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Kings are winging it
With Webber gone, they try to fit new pieces
Janny Hu
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Mike Dunleavy had one of those "Uh-oh" moments on Thursday night, when during a last-second defensive scramble, Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic wound up open for a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Even though Dunleavy managed to get a hand up, he knew better than to feel secure in the Warriors' fate.
"He makes tough shots," Dunleavy said of Stojakovic. "That's one of those things where if he makes it, you just shake his hand and say, 'Good job.' "
Stojakovic, of course, did not make the shot, leaving thousands of Kings fans in attendance to instead shake their heads.
The Kings' clutch shooter missing in an ultra-clutch situation? Doug Christie and Chris Webber no longer around? Brad Miller around, but in street clothes?
Now there's an uh-oh.
So much has changed in Sacramento this year, directions are needed to navigate its roster. The Kings pulled off two huge in-season trades after making no midseason moves since 1988.
First, Christie, the defensive whiz, was traded to Orlando for scorer Cuttino Mobley on Jan. 10. Six weeks later, Webber was shipped to Philadelphia for forwards Kenny Thomas, Brian Skinner and Corliss Williamson.
Then, and perhaps most importantly, Miller was lost for at least a month when the center fractured his left fibula on Mar. 12 during a layup drill.
"It feels like it's been a long year," said Darius Songaila, Webber's replacement in the starting lineup. "I can't tell you what (change has) been harder than any one."
Webber's trade on Feb. 23 was easily the most surprising -- and surprisingly beneficial. The consensus around the league was that the Kings had been robbed, looted of their All-Star forward and given scraps in return. Yet Webber has struggled with the Sixers while Sacramento has won seven of its 12 games with its new big men.
According to several coaches, the Kings are a better offensive team without Webber. Sacramento's offense had been geared to run sets off the high post, with the ball moving from point guard Mike Bibby to either Webber or Miller, but possessions often ended with a shot by Webber.
With Webber gone and Miller sidelined, the Kings are now a work in progress, much like the Warriors. Sacramento coach Rick Adelman is trying to prime his roster for a playoff run, but even he did not know exactly what his new players are capable of.
"It's a new offense," Adelman said. "Right now, you've got to rely on Mike and Peja and Cuttino, but we're not sure what Kenny and these other guys can do. So maybe you can add something, but we're doing it on the fly right now."
The burden has mainly fallen on Bibby, who has played 40 or more minutes in his last six games, scoring 20-plus points three times. Adelman would like to get Bibby more rest, but like Phoenix and Steve Nash, the Kings' offense seems to tank whenever Bibby goes to the bench, especially with Miller also out.
"It's just an offense you have to read, have to know what to look for, when to look for it. It's a timing offense," Skinner said. "You have a lot of different options, and if the first option isn't open, it's how fast you can get to the second or third. We're starting to feel comfortable with it."
"Guys are out, guys are hurt, it's hard to get the big picture right now, " Songaila added. "Once we get back to normal, I think we're going to be very good."
How good can they be? Dallas, Houston, Sacramento and Memphis are all within five games of each other while occupying the fourth-thru-seventh slots in the Western Conference playoff race.
"Then you got the teams that are behind, the Denvers, who have been playing really well, the Lakers, Minnesota," Adelman said. "What you want to do is keep separating yourselves, because I've seen strange things happen. When you go on a six or seven-game losing streak and suddenly, you're right back there. An injury here or there and you're in trouble."
Guard Bobby Jackson has not played since tearing a wrist ligament on Dec. 26. Last year Jackson and Webber missed a combined 101 games due to injury. The year before, Bibby sat out 27 games, Jackson 21, Stojakovic 10 and Webber 15.
Still, the Kings have remained a force through the regular season and playoffs, thanks largely to their role players. Songaila is averaging double- digits and shooting better than 50 percent from the field, and Skinner is averaging a double-double (11.1 points, 10.6 rebounds) in place of Miller.
Their improvement has helped put Adelman on the brink of a coaching milestone, perhaps much earlier than expected after the Webber trade. With one more win, Adelman will reach 700 for his career.
Sixty-six of those came with the Warriors during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons, which turned out to be his only two campaigns without a playoff appearance. Adelman will appropriately have his first shot at No. 700 against the Warriors tonight at Arco Arena.
"It means you've been in good situations, you appreciate it more," Adelman said of the milestone. "I was in two tough years when I coached here, and other coaches have bad situations and they don't get that opportunity. So I think you really do appreciate it.
"Anybody who says you don't is nuts."
E-mail Janny Hu at jhu@sfchronicle.com.
