I despise the Sacramento Kings, I really do. And I can't tell you why, exactly...
Wait, yes I can! And now I will do so.
The fact that the Golden State Warriors lost to the Kings a second time this season certainly plays a large part. If we could beat this godforsaken team, I'd probably just dislike them rather than hate them. But as it stands, my hackles are raised something fierce. I'm a disgustingly sore loser tonight.
DeMarcus Cousins is certainly the centerpiece of my malevolence. He's petulant, disrespectful, unstoppable gah! Scratch that last part, I'm not ready to give him any credit. His attitude is just terrible. He complains about calls, even after the refs have illegalized even glancing in his direction. He doesn't show any love to teammates. He has an ugly sneer on his face. He's just a punk. I'm pretty sure he kicks puppies, doesn't water his houseplants, and pees on the toilet seat.
I don't like the Kings' other players much, either. The roster is a punchbowl of mediocre-to-bad one-dimensional players, poured in by a drunk and tired Geoff Petrie that just doesn't care anymore. John Salmons, Marcus Thornton, Tyreke Evans... not a likable guy in the bunch.
UPDATE: I totally forgot to rip the Kings' jerseys and logos! Worst in the league, hands down. This might even be the root cause for my hatred. Everything about it screams amateurism: the spiky "cool" lettering, the weird collar trim that looks like it belongs on a Champs Sports replica, the odd triangles on the uni sides... just an eyesore. Thanks to Doctor Huge Pecs for reminding me.
Ok ok, I know. I'm bitter. I'm unreasonable. I'm suddenly unaccustomed to losing, although maybe I shouldn't be surprised: this Warriors team has struggled against teams with losing records, possibly with a tendency to play down to the competition.
But... the Kings! They're shooting 33.3% from the three point line on the season — 26th in the league — and went 11-19 from distance! They're only shooting 42.9% overall but made half their shots tonight! They shot 42 free throws! 42! Man, what a frustrating game. Can you blame me for my poor sportsmanship?
The Kings are not a good matchup for the Warriors. This team struggles against quick guards, and the Kings have two in Aaron Brooks and Isaiah Thomas. They also struggle against centers that play well in the high post, like Brook Lopez, Marc Gasol, and yes, the detestable Cousins. The three-point shooting matchup shouldn't have been so detrimental to the Warriors, considering the Kings' aforementioned inadequacies in that area, but GSW is actually 4th worst in the league in opponents' 3FG%, and their poor defense on the perimeter ruined them tonight. And this front line has struggled against quicker, active power forwards like Kenneth Faried, and Jason Thompson filled that role tonight with 15 back-breaking boards.
And, back to Cousins: tonight he chewed them up from the top of the key. No Warrior could guard his power drives. And when he wanted to set up on the low post, no Warrior could keep him from getting to where he wanted to go. When man defense failed, Mark Jackson did not have an effective backup defensive plan against him. And frankly, Cousins outworked the Warriors. He played hard, worked to get to get position and get to the rack. I'm sure it's because he's a terrible human being, though I haven't quite figured out how that fits just yet.
My Kings hate isn't fair. I recognize this. Perhaps a part of me wants to brew up a rivalry, just to set us up for a super-rewarding victory the next time these two teams meet. And perhaps another part of me is steeped in resentment, that even when the Warriors have elevated themselves to a higher tier of success, we get sucked into this Sacramento matchup and get tossed around like we're just as bad they are, and just as bad as we've always been. Doubt starts to creep in: maybe we AREN'T any better than Sac? Maybe they've exploited flaws that will become the Warriors' undoing? And it has to be this Kings team that shows us as charlatans to the world? Is it humanly possible for me to overreact even more than this?
This is the first loss I've had to write a recap for, and it's not been easy. Eventually (like in 25 minutes) I'll come to grips with this as just a regular ol' loss, the 2nd game of a home-road back-to-back, and will pick my head up and move on. For now, let's all just vent against the deplorable Kings. Maybe we can make a rivalry of this.
Stephen Curry and Jarrett Jack both finished the game with gaudy point totals, and their offensive explosions in the 4th quarter did give this team a chance to win. But one cannot reward such pitiful perimeter defense. So, I have to give the WW to the guy who single-handedly kept the Warriors in the game in the first half, and the guy who continues to be a huge offensive boon on a consistent basis. Unstoppable baby!