Donte Greene; 3:33

[Sac.1989]

One can hope, Omri has that fire in his belly and the push to make that spot his - something Donte lacks it seems. It was clear Omri wasnt happy with the situation and you have to commend him with how he handled it, taking the opportunity when it came. I dont feel that opportunity should have come so early in the season particularly after we entrusted Donte with the starting role and he has played solid defence in what was described by management as a defensive, teamworking role but Omri has done well.

His time may be up, if Casspi keeps this up our ability to play Landry at the 3 as well as Cisco enables us to plug a vet swingman in and have a settled rotatation with no qualms

 

[KingsCitizen]

On the lighter side of the story, this might Sam D.'s doing.

With Dalembert back in the roster, he was probably blocking all of Donte's shot in practice. So PW won't play Donte again until he owns Sam D.

Probably a co-incidence but Donte's playing time started declining after Sammy D. returned for spot minutes.

 

[drogba]

some times what PW is doing with certain players is weird.
he is taking all there confidence away, and it is not good for the team, because we only got 2-3 SF who can really play.
if one is out then the team gets weaker.

 

[LWP777]

Looks like this summer GP can do what he loves to do, draft a SF/shooter.

 

[bajaden]

some times what PW is doing with certain players is weird.
he is taking all there confidence away, and it is not good for the team, because we only got 2-3 SF who can really play.
if one is out then the team gets weaker.

I've seen this idea posted many times. That a coach can take away a players confidence. It seems to be a commonly held belief by many, and one that I don't adhere to. When I played the game, and it wasn't basketball, no one, and I mean no one could affect my confidence but me. I doubt that anyone could have shaken Michael Jordan's confidence. How about Chris Webber. How about the night he went 2 for 22 from the floor. Do you think it shattered his confidence. Not a chance, and nothing anyone would have said to him would have damaged his confidence either. No! A player who knows how good he is and has confidence in himself will look at a bad game or comments and actions from a coach as nothing more than a bump in the road.

However, if your a player that already has a lack of confidence, that is bolstered by self doubt, then yes, a coaches words or actions can have dramatic effect upon the player. In pre-season many made comments about Casspi bordering on arrogant or egotistical. My friends, thats what self confidence looks like. Players with high self-esteem and confidence expect themselves to be great, and have a tendecy to act like it. Sometimes before the fans perceive that they are or might be.

Larry Bird was a great player. If you don't believe me, just ask him. He talked the talk, and he talked it big time to every player that played opposite him. But he walked the walk as well. Donte talks the talk, but so far he's fallen short when it comes to walking the walk. Talk is cheap. Anyone with a mouth and a set of vocal cords can do it. But walking the walk takes hard work, and requires putting in a lot of time. Something that Casspi was apparently willing to do, and Greene wasn't. Life rewards you for your accomplishments. Not your dreams.

I still haven't given up on Greene. On a personal level I really like him. But its time for his enthusiasm to be converted into results.

 

[NewArena]

Actually, it's "He and Thompson are so and so," if we're gonna be calling out people for their intelligence.

A typo and three years of idiotic play on the basketball court are quite different. But thanks for playing. Try again.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

Donte donte donte!

Everytime i think of him I think of that block he had on kobe then he went crazy after haha.
Thats the donte we need, he needs to be that defensive specialist/hit opens shots.

I think if he gets it in his mindset that hes out there for defense first then he'll be ok
Its when he starts to test out his dribbling abilities that makes us fans and PW cringe.
SPOT UP SHOOTING, CRAZY DEFENSE & REBOUNDING DONTE!

 

[FaStRmAn]

Westphal said after the game that with the entire roster back, Cisco's and Heads emergence, and Omri's improvement on defense in the reasom Omri won the starting job. Sounds like Omri is the new sf. Sounds to me like coach think Omri is a few steps ahead of Donte, and was only going to bring him off the bench because of our lack of scoring off the bench. Now that Cisco and Head are contributing, we can afford to put Omri in the starting lineup where he believes be belongs. At least that's what I gather.

Sounds like Donte really screwed himself by showing up out of shape, and if Cisco and Head continue playing well, will have a toughtime finding minutes going forward.

