Head coach & GM options

[Padrino]

I'll disagree with the last part of your post in this regard: I think that we should wait and see whom we hire as a coach before we commit to re-signing Evans, and I certainly think that Evans should wait to see whom we hire before he signs with us. I doubt his career could withstand another season of being mis-managed, at this stage of his career.

fair enough. if i had my way, i'd bring in a GM and head coach who intend to move forward with a foundation of demarcus cousins and tyreke evans. but ranadive's our money guy now, so he's gotta be willing to shell out for those two in order for any sustained success to come from their growth in the long term. hopefully some good will yet come of the horrifying mismanagement of tyreke's last two seasons, as his market value as a restricted free agent will likely be less than the potential value of his talent level. it's just a good financial decision to commit to a guard with 'reke's ability if he's gonna cost you less than, say, monta ellis...

 

[funkykingston]

The sad (and yet someone amusing) truth is that as grateful as we all are today to Ranadive and his group, our collective opinion of them as owners will turn on this summer's activity.

Let Tyreke walk, sign Monta Ellis, screw up the draft, trade DeMarcus etc and the shine is off the apple before the new era even really gets rolling.

For those of us that are long term Kings fans we've lived through years of being perpetual doormats. We'll still love and support our team. BUT, there is a chance to really build something here and it would be a shame if that opportunity were squandered. My suspicion is that Ranadive and company understand that and know how to build a successful organization. But time will tell.

 

[upinsmoke]

Sloan would be too awesome

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

fair enough. if i had my way, i'd bring in a GM and head coach who intend to move forward with a foundation of demarcus cousins and tyreke evans...

Well, that may require removing both Van Gundy brothers from the list of candidates: they both would probably be good for Cousins, but I don't think that either one of them has much of a reputation for coaching star guards. I guess Stan coached a young Wade, but you can even question how good he actually was at that. McMillan coaches the kind of defense I like, and he has coached great guards; bigs, not so much.

 

[Padrino]

The sad (and yet someone amusing) truth is that as grateful as we all are today to Ranadive and his group, our collective opinion of them as owners will turn on this summer's activity.

Let Tyreke walk, sign Monta Ellis, screw up the draft, trade DeMarcus etc and the shine is off the apple before the new era even really gets rolling.

For those of us that are long term Kings fans we've lived through years of being perpetual doormats. We'll still love and support our team. BUT, there is a chance to really build something here and it would be a shame if that opportunity were squandered. My suspicion is that Ranadive and company understand that and know how to build a successful organization. But time will tell.

yeah, i'm not worried yet. i'm anxious, but i'm not worried. i'll certainly give my opinion at every stage of the process, but it's not until the business of this offseason is all said and done that i'll take stock of the kings' on-court prospects going forward. as of this moment, i am encouraged by ranadive's statement that he'll surround himself with people "smarter" than himself in order to build this team into a winner. rarely is it a good idea for an owner to put too heavy a handprint on the player personnel side of things. the maloofs are proof enough of that. i hope for acceptable decisions to be made regarding the team's future GM and head coach, and that the pieces will begin to fall into place after that, as the kings' identity is re-shaped with the GM and head coach having both control over the process and the financial freedom to execute their plan...

 

[rainmaker]

The sad (and yet someone amusing) truth is that as grateful as we all are today to Ranadive and his group, our collective opinion of them as owners will turn on this summer's activity.

Let Tyreke walk, sign Monta Ellis, screw up the draft, trade DeMarcus etc and the shine is off the apple before the new era even really gets rolling.

For those of us that are long term Kings fans we've lived through years of being perpetual doormats. We'll still love and support our team. BUT, there is a chance to really build something here and it would be a shame if that opportunity were squandered. My suspicion is that Ranadive and company understand that and know how to build a successful organization. But time will tell.

Can't say I'm not nervous. Extremely thankful for Vivek but we have no idea where he'll take this franchise and now that the sale is behind us, the pressure is on. He is a very smart guy though so I have faith things will look pretty good heading into training camp.

Good thing is we'll find out pretty quickly which direction he'll head, as GM and head coach interviews should start relatively soon.

