If Adleman was smart.....

[bench_blob]

and did not pander to player's ego, reputation, his sense of misguided loyalty, and his precious coaching philosophy of starting your best players, he would bring Peja off the bench when he gets healthy, and keep Cisco as a starter.

Why do we suck?
(1) No bench.
(2) No chemistry.

Making this switch adresses both of these issues.

When Peja hurt his pinky, and Cisco stepped in, we gelled. (2 out of 3 wins maybe, someone help me?) Nothing spectacular, but more consistent play. Cisco did not make major contributions, of course, but he played a role of energizer and ball-handler. Look at the starters, and what they do best:

Peja - SCORE
Bibby - SCORE
SAR - SCORE
Miller - Score / Shoot
Wells - All- Around Hustle defense / boards

Where are the role players? The Doug Christies, the Scot Pollards, the Hedo Turkolus -- who bring energy, defense, give effort at both ends, and make their teammates better.

Put Cisco out there, he will defer to SAR and Bibby....let Bibby play more of a 2-guard...feed SAR and let him get his post game going. If Cisco gets in foul trouble, so what? Also, Cisco will likely play more in control, knowing he does not have to jack shots with the players around him.

Instead with Peja as a starter....the starters are competing for shots amongst each other, and it has failed miserably.

Bring Peja off the bench....maybe with Skinner, let him set picks and free him up. I don't think Peja cares if he starts or not, as long as he gets his touches (15-20 shots), and minutes (about 30-35).

If we had a more enlightened coach, someone who placed the well-being and chemistry of his team ahead of favoritism, was not afraid to take chances and being subject to criticism and second-guessing, this move who be a no-brainer.

And just based on his putrid play of late, maybe a seat on the bench to start the game will be just what Peja needs to light a fire under his lilly white behind.

Memo to Adleman: There's a saying "If ain't broke, don't fix it." Well...it ain't not broke, so fix it. And fast.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Interesting call, and not that bad of an idea really. One thing you failed to mention is that Cisco is also a good ball handler, and could play the Christie ball handling role so Mike can continue to play off the ball more.

Of course, you then have a couple of problems. One, could Peja handle coming off the bench? I don't think he would react well. I think it would make him even worse of a player than he is now, and while I don't think he'd make a huge fuss over it, I don't think he'd bring it all either. Another thing is that there are reasons you play your more talented as starters. It's not necessarily Adelman's fault that Petrie assembled a team with four key members all scoring-orented.

 

[JJ22L]

Interesting call, and not that bad of an idea really. One thing you failed to mention is that Cisco is also a good ball handler, and could play the Christie ball handling role so Mike can continue to play off the ball more.

Of course, you then have a couple of problems. One, could Peja handle coming off the bench? I don't think he would react well. I think it would make him even worse of a player than he is now, and while I don't think he'd make a huge fuss over it, I don't think he'd bring it all either. Another thing is that there are reasons you play your more talented as starters. It's not necessarily Adelman's fault that Petrie assembled a team with four key members all scoring-orented.

Thats a scary thought Peja...not bringing it all....

 

[pedro]

stupid idea

 

[mr. moustache]

Hmm.. Sounds like a bad idea to me. Kings at 2-1 when Cisco starts? Not so. I know they lost to the Mavs and Spurs, so that's at least 2 losses.

This team needs to trade one or possibly two of the big 3 for youth with size and athleticism, then tank the season for a better draft pick.

and did not pander to player's ego, reputation, his sense of misguided loyalty, and his precious coaching philosophy of starting your best players, he would bring Peja off the bench when he gets healthy, and keep Cisco as a starter.

Why do we suck?
(1) No bench.
(2) No chemistry.

Making this switch adresses both of these issues.

When Peja hurt his pinky, and Cisco stepped in, we gelled. (2 out of 3 wins maybe, someone help me?) Nothing spectacular, but more consistent play. Cisco did not make major contributions, of course, but he played a role of energizer and ball-handler. Look at the starters, and what they do best:

Peja - SCORE
Bibby - SCORE
SAR - SCORE
Miller - Score / Shoot
Wells - All- Around Hustle defense / boards

Where are the role players? The Doug Christies, the Scot Pollards, the Hedo Turkolus -- who bring energy, defense, give effort at both ends, and make their teammates better.

