Malone fired

Mike Monroe‏@Monroe_SA
Pop on Malone dismissal: 'One has to hope you have ownership that's patient, non-meddling, understands what's going on and things take time'

Mike Monroe‏@Monroe_SA
More Popovich on Malone firing, finishing quote: "Apparently, he didn't have that cause if just based on coaching ability he's still there."
.

Pop has coached the Spurs since 1996. The Spurs won 20 games that season. I think I just found my new sig line.

KB
 
Getting home from work and finally catching up on the PDA presser, Cuz quotes and EVERYTHING ELSE.

I'm going to the game tomorrow night and I hope I don't see any of this crap their spewing come out in our style of play. I wasn't the biggest supporter of Malone, but what is happening here is ridiculous and damaging to our franchise. I honestly feel like our team is Vivek's personal guinea pig and because he "saved" our team, he feels he can do any kind of weird experiment he wants.
 
Ouch


Mike Monroe ‏@Monroe_SA 24m
Pop on Malone dismissal: 'One has to hope you have ownership that's patient, non-meddling, understands what's going on and things take time'
Well I think it's safe to say that Pop would never want to coach if it was under this FO. If one of the all time best coaches doesn't want to come coach for you because of your moves, antics, and involvement, you're doing something wrong...
 
We should start a thread on here with a poll about which "style" of basketball we as fans would rather see this team play. That way the results can be sent to Pete
The only thing that should matter is winning and common sense would say that winning should matter over style. What method the team uses to get to that winning can vary from team to team depending on the roster they have.

Smart coaches and GM's figure out the strengths and weaknesses of their best players and then use that to build the rest of the roster with complimentary role-players. Once you have a good mix there you then shape your style of play into one that best suits the roster you have. When you do that it leads to WINNING.

I am getting tired of seeing members here post with their fake bravado about how they like to win ugly and want to win just like Memphis for example. That's fine if you have Memphis roster with two great defensive bigs, an elite wing defender, and a good PG defender. The Kings don't have that many good defenders so it would be stupid to pattern themselves like Memphis. Just as it would be stupid to pattern themselves like Golden State.

So many of the members here act like grind it out smash mouth defensive basketball is the only style they like and the only style that can be successful......... yet they all loved the Kings team of the late 90's and early 2000's which was for all intensive purposes a finesse ball movement outside shooting team (with incredible team chemistry which made them adequate on the defensive end). You can't act like the Memphis style is the only one you like and the only one pattern after but then also say you loved the Vlade/Webber teams.

The genius of the Vlade/Webber teams run by Adelman and Petrie is they were a true team that was built specifically around the unique strengths and weaknesses of their players. Nobody had ever seen anything like the combination of Vlade/Webber in the front court before.......and fortunately Petrie and Adelman figured out exactly what to do with that combination.

It's not about what you want it's about maximizing what you have.
 
I've been in this board when posters hated our players for getting back in transition as if they have all the time in the world, then only to take and miss their favorite jumpers. As far as recently, a lot of fans in this board also hated the iso-heavy plays using Evans, Cousins, and then using Rudy Gay and IT. I cannot blame these so-called "outsiders" (who came in to rescue this team for Sacramento) if they thought that the fans want a more fast paced up-tempo type of game.
Not liking iso-heavy systems and wanting more movement, better spacing, isn't nearly the same thing as wanting an up and down style as a philosophy. They're two entirely different things.

You can make your defense a focus, break when you get the chance, instill a half court system based on movement and spacing, which has a long track record of success, or you can just keep harping on getting up and down the floor and not mentioning defense, which has no record of success in this league and is what PDA did today.

What was missing from PDA's interviews today? Defense. It's not a priority. A half court system with better movement/spacing(which would require better shooters than we have) also wasn't a part of his comments. All he talked about was style and getting up and down the floor. He's picked style over substance. Then to surmise for the upteenth time that that is what the fanbase wants? Ludicrous, and that's why he's an outsider, he thinks he can pass off some simplistic strategy and we're dumb enough to eat it up. He's selling the fanbase short.

Do you actually think being a run and gun team was our philosophy in our golden era? It wasn't and when we did run, it was a product of our defense first and foremost, then later exciting because we had great passers/shooters all over the floor. But Rick's system and philosophy was heavily focused on a halfcourt system, one of the most lethal half court systems we've seen in the modern era, when combined with our personnel. PDA doesn't appear to understand that, not at all.
 