 

[Padrino]

Well, that may require removing both Van Gundy brothers from the list of candidates: they both would probably be good for Cousins, but I don't think that either one of them has much of a reputation for coaching star guards. I guess Stan coached a young Wade, but you can even question how good he actually was at that.

meh. i disagree. JVG had an oft-injured but effective tracy mcgrady in houston. regardless, just because JVG doesn't have an exceptional history with star guards doesn't mean he wouldn't see the value in a player like tyreke evans, particularly given evans' physical gifts, post-up ability, and potential on the defensive side of the ball...

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I suppose I probably consider McGrady to be more of a small forward than shooting guard. I certainly think that he was more of a 3 during the years he was coached by Van Gundy.

 

[Bricklayer]

I suppose I probably consider McGrady to be more of a small forward than shooting guard. I certainly think that he was more of a 3 during the years he was coached by Van Gundy.

He also has Spree in NY. Both guys with some similarities to Reke.

the reason to take JVG though is obviously Cousins. Riley school (Kareem, Ewing, Mourning, Shaq) disciple and coach of both Ewing and Yao.

 

[Padrino]

I suppose I probably consider McGrady to be more of a small forward than shooting guard. I certainly think that he was more of a 3 during the years he was coached by Van Gundy.

fair enough. 'reke isn't as position-flexible as mcgrady was in his prime, but they're both versatile scoring guards, and i think JVG would find much to like in evans' style of play, particularly since van gundy likes physical players, and since evans isn't even a fraction of the prima donna that mcgrady has been throughout his career. let me put it this way: i can't imagine JVG theoretically coming to this sacramento kings team and not salivating at the potential in evans' rim attack, as well as the potential in evans' post-up ability and defensive wiring...

 

[Kingster]

With respect to choosing the coach, Ranadive has said that if he's interviewing a guy and Ranadive's mind start to wander during the interview, he's not going to hire him. If the guy can't hold Ranadive's attention during an interview, then he's not going to hold the attention of a team. That obviously leaves Smart off the list. And Sloan for that matter. A younger, more vibrant Sloan, yes. A 71 year old Sloan, I doubt it. Think of someone dynamic, articulate, and smart for the head coaching position.

 

[jalfa]

Well, that may require removing both Van Gundy brothers from the list of candidates: they both would probably be good for Cousins, but I don't think that either one of them has much of a reputation for coaching star guards. I guess Stan coached a young Wade, but you can even question how good he actually was at that. McMillan coaches the kind of defense I like, and he has coached great guards; bigs, not so much.

re:McMillan, he just hasn't had much opportunity to coach great bigs. both LMA and Oden (when he was healthy) were looking good with the General at the helm and the Supersonics really had no one worth a damn (excepting Jerome "trash bag" James for one excruciating series). LMA had not reached his potential, but with the supporting cast around him, he also didn't have to assume the responsibility he's had to assume last season. it's not so much his fault that he doesn't have much of a track record as far as elite bigs are concerned, is what I'm saying.

one thing though: his defensive rep is severely overstated. he slows the pace down to a crawl, which makes the defensive numbers look better, but make no mistake, the Portland teams made their mark on offense, not defense.

 

[pdizo916]

shouldn't he hire the gm first?

 

[sactownfan]

The sad (and yet someone amusing) truth is that as grateful as we all are today to Ranadive and his group, our collective opinion of them as owners will turn on this summer's activity.

Let Tyreke walk, sign Monta Ellis, screw up the draft, trade DeMarcus etc and the shine is off the apple before the new era even really gets rolling.

For those of us that are long term Kings fans we've lived through years of being perpetual doormats. We'll still love and support our team. BUT, there is a chance to really build something here and it would be a shame if that opportunity were squandered. My suspicion is that Ranadive and company understand that and know how to build a successful organization. But time will tell.

Well the new group gets the benefit of the doubt, even if things turn out terrible just because we at least know they are committed to staying and making a TRUE EFFORT to stay. ... vs tanking on purpose/ broke and trying to move the team.

I fully believe that Vivek is humble and visionary enough to do the opposite of what Michael Jordan does with the bobcats. Vivek will surround himself with winners and a team that will work together towards a goal.

