Aileen: Karl should coach as he see's fit. Ignore front office

L

Livinthedream

All-Star
I really hate to give a whole thread to Aileen, but she's obviously Karl's mouthpiece at this point and is actively calling for him to go to war with this team. Is that really how Karl should go out? Burning down the house? For those conspiracy theorists who say Karl wants to get fired, this may be the start if he really wants to do this.

She also takes her obligatory shot at Cousins.

http://www.sacbee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/ailene-voisin/article61207202.html
 
Aileen should just quit writing about basketball and write about something that she actually knows about!

Never come across a more misinformed sport journalist in my lifetime.
 
Can we just stop posting her articles? I never even venture into her threads and never make it past the first couple of opening lines on the rare occasions that I do, due to how embarrassingly bad they are. The forum seems to be flooded with them lately. Her opinion is irrelevant.
 
Ailene is a bright one -- who is she going to talk to after they can Karl? I doubt even Peja is taking her calls at this point, and maybe that's what's making her grumpy.

P.S. it hardly needs be said, but obviously were Karl to bench Cousins (which obviously no indication of -- Ailene is just slightly projecting), throw an Aileneesque temper tantrum, or any of the rest, he's done, maybe even instantly. And that will be the closing note to his career. Always easier to urge other people to act like idiots and throw themselves on their swords than it is to do it yourself.
 
If memory serves correctly she was one of the chief drum majors in the press leading the parade to hire Karl, so this tripe is no surprise.
 
I remember how much she used to annoy Adelman.

If she wants to go "contrarian" or "hard take", those were so RE Graswich years. And at least he could make you think or were attempts at keeping fans honest and open to criticism.
 
Dime Dropper said:
Can we just stop posting her articles? I never even venture into her threads and never make it past the first couple of opening lines on the rare occasions that I do, due to how embarrassingly bad they are. The forum seems to be flooded with them lately. Her opinion is irrelevant.
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So we only post articles you want to read? :p

Since her name is generally in the title of the thread, I think it's pretty easy to avoid them if you're so inclined.
 
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1) Her "reasoning" used in that article was embarrassing.

2) She repeats the $10 million figure owed Karl.
Is he on contract for THREE MORE YEARS past this one? ($4 mil each of two seasons +$1.5 mil buyout, or something?)

3) She is fully displaying the proven-wrong thinking that "if we simply push these elite athletes hard enough, they will do what we tell them to".
Yeah, why doesn't she go talk to Paul Westphal, Ty Corbin, PDA, and Mullin about how that goes.
 
How do you people so staunchly defend this team (players)?

The players are more to blame for this terrible season than the media, who has to write about the terrible defense, lack of energy, lack of on court accountability, and generally bad basketball all around. As a sth, I am ashamed at the players and ownership.
 
IfAt1st said:
2) She repeats the $10 million figure owed Karl.
Is he on contract for THREE MORE YEARS past this one? ($4 mil each of two seasons +$1.5 mil buyout, or something?)
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According to this article Karl's salary is 5M$ this year, 5M$ next season and 1.5M$ garanteed for 2017-18.
So a buyout now will cost the Kings around 8.3M$
 
Outside of the rather stupid "Cousins is out of shape"-part, this article is not completely off.
Karl has nothing to lose. Firing his assistant, won't improve the defense over night, especially when you do it right at the end of the All-Star-break and have noone to step into the job of the defensive minded assistant right away.
And Karl is not some high school kid, who needs to be disciplined or shown the way, or whatever reason there was behind the firing. That's not how it goes with an experienced NBA coach with a winning record.
 
Another Voison article, another potshot at Cousins. Lol at her philosophy on how to get more out of Cousin, Rondo, Gay, etc.
 
VF21 said:
So we only post articles you want to read? :p
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Exactly! That would be great, thanks. ;)

Seriously though, her articles get an overwhelmingly negative response, and rightly so. I'm not sure why they are even being discussed. She's essentially a bad troll, except that she doesn't know she's a troll. She legitimately thinks her opinions are valid.

You're right, though. I am just going to stay out of these threads in future. This is one of the few that I even opened.
 
Perhaps there is a better coaching fit for the Kings. However, the treatment that Karl is receiving makes this franchise look all the more foolish. I do not expect that observers from outside of Sacramento look kindly upon what is happening and it is not a very good way to attract talent to the Kings. So criticize Aileen all you want, but she makes some really good points.
 
Livinthedream said:
This is an extension of the 'let Karl do his job' narrative his agent put out there. I'll agree you can't force Karl into submission. At the same time, it's no better if the coach severs the relationship with the FO. Bottom line, Karl should have been fired.
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I mentioned in the final weeks before the break that George Karl isn't going to kiss anybody's butt.

HOWEVER,

just as true is that this front office isn't going to put up with anymore nonsense from him


The firing the assistant thing now looks weak, because I am sure that was meant to be part of a larger move. Fire the assistant, possibly hire another defensive oriented one, and make a significant trade. Put all together signalling a change. But the trade didn't go off, and by giving Karl the right to hire his own assistant, he's probably not going to do it, or certainly isn't going to hire anybody who doesn't already think like him. So in the end, he should have been fired, and these last 29 games are his absolute last 29 as an NBA coach unless we pull a playoff seed off, and maybe even if we do. Ask Blatt, McHale, Monty, Thibs etc. how much security winning gives you anymore. Let alone squeaking in. But in any case, its his only hope.