Well I think it's safe to say that Pop would never want to coach if it was under this FO. If one of the all time best coaches doesn't want to come coach for you because of your moves, antics, and involvement, you're doing something wrong...
Well at Pop's age and accomplishment he can choose wherever he wants to go. Too bad for young coaches like Malone they have to prove they are very good so as not to get fired.
 
exactly. And our best player is a 6'11 270 pound man who dominates the paint. Not exactly the type of player you would say "Hey let's build our team into a run n gun team to maximize the output of our franchise player!
The entire offense should be built around Cousins and have him surrounded with shooters and slashers to account for when he is doubled. Rudy can be that 2nd option but I think they really need to have Ben continue to improve and maybe within a year or two he becomes the #2 option (assuming he vastly improves his handle and you can run plays through him).

One big flaw that Malone did have (and not even why he got fired) was that he was incredible non-creative at the end of games recently just running ISO plays for Rudy that never worked. Without Cousins he should have been running some pick-n-rolls and side screens to setup shooters. That's one flaw that he did have but not something you fire a coach over, and something I think he would have improved on over time.
 
Was against JVG in the past, but with Gay on board I think he'd know exactly how to use both Rudy and Demarcus.

Hearing reports of Mullin getting the job if he wants it is something I'm not so against at this point. If he's the one calling the shots from behind and has an idea of how some whacky style of ball can work then he should be the one to take the heat if it doesn't work out. Just do it, do it quick, and kiss off if it fails miserably and do the best you can to minimize the collateral damage.
I would love JVG but the problem is, his philosophy directly contradicts that of the ownership and the front office. Its all about running and gunning with these fools. Just take a look at the Reno team to see what they want to turn the Kings into.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
Everybody was complaining about the games we lost that we should have won. Everybody was complaining that it was all Malone's fault. So what happens? Malone gets fired because we didn't win those games we could/should have won, even without Cousins, and now it's all about how he shouldn't have been fired?

I do not like how it was handled, but I do not generally like a lot of procedures used by the NBA and various teams. I didn't like how Webber was traded, I didn't like how Adelman was just allowed to wait until the last day to find out his contract would not be extended, I did not like how Peja found out he was being traded to Indiana by seeing a report from ESPN while he was on the road with the team.

I've come on here way too many times and seen tons of people talking about how Malone isn't doing a good job, etc. Those same people didn't want to hear "excuses" about Malone and his poor coaching. They wanted his head because we didn't beat Toronto, we didn't beat the freaking Lakers, and we didn't beat the Pistons.

Before, we most likely would have seen the team stumble through the entire year, getting more and more frustrated by the substitutions that left us scratching our heads, the end of game plays that seemed all too often to end up with a missed shot by Rudy, the match-ups that made no sense, etc. All those had to be put at the feet of Mike Malone.

I support the new owners and I support PDA. I'm going to wait and see how Ty Corbin does, but right now he has an impressive record as head coach of the Sacramento Kings (1-0).

PDA and Vivek want to assemble a winning group of players and coaches. They're not just sitting on their hands. You guys wanted PDA to do something and he's done it. You may not agree with it, but it's done.

People keep talking about how they don't want to be another GSWarriors. Well, right now the Warriors are setting on the top of the power rankings, with an incredible record and a pretty bright future.

Players win, coaches lose. This time around, Mike Malone lost one too many games to weak competitors and it cost him his job. Go back and look at the game threads of all those losing games. One constant in all of them is complaints about Malone and his poor choices. We whined about it. The only difference between us and PDA is he actually took the action none of us could.

I may be the only one but I'm not gonna make any judgments until I see what happens next.
 
Well at Pop's age and accomplishment he can choose wherever he wants to go. Too bad for young coaches like Malone they have to prove they are very good so as not to get fired.
You're missing the point. The fact that Pop can go anywhere and would never choose to come to a team that has a FO like ours is the point.

If you control for all other variables (market, talent, age of players, history, etc.) and you only look at the FOs of every team, there is no way Pop is coming to the Kings. Hell we might not even be top 20 at this point...
 
