Why is Sacramento apparently not missing Chris Webber?

Stojackitup is playing well, and teams are underestimating them. They're coming into games with Sacramento expecting easy wins, and playing cocky, relaxed basketball. Over the long haul of the season, there's no way the Kings would finish above .500 without Webber. The Rockets must take the opportunity of Webber's absense and pound the living crap out of the Kings, while they still can.

 

IMHO:

1) Bibby is more solid than Jason Williams.

2) Peja has stepped up his game. (49.7 FG%)

3) Hedo is shooting 41.2% from the arc and has nearly doubled his rookie PPG. He had an off-season nose job and can breath much better.

4) They're always tough at Arco and are 4-0 at home (3-2 on the road).

5) Adelman has always used his bench extensively and Pollard and Funderburke are playing 28.7 & 20.3 minutes respectivley...and producing.

 

Bingo, GATER, especially about Bibby vs Williams. There were times where the Kings were playing 4 on 5 (4 on 6 when JWill was taking those horrendous 3s and 'OLE!' defense), and a sulking Williams was a complete non-factor. The Kings obtaning Bibby looks to be almost as big as the Nets obtaining Kidd, he just really solidifies their starting 5.

 

Bibby Vs Williams:

Bibby This Year – 15.0 PPG – APG – 4.4
J-Dub Last Year - 9.4 PPG – APG – 2.0


The "New" Divac:

Career 12.4 PPG
Last Year 12.0 PPG
This Year 15.7 PPG

Predrag and Hidayet:

Combined 33.3 PPG


There's the King's ball game in a nutshell.

 

Much has been made of the Mike Bibby vs Jason Williams situation and almost everyone concludes that Bibby is a <b>lot</b> better. Is he really, though?

<u>Stats to date</u>

Bibby: 14.6 ppg, 4.4 ast, 3.8 reb, 0.9 stl, 0.2 blk, 2.1 TO
46% FG, 26% 3pt (5-19), 73% FT

J-Will: 13.6 ppg, 8.2 ast, 3.2 reb, 2.1 stl, 0.2 blk, 3.7 TO
36% FG, 23% 3pt (11-47), 63% FT

Ranks #7 in the NBA in Assists Per Game(8.2)
Ranks #3 in the NBA in Steals Per Game(2.11)
Ranks #12 in the NBA in Three-Point Field Goal Attempts(47.0)
Ranks #10 in the NBA in Assists(74.0)
Ranks #7 in the NBA in Steals(19.0)
Ranks #12 in the NBA in Assists Per 48 Minutes(10.6)


Rebounding and scoring is about the same, though admittedly Bibby shoots a better percentage. Williams averages almost double the number of assists, but commits 1.6 more turnovers per game. J-Will gets twice as many steals as Bibby. Bibby plays better defense.

So, while Bibby is the better point guard, I don't think he is the main reason for the Kings' recent success. J-Will isn't chopped liver, either.

I think the Kings have been successful because they have found a group of guys who play well together. Christie, Divac, Turkolu, Pollard and Peja all have games that compliment each other. Even without Webber, these guys are good, just as the Knicks were good (if not better) without Ewing.

 

If we are comparing the difference between the Kings last year and their apparent resurgence this year despite C-Webb being on IR ......

..... well you might want to start by comparing Bibby with the Kings(this year) and J-Will with the KIngs (last year).

What Jason Williams is doing with the Grizz this year has absolutely no bearing on the argument.

 

And you only captured part of the difference the "new Divac" is making. Not only is his scoring higher, his assists have gone up to 5 per game (more than Bibby).

He's taken over the role of the big man through whom Sacramento runs its offense. The only question, since conditioning has been a problem for Vlade in the past, is whether the added burden now will cause him to run out of gas in April or May.

 

Pops,
Don't let the biggest JWill Fan hear you say that in ole University Blue!

I don't think I can take another round of why JWill is such a great point guard.

 

It most certainly does.

