http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/161542.html
Putting faith in Petrie: Q&A with Gavin Maloof
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Kings' ship was taking on serious water with a solid start turning into an 18-26 record. Coach Eric Musselman was about to serve an NBA-levied two-game suspension for driving under the influence, and assistant Scott Brooks was going to fill his spot.
It was early February, and the one and only Charles Barkley was asked whether his former teammate and friend, Brooks, had what it took to be a successful head coach in the NBA.
"Yeah I do, but I don't want him to get that job," he shot back.
Why not?
"Who wants to be the captain of the Titanic?"
After a season that was nothing short of a shipwreck for the Kings and those at the helm, the salvaging begins now. Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof stepped ashore to discuss the recent firing of Musselman, the approach to finding a new coach and other matters relating to his crew.
Q: How involved and opinionated were you in the decision to let Eric go?
A: We totally left it up to Geoff. He wanted to make the decision, and we just followed his recommendation. It was 100 percent his decision.
Q: But you guys are the ones cutting the check (for approximately $5 million). Did that make you hesitate at all, and was it a factor?
A: I think at some point you have to trust your general manager's opinion and thoughts, and we've always put our faith and trust in Geoff and what he decided. It was 100 percent Geoff.
Q: When you look at the way the year went, there were a lot of factors, obviously. But how significant do you think Eric's part was in the underachievement?
A: I'm not one to rehash the past, especially when it's something that's forgettable. I don't know. There were probably a lot of reasons, but the main reason he's not here is that we didn't win. Bottom line. You have to win in this league, and we felt all along that we had a playoff team. I don't know about a team that could compete for a championship, but at least we had a playoff team, we thought. And for whatever reason, it didn't come to fruition. I'm not putting the entire blame on Eric. Some of it could've been the players' chemistry that we had or whatever reasons we had. It just didn't work out, and we have to move on.
Q: Looking at last offseason, to me the way this thing unfolded was you (Maloofs) were real high on John (Whisenant), and then Eric came along, and then all of a sudden he's the guy. Hindsight's 20-20, but did you learn any lessons through the coaching search based on the way things ended up?
A: Uhhh, ummm ... no, not really. I know both the candidates were capable, and maybe Eric in a different situation under different circumstances would succeed. It's hard. It's the human factor. Sometimes a good coach, good (players), but maybe not good together. It's like in a marriage. Good guy, good girl, not good together. I don't think it's anyone's fault. They just didn't mix. That's not to say that the next guy we pick is going to be successful as well. Who knows? It's all a gamble, the human factor. Nobody can predict what's going to happen. That's the way it is.
Q: When you hired Eric, you guys were very high on his personality, his work ethic, and it seems like part of the decision was partly based on the image of the organization as far as wanting somebody who would be out in the community. Obviously, from a PR standpoint, things didn't go as expected. Has that part of it changed in terms of what you guys might be looking for? Basically, will you focus on the basketball side of things a bit more this time?
A: The basketball's always at the forefront, getting someone who is qualified and can lead this team to an improvement over last year. Are we going to win the championship in a year? Probably not. But what our emphasis will be is to find someone who can take what we have and improve ... improve on our wins. Instead of a downward trend, we have an upward trend. That's what we're looking for, someone to get us back on the upswing. We only won 33 games, which is not a lot of games. Hopefully the next person can win more games and get to the playoffs. If we get the right person in, who knows what could happen?
Q: The decision to let Eric go was obviously Geoff's. What about this decision to hire a new coach? How opinionated and involved do you think you and Joe will be?
A: I think at the end of the day, we'll be involved like we always are with all major decisions. We want to be in the interviewing process. But at the end of the day, Geoff has to work with this person, so we're going to rely heavily on his opinions, what he feels, what he thinks, and his interaction with the coach. He's the one who'll have the day-to-day contact, so it's going to be very, very weighted on his opinion.
Q: You guys were very focused last offseason on getting a defensive-minded coach. Do you see the same type of focus as you look at candidates, or will this be much more wide open as far as the style of the coach?
