Just releasing frustration for the sake on conversation...

[bluntsnbball]

We can discuss trades, draft, etc., all Summer, but the bottom line is that whoever is on the squad next season is still going to be coached by Keith Smart, who led the Kings to finish dead last in points allowed per game. Sure he improved the offense, but he sacrificed D to do so, thereby canceling out anything positive he did in my mind.

I just gets under my skin b/c right now, there are some really solid coaches available. Nate Mcmillan, Jerry Sloan, Stan Van Gundy to name a few. But are we looking to pick up one of these coaches who all have serious post season and/or NBA finals experience?

Of course not. We're gonna stick w/ our 3rd year head coach who will likely get fired part way through the season just like Westphal, leaving us to hire another interim scrub.

I wish this post was more of a "we should get this guy" type of thread, but unfortunately, Smart is the cheapest option available, so he's our guy.

 

[Mass]

Unfortunately, I completely agree with you and I feel the same way. It's hard to see a lot of good coaches looking for a job, and we are stuck with Smart. If only we had good owners, we could really have a chance to improve this offseason. McMillan would be my first option, but I'm sure the Maloofs won't spend anything more than what they have to on this team.

 

[Gary]

He didn't sacrifice anything.

The defense was already last in the league, he just took that last in the league and made it worse.

 

[Uncia03]

I also agree with the sentiments of the OP.
I have a bad feeling that if we start the season off with Smart we won't finish the season with Smart. And if we do happen to finish with Smart we won't be seeing him around for a 3rd season.

The fact is that we have enough raw talent to be competitive, but it's up to the coach to put things into place to allow the players to feed off each other and succeed.

I saw way too much failure the latter half of the season to allow me to have any hope for this upcoming one.

 

[bajaden]

I'll withhold judgement on the coming season until we've finished the offseason. With some major changes in the roster, I'd be willing to give Smart some time to see how he'll use a more balanced team. Thats assuming, we have a more balanced team. If we go into next season with essentially the same team, then I'm not optimistic they'll be much progress. Its possible of course. Tyreke could come back with a jumpshot. Cousins could come back even better than last season. A regular training camp, with the normal amount of preseason games, along with summer league, would certainly help.

So we might win 35 games instead of 25 games. Whoopie! Still not good enough in my humble opinion. The other side of the coin is, I think that same team with a Sloan, or a McMillian, might tease us with the playoffs for most of the season. I wish no ill will on Smart. But it doesn't take a college professor to realize that Sloan, McMillian or Van Gundy, is a better coach than Smart right now. As they say, it all starts at the top. If the head is dead, the body is useless...

 

[Tyndel]

We can discuss trades, draft, etc., all Summer, but the bottom line is that whoever is on the squad next season is still going to be coached by Keith Smart, who led the Kings to finish dead last in points allowed per game. Sure he improved the offense, but he sacrificed D to do so, thereby canceling out anything positive he did in my mind.

I just gets under my skin b/c right now, there are some really solid coaches available. Nate Mcmillan, Jerry Sloan, Stan Van Gundy to name a few. But are we looking to pick up one of these coaches who all have serious post season and/or NBA finals experience?

Of course not. We're gonna stick w/ our 3rd year head coach who will likely get fired part way through the season just like Westphal, leaving us to hire another interim scrub.

I wish this post was more of a "we should get this guy" type of thread, but unfortunately, Smart is the cheapest option available, so he's our guy.

But wasn't last year amazingly fun to watch?....

The roster wasn't as unbalanced as we played it in my opinion and if we keep smart we will see that he likes that style this year. Maybe not as much but he will play it.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

But wasn't last year amazingly fun to watch?....

The roster wasn't as unbalanced as we played it in my opinion and if we keep smart we will see that he likes that style this year. Maybe not as much but he will play it.

Small ball?

 

[Gary]

Small ball?

As a season ticket holder the crowd was have a lot more fun and actually enjoying the games with Smart as the head coach. With Westfail the crowd was so quiet, and PBP was empty.

 

[mac]

As a season ticket holder the crowd was have a lot more fun and actually enjoying the games with Smart as the head coach. With Westfail the crowd was so quiet, and PBP was empty.

Would you rather have our uptempo fun style and win 25 games or the old Spurs boring as hell, would someone please make a shot defensive style of play that won them 3 rings?

 

[ParniValjak]

I also agree with the sentiments of the OP.
I have a bad feeling that if we start the season off with Smart we won't finish the season with Smart. And if we do happen to finish with Smart we won't be seeing him around for a 3rd season.

The fact is that we have enough raw talent to be competitive, but it's up to the coach to put things into place to allow the players to feed off each other and succeed.

I saw way too much failure the latter half of the season to allow me to have any hope for this upcoming one.

Look this is a certainty! I have no doubt about it!

A number of us have said that it was a mistake that we picked up Westphal's 3rd year at the end of last season and he would be the first coach fired the following season.

I have no doubt it will be the same with Smart and the problem in all this is that it will always be like this for as long as our owners are not able to pay $5-10 million per season for a good coach.

There are some good coaches available this summer so a serious franchise would never have picked up Smart's option for next season and would have signed a proven good NBA coach by the draft.

Just expect another seriously underwhelming off-season, a lot of PR bull**** about how we are going to play offs only to be a **** team again next year, Smart gets sacked and he is not replaced by a genuinely good NBA coach.

That's of course unless Stern and the NBA get the Maloofs out as our owners once the play offs are over.

 

[Gary]

Would you rather have our uptempo fun style and win 25 games or the old Spurs boring as hell, would someone please make a shot defensive style of play that won them 3 rings?

You sure you watched this Spurs this year? They were VERY fun to watch.. Much like the Kings of old.