LMM
Starter
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11686035p-12574999c.html
Adelman wants an end to Kings' inconsistent ways
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, December 7, 2004
Kings coach Rick Adelman admits his team's effort has been inconsistent this season, and establishing consistency in all areas is one of the team's goals.
After Sunday night's erratic performance in what became a dominating victory over the Boston Celtics, the Kings receive another chance to put it all together tonight, when the expansion Charlotte Bobcats visit Arco Arena.
Sacramento, 12-5 overall and 8-1 at home, will go for its fifth straight victory and 12th in its last 13 games. Charlotte (4-11) will complete a back-to-back set after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers 99-93 in double overtime.
Seven of the Kings' victories have come against teams currently with losing records, including the Celtics. Sacramento's poor start against Boston caused Adelman to scream briefly during an early second-quarter timeout.
"That was very rare," guard Bobby Jackson said of Adelman's verbal rage. "But we deserved it because we weren't playing."
The last thing the Kings and Adelman want to see tonight is a lackluster start against an opponent they believe they should defeat.
"We talked about it (Monday at practice)," Adelman said, "and we need to be ready to play. We're playing a team (tonight), an expansion team that's already won four games and actually played people pretty well. We want to get this win before we get out on the road (for a Midwest trip to Minnesota, Indiana and Milwaukee). So it's important that we be ready to play."
Adelman knows his team's strength is its ability to execute offensively, and he would be mightily pleased if his players just ran the offense, moved the ball and showed patience. Poor offensive play often has led to the Kings' defensive woes.
"The important thing for us is to play the way we can, no matter who we play," Adelman said.
Adelman, maybe more than most Kings observers, realizes his team is greatly reliant on its offensive capabilities. However, he knows his team can play more intelligently at the defensive end than it has shown.
"We want to be more consistent, no matter who we play or what they are doing, that we have an understanding of what we're trying to do," Adelman said. "A lot of it is technique, and a lot of it is a mind-set of going out and doing it.
"And I don't care what anybody says: Most of our guys' mind-sets are at the offensive end. And when you play as many games as we do during the regular season, (defense) is going to be the area where the drop-off is.
"I've said it before: We're really a smart team offensively. And we can have some limitations defensively, but this team should be a smart team defensively. We should know what (teams) are trying to do to us defensively."
Adelman said he spends much time monitoring the Kings' offensive flow, which is producing an average of 102 points, third-best in the NBA.
"I want to see what we're running," he said. "I want to see what's good for us and make sure we have a nice balance to us."
Adelman said his perspective on the team's poor start has been tempered a bit.
"After the first three games (all losses), I wasn't too excited about anything," he said. "But we also played three really good teams (Dallas, San Antonio and Houston). And we've found out (in the first five games) we played four really good teams because now we know about Seattle." Adelman and his team also know about Gerald Wallace, whom the Bobcats took from the Kings in the expansion draft. But Wallace likely will not play tonight after suffering a concussion during practice last week.
Adelman wants an end to Kings' inconsistent ways
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, December 7, 2004
Kings coach Rick Adelman admits his team's effort has been inconsistent this season, and establishing consistency in all areas is one of the team's goals.
After Sunday night's erratic performance in what became a dominating victory over the Boston Celtics, the Kings receive another chance to put it all together tonight, when the expansion Charlotte Bobcats visit Arco Arena.
Sacramento, 12-5 overall and 8-1 at home, will go for its fifth straight victory and 12th in its last 13 games. Charlotte (4-11) will complete a back-to-back set after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers 99-93 in double overtime.
Seven of the Kings' victories have come against teams currently with losing records, including the Celtics. Sacramento's poor start against Boston caused Adelman to scream briefly during an early second-quarter timeout.
"That was very rare," guard Bobby Jackson said of Adelman's verbal rage. "But we deserved it because we weren't playing."
The last thing the Kings and Adelman want to see tonight is a lackluster start against an opponent they believe they should defeat.
"We talked about it (Monday at practice)," Adelman said, "and we need to be ready to play. We're playing a team (tonight), an expansion team that's already won four games and actually played people pretty well. We want to get this win before we get out on the road (for a Midwest trip to Minnesota, Indiana and Milwaukee). So it's important that we be ready to play."
Adelman knows his team's strength is its ability to execute offensively, and he would be mightily pleased if his players just ran the offense, moved the ball and showed patience. Poor offensive play often has led to the Kings' defensive woes.
"The important thing for us is to play the way we can, no matter who we play," Adelman said.
Adelman, maybe more than most Kings observers, realizes his team is greatly reliant on its offensive capabilities. However, he knows his team can play more intelligently at the defensive end than it has shown.
"We want to be more consistent, no matter who we play or what they are doing, that we have an understanding of what we're trying to do," Adelman said. "A lot of it is technique, and a lot of it is a mind-set of going out and doing it.
"And I don't care what anybody says: Most of our guys' mind-sets are at the offensive end. And when you play as many games as we do during the regular season, (defense) is going to be the area where the drop-off is.
"I've said it before: We're really a smart team offensively. And we can have some limitations defensively, but this team should be a smart team defensively. We should know what (teams) are trying to do to us defensively."
Adelman said he spends much time monitoring the Kings' offensive flow, which is producing an average of 102 points, third-best in the NBA.
"I want to see what we're running," he said. "I want to see what's good for us and make sure we have a nice balance to us."
Adelman said his perspective on the team's poor start has been tempered a bit.
"After the first three games (all losses), I wasn't too excited about anything," he said. "But we also played three really good teams (Dallas, San Antonio and Houston). And we've found out (in the first five games) we played four really good teams because now we know about Seattle." Adelman and his team also know about Gerald Wallace, whom the Bobcats took from the Kings in the expansion draft. But Wallace likely will not play tonight after suffering a concussion during practice last week.
