Ailene Voisin: Luck might have smiled on the Kings with this matchup
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, April 22, 2005
The Kings finally caught a break. They caught up with the SuperSonics, another team limping its way into the postseason.
Put down that ice bag for a moment.
The Kings are underdogs only by disguise.
The Kings should win this series.
They can score, they can play with pain and, as they have demonstrated since acquiring Kenny Thomas, Brian Skinner and Corliss Williamson in the Feb. 23 Chris Webber swap, they also can defend on occasion. This series should feature several such occasions, nights when shots are contested, rebounds and loose balls are energetically pursued, blocked shots are an integral part of the game plan, and rotations are crisp and timely.
Remember that win at Philly? The victories over Washington and Dallas? If the Kings run with the talent they have - especially in transition defense - the result should be a ticket into the next round.
"I been sitting and watching, so I kind of know what everyone can do," said Bobby Jackson, who electrified the Arco Arena crowd in his return Wednesday night. "Everybody can score in this offense. Pass and cut, make the open jump shots, you can be productive. (But) it's like every year. We just have to step it up on the defensive end."
Numerous NBA scouts and coaches, in fact, have labeled the series a tossup, several privately favoring the Kings because of superior depth, experience and offensive versatility. Oh, and one more thing: The unconventional Sonics still are playing to an audience of skeptics.
The Northwest Division champs remain the answer to this season's compound trivia question: Which team won 52 games with its coach (Nate McMillan) and star player (Ray Allen) confronting contract issues; without a prolific low-post scorer on the roster; with heavy dependence on jump shots and mercurial role players; and, similar to the Kings, while experiencing crippling injuries for extended stretches? And did we mention the volatile chemistry issues that leaked out of the locker room a few weeks ago?
"A lot of the way the game is presented is about individuals," Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie reminded, "but this is the most interdependent of team sports."
In this matchup, as far as team, take the Kings.
Unlike the Kings of last postseason and even earlier this season, the Mike Bibby-Webber two-man game no longer dominates half-court possessions. These Kings win or lose as an ensemble, with coaching and personnel adjustments required almost by the minute, largely because of the midseason shuffle and compounded by another injury parade.
Nonetheless, even after the trades and the erratic finish, intriguing potential persists. The Kings are not a great team but, at the very least, they can be a dangerous team.
Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Cuttino Mobley are excellent scorers and shooters and should be featured as such. Thomas is a skilled inside/outside performer who provides much-needed athleticism around the basket. Skinner has struggled of late, but when on his game, he is a physical presence who combines with Thomas and Williamson to clog the middle. (The three former 76ers came from a defensive system; this is no time for slippage.) Darius Songaila is an increasingly valuable sub, Eddie House and Maurice Evans have contributed off the bench, and Greg Ostertag is still losing weight, and - he swears - he is still capable of banging around Danny Fortson and Jerome James underneath.
And while mindful of the potentially crippling impact of Brad Miller's broken leg, of Jackson's tender wrist ligaments, of Stojakovic's healing groin, the Kings have more playoff experience and, certainly, more playoff experience at coping with injuries. Every advantage counts.
The annual rite of spring around here is conducted on a stretcher at the UC Davis Medical Symphony, er, Center, with various X-ray and MRI technicians sharing the baton.
Stojakovic in 2002.
Webber in 2003.
Webber, Jackson and Miller in 2004.
Stojakovic, Jackson and Miller in 2005.
"A lot of the potential for this series will revolve around how quickly we can regain a measure of health," Petrie said. "Brad will play at some point this series. And I know our guys are committed. They think they can win." Yes, they can.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12767778p-13618906c.html
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, April 22, 2005
The Kings finally caught a break. They caught up with the SuperSonics, another team limping its way into the postseason.
Put down that ice bag for a moment.
The Kings are underdogs only by disguise.
The Kings should win this series.
They can score, they can play with pain and, as they have demonstrated since acquiring Kenny Thomas, Brian Skinner and Corliss Williamson in the Feb. 23 Chris Webber swap, they also can defend on occasion. This series should feature several such occasions, nights when shots are contested, rebounds and loose balls are energetically pursued, blocked shots are an integral part of the game plan, and rotations are crisp and timely.
Remember that win at Philly? The victories over Washington and Dallas? If the Kings run with the talent they have - especially in transition defense - the result should be a ticket into the next round.
"I been sitting and watching, so I kind of know what everyone can do," said Bobby Jackson, who electrified the Arco Arena crowd in his return Wednesday night. "Everybody can score in this offense. Pass and cut, make the open jump shots, you can be productive. (But) it's like every year. We just have to step it up on the defensive end."
Numerous NBA scouts and coaches, in fact, have labeled the series a tossup, several privately favoring the Kings because of superior depth, experience and offensive versatility. Oh, and one more thing: The unconventional Sonics still are playing to an audience of skeptics.
The Northwest Division champs remain the answer to this season's compound trivia question: Which team won 52 games with its coach (Nate McMillan) and star player (Ray Allen) confronting contract issues; without a prolific low-post scorer on the roster; with heavy dependence on jump shots and mercurial role players; and, similar to the Kings, while experiencing crippling injuries for extended stretches? And did we mention the volatile chemistry issues that leaked out of the locker room a few weeks ago?
"A lot of the way the game is presented is about individuals," Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie reminded, "but this is the most interdependent of team sports."
In this matchup, as far as team, take the Kings.
Unlike the Kings of last postseason and even earlier this season, the Mike Bibby-Webber two-man game no longer dominates half-court possessions. These Kings win or lose as an ensemble, with coaching and personnel adjustments required almost by the minute, largely because of the midseason shuffle and compounded by another injury parade.
Nonetheless, even after the trades and the erratic finish, intriguing potential persists. The Kings are not a great team but, at the very least, they can be a dangerous team.
Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Cuttino Mobley are excellent scorers and shooters and should be featured as such. Thomas is a skilled inside/outside performer who provides much-needed athleticism around the basket. Skinner has struggled of late, but when on his game, he is a physical presence who combines with Thomas and Williamson to clog the middle. (The three former 76ers came from a defensive system; this is no time for slippage.) Darius Songaila is an increasingly valuable sub, Eddie House and Maurice Evans have contributed off the bench, and Greg Ostertag is still losing weight, and - he swears - he is still capable of banging around Danny Fortson and Jerome James underneath.
And while mindful of the potentially crippling impact of Brad Miller's broken leg, of Jackson's tender wrist ligaments, of Stojakovic's healing groin, the Kings have more playoff experience and, certainly, more playoff experience at coping with injuries. Every advantage counts.
The annual rite of spring around here is conducted on a stretcher at the UC Davis Medical Symphony, er, Center, with various X-ray and MRI technicians sharing the baton.
Stojakovic in 2002.
Webber in 2003.
Webber, Jackson and Miller in 2004.
Stojakovic, Jackson and Miller in 2005.
"A lot of the potential for this series will revolve around how quickly we can regain a measure of health," Petrie said. "Brad will play at some point this series. And I know our guys are committed. They think they can win." Yes, they can.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12767778p-13618906c.html
