Adelman Evaluation (insider) ESPN by Jim O'Brien

[bigbadred00]

Sacramento Kings

Team Strengths
Geoff Petrie won the Ron Artest sweepstakes and it is paying off handsomely for the Kings who have won 10 out of their last 14. Artest has brought a new attitude at the defensive end.

Adelman's teams have always been efficient offensively and are still tough to guard although they are only 14th in the league in field-goal percentage (45.2 percent). Expect that to go up as Artest becomes more comfortable with the Kings' scheme.
The Kings are also second in the league in foul shooting (79.8 percent) which is key down the stretch.

Team Weaknesses
They are only 4-7 on the road since the trade and are a poor 10-20 overall. That could prove to be a road block in the Kings' quest for a playoff spot because 11 of their remaining 22 games are away from Arco Arena.

Coaching Style
Adelman relies heavily on Pete Carril's Princeton offensive concepts and variations of them. He has not had much of a low-post threat from his bigs and uses them often in face-up rolls. Artest and Wells can be tough in the low post and Adelman is more than happy to have these additonal weapons. If he gets them out together they will be very difficult to match up against.

Coaching Challenges
The challenge for the coaching staff is to get a key player like Artest hitting on all cylinders including the offensive end. Artest has struggled with his shooting since coming to Sacramento. From the field he is shooting 37.7% and only 27.4% from the 3-point line. Adelman is going to have to get better offensive production from Artest to turn around their fortunes on the road.

Looking Ahead
Adelman has averaged 56 wins a year over the last five years, so it is clear that he knows how to get teams to win down the stretch.
The additional toughness that Artest brings should start to pay off on the road. Toughness will also pay dividends in the dogfight for the last playoff spot.

 

[Warhawk]

Thanks.

 

[Pollardo!]

Thanks for posting this! I saw something on there that said Artest was again talking about New York... Was that a part of this article?

Was wondering if you would be so kind as to post that as well. Every time I get to feeling really good about this team, I get a rough jolt back to reality when I realize the Ron Ron, may very well be Gone Gone sooner than later.

Either way, thanks for the article!

 

[bigbadred00]

Thanks for posting this! I saw something on there that said Artest was again talking about New York... Was that a part of this article?

Was wondering if you would be so kind as to post that as well. Every time I get to feeling really good about this team, I get a rough jolt back to reality when I realize the Ron Ron, may very well be Gone Gone sooner than later.

Either way, thanks for the article!

That's a NY Times article that I've read. Will still have 2 more years with him. Webber wanted to go as well. NY is a fickle, terrible place to play in the NBA right now. Webber wanted to goto NY as well but will be able to offer Ron the most money, and will hopefully be a contender while NY is in the junk yard.

 

[playmaker0017]

He has not had much of a low-post threat from his bigs and uses them often in face-up rolls.

Only because he uses the SG in the post more often than any other position on the floor.

It's the problem with his devotion to the Princeton.

You won't get post production when putting post players on the perimeter.

 

[BawLa]

He has not had much of a low-post threat from his bigs and uses them often in face-up rolls.

Only because he uses the SG in the post more often than any other position on the floor.

It's the problem with his devotion to the Princeton.

You won't get post production when putting post players on the perimeter.

Will you stop knocking our style...WE ARE WINNING. We are starting to get some cohesion offensively. We have been playing better defense since GOD knows when. We are a shot-blocking, lane-clogging, Power Forward away from being a serious contender. I know there are a lot of critics out there, but comon, WE HAVE TURNED THINGS AROUND, AND WE OWE SOME F***ING CREDIT TO ADELMAN.

I know YOU have always hated the Princeton, but as long as we use it, and as long as we are winning while using it, maybe we should keep going with what works.

Having a SG that is faster, stronger, taller and weighs more than other SG's means we have a mis-match in our favor. And he happens to be a really good post player so why would you NOT use that?

 

[playmaker0017]

Will you stop knocking our style...WE ARE WINNING.

Against?

We are starting to get some cohesion offensively. We have been playing better defense since GOD knows when. We are a shot-blocking, lane-clogging, Power Forward away from being a serious contender.

Yeah. That's all it's going to take.

As long as you don't have a legit interior threat, be prepared to have a quick exit. You'll be a good regular season team, but an underperfoming playoff squad.

I know YOU have always hated the Princeton, but as long as we use it, and as long as we are winning while using it, maybe we should keep going with what works.

Perhaps it's working despite being the wrong system for us?!