Put Cisco out there, he will defer to SAR and Bibby....let Bibby play more of a 2-guard...feed SAR and let him get his post game going. If Cisco gets in foul trouble, so what? Also, Cisco will likely play more in control, knowing he does not have to jack shots with the players around him.

Instead with Peja as a starter....the starters are competing for shots amongst each other, and it has failed miserably.

Bring Peja off the bench....maybe with Skinner, let him set picks and free him up. I don't think Peja cares if he starts or not, as long as he gets his touches (15-20 shots), and minutes (about 30-35).

If we had a more enlightened coach, someone who placed the well-being and chemistry of his team ahead of favoritism, was not afraid to take chances and being subject to criticism and second-guessing, this move who be a no-brainer.

And just based on his putrid play of late, maybe a seat on the bench to start the game will be just what Peja needs to light a fire under his lilly white behind.

Memo to Adleman: There's a saying "If ain't broke, don't fix it." Well...it ain't not broke, so fix it. And fast.

 

[JJ22L]

Hmm.. Sounds like a bad idea to me. Kings at 2-1 when Cisco starts? Not so. I know they lost to the Mavs and Spurs, so that's at least 2 losses.

This team needs to trade one or possibly two of the big 3 for youth with size and athleticism, then tank the season for a better draft pick.

Had me till the "tank the season comment".....

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Had me till the "tank the season comment".....

No kidding. Someone should talk to ML Carr and Rick Pitino about what tanking the season gets you. Everyone thinks the Spurs tanked that year to get Duncan but the Celtics actually had theirs and the D-Mavs first rounders that year and a ~30 percent chance to get the top pick and a fairly good crack at landing the top 2 picks. Duncan and Van Horn were going to bring the glory days back to the Gar.. er, Fleet Center.

Pitino believed it enough to leave UK, imagine his surprise when instead of 1 and 2 the Celtics wound up with 3 and 6, almost the worst combination possible. That turned out to be Chauncey Billups who was promptly run out of town before the skin on his new Celtics tattoo had even healed and Ron Mercer.

And of course we all remember the year we did win the lottery...

Or how about the year we drafted 4 in the first round?

 

[kingsfan916]

We need to trade Peja for Nene and Watson!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bench_blob]

Hmm.. Sounds like a bad idea to me. Kings at 2-1 when Cisco starts? Not so. I know they lost to the Mavs and Spurs, so that's at least 2 losses.

This team needs to trade one or possibly two of the big 3 for youth with size and athleticism, then tank the season for a better draft pick.

I was not including last nights loss. There were about 3 or 4 games Peja missed with his hand, and the Kings only lost 1 of them with Cisco out there.

We all would like to see a big trade go down, and shake-up the roster and infuse some new energy, but don't hold your breath. No one wants our players, and if they do, will not offer equal value. Petrie is not going to make a trade just for the sake of it.

In the meantime, Adleman needs to explore every viable option to jump start his ballclub, and salvage the season. Problem is, he rarely shows the guts to do anything radical, or even remotely creative. He is scared to be labeled the scapegoat if his moves backfire.

 

[ONEZERO]

As good as it COULD be, you never ever ever bench your multi million dollar player for a rookie to take his place....

 

[Bricklayer]

This has really gotten ugly. And stupid.


There is not a single coach in the NBA who would start Cisco over Peja. Not one. Likely not a single coach outside of the NBA either.

There are however fans running around screaming while waving their arms over their heads.

As an aside, there is a very good reason you pander to players egos. Not something you have to confront in a video game. Something damn near decisive in real life.

