Marcus Banks: "Mack 10s, crush rocks and drops, best respect the feds only, fuck cops"
Trenton Hassell: "Play a role and catch a bullet hole..."
Rashad McCants: "Let the money drip-dry, hundred dollar bills wipe the tears from my eyes"
Kevin Garnett: "NO"
So that was certainly a hot game. I saw the same things tonight I saw against Boston a week ago. Only difference is that it was against a legit opponent, on the road.
So what was different between this game and the last few?
Marko.
It's a hornets nest right now, so I'm not going to dive into it yet, but in case you missed it, Jaric sat the entire game, allowing a gangster (little Markie Banks, have it kid!) to go off and counteract the Canadian. I loved it. You can't stop Nash on defense, so you have to throw something at him to make him D up and actually work. And Marcus did that and then some tonight.
But of course, the story is SHAWN MARION RETURN TO SENDER, SNATCHO!!!!! YOU THINK YOU CAN COME INTO KG'S HOUSE AND KICK HIS DOG, EAT ALL OF HIS PIE AND TAKE A SHOT IN THE LANE AT THE BUZZER??? THIS AIN'T THAT KIND OF PARTY, AND THE 40S ARE ALREADY WARM, SKUNK!!!!
There are times when even the best of us question KG at the end of games. Does he have it? Is he the "dagger" type of player? Maybe he needs someone else in there to pass to...
Yeah, how about NO? How about, NO, that shot isn't going in? How about, NO, I'm not missing these throws. How about, NO, I don't need anyone else, just me and this goddamned ball. And it's going down and you can't stop it. Suns.
So this was pretty satisfying, and I hope it doesn't sound as if I'm too overjoyed. I just love endings like this. I love it when Kevin Garnett just jumps higher than you and blocks your pathetic shot. I love it when Marcus Banks practically needs a wheelbarrow to lug his sack around. I love it when Hassell is all Austin Peay again. And I love wins against quality opponents, because they give Hope.
And yeah, I'm all for sitting Jaric for awhile until these new thugs figure each other out.
2 comments:
It's pretty apparent that Marco is not the answer, and that Casey thinks Banks is.
That being said, the guy is STILL a good NBA player, and we need to find a place in our rotation for him. I don't think he can play point for us, with the offense we are trying to build, but what about 2-3. He can still defend (as long as it isn't the fastest guy on the court), and drive to the lane (maybe finish a few and get some confidence back), and he won't be such a liability.
As far as point goes, Banks is playing well but he needs to learn to dish a bit more, and initiate the offense in transition. A.C. is a great back up, and I am glad he is gettin ghis burn. Huddy really should have been dealt when his stock was up (after the first lakers series).
Just my two cents.
I agree with that. I think maybe I'm harder on Marko now, especially since Banks works better with Ricky, KG and Hass. Jaric still definitely has ability, but his thing is confidence. He'll never be questioned for his effort, and that's good, but I think he gets too down on himself. When he has a bad game, he just mopes and makes stupid plays, and then looks to pass the ball all the time instead of being aggressive. Jeez, I can't even imagine how he's reacting to this benching. He's probably slowly losing his grip on reality, day by day getting worse and worse, and by the time he comes back, it's just going to be a mess. He's a guy (and you can say this about a lot of guys) who needs to play consistent minutes and get in the flow of the game and get his confidence up. I just see bad things if he can only play 15-20 minutes a game.
I definitely like how Casey has tightened up the lineup, and I'm sure it will reap benefits once it gels, but right now it looks a little shaky. Banks and Ricky MAY eventually get into a consistent flow, but the other guys are going to have to find their place in it. Strangely enough, this is where you really like guys like Fred Hoiberg and Mark Madsen... guys who will go along with whatever is happening on the floor and never look out of place. Guys like Griffen and Jaric, on the other hand, are going to stand out if they don't understand what's happening.
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