Official PDA live radio thread
- Thread starter PurpleHaze
- Start date
I"m tired of the "these guys are smart" line from Grant. Is that all he has?
We are all smart. So are other GMs and billionaire owners. It's all relative.
Someone has to be 30 out of 30. Just like someone finishes last in their medical school class.
Doesn't mean you get them as your doctor.
We are all smart. So are other GMs and billionaire owners. It's all relative.
Someone has to be 30 out of 30. Just like someone finishes last in their medical school class.
Doesn't mean you get them as your doctor.
Last edited:
Props to CD for pushing the question of the timing of the firing of Malone. Also props to the question of why not sign Corbin to a longer term deal.
I feel this exchange sums up why this is still such a mess:
"Corbin is our coach for the rest of the year. We are committed to Ty."
"If you're committed to him, why not sign him to a longer term deal?"
"Because we need to make sure the next coach is the right coach."
The logic is hilarious. We are committed to Ty but not committed to Ty because Ty is our guy but our next coach has to be right coach which implies there is a next coach and we don't think it's Ty but we are committed to Ty and like what he did with the Jazz even though their pace and defense was low-end but that's why we like out of Ty is what he did in SL with guys that aren't NBA players.
I feel this exchange sums up why this is still such a mess:
"Corbin is our coach for the rest of the year. We are committed to Ty."
"If you're committed to him, why not sign him to a longer term deal?"
"Because we need to make sure the next coach is the right coach."
The logic is hilarious. We are committed to Ty but not committed to Ty because Ty is our guy but our next coach has to be right coach which implies there is a next coach and we don't think it's Ty but we are committed to Ty and like what he did with the Jazz even though their pace and defense was low-end but that's why we like out of Ty is what he did in SL with guys that aren't NBA players.
I think that it's clear that in the short term this was a bad move. No question. Whether it's the right move long term is something we can probably never know, because we can only guess where Malone would have eventually taken this team. It seems pretty clear that the wins will have to come fast and furious before the majority of posters on this site will be open to the possibility that it was a good long-term move, however.
You're welcome! I only wish I had remembered to point out that I was with KF.com when I asked my question. I blame PDA, actually. He was making it abundantly clear that he was going to ramble, and I was trying to be quick so that everybody might get a shot. Even worse, I dropped the "frame" of my question, which may have lessened the impact. Oh well.
You're welcome! I only wish I had remembered to point out that I was with KF.com when I asked my question. I blame PDA, actually. He was making it abundantly clear that he was going to ramble, and I was trying to be quick so that everybody might get a shot. Even worse, I dropped the "frame" of my question, which may have lessened the impact. Oh well.
Here's some other likely facts to throw in:
The Kings knew DMC had viral meningitis pretty early on - likely by the first weekend it happened (Memphis that Sunday).
Do we really think that PDA waited to strike? He would have been in action instantly, seeing this opportunity and just waited for his time to publicly act on something he had already gotten OK'd when he flew to Vegas to meet with Vivek (when was that exactly?).
There's no way in hell that NOONE in the organization knew PDA's upcoming action - therefore, we can assume that inside the organization, word got out.
That likely contributed to the player's on-court patheticness and "injuries"/DNP's.
The only thing that doesn't make sense about that is - why would the players have been so stupid? If they liked Malone and didn't want him fired, why did they play so badly (or not play)? Shouldn't they have been doing everything they could to win, so that the FO would look stupid for firing the guy who got them to play hard?
Of course, this can be explained by NBA players not being very bright or logical, but...
The Kings knew DMC had viral meningitis pretty early on - likely by the first weekend it happened (Memphis that Sunday).
Do we really think that PDA waited to strike? He would have been in action instantly, seeing this opportunity and just waited for his time to publicly act on something he had already gotten OK'd when he flew to Vegas to meet with Vivek (when was that exactly?).
There's no way in hell that NOONE in the organization knew PDA's upcoming action - therefore, we can assume that inside the organization, word got out.
