Posts Tagged ‘Kings’

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Uni Watch Ranks Celtics Top NBA Jersey, Kings Finish Dead Last

August 25, 2012  ·  11:30AM

by Micah Hart

Over at ESPN, the Uni Watch Blog has spent the past week unveiling their rankings of all 122 professional team jersey designs across the four major sports in North America. The top ranking NBA kit? The classic, timeless Boston Celtics, which checked in at 10th overall. Said Uni Watch on the Celts:

The Rolling Stones, “Goodfellas,” a Hershey’s with almonds — the classics are classic for a reason. That definitely applies to the Celtics’ set. No goofy side panels, no extraneous bells or whistles — just a perfect vertically arched wordmark and a simple green-and-white color scheme. They’d jump a few more spots in these rankings if they dropped that black-trimmed alternate.

Have to say I couldn’t agree more about the black trim on the alternates. After the Celtics, the Spurs, Lakers, Warriors, and Jazz rounded out the top five. I’m a little surprised to see the Jazz so high, but to be fair I haven’t looked at their jerseys since they burned my retinas back in the late ’90s.

As for the worst NBA uniforms? Take a bow, Sacramento. Not only do you have the ugliest threads in professional basketball, but Uni Watch lists the Kings dead last amongst all teams:

Every class has a slow kid pulling up the rear, and in this case it’s the Kings. Where shall we start — the brutal color scheme? The illegible chest lettering on the home jersey? The oddly off-center front uni numbers? The clownish number font? The completely incongruous old-school script on the black alternate? A disaster from start to finish. On the bright side, there’s nowhere to go but up!

Ouch babe. Take a look at the full NBA rankings and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.

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Jimmer Fredette and Justin Timberlake, Bros

August 4, 2012  ·  12:18PM

by Micah Hart

Jimmer Fredette tweeted out a little before-and-after action of himself and Justin Timberlake yesterday. The photo on the left was taken in the mid-90s, when Timberlake was just making his way into America’s women’s hearts as a member of ‘N Snyc, and Fredette appeared to be ready to do the Truffle Shuffle. The one on the right is from the ESPY Awards earlier this summer, totally suited up.

Just a couple of bros being bros, you know?

H/T @jimmerfredette

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10 Years Ago, Robert Horry Hit The Shot That Inspired A Certain Scale

May 26, 2012  ·  9:36PM

by Micah Hart

10 years ago today on May 26, 2002, “Big Shot Bob” himself, Robert Horry, hit the shot that would one day inspire what some* would call the defining way to measure a game-winning buzzer-beater:

*Well, one person



Happy anniversary Robert — I promise to grade shots in the lane harder in the future.

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Three For All: Dallas Mavericks

March 12, 2012  ·  8:59AM

by Micah Hart



As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Dallas Mavericks, who played three straight from Mar. 8-10.

The defending champs have had their share of struggles this season, which is to be expected of any team coming off the kind of high that was the Mavericks’ title run. Order seemed to be restored at one point, but then Dallas faced a nine-games-in-twelve-nights stretch to begin the second half of the season, culminating in the three for all, with all three games on the road to boot. A recipe for disaster? Let’s see:

Game 1: Suns 96, Mavericks 94 – Dallas had beaten Phoenix eight straight coming into the game, and led by 11 at the half. All seemed well. Then the Suns got it going, and Rodrigue Beaubois missed two shots in the game’s final seconds that might have sent it to overtime. Tough start. -2 points

Game 2: Kings 110, Mavericks 97 - This is exactly the kind of loss we should expect to see in this compressed season — a young, athletic team racing past an old, tired squad of veterans. The Kings were up 10 at the break and never looked back. -1 point

Game 3: Warriors 111, Mavericks 87 - See previous paragraph, and double it. 0 points

We’ve seen oh-fers twice before this season, by the Pistons and Suns, two teams on the outside of the playoff hunt looking in (Ironically, both teams have been playing their best ball of the season lately — perhaps the humiliation of the winless threeplays were the inspiration?). We weren’t supposed to see this kind of thing from the Mavericks.

However … we’ve seen a few veteran playoff teams take some games off this season. Mark Cuban said himself on the B.S. Report last week that seeding doesn’t matter this year, that every team is just trying to survive the compressed schedule, and that regular season performance will not necessarily translate to the playoffs. So, -3 points for the Mavericks. Were they giving it their all? Or were they taking a couple losses in battle right now in hopes of winning the war later on? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Up next: The Suns are back at it with a chance to redeem themselves, playing three straight Mar. 14-16.

Three for all Top Ten:
– Miami Heat (15 points)
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– New Jersey Nets II (8 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Portland Trail Blazers (6 points)
– L.A. Clippers (6 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets I (6 points)

Full Three for all standings

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Sacramento Fans Hold Rally To Thank Mayor Kevin Johnson

February 29, 2012  ·  12:49AM

by Micah Hart

As you may know, the Kings and the NBA agreed to a deal with the city of Sacramento to build a new arena that will keep the team in the California capital for the long haul. Sacramento fans have played a big part in helping to make this happen (if you haven’t seen Small Market, Big Heart, you should). Perhaps more than anyone though, Sacramento mayor and former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson was the driving force behind bridging the gap between the NBA, the Maloofs who own the team, and the city itself.

