Bee: Prepare for attitude adjustment

[VF21]

http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/32297.html

Prepare for attitude adjustment
Musselman to introduce aggressive philosophy
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:47 am PDT Sunday, October 1, 2006

The signs of change are tough to miss.

For starters, the longtime head coach with the wise old man look has been replaced by the fiery guy who looks even younger than he is.
The roster, of course, is an easy indicator, with all sorts of new names and the absence of a few old ones.

And then there are the literal signs, like the ones hanging inside the Kings' practice facility near Arco Arena. They say a thing or two -- actually, five -- about the direction things are heading. They are, in essence, hung as the core objectives of this new Kings team headed by first-year coach Eric Musselman.

No. 1: Paint touches.

No. 2: Deflections.

No. 3: Offensive boards.

No. 4: Defensive stops.

No. 5: Draw fouls.

Remember when the Kings were synonymous with finesse?

Things have changed indeed. In honor of Monday's media day and Tuesday's start to training camp, we pose five questions about the great unknown that lies ahead.

 

[HndsmCelt]

There is a phrase Kings fans will need to get used to: "looks good on paper."

 

[Entity]

Wow thats a record killed the thread on the first post. Way to go Celt

 

[gunks]

haha...So much pessimism goin into this season.

 

[VF21]

I guess I'm back to being the silly old optimist.

I like what I'm hearing so far, both from the media and others. I like the intensity with which a number of the players are facing the coming season and the dedications they've already shown in getting together to hone their skills even before training camp.

Musselman has the knowledge; it's in his blood. He has the drive; and he certainly has a fan base that will be cheering him on. I think there's every chance this will indeed be a competitive team and who knows what else might happen.

I'm going to root for this team as loudly and earnestly as any in past years...and hope sincerely it's not my last opportunity to do so.

I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!

GO KINGS!!!

 

[TheJoker]

I like what Eric is trying to do, i doubt he was this driven in Golden State atleast i think not. if he can make this team work from the get-go he should be Praised loud & clear.

 

[Warhawk]

I like what Eric is trying to do, i doubt he was this driven in Golden State atleast i think not.

Based on what, exactly?

 

[chelle]

I guess I'm back to being the silly old optimist.

I like what I'm hearing so far, both from the media and others. I like the intensity with which a number of the players are facing the coming season and the dedications they've already shown in getting together to hone their skills even before training camp.

Musselman has the knowledge; it's in his blood. He has the drive; and he certainly has a fan base that will be cheering him on. I think there's every chance this will indeed be a competitive team and who knows what else might happen.

I'm going to root for this team as loudly and earnestly as any in past years...and hope sincerely it's not my last opportunity to do so.

I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!

GO KINGS!!!

I'll sign my name to these sentiments as well!!! I'm excited. I have a good feeling about this season. This is going to be FUN!!

 

[Sac.Kings]

I had a great feeling going into last season. It went away in what seems like a blink of an eye.

 

[Sac.Kings]

I like what Eric is trying to do, i doubt he was this driven in Golden State atleast i think not. if he can make this team work from the get-go he should be Praised loud & clear.

Did you ask him yourself personally?

 

[TheJoker]

Based on what, exactly?

Based on, what i'm hearing latly. of course i can be wrong but we will have to see.

 

[Warhawk]

Based on, what i'm hearing latly. of course i can be wrong but we will have to see.

Hearing from where? You listening in on private calls again? Or just making wishful thinking into rumor?

 

[Kingzrool]

of course i can be wrong but we will have to see.

OK that is enough, what have you done with the real Joker?

 

[TheJoker]

Hearing from where? You listening in on private calls again? Or just making wishful thinking into rumor?

I just think Eric will have his best coaching career this year my assessment on him has changed

 

[Entity]

Joker in your original sentence you said you doubt. That means your opioion right? I don't know why when we have an opinion ppl want proof or our opinions. Just the way it has become around here.

I look at it like this if your a kings fan and your not excited about the season getting ready to start then what exactly does it take to get excited?

 

[gunks]

In GS Muss was going into a bad situation and he turned it around.

Now he's going to coach a good team and expectations are definately higher this time around. He's also replacing Rick, who for all his faults, had a pretty good run here in Sacto.

Granted the sports page is gonna hype stuff up a lot...But it really isnt to risky an assumption to make that Muss is more driven this time around.

 

[Warhawk]

Joker in your original sentence you said you doubt. That means your opioion right? I don't know why when we have an opinion ppl want proof or our opinions. Just the way it has become around here.

I look at it like this if your a kings fan and your not excited about the season getting ready to start then what exactly does it take to get excited?

I just want to know why he thought he wasn't motivated in GS. He made a statement doubting his effort and desire.

It was his first NBA head coaching job. He grew up in basketball and lives, eats, breathes, and sleeps NBA. Why all of a sudden was he not motivated in his previous job? By all accounts, his motivation and preparation is what got him his interviews to begin with. Just seems like an out of left field comment based on everything we know about Muss.

Then there's the "Based on, what i'm hearing latly." comment. Hearing who and where? Sounds like a bunch of "I read it on an ESPN board somewhere so it must be true" type of thing....

 

[bibbinator]

I just want to know why he thought he wasn't motivated in GS. He made a statement doubting his effort and desire.

GS is a depressing team. If Arco was built on an Indian graveyard the Oakland Arena was built on top of 5 Indian graveyards.

