Hey Vivek, I miss playoff basketball!

[Spike]

I feel like what I'm about to say will might be consider blasphemy around here but... Cousins is not the best player in the world, he is top 10- but he is not so good that he can carry a team in a series against a better team.

we are not in the east so I fail to see how that relevant, and with our current record we wouldn't sniff the eastern playoffs.

In order to win a championship we have to beat the East. And yes, history is littered with examples of individual players carrying teams against "better teams". The entire premise was based upon our .600 record, no? Did you forget how the FO tanked what was arguably the easiest schedule in December? I'm pretty sure we would have bounced right back.

Of course no one think about a injury full season, but every team suffer injury- yet if you only take into account our best time, without injuries you are still looking at 0.60 basketball (plus with no injuries, OKC would have grabbed a high spot).
look at NO, AD played 68 games- not a full season, Holiday played 40 and Gordon 61- and still they made the playoffs.

...and Evans played 79 games. No one would have expected that, either, or else NO probably doesn't make the playoffs.

at the best case scenario we are a fringe playoff team- and we should start expecting it and stop acting like it's a surprise we aren't going toe-to-toe with the likes of Spurs ans Warriors.

I'm not sure where I inferred we were ready to take on the Warriors (Spurs? Meh, they're old. But smart.) Our glaring weakness is right their strength. I've pointed that out.

 

[kingsboi]

If you think DMC as #1 option and Rudy Gay as #2 option is going to lead to anything but at best a 7-8th seed or worse than your in for a surprise, we got people here talking about going deep/all all the way we can't even win 50% of our games when both those guys are healthy.........Unless we are swapping Rudy Gay for Lebron/Durrant/Harden or something else so completely unrealistic than aiming for 8th seed should be what we should be doing, you call the Bucks are a treadmill team well we are a treadmill lottery team.

It's really pick your poison....I mean we are either going to be a treadmill lottery team or treadmill one and done playoff team.

 

[The Hammer]

it's leaves a sour taste in the mouth but it's part of sports sadly.

NO. It's not part of sports. Owners of teams do NOT make public appearances in support of OTHER TEAMS. It's utterly disgusting and a slap in the face to the loyal fans who spend their hard earned money on their team.

 

[Amit149]

The point of the playoffs is to "go all the way". Why else would you be there? Your team should be structured with the intent of doing so.

Read the title of this thread: "Hey Vivek, I miss playoff basketball"- now tell me there is no importance in being to the playoffs. I'll say our chances to win a championship are 0%, and I'll give us the same chances at getting to the confrence finals.

Again, by the time we would need to think about our final series match-up coming from the east, I'm pretty sure the east will look different cause it's gonna take a while.

About the "history is littered with examplesof individual players carrying teams against "better teams""- I don't think it happened as often as you think, and quite frankly- Cousins is not that level of a player yet. OKC with KD, Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka couldn't win a championship- 3 of the guys on this team have a claim for being better than Cousins.

He did, but AD is their franchise player, and he missed games. Holiday is their starting PG and he missed most of the season, and Gordon is a big part of that team and he spend a lot of time out. that's 3 of you starting 5. and you can throw in Ryan Anderson missing over 20 games. and still they made the playoffs.

 

[John Galt]

I'm with those who find the Vivek pic vulgar and offensive. Yes I think he should recuse himself from enthusiastic public appearances is support of the enemy just down I80

A nice pic of him and Leslie Moore giving Steph and Klay a big hug would not surprise me much.

 

[Albatros]

NO. It's not part of sports. Owners of teams do NOT make public appearances in support of OTHER TEAMS. It's utterly disgusting and a slap in the face to the loyal fans who spend their hard earned money on their team.

Vivek has spent a lot of hard earned money on our team too and lets be real it is part of sports, none of the players are Kings fans either, I saw Nik supporting his Raptors on twitter. Rather not see the owner giving it up for the Warriors personally but I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it.