All he talked about was style and getting up and down the floor. He's picked style over substance. Then to surmise for the upteenth time that that is what the fanbase wants? Ludicrous, and that's why he's an outsider, he thinks he can pass off some simplistic strategy and we're dumb enough to eat it up. He's selling the fanbase short.
To be fair to Pete I really don't think Pete himself is the mastermind behind all of this. He has to act like it's his idea and take the bullets from the fans/media but it's pretty obvious this "style" they keep referring to is Vivek's and is the primary pusher of it. I think the real clue is that Pete kept mentioning the new arena and they wanted a style that really suited the city and the new arena. NBA GM's (and especially number guys like Pete) don't care about arenas. A new arena has nothing to do with Pete's job so I found it interesting that he kept bringing it up as one of the reasons they want this style and I think that's Pete's way of subtly telling us "this is the spin my boss wants me to put on it".
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
You're missing the point. The fact that Pop can go anywhere and would never choose to come to a team that has a FO like ours is the point.

If you control for all other variables (market, talent, age of players, history, etc.) and you only look at the FOs of every team, there is no way Pop is coming to the Kings. Hell we might not even be top 20 at this point...
I think you're reading way too much into Pop's statement. But it doesn't matter, since Pop isn't planning on leaving San Antonio anyway (unless I missed another big announcement).
 
Everybody was complaining about the games we lost that we should have won. Everybody was complaining that it was all Malone's fault. So what happens? Malone gets fired because we didn't win those games we could/should have won, even without Cousins, and now it's all about how he shouldn't have been fired?

I do not like how it was handled, but I do not generally like a lot of procedures used by the NBA and various teams. I didn't like how Webber was traded, I didn't like how Adelman was just allowed to wait until the last day to find out his contract would not be extended, I did not like how Peja found out he was being traded to Indiana by seeing a report from ESPN while he was on the road with the team.

I've come on here way too many times and seen tons of people talking about how Malone isn't doing a good job, etc. Those same people didn't want to hear "excuses" about Malone and his poor coaching. They wanted his head because we didn't beat Toronto, we didn't beat the freaking Lakers, and we didn't beat the Pistons.

Before, we most likely would have seen the team stumble through the entire year, getting more and more frustrated by the substitutions that left us scratching our heads, the end of game plays that seemed all too often to end up with a missed shot by Rudy, the match-ups that made no sense, etc. All those had to be put at the feet of Mike Malone.

I support the new owners and I support PDA. I'm going to wait and see how Ty Corbin does, but right now he has an impressive record as head coach of the Sacramento Kings (1-0).

PDA and Vivek want to assemble a winning group of players and coaches. They're not just sitting on their hands. You guys wanted PDA to do something and he's done it. You may not agree with it, but it's done.

People keep talking about how they don't want to be another GSWarriors. Well, right now the Warriors are setting on the top of the power rankings, with an incredible record and a pretty bright future.

Players win, coaches lose. This time around, Mike Malone lost one too many games to weak competitors and it cost him his job. Go back and look at the game threads of all those losing games. One constant in all of them is complaints about Malone and his poor choices. We whined about it. The only difference between us and PDA is he actually took the action none of us could.

I may be the only one but I'm not gonna make any judgments until I see what happens next.
Finally a rational voice of reason.
 
What was missing from PDA's interviews today? Defense. It's not a priority. A half court system with better movement/spacing(which would require better shooters than we have) also wasn't a part of his comments. All he talked about was style and getting up and down the floor. He's picked style over substance. Then to surmise for the upteenth time that that is what the fanbase wants? Ludicrous, and that's why he's an outsider, he thinks he can pass off some simplistic strategy and we're dumb enough to eat it up. He's selling the fanbase short.
I did not see or listen to the interview. I can forgive him for that. I've seen coaches (Phil Jackson, Kerr, and even coach Karl in particular) finishing an interview talking only offense and without mentioning defense in describing their brand of play. I am pretty sure PDA knows defense is what wins championships. The guy looks like an ordinary fan like us. But I am pretty sure PDA is not that stupid to be a GM not knowing defense is as important. That is a no brainer.
 
I think you're reading way too much into Pop's statement. But it doesn't matter, since Pop isn't planning on leaving San Antonio anyway (unless I missed another big announcement).
Pop doesn't really mince words. It's pretty obvious he was saying we have a meddling owner who isn't patient enough.

