Quote:
Originally posted by California Injun
As now we have the Kings debacle. (BTW, where is Adam's comments about CWebb being OFFICIALLY out for the year?)
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Cal_Injun, I've started to think you're related to Bill Walton.
7:11 your time last night, just as the story broke, check out who broke the news on the Planet about Webber's season ending injury.
http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showt...threadid=59948
So there goes my hiding in the face of bad news. I'm eager to know where you were after Games 1 and 2 of the Spurs series....
As for losing Webber, why lie? It f'n kills us that he's gone. Webber was having his best postseason yet, stepping up his game in all aspects of the game.. even his FT shooting wasn't as nightmarish as expected. Kings just lost their best player (though Peja has had an awesome postseason too) and you're right, Cal. He's the man for the Kings inside. No Webber means the Kings now become even more of a jumpshooting team in the playoffs and that's not what wins championships.
Although...
For the Mavs series, the Kings must still remain committed to ripping apart the Mavs interior D, or lack thereof. They went away from it in Game 2 after building a 20-10 lead and very foolishly allowed to be caught in a macho streetball game which plays right into the Mavs hands. Found out in a big way playing that way is poison for any team playing the Mavs.
They still will run the offense through Divac, who has notoriously stepped up his game when Webber has been out with injuries (which unfortuantely has been quite often lately). However, he's no spring chicken and sooner or later, he won't be able to get it done when you expect to see him get it done.
They have Pollard, Clark for starters. I'd start Clark because he brings athletic ability and quickness which resemble Webber. Playing Divac and Pollard together against Dallas must mean one thing... Eastern Conference style halfcourt, take the air out of the ball kind of basketball... for if it's high-paced, the Kings become too slow.
The wild card is Hedo. As his minutes rise, I really expect him not to let the Kings down... this injury is a statement now for Hedo to show what a mistake it has been to have him off the rotation. He should be very fiery every game... and should the Kings advance (I still believe this is a winnable series with the Kings having homecourt now), he's going to be a difference maker.
In the future, we needed Webber to help answer the dominance Shaq presents. In the Spurs case, to help answer the greatness Duncan presents. In either case, the Kings have definitely gone from potential favorites to clear underdogs.
For the Kings, in the past when Webber has been hurt, the entire team does play better. It's a mystery as to why and I am NOT advocating the Kings are better without Webber, for they definitely are not. But the Kings respond well to adversity caused by injuries. If you had one 12 man team, comprised of the best players in the world, one can make the case that Peja makes the team (not as a starter, but on the roster), Bibby was on this team last year but he's not now, for he has been inconsistent in these playoffs... absolutely MUST change starting tonight. These two can be our bread and butter on offense. As far as the rest, I am not expecting Bobby Jackson to be Mr. 6th Man right away from a broken cheekbone... I'm expecting intensity, but not the fearless game he brings. Jim Jackson has to step up, for it's very apparent Christie is as bad an offensive liability as any team has in the playoffs, he's becoming sort of a backcourt version of Rodman (all defense, no offense) and that's bad. We'll never see him, but I sure would love to see a bit of Gerald Wallace... the kid can play.
We'll find out soon enough how much the Kings have left in them....