http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/152192.html
Kings can mull their exit strategy
Eric Musselman's defensive reputation is but one thing that has taken a beating.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:25 am PDT Tuesday, April 10, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- There is, apparently, a limit to the copyright agreement between the Police -- the band -- and Maloof Sports & Entertainment.
As fans filed out of Arco Arena after yet another Kings loss Sunday night, the trademark song that follows defeats had changed. The ditty about "Roxanne" had been replaced by Bob Marley's "Exodus." And somewhere in the bowels of the building, a songman surely was chuckling at his fitting choice.
The questions of who will stay and who will go in the Kings' offseason might take weeks or even months to be answered, with the status of everyone from coach Eric Musselman to most of the roster likely up for debate. But 10 months ago, it was Musselman who was leaving Memphis, where he returns today in an odd way.
It is, in essence, like two old friends meeting to discuss how life just hasn't gone as planned. Memphis has gone from the Western Conference's fifth playoff seed last season to the league's laughingstock, the coach replaced -- Tony Barone Sr. for Mike Fratello -- but not the success. The Kings enter on quite the free fall of their own, out of the playoffs and having lost so many games recently in a way Musselman never envisioned.
This is where he soaked up Fratello's defensive principles as a Memphis assistant and added to his defensive reputation, which stemmed from his coaching tenure in the Continental Basketball Association and his head-coaching stint with Golden State, as he orchestrated the NBA's best defensive improvement from one season to the next. In Musselman's two seasons as an assistant, the Grizzlies were ranked fourth and first in points allowed.
Yet in the last eight games, the Kings have allowed an average of 110.1points, ranking 23rd (102.3). If the season ended today, it would be a worse ranking defensively than in four of the past six seasons.
Meanwhile, the remaining core of the Kings' heralded past is experiencing a most unflattering end to its season.
Center Brad Miller has reached double-digit scoring in just three of his last 16 games while playing a minimal role in the offense and battling a foot problem. His production is the lowest since he came to Sacramento in 2003.
The same goes for point guard Mike Bibby. On March 25, he set a franchise record with nine three-pointers in an upset victory over Phoenix and said afterward, "We do better when I try to score."
In the six games since, he has averaged 11 points, shot 28.6 percent from the field (22 of 77) and all but disappeared from the floor as Musselman has given younger players a chance. Bibby played a season-low 15 minutes in Friday's victory over Utah.
Sunday against Houston, Bibby played less than two of his 27 minutes in the fourth quarter. Musselman said he and Bibby have spoken often about giving more opportunities to reserve point guard and free-agent-to-be Ronnie Price.
"Mike's been great, supportive," Musselman said. "He wants to help Ronnie out as much as he can.
"Mike went through a month and a half earlier in the year, and he loves to play so much (that he played) with an injured hand. He's been struggling recently (and has) not been able to practice sometimes because of back spasms. There's no reason for him to get hurt. He's had a solid year and played through some stuff. He and I have had some real good conversations."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Kings can mull their exit strategy
Eric Musselman's defensive reputation is but one thing that has taken a beating.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:25 am PDT Tuesday, April 10, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- There is, apparently, a limit to the copyright agreement between the Police -- the band -- and Maloof Sports & Entertainment.
As fans filed out of Arco Arena after yet another Kings loss Sunday night, the trademark song that follows defeats had changed. The ditty about "Roxanne" had been replaced by Bob Marley's "Exodus." And somewhere in the bowels of the building, a songman surely was chuckling at his fitting choice.
The questions of who will stay and who will go in the Kings' offseason might take weeks or even months to be answered, with the status of everyone from coach Eric Musselman to most of the roster likely up for debate. But 10 months ago, it was Musselman who was leaving Memphis, where he returns today in an odd way.
It is, in essence, like two old friends meeting to discuss how life just hasn't gone as planned. Memphis has gone from the Western Conference's fifth playoff seed last season to the league's laughingstock, the coach replaced -- Tony Barone Sr. for Mike Fratello -- but not the success. The Kings enter on quite the free fall of their own, out of the playoffs and having lost so many games recently in a way Musselman never envisioned.
This is where he soaked up Fratello's defensive principles as a Memphis assistant and added to his defensive reputation, which stemmed from his coaching tenure in the Continental Basketball Association and his head-coaching stint with Golden State, as he orchestrated the NBA's best defensive improvement from one season to the next. In Musselman's two seasons as an assistant, the Grizzlies were ranked fourth and first in points allowed.
Yet in the last eight games, the Kings have allowed an average of 110.1points, ranking 23rd (102.3). If the season ended today, it would be a worse ranking defensively than in four of the past six seasons.
Meanwhile, the remaining core of the Kings' heralded past is experiencing a most unflattering end to its season.
Center Brad Miller has reached double-digit scoring in just three of his last 16 games while playing a minimal role in the offense and battling a foot problem. His production is the lowest since he came to Sacramento in 2003.
The same goes for point guard Mike Bibby. On March 25, he set a franchise record with nine three-pointers in an upset victory over Phoenix and said afterward, "We do better when I try to score."
In the six games since, he has averaged 11 points, shot 28.6 percent from the field (22 of 77) and all but disappeared from the floor as Musselman has given younger players a chance. Bibby played a season-low 15 minutes in Friday's victory over Utah.
Sunday against Houston, Bibby played less than two of his 27 minutes in the fourth quarter. Musselman said he and Bibby have spoken often about giving more opportunities to reserve point guard and free-agent-to-be Ronnie Price.
"Mike's been great, supportive," Musselman said. "He wants to help Ronnie out as much as he can.
"Mike went through a month and a half earlier in the year, and he loves to play so much (that he played) with an injured hand. He's been struggling recently (and has) not been able to practice sometimes because of back spasms. There's no reason for him to get hurt. He's had a solid year and played through some stuff. He and I have had some real good conversations."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