Kings are winging it
With Webber gone, they try to fit new pieces
Janny Hu
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Mike Dunleavy had one of those "Uh-oh" moments on Thursday night, when during a last-second defensive scramble, Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic wound up open for a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Even though Dunleavy managed to get a hand up, he knew better than to feel secure in the Warriors' fate.
"He makes tough shots," Dunleavy said of Stojakovic. "That's one of those things where if he makes it, you just shake his hand and say, 'Good job.' "
Stojakovic, of course, did not make the shot, leaving thousands of Kings fans in attendance to instead shake their heads.
The Kings' clutch shooter missing in an ultra-clutch situation? Doug Christie and Chris Webber no longer around? Brad Miller around, but in street clothes?
Now there's an uh-oh.
So much has changed in Sacramento this year, directions are needed to navigate its roster. The Kings pulled off two huge in-season trades after making no midseason moves since 1988.
First, Christie, the defensive whiz, was traded to Orlando for scorer Cuttino Mobley on Jan. 10. Six weeks later, Webber was shipped to Philadelphia for forwards Kenny Thomas, Brian Skinner and Corliss Williamson.
Then, and perhaps most importantly, Miller was lost for at least a month when the center fractured his left fibula on Mar. 12 during a layup drill.
"It feels like it's been a long year," said Darius Songaila, Webber's replacement in the starting lineup. "I can't tell you what (change has) been harder than any one."
Webber's trade on Feb. 23 was easily the most surprising -- and surprisingly beneficial. The consensus around the league was that the Kings had been robbed, looted of their All-Star forward and given scraps in return. Yet Webber has struggled with the Sixers while Sacramento has won seven of its 12 games with its new big men.
According to several coaches, the Kings are a better offensive team without Webber. Sacramento's offense had been geared to run sets off the high post, with the ball moving from point guard Mike Bibby to either Webber or Miller, but possessions often ended with a shot by Webber.
With Webber gone and Miller sidelined, the Kings are now a work in progress, much like the Warriors. Sacramento coach Rick Adelman is trying to prime his roster for a playoff run, but even he did not know exactly what his new players are capable of.
"It's a new offense," Adelman said. "Right now, you've got to rely on Mike and Peja and Cuttino, but we're not sure what Kenny and these other guys can do. So maybe you can add something, but we're doing it on the fly right now."
The burden has mainly fallen on Bibby, who has played 40 or more minutes in his last six games, scoring 20-plus points three times. Adelman would like to get Bibby more rest, but like Phoenix and Steve Nash, the Kings' offense seems to tank whenever Bibby goes to the bench, especially with Miller also out.
"It's just an offense you have to read, have to know what to look for, when to look for it. It's a timing offense," Skinner said. "You have a lot of different options, and if the first option isn't open, it's how fast you can get to the second or third. We're starting to feel comfortable with it."
"Guys are out, guys are hurt, it's hard to get the big picture right now, " Songaila added. "Once we get back to normal, I think we're going to be very good."
How good can they be? Dallas, Houston, Sacramento and Memphis are all within five games of each other while occupying the fourth-thru-seventh slots in the Western Conference playoff race.
"Then you got the teams that are behind, the Denvers, who have been playing really well, the Lakers, Minnesota," Adelman said. "What you want to do is keep separating yourselves, because I've seen strange things happen. When you go on a six or seven-game losing streak and suddenly, you're right back there. An injury here or there and you're in trouble."
Guard Bobby Jackson has not played since tearing a wrist ligament on Dec. 26. Last year Jackson and Webber missed a combined 101 games due to injury. The year before, Bibby sat out 27 games, Jackson 21, Stojakovic 10 and Webber 15.
Still, the Kings have remained a force through the regular season and playoffs, thanks largely to their role players. Songaila is averaging double- digits and shooting better than 50 percent from the field, and Skinner is averaging a double-double (11.1 points, 10.6 rebounds) in place of Miller.
Their improvement has helped put Adelman on the brink of a coaching milestone, perhaps much earlier than expected after the Webber trade. With one more win, Adelman will reach 700 for his career.
Sixty-six of those came with the Warriors during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons, which turned out to be his only two campaigns without a playoff appearance. Adelman will appropriately have his first shot at No. 700 against the Warriors tonight at Arco Arena.
"It means you've been in good situations, you appreciate it more," Adelman said of the milestone. "I was in two tough years when I coached here, and other coaches have bad situations and they don't get that opportunity. So I think you really do appreciate it.
"Anybody who says you don't is nuts."
E-mail Janny Hu at jhu@sfchronicle.com.