 

[PurpleHaze]

NO. It's not part of sports. Owners of teams do NOT make public appearances in support of OTHER TEAMS. It's utterly disgusting and a slap in the face to the loyal fans who spend their hard earned money on their team.

Absolutely right. It's not part of sports in any way shape or form. Imagine if say President of Stanford University went over to Cal-Berkeley football game and sat in its bleeding blue/gold stadium rooting section cheering on the Bears. The outrage would send Stanford student body and alumni on the march to his Palo Alto campus office demanding immediate resignation.

 

[rhythmless]

You know, at some point this just has to stop.

So he went to the Warriors game? So he's taking a picture with some GSW fans? Who freaking cares?????????

The only time I would be concerned would be if the Kings were in the playoffs and Vivek went to a Warriors game instead. Otherwise, it's no big thing. People need to grow up.

It's not a big thing in and of itself. It's a big thing because he decided to play GM and be the "irritant" of our team. He's not just an owner who cuts checks, but described himself as someone intimately involved in the decision making process. And we have it on video. Still, this would be OK if he hadn't gone and bombed our season with lies. He's not just an owner, he's an active Kings decision maker.

I understand he's got ties to GS still. He should. His daughter also goes to Cal. His primary career was in Palo Alto. I'm fine with him rooting for GS when we aren't int he playoffs. I'm fine with him rooting for GS when they aren't playing us. I'm fine with him attending a game. It's a big season for the Warriors.

What I am not fine with is that he is choosing to be a public celebrity at a game of his previous team, moments after ending one of the worst seasons in Kings history. A season where he not only failed to develop success, but torpedoed actual success for non basketball reasons. Go to the game. Go have fun. But why the hell are you taking shaka pictures with fans of another team? You have all the club boxes you could want. Have a little respect and decency for the fanbase of your own team.

He's utterly tone deaf to everything going on.

 

[Spike]

Absolutely right. It's not part of sports in any way shape or form. Imagine if say President of Stanford University went over to Cal-Berkeley football game and sat in its bleeding blue/gold stadium rooting section cheering on the Bears. The outrage would send Stanford student body and alumni on the march to his Palo Alto campus office demanding immediate resignation.

The President of Stanford never would have gone to Cal. Or rather, the President of Stanford would have never come from Cal.

(Just giving you a hard time - I totally agree.)

 

[PurpleHaze]

So you needed the picture to believe me?
Imagine he's sitting there posing with lakers fans. Now tell me that would be ok.

That says it all and hopefully is warning to our wayward rookie owner.

 

[pdizo916]

If you think DMC as #1 option and Rudy Gay as #2 option is going to lead to anything but at best a 7-8th seed or worse than your in for a surprise, we got people here talking about going deep/all all the way we can't even win 50% of our games when both those guys are healthy.........Unless we are swapping Rudy Gay for Lebron/Durrant/Harden or something else so completely unrealistic than aiming for 8th seed should be what we should be doing, you call the Bucks are a treadmill team well we are a treadmill lottery team.

I agree with this. While Cousins is very good, he needs an equally good #2 option, and he does not have that. Gay is a fine player, but i wouldn't consider him a #2 player on a good playoff team. Now, I AM NOT advocating on trading Gay, but our roster depth from 3-10 has to be phenomenal in order to be a serious threat. We have a long way to go in order to achieve that. But I would be very happy just to make the playoffs. In order to make the playoffs, I think we need a complete bench overhaul (keep casspi) and we hope to God that Mclemore can improve in his 3rd season.