A: I think we'll probably be looking at the person rather than, Is he defensive minded or is he offensive minded? I think we'll be looking at the individual and see what type of person he is. Can he motivate the players? The NBA is different, because you have a lot of different egos, lot of different personalities. You have to be more of a psychologist and a motivator. It's a different animal, the NBA. I think somebody that can motivate our players, that can get them to give their best each and every time they hit the court and perform. More than defensive minded, offensive minded, more about the individual.
Q: What about parameters? People are wondering if you're looking for a big name like a Larry Brown or an assistant coach who hasn't gotten a chance like a Marc Iavaroni or a Scotty Brooks. You have college coaches out there, like a Reggie Theus -- whose name has come up. Are there any restrictions on qualifications when it comes to the level the coach is coming from and whether or not he played in the NBA?
A: I don't think so. I think we want to take a look at the full gamut. We're looking at the person, his quality. Integrity, motivation, his rapport with players. That's what we're looking for. I don't think we want to limit it to any one area or any type of person. We're going to take our time, find the best possible person we can find, and hopefully it'll work out. We're going to do the best we can.
Q: Last time you guys talked a lot about involving the whole family (in the coaching search), because that's how your businesses and the family has always operated. Will this be the same in that sense, where you want the whole family to be comfortable with a new coach?
A: I think so, but I think it's more important that Geoff is comfortable with the new coach. All major decisions, we get involved in with the family. But the key is, can Geoff work with this person? Does he have trust and faith in this person?
Q: With the arena situation still hanging over your heads and the future unknown, does that bigger issue come into play at all here? Will you think about how fans would respond to a certain coach as you try to get them excited and on your side again?
A: Those are two different issues. You have the arena issue, and you have the basketball side. I don't think one has to do with the other. Getting an arena has nothing to do with wins and losses. It shouldn't have anything to do with wins and losses, because some years you're going to win and some years you're going to lose. It has nothing to do with wins and losses. That's a misperception out there. What it has to do with is our commitment to the area, the organization that we've put together, the eight straight years in the playoffs, the commitment to winning. Like I told all of our season-ticket holders in the fan forums, we will stop at nothing and do everything to win. That's our main focus. We don't care about anything else. Winning is everything for us. And we'll do everything we can -- of course, within the rules -- to win. A lot of times when it looks like we're not making any moves, it's because it's not the right move. And we don't want to bring in journeymen players that pad up your payroll expenses when they're not going to take you where you want to go. Now if it's a good, young player who's starting to jell and going forward could be a piece of the puzzle, then, yeah, we'll do that. But we're not going to add just for the sake of adding.
Q: Depending on what trades you guys are able to make, you may very well have veterans on this team who need to be handled a certain way. And the guy everybody talks about is Ron (Artest). Do you need to take into consideration how (coaching) candidates would be able to work with and get the most out of Ron Artest, even though you don't know if he'll be here? How do you handle that aspect of it?
A: Obviously, we haven't had a chance to discuss the roster with Geoff, and we'll do so when he comes back from Europe. We'll sit down and have our annual meeting and look at all the factors. But again, I think it's just a person who can deal with the players, has the respect of the players, knows the game. Is he offensive minded or defensive minded? I don't think that really matters. We're looking at the person. How well he gets involved in the community, I think that's an important piece. We do so much in the community already that I think it's important. What we want to do is win, so is the guy a winner, No. 1? No. 2: Can he get along with the players? No. 3: Does he know the game? No. 4: Does he put a quality staff together? Those are the kinds of things we're looking for.
Q: That being said, one of the winners you guys have already been real high on is John Whisenant. His name has already popped up in this coaching search. Do you see him being among the pool?
A: I really don't want to go over each individual candidate, who we like and who we don't like, until I have a chance to visit with Geoff. That's kind of where I stand.
Q: Jumping back to the arena situation, you or Joe had said you expected to get some plans from (NBA) Commissioner (David) Stern before training camp in October. What is the latest on the arena front, and are you hearing anything encouraging from the commissioner?
A: We couldn't attend the board of governor's meetings because we were doing some other business, and we didn't have a chance to talk to Stern. But he has told John Thomas that he'll get something before next season. That's all we know.
Q: When you say, "He'll get something," is that an idea for financing, a new proposal? What's he speaking of?
A: I don't know what that means, just that he'll have something for us before next season. That's all we know.