That likely contributed to the player's on-court patheticness and "injuries"/DNP's.
The only thing that doesn't make sense about that is - why would the players have been so stupid? If they liked Malone and didn't want him fired, why did they play so badly (or not play)? Shouldn't they have been doing everything they could to win, so that the FO would look stupid for firing the guy who got them to play hard?
Of course, this can be explained by NBA players not being very bright or logical, but...
Or pressing. Trying harder because of negative repercussions when you lose doesn't always make people perform better. I don't really think there was that much of a conspiracy going on behind the scenes (not an elaborately orchestrated one anyway) but PDA may have let DeMarcus and Rudy know that Malone was on thin ice and Malone certainly acted like he knew his days were numbered toward the end. It's not hard to see how team chemistry might be affected when the front office let's it be known that the coach is going to be fired if they don't meet a certain win quota. Look at the San Francisco 49ers this year -- clearly the coaching drama had a negative effect on that team. Seeing how the players reacted after the fact though, if they did have some idea this was coming, they certainly didn't think it would happen this soon. And they didn't agree with the decision either.
I'm probably too thin skinned to be posting my opinion, especially a minority opinion on such a heated topic, but here it is. After reading this post I'm leaning back toward my original stance of giving PDA a chance to implement his plan. He asked for time to turn this franchise around and I'm willing to give it to him. It is probably just as frustrating for PDA to not be able to divulge every detail of his plan as it is for us not knowing the plan. Also, I don't remember him saying that mistakes would not be made.
I have to give some credence to the Captain’s read of PDA's sincerity and confidence level during the post interview session. Although their perceptions of the interview and tolerance of the situation vary, the Captain and Funkykingston were there and neither one of them seem too inclined just yet to join the lynch mob that is forming here. Don't construe my view as blind faith, I just want to give this regime a fair chance. Even a homer like me has his limits, but for now I'm still willing to focus on the positive aspects of PDA's short tenure and give him more time to right the ship.
Go Kings.
I have to give some credence to the Captain’s read of PDA's sincerity and confidence level during the post interview session. Although their perceptions of the interview and tolerance of the situation vary, the Captain and Funkykingston were there and neither one of them seem too inclined just yet to join the lynch mob that is forming here. Don't construe my view as blind faith, I just want to give this regime a fair chance. Even a homer like me has his limits, but for now I'm still willing to focus on the positive aspects of PDA's short tenure and give him more time to right the ship.
Go Kings.
It might not be because everybody in the NBA is dumb, but damned if I know what the actual reason is. For all their alleged efficiency, I couldn't help but notice that teams that lead the league in three-pointers don't win NBA championships.
In the entire history of the NBA's three-point shot, only two teams have won a championship while leading the league in three-point attempts: the 1994 Rockets, and the 1995 Rockets. Only two other teams have won a championship when finishing in the Top 5 in three-point attempts (1981 Celtics, 2011 Mavericks), and only two other teams (2000 Pacers, 2009 Magic) have even made it to the Finals when finishing in the Top 5 in attempts. The 2014 Finals is the only season in the history of the three-point shot that featured two teams that both finished in the Top 10 in attempts. As a matter of fact, there have only been 10 teams (out of 240) in the past fifteen years to finish Top 5 in attempts to even make it out of the second round of the playoffs (2000 Pacers, 2001 Bucks, 2002 Celtics, 2003 Mavericks, 2005 Suns, 2006 Suns, 2009 Magic, 2009 Cavaliers, 2010 Magic, 2011 Mavericks).
The average ranking for three-point attempts for NBA Champions has been 13, which isn't even necessarily Top Half, when you consider that, for several of those years, there were fewer than twenty-six teams in the NBA. Now, that might not prove that three-pointers are overrated, but it certainly doesn't seem to support the argument for them being all that important.