As far as Vikek attending a Warriors game, I don't see it as a big deal. He was a minority owner two years ago. And this is a historically good Warriors team that could make a deep run into the playoffs. The Warriors have not made it to the WCF since the 70's, so it's been a long time coming and the atmosphere for the Warriors is amazing. And it's not like the Warriors are a hated rivals of the Kings. It's not like the raiders vs 49ers or giants vs a's. If the Warriors were a serious rival, then it would leave a bad taste in my mouth, but they're not. They're like a bigger brother that are doing extremely well right now. I may be envious of them, but I certainly do not hate them. (esp since I have san francisco tides)

 

[Spike]

As far as Vikek attending a Warriors game, I don't see it as a big deal. He was a minority owner two years ago. And this is a historically good Warriors team that could make a deep run into the playoffs. The Warriors have not made it to the WCF since the 70's, so it's been a long time coming and the atmosphere for the Warriors is amazing. And it's not like the Warriors are a hated rivals of the Kings. It's not like the raiders vs 49ers or giants vs a's. If the Warriors were a serious rival, then it would leave a bad taste in my mouth, but they're not. They're like a bigger brother that are doing extremely well right now. I may be envious of them, but I certainly do not hate them. (esp since I have san francisco tides)

That's the thing. They're not a bigger brother. The sooner we realize this, the better off we'll all be.

 

[VF21]

It's not a big thing in and of itself. It's a big thing because he decided to play GM and be the "irritant" of our team. He's not just an owner who cuts checks, but described himself as someone intimately involved in the decision making process. And we have it on video. Still, this would be OK if he hadn't gone and bombed our season with lies. He's not just an owner, he's an active Kings decision maker.

I understand he's got ties to GS still. He should. His daughter also goes to Cal. His primary career was in Palo Alto. I'm fine with him rooting for GS when we aren't int he playoffs. I'm fine with him rooting for GS when they aren't playing us. I'm fine with him attending a game. It's a big season for the Warriors.

What I am not fine with is that he is choosing to be a public celebrity at a game of his previous team, moments after ending one of the worst seasons in Kings history. A season where he not only failed to develop success, but torpedoed actual success for non basketball reasons. Go to the game. Go have fun. But why the hell are you taking shaka pictures with fans of another team? You have all the club boxes you could want. Have a little respect and decency for the fanbase of your own team.

He's utterly tone deaf to everything going on.

Thank you for the civilized response. I fully understand what you're saying. I think he took the picture with the fans to be polite. I also think he didn't really think about the possible backlash. IMHO some Kings fans are way too supersensitive about some of this stuff.

 

[fansinceday1]

Thank you for the civilized response. I fully understand what you're saying. I think he took the picture with the fans to be polite. I also think he didn't really think about the possible backlash. IMHO some Kings fans are way too supersensitive about some of this stuff.

I love ya VF but I think your wrong.
Vivek loves everything GS. He wants to be them. He thinks as fans we'd rather see run and gun than win and play down under the basket punch you in the mouth basketball. He's gonna turn us into GS if it takes another 5 years of "rebuilding".

There is no way Vivek is so tone-deaf that he didn't think a photo like that would pi$$ off kings fans. He doesn't care. He's enjoying GS's run too much to care.
IMO, get ready for a whole lot of interesting twitter pics from vivek the further GS goes in the playoffs. When GS gets to the finals, prepare yourself for that national TV shot of our esteemed owner cheering on his team at Oracle. You think kings fans are pi$$ed now? Just wait.....

 

[Nelson999]

You know, at some point this just has to stop.

So he went to the Warriors game? So he's taking a picture with some GSW fans? Who freaking cares?????????

The only time I would be concerned would be if the Kings were in the playoffs and Vivek went to a Warriors game instead. Otherwise, it's no big thing. People need to grow up.

it really doesn't bother me personally. Just thought it would be a funny addition to this thread

 

[John Galt]

I also think he didn't really think about the possible backlash.

He ought to hire somebody to consider backlash for him then. And not Leslie Moore, who never came across any backlash that she didn't stop to poke with a stick. From bringing on Shaq to hiring Mullin to airing a video where he cut the GM's balls off on draft day to cheering on Klay's big quarter to taking shaka photos with the GSW fans.... well, I just think he needs backlash help.

