http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...8vLYF?slug=sk-kings030907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Kings' crossing
By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
March 9, 2007
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It's all Robert Horry's fault.
At least that's what 15,000 Sacramento Kings fans seemed to be inferring each time they booed the Spurs forward during San Antonio's 100-93 victory at Arco Arena on Thursday night.
It was Horry, after all, who delivered a punch in the gut to Kings fans everywhere with his buzzer-beating three-pointer in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals. Horry's shot turned the tide in the series for the Lakers and kept the Kings from advancing to the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history. It also marked the beginning of a slow decline for one of the most exciting, well-balanced teams of this decade.
Sacramento has fielded solid clubs since Horry's infamous shot, but none that were serious title contenders. That 2002 squad represented the culmination of a brilliant reclamation project by general manager Geoff Petrie, whose series of moves – including the hiring of Rick Adelman, trades for Chris Webber and Mike Bibby and the free-agent signing of Vlade Divac – turned what had been one of the NBA's laughingstock franchises into one of its most admired.
Petrie built a team that was exciting to watch – flashy but efficient offensively, and highly underrated defensively. Three straight playoff appearances from 1999 to 2001 provided much needed postseason experience, and by 2002 the club looked ready to win it all. For much of that season, the Kings had the league's best offense and the best defense, leading the NBA in both points scored and field goal percentage defense. Their long-suffering fans were giddy with the anticipation of a championship.
Then came Horry's shot, and Kings fans watched in agony as the Lakers went on to win the title they thought should have been theirs. A year later, Webber went down with a knee injury in the playoffs, and the Kings lost in the Western Conference semifinals to Dallas. When Sacramento again suffered a second-round knockout in 2004 – this time to the Timberwolves – it became apparent that the end of the run was near.
With the core group from that 2002 team growing older, Petrie made a series of tough decisions the next couple of years aimed at positioning the franchise for future success while maintaining competitiveness. He traded Webber to Philadelphia, shipped Doug Christie to Orlando and moved Hedo Turkoglu to San Antonio. Bobby Jackson was traded to Memphis, and eventually, Peja Stojakovic was dealt for Ron Artest.
Petrie's moves kept the Kings competitive, but they didn't help the franchise recapture the magic of 2002. Playoff appearances the last two seasons were short-lived, and this year the team finds itself fighting for the final playoff spot in the West. The prize would be an inevitable first-round knockout at the hands of the Mavericks.
The end result to all this is that the Kings find themselves in the NBA's version of no-man's land. They're good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to do any damage. Though Petrie hasn't made any public comments regarding his plans, it would appear that he is ready to blow the team up and start over.
He dangled Mike Bibby at the trade deadline, hoping to clear salary-cap space and perhaps add a good young player or a draft pick. While the trade didn't materialize, it did provide insight into what Petrie is thinking. Trading Bibby – the face of the franchise – would indicate a major shift in priorities: wiping the slate clean and planning for the future.
If that's the case, then Bibby and Brad Miller could perhaps be dealt this summer. Artest, who is in the midst of a domestic abuse case and has been suspended indefinitely by the team, could be on the block, too. The one "untouchable" player on the roster is Kevin Martin, a future All-Star two guard. But you can't build an entire team around Martin – he's not that kind of a player.
In the end, it would appear the Kings will have to get worse before they can get better. Throw in the fact that the franchise and the city are in the midst of a long dispute over a potential new arena, and it looks like the team is in for a few lean years ahead.
And it's all Horry's fault.
Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send Steve a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Kings' crossing
By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
March 9, 2007
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It's all Robert Horry's fault.
At least that's what 15,000 Sacramento Kings fans seemed to be inferring each time they booed the Spurs forward during San Antonio's 100-93 victory at Arco Arena on Thursday night.
It was Horry, after all, who delivered a punch in the gut to Kings fans everywhere with his buzzer-beating three-pointer in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals. Horry's shot turned the tide in the series for the Lakers and kept the Kings from advancing to the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history. It also marked the beginning of a slow decline for one of the most exciting, well-balanced teams of this decade.
Sacramento has fielded solid clubs since Horry's infamous shot, but none that were serious title contenders. That 2002 squad represented the culmination of a brilliant reclamation project by general manager Geoff Petrie, whose series of moves – including the hiring of Rick Adelman, trades for Chris Webber and Mike Bibby and the free-agent signing of Vlade Divac – turned what had been one of the NBA's laughingstock franchises into one of its most admired.
Petrie built a team that was exciting to watch – flashy but efficient offensively, and highly underrated defensively. Three straight playoff appearances from 1999 to 2001 provided much needed postseason experience, and by 2002 the club looked ready to win it all. For much of that season, the Kings had the league's best offense and the best defense, leading the NBA in both points scored and field goal percentage defense. Their long-suffering fans were giddy with the anticipation of a championship.
Then came Horry's shot, and Kings fans watched in agony as the Lakers went on to win the title they thought should have been theirs. A year later, Webber went down with a knee injury in the playoffs, and the Kings lost in the Western Conference semifinals to Dallas. When Sacramento again suffered a second-round knockout in 2004 – this time to the Timberwolves – it became apparent that the end of the run was near.
With the core group from that 2002 team growing older, Petrie made a series of tough decisions the next couple of years aimed at positioning the franchise for future success while maintaining competitiveness. He traded Webber to Philadelphia, shipped Doug Christie to Orlando and moved Hedo Turkoglu to San Antonio. Bobby Jackson was traded to Memphis, and eventually, Peja Stojakovic was dealt for Ron Artest.
Petrie's moves kept the Kings competitive, but they didn't help the franchise recapture the magic of 2002. Playoff appearances the last two seasons were short-lived, and this year the team finds itself fighting for the final playoff spot in the West. The prize would be an inevitable first-round knockout at the hands of the Mavericks.
The end result to all this is that the Kings find themselves in the NBA's version of no-man's land. They're good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to do any damage. Though Petrie hasn't made any public comments regarding his plans, it would appear that he is ready to blow the team up and start over.
He dangled Mike Bibby at the trade deadline, hoping to clear salary-cap space and perhaps add a good young player or a draft pick. While the trade didn't materialize, it did provide insight into what Petrie is thinking. Trading Bibby – the face of the franchise – would indicate a major shift in priorities: wiping the slate clean and planning for the future.
If that's the case, then Bibby and Brad Miller could perhaps be dealt this summer. Artest, who is in the midst of a domestic abuse case and has been suspended indefinitely by the team, could be on the block, too. The one "untouchable" player on the roster is Kevin Martin, a future All-Star two guard. But you can't build an entire team around Martin – he's not that kind of a player.
In the end, it would appear the Kings will have to get worse before they can get better. Throw in the fact that the franchise and the city are in the midst of a long dispute over a potential new arena, and it looks like the team is in for a few lean years ahead.
And it's all Horry's fault.
Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send Steve a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