I think that last sentance says it all. Greene showed up to camp out of shape and 25 lbs heavier than he needed to be. He is trying to play himself into basketball shape, but he should have already BEEN in shape when he got to camp. Omri obviously worked on his strength and hopefully his conditioning will prove to be good for the long haul. We need BOTH players for the 82 game Marathon. Greene will eventually play himself into shape but he has only himself to blame for coming to camp not in the best shape he could possibly be in. I think Omri has worked hard, is playing great, and deserves the starting small forward position for now.

 

[FaStRmAn]

I really like Donte. He has a great personality and he really looks like a team guy. But he's got to get incredibly focused on improving his game every-single-day. It may be too late for him with the Kings. I really don't know. But for his sake, he's got to become an adult and commit to the game in order to have a nice career in the NBA. Otherwise, he's just going to be another case of lost potential.

We are only 3 games in. I dont think Donte is in any dog house and I think he has plenty of time to get his game in order and get back his minutes. He showed up to camp a little lumpy. Big deal! He is young and will be back in playing shape in a week or two and the fight for the SF position will be renewed. NO ONE is guarenteed a roster spot on a team that only won 25 games the previous year. They all need to work hard and keep improving to get this team to where they want to go, which is the playoffs!

 

[TheWileyVet]

I hope Donte gets some PT today. He's just needs to relax out there. Play good D, rebound, and hit your shots and you'll be fine sonny!

 

[kingsboi]

From seconds, to DNP's Donte has moved up the ladder!

 

[gunks]

Dude must be playing like crap in practice.

If he deserved minutes, Westphal would find a way to get him some.

 

[TheWileyVet]

I dont understand why PW won't let Donte off the bench

 

[jcwkings]

donte has officially entered the doghouse, good thing omri is taking advantage. i wouldn't be suprised if greene is traded this year.

 

[D13]

I dont understand why PW won't let Donte off the bench

You want to win, or you want to keep hypothetically developing our lost rookies?.... This is now on Donte' to make his worth. I'm sick of losing.

 

[Geoff]

Donte must have dropped a "Westphal's mama" joke at an inopportune moment...

 

[LWP777]

He came into camp out of shape when he knew that there was going to be a lot of competition for minutes. He completely brought this on himself.

 

[Kingster]

We are only 3 games in. I dont think Donte is in any dog house and I think he has plenty of time to get his game in order and get back his minutes. He showed up to camp a little lumpy. Big deal! He is young and will be back in playing shape in a week or two and the fight for the SF position will be renewed. NO ONE is guarenteed a roster spot on a team that only won 25 games the previous year. They all need to work hard and keep improving to get this team to where they want to go, which is the playoffs!

Showing up to camp out of shape is a huge deal. Instead of working on your game, your working on getting in shape. You start of behind at the starting gate. It also shows your lack of commitment to getting better, not just cardio-vascular wise, but in developing the skills of your game. To me, it's a cardinal sin, especially for a young unproven player.

 

[Hoovtrain]

From seconds, to DNP's Donte has moved up the ladder!

Went to the game last night, and with the way that Bargnani and Kleiza were torching us, I really felt Greene was the only one who could have possibly defended them effectively (especially Barngani). Suprised he didn't get any PT. Cousins and Thompson were too slow, and Landry was too small. Greene seemed to be the ideal defender for this game.

 

[TheWileyVet]

If he's in the dog house bc he didn't show up in shape or is playing poorly in practice or whatever than fine. He can work his way out of it and earn some minutes. But c'mon, putting in Antoine Wright before Donte is renarded

 

[kingsboi]

Went to the game last night, and with the way that Bargnani and Kleiza were torching us, I really felt Greene was the only one who could have possibly defended them effectively (especially Barngani). Suprised he didn't get any PT. Cousins and Thompson were too slow, and Landry was too small. Greene seemed to be the ideal defender for this game.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking to myself as well. It wouldn't of hurt to put him in the game for some burn to slow down Kleiza/Bargnani/Derozan. He really is in the dog house so I doubt we will be seeing him play anytime soon, unless it's a blowout or something.

 

[alpinegroove]

Why was he chosen as a starter then?

The question becomes: if he was out of shape and not playing well, why was he selected as a starter by the coaching staff? If he was playing well, why was he given only a few games to prove himself before being turned from an NBA starter to and an NBA DNP-CD?

 

[nickmcclure]

Omri has been balling the last few games so I understand him starting but to not play Donte at all?!?!?! Shouldn't he at least be getting the minutes over Wright? I predict Donte told Westphal who he was voting for and they don't agree.

 

[bajaden]

The NBA isn't a welfare orginzation where you hand out minutes to people that haven't worked for them. Its about rewarding those individuals that bust their butt to get better. Lets be clear here! In his first two years with the Kings Donte has only shown a glimpse here and there of his potential. And those few moments here and there have kept him on the radar. This off season was his moment to propel himself into a possible starting position at best, and a valuable bench player with serious minutes at worse. Instead he showed up overweight, and out of shape. And his overweight wasn't the Dwight Howard kind of overweight. By words out of his own mouth, he ate too much home cooking. His excuse of not having the proper training facilities at his home doesn't fly. If you don't have them where you are, then you go where you can have them.

I know I'm being harsh, but the truth is the truth. It has nothing with my liking him or disliking him. It has to do with his own actions that belie his words. I hope he learns something from all of this, because if he doesn't, he'll find himself eventually playing in europe. Maybe he should just take up cheer leading. He seems to be very good at it.

 

[alpinegroove]

The NBA isn't a welfare orginzation where you hand out minutes to people that haven't worked for them. Its about rewarding those individuals that bust their butt to get better. Lets be clear here! In his first two years with the Kings Donte has only shown a glimpse here and there of his potential. And those few moments here and there have kept him on the radar. This off season was his moment to propel himself into a possible starting position at best, and a valuable bench player with serious minutes at worse. Instead he showed up overweight, and out of shape. And his overweight wasn't the Dwight Howard kind of overweight. By words out of his own mouth, he ate too much home cooking. His excuse of not having the proper training facilities at his home doesn't fly. If you don't have them where you are, then you go where you can have them.

I know I'm being harsh, but the truth is the truth. It has nothing with my liking him or disliking him. It has to do with his own actions that belie his words. I hope he learns something from all of this, because if he doesn't, he'll find himself eventually playing in europe. Maybe he should just take up cheer leading. He seems to be very good at it.

I tend to agree with you. The main question is why only a few weeks back he was selected as a starter. What does that say about the coaching staff? I know they said that because Garcia and Head are doing well off the bench, Casspi is no longer necessary in that department. But to me that sounds like an excuse. If Donte was good enough to be a starter, isn't he good enough to come off the bench?
This is coming from a Casspi fan, but it seems like the coaching decisions are inconsistent, and the same could happen to other players on the team...

 

[bajaden]

I tend to agree with you. The main question is why only a few weeks back he was selected as a starter. What does that say about the coaching staff? I know they said that because Garcia and Head are doing well off the bench, Casspi is no longer necessary in that department. But to me that sounds like an excuse. If Donte was good enough to be a starter, isn't he good enough to come off the bench?
This is coming from a Casspi fan, but it seems like the coaching decisions are inconsistent, and the same could happen to other players on the team...

Mi amigo, you have asked a quesion to which I have no answer. I suspect that we'll never know the answer to that one, but obviously something had to have happened that we know nothing about, and they're keeping it in house. All I care about is that the team wins. If that means Casspi is the starting SF, then so be it. I'd be just as happy if it were Greene leading the charge. But the bottom line is for the team to win. I, like everyone else have my favorite players that I root for. And to be honest, Greene was one of those players. But I put all that aside when is comes to whats best for the team.

All I ask from a player is that he contribute something when he's on the floor. Every player is going to have nights where his shot doesn't fall. All I ask is that he take good shots and not forced shots. If you shots not falling, then rebound and play tough defense. Set tough screens and make crisp, rather than lazy passes. Reggie Evans is a perfect example of how a player can have a major effect on a game without scoring. Those are lessons that Greene and especially JT should learn. JT plays hard every night, sometimes to his disadvantage, but at least he's out there trying to make some kind of impact. Greene just disappears at times. You can actually forget that he's on the floor until the announcer happens to mention his name. He's still guilty of forcing up bad shots, and or dribbling into trouble. I can't tell you how many times he's thrown lazy passes that are picked off, or almost picked off.