Putting faith in Petrie: Q&A with Gavin Maloof
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Kings' ship was taking on serious water with a solid start turning into an 18-26 record. Coach Eric Musselman was about to serve an NBA-levied two-game suspension for driving under the influence, and assistant Scott Brooks was going to fill his spot.
It was early February, and the one and only Charles Barkley was asked whether his former teammate and friend, Brooks, had what it took to be a successful head coach in the NBA.
"Yeah I do, but I don't want him to get that job," he shot back.
Why not?
"Who wants to be the captain of the Titanic?"
After a season that was nothing short of a shipwreck for the Kings and those at the helm, the salvaging begins now. Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof stepped ashore to discuss the recent firing of Musselman, the approach to finding a new coach and other matters relating to his crew.
Q: How involved and opinionated were you in the decision to let Eric go?
A: We totally left it up to Geoff. He wanted to make the decision, and we just followed his recommendation. It was 100 percent his decision.
Q: But you guys are the ones cutting the check (for approximately $5 million). Did that make you hesitate at all, and was it a factor?
A: I think at some point you have to trust your general manager's opinion and thoughts, and we've always put our faith and trust in Geoff and what he decided. It was 100 percent Geoff.
Q: When you look at the way the year went, there were a lot of factors, obviously. But how significant do you think Eric's part was in the underachievement?
A: I'm not one to rehash the past, especially when it's something that's forgettable. I don't know. There were probably a lot of reasons, but the main reason he's not here is that we didn't win. Bottom line. You have to win in this league, and we felt all along that we had a playoff team. I don't know about a team that could compete for a championship, but at least we had a playoff team, we thought. And for whatever reason, it didn't come to fruition. I'm not putting the entire blame on Eric. Some of it could've been the players' chemistry that we had or whatever reasons we had. It just didn't work out, and we have to move on.
Q: Looking at last offseason, to me the way this thing unfolded was you (Maloofs) were real high on John (Whisenant), and then Eric came along, and then all of a sudden he's the guy. Hindsight's 20-20, but did you learn any lessons through the coaching search based on the way things ended up?
A: Uhhh, ummm ... no, not really. I know both the candidates were capable, and maybe Eric in a different situation under different circumstances would succeed. It's hard. It's the human factor. Sometimes a good coach, good (players), but maybe not good together. It's like in a marriage. Good guy, good girl, not good together. I don't think it's anyone's fault. They just didn't mix. That's not to say that the next guy we pick is going to be successful as well. Who knows? It's all a gamble, the human factor. Nobody can predict what's going to happen. That's the way it is.
Q: When you hired Eric, you guys were very high on his personality, his work ethic, and it seems like part of the decision was partly based on the image of the organization as far as wanting somebody who would be out in the community. Obviously, from a PR standpoint, things didn't go as expected. Has that part of it changed in terms of what you guys might be looking for? Basically, will you focus on the basketball side of things a bit more this time?
A: The basketball's always at the forefront, getting someone who is qualified and can lead this team to an improvement over last year. Are we going to win the championship in a year? Probably not. But what our emphasis will be is to find someone who can take what we have and improve ... improve on our wins. Instead of a downward trend, we have an upward trend. That's what we're looking for, someone to get us back on the upswing. We only won 33 games, which is not a lot of games. Hopefully the next person can win more games and get to the playoffs. If we get the right person in, who knows what could happen?
Q: The decision to let Eric go was obviously Geoff's. What about this decision to hire a new coach? How opinionated and involved do you think you and Joe will be?
A: I think at the end of the day, we'll be involved like we always are with all major decisions. We want to be in the interviewing process. But at the end of the day, Geoff has to work with this person, so we're going to rely heavily on his opinions, what he feels, what he thinks, and his interaction with the coach. He's the one who'll have the day-to-day contact, so it's going to be very, very weighted on his opinion.
Q: You guys were very focused last offseason on getting a defensive-minded coach. Do you see the same type of focus as you look at candidates, or will this be much more wide open as far as the style of the coach?
A: I think we'll probably be looking at the person rather than, Is he defensive minded or is he offensive minded? I think we'll be looking at the individual and see what type of person he is. Can he motivate the players? The NBA is different, because you have a lot of different egos, lot of different personalities. You have to be more of a psychologist and a motivator. It's a different animal, the NBA. I think somebody that can motivate our players, that can get them to give their best each and every time they hit the court and perform. More than defensive minded, offensive minded, more about the individual.
Q: What about parameters? People are wondering if you're looking for a big name like a Larry Brown or an assistant coach who hasn't gotten a chance like a Marc Iavaroni or a Scotty Brooks. You have college coaches out there, like a Reggie Theus -- whose name has come up. Are there any restrictions on qualifications when it comes to the level the coach is coming from and whether or not he played in the NBA?
A: I don't think so. I think we want to take a look at the full gamut. We're looking at the person, his quality. Integrity, motivation, his rapport with players. That's what we're looking for. I don't think we want to limit it to any one area or any type of person. We're going to take our time, find the best possible person we can find, and hopefully it'll work out. We're going to do the best we can.
Q: Last time you guys talked a lot about involving the whole family (in the coaching search), because that's how your businesses and the family has always operated. Will this be the same in that sense, where you want the whole family to be comfortable with a new coach?
A: I think so, but I think it's more important that Geoff is comfortable with the new coach. All major decisions, we get involved in with the family. But the key is, can Geoff work with this person? Does he have trust and faith in this person?
Q: With the arena situation still hanging over your heads and the future unknown, does that bigger issue come into play at all here? Will you think about how fans would respond to a certain coach as you try to get them excited and on your side again?
A: Those are two different issues. You have the arena issue, and you have the basketball side. I don't think one has to do with the other. Getting an arena has nothing to do with wins and losses. It shouldn't have anything to do with wins and losses, because some years you're going to win and some years you're going to lose. It has nothing to do with wins and losses. That's a misperception out there. What it has to do with is our commitment to the area, the organization that we've put together, the eight straight years in the playoffs, the commitment to winning. Like I told all of our season-ticket holders in the fan forums, we will stop at nothing and do everything to win. That's our main focus. We don't care about anything else. Winning is everything for us. And we'll do everything we can -- of course, within the rules -- to win. A lot of times when it looks like we're not making any moves, it's because it's not the right move. And we don't want to bring in journeymen players that pad up your payroll expenses when they're not going to take you where you want to go. Now if it's a good, young player who's starting to jell and going forward could be a piece of the puzzle, then, yeah, we'll do that. But we're not going to add just for the sake of adding.
Q: Depending on what trades you guys are able to make, you may very well have veterans on this team who need to be handled a certain way. And the guy everybody talks about is Ron (Artest). Do you need to take into consideration how (coaching) candidates would be able to work with and get the most out of Ron Artest, even though you don't know if he'll be here? How do you handle that aspect of it?
A: Obviously, we haven't had a chance to discuss the roster with Geoff, and we'll do so when he comes back from Europe. We'll sit down and have our annual meeting and look at all the factors. But again, I think it's just a person who can deal with the players, has the respect of the players, knows the game. Is he offensive minded or defensive minded? I don't think that really matters. We're looking at the person. How well he gets involved in the community, I think that's an important piece. We do so much in the community already that I think it's important. What we want to do is win, so is the guy a winner, No. 1? No. 2: Can he get along with the players? No. 3: Does he know the game? No. 4: Does he put a quality staff together? Those are the kinds of things we're looking for.
Q: That being said, one of the winners you guys have already been real high on is John Whisenant. His name has already popped up in this coaching search. Do you see him being among the pool?
A: I really don't want to go over each individual candidate, who we like and who we don't like, until I have a chance to visit with Geoff. That's kind of where I stand.
Q: Jumping back to the arena situation, you or Joe had said you expected to get some plans from (NBA) Commissioner (David) Stern before training camp in October. What is the latest on the arena front, and are you hearing anything encouraging from the commissioner?
A: We couldn't attend the board of governor's meetings because we were doing some other business, and we didn't have a chance to talk to Stern. But he has told John Thomas that he'll get something before next season. That's all we know.
Q: When you say, "He'll get something," is that an idea for financing, a new proposal? What's he speaking of?
A: I don't know what that means, just that he'll have something for us before next season. That's all we know.