With the deal in place, Kings fans were in a mood to celebrate, and many decided to throw an impromptu rally to welcome Mayor Johnson back from All-Star Weekend in Orlando where the deal was finally consummated. Via Tom Ziller:

Is that the best, or the bestest? How can you not feel happy for the fans in Sacramento?

Congrats to everyone involved, and job well done KJ.

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Three For All: Portland Trail Blazers

January 27, 2012  ·  3:44PM

by Micah Hart



As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Portland Trail Blazers, who played three straight from Jan. 23-25.

Every time I see a fan base start to complain about bad luck, or how nothing ever works out for them, I think of Portland. That is not to say that I think Blazers fans whine all the time; on the contrary, I think of the incredible adversity and horrible luck with injuries that franchise has faced in the past few years and how despite that, they’ve still managed to make the playoffs and contend where I believe others would have folded up the tent and gone home.

When this season started with the announcement of another Greg Oden injury setback and then the retirement of Brandon Roy, I assumed Portland was done for. And though it hasn’t been easy, here they are again, keeping their heads above water and competing for the playoffs. If they have the fortitude for that, I’m sure the three-play will be a piece of cake. Let’s go to the scoreboard and find out:

Game 1: Blazers 101, Kings 89 - When you have three games in three nights, it’s great to have a guy like Jamal Crawford available, who on the right night can get hot and carry the team by himself. This was one of those nights, as Crawford sprung for a game-high 26 off the bench to lead the Blazers to an easy win. 2 points (1 for win, 1 for +10 margin)

Game 2: Blazers 97, Grizzlies 84 - So far so good, as Portland picks up another seemingly easy win, this time against the Grizzlies. Marcus Camby did his best Ben Wallace impression in this one, pulling down 22 caroms while scoring only three points. 4 points (3 for win, 1 for +10 margin)

Game 3: Warriors 101, Blazers 93 - Finally away from the friendly confines of the Rose Garden, the Blazers fell short to the Warriors in the final game to fall short of becoming the third team to sweep their three for all. Normally you’d like your chances against the Warriors when Monta Ellis scores only four points, but on this night he dished out 12 assists and Steph Curry picked up the slack with 32 to deny Portland perfection. 0 points

The Blazers finish with 6 total points, which in some ways doesn’t do them justice for their performance (with two +10 wins), but that’s why the third game is so important — it’s the hardest to win, home or away.

Up next: The Detroit Pistons play three straight Jan. 30 – Feb. 1 as they take on the three-play challenge entirely on the road: at Milwaukee, at New York, and at New Jersey.

Three for all Scoreboard:
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Portland Trail Blazers (6 points)
– L.A. Clippers (6 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets (6 points)
– Orlando Magic (5 points)
– L.A. Lakers (3 points)
– Charlotte Bobcats (3 points)
– New Jersey Nets (2 points)
– Sacramento Kings (2 points)
– Minnesota Timberwolves (2 points)
– Toronto Raptors (1 point)

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Three for all: Toronto Raptors

January 12, 2012  ·  5:28PM

by Micah Hart

As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Toronto Raptors, who played three straight from Jan 9-11.

Toronto doesn’t have a lot going for them this season, but maybe a nice performance in their three for all could win them some huzzahs to help keep them warm at night during this cold, cold winter?

/shakes Magic 8 Ball, gets “Not gonna happen” message

Game 1: Raptors 97, Timberwolves 87 - Andrea Bargnani put on his big boy pants for this one, dropping 31 and grabbing nine rebounds to help the Raptors earn the win, which brought them a win away from .500. 2 points (1 for win, 1 for +10 margin)

Game 2: Wizards 93, Raptors 78 - All those happy special feelings the Raptors might have been having in the previous paragraph? Dashed in D.C., where the Raptors suffered the ignominy of becoming the Wizards’ first victims this season after eight straight losses. For shame Toronto, for shame. -1 point

Game 3: Kings 98, Raptors 91 - Seems the trend is starting to return to normal, as two of the three teams finishing up their threesomes lost their final game, including the Raptors at home against the Kings. Leandro Barbosa had a season-high 24 off the bench, so that’s something. 0 points

This isn’t a playoff bound Raptors crew, so no need to get too snippy (but seriously, the Wizards?), but there were more wins to be had in this set than they ended up with. All told, Toronto moves to the bottom of the table with a season-low 1 total point.

Up next: The Charlotte Bobcats play three straight Jan. 12-14, starting in Atlanta before coming home to host Detroit and Golden State.

