Coach Whis? (merged)

[Warhawk]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14258582p-15072976c.html

The Monarchs' coach is one of fewer than 10 candidates to succeed Rick Adelman on the Kings.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer

Gavin Maloof was down a rooting buddy Saturday, sitting courtside at Arco Arena for the Monarchs' season opener without brother Joe in tow.

The Kings' co-owner who wasn't present for his team's 105-78 victory over Phoenix has been ill with the flu for nearly two weeks, bedridden for much of the time but more than capable of continuing to play his part via phone in the search for a new Kings coach.

According to Gavin Maloof, the search continues with some significant progress.

Gavin Maloof said a list of approximately 25 candidates has been whittled down to "less than 10," with no interviews conducted yet, and the ongoing display of one candidate pretty hard to miss.

Monarchs coach John Whisenant continues to earn mention from the Maloofs to those around them, with no shortage of Whisenant supporters on the premises.

The desired traits of a new Kings coach remain consistent: a preferred emphasis on defense, a history of championship credentials (regardless of level) and a willingness to join forces with Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie and the Maloof family in a three-headed effort to win an NBA title.

New sidekick -- Among those watching Whisenant's work was Kings small forward Ron Artest, who flanked Gavin Maloof with his family courtside. The schedule barely allowed for the presence of Artest, who is scheduled to be in Salt Lake City today to take part in a four-city rap tour.

Artest, who has an album coming out in August and is touring as the opening act for Mike Jones and Young Jeezy, then heads to Phoenix; Albuquerque, N.M.; and El Paso, Texas.

Artest will drive from Salt Lake City to the final three destinations in his own newly designed tour bus, with his face and label on the outside of the luxury ride and every amenity imaginable inside -- from plasma screen TVs to leather seating to DVD players for all eight beds.

While Artest has kept his entertainment aspirations somewhat hushed in his tenure in Sacramento, he has every intention to experiment in numerous forums. That includes the movie industry, in which Artest wishes he could land a role someday such as rapper 50 Cent in the film "Get Rich or Die Tryin'."

Not that it has distracted him from hoops. Artest, who bought a house and property in Loomis during the season, remains a regular at the Kings' practice facility nearly every day, working out as if the season were still going.

"I'm ready to go right now," Artest said of next season.

Workouts -- Former Sacramento State point guard DaShawn Freeman had a second workout with the Kings on Friday. Freeman could earn a spot on the Kings' summer-league team or pad his résumé for possible NBA Development League or overseas opportunities.

Petrie also worked out former Arizona guard Hassan Adams on Thursday.

Adams, a physical scorer who averaged 17.5 points during his senior season with the Wildcats, has been projected as a late first-round or early second-round pick.

Summer hoops -- The Sacramento Professional Developmental League is back for the 21st time, set to tip off June 5 and be capped with an All-Star Game on June 30.

Games will be played at Capital Christian High School from Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m., with even more NBA talent than last season.

Jason Hart and Kevin Martin are expected to play, with former Kings Bobby Jackson and Matt Barnes. Four-year NBA veteran Mike Wilks, a guard, also will play. Wilks played in the 37 games for Cleveland last season before being traded to Seattle as part of the deal that sent Flip Murray from the SuperSonics to the Cavaliers.

 

[SacKings384]

Nooooooooooo

 

[DocHolliday]

I wouldn't mind coach Whis, but the fact that the Lakers fans will REALLY eat up the Queens stuff, I don't want him as the head coach lol.

 

[Sirius]

Well this was in Ailene Poison's column today:

"They're very disciplined," an admiring Kings forward Ron Artest said from his courtside seat, after leading fans in a foot-stomping pregame cheers at midcourt. "They're picking up full-court. Coach (John Whisenant) is demanding that they play defense. I think he's a very good coach, a very good coach. I like their hustle. They're together. Really nice, really nice team."

It looks like he'd accept him, which is huge since the idea of a WNBA coach leading the Kings to the promised land is increasingly becoming a bigger and bigger possibility.

 

[VF21]

I don't think there's anything there that says Artest is looking at Whis as a possible coach of the Kings. He was talking about how he coaches the Monarchs. Drawing a conclusion in this case is simply unwarranted IMHO.

 

[wow22]

well considering artest knows that whis is a possibility for a coach, and he comments on how whis is coaching currently, this conclusion is very warranted heh

 

[Arco Arena]

I wouldn't mind coach Whis, but the fact that the Lakers fans will REALLY eat up the Queens stuff, I don't want him as the head coach lol.

lol, yea seems childish to think that way but seriously we'd never hear the end of it from everybody ..of course if we ripped it up and won a title it would be all good

 

[GeorgeofSacramento]

I wouldn't mind coach Whis, but the fact that the Lakers fans will REALLY eat up the Queens stuff, I don't want him as the head coach lol.

Remember who's coaching the LA Sparks - Jellybean Bryant, Kobe's dad.

 

[KevinMartinsGirl23]

I don't care who the coach is if we are winning. Let them say what they want to say.

 

[VF21]

After watching the Monarchs' game yesterday and seeing how "hands on" Coach Whis is, I really don't see the Maloofs creating a vacancy on their CHAMPIONSHIP WNBA team by moving their coach to the Kings.

The Monarchs appear to be picking up where they left off; I'd be hard-pressed to do anything to destroy that if my name was Maloof.

 

[Variant]

If they thought he'd be able to pull off the same magic with him heading up the Kings vs. the Monarchs, have to believe that would be a no-brainer....

 

[VF21]

That's a pretty big IF, though. And IF they take the chance, and he doesn't work out, the Monarchs may have paid a pretty big price for their mistake. The Monarchs aren't broke; why fix them?

But this is mere conjecture on my part. I've totally given up trying to predict what the Maloofs might or might not do.

 

[Sirius]

Well...Whis did say last season that he didn't even really want to coach the Monarchs anymore, just be their GM. This is probably his last year coaching the Monarchs regardless of whether he coaches the Kings or not.

 

[BMiller52]

Jason Hart and Kevin Martin are expected to play, with former Kings Bobby Jackson and Matt Barnes. Four-year NBA veteran Mike Wilks, a guard, also will play. Wilks played in the 37 games for Cleveland last season before being traded to Seattle as part of the deal that sent Flip Murray from the SuperSonics to the Cavaliers.

How come Bobby will play? He coming back or something?

 

[Warhawk]

How come Bobby will play? He coming back or something?

Bobby always plays summer ball in Sacramento, IIRC. He likes it here.

 

[VF21]

Bobby still owns a home in the Granite Bay area, I believe, right down the street from the house Webb still owns.

 

[BMiller52]

Bobby always plays summer ball in Sacramento, IIRC. He likes it here.

Can we bring him back to Sac for next season?

 

[VF21]

I think we have other threads going for that discussion.

 

[SacTownKid]

I would love coach Whis to be the coach of the Kings. Queens remarks? All the much sweeter when we kick their teeth down their throat.

 

[MadMKEkf]

I said it weeks ago, and I will say it again - I think JW is one of the frontrunners. Why?

Well if you look at the Maloofs, as much as some have seen them as shafting Rick, they gave him eight years, which in the NBA is an eternity. So they actually score O.K. on loyalty. Having said that, in owning any business finding effective and LOYAL help is very hard to find - it is clear that JW is loyal - and he is effective at some levels - the only question is whether he is effective at the NBA level.

Another plus is that it may not be do or die - you could try him as coach, and if it doesn't work shift him back to Monarchs - or to consultant, or whatever, and try with someone else. Whereas it would be a bigger drama if a different person did not do well.

As far as hurting the Monarchs - I'd be curious to know the exact numbers - but I'm guessing Monarch payroll compared to Kings payroll is, well, no comparison - so Maloofs #1 focus is getting Kings winners, and Monarchs are secondary priority.

I'd say JW is a top contender.

 

[Sirius]

I've said this before but I don't think we have enough of the right kind of personnel for his defense. Whis likes quick, long, athletic players, and we really only have that at the wings. He'll demand you play really hard on defense at all times, and he built a talented, deep bench with plenty of energy and athleticism for the Monarchs so that everyone is interchangeable and no one gets worn out. We don't have that either. I think it'd take a while to get all the right pieces.

 

[VF21]

MadMKEkf - I don't think it's a matter of the Monarchs being secondary priority. In fact, that's rather insulting...

The Maloofs are staunch supporters of the WNBA and their Sacramento Monarchs. I'm pretty sure they look at them as CHAMPIONS and are very proud of what they've accomplished. They will be loyal to their Monarchs. They aren't going to shoot them in the foot for an experiment. Try Whis and it if doesn't work shift him back to the Monarchs?

The Monarchs aren't the ugly stepchildren of Maloof Sports and Entertainment. Sure, the WNBA payrolls don't come close to the NBA, but that's not a justification to treat the Monarchs as some kind of minor league pool for coaches. The Monarchs are reigning world champions. They have earned their rings. Taking the coach away at this juncture could really hamper them severely.

The other point is Coach Whis is a very good coach for the WNBA but he's totally untried at the NBA level. Regardless of what they may be saying about looking at coaches from all levels, I seriously doubt if the Maloofs are going to put the Kings in the hands of an NBA rookie.

EDIT: Of course, they could announce his appointment tomorrow. As I've said elsewhere, I've pretty much given up trying to accurately assess what they might or might not do.

 

[captain bill]

MadMKEkf - I don't think it's a matter of the Monarchs being secondary priority. In fact, that's rather insulting...

The Maloofs are staunch supporters of the WNBA and their Sacramento Monarchs. I'm pretty sure they look at them as CHAMPIONS and are very proud of what they've accomplished. They will be loyal to their Monarchs. They aren't going to shoot them in the foot for an experiment. Try Whis and it if doesn't work shift him back to the Monarchs?

The Monarchs aren't the ugly stepchildren of Maloof Sports and Entertainment. Sure, the WNBA payrolls don't come close to the NBA, but that's not a justification to treat the Monarchs as some kind of minor league pool for coaches. The Monarchs are reigning world champions. They have earned their rings. Taking the coach away at this juncture could really hamper them severely.

The other point is Coach Whis is a very good coach for the WNBA but he's totally untried at the NBA level. Regardless of what they may be saying about looking at coaches from all levels, I seriously doubt if the Maloofs are going to put the Kings in the hands of an NBA rookie.

EDIT: Of course, they could announce his appointment tomorrow. As I've said elsewhere, I've pretty much given up trying to accurately assess what they might or might not do.

what, no more "breaking news is about to come out of the Kings practice facility" prior to all the big trades?

And I agree with what you say about the Monarchs. Taking away their coach would be a pretty spineless thing to do. I can't imagine them getting good PR from that, which is probably pretty heavy on their minds right about now.

 

[Superman]

MadMKEkf - I don't think it's a matter of the Monarchs being secondary priority. In fact, that's rather insulting...

...

The Monarchs aren't the ugly stepchildren of Maloof Sports and Entertainment. Sure, the WNBA payrolls don't come close to the NBA, but that's not a justification to treat the Monarchs as some kind of minor league pool for coaches. The Monarchs are reigning world champions. They have earned their rings. Taking the coach away at this juncture could really hamper them severely.....

I think the point was that the Maloofs have a lot more to gain - and lose, more importantly - with the Kings than they do with the Monarchs.

1) The WNBA isn't as popular and doesn't generate as much revenue as the NBA does. Not saying that the Monarchs aren't a legitimate franchise, just that they can fly under the radar a bit more than the Kings can, winning or losing. The Kings were Sacramento's only professional sports franchise for years; they are beloved, they are sacred. The Monarchs don't have that kind of following. Not just because the WNBA is less popular, but also because they are still new compared to the Kings.

2) The releasing of Rick Adelman has been very publicized. A LOT of people are scrutinizing the Maloofs next move, and will do so until the Kings are again one of the best teams in the Western conference. It is crucial that the Maloofs get this hiring right, especially with the arena situation looming.