The reason Jason Williams "underperformed" with the Kings last year is because he played substantially less minutes per game. This year he <b>is</b> getting the minutes and is putting up good numbers as a result.

I think you have it backwards. It is unfair to compare Bibby this year with J-Will last year because of the discrepency in minutes played.

 

Any possibility Williams' minutes with the Kings has a corelation to a lack of performance?

The Kings had/have championship expectations - Williams can pad his numbers on a Lottery bound team. Plus Brevin Knight won't take minutes from him as easily as Bobby Jackson would.

 

It's a possibility, although Williams <b>did</b> get 9.4 ppg, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals last year in 29.7 minutes. Had he played 37 minutes, as he is this year, I think he could have managed 13 points, 8 asssists and 2 steals with the Kings.

 

Except, my J-Will-protector-to-the-end friend, for the sake of this thread we are comparing the KINGS of the 2001-2002 season with the KINGS of the 2000-2001 season. As J-Will WAS with the KINGS last year and Bibby(,et al) is NOW with the KINGS this year, the comparison must be predicated on their performance with the relative personnel involved.

As someone more astute than I pointed out .... the Kings decided not to play J-Will more than he was played, because his performance dictated him being benched at times.

It seems like you are trying to extrapolate the following : ... if he stayed on the court longer last year his PPM (Points Per Minute) would have rose to a more accceptable total. .... When you know and I know the very reason he was pulled so much was because of his erratic play, his turnovers and his inconsistent (and sometimes inexplicable) shot selection.

Leaving a dying albatross hanging around your neck does absolutely nothing for one's performance ... except maybe exemplify the smell.



(Sorry for all the metaphors .... just feeling mighty peek-ed this AM after witnessing such a horrible fourth quarter last night.)

 

Yes. But now Webber doesn't have anyone to smoke pot with.

 

How did Mobley become a part of this discussion?

[Pause for effect.]

[Smile]

Confidential to Manny Ramirez: For every action, there is an equal and opposite pair of Kenneth Cole reaction pants.


University (Phyg Newton) Blue

 

You know something...it's been awhile since I have used a smilie, but I have to use one here:

 

Top to bottom Sacto is one of the top 3 talented teams in the league. Mateen Cleaves is currently getting garbage time.

Getting Bibby for Jason Williams was a masterstroke.

Sacto is a different ball club with Webber. Without Webber there is even more movement and the solid offensive skills of all of their players are better utilized.

It will be interesting to see if they can keep the good ball distribution they have currently when Webber gets back.

 

You can take your albatross and stuff it.*

*I recommend a dry bread stuffing with lemon, sesame seeds and a hint of saffron.

Mike Bibby is better than Jason Williams. However, he is not so much better as to produce an entirely different sort of team record than Williams would have had he been in the lineup. If the team had not traded for Bibby this year, I think they would still be 7-3, or close to it. Their success comes from an ability to function well together as a unit, even without their main cog. The improvement of Divac and Turkolu, coupled with the continued meshing of Christie and Stojakovich is more responsible for Sacramento's success than simply swapping point guards with another team.

 

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Fadeaway, I never thought I would read those words from your keyboard.


University (Party of One) Blue

 

Mr.Spur I mostly agree with you up until your last point. There is little doubt in my mind the Kings are the most balanced and 2nd best team once they have Webber back (of course they still have that little problem in defending Shaq that will bite them again). Also, they will be much better with Webber back, if he stays healthy they will be a 60 win team. Webber is by far their best rebounder, their best shotblocker, and plays the pass around game to the open shooter just fine. Maybe they suffer a game or 2 while he is rusty and they are re-adjusting, but that is about it.
When healthy and Webber is integrated, they are probably the toughest team in the league to defend (though their defense is nothing special like SA, Phily or LAL-when the latter wants play D).

On another note, yes the Kings are 8-3, but the clostest thing they have to a quality road win is over Denver. They are not going to win in the tougher places to play without Webber, that is where we will see the difference, as well as over prolonged stretches w/o him.