EDIT - Here's a fun little follow-up:
In the entire history of the NBA's three-point shot, only two teams have won a championship while leading the league in three-point attempts: the 1994 Rockets, and the 1995 Rockets. Only two other teams have won a championship when finishing in the Top 5 in three-point attempts (1981 Celtics, 2011 Mavericks), and only two other teams (2000 Pacers, 2009 Magic) have even made it to the Finals when finishing in the Top 5 in attempts. The 2014 Finals is the only season in the history of the three-point shot that featured two teams that both finished in the Top 10 in attempts. As a matter of fact, there have only been 10 teams (out of 240) in the past fifteen years to finish Top 5 in attempts to even make it out of the second round of the playoffs (2000 Pacers, 2001 Bucks, 2002 Celtics, 2003 Mavericks, 2005 Suns, 2006 Suns, 2009 Magic, 2009 Cavaliers, 2010 Magic, 2011 Mavericks).
The average ranking for three-point attempts for NBA Champions has been 13, which isn't even necessarily Top Half, when you consider that, for several of those years, there were fewer than twenty-six teams in the NBA. Now, that might not prove that three-pointers are overrated, but it certainly doesn't seem to support the argument for them being all that important.
EDIT - Here's a fun little follow-up:
- Number of NBA Champions in the last fifteen years to finish outside of the Top 10 in three-point attempts: 9 (2000 lakers, 2003 Spurs, 2004 Pistons, 2005 Spurs, 2006 Heat, 2008 Celtics, 2009 lakers, 2010 lakers, 2012 Heat, 2014 Spurs).
- Number of NBA Champions in the last fifteen years to finish outside of the Top 10 in Opponent's FG%: 1 (2001 lakers)
- Number of NBA Champions in the last fifteen years to finish outside of the Top 10 in PPG allowed: 3 (2001 lakers, 2006 Heat, 2009 lakers)
Last edited:
As I stated a few pages earlier, the handwriting was on the wall for this to happen probably from sometime last season. Malone wasn't PDA's man. Pure and simple. So it was just a matter of time before PDA got him out. If you agree with that, then the idea that no one within the organization knew about this until it happened just doesn't fly. I'm sure that at some point Malone knew his days were numbered. And I'm sure that the players had heard rumors to that effect. So I suspect that everyone including the players were waiting for the hammer to drop. They may have gotten the official word on twitter, but I doubt it was a shock to them. It's one of those things that you hear rumors about, and hope doesn't happen, but your not surprised when it does. And not happy.
How much Vivek was involved in the entire thing is anyone's guess. He had to approve the move. But lets remember that Malone was his guy. He hired him! To agree to fire him was in effect admitting that he was wrong. Or at least he was convinced by Mullins and PDA that he was wrong. So now I wait with bated breath to see what the weasels next move is. Doesn't get much more exciting than this.
How much Vivek was involved in the entire thing is anyone's guess. He had to approve the move. But lets remember that Malone was his guy. He hired him! To agree to fire him was in effect admitting that he was wrong. Or at least he was convinced by Mullins and PDA that he was wrong. So now I wait with bated breath to see what the weasels next move is. Doesn't get much more exciting than this.
I don't think you should generalize. Are the fans upset? Yes, but many for different reasons. I'm not that upset that he fired Malone. Well I'am, but I could have lived with it if done correctly. I'm upset by how it was done, when it was done, and how the entire affair was handled. The whole thing was amateurish and unprofessional in the way it was handled. In a touchy situation like this, you have to lay the groundwork first. You soften the blow. What PDA did was dr0p a thousand pound bomb without warning, and then seem surprised by the collateral damage. In this case I think he let his desires get out ahead of his brain.
This whole thing is still fixable, but it's going to take more than just spin to accomplish that. Talk is cheap. Keith Smart was a good talker, and for while everyone bought what he was selling. But at the end of the day, if the results aren't there, everyone stops listening. So I'm waiting for some results. Been waiting quite a while now that I think about it.
