piksi
Hall of Famer
Let's start with a couple of disclaimers for all of You that are new to this.
1) The "crap' written here is the way I see things and You aren't required to agree or even read it. If You see things otherwise - feel free to express in any way that You want to and that is within the rules and regulations of this board. This has been around since 2003/2004 season and the main purpose of it to make sure that VF21 can keep the PBP thread clean because she works hard enough without us making it harder by spamming her thread.
2) If You are new - You will find many abbreviation that won't be familiar to You and that is okay. Someone will eventually tell You what they mean but I will not write down those definitions specifically every time.
3) Due to several reasons (such as my work, more traveling and the fact that Ron Artest is still in the "holy" uniform etc), I might not be able/willing to do this night, after night, after night and others will be needed to step up and keep this going. Some of You have already done it and it isn't hard - it just takes time.
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Welcome to the 2007/2008 season of Kings basketball, but be aware that You are entering it at Your own risk. It will be long and very painful and You will need to either look at the big picture (future) or to pick out little things to keep You going because the present isn't bright and Kings don't have the "right now" to focus on. We had a great "yesterday" and we have a uncertain tomorrow but there is no today because our today is a transition phase in its early stage and while we are hoping that it is a transition to something better - we really don't know.
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We have to make a peace with the past. It was great while it lasted but it is past and it even feels like it was a lifetime ago. I used to open every game thread with reminiscing the victories of the past and that is over. We don't need to be reminded of things that we won't forget anyways and we don't need to make things harder on us by comparing the Adelman era to whatever this is because it is impossible. That team was special and any other team in the future no matter what it achieves it still won't be that team. Call it a "first love" syndrome, call it whatever You want but it is what it is.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last season was wasted in many ways. In fact if You look past Kevin's great development - Kings made things actually worse. In the NBA - if You stand still - You regress and we didn't even stand still. We regressed the old fashioned way by making one mistake after another after another. We couldn't win when we needed and we couldn't lose when we needed. We didn't do anything right. Consequently, we were left with no playoffs, a mediocre draft pick, a team that isn't going anywhere and an ex coach that is being paid 5 million $ so that he doesn't coach us and every penny of those 5 millions is worth it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The last - never ending season was replaced by unproductive and also never ending summer in which nothing happened as a worst of all scenarios. When I say nothing - I look at the big picture. We did get a new coach who doesn't seam to be a Microsoft kind of a guy and who has big advantage in a fact that he can't possibly be worse than Muss. His job isn't easy and we have to wish him best of luck because he will need it. Muss asked for 50 games before being able to know what team he has and got 82 too many. Coach T gets 82 games to show that he can coach. 82 games that can be used as training on the job because they won't matte much. We will see how he does it. So far he hasn't been arrested yet which is a start.
The draft passed by and we got a kid with potential and bad knees. What else is new. We will judge him when we see him but it is very questionable how much we will see him and how often we will see him. The opportunity to draft better was wasted in March and April by linning meaningless games. Couple more wosses would have made the difference. Thanks again Muss. Hope You get to coach Lakers one day.
Finally, as I expected there were no trades of any magnitude simply because we have nothing that anyone could possibly want unless we want to part with Kevin which we don't. Our trading assets were a PG with a chronic defense allergy coming of a truly pathetic season shooting as well as Steve Wonder, a lunatic as stable as a 3 legged chair which 2 other legs we glued with Elmer's glue, a anti rebounding center with bad feet and a flexible piece leftover from the Webber trade in 1835. At least we didn't take someone else's nuclear waste. I never thought that I would ever say this but this summer for a moment I wished that Danny Ainge was our GM. BTW - Thanks Corliss - You will be missed.
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I don't do preseason because it is a waste of time and it has never been good to us. Last preseason game I watched involved DC's fist and Rick Fox chin. It was great and i knew back then that it can't be beaten ever. Since the Kings preseasons consisted of bunch of meaningless games in between injuries,suspensions and arrests. Another groundhog day in the Kingdom.
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2007/2008 is the 1st NBA season after the referee scandal and that alone will be interesting. Get ready for lots of complaining all year long. There is no doubt about that NBA has lost a good deal of credibility and that the damage control is needed. I don't know how it will work out and I could care less. I don't even need to find out details about specific games that were "fixed." Those things have happened before and they will happen again - not just in basketball and not only on this continent. I have seen fixed games before in soccer and I have seen them in the NBA. It ruins the sport but it is our reality. When I was young, dumb and idealistic I used to think that the game (soccer, basketball, etc) is above such things but as I said - I was young, dumