Bonzi could be last straw for coach
The NBA regular season is still months away, but I already know the story line I’m going to be watching most closely:
Bonzi Wells as a Sacramento King.
Did the Kings switch general managers? No. Geoff Petrie, I thought I knew you better than that. Did Bob Whitsitt take possession of your mind? Did all that Sacramento heat fry your brain? Am I wrong, or did the Kings just officially jump the shark?
I know, I know. There’s nobody in basketball better at working the bad boys into the lineup and making the best of them than Rick Adelman. We saw it in Portland with Rod Strickland, who played the best point guard of his career while with the Blazers. At the time, I figured Portland was nuts to go after Strickland. But later on, I remember apologizing to Strickland — one of my all-time favorite NBA players — after he played with honor and heart through most of his career as a Blazer.
Then, in Sacramento, Adelman took on another supposed team cancer in forward Chris Webber. When Webber arrived, a lot of people thought the Kings were crazy for acquiring him. But Webber flourished and became the key player on a team that came just inches from a trip to the NBA Finals.
Adelman just has that knack of finding out what a player does best, then figuring out a structure that allows him to do just that. Then, Adelman seems to be able to get the players to buy into his team concept, and the result is always some of the most unselfish offense you’ll ever want to see.
It’s the reason I was hoping it would somehow work out for him to return to Portland to coach the young Blazers. But the Kings wouldn’t let him out of his contract.
Now I see why. Who else would attempt to coach Bonzi?
But Petrie finally has made the load too heavy. In the final year of Adelman’s contract, the coach has to put up with a guy who ranks right up there with J.R. Rider on the all-time list of NBA con artists.
Sure, Wells has game. But he’s got baggage to go with it. He will play hard only when it suits his fancy and doesn’t work hard enough at the game to ever improve much. His shot is so mechanically flawed it’s hard to imagine he’ll ever become the kind of consistent outside shooter he needs to be to climb to the next level of player.
Worse, he’s not a smart player, and he’s always losing control of his emotions. He’ll get technical fouls, fight with teammates, spit on opponents, act like a jerk and undermine his coach.
Basically, he’s a punk, and I thought everyone in the NBA knew that by now. I just can’t imagine what the Kings were thinking. This is not an organization that usually takes this kind of chance. It’s astounding, really.
I have figured for months that next season will be Adelman’s final one in Sacramento. Now, with Bonzi on board, it’s 50-50 the coach won’t last past February.
Saw this on prosportsdaily. sorry if someone already posted it.
The NBA regular season is still months away, but I already know the story line I’m going to be watching most closely:
Bonzi Wells as a Sacramento King.
Did the Kings switch general managers? No. Geoff Petrie, I thought I knew you better than that. Did Bob Whitsitt take possession of your mind? Did all that Sacramento heat fry your brain? Am I wrong, or did the Kings just officially jump the shark?
I know, I know. There’s nobody in basketball better at working the bad boys into the lineup and making the best of them than Rick Adelman. We saw it in Portland with Rod Strickland, who played the best point guard of his career while with the Blazers. At the time, I figured Portland was nuts to go after Strickland. But later on, I remember apologizing to Strickland — one of my all-time favorite NBA players — after he played with honor and heart through most of his career as a Blazer.
Then, in Sacramento, Adelman took on another supposed team cancer in forward Chris Webber. When Webber arrived, a lot of people thought the Kings were crazy for acquiring him. But Webber flourished and became the key player on a team that came just inches from a trip to the NBA Finals.
Adelman just has that knack of finding out what a player does best, then figuring out a structure that allows him to do just that. Then, Adelman seems to be able to get the players to buy into his team concept, and the result is always some of the most unselfish offense you’ll ever want to see.
It’s the reason I was hoping it would somehow work out for him to return to Portland to coach the young Blazers. But the Kings wouldn’t let him out of his contract.
Now I see why. Who else would attempt to coach Bonzi?
But Petrie finally has made the load too heavy. In the final year of Adelman’s contract, the coach has to put up with a guy who ranks right up there with J.R. Rider on the all-time list of NBA con artists.
Sure, Wells has game. But he’s got baggage to go with it. He will play hard only when it suits his fancy and doesn’t work hard enough at the game to ever improve much. His shot is so mechanically flawed it’s hard to imagine he’ll ever become the kind of consistent outside shooter he needs to be to climb to the next level of player.
Worse, he’s not a smart player, and he’s always losing control of his emotions. He’ll get technical fouls, fight with teammates, spit on opponents, act like a jerk and undermine his coach.
Basically, he’s a punk, and I thought everyone in the NBA knew that by now. I just can’t imagine what the Kings were thinking. This is not an organization that usually takes this kind of chance. It’s astounding, really.
I have figured for months that next season will be Adelman’s final one in Sacramento. Now, with Bonzi on board, it’s 50-50 the coach won’t last past February.
Saw this on prosportsdaily. sorry if someone already posted it.