We could definitely use a roleplayer or two in the lineup. One of the reasons why we can not only afford, but should definitely be looking at a 2 of our guys for 1 better guy type trade. Then fill in the opened up slot with a roleplayer. But benching Peja, in a contract year no less, for a wild rookie shooting 33% from the field isn't how you go about it. Peja is gone then. Both in his head, and at the end of the year. This mess is on the GM. Miller might accept a bench assignment, but he's the ONLY King who we can run the offense through and isn;t the sort of forceful player to have a huge bench impact anyway. SAR came here to start, and dubiously passed over offers from both Miami and San Antonio to be their 6th man. Peja is a starter and three time All-Star in a contract year, Bonzi came here to start and has been a flat out cancer in the past when he was relegated tot he bench (besides being invaluable to this current team) and Bibby has a significant ego that would never tolerate a benching, nor do we have anybody to replace him.

 

[bench_blob]

As good as it COULD be, you never ever ever bench your multi million dollar player for a rookie to take his place....

I don't advocate benching him.

Who do you want to see launching jump shots on the second unit.... K-Mart (clang), Kenny Thomas (clang) or Jason Hart (clang)? I think we have seen enough. It ain't too pretty.

I'd rather see Peja as the primary scoring option with another starter out there.

When Peja first came into the league, I think he was playing behind Corlis Williamson, strangely enough. He didn't have any problem finding his rhythm back them. In fact, he was pure.

And look at what the Lakers have going on with a 15-11 record. Granted, they have the best player in the league, but Phil Jackson plays Smush Parker (who?) and Profit (who?) and Vujacic (who?) ahead of Aaron McKie - the veteran they signed to a 5 million dollar contract. Why??? Phil Jackson doesn't care how much money you make. He doesn't care about your reputation, or your past glory. He is looking to establish a cohesive unit, and find the mix of players that play together best on the court.

If our coach had the same mentality, we could be 15-11 ourselves.

 

[®o©©o]

Peja is already having problems selling himself in his contract year by not staying healthy. Could you imagine the screaming his agent would make if suddenly Adleman gave his starting role to a rookie?

This is supposed to be the year that Peja shows no fear and busts tail and leaves it all out on the floor. I mean his next contract will pretty much be negotiated on this seasons performance. I know that most of the time, that health problems are usually not preventable. It's part of the game, but what bad luck for Peja that he is having these problems this year.

My two cents. Sorry if I rambled and it didn't make sense, making eggnog and taste testing.

 

[BigWaxer]

his precious coaching philosophy of starting your best players,

HAHAHA that was funny. So enlighten us as to what coach doesn't start his best players? I am just curious since acording to you its an RA philosophy.

This just in RA fired because he started his best players. The nerve of him!

 

[Packt]

and did not pander to player's ego, reputation, his sense of misguided loyalty, and his precious coaching philosophy of starting your best players, he would bring Peja off the bench when he gets healthy, and keep Cisco as a starter.

Why do we suck?
(1) No bench.
(2) No chemistry.

Making this switch adresses both of these issues.

When Peja hurt his pinky, and Cisco stepped in, we gelled. (2 out of 3 wins maybe, someone help me?) Nothing spectacular, but more consistent play. Cisco did not make major contributions, of course, but he played a role of energizer and ball-handler. Look at the starters, and what they do best:

Peja - SCORE
Bibby - SCORE
SAR - SCORE
Miller - Score / Shoot
Wells - All- Around Hustle defense / boards

Where are the role players? The Doug Christies, the Scot Pollards, the Hedo Turkolus -- who bring energy, defense, give effort at both ends, and make their teammates better.

Put Cisco out there, he will defer to SAR and Bibby....let Bibby play more of a 2-guard...feed SAR and let him get his post game going. If Cisco gets in foul trouble, so what? Also, Cisco will likely play more in control, knowing he does not have to jack shots with the players around him.

Instead with Peja as a starter....the starters are competing for shots amongst each other, and it has failed miserably.

Bring Peja off the bench....maybe with Skinner, let him set picks and free him up. I don't think Peja cares if he starts or not, as long as he gets his touches (15-20 shots), and minutes (about 30-35).

If we had a more enlightened coach, someone who placed the well-being and chemistry of his team ahead of favoritism, was not afraid to take chances and being subject to criticism and second-guessing, this move who be a no-brainer.

And just based on his putrid play of late, maybe a seat on the bench to start the game will be just what Peja needs to light a fire under his lilly white behind.

Memo to Adleman: There's a saying "If ain't broke, don't fix it." Well...it ain't not broke, so fix it. And fast.

Peja can't come off the bench. You just can't do it, and I don't think Peja would be the right kind of player to come off the bench. If it's anybody, it's Rahim. You need someone aggressive, someone who will take over games and Peja isn't that kind of player. If it’s not Shareef, you’re just looking for trouble.

 

[bench_blob]

This has really gotten ugly. And stupid.

There is not a single coach in the NBA who would start Cisco over Peja. Not one. Likely not a single coach outside of the NBA either.
.

With all due respect, I completely disagree. Larry Brown is a Hall of Fame coach, and he has used 20-25 different starting line-ups with the Knicks so far. Penny Hardaway and his 15 million dollar salary hasn't earned him any PT.

The success of a team should always take precedence over the personal agenda of a player and his contract status.

Haven't we learned the trouble a team gets into when it caters to its star player to the detriment of the well-being of the team? It hasn't been that long since C-Webb was traded, has it?

If Peja were to score 16-18 points as a reserve, playing 30-35 minutes a game, and in doing so, helped spark a Kings reversal of their season; they win 45 games, and make the playoffs. This would do MORE to enhance his value than if he continued his starting role, scored 22 points a game, played 40 minutes, and the Kings limped along on the current pace and won 30 games.

Playing clutch in games that count means a lot more than piling up stats on a team going nowhere, in terms of earning respect in the eyes of GM around the league.

Further, I would argue he is less likely to walk if the Kings save their season. If the Kings flop, and team morale goes down the drain, he will be more likely to look to greener pasteur, and unite with players where he feels he can thrive again.

And besides, whether or not moving Peja to role of primary reserve would work would be self-evident after a handful of games. I think it would. (If the experiment fails, it's OK too, you have established his value as a starter.) When you are 10-16, and you have underachieved all year, the status quo needs to be challenged.

Thats when you need a bold and respected coach (like Don Nelson, Riley, Karl, Popovich) who does not give a damn about a screaming agent, who knows how to manage player egos, can be a leader and command respect, and who knows that drastic times called for drastic, but well-conceived, measures.

 

[bench_blob]

HAHAHA that was funny. So enlighten us as to what coach doesn't start his best players? I am just curious since acording to you its an RA philosophy.

This just in RA fired because he started his best players. The nerve of him!

Do you realize you are arguing in favor of bad basketball? You are in support of trotting out the same line-up that has proven to be ineffective all season. How could you be resistant to the idea of change given what has transpired so far? News alert: The Kings are dismal.

Have you heard of "synergy"? It is when the combined action of the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. This means you can compose a team of marginally less talented players, (i.e. Cisco in place of Peja); but because they work together, and compliment each other skills, they are more synergetic (i.e. better) than a more talented group of individuals.

With Bibby being a great shooter, with Miller at the high post making plays, with Wells and SAR scoring in the post, the Kings do not need a scorer at the "3". They do need scoring off the bench. What they need at the "3" with this starting group is an energizer, an athlete, a ball handler, and complimentary player to get the ball to our primary scorers. Cisco skills are more conducive to this role.

Of course, Peja has the superior skills. But we have not seen enough of those superior skills, injured or healthy, to translate into anything but the basketball equivalent of a train wreck. We have not seen synergy. Change is due.

 

[Padrino]

Do you realize you are arguing in favor of bad basketball? You are in support of trotting out the same line-up that has proven to be ineffective all season. How could you be resistant to the idea of change given what has transpired so far? News alert: The Kings are dismal.

Have you heard of "synergy"? It is when the combined action of the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. This means you can compose a team of marginally less talented players, (i.e. Cisco in place of Peja); but because they work together, and compliment each other skills, they are more synergetic (i.e. better) than a more talented group of individuals.

With Bibby being a great shooter, with Miller at the high post making plays, with Wells and SAR scoring in the post, the Kings do not need a scorer at the "3". They do need scoring off the bench. What they need at the "3" with this starting group is an energizer, an athlete, a ball handler, and complimentary player to get the ball to our primary scorers. Cisco skills are more conducive to this role.

Of course, Peja has the superior skills. But we have not seen enough of those superior skills, injured or healthy, to translate into anything but the basketball equivalent of a train wreck. We have not seen synergy. Change is due.

synergy? this is how you explain the game of basketball? with synergy? good God, man.

let's cut right through the bull****, cuz i'm gettin sick of these burn adelman at the stake threads. the kings are not going to start francisco garcia over peja stojakovic. no team in the league would do this. i am not in favor of this, and i don't particularly like peja. the reason there is no "synergy," as you so eloquently put it, is because this team was constructed very poorly. i hope there was enough emphasis on those two words. it is not rick adelman's fault that kings management no longer understands the concept of balance in a starting unit. it's not about who makes the most money on the team. corliss has an enormous contract, and i don't see him pulling down quality minutes night in and night out. you play your best 8-9 players...the guys who are going to keep you competitive. the rookie garcia has a future, but he's not starting material yet. he's not nearly consistent enough, and on a team that sorely lacks consistency, he will not start.

what i want to emphasize, again, is that this kings team--from man 1 to man 12 to jamaal sampson rotting on the inactive roster--was constructed very poorly. geoff petrie, i have noticed, has this rather strange obsession with tweeners. this is not just about the 3 we got in the webber trade. he is notorious for drafting players and trading for players who do not play a single position well, but rather are versatile enough to play multiple positions. now, these "tweeners" are wonderful assets on any team, primarily off the bench. when injuries hit, or when you just need a spark on the floor and you need flexibility, talented tweeners are great to call on. unfortunately, it is extremely unintelligent to compose an entire team of tweeners. the kings are a team almost entirely composed of tweeners. if our guys aren't stuck in between positions physically, then their games cater to positions they are not meant to play. let me list off the tweeners to further illustrate my point, starting with our "flexible 3":

kenny thomas (SF/PF)
corliss williamson (SF/PF)
brian skinner (PF/C)
francisco garcia (SG/SF)
shareef abdur rahim (SF/PF)
bonzi wells (SG/SF...he is what i would consider to be a valuable tweener)
mike bibby (PG/SG...natural PG, plays like a SG)
brad miller (C/PF/PG...natural C, plays like a point forward)

^ this is why the kings are playing poorly. it is not rick adelman's fault. do you see what he has to work with? had he been giving 8 or 9 guys who have defined roles, then it might not be such a problem to achieve "synergy." unfortunately, the kings have far too many players who do not know their roles, play similar style games, and complement each other poorly. there is no balance. we can agree that change is due. but a simple shift in the starting lineup is a bull**** remedy. this team needs to be dismantled and reconstructed from the ground up in order for this supposed synergy of yours to be realized.

here endeth the lesson...

 

[acisking]

^^Very good post padrino

 

[6th]

Padrino, I have enjoyed many of your posts, but none have come close, in my estimation, to the quality of this last one. To put it mildly, it was simply excellent. BRAVO!!

::6th stands to applaud::

 

[JJ22L]

Indeed...brought me to tears

 

[SacTownKid]

I disagree that this team needs to be deconstucted and built from that ground up. We have valuable pieces, if they dump them for draft picks/expirings I'll be p*ssed. Some rebuilding is due however. I hope it centers around Bonzi Wells, Mike Bibby, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim personally.

 

[playmaker0017]

Peja can't come off the bench. You just can't do it, and I don't think Peja would be the right kind of player to come off the bench. If it's anybody, it's Rahim. You need someone aggressive, someone who will take over games and Peja isn't that kind of player. If it’s not Shareef, you’re just looking for trouble.

I'm a Reef homer - but did you just say Reef and aggressive in the same sentence?