Three for all Scoreboard:
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets (6 points)
– L.A. Lakers (3 points)
– Sacramento Kings (2 points)
– Minnesota Timberwolves (2 points)
– Toronto Raptors (1 point)

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Three for all: Philadelphia 76ers

January 12, 2012  ·  2:38PM

by Micah Hart

As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Philadelphia 76ers, who played three straight from Jan 9-11.

The Sixers have been playing some of the best ball in the NBA, and found themselves during their three-play challenge at the top of the Atlantic Division. Could they maintain during this brutal stretch? Let’s find out!

Game 1: Sixers 96, Pacers 86 - The Sixers catch a small break as Pacers All-Star Danny Granger was out with food poisoning (Coincidence? Or was he pushed?), though with the way Philly is playing, it might not have mattered. Andre Iguodala led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds. 2 points (1 for win, 1 for +10 margin)

Game 2: Sixers 112, Kings 85 - So far the Sixers depth is really developing into one of the stories of the NBA season, a big reason for their surprise success so far. Case in point against the Kings, as Evan Turner came off the bench for a near triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Elton Brand turned on the wayback machine and put up 21-10, but he’s a starter, so that’s outside of the narrative. 4 points (3 for win, 1 for +10 margin)

Game 3: Knicks 85, Sixers 79 - This is more what we assumed the third games of these things would be like, as the Knicks got out to a big lead early and the Sixers’ tired legs just didn’t have enough to chase them down, So goes Philly’s six-game win streak, and so goes their chance at perfection. 0 points

All in all a successful stint for the Sixers, who took care of business at home with two double-digit wins before losing a tough game (regardless of rest) at the Garden. 6 total points for Philly.

Up next: The Toronto Raptors also played three straight Jan. 9-11.

Three for all Scoreboard:
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets (6 points)
– L.A. Lakers (3 points)
– Sacramento Kings (2 points)
– Minnesota Timberwolves (2 points)

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Three for all: Sacramento Kings

January 6, 2012  ·  2:24PM

by Micah Hart

As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Sacramento Kings, who played three straight from Jan 3-5.

Well, I daresay we won’t see a more tumultuous three-game set for any team this season, as the Kings saw a blow-up between talented but, shall we say, enigmatic forward DeMarcus Cousins and coach Paul Westphal end up with Cousins allegedly demanding a trade (since disputed/rescinded) and Westphal getting the axe after a 2-5 start. It just goes to show you a lot can happen in three games.

Game 1: Grizzlies 113, Kings 96 - Cousins was benched for the previous game against New Orleans, but made the trip with the team to Memphis, though he was held out of the starting lineup. Not sure it mattered, the Kings got waxed. -2 points

Game 2: Nuggets 110, Kings 83- Case in point – Cousins started against the Nuggets, and the Kings lost by 27. Westphal got got after this one. -1 point

Game 3: Kings 103, Bucks 100 - Just when it looked like we’d see our first oh-fer, the Kings under interim coach Keith Smart stage a huge second-half rally and tip the Bucks at the very end. Cousins had 19 and 15, for what it’s worth. 5 points

Given how things started on this trip, plus playing the Nuggets at altitude, I’m impressed the Kings dug deep and pulled the last game out. Maybe there’s fight in them left? They conclude the three-play with 2 total points.

Up next: The Atlanta Hawks are on the clock, with three games in a row Jan. 5-7: home against the Heat (which they lost in 3OT, at Charlotte, and home to the Bulls. Good luck.

Previous three for alls:
– L.A. Lakers (3 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Denver Nuggets (6 points)

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Three for all: L.A. Lakers

December 28, 2011  ·  2:48PM

by Micah Hart

As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart.

I’ve come up with a completely arbitrary system with which to judge team performance, that looks a little something like this:

Game 1 win = 1 point
Game 2 win = 3 points
Game 3 win = 5 points
Game 1 loss = -2 points
Game 2 loss  = -1 point
Game 3 loss = 0 points

Bonus points:
+1 for road win
+1 for +10 margin of victory

Will this system work? I guess we’ll see how the season goes. In the meantime, let’s take a look at how the first contestants, the Lakers, handled running the gauntlet.

Game 1: Bulls 88, Lakers 87 – L.A. nearly got a win in the first game, at Staples Center, before Derrick Rose reminded everyone why he’s the reigning league MVP. -2 points

Game 2: Kings 100, Lakers 91 – A road loss for the Lakers on night #2, but perhaps not a big surprise given it was opening night in Sacramento and the place was rocking. -1 point

Game 3: Lakers 96, Jazz 71 – It’s early, but it’s hard not to think this was a huge win for the Lakers. 0-3 would be a tough way to start, and with Lamar Odom off to Dallas and Kobe Bryant fighting a wrist injury, this should give L.A. a bit of a lift going forward. 6 points

Add it all up, and the Lakers finish the swing with a total of 3 points. Respectable, as any win in Game 3 deserves plaudits, but we’ll see how that stacks up against the competition as the season wears on.

Up next: The Rockets finish up the year with three straight Dec. 29-31.

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