Mike Monroe‏@Monroe_SA
Pop on Malone dismissal: 'One has to hope you have ownership that's patient, non-meddling, understands what's going on and things take time'

Mike Monroe‏@Monroe_SA
More Popovich on Malone firing, finishing quote: "Apparently, he didn't have that cause if just based on coaching ability he's still there."
 
Everybody was complaining about the games we lost that we should have won. Everybody was complaining that it was all Malone's fault. So what happens? Malone gets fired because we didn't win those games we could/should have won, even without Cousins, and now it's all about how he shouldn't have been fired?

I do not like how it was handled, but I do not generally like a lot of procedures used by the NBA and various teams. I didn't like how Webber was traded, I didn't like how Adelman was just allowed to wait until the last day to find out his contract would not be extended, I did not like how Peja found out he was being traded to Indiana by seeing a report from ESPN while he was on the road with the team.

I've come on here way too many times and seen tons of people talking about how Malone isn't doing a good job, etc. Those same people didn't want to hear "excuses" about Malone and his poor coaching. They wanted his head because we didn't beat Toronto, we didn't beat the freaking Lakers, and we didn't beat the Pistons.

Before, we most likely would have seen the team stumble through the entire year, getting more and more frustrated by the substitutions that left us scratching our heads, the end of game plays that seemed all too often to end up with a missed shot by Rudy, the match-ups that made no sense, etc. All those had to be put at the feet of Mike Malone.

I support the new owners and I support PDA. I'm going to wait and see how Ty Corbin does, but right now he has an impressive record as head coach of the Sacramento Kings (1-0).

PDA and Vivek want to assemble a winning group of players and coaches. They're not just sitting on their hands. You guys wanted PDA to do something and he's done it. You may not agree with it, but it's done.

People keep talking about how they don't want to be another GSWarriors. Well, right now the Warriors are setting on the top of the power rankings, with an incredible record and a pretty bright future.

Players win, coaches lose. This time around, Mike Malone lost one too many games to weak competitors and it cost him his job. Go back and look at the game threads of all those losing games. One constant in all of them is complaints about Malone and his poor choices. We whined about it. The only difference between us and PDA is he actually took the action none of us could.

I may be the only one but I'm not gonna make any judgments until I see what happens next.
Whose this "everybody" that was calling for his head? There were a couple of frothing at the mouth fans that shouted every game thread about it but that's hardly representative of the same group that had been vocal before and now about the suspect direction of this team.
 
Everybody was complaining about the games we lost that we should have won. Everybody was complaining that it was all Malone's fault. So what happens? Malone gets fired because we didn't win those games we could/should have won, even without Cousins, and now it's all about how he shouldn't have been fired?

I do not like how it was handled, but I do not generally like a lot of procedures used by the NBA and various teams. I didn't like how Webber was traded, I didn't like how Adelman was just allowed to wait until the last day to find out his contract would not be extended, I did not like how Peja found out he was being traded to Indiana by seeing a report from ESPN while he was on the road with the team.

I've come on here way too many times and seen tons of people talking about how Malone isn't doing a good job, etc. Those same people didn't want to hear "excuses" about Malone and his poor coaching. They wanted his head because we didn't beat Toronto, we didn't beat the freaking Lakers, and we didn't beat the Pistons.

Before, we most likely would have seen the team stumble through the entire year, getting more and more frustrated by the substitutions that left us scratching our heads, the end of game plays that seemed all too often to end up with a missed shot by Rudy, the match-ups that made no sense, etc. All those had to be put at the feet of Mike Malone.

I support the new owners and I support PDA. I'm going to wait and see how Ty Corbin does, but right now he has an impressive record as head coach of the Sacramento Kings (1-0).

PDA and Vivek want to assemble a winning group of players and coaches. They're not just sitting on their hands. You guys wanted PDA to do something and he's done it. You may not agree with it, but it's done.

People keep talking about how they don't want to be another GSWarriors. Well, right now the Warriors are setting on the top of the power rankings, with an incredible record and a pretty bright future.

Players win, coaches lose. This time around, Mike Malone lost one too many games to weak competitors and it cost him his job. Go back and look at the game threads of all those losing games. One constant in all of them is complaints about Malone and his poor choices. We whined about it. The only difference between us and PDA is he actually took the action none of us could.