 

[Glenn]

I'm kind of the opposite. Malone the assistant sounds fine but I'm not too keen on Mullin. Don't ask me why because I probably don't know.

It's the hair.

 

[Glenn]

I would not over red into JP's statement. He loves NY, Chicago, and LA he is big city creature. Coaches and GM's have differing values and needs. Some guys top priority is a big check, others autonomy with the team, some WANT to be able to live on a ranch and hunt. The point is we still have a good shot at top GM'/Coach prospects. Players a different. Fortunately we all we have to do is match offers for Tyreek and all we need are roll players and those we can get.

It was a bad time to hear that comment so perhaps I over-read it BUT .... there are no guarantees about where we go. I am just sooooooo happy there has been a change in ownership. The toxic atmosphere IS gone. That's the huge point. I think we will find the huge difference between self made men/women and people sucking off the teat of their parents.

A switch has been flipped and I guess I am trying not to over react in the opposite direction of the extreme anger that has been festering in me. I look forward to games and not be watching for Smart to do silly things. There will be a minor celebration when he is gone. It's been a long time since we have simply been able to watch a game and enjoy it, win or lose. We aren't quite there yet nor is there any reason to expect we could be there. The ink isn't dry.

I was covering my emotional butt perhaps only for myself. I have long seen this move as being the move that changes dang near everything. Now I want to temper my emotions and look at the situation in a more cold blooded way. If that makes no sense to anyone else, that's OK. I tend to swing high and low. Now I am mellow which surprises the living bull dung out of me. It is amazing to me how much of my mood has been effected by the state of this team.

I know it is fun to speculate on what the next moves will be. Didn't Vivek at one point say there would be a big splash in the coaching hire? Maybe that was in a dream.

This team can make a rapid shift upward as can the city. Bravo.

 

[Padrino]

With respect to choosing the coach, Ranadive has said that if he's interviewing a guy and Ranadive's mind start to wander during the interview, he's not going to hire him. If the guy can't hold Ranadive's attention during an interview, then he's not going to hold the attention of a team. That obviously leaves Smart off the list. And Sloan for that matter. A younger, more vibrant Sloan, yes. A 71 year old Sloan, I doubt it. Think of someone dynamic, articulate, and smart for the head coaching position.

i could live with that, particularly if this theoretical head coach can connect with a young team. but there's always the danger of hiring eric musselman pt. 2, ya know, someone who can wow in an interview, but isn't equipped to manage the game at a practical level. hence the general desire of kf.com to see a successful veteran head coach take the reigns of this team, at least for now, when stability is key after the last seven years of mismanagement and truly sub-par coaching...

 

[Kingsfan23]

McMillan, Messina, there are still good options out here... GM, should be interesting, no clue how that shakes up

 

[Fear the Putin]

JVG, JVG, and JVG

 

[Bricklayer]

Think of someone dynamic, articulate, and smart for the head coaching position.

great, you've just described our current coach.

 

[ninjabiscuit]

great, you've just described our current coach.

He is all of those things, you're right. Also charismatic and likable.

 

[VF21]

In an article about the purchase of the team in USA Today, Sam Amick addressed the GM issue:

..Longtime Kings general manager Geoff Petrie is not expected to be retained either after the team's 28-54 campaign, and one possible successor who would certainly bring name recognition was on hand on Thursday night. Warriors legend Chris Mullin...

..."I definitely would (be interested in the job)," he (Mullin) told USA TODAY Sports. "But you know, it's something that's got to be the right fit. It's gotta be – they need my expertise…I'm not one of those people to go solicit it. But a guy like him, if he called me and he needed me, I'd love that."...[/quote

EDIT: Oops. Never mind. I didn't realize the info about Mullins had already been posted.

 

[Kingster]

i could live with that, particularly if this theoretical head coach can connect with a young team. but there's always the danger of hiring eric musselman pt. 2, ya know, someone who can wow in an interview, but isn't equipped to manage the game at a practical level. hence the general desire of kf.com to see a successful veteran head coach take the reigns of this team, at least for now, when stability is key after the last seven years of mismanagement and truly sub-par coaching...