This whole thing is still fixable, but it's going to take more than just spin to accomplish that. Talk is cheap. Keith Smart was a good talker, and for while everyone bought what he was selling. But at the end of the day, if the results aren't there, everyone stops listening. So I'm waiting for some results. Been waiting quite a while now that I think about it.
I just wanted to stop in and sincerely thank you all for your questions submitted and participation.
I'm very sorry that it may not have helped much.
I take all of this extremely personally, and I am also very frustrated. Almost despondent.
I appreciate Pete coming on and facing the firing squad. I hope this all turns around sooner rather than later.
No group of fans deserve success more than Sacramento Kings fans. I hope we get there sooner rather than later, because between us girls, I'm tired of it.
There is no question in my mind that this group wants very badly to win.
Unfortunately, just because I want to be a billionaire jet setter playboy does not make it so.
Again, thank you.
I'm very sorry that it may not have helped much.
I take all of this extremely personally, and I am also very frustrated. Almost despondent.
I appreciate Pete coming on and facing the firing squad. I hope this all turns around sooner rather than later.
No group of fans deserve success more than Sacramento Kings fans. I hope we get there sooner rather than later, because between us girls, I'm tired of it.
There is no question in my mind that this group wants very badly to win.
Unfortunately, just because I want to be a billionaire jet setter playboy does not make it so.
Again, thank you.
I got a change to listen to the recording and just as I expected, more of the same spin and bullcrap getting shoved down our throat. The reflection on some of the questions was laughable. It was a PR stunt but really I am not feeling any better than I did 24 hours ago. In fact I am even more pissed off that we are getting treated by our franchise like we are a bunch of imbeciles that have no idea what we are talking about.
This franchise is a ****ing joke! We are getting Maloofed all over again and these guys are treating us like we are a bunch of idiots that don't have a clue about anything.
This franchise is a ****ing joke! We are getting Maloofed all over again and these guys are treating us like we are a bunch of idiots that don't have a clue about anything.
OK, since I have to copy-and-paste, I only went back for the last five years. Here is a plot of the three-point attempt rate against ORtg for every team over the last five years:
The r^2 of the fit is about 0.38 - it's not a super-strong relationship (meaning it's kind of noisy), but there's a significant positive relationship (P = 1.4 x 10-6) between how often a team shoots threes and how many points they score per possession. Basically, an increase in three-point rate of 10% (e.g., going from attempting 20% of your shots as threes to 30% of your shots as threes) results in about three more points per one hundred possessions. I'll spare you the corresponding plot with DRtg, but suffice to say that there is no relationship at all on the defensive end (meaning shooting more threes does NOT make your defense worse).
Three points per hundred possessions is a pretty big deal. Is #1 in three-point attempts going to result in a championship? Not reliably, no. It doesn't even reliably correlate with the most efficient offense. On top of that, considering that offense is only half of the game, then of course the #1 three-point hooting team isn't always going to be the champion. The point isn't that more threes makes you a champion. The point is that more threes makes you better. The whole package makes you a champion.
The r^2 of the fit is about 0.38 - it's not a super-strong relationship (meaning it's kind of noisy), but there's a significant positive relationship (P = 1.4 x 10-6) between how often a team shoots threes and how many points they score per possession. Basically, an increase in three-point rate of 10% (e.g., going from attempting 20% of your shots as threes to 30% of your shots as threes) results in about three more points per one hundred possessions. I'll spare you the corresponding plot with DRtg, but suffice to say that there is no relationship at all on the defensive end (meaning shooting more threes does NOT make your defense worse).
Three points per hundred possessions is a pretty big deal. Is #1 in three-point attempts going to result in a championship? Not reliably, no. It doesn't even reliably correlate with the most efficient offense. On top of that, considering that offense is only half of the game, then of course the #1 three-point hooting team isn't always going to be the champion. The point isn't that more threes makes you a champion. The point is that more threes makes you better. The whole package makes you a champion.