I may be the only one but I'm not gonna make any judgments until I see what happens next.
The timing is really stupid, its clear management was waiting for any excuse to justify the firing, they should have done it over the summer but couldn't justify it because season 1 wasn't judged on wins and losses. Now in season 2 Vivek comes out and says wins and losses do matter, Malone starts the season 9-5, Cuz goes down, we lose 8 of 10 and boom thats your opportunity to do the deed. Thats all this was, this season is practically thrown away, lame duck coach most likely for the rest of the season, players will be left questioning the FO, all of a sudden the FO is sending down orders to the coach to play a certain way instead of the way Malone has established for two training camps.
 
I did not see or listen to the interview. I can forgive him for that. I've seen coaches (Phil Jackson, Kerr, and even coach Karl in particular) finishing an interview talking only offense and without mentioning defense in describing their brand of play. I am pretty sure PDA knows defense is what wins championships. The guy looks like an ordinary fan like us. But I am pretty sure PDA is not that stupid to be a GM not knowing defense is as important. That is a no brainer.
Bs. He and Vivek haven't talked about defense in over a year. Nor do they talk about the roster they assembled and how it does or doesn't compliment our superstar.

What they talk about are things like positionless basketball, fast pace, and entertaining style.

This isn't sour grapes nor am I cherry picking. Go back and find any comments you can from them. They overwhelmingly say one thing while ignoring the others.
 
Everybody was complaining about the games we lost that we should have won. Everybody was complaining that it was all Malone's fault. So what happens? Malone gets fired because we didn't win those games we could/should have won, even without Cousins, and now it's all about how he shouldn't have been fired?
I'm sorry, but that's a gross misrepresentation of the dialogue around here. Yeah 2-3 posters would say a loss was 100% Malone's fault, but you just lumped everyone else who made sound arguments and broke down their criticism into that group.

Everybody? I think you fully know that's completely insincere and I'm shocked an MOD is attempting to bait others in that fashion while insulting a number of posters here who regularly take their time to explain their point of view.

That's not why Malone was fired either. Everything we've heard suggests it started this summer with a call to Alvin Gentry.

And please, don't respond with "this is just my opinion". You just launched accusations. You just lumped an entire forum altogether.
 
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hrdboild

Moloch in whom I dream Angels!
Staff member
I hope the fans do something to show they won't tolerate a meddling owner. If I was at one of the games I would do everything to make Vivek & Co feel the pressure of the fans, boo his ass when he steps on the court, boo his daughter when she gets her slice of nepotism and sings at the arena regularly. Anything to let him know I only support the team. The five guys on the court and everyone on the bench.
Well, I wouldn't go quite that far. By all means let your voice be heard but there's no need to be mean-spirited about it.
 
For you guys on Malones side here is some new news from Bruski that may turn things a bit. Malone didn't want the Cuz or Gay contract extensions and wanted IT back.

https://twitter.com/aaronbruski/status/544717319033716736/photo/1

Actually, it's from Amick's article here:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ek-ranadive-chris-mullin-sacramento/20447533/
From Malone's reluctance to endorse the offering of contract extensions for DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay to his preference that departed point guard Isaiah Thomas was re-signed in free agency to the pursuit of a new lead assistant coach during the summer, there were disagreements about personnel and style of play at every turn that brought them all to this tipping point.
 
The Cousins extension was before the season even started and the Coach and players had any real time together. That makes me question the idea that he was against the extension. He was more likely against committing to players before he had a chance to work with them. However, he contacted Cousins before training camp, so he obviously intended to work with him. Either way, I don't think there was any real push against extending Cousins in particular. It just doesn't fit the timing of events.

Gay's extension I don't know about either way.
 
For you guys on Malones side here is some new news from Bruski that may turn things a bit. Malone didn't want the Cuz or Gay contract extensions and wanted IT back.

https://twitter.com/aaronbruski/status/544717319033716736/photo/1

Actually, it's from Amick's article here:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ek-ranadive-chris-mullin-sacramento/20447533/
Saw that and I wouldn't agree with those decisions but the extension comments lack any kind of context. What didn't he endorse? Them at all, the amounts, the timing, the ways it was done. Not enough info on that to feel strongly about it.