Perhaps we're not maximizing ourselves, but merely succeeding because we have so much skill ... rather than the Princeton being a good set for us.

Having a SG that is faster, stronger, taller and weighs more than other SG's means we have a mis-match in our favor.

No, it means you can post him up a few times. But, for the most part, expect that to be shut down quickly.

Secondly, Bonzi isn't faster than most opposing SGs.

And he happens to be a really good post player so why would you NOT use that?

He's a decent post player.

I would use it. There's no question.

But, you also have a PF (who happens to be a few inches taller than our SG/SF dynamic post dominating force) who can pretty much own the paint if asked to.

Why would you not use that?

I mean, it doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[BawLa]

Against?



Yeah. That's all it's going to take.

As long as you don't have a legit interior threat, be prepared to have a quick exit. You'll be a good regular season team, but an underperfoming playoff squad.



Perhaps it's working despite being the wrong system for us?!

Perhaps we're not maximizing ourselves, but merely succeeding because we have so much skill ... rather than the Princeton being a good set for us.



No, it means you can post him up a few times. But, for the most part, expect that to be shut down quickly.

Secondly, Bonzi isn't faster than most opposing SGs.



He's a decent post player.

I would use it. There's no question.

But, you also have a PF (who happens to be a few inches taller than our SG/SF dynamic post dominating force) who can pretty much own the paint if asked to.

Why would you not use that?

I mean, it doesn't make much sense to me.

1. Against our mock-princeton. Don't act like you don't know what we are talking about.

2. We may have a quick exit from the playoffs, should we make it. But I will still want us to make it EVERY YEAR. It just happens to be a part of being an optimist. You can be as critical as you want, but I still want us to make the playoffs. Have you ever heard of a puncher's chance. ANY TEAM THAT MAKES IT TO THE PLAYOFFS HAS A CHANCE TO WIN. I'm not saying we will. And I don't think that without a good low-post presence that we will have a good chance, but I will still support my team AND THEIR STYLE OF PLAY. Remember the adage, "defense wins championships", not "having a good low-poster wins championships".

Anything can happen baby...

3. I don't even think we run the princeton full time anymore. And if you want to run some princeton sets to get a high-percentage shooter some high-percentage shots, then I am all in favor. Yes the players have skill but don't discredit the man at the helm. He has been our source of success for 6 years now.

4. Bonzi may not be faster, but if you have a mis-match at any position you attack it over and over until they have to adjust to it. And when they adjust then you expose another weakness. If they start to double Bonzi because he is ripping it up in the post, then that will give a shooter like Bibby all the space he needs to knock em down... you know, the inside-out game. I would rather see Bonzi play closer to the basket than at the three point line. And since we have a Center who plays at the three point line, there is plenty of room for Bonzi down there.

5. Yeah if we had KG starting and Duncan coming off the bench behind him, I would use that....BUT WE DON'T. We gotta work with what we got.

 

[wow22]

I dont think playmaker knows what he is talking about

 

[VF21]

playmaker - enough is enough. We know you worship SAR and hate Adelman and Bibby. PLEASE give the rest of us a big break and just quit being such a pain in the arse about it. I'm giving you a little break. Maybe during this time, you'll think about NOT always stirring the pot and injecting your tired refrains into virtually any thread that you possibly can.

See you in 48 hours.

 

[ParniValjak]

But, you also have a PF (who happens to be a few inches taller than our SG/SF dynamic post dominating force) who can pretty much own the paint if asked to.

Jesus man will you EVER give it a rest

 

[SkinnerBox]

Yeah, cause the Trailblazers sucked back in the day with the Princeton and never got to the finals twice in three years.

 

[SacTownKid]

Yeah, cause the Trailblazers sucked back in the day with the Princeton and never got to the finals twice in three years.

I don't think they ran the Princeton there. Did they?

 

[Padrino]

I don't think they ran the Princeton there. Did they?

nope. the princeton is the invention of pete carril. he wasnt a part of adelman's staff in portland.

 

[Bibby-4-Three]

I found this interesting

http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=28070

Adelman doesn't get credit for his system
by Dwight Jaynes

I watch a lot of NBA games and frequently find myself viewing the Sacramento Kings because their offense is one of the most efficient in the league.

It’s become inevitable — particularly on a national telecast — that the camera will pan the Kings’ bench and stop at veteran assistant Pete Carril, a longtime head coach at Princeton.

“There’s the architect of the Sacramento offense,” some supposedly wise announcer will say. “He’s got them running that Princeton stuff.”