Another
Another example. And I point this out with all love towards Vlade and Vlade fans. But I think everyone gets the irony here.
PDA speaks of late game problems as a sign of poor conditioning, so the team needs to run more to improve conditioning.
Then cites Vlade Divac as a good example of this running conditioning.
Another example. And I point this out with all love towards Vlade and Vlade fans. But I think everyone gets the irony here.
PDA speaks of late game problems as a sign of poor conditioning, so the team needs to run more to improve conditioning.
Then cites Vlade Divac as a good example of this running conditioning.
OK, since I have to copy-and-paste, I only went back for the last five years. Here is a plot of the three-point attempt rate against ORtg for every team over the last five years:
The r^2 of the fit is about 0.38 - it's not a super-strong relationship (meaning it's kind of noisy), but there's a significant positive relationship (P = 1.4 x 10-6) between how often a team shoots threes and how many points they score per possession. Basically, an increase in three-point rate of 10% (e.g., going from attempting 20% of your shots as threes to 30% of your shots as threes) results in about three more points per one hundred possessions. I'll spare you the corresponding plot with DRtg, but suffice to say that there is no relationship at all on the defensive end (meaning shooting more threes does NOT make your defense worse).
The r^2 of the fit is about 0.38 - it's not a super-strong relationship (meaning it's kind of noisy), but there's a significant positive relationship (P = 1.4 x 10-6) between how often a team shoots threes and how many points they score per possession. Basically, an increase in three-point rate of 10% (e.g., going from attempting 20% of your shots as threes to 30% of your shots as threes) results in about three more points per one hundred possessions. I'll spare you the corresponding plot with DRtg, but suffice to say that there is no relationship at all on the defensive end (meaning shooting more threes does NOT make your defense worse).
10 teams out of 240 that finished Top 5 in three-point attempts got out of the second round, in fifteen years. I don't think we're going to be able to come to an agreement on any definition of "better" that provides for perennial first-round-and-out/second-round-and-out teams to be classified as such.
You should be taking it personally, since it was PDA himself that "reached out to you" (more like forced you) to create this dog and pony show.
It was a desperate, insincere PR stunt, coldly calculated to appear to be "responding to the fanbase" and "allowing them to have a say" when in reality, it was a whitewash waste of time.
You don't deserve to be used as a pawn in this charade - and neither do the fans.
KF's should personally be taking this as an insult, since we were requested to have representation there AND spend thoughtful consideration in creating carefully-constructed questions for PDA to (ultimately) ignore.
I'm glad there is at least one fan in residence in the halls of Voice in this organization/media, not that you have much ability to resonate true fan's feelings out loud....
I totally understand if your hands are tied once push comes to shove and an actual Kings representative shows up. It's really about reading between the lines and being able to say something that isn't directly confrontational to the FO, but manages to suggest what problems there are.
Obliqueness must be your mantra.
It was a desperate, insincere PR stunt, coldly calculated to appear to be "responding to the fanbase" and "allowing them to have a say" when in reality, it was a whitewash waste of time.
You don't deserve to be used as a pawn in this charade - and neither do the fans.
KF's should personally be taking this as an insult, since we were requested to have representation there AND spend thoughtful consideration in creating carefully-constructed questions for PDA to (ultimately) ignore.
I'm glad there is at least one fan in residence in the halls of Voice in this organization/media, not that you have much ability to resonate true fan's feelings out loud....
I totally understand if your hands are tied once push comes to shove and an actual Kings representative shows up. It's really about reading between the lines and being able to say something that isn't directly confrontational to the FO, but manages to suggest what problems there are.
Obliqueness must be your mantra.
Thanks.
It wasn't about losing access. I've been fired before, those things don't bother me.
Mainly, there was only an hour. There were many questions in the audience, on phones, and of course the forums.
I followed up when and where I could, but at some point you have to cut bait or it becomes more about the host, and less about the fans having a conduit to the GM.
At least, that was my philosophy.
