The Sacramento Kings have a lot of individual talent on their team. But it's clear they don't quite yet know how to play with each other. Sacramento's defeat to the Chicago Bulls was naturally inevitable.
The Kings actually proved to be the more superior team on the glass, grabbing ten more offensive rebounds thanks to the work of DeMarcus Cousins (12 rebounds, 7 offensive), Chuck Hayes (10 rebounds, three offensive), and J.J. Hickson (8 rebounds, four offensive). But Sacramento was outshot 54% to 42%, and only had 13 assists to 14 turnovers (compared to 25 Chicago assists and 18 Bulls turnovers). Most importantly, the Kings missed 14 free throws, with Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton going 5 of 14 from the charity stripe.
Thornton had 20 points and Evans had 19, with Cousins providing 15 points and 12 rebounds. Jimmer Fredette contributed 14 points, John Salmons 12. Derrick Rose had a solid 19 points and eight assists, although he struggled with six turnovers. Carlos Boozer added 16 points and 15 rebounds, with Richard Hamilton adding 16 points and Luol Deng putting up 12. That's the balance the Kings are striving to find with their offense, but they need to learn to work together, space the floor, and move the ball properly.
To discuss the Kings, head to Sactown Royalty. To discuss the Bulls, go to Blog A Bull.