The advertising slogan for GS a few years ago was something like "It's an affordable night out." Jeez. In Sac everyone knows how the Kings are doing. In the Bay Area many people don't even know they have a basketball team. I remember thinking, way back, that GS played in the same city as the California Angels did, and I had no idea where it was.

It's a basketcase franchise. I take it as a good sign that Muss got some significant improvement out of them, but I can't blame him for getting dejected. They're so lost in the Bay Area I wonder if people would start caring if they fielded a good team?

 

[creAtivetfh]

does anybody know what time media day starts tomorrow? cause i will be at arco at 9am to sign some papers

 

[TheJoker]

I just want to know why he thought he wasn't motivated in GS. He made a statement doubting his effort and desire.

Being in GS is something to be desired about. you get stressed out easily. Eric is more motivated right now because he has a chance to make the Kings a winner and this is his only chance that he will come close to becoming a winning coach. after all he did fail miserably like Mont did so he has something to prove "as a coach....".

 

[VF21]

Personally, I'm not sure any of us are qualified to be playing "Dr. Phil" about Eric Musselman's motives, efforts, etc.

He was a new young coach in Golden State. He's had a chance to learn from his mistakes, and he's not the new kid on the block any longer.

 

[Warhawk]

Being in GS is something to be desired about. you get stressed out easily. Eric is more motivated right now because he has a chance to make the Kings a winner and this is his only chance that he will come close to becoming a winning coach. after all he did fail miserably like Mont did so he has something to prove "as a coach....".

Not sure about what you are trying to get at with your first sentence.

News Flash: Kings have been "winners" (well, have had above 0.500 records) for the past 8 years.

He improved GS by what, 17 games his first season as a coach there. That's not "failing miserably" in my book, given the talent he had. He was being considered for "Coach of the Year", wasn't he?

Oh yeah:

http://www.nba.com/kings/news/Kings_Name_Eric_Musselman_Head-181010-58.html

A young, energetic coach with a proven track record, Musselman has been successful on various levels throughout his coaching career. He was named head coach of the Golden State Warriors on July 6, 2002 at the ripe age of 37, making him the youngest head coach in the NBA at the time. In two seasons, he guided the Warriors to a 75-89 mark (.463), including a 38-44 record during his first season at the helm, which earned Golden State the NBA’s most improved record in 2003 (17-win improvement from the year before). His efforts that season made him the runner-up for the NBA Coach of the Year Award. Despite losing young stars Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas the following year via trade and free agency, respectively, Musselman’s Warriors posted a 37-45 mark.

Yeah, he really failed miserably.

 

[TheJoker]

No one is calling Eric a failure but he has more expectations on him then he ever has. it might be a good thing for us or a bad thing pressure sometimes stresses a person out. Rudy T is a fine exaple.

 

[Warhawk]

And this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Musselman

In 2002, Musselman became the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, a position he held for two years. He finished as runner-up to San Antonio's Gregg Popovich in NBA Coach of the Year voting in 2002-2003 with 231 points, including 26 first-place votes. That season, under Musselman's guidance, the Warriors, for the first time in nearly a decade, reached the .500 mark late in the season, holding a record of 30-30 on March 4, 2003. In Musselman's rookie season, his club finished 38-44, the most wins in more than 10 years.

Despite numerous injuries and the loss of the team's top two players in Gilbert Arenas (signed with Washington) and Antawn Jamison (traded to Dallas), the team still finished 37-45 under his direction during the 2003-2004 season. In two seasons as head coach in Golden State, Musselman compiled a 75-89 record.

I guess they should have strung him up for that kind of record, right? Runner up for coach of the year, how dare he....

 

[VF21]

No one is calling Eric a failure but he has more expectations on him then he ever has. it might be a good thing for us or a bad thing pressure sometimes stresses a person out. Rudy T is a fine exaple.

And what's your point?

So there are expectations. You think he didn't know that before he interviewed for the job?

Yes, pressure sometimes leads to excess stress. Pressure also is what some people need to thrive.

All of this micropsychoanalysis is totally meaningless. None of us know Eric Musselman the person well enough to make any kind of valid assessment.

...

God, I hate TDOS.

 

[Warhawk]

No one is calling Eric a failure but he has more expectations on him then he ever has. it might be a good thing for us or a bad thing pressure sometimes stresses a person out. Rudy T is a fine exaple.

Uh, care to look up just a couple posts?

Does this ring a bell?

"after all he did fail miserably like Mont did so he has something to prove "as a coach...."."

 

[TheJoker]

And what's your point?

So there are expectations. You think he didn't know that before he interviewed for the job?

Yes, pressure sometimes leads to excess stress. Pressure also is what some people need to thrive.

All of this micropsychoanalysis is totally meaningless. None of us know Eric Musselman the person well enough to make any kind of valid assessment.

...

God, I hate TDOS.

I think Eric knows the expectations but sometimes coaches don't feel the pressure until they actually coach during a season. i'm supporting Eric infact i have for the last couple of days i have changed my assesment on him and i have a feeling hes gonna surprise all of us.

 

[TheJoker]

Uh, care to look up just a couple posts?

Does this ring a bell?

"after all he did fail miserably like Mont did so he has something to prove "as a coach...."."

He never took the Warriors to the playoffs thus he's "EXPECTED" to take the Kings to the playoffs thats what i'm trying to say.

 

[Kingzrool]

Eric has more experience now. That (hopefully) will be the factor. None of us could know whether he is more motivated or not. He has big shoes to fill and clearly is expected by the Maloofs to do better than RA. It is nice to see Joker being optomistic. (seriously, what did you do with him? )

 

[TheJoker]

He's right here