I understand the sentiment to go for the proven head coach, especially considering all the failures we've had over the years. But Thibodeau was an assistant head coach. And Mark Jackson never coached in the NBA. Yet, they are both successes imo. I'm not going to be dissapointed if our next coach hasn't been a head coach in the NBA.

 

[Bricklayer]

I understand the sentiment to go for the proven head coach, especially considering all the failures we've had over the years. But Thibodeau was an assistant head coach. And Mark Jackson never coached in the NBA. Yet, they are both successes imo. I'm not going to be dissapointed if our next coach hasn't been a head coach in the NBA.

It can work. But its a risk. And really at this point not a risk we can afford to lose. A bad hire can squander all your momentum and good will, could alienate Cousins, and just in general poop on your pancakes. not only that, but if ever there was a chance for the Kings to hire a coach with a rep, now would be it while the victory/enthusiasm is fresh. Make the wrong hire, waste another year and a half realizing it, lose guys or stunt their development and then go out hiring...and you are just ****ty Sacramento looking to hire its 100th ****ty coach in a row again. The big names won't even take your call.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

It can work. But its a risk. And really at this point not a risk we can afford to lose. A bad hire can squander all your momentum and good will, could alienate Cousins, and just in general poop on your pancakes. not only that, but if ever there was a chance for the Kings to hire a coach with a rep, now would be it while the victory/enthusiasm is fresh. Make the wrong hire, waste another year and a half realizing it, lose guys or stunt their development and then go out hiring...and you are just ****ty Sacramento looking to hire its 100th ****ty coach in a row again. The big names won't even take your call.

I don't know whether I've just been beat down by bad teams and low expectations, but I'd personally be okay with them hiring an established coach who's just good enough to get us to a "playoff-type situation" (if I can mock Randy Whitman for a second) to a short-term deal. Somebody who can get us around the 7-8th seed in the next two seasons, just good enough to make us appealing to someone who can get us over the top to title contender. But a good GM is key.

 

[VF21]

I don't know whether I've just been beat down by bad teams and low expectations, but I'd personally be okay with them hiring an established coach who's just good enough to get us to a "playoff-type situation" (if I can mock Randy Whitman for a second) to a short-term deal. Somebody who can get us around the 7-8th seed in the next two seasons, just good enough to make us appealing to someone who can get us over the top to title contender. But a good GM is key.

I hope I never see a "just good enough" approach by Kings ownership again. I want them to reach for the stars, to get the best they possibly can and build this franchise back to respectability while I'm still around to enjoy it.

No more "just good enough."

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

"Just good enough" may have been a poor choice of words: what I'm talking about is like what Detroit and pre-LeBron Miami had: a coach to come in and develop the players, give them confidence, make them believe that they can win, and then bring in a closer to lead them to a championship.

 

[VF21]

"Just good enough" may have been a poor choice of words: what I'm talking about is like what Detroit and pre-LeBron Miami had: a coach to come in and develop the players, give them confidence, make them believe that they can win, and then bring in a closer to lead them to a championship.

I agree with the first three, of course. But I'm still hoping we can get a guy that will be able to do all of those AND be the one to lead them to a championship. I don't like the idea of closers. I like dancing with the one who brought you.

 

[ockingsfan]

The sac bee said it will take 2 weeks for the deal to be official and Vivek and co to officially take over.

Is this going to hurt their coaching and GM search? A lot of candidates may not want to discuss a job, before the old coach and GM are officially let to.

also, I would be open to mike Malone as coach, but mullin had very little success when he was GM. I would prefer golden states assistant GM or keep Petrie for one more year to see if he can work some of his old magic, pre-Maloofs screw job.

 

[HndsmCelt]

The sac bee said it will take 2 weeks for the deal to be official and Vivek and co to officially take over.

Is this going to hurt their coaching and GM search? A lot of candidates may not want to discuss a job, before the old coach and GM are officially let to.

also, I would be open to mike Malone as coach, but mullin had very little success when he was GM. I would prefer golden states assistant GM or keep Petrie for one more year to see if he can work some of his old magic, pre-Maloofs screw job.

Not really they can interview and even offer a job, they just can't sign a contract until after transfer takes place. I would hope they are already well on their way to lining up BOTH a new coach and GM.