Shame on you.

Reef from the bench is very INefficient. Seen it and it was awful.

None of these players, save Mike Bibby, are players that can control the ball and get a decent shot off. Not Bonzi, not Reef, not Peja, not Miller. None of them are emotional players except Bonzi. None of them are suited to coming off the bench. The only player that could with any modicrum of success is Bibby, but you'd be foolish to do that.

 

[BigWaxer]

Do you realize you are arguing in favor of bad basketball? You are in support of trotting out the same line-up that has proven to be ineffective all season. How could you be resistant to the idea of change given what has transpired so far? News alert: The Kings are dismal.

Have you heard of "synergy"? It is when the combined action of the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. This means you can compose a team of marginally less talented players, (i.e. Cisco in place of Peja); but because they work together, and compliment each other skills, they are more synergetic (i.e. better) than a more talented group of individuals.

With Bibby being a great shooter, with Miller at the high post making plays, with Wells and SAR scoring in the post, the Kings do not need a scorer at the "3". They do need scoring off the bench. What they need at the "3" with this starting group is an energizer, an athlete, a ball handler, and complimentary player to get the ball to our primary scorers. Cisco skills are more conducive to this role.

Of course, Peja has the superior skills. But we have not seen enough of those superior skills, injured or healthy, to translate into anything but the basketball equivalent of a train wreck. We have not seen synergy. Change is due.

No I am not doing that, I think the problem is a lot of people here have went off the deep end this week. People fail to realize that the team is just not that good. I key'd onto this before the season ever started. I even commented how people had expectations WAY to high and that was very true by what has been posted here lately. A bad team is bringing out each and every players weakness. Ths is exposing everyones weakness instead of the past were the same players had the same weaknesses just they were playing to each others strengths like great teams do. I would also contend that there are very few 100% rounded players in the NBA.

I am of the opinion that if you want to put Peja on the bench then he would actually do more good for us in a trade. I saw the energy that Cisco and Martin gave for us starting but they IMO are just not good enough to be nightly starters on a team that wants to contend (at this point they still need to develop). You start your best players, you don't leave them on the bench that makes no sense. Trade him for a real starter.

Peja still has skills to help a team that needs an outside shooter but has everything else. I think he is a very good trade piece and a lot of GM's probably see what we see. A disinterested Peja who is just going through the motions.

 

[bench_blob]

synergy? this is how you explain the game of basketball? with synergy? good God, man.

let's cut right through the bull****, cuz i'm gettin sick of these burn adelman at the stake threads. the kings are not going to start francisco garcia over peja stojakovic. no team in the league would do this. i am not in favor of this, and i don't particularly like peja. the reason there is no "synergy," as you so eloquently put it, is because this team was constructed very poorly. i hope there was enough emphasis on those two words. it is not rick adelman's fault that kings management no longer understands the concept of balance in a starting unit. it's not about who makes the most money on the team. corliss has an enormous contract, and i don't see him pulling down quality minutes night in and night out. you play your best 8-9 players...the guys who are going to keep you competitive. the rookie garcia has a future, but he's not starting material yet. he's not nearly consistent enough, and on a team that sorely lacks consistency, he will not start.

what i want to emphasize, again, is that this kings team--from man 1 to man 12 to jamaal sampson rotting on the inactive roster--was constructed very poorly. geoff petrie, i have noticed, has this rather strange obsession with tweeners. this is not just about the 3 we got in the webber trade. he is notorious for drafting players and trading for players who do not play a single position well, but rather are versatile enough to play multiple positions. now, these "tweeners" are wonderful assets on any team, primarily off the bench. when injuries hit, or when you just need a spark on the floor and you need flexibility, talented tweeners are great to call on. unfortunately, it is extremely unintelligent to compose an entire team of tweeners. the kings are a team almost entirely composed of tweeners. if our guys aren't stuck in between positions physically, then their games cater to positions they are not meant to play. let me list off the tweeners to further illustrate my point, starting with our "flexible 3":

kenny thomas (SF/PF)
corliss williamson (SF/PF)
brian skinner (PF/C)
francisco garcia (SG/SF)
shareef abdur rahim (SF/PF)
bonzi wells (SG/SF...he is what i would consider to be a valuable tweener)
mike bibby (PG/SG...natural PG, plays like a SG)
brad miller (C/PF/PG...natural C, plays like a point forward)