Balderdash. They don’t run much of the old Princeton back-door offense and, in fact, most of what they do run are things coach Rick Adelman installed before Carril had any real role with the team.

In fact, if you go back to Adelman’s first head-coaching job, with the Trail Blazers, he always knew how to install and teach offense. It’s been his hallmark, along with an ability to get big contributions from players who have been major headaches for other coaches.

 

[VF21]

BRAVO! Great find.

Carril has said many times the keys to his offense and any really successful offense are passing - cutting - thinking - trusting. Those keys to the Princeton are universal for any good team. The rest is details.

 

[Bibby-4-Three]

Something else I found interesting

http://www.nba.com/blazers/history/history.html#13

1988-89: A New Owner, A New Coach, But A Losing Record

Near the end of the season Larry Weinberg announced that he had sold the Trail Blazers to Seattle computer magnate Paul Allen, a cofounder of Microsoft.

Portland's high expectations for 1988-89 crumbled into a disappointing 39-43 losing record that cost Coach Schuler his job in midseason.

Nevertheless, there were some spectacular moments. In a double-overtime game against Sacramento on January 6, Drexler threw in 50 points, one shy of Geoff Petrie's franchise record (Petrie had hit for 51 twice in 1973). Drexler set a club-record scoring average, pouring in 27.2 points per game. Drexler also set a team steals mark with 2.73 per contest. Center Kevin Duckworth, who had been acquired from San Antonio during the 1986-87 season, proved to be the answer to the Blazers' quest for a consistent force in the middle. The mammoth 7-foot, 280-pound pivotman had his best season, playing in the 1989 NBA All-Star Game and averaging 18.1 points.

The whole was far less than the sum of its parts, however. Things clearly weren't clicking, and Schuler, two years removed from winning NBA Coach of the Year honors, was replaced by longtime assistant coach Rick Adelman, an original Trail Blazers player.

1989-90: "Rip City"

Under Adelman, Portland finally fulfilled its promise in 1989-90 and became one of the league's elite teams, reaching the 1990 NBA Finals before losing to the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys," led by Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer. As the squad's high-powered offense ran to a 59-23 record, Portland became known nationwide as "Rip City."

The Blazers were consistently great all year long, posting winning records in each month of the season, including a 12-2 January and a 13-4 March. On December 26 Clyde Drexler gave himself a late Christmas present by scoring his 10,000th point, then surpassed Jim Paxson's total of 10,003 to become the Blazers' all-time leading scorer.

In the postseason the Blazers shredded the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio, and the Phoenix Suns on the way to the Finals against Detroit. The series opened in the Motor City, where the teams split the first two games. But the Pistons swept the next three in Portland to claim the crown.

Drexler once again led Portland in scoring for the year, although the offensive load was distributed more evenly. Buck Williams, a 6-8 rebounding machine, had been acquired from New Jersey prior to the season for Sam Bowie and a first-round pick. Brought in to bolster the front line, Williams fulfilled his role, leading the Blazers in rebounding (9.8 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.548). Although Terry Porter's assists average declined for the third consecutive year, he still delivered 9.1 assists per game.

 

[Bibby-4-Three]

Also an important example of Adelman's ability to instill a potent offense in his teams is the fact that from 1989-1991 he helped them to franchise highest ever records of 59-23 (which was later tied in the 1999-2000 seasons) and 63-19.

 

[BawLa]

.

IMO your name explains how I feel about your recent posts...

Clutch

 

[Ryle]

Will you stop knocking our style...WE ARE WINNING. We are starting to get some cohesion offensively. We have been playing better defense since GOD knows when. We are a shot-blocking, lane-clogging, Power Forward away from being a serious contender. I know there are a lot of critics out there, but comon, WE HAVE TURNED THINGS AROUND, AND WE OWE SOME F***ING CREDIT TO ADELMAN.

I know YOU have always hated the Princeton, but as long as we use it, and as long as we are winning while using it, maybe we should keep going with what works.

Having a SG that is faster, stronger, taller and weighs more than other SG's means we have a mis-match in our favor. And he happens to be a really good post player so why would you NOT use that?

Are you kidding me......give credit to Adelman??? We were 18-24 before the trade and 11-7 since.....gee, I wonder why??? Is it because the players are now listening to him?? No?? It's probably because they finally got a guy(for the first time since Webb was traded) that will get on their asses and make them play defense and won't tolerate a lack of effort(although you can say they have put out full effort every game). Adelman gets way to much credit for this teams success over the years.

