A new blog entry has been added:
[drupal=91]Where do we go from here?[/drupal]
[drupal=91]Where do we go from here?[/drupal]
The team is losing, the owners are openly NOT happy with the lack of a "system" and apparent begrudging use of the young players and the coaching staff has gone to selecting rotations by dart-board. All is not well in the Kingdom.
We have a lot of talent on our team that simply isn't being properly utilized. Spencer Hawes, arguably the brightest light especially while Kevin Martin has been sidelined, was finally put into the starting lineup and fans rejoiced. We celebrated ... until the head coach explained the only reason Hawes had started at the power forward position was because John Salmons wasn't playing that night.
...
...
Wait. John Salmons, the small forward, wasn't playing so Theus decided to start our future center at the 4? Hrm... Well, of course. Makes perfect sense.
And that, fellow Kings fans, is the story this season. Bizarre lineups and substitution patterns that are, to say the least, unique. Allocation of playing time minutes that boggles the mind. Yanking young players from games because they've made a mistake but not talking to them as they come off the court to point out what they did wrong and how they should work to correct it.
We have a huge coaching staff and yet, for the most part, it's very difficult to see what the assistant coaches are doing. But that's par for the course, because it's also very difficult to figure out what the head coach is doing.
The Maloofs finally started using the word "rebuilding" this season and meaning it. They want to see the kids play and while they wouldn't mind a trip to the playoffs if someone handed them the tickets, they aren't expecting it.
So what happens? The head coach, more than once, comes right out and says it's always about winning for him first and foremost. Is that the way to create job security in a job only 30 people can hold at any one time? It certainly doesn't seem wise to openly and blatantly disregard what your big boss has repeatedly said.
There are those who will make excuses for Reggie Theus and will say he's had a lot to deal with. While that's true, it's not germane to the topic at hand.
Theus was given a mandate earlier this year by Joe Maloof - develop the kids and formulate and exhibit some kind of "system," particularly when it comes to defense. Regardless of anything else that may or may not have happened, Theus has failed to perform either of those two tasks.
While Reggie was a fun player to watch when he was here, it's becoming more and more clear that his coaching skills just might not be what the Kings need right now to build a foundation for the future.
At this point, it's most likely a matter of when and not if Reggie Theus will be fired as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. It's not handwriting on the wall any longer; it's rockets in the sky and stencils on the moon. I believe it's possible Theus has one more chance to save his job...
On Saturday against the Denver Nuggets, Reggie must put emphasis on playing the kids. But not just throwing them out there in random situations. He needs to put them in positions where they'll be developing skills they'll need in their NBA futures, and they need to be learning to work with the guys who'll be there with them.
I would really like to see significant minutes for Jason Thompson. And if he makes a mistake on the court, I would think it could be arranged for one of the assistant coaches to at least point out his mistake and COACH him on what he could/should have done instead.
Rebuilding isn't easy and it isn't quick. But it doesn't have to be anywhere near as painful as what we've seen lately.
The ball quite literally is in Reggie's court. Whether it actually remains his court or not is up to him.
We have a lot of talent on our team that simply isn't being properly utilized. Spencer Hawes, arguably the brightest light especially while Kevin Martin has been sidelined, was finally put into the starting lineup and fans rejoiced. We celebrated ... until the head coach explained the only reason Hawes had started at the power forward position was because John Salmons wasn't playing that night.
...
...
Wait. John Salmons, the small forward, wasn't playing so Theus decided to start our future center at the 4? Hrm... Well, of course. Makes perfect sense.
And that, fellow Kings fans, is the story this season. Bizarre lineups and substitution patterns that are, to say the least, unique. Allocation of playing time minutes that boggles the mind. Yanking young players from games because they've made a mistake but not talking to them as they come off the court to point out what they did wrong and how they should work to correct it.
We have a huge coaching staff and yet, for the most part, it's very difficult to see what the assistant coaches are doing. But that's par for the course, because it's also very difficult to figure out what the head coach is doing.
The Maloofs finally started using the word "rebuilding" this season and meaning it. They want to see the kids play and while they wouldn't mind a trip to the playoffs if someone handed them the tickets, they aren't expecting it.
So what happens? The head coach, more than once, comes right out and says it's always about winning for him first and foremost. Is that the way to create job security in a job only 30 people can hold at any one time? It certainly doesn't seem wise to openly and blatantly disregard what your big boss has repeatedly said.
There are those who will make excuses for Reggie Theus and will say he's had a lot to deal with. While that's true, it's not germane to the topic at hand.
Theus was given a mandate earlier this year by Joe Maloof - develop the kids and formulate and exhibit some kind of "system," particularly when it comes to defense. Regardless of anything else that may or may not have happened, Theus has failed to perform either of those two tasks.
While Reggie was a fun player to watch when he was here, it's becoming more and more clear that his coaching skills just might not be what the Kings need right now to build a foundation for the future.
At this point, it's most likely a matter of when and not if Reggie Theus will be fired as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. It's not handwriting on the wall any longer; it's rockets in the sky and stencils on the moon. I believe it's possible Theus has one more chance to save his job...
On Saturday against the Denver Nuggets, Reggie must put emphasis on playing the kids. But not just throwing them out there in random situations. He needs to put them in positions where they'll be developing skills they'll need in their NBA futures, and they need to be learning to work with the guys who'll be there with them.
I would really like to see significant minutes for Jason Thompson. And if he makes a mistake on the court, I would think it could be arranged for one of the assistant coaches to at least point out his mistake and COACH him on what he could/should have done instead.
Rebuilding isn't easy and it isn't quick. But it doesn't have to be anywhere near as painful as what we've seen lately.
The ball quite literally is in Reggie's court. Whether it actually remains his court or not is up to him.