I have nothing to say about this game. I didn't watch it. I didn't listen to it. It was the first preseason game and so even if I had, I probably still would have very few conclusions to draw. An NBA season is long. An NBA preseason is nothing more than glorified practice sessions where coaches do things they don't do in real games and don't do things they will do in real games.
What I find most valuable about preseason games, aside from just getting myself back into the swing of the NBA, is watching individual players and looking at their skill set, changes from anything I'd seen in the past, and get a general sense of who they are on the court. But even that is just one small data point in what will be a large volume of information.
You read Alex's recap of the Suns loss to the Kings. Here's a quick recap of what others wrote about the game. Needless to say, there's not a lot out there which is indicative how unimportant this game was.
Valley of the Suns had some interesting thoughts on Kendall Marshall. Since I didn't see the game, I can't comment on the specifics, but I get the feeling we're going to see a lot of mixed reviews on the rookie this year.
People who liked him in college and want to see him do well will focus on the positives in his game. Those who are skeptical will see the negatives. Marshall will almost certainly give both camps plenty of ammo.
New era of Suns basketball begins with loss in Sacramento
Arguably the most notable performance in Tuesday’s loss came from the Suns’ first-round draft pick, Kendall Marshall. Due to Dragic’s foul problems and an injury that sidelined Sebastian Telfair, the No. 13 pick from June’s draft played a team-high 28 minutes and showed several glimpses of what he’s capable of doing in an up-tempo offensive scheme. Like most of his teammates, though, Marshall struggled to get comfortable in the half court — accruing three turnovers and just four points on 1-for-6 shooting — but his consistent aggression despite mistakes and a double-digit fourth quarter deficit was very encouraging.
Here's some thoughts from a Kings fan who was at the game:
Kings open preseason with 102-96 win over Suns - Sactown Royalty
T-Rob is relentless on defense. very much a get in your face and hands everywhere. Very quick sidesteps as well. (James) Johnson has great timing on his blocks. very defensively active as well. Tyreke did look a little lost to me on the court. Defensively has was active but didn’t close out on jump shots by Beasely in the beginning.
And from NBA.com, here's the video recap of the game and the game book which you can download and use to break down stats by quarter (if you are so inclined).
Friday's home game against the Trail Blazers will be televised (and be at home) so I'm sure there will be more written about that.
Happy first day after a game day day.