Although the Maloofs take great pride in their WNBA franchise, I would guess that they'd be willing to take a hit if they were going to be gauranteed success with the Kings. I may be wrong, and I'm not pulling for John Whisenant to be the Kings next head coach, but just trying to look at this thing from all angles.

 

[Bricklayer]

what, no more "breaking news is about to come out of the Kings practice facility" prior to all the big trades?

And I agree with what you say about the Monarchs. Taking away their coach would be a pretty spineless thing to do. I can't imagine them getting good PR from that, which is probably pretty heavy on their minds right about now.

Thing is that the number of people who would care about that is simply far less than the number of people who care about the Maloofs getting the next Kings coach right. By virtually any standard you want to employ -- visibility, $$$, fanbase, media attention etc. the Kings far surpass the Monarchs. I suspect even Monarchs fans would be split, and nobody else would think twice.

In fact I would even go so far as to say the ONLY reason John Whisenhart is being considered as the coach of the Sacramento Kings is because he is the coach of the Monarchs. Think about it. Is there ANY interest anywhere else in the entire league in having Whisenhart come coach their NBA team? Of course not (probably a good reason for that too).

The whole thing smacks of nepotism as well as a return to the bad ole days of the Kings just winging it with coaches we knew, or we'd vaguely heard about, or who were part of the family, or just sounded neat, or whatever. As a general rule if there is no competition for the guy you are looking at, if you are the ONLY ones looking at him, should raise a red flag no matter how many dinners he goes to with you. Certainly by the time you've boxed yourself in and are talking championship, grabbing people with paper thin NBA resumes and no recommendations outside your own organization should be a thing of the past.

 

[Prophetess]

1) The Kings were Sacramento's only professional sports franchise for years; they are beloved, they are sacred. The Monarchs don't have that kind of following.

While I agree with pretty much everything else in your post, I do have to point out that I know several fans of the Monarchs who do fit into the category that you are saying doesn't exist. Fans who have followed them from Day 1, while it is probably not as big of a fanbase as the Kings have, they ARE out there.

 

[JB_kings]

You don't think that NBA coaches don't understand and tried to use Coach Whiz's defensive plan? This is the NBA, they have the best of the best. The problem with that defensive approach is that the NBA schedule would punish any team that tried to play that way. It's 48 minute game and an 82 game season. It's not even the NBA All Star break when the WNBA schedule is over. You would have to play all 12 guys on the roster every night. The players would be worn down by February.
There's a huge difference between the quality of players at 1-7 and 8-12 on most rosters. It's not that way in college or the WNBA. Other teams would be running their top guys against your deep bench for a LOT of minutes.

 

[VF21]

what, no more "breaking news is about to come out of the Kings practice facility" prior to all the big trades?

I'm not saying I might not hear something. I'm saying I can't predict what the Maloofs might do any more than I can predict the weather.

And I agree with what you say about the Monarchs. Taking away their coach would be a pretty spineless thing to do. I can't imagine them getting good PR from that, which is probably pretty heavy on their minds right about now.

Exactly.

 

[Superman]

While I agree with pretty much everything else in your post, I do have to point out that I know several fans of the Monarchs who do fit into the category that you are saying doesn't exist. Fans who have followed them from Day 1, while it is probably not as big of a fanbase as the Kings have, they ARE out there.

You're right. What I meant is that they don't have as deep a fan base that's die-hard, day one loyal.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

There's a huge difference between the quality of players at 1-7 and 8-12 on most rosters. It's not that way in college or the WNBA.

This is simply an uninformed opinion (I'll be polite and not call it outright ignorant): The difference in the quality of players at 1-7 and 8-12 on most rosters in the WNBA is proportional to that of the NBA. The Monarchs are able to sustain their White Line defense because they have tremendous depth that is not universal among WNBA teams, which is why they finished with the second-best record during the regular season, and steamrolled teams in the playoffs. For most teams in the WNBA, just like in the NBA, the quality of players 8-12 falls *way* off from 1-7; teams like the Monarchs and the Sun are the exception rather than the rule.