 

[Spike]

There is no way Vivek is so tone-deaf that he didn't think a photo like that would pi$$ off kings fans. He doesn't care. He's enjoying GS's run too much to care.

I genuinely feel that he didn't think it would pee off Kings fans. I don't think he gets it. Probably part of being a new owner. He needs to understand that his identity is now tied to this franchise, and hopefully PR gives him a briefing.

Someone else said it best: cheer from the box. Don't tell us you love us and then go out with your ex. We're a fragile fanbase right now, and he needs to do his part to remedy the situation. Everything will be dissected, and he needs to overextend in our direction.
It's ok for fans to have multiple teams to cheer for. As an owner, your public loyalty should be to your own players. It well may be, but a picture like that doesn't help.

 

[rainmaker]

Ignorance from Vivek's standpoint is no excuse. There's a reason we never see owners celebrating the playoff success of other teams in sports nor do we see, say, the owner of Adidas hanging out in a Nike store or the owner of Ford taking photos while driving around in his Chevy.

Ignorance also isn't an excuse as it pertains to the fan base and failing to recognize many of us find little joy in rooting for a Pacific Division rival in the playoffs while we haven't hit 30 wins in 7 years.

The issue isn't us having an opinion on it, most sports fans would have an issue with their owner celebrating the success of another team with that other team. The issue is Vivek failing to recognize that and putting himself in this position publicly. As others have said, sneak into an owners box, watch and go home. Don't go down court side and taking f'ing pictures with GS fans while throwing up a hang loose sign.

In general I think he's misjudged this fan base from day one. PR is an extreme weakness for this guy and those he surrounds himself with and the root of it seems to be a combination of arrogance and naivety towards this market and its history.

 

[rhythmless]

I genuinely feel that he didn't think it would pee off Kings fans. I don't think he gets it. Probably part of being a new owner.

He's not a new person, though. He's made billions and ran a company. He's an immigrant, so he's been exposed to more than one culture. He's gone through graduate school, again meeting people from all walks of life. He worked his way to the top. He wasn't born into a bubble. This type of stuff isn't contingent on reading some sort of franchise owner's manual. It's basic. So very basic. And if not, his lack of tact should be basic to the people around him.

 

[Spike]

He's not a new person, though. He's made billions and ran a company. He's an immigrant, so he's been exposed to more than one culture. He's gone through graduate school, again meeting people from all walks of life. He worked his way to the top. He wasn't born into a bubble. This type of stuff isn't contingent on reading some sort of franchise owner's manual. It's basic. So very basic. And if not, his lack of tact should be basic to the people around him.

I've been around plenty of socially awkward people to know that isn't always the case. He should know better, but he may not. He gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

As for whether he is socially awkward, I don't know the guy, so I can't make that call.

 

[Livinthedream]

Vivek is a thrill seeker. He chases fame and spotlight. He's not necessarily competitive in nature in the sense that most athletes are. So this whole idea of loyalty to a sports team is lost on him. He only see's the glamour and excitement of Warriors playoff basketball and wants to be a part of it. He see's the excitement generated from a dunk or a three pointer and wants every basket to end this way. He's simply a thrill seeker. This is why he says things like he wants to be like the Spurs, only exciting. Meaning, he only wants to win if it looks pretty.

I wouldn't be surprised if it never crossed his mind just how awful it looks to go to a Warriors game to a person who is competitive. I know if I owned a franchise and my team was dreadful, it would give me no pleasure to see another teams success. None. It would probably even be worse if I had ties to the former team, and they are now my competition.

 

[jdbraver]

You know, at some point this just has to stop.

So he went to the Warriors game? So he's taking a picture with some GSW fans? Who freaking cares?????????

The only time I would be concerned would be if the Kings were in the playoffs and Vivek went to a Warriors game instead. Otherwise, it's no big thing. People need to grow up.