You know what's not his hope? Doing it his way or the highway, because he will be shown that highway, This isn't an article about what George Karl has to do at all. Its an immature spout of Ailene's own frustrations.
 
Personally I'm just tired of the Kings' treadmill of mediocrity.

The Kings are currently on pace for 34 wins. That would make 10 straight seasons with a losing record.

Musselman
Theus
Natt
Westphal
Smart
Malone
Corbin
Karl

The Maloofs. Ranadive.

Petrie. D'Alessandro/Mullin. Divac.

Since Adelman was fired after going 44-38 no Kings team has won more than 38 games and the average number of wins has been 27.

Currently the team has a core of Rondo/Gay/Cousins with a shooter from a championship team, a top flight backup PG, a reserve center who is very solid and a great interior defender, a top flight wing off the bench who was leading the league in 3pt % and a rookie big who is an amazing defensive weapon and the athletic, weakside defender and low usage big that we've all wanted next to Boogie in the front court. And they are led by a hall of fame coach. Yet they still can't win more games than they lose.

Because of the Philadelphia deal (and the Casspi/Hickson deal with CLE before that) the Kings owe two first rounders in the next three or four years and have pick swaps with the 76ers for two others which means essentially means they are in a position of not being competitive with the team they have and hamstrung if they decided to blow things up and rebuild.

George Karl has done a poor job this season. But there are a LOT of reasons why this team continues to be terrible year after year.
 
George Karl is stealing money by giving a half effort.....Vlade's moves have been solid to point, Karl's coaching has been incredibly bad, go ask Doug Christie and Bobby Jackson unless somehow they don't know what they are talking about.

And as far as Vlade, tell me again who got nothing for Isaiah Thomas? And who decided to let Tyreke go in exchange for Greivis and then Robin Lopez and then immediately traded Lopez for 2 2nd round picks? Basically losing assets for nothing. Not Vlade's fault.
 
The job of a head coach is to bring a group of guys together and give them the best chance to win ball games.

Our guys do not play for each other and George Karl has not giving these guys the best chance to win. This 'my way or the highway' crap is just insane to me. DeMarcus Cousins is a once in a generation big man. You really got this guy shooting 3 pointers and playing out on the perimeter? There is no resume in the world that could make up for the mindless play calling we've been forced to endure.
 
The Kings management acted like a bunch of little girls when they vacillated for several days, if not weeks, in figuring out whether to fire George Karl or not, even telling the media that the firing of Karl was imminent, when it was not. Totally classless.

"Political" doesn't even come close to describing this organization, nor does factional or girlish or fickle or backbiting or petty. If the Kings' management wants to fire Karl, THEN FREAKING DO IT! Act like men instead of little wusses. Karl has a contract. Do you really expect that he's going to hand over millions of dollars in order to appease your whim? He is a Hall of Fame coach who has more credentials than ANYONE ON THIS TEAM. Treat the man with respect. Either give him a firm YES, or a firm NO, but stop with the half-a** bull****.
 
Kingster said:
The Kings management acted like a bunch of little girls when they vacillated for several days, if not weeks, in figuring out whether to fire George Karl or not, even telling the media that the firing of Karl was imminent, when it was not. Totally classless.

"Political" doesn't even come close to describing this organization, nor does factional or girlish or fickle or backbiting or petty. If the Kings' management wants to fire Karl, THEN FREAKING DO IT! Act like men instead of little wusses. Karl has a contract. Do you really expect that he's going to hand over millions of dollars in order to appease your whim? He is a Hall of Fame coach who has more credentials than ANYONE ON THIS TEAM. Treat the man with respect. Either give him a firm YES, or a firm NO, but stop with the half-a** bull****.
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Back off there......there are folks on this Team that have been on teams that won a Championship.

As for the treatment of Karl when the team he is coaching is allowing 109 points a game and he is coaching the worst defense in the NBA he has to expect to be fired.
 
I would respect Ailene if she came out and said Boogie is not talking to her. Just say it. Put your cards on the table AV! Be genuine about where you are coming from. Clear the air publicly about this silliness and see how this plays out.

I am not 100% sure but I think Boogie didn't like she tweeted he did not want Rondo before the acquisition. And he has held a petty grudge since.

Whether he is right or both are wrong or whatever her lack of access to said player taints her objectivity. I will not hesitate rip Boogie when I think it is deserved....but I would not be so unfair (or stupid) to say this:

And if that means benching Cousins for refusing to run back or harassing the referees....
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Boogie does not REFUSE to run back. A writer should chose her words more carefully because this is a pretty scathing inditement.

Boogie may loaf back but saying he willfully does not try is misrepresentation. He gets discouraged and frustrated and it effects his effort. This is obvious. But refusal to run back? C'mon even the "haters" don't go this far. And benching him is an outrageous idea and reflects fact he won't give her more than a one word answer during media sessions than reality.

Regarding canning the assistant, I think Vlade thought that Karl was deferring too much to assistants to run the team. Karl is the head coach and Vlade wants him to act like one....instead of delegating to Larry, Moe and Curly.

It is my educated guess Walberg did not do a worse job than anyone else on the bench but he was the fall guy because Karl was relying on him to do the job Vlade expected Karl to do.

This delegation of responsibility is troublesome because players start looking around thinking "who's the head coach here?"
 
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