Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Jeremy posted this in the links section, but thought it was a good grounded column worthy of a thread (the odd tallying of Geoff's lunch menu aside).
Ailene Voisin: Pressure surrounds Petrie, but he isn't stressing out
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 12:11 am PDT Saturday, June 2, 2007
Geoff Petrie has spent the past several weeks trolling for hidden gems, ruminating about his coaching prospects, remembering the splendid summer of 1998 and longing to do it all over again.
Hire the right coach. Draft the right players. Facilitate beneficial trades. Undertake a series of personnel moves that are both prudent and prodigious, capable of providing the team with an identity and the franchise with a personality.
Oh, and accomplish all of this -- in essence, start over in front of a more seasoned and demanding Sacramento audience -- while furthering his reputation as one of the NBA's most respected executives and without sacrificing his health.
"It's like that saying," Petrie said with a chuckle, " 'This is what makes Sammy run.' You shouldn't be in this business if you're not a competitor. There is always pressure. And when you go from 44 wins to 33, no one is walking around looking for a pat on the back.
"But my health is fine. It's not a factor. Zero. I'm just trying to manage all of these situations the best I can because it's an important chapter."
If eating habits can at least hint at those blood pressure and cholesterol counts, then unlike two postseasons ago, Petrie is in great shape. During a late lunch last week, the Kings' longtime basketball president, still trim and youthful-looking at age 59, was surprisingly upbeat and energized for someone unaccustomed to missing the playoffs. He insists the emergency angioplasty he underwent following the 2005 playoffs is a distant memory, causing him to become more disciplined about his diet, not less consumed by his profession.
Of note: He scrutinized the menu and passed on the cheese plates. He inquired about the fresh vegetables and eschewed the meat dishes. He perused the wine list and ordered a glass of chardonnay ... accompanied by two bottles of water. Then he hurried home to feed his dogs and pack for another of his increasingly frequent trips. There still is a franchise to fix.
"I can't promise another 1998, but we've rebuilt before, and we'll do it again," Petrie said, forcefully. "You can't be programmed to any great extent. You have all this stuff in your head, What if? What if? What if? And you have to take the opportunities when they make themselves available. You just can't predict."
True, but because of salary cap restrictions, and barring a few more of those Petrie miracle moments, this offseason figures to be more of a Big Dig than the Big Bang of '98, when a series of stunning moves led to the acquisitions of Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, Jason Williams and Peja Stojakovic, among others, plus the hiring of Rick Adelman. Petrie also is keenly aware that another popular saying -- what have you done for me lately? -- increasingly applies because his most recent signings could best be characterized as clunkers.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim (2005) plods along on bad knees. John Salmons (2006) is an effective role player, but not at these prices. And could there have been a worse choice to coach Ron Artest and Mike Bibby than Eric Musselman?
It happens. It happens to the best of them. "The Logo" (Jerry West) leaves Memphis in a major slump. The respected Joe Dumars wasted a No. 2 overall pick on Darko Milicic. Gregg Popovich acquired Nazr Mohammed and regretted it almost immediately. In this league, the elite executives are those who excel at the recovery process; they absorb the blows to their egos, take the hits from their public and their bosses, then turn on the laptop and make the trade that makes everyone forget about the gaffes.
"You can tell a lot about the future by looking at the past," Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said, "and Geoff doesn't make many mistakes. Geoff's the boss. We just need to reverse the curve and find the best coach."
Stan Van Gundy or Kurt Rambis? Terry Porter or Scotty Brooks? No college or WNBA coach need apply. We also know this about Petrie: He openly admires Popovich, Jerry Sloan and Scott Skiles. He doesn't necessarily want to be the guy with the hammer, but he wants a guy with a hammer. He also is a devotee of offensive systems that emphasize passing, movement and early offense and transition opportunities (see Adelman), and he has become very vocal about improving the defense.
"It's an important hire, an important hire," Petrie said. "We want someone to move forward with."
Ailene Voisin: Pressure surrounds Petrie, but he isn't stressing out
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 12:11 am PDT Saturday, June 2, 2007
Geoff Petrie has spent the past several weeks trolling for hidden gems, ruminating about his coaching prospects, remembering the splendid summer of 1998 and longing to do it all over again.
Hire the right coach. Draft the right players. Facilitate beneficial trades. Undertake a series of personnel moves that are both prudent and prodigious, capable of providing the team with an identity and the franchise with a personality.
Oh, and accomplish all of this -- in essence, start over in front of a more seasoned and demanding Sacramento audience -- while furthering his reputation as one of the NBA's most respected executives and without sacrificing his health.
"It's like that saying," Petrie said with a chuckle, " 'This is what makes Sammy run.' You shouldn't be in this business if you're not a competitor. There is always pressure. And when you go from 44 wins to 33, no one is walking around looking for a pat on the back.
"But my health is fine. It's not a factor. Zero. I'm just trying to manage all of these situations the best I can because it's an important chapter."
If eating habits can at least hint at those blood pressure and cholesterol counts, then unlike two postseasons ago, Petrie is in great shape. During a late lunch last week, the Kings' longtime basketball president, still trim and youthful-looking at age 59, was surprisingly upbeat and energized for someone unaccustomed to missing the playoffs. He insists the emergency angioplasty he underwent following the 2005 playoffs is a distant memory, causing him to become more disciplined about his diet, not less consumed by his profession.
Of note: He scrutinized the menu and passed on the cheese plates. He inquired about the fresh vegetables and eschewed the meat dishes. He perused the wine list and ordered a glass of chardonnay ... accompanied by two bottles of water. Then he hurried home to feed his dogs and pack for another of his increasingly frequent trips. There still is a franchise to fix.
"I can't promise another 1998, but we've rebuilt before, and we'll do it again," Petrie said, forcefully. "You can't be programmed to any great extent. You have all this stuff in your head, What if? What if? What if? And you have to take the opportunities when they make themselves available. You just can't predict."
True, but because of salary cap restrictions, and barring a few more of those Petrie miracle moments, this offseason figures to be more of a Big Dig than the Big Bang of '98, when a series of stunning moves led to the acquisitions of Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, Jason Williams and Peja Stojakovic, among others, plus the hiring of Rick Adelman. Petrie also is keenly aware that another popular saying -- what have you done for me lately? -- increasingly applies because his most recent signings could best be characterized as clunkers.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim (2005) plods along on bad knees. John Salmons (2006) is an effective role player, but not at these prices. And could there have been a worse choice to coach Ron Artest and Mike Bibby than Eric Musselman?
It happens. It happens to the best of them. "The Logo" (Jerry West) leaves Memphis in a major slump. The respected Joe Dumars wasted a No. 2 overall pick on Darko Milicic. Gregg Popovich acquired Nazr Mohammed and regretted it almost immediately. In this league, the elite executives are those who excel at the recovery process; they absorb the blows to their egos, take the hits from their public and their bosses, then turn on the laptop and make the trade that makes everyone forget about the gaffes.
"You can tell a lot about the future by looking at the past," Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said, "and Geoff doesn't make many mistakes. Geoff's the boss. We just need to reverse the curve and find the best coach."
Stan Van Gundy or Kurt Rambis? Terry Porter or Scotty Brooks? No college or WNBA coach need apply. We also know this about Petrie: He openly admires Popovich, Jerry Sloan and Scott Skiles. He doesn't necessarily want to be the guy with the hammer, but he wants a guy with a hammer. He also is a devotee of offensive systems that emphasize passing, movement and early offense and transition opportunities (see Adelman), and he has become very vocal about improving the defense.
"It's an important hire, an important hire," Petrie said. "We want someone to move forward with."
