Actually Salmons has started on good teams. Whether he would start now, at his current age is a different question. I think there are several teams JT could start for. There are teams the need a solid guy like JT in the lineup that doesn't need plays run for him, and he still gives you a consistent result night after night. The one thing good coaches love, is a player with no surprises, unless its a good surprise. In other words, consistentcy. On IT, I agree, and I've said as much.
This team needs a solid PG, thats a playmaker. Where you and I disagree, is this. If you have a good coach, along with a good PG on the team, players like Cousins and Tyreke will be used in a way that plays to their strengths. This team has no identity!! Just what style do they play. Run and gun? The triangle? Some combination of both? What kind of defense do they play? One on one? Zone? Or whatever grabs them at the time. There are players on this team that are good passers, but yet, we struggle to get assists. Why? There are players on this team that have been good shooters in the past, and yet our shooting percentages, except for a rare few, are terrible. Why?
Poor shot selection is one of the main causes. But why? Why do we have players that are shooting a low percentage, going one on one, and then throwing up well defended shots? Youth isn't the answer. Lack of talent isn't the answer. Lack of coaching is the answer. You look at teams that have proven coaches, and you see teams that look like well oiled machines when they play us. They move the ball. They don't panic, their patient, and they end up getting high percentage shots. They have consistent lineups and rotations, and everyone knows whether, and when their going to play. Everyone knows their role.
Make no mistake. I'm not implying that if the Kings were coached by Phil Jackson, they'd be competing for the championship. But I'am saying that the team would certainly have more wins, and just maybe the playoffs would be a possibility. A good coach takes the talent he has, and he finds a system that will work with that particular talent. A bad coach comes in with a system, and tries to force the talent into that system regardless of whether it fits or not. Phil Jackson didn't try and make the Lakers a run and gun team, because he knew that didn't fit Shaq's abilities. When Pat Riley coached the Lakers, he had showtime with Magic and company. But the talent he had could play that way. But when he went to the Knicks, he completely changed the style of play to conform to the talent he had there.
History means something! And when you ignore it, and try to be inventive or creative, you damm well better have something that works, and works quickly, or it will be forgotten quickly along with the creator. I'll be honest with you. I've been watching professional basketball since the mid to late 50's. I've seen a lot of coaches come and go along with a lot of players. But I have no idea what Smart is doing. Even when he gets it right on occasion, he'll find a way to screw it up with a stupid rotation. To make matters worse, he'll stick to it till the bitter end, perhaps hoping for a late miracle. I've said that we have talent, but that the talent we have, doesn't really fit together well. As a result, it tends to be a dysfunctional team. But Smart does his very best to make it more dysfunctional than it needs to be. I won't even address the defensive side of the ball, because I've been too long winded as it is. All I'll say is, What Defense? There was an instance last night when Fredette, one of our top defenders, was left defending two players, of which one had the ball. Are you kidding me? Jimmer has trouble guarding one player, much less two.
Anyway, I'm hopefull next season we'll have new owners, and a house cleaning. There are about 5 players I wouldn't mind seeing in another uniform. They simply don't fit on this team. But mostly, I want to be reading about how well Smart is doing as an assistent in the D-League. Hey, maybe Mussclehead will hire him.