 

[bigbadred00]

Are you kidding me......give credit to Adelman??? We were 18-24 before the trade and 11-7 since.....gee, I wonder why??? Is it because the players are now listening to him?? No?? It's probably because they finally got a guy(for the first time since Webb was traded) that will get on their asses and make them play defense and won't tolerate a lack of effort(although you can say they have put out full effort every game). Adelman gets way to much credit for this teams success over the years.

Noone is denying Ron has a lot to do with it. The other problems were we were hurt, Peja, who was playing a lot of minutes, wasn't playing well. He, the same Peja, is playing much better in Indiana (happier?). It's hard to win when Peja, SAR, Bonzi all got hurt while he was trying to develop Martin and Garcia was growing. On top of adding in SAR and Kenny being unhappy off the bench. The team is finally starting to get it.

Martin's improvement this year can also link our new found success. Artest is the key though. I don't think Adelman is the problem, he isn't the ultimate solution though. You can blame Adelman for everything but you have to remember he's had to deal with way too many injuries, way too many changes the last 2 seasons especially mid-season. You can't blame him for those 2 things.

 

[wow22]

I dont think people realize at all how important is a good coach to the success of a good team, and how hard it is to win games in the NBA consistently... this isnt NBA live...

 

[BawLa]

Are you kidding me......give credit to Adelman??? We were 18-24 before the trade and 11-7 since.....gee, I wonder why??? Is it because the players are now listening to him?? No?? It's probably because they finally got a guy(for the first time since Webb was traded) that will get on their asses and make them play defense and won't tolerate a lack of effort(although you can say they have put out full effort every game). Adelman gets way to much credit for this teams success over the years.

I will definitely support your theory of Ron's impact on our team. But are YOU kidding ME? You're telling me that 5 straight 50+ win years says NOTHING about a coach? At the beginning of this year we were no good because we had no chemistry. And we had overrated talent. The guys could never get a rhythm together because of injuries too. Comon, you can't blame Adelman for those things. And you can't blame Adelman for people not hitting open shots where the offense was designed to get them those shots.

It's not that the players are listening to him now where they weren't before. It is just that now we are playing a better style of basketball, which is due to the emergence of K-mart, Cisco and of course Ron. Seeing Kevin and Cisco do so well with only 1 year of professional play (and bench play at that) combined under their belts reflects directly upon our coach, and coaching staff...and I guess GP deserves some credit here too.

The Bibby, Bonzi, Peja, SAR, Miller starting squad looked great on paper. But in an ADELMAN system Bonzi and SAR didn't fit as well as we thought. He has had to change his style of coaching to fit with these players and then everyone got injured. Now that everyone is getting closer to 100%, and now that we are starting to get some sort of rhythm, we are doing better. And of course Ron is a key ingredient.

You don't have to respect what Adelman has done, you don't have to think that he has done anything. You can think whatever you want so that you can sleep better at night. But the numbers over a long period of time do not lie.

People that point their fingers at one person to "blame" for problems do not see the bigger picture. There were MULTIPLE factors that contributed to our first half season woes. And now that we are successful look at this fact. The coach has not changed from when we sucked to now. The players and their styles/roles have. So therefore it isn't the coach's fault that we sucked. Our recent success is not only due to Rick, but it is also due to Ron, our young guns, players returning from injuries and the collective cohesion of our players.

 

[beemerr23]

Are you kidding me......give credit to Adelman??? We were 18-24 before the trade and 11-7 since.....gee, I wonder why??? Is it because the players are now listening to him?? No?? It's probably because they finally got a guy(for the first time since Webb was traded) that will get on their asses and make them play defense and won't tolerate a lack of effort(although you can say they have put out full effort every game). Adelman gets way to much credit for this teams success over the years.

VERY well said, I'm sorry guys, but open your eyes and start seeing things clear. Adelman is not a great coach, he has been gifted with great talent, look at what Larry Brown has done this year with the Knick's awful squad - nothing. Adelman doesn't teach defense, and if you can pinpoint our success on anyone it's the man they call Ron Artest. He's the person who inspires others to give it their all and actually play defense. I really hope we get a coach who can teach defense next year.

 

[beemerr23]

As long as you don't have a legit interior threat, be prepared to have a quick exit. You'll be a good regular season team, but an underperfoming playoff squad.



Perhaps it's working despite being the wrong system for us?!

Perhaps we're not maximizing ourselves, but merely succeeding because we have so much skill ... rather than the Princeton being a good set for us.