It wasn't about losing access. I've been fired before, those things don't bother me.
Mainly, there was only an hour. There were many questions in the audience, on phones, and of course the forums.
I followed up when and where I could, but at some point you have to cut bait or it becomes more about the host, and less about the fans having a conduit to the GM.
At least, that was my philosophy.
For what it's worth I thought you did a solid job. Folks need to be real here.... It's important to have a relationship with the front office that it cordial enough that reporters can get information and have them talk to them for interviews. It's unrealistic to go Bill O'Reilly on the GM for the team you cover.
While I think we all would have loved to see you tear into PDA and his clearly smug vanilla answers I don't think anyone would expect that from someone that covers the team for a living. The fact that you took fan input and questions was awesome.
I could feel myself wanting to jump through my screen (streaming it) and wanting to shake the guy to his core for very clearly ignoring the fact that DMC is our franchise player and he's not putting him in a good spot, and undoubtedly has no plans to build a team centered around Boogie. I'm beyond frustrated with this inept front office... But that's not even the worst part. I can take inept. I can't take inept and arrogant. The smugness which is coming off these guys because he's a billionaire and PDA has been doing this for years... The way he consistently chuckles as if he can't believe that us stupid simple fans are even questioning his brilliant data sets.
The fact that they are leaving Corbin as head coach for the season when everyone knows he is not the permanent coach tells me all I need to know. The front office has quit on this season and the players will return the favor followed by the fans.
Thanks for at least giving it a shot and giving some fans a chance at a voice. Unfortunately it really doesn't matter when they're not really listening.
While I think we all would have loved to see you tear into PDA and his clearly smug vanilla answers I don't think anyone would expect that from someone that covers the team for a living. The fact that you took fan input and questions was awesome.
I could feel myself wanting to jump through my screen (streaming it) and wanting to shake the guy to his core for very clearly ignoring the fact that DMC is our franchise player and he's not putting him in a good spot, and undoubtedly has no plans to build a team centered around Boogie. I'm beyond frustrated with this inept front office... But that's not even the worst part. I can take inept. I can't take inept and arrogant. The smugness which is coming off these guys because he's a billionaire and PDA has been doing this for years... The way he consistently chuckles as if he can't believe that us stupid simple fans are even questioning his brilliant data sets.
The fact that they are leaving Corbin as head coach for the season when everyone knows he is not the permanent coach tells me all I need to know. The front office has quit on this season and the players will return the favor followed by the fans.
Thanks for at least giving it a shot and giving some fans a chance at a voice. Unfortunately it really doesn't matter when they're not really listening.
Thank you for spending the time to do this Dave. The fact fans aren't happy with the results is 100% not your fault. We know you are on our side here. Hopefully something is done soon. Not sure how much more of this lame duck "in limbo" time the fans, and more importantly our best players, can put up with....
He sunk the damn ship.
Righting the ship is the least he needs to do to not be made to walk the plank.
P.S. Really there's not too much difference in what appears to have taken place here than in the detested office politician who schmoozes the boss and backstabs his rival. If nothing else, PDA's determined ownership of these events might spin the focus from the clueless owner dictating to puppets scenario, to the slitherling underling manipulating clueless owner scenario. In such a look, when it came time to get rid of his rival, he even was saavy enough to recruit the owner's crutch to get extra leverage. Unfortunately in such things its always the straight shooters like Malone who lose out.
Righting the ship is the least he needs to do to not be made to walk the plank.
P.S. Really there's not too much difference in what appears to have taken place here than in the detested office politician who schmoozes the boss and backstabs his rival. If nothing else, PDA's determined ownership of these events might spin the focus from the clueless owner dictating to puppets scenario, to the slitherling underling manipulating clueless owner scenario. In such a look, when it came time to get rid of his rival, he even was saavy enough to recruit the owner's crutch to get extra leverage. Unfortunately in such things its always the straight shooters like Malone who lose out.