http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14238284p-15058755c.html
Rick Adelman hasn't been squeezed like this in eight seasons in Sacramento. In fact, the most successful coach in franchise history might have less wiggle room on the bench than any coach in the league. He probably needs at least one playoff series to make a convincing case for another contract. He undeniably needs the Kings to finish with a flourishbecause, while his immediate boss (Geoff Petrie) has his back, he also has owners who want more for their millions - perhaps even a sharp change of direction (one that emphasizes defense) - regardless of the fact their team has undergone more makeovers than Maybelline. So this is a race to the end, the tenor of a finale.
Phil Jackson is no longer vacationing and available, but someone else invariably is. Someone always is.
"We want to wait until the end of the year to make any decisions," Kings co-owner Joe Maloof reiterated during Sunday's crucial 106-96 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. "We just think it's better for everyone."
Translation? Petrie has more clout than most of his colleagues, but owners ultimately make the coaching call. And compounding Adelman's plight - along with the brutal closing schedule - are the numerous in-house matters that have yet to be determined.
Here are just a few: (1) deciding when - and if - the vastly improved Kevin Martin will return to the starting lineup in place of veteran Bonzi Wells; (2) determining how to distribute minutes between power forwards, both of whom perceive themselves as starters, though one is more adept at defense and rebounding, the other one at scoring but only slightly more proficient at biting his lip while biding his time; (3) figuring how to incorporate Ron Artest into an offense without stagnating into a one-man show; and (4) somehow countering his own offense-first instincts for the sake of sustaining the passionate defensive mentality that anchored last month's surprising surge.
All together now - no, one by one now - these issues turn the Chris Webber Debate into a one-sided chat. The answer was obvious two years ago and is even more obvious now. (See the Phoenix Suns and Amare Stoudemire.) Severely limited after the delicate microfracture knee surgery, Webber should have been eased into the rotation and required to complement teammates who, during his absence, performed with poise and precision while streaking to the league's best record.
That decision by Adelman - the enabling of Webber at the expense of everyone else - ranks high among his defining moments. That was the Big One, the one that shook the franchise.
But this is a transition era, an inevitable occurrence in all of sports, if a more perplexing conundrum than most. Though Adelman refused to discuss any of these issues with this Bee columnist Sunday, his record and decisions speak for themselves - impressively, when one considers the full body of work. Now Adelman, too, moves on to the next phase. The season that began with a nightmare tipoff in Oklahoma City stalled at midseason, only to be revived by the acquisition of Artest, then sputtered again, started again and now takes its erratic act on the road.
This is about the end game, about the tough, even agonizing decisions. Who starts between Martin and Wells? How does Adelman keep Kenny Thomas and Shareef Abdur-Rahim from sulking? How does he compensate for the abundance of low-post players? What offense best exploits Artest's talents without limiting the creativity of Brad Miller and big-shot capabilities of Mike Bibby? What is the best way to approach the fierce, yet fragile Artest - how much coaxing, how much scolding, how much interaction is necessary?
And what about the defense? According to past and current Kings, Adelman preaches and teaches offense, as reflected in practices. Can he adjust and adapt before the playoffs - and before the Maloofs rush to judgment? Don't for a single second underestimate the influence of the Monarchs' defensive ferocity on the Kings' owners. Joe and Gavin see that WNBA championship ring, they think defense and rebounding. They see the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, they think the same thing. (There was a reason they so aggressively pursued Artest.)
"It's not going to be perfect every night," Adelman noted during his news conference late Sunday. "We're a group that hasn't been together that long, and we're still trying to find our way."
This is still his team.
This is still his team to lead.
Rick Adelman hasn't been squeezed like this in eight seasons in Sacramento. In fact, the most successful coach in franchise history might have less wiggle room on the bench than any coach in the league. He probably needs at least one playoff series to make a convincing case for another contract. He undeniably needs the Kings to finish with a flourishbecause, while his immediate boss (Geoff Petrie) has his back, he also has owners who want more for their millions - perhaps even a sharp change of direction (one that emphasizes defense) - regardless of the fact their team has undergone more makeovers than Maybelline. So this is a race to the end, the tenor of a finale.
Phil Jackson is no longer vacationing and available, but someone else invariably is. Someone always is.
"We want to wait until the end of the year to make any decisions," Kings co-owner Joe Maloof reiterated during Sunday's crucial 106-96 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. "We just think it's better for everyone."
Translation? Petrie has more clout than most of his colleagues, but owners ultimately make the coaching call. And compounding Adelman's plight - along with the brutal closing schedule - are the numerous in-house matters that have yet to be determined.
Here are just a few: (1) deciding when - and if - the vastly improved Kevin Martin will return to the starting lineup in place of veteran Bonzi Wells; (2) determining how to distribute minutes between power forwards, both of whom perceive themselves as starters, though one is more adept at defense and rebounding, the other one at scoring but only slightly more proficient at biting his lip while biding his time; (3) figuring how to incorporate Ron Artest into an offense without stagnating into a one-man show; and (4) somehow countering his own offense-first instincts for the sake of sustaining the passionate defensive mentality that anchored last month's surprising surge.
All together now - no, one by one now - these issues turn the Chris Webber Debate into a one-sided chat. The answer was obvious two years ago and is even more obvious now. (See the Phoenix Suns and Amare Stoudemire.) Severely limited after the delicate microfracture knee surgery, Webber should have been eased into the rotation and required to complement teammates who, during his absence, performed with poise and precision while streaking to the league's best record.
That decision by Adelman - the enabling of Webber at the expense of everyone else - ranks high among his defining moments. That was the Big One, the one that shook the franchise.
But this is a transition era, an inevitable occurrence in all of sports, if a more perplexing conundrum than most. Though Adelman refused to discuss any of these issues with this Bee columnist Sunday, his record and decisions speak for themselves - impressively, when one considers the full body of work. Now Adelman, too, moves on to the next phase. The season that began with a nightmare tipoff in Oklahoma City stalled at midseason, only to be revived by the acquisition of Artest, then sputtered again, started again and now takes its erratic act on the road.
This is about the end game, about the tough, even agonizing decisions. Who starts between Martin and Wells? How does Adelman keep Kenny Thomas and Shareef Abdur-Rahim from sulking? How does he compensate for the abundance of low-post players? What offense best exploits Artest's talents without limiting the creativity of Brad Miller and big-shot capabilities of Mike Bibby? What is the best way to approach the fierce, yet fragile Artest - how much coaxing, how much scolding, how much interaction is necessary?
And what about the defense? According to past and current Kings, Adelman preaches and teaches offense, as reflected in practices. Can he adjust and adapt before the playoffs - and before the Maloofs rush to judgment? Don't for a single second underestimate the influence of the Monarchs' defensive ferocity on the Kings' owners. Joe and Gavin see that WNBA championship ring, they think defense and rebounding. They see the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, they think the same thing. (There was a reason they so aggressively pursued Artest.)
"It's not going to be perfect every night," Adelman noted during his news conference late Sunday. "We're a group that hasn't been together that long, and we're still trying to find our way."
This is still his team.
This is still his team to lead.