No, it means you can post him up a few times. But, for the most part, expect that to be shut down quickly.

Secondly, Bonzi isn't faster than most opposing SGs.

He's a decent post player.

I would use it. There's no question.

But, you also have a PF (who happens to be a few inches taller than our SG/SF dynamic post dominating force) who can pretty much own the paint if asked to.

Why would you not use that?

I mean, it doesn't make much sense to me.

Even if you don't like it, the man is right. We need a shot blocking force and let me tell you, Brad Miller or Kenny Thomas isn't the solution. Like he said, we will make a quick exit in the playoffs but win regular season games because we have no post presence. Guys, lets thinks here, what's wrong with a 7 footer taking 20 foot jumpshots and a 6'7 guy being our main post up presence (Bonzi)? Guess what, you're going to get stuffed, you're only 6'7 taking it to guys probably 6'10 or bigger. We Shareef down low for defensive presence, and we need an athletic center if you want to seriously make a run IN the playoffs, not FOR it.

 

[Padrino]

VERY well said, I'm sorry guys, but open your eyes and start seeing things clear. Adelman is not a great coach, he has been gifted with great talent, look at what Larry Brown has done this year with the Knick's awful squad - nothing. Adelman doesn't teach defense, and if you can pinpoint our success on anyone it's the man they call Ron Artest. He's the person who inspires others to give it their all and actually play defense. I really hope we get a coach who can teach defense next year.

what's your point? you contradict yourself. you say larry brown hasnt done anything with the knicks, and he's a good defensive coach right? he just doesnt have players who want to play defense. if this can be true of larry brown (a championship coach), then why can't it be true of rick adelman? adelman and his staff teach defense. they may not place all of their emphasis on defense (ie: larry brown), but that doesn't mean they ignore it, and its bull**** for people to say so. the kings simply aren't a squad with a whole lot of defensive talent. ron artest absolutely has been the difference maker, and thats because he's a player who goes out of his way to play exceptional defense. to say that ron artest is proof that adelman doesn't coach defense is nonsensical.

 

[kingkung]

It's kind of funny to me that this whole argument would be null and void IF Adelman had won the championship in 2002. Then we'd have a championship coach, and once you have that championship, all of a sudden you're an elite coach with all the respect in the world, and no one will criticize you if you do well, even if you don't win another championship. But, as it stands, Adelman is not a championship coach, for the plain and simple fact that he hasn't won a championship.

 

[Larry89]

Even if you don't like it, the man is right. We need a shot blocking force and let me tell you, Brad Miller or Kenny Thomas isn't the solution. Like he said, we will make a quick exit in the playoffs but win regular season games because we have no post presence. Guys, lets thinks here, what's wrong with a 7 footer taking 20 foot jumpshots and a 6'7 guy being our main post up presence (Bonzi)? Guess what, you're going to get stuffed, you're only 6'7 taking it to guys probably 6'10 or bigger. We Shareef down low for defensive presence, and we need an athletic center if you want to seriously make a run IN the playoffs, not FOR it.

or our entire team is just one big mismatch for the other team

 

[bigbadred00]

VERY well said, I'm sorry guys, but open your eyes and start seeing things clear. Adelman is not a great coach, he has been gifted with great talent, look at what Larry Brown has done this year with the Knick's awful squad - nothing. Adelman doesn't teach defense, and if you can pinpoint our success on anyone it's the man they call Ron Artest. He's the person who inspires others to give it their all and actually play defense. I really hope we get a coach who can teach defense next year.

It's called he does the best with what is there. Yes he's had more talented teams in the past. But you can only win with your talent. If the talent has never been particularly good at D, how do you expect him to succeed with preaching D. Can it possible be fair? Adelman, isn't the greatest defensive teacher, but he's still a quality coach and definitely above average in the league.

Larry Brown was looked at as a genius in Detroit, now he's an idiot? It has all to do with talent, Larry has none in NY. Adelman has some, but it's not what he used to have. He also needs time to adjust. This team is totally different from what it used to be, is that his fault? He's had so much change over that the only guy from 4 years ago is Bibby. 1 guy that's been here for 4 years, that's it, everyone else has been here less. The only guys who have been here for 3+ years are Brad and Bibby. So 2 out of our whole playing 9 have been here. Come on guys, that's tough. Bonzi, Shareef, Kevin, Cisco, Kenny, Corliss, etc. have been here less than 2 seasons and you expect miracles. Didn't it take a while for the core of the previous Kings talented squad to go from good to great. You guys are rediculously unfair and spoiled.