Greene seems to have a very laid back personality. Unfortunately I think that carries over into his play that seems to be nonchalant at times. There are a lot of players who seem like ***** cats off the floor that suddenly turn into lions on the floor. Something tells me that Greene has problems with that. He's just an easy going fun loving guy. An extremely likable one. Maybe he needs Yoda to help him get in touch with his dark side.

 

[pshn80]

Mi amigo, you have asked a quesion to which I have no answer. I suspect that we'll never know the answer to that one, but obviously something had to have happened that we know nothing about, and they're keeping it in house. All I care about is that the team wins. If that means Casspi is the starting SF, then so be it. I'd be just as happy if it were Greene leading the charge. But the bottom line is for the team to win. I, like everyone else have my favorite players that I root for. And to be honest, Greene was one of those players. But I put all that aside when is comes to whats best for the team.

All I ask from a player is that he contribute something when he's on the floor. Every player is going to have nights where his shot doesn't fall. All I ask is that he take good shots and not forced shots. If you shots not falling, then rebound and play tough defense. Set tough screens and make crisp, rather than lazy passes. Reggie Evans is a perfect example of how a player can have a major effect on a game without scoring. Those are lessons that Greene and especially JT should learn. JT plays hard every night, sometimes to his disadvantage, but at least he's out there trying to make some kind of impact. Greene just disappears at times. You can actually forget that he's on the floor until the announcer happens to mention his name. He's still guilty of forcing up bad shots, and or dribbling into trouble. I can't tell you how many times he's thrown lazy passes that are picked off, or almost picked off.

Greene seems to have a very laid back personality. Unfortunately I think that carries over into his play that seems to be nonchalant at times. There are a lot of players who seem like ***** cats off the floor that suddenly turn into lions on the floor. Something tells me that Greene has problems with that. He's just an easy going fun loving guy. An extremely likable one. Maybe he needs Yoda to help him get in touch with his dark side.

Good post. Donte's situation is hard to be sure about. Thank heavens we've won these last two games. If I recall correctly, someone on this board has commented about Greene's good defensive play against Kobe. Maybe he'll get a chance tomorrow night.

 

[Lockehead]

Maybe he started so that the coaching staff can see how well he'd perform at his weight level. Unimpressed, they tell him to hit the treadmill and drop some pounds until he is in good enough shape to play. Just speculating.

 

[alpinegroove]

"Donte Greene was the lone active player to receive a DNP-CD (Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision). Coach Paul Westphal said after the game Greene has done nothing wrong.

“There is no problem with Donte,” the coach said of Greene, who started at small forward in the season-opener but has been replaced by Casspi. “There are only so many minutes. We had so many bigs out.

“I’ve found out Luther and Darnell can come off the bench with energy and I don’t need Omri to come off with his energy. But it’s nothing Donte has done. Right now, Omri is the answer to the equation. It’s more of the contributions of Luther and Darnell than it is a slam on Donte.”

Greene opted not to discuss the situation following the game"

http://mpmcneal.blogspot.com/2010/11/kings-get-early-test-wednesday-against.html

"There is no problem with Donte" - Is anyone else having trouble comprehending how a player goes from starter to DNP-CD without there being any problem with him?

There certainly seems to be a problem with PW's communication skills...

 

[rainmaker]

"Donte Greene was the lone active player to receive a DNP-CD (Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision). Coach Paul Westphal said after the game Greene has done nothing wrong.

“There is no problem with Donte,” the coach said of Greene, who started at small forward in the season-opener but has been replaced by Casspi. “There are only so many minutes. We had so many bigs out.

“I’ve found out Luther and Darnell can come off the bench with energy and I don’t need Omri to come off with his energy. But it’s nothing Donte has done. Right now, Omri is the answer to the equation. It’s more of the contributions of Luther and Darnell than it is a slam on Donte.”

Greene opted not to discuss the situation following the game"

http://mpmcneal.blogspot.com/2010/11/kings-get-early-test-wednesday-against.html

"There is no problem with Donte" - Is anyone else having trouble comprehending how a player goes from starter to DNP-CD without there being any problem with him?

There certainly seems to be a problem with PW's communication skills...

Or maybe coach is doing his best to keep it in house. Just because Donte isn't playing, and there most likely is a reason for it which the public doesn't know about, doesn't mean Westphal has to come out and inform the media about what is happening behind the scenes.