^ this is why the kings are playing poorly. it is not rick adelman's fault. do you see what he has to work with? had he been giving 8 or 9 guys who have defined roles, then it might not be such a problem to achieve "synergy." unfortunately, the kings have far too many players who do not know their roles, play similar style games, and complement each other poorly. there is no balance. we can agree that change is due. but a simple shift in the starting lineup is a bull**** remedy. this team needs to be dismantled and reconstructed from the ground up in order for this supposed synergy of yours to be realized.

here endeth the lesson...

Guess what, professor?

You have just argued, implicitly, in favor of bringing Peja off the bench.

If a team is perfectly constructed, the pieces fit. Every player has a role, their talents compliment each other. The Kings' teams of 2001-04 (pre C-Webb injury) are examples.

If a team is poorly constructed, as the 2005 Kings are, the pieces don't fit. What do you do when the pieces don't fit, give up? Throw up your hands, blame the GM, and write off the season? Of course not!

A coach has the responsibility to maximize the talents of his players, put them in position to succeed, and find line-up combinations that work, including, if necessary, an unconventional starting five.

Why is coming off the bench suddenly assumed to be a demotion? Have you not heard players say "...it does not matter who starts the game, it matters who finishes?" Ben Gordon sparks the Bulls off the bench consistently, is their second leading scorer, and plays crunch minutes. Cannot Peja do the same?

If now is not a time to entertain unconventional thinking when a team is 10-16, and has dramatically underachieved, then when?

Last game, Adelman played an undrafted free agent in the 4th quarter of a game against one of the best teams in the league, and it was a positive move. Unconventional, yes. Effective, yes, and reason for a little optimism if he can permanently supplant a struggling player.

(I have been calling for Ronnie Price to get a look for 10-15 games (posted on this board), not because he is an all-world talent, but because Jason Hart has been wholly ineffective. Had this move been made 10 games ago, could he have sparked us to 2-3 more victories, perhaps?)

I am not contending Peja should be benched, that he is the lesser player than Cisco, that Cisco even deserves more minutes, or that Peja should be our 6th man permanently. But of the starters, Peja has underperformed moreso than SAR, Bibby, and Miller. He has been stifled at the outset of games by more athletic "3"s. So, in lieu of trade that may or may not happen, it is a logical switch to consider. Garcia is clearly more comfortable and productive when he does not force the action or his shots, which he would be less compelled to do as a starter. He is more fearless and dynamic than K-Mart, so he gets the nod.

Listen...you can bemoan the fact we have a roster full of 'tweeners, or argue that we should blow up the team and start from scratch, but that doesn't address what could, or should, be done to salvage our season with the roster as currently assembled.

If the switch worked, and the Kings went on a consecutive win streak, the members on this board would be first to heep praise Adelman for his bold decision. It is a moot debate, of course, until Bonzi returns, until Adleman shows more willingness to take charge, and to recognize the depth of our ineptitude. Hopefully, we will not be in so deep of a hole before long that experiementing with a new line-up will be totally inconsequential.

By the way, absolving Adelman of blame for the roster of 'tweeners he has to work with is not accurate. Petrie makes the call, but Adelman has signed off on all the personnel moves we have made. Petrie and Adleman are on the same page. These are guys he wanted too.

Merry X-Mas to all.

School is out.

 

[BMiller52]

If adelman was smart...

He still wouldn't listen to you

just kidding...well kinda lol.