I have to disagree. This is about loyalty. Would mark Cuban take pictures w rox fans? Would the buss family take pictures w celtics or kings fans decked out with the other teams gear? No they would not. It is disgraceful and an insult to our team.

 

[Bricklayer]

Really it comes down to the Kings still at this point being an expensive hobby for Vivek (actually with all the money pouring in from the new TV contract, probably a moneymaker, but still). His heart is still Silicon Valley though. That's where his friends are, that's where his associations are, that's where he learned his basketball. Really though, even if that is true, you gotta use your head. I wonder if he would do that if we ahd been in the playoffs too, got knocked out, and now it was the GSW in the WCF? Or worse yet, the Warriors themselves knocked us out.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

aaaand he's courtside again tonight

 

[The Hammer]

Vivek has spent a lot of hard earned money on our team too and lets be real it is part of sports, none of the players are Kings fans either, I saw Nik supporting his Raptors on twitter. Rather not see the owner giving it up for the Warriors personally but I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it.

Players are contracted to play for a team, and this is their job, so at the end of the day, yes, the can punch out and support their childhood team, college buddies team, etc. That does not mean they are not fans OF THEIR OWN TEAM. Of course they are. You don't think Cuz is a Kings fan??? Your statement is a bit crazy, "none of the players are Kings fans either", and your support for this is that one of our players is still supporting his hometown team. That the worst kind of "evidence".

However, for an owner... especially one who champions himself as a "fan" to even think this would be ok or remotely well received, as he takes his fans' money... as someone else stated is so completely tone deaf it's concerning. Larry Bird root for the knicks? Michael Jordan show up in support of the Miami Heat? You see how ludicrous this sounds when you superimpose Vivek's behavior outside of his insane little Norcal Warriors techie boy bromance?

 

[The Hammer]

aaaand he's courtside again tonight

This is why we need real sports media in Sac... SO THIS crap CAN GET FLAMED ON THE RADIO LIKE A ROMAN CANDLE.

New York media would have a FIELD DAY with this... oh it would be nasty.

 

[fansinceday1]

aaaand he's courtside again tonight

of course he is.

Completely tone deaf I tell ya.

 

[The Hammer]

Absolutely right. It's not part of sports in any way shape or form. Imagine if say President of Stanford University went over to Cal-Berkeley football game and sat in its bleeding blue/gold stadium rooting section cheering on the Bears. The outrage would send Stanford student body and alumni on the march to his Palo Alto campus office demanding immediate resignation.

It absolutely would. In total seriousness. If that happened, the President of Stanford would immediately be out of a job. It's so beyond the realm of the imaginable though, that we can barely contextualize it... because it is not part of sports.

What it is part of is Vivek's personal business strategy to maintain his profile at his Silicon Valley home basketball team. It's vulgar.

 

[fansinceday1]

Really it comes down to the Kings still at this point being an expensive hobby for Vivek (actually with all the money pouring in from the new TV contract, probably a moneymaker, but still). His heart is still Silicon Valley though. That's where his friends are, that's where his associations are, that's where he learned his basketball. Really though, even if that is true, you gotta use your head. I wonder if he would do that if we ahd been in the playoffs too, got knocked out, and now it was the GSW in the WCF? Or worse yet, the Warriors themselves knocked us out.

Unfortunately his expensive hobby is our beloved team. And unfortunately he know DI** about basketball. Which is why him derailing what could have been a good season hurts that much more. Him and his lackeys did what they did cause we weren't exciting like his beloved warriors. It might be really childish on my part but its a kick in the ba**s that he's there courtside.
I gotta step away. Im really getting pi$$ed.

 

[sdballer]

As long as he does what's best for our team as an owner, I'm not too worked up if he chooses to still support his home town team. I hate people that abandon their team easily, so I get it.

On the other hand, he's been such a crappy owner, with regards to the product on the court, that I also get people's irritation.

Basically, stop sucking as an owner and people probably won't care that much. Keep sucking and every move you make is going to get magnified.