffed as will Khazzouh and Harrington but if NZ can keep those 3 taking contested shots it will go a long way towards victory.