Some dialogue from last week between Jimmer Fredette and some of the media regarding his show.
Rob Small: What’s the point of your YouTube account?
Jimmer: Oh well what it is, they’re doing a little documentary on me up to the draft. Then on the 23rd, it’s over. So it’s just kind of a thing to show people what it’s like to go through the process, show what I’m like a little bit off the floor. You know a lot of people see me on ESPN, see me shoot these shots, but they don’t really know who I am. So I think it’s a good thing that people can see what it’s like to go through this process and hopefully have a good time, show them it’s a fun time.
Rob Small: Have you gotten any feedback from it?
Jimmer: Uh yeah, I have actually. People really like it via Twitter or Facebook or whatever it is. Even the comments on the YouTube page, seems like everybody’s enjoying it so far. The guys are doing a pretty good job of videoing it and getting some good stuff, so I think it’s been a success so far.
Footage from yesterday’s Adidas Eurocamp workouts featuring international draft prospects Donatas Motiejunas and Bismack Biyombo. According to reports, both were less than impressive to NBA scouts and brass in attendance. But consider the defensive skills of a player like Biyombo would probably show better in a scrimmage situation than drills workout.
In the spirit of the new tech policy, I’m completely on board with the first tech Cousins received in the game. You can’t really make a spectacle of the calls, and even though it didn’t appear he said anything out of line, he still ran from sideline to sideline and kept motioning for a changed call. Referee David Guthrie was on the side of the court Cousins ran to, and likely felt it was over the top with the way he was “protesting” the call.
It’s not the end of the world and it’s not really disrespecting the game all that much. However, it is the kind of thing the new tech policy is trying to curb and at this point in the season, players (even rookies) should know better.
The second technical foul is where the officials lose me. Cousins and Chandler are battling for position on an attempted free throw. They get tangled up like an awkward 8th grade dance before separating. Chandler’s elbow gets a little high into Cousins, but there really was no excessive contact made and no order to restore.
Yet referee Marc Davis comes rushing in from near halfcourt to hit the players with the dreaded and confusing double technical foul.
I know many fans will not agree with the first technical foul but it’s the right call. With the new policy (which I will defend as a good idea), Cousins can’t go making a spectacle of a call he views as incorrect. He has this problem and it’s amazing (considering his rookie status) that he doesn’t get T’d up more for it.
However, the second technical foul is extremely ridiculous and flat-out wrong. Marc Davis is a referee with enough experience in this league to not make such a lazy double technical foul call. You could argue that only Tyson Chandler deserved a tech on that play and I might be willing to listen. But the reality is there shouldn’t have even been a foul or double-foul call, let alone a double technical for two players getting tangled up and not overreacting to it. Chandler’s elbow was completely incidental and all Cousins did was get out of the way.
Reffing is a really hard job, especially in the NBA. Last time I tried to ref a game, it was a freshman-JV scrimmage during a practice. I have never felt so bad about any job I was doing. I can’t imagine how hard it is to deal with the speed of the NBA game while trying to keep a billion dollar industry as honest as possible. But this second technical has no excuse. It was a referee far away from the play with a bad angle overreacting to something he thought he saw but wasn’t actually there.
There is no conspiracy and there isn’t some bias against DeMarcus and the Kings here. It was just a case of bad officiating that cost Cousins a chance to finish a game he was excelling in. I doubt it would have changed the outcome of the game, but DeMarcus still deserved that right to try to help his team win.
While I haven’t finished the game recap from last night’s Kings victory against the Los Angeles Lakers, I would like to reminisce with the greatest highlight video of all time.
Also, to finish up the news from Thursday, click here. Like Carl Landry, we are going to move on from this story and get back to hoops.
Yes, Tyreke Evans does work on that half court shot in practice. Here is a video from an October 20, 2010 practice, that proves it:
That footage does not look as pretty as this:
I guess practice makes perfect.
Here is an exchange between Tyreke Evans and myself in the Kings locker room last night following his amazing half court buzzer beater:
JH: Now, I’m at practice most of the time and I watch you guys shooting those half court shots but…you aren’t usually the one who makes it in first…
Evans (laughing): I just have to get a rhythm. I start out missing, you know, I try to trick them. Once I start missing, they keep going. They make one and I say, keep going. Then I hit about four straight.
JH: How good does it feel to have your team run over and all of you guys huddle up in the corner, celebrating and jumping up and down?
Evans: It felt good, we needed that. We all felt good and that’s how we’re all supposed to live as a team you know, all happy with smiles on our faces. We have a good team on paper, and we just have to go out there and prove it.
JH: Do you think that shot goes a long way towards you being the leader of this team?
Evans: Definitely. Me, just playing to the ability that I can play. Just going out there and trying to take over the game. Like Cisco said in the locker room, they need me so I just have to go out there and play to the best of my ability.
After a shot like that, when his team so desperately needed a victory, you can’t help but think that this might get Tyreke Evans back to the form that won him the rookie of the year last season. Confidence is a fickle thing in the NBA but after last night, it shouldn’t be an issue any longer.
Immediately after the Kings’ final possession against the Dallas Mavericks failed, Paul Westphal was under scrutiny from those who watched the Kings lose at home in probably their best game of the young season.
But after watching it a couple of times, I have to say there was nothing wrong with the play call. It was actually a very good play with tons of options to score. The ball was put in the hands of DeMarcus Cousins and he ended up failing. It wasn’t Westphal’s fault. Cousins just made a mistake.
Play starts with a clutter of Kings between the elbow and the 3-point line with Francisco Garcia down by the baseline. Omri jets to the near corner, Landry flashes to the far corner and Garcia moves to the far sideline above the 3-point line. Cousins flashes towards Tyreke to receive the pass.
As soon as Tyreke inbounds the ball, he cuts through the lane behind Jason Kidd after he fakes towards Cousins for the hand-off. At this point, Cousins should have hit Reke with a good pass over the top. This is where the play begins to fall apart.
Once Cousins misses the opportunity, Chandler’s wingspan takes away the passing lane and closes off that option for DeMarcus. This gives Cousins the lane to drive, which he does.
Cousins has one more chance to pass to Reke once Chandler has to cut off the drive, but Kidd drops down. As DMC gets into the lane, Dirk helps off of Carl Landry. This is another misses scoring opportunity because Cousins did have a slight window to drop the pass down to Reke. He also could have just tried to score the ball himself.
Cousins opts to kick out to Landry at the 3-point line, probably out of nervousness. Dirk tips the pass and it gets Landry farther away from the basket but actually gives Carl a better driving lane on the baseline.
Landry drives the baseline but instead of just going into Chandler and trying to score over him or draw the contact, he goes deeper towards the baseline and gets caught behind the backboard.
Landry really has nowhere to go with the ball or the pass at this point. He forces one out to Garcia about 35 feet from the basket. Jason Terry cuts over to intercept the pass and seal the win for the Mavericks.
Sad Panda. Terry steals the ball and the Kings lose the game.
Here is the play in real time.
Overall, I think Westphal is unfairly taking heat for this final play. The play in theory was brilliant. It gave the Kings multiple opportunities to score and tie the game. Maybe you can rip him for putting the ball in the hands of a rookie, but that happened a few times last season and worked out fine.