 

[bcfy]

for those of you who are too stubborn to put your best 5 players on your team to be starter, you guys probably play too much NBA Live 06 or Fantasy hoop games....

yes...in those games you just put the 5 players with highest rating and you will win...but in real world it doesn't work..
Just think of the Spurs, if you simply want a starting 5 with best rating according to their positions, you probably get something like this:

C: Duncan
PF: Horry
SF: Ginobili
SG: Finley
PG: Parker

but instead, their starting 5 are:

C: Nesterovic
PF: Duncan
SF: Bowen
SG: Ginobili
PG: Parker

if I remember right, the Kings didn't really miss Peja that much when he was injured in Oct, coz the other 4 starters could easily fill up his missing 17 points per night by taking few more shots by themselves (Bibby was doing this, he was averaging more than 25 points during that strench). But obviously, we do need someone coming off the bench to provide some offense. So, the idea of bringing Peja off the bench isn't really as silly as you guys think. But at the same time, I do agree that Cisco and Martin are not good enough to start....so just my opinion, I rather want to see a line up like this:

C: Miller <--- 1 passing big man is enough
PF: Skinner <--- we need some rebound and shot blocking
SF: SAR <--- he plays the best at SF, trust me(I have been watching his
game since he was in Vancouver Grizzlies)
SG: Wells <--- no one is questioning this I hope
PG: Bibby <--- same as Wells
and yes, bring in Peja off the bench, or even trade him for a better PF or C AND a talented role player who can bring lots of fire off the bench. Maybe it doesn't look as nice as our original starting 5, but as long as it works, it worths a try.

 

[Bricklayer]

School is out.

Watch yourself Blob -- you are not nearly as smart as you think you are. And certainly not smart as some members of this board.

The NBA Live mentality is yours, not the other sides'. It involves ignoring,l or simply being ignorant of, the egos and expectations of the players on your team. Going no further than "wouldn't it be neat if" without considering the flipside that nobody else but you, as the god/coach/GM of your cyber-franchise, is going to buy into it.

This may be pointless because you appear to be one of those interesting types who does not even bother to address the other side's arguments, repeats his own ad nauseam, and then stands atop his dungheap and crows about his brilliance, but here is the rundown one more time:

Miller -- starter for the past 5+ years, only player on roster taller than 6'9", we run our entire offense through him, does not have impact game of a good bencher
SAR -- career long starter except one half season in Portland which he complained about, turned down offers from championship caliber teams to be their 6th man (San Antonio, Miami), came here with expectations of being major starter. Still most logical choice just taking advantage of his quiet demeanor and professionalism. But see Thomas below.
Peja -- starter for 5 years, three time All-Star and former darling of both the GM and fanbase, in a contract year and can walk at year's end. Needs numbers to get $$$.
Bonzi -- noted lockerroom cancer who has HATED coming off the bench over his career and disrupted teams wherever he has gone when asked to play that type of role. Seems happy and content for once with minutes and shots. Also our best/only hustle and heart guy which makes him invaluable in that starting lineup.
Bibby -- considerable ego and thinks of himself as leader of the team whether true or not. Career long starter. And we have no backup.

Thomas -- grumpy man already not happy to be coming off bench. Anything resulting in fewer minutes might blow him up into full blown cancer. Starting him for SAR helps little -- get better rebounding, but actually likely a step back defensively, and Kenny showed a propensity for chucking up at least as many shots as SAR has been doing thus far.


Players care, they have always cared. Everybody wants to start. And the ones who are not only used to it, but 100% expect to start do not take benchings lightly just because their god/gm/coach clicks a few buttons. We need a roleplayer or two in that starting lineup. But we need starters who would potentially accept benchings as well to make that work, our starters are not complete players anyway and each brings something unique and borderline irreplaceable to the startiing lineup (Miller = passing, SAR= post game, Peja= outisde threat, Bonzi= hustle, Bibby= ballhandler) and we likely don't have the sort of impact roleplayers on this roster to make much of a difference anyway. What we need is a trade of a starter for an impact roleplayer, or two starters for a complete all around stud, or something similar to free up a starting slot for a dirty work player.

P.S. I would assume you are as aware as everybody else that the "doesn't matter who starts" line is a coach's B.S. line, not a players'.