Bee: Depth is putting Kings in deep

#1
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/11210908p-12126707c.html

Depth is putting Kings in deep

The team is facing injuries again and needs some help.

By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Monday, October 25, 2004


Remember when Hedo Turkoglu and Gerald Wallace were the Kings' ninth and 10th men two seasons ago? They couldn't even get on the floor because coach Rick Adelman sent only Bobby Jackson, Jimmy Jackson and Keon Clark off the bench.

The Kings were seen as one of the NBA's deepest teams, and opposing coaches marveled at Adelman's options.

But those days are long gone, and no one knows it better than Adelman, whose teams have overcome injuries to Mike Bibby and Chris Webber to start the past two seasons and won 59 and 55 games, respectively.

Saturday night, Adelman, who doesn't know when starting shooting guard Doug Christie and backup center Greg Ostertag will be healthy enough to play, talked about the Kings' margin for error.

It was a brief discussion.

"We've been able to get by in the past despite some injuries," Adelman said. "But this is a different group, and we've got a very small margin for error.

"Really, we don't have any margin for error. We're either going to be ready to play every night, or we're going to get (beaten). Especially looking at our schedule to start the season, we can't think we can cruise into any game.

"Right now, we've got six veterans and a lot of rookies and free agents. And if Doug and Greg aren't ready to play to start the season, we've got to figure out who can help us."

The Kings' roster is at 17 players, including Christie and Ostertag, but until Adelman has more definitive information on those two, he doesn't really know how to proceed.

He gave the team Sunday off after back-to-back exhibition games but said the long trip to China no longer should be a factor.

"We're going to practice three straight days before we play back-to-back in Dallas (Thursday) and here (Friday)," Adelman said. "I know the trip was a problem in Fresno (last Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers), and it was again in Utah because we didn't want to extend some people."

Guard Courtney Alexander has played little because of a sprained left thigh and a sore left foot. Alexander, who reportedly has a $300,000 guarantee on a $745,046 deal that becomes fully payable if he's on the Kings' roster Dec. 1, is in serious danger of not making the team.

"He hasn't been able to practice, and he hasn't been able to play," Adelman said of the 27-year-old. "He's really only been ready to play in one or two games and one or two practices. We have to look at other players if he can't go."

As of now, forward Matt Barnes, guard Maurice Evans and forward Erik Daniels, all non-guaranteed players, have been the most impressive and productive of the remaining free agents.

David Bluthenthal, a forward who reportedly has half of his $385,287 deal guaranteed and the rest payable if he's on the roster Dec. 15, has made just 10 of 33 shots (30.3 percent) while playing in all six games. Second-round draft pick Ricky Minard, a guard, has the same contract status as Bluthenthal and also needs to pick up his production.

The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.
 
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#2
"Really, we don't have any margin for error. We're either going to be ready to play every night, or we're going to get (beaten). Especially looking at our schedule to start the season, we can't think we can cruise into any game."

What did Adelman really say that they had to paraphrase?
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#4
65 posts...

It's amazing how the quiet ones are the ones you have to be careful of.

;)

uolj,

If my keyboard doesn't survive the Pepsi spit-bath it just endured, I'll be sending you the bill.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#6
"...mistaken for the Lakers."

ta-da-dum...

I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. It's Gargamel's fault.

 
#11
Circa_1985_Fan said:
Adelman only goes 8 deep anyways, so its not like even when we DID have the best bench that he went very deep
Exactly, the Kings need 8 good players rather than 10 decent ones. As we learned in 2003, we're screwed regardless if someone in the top 8 goes down with injury.
 
#12
LPKingsFan said:
Exactly, the Kings need 8 good players rather than 10 decent ones. As we learned in 2003, we're screwed regardless if someone in the top 8 goes down with injury.
Miller, Webber, Christie, Peja, Bibby, Bobby, Tag, Darius....those are 'Adelman's 8' for this year, once Tag and Doug are back, I feel pretty good with having Martin as 9th guy, after seeing him so far. Not THAT bad of a rotation, if you ask me
 
#13
gotta love the hoedown gargamel :D

as for the depth issue, well at this point in time i'm not going to let it bother me as much as it should. i'm hoping all this junk happens now rather then in when we really need to win ( march and beyond) i'd love to have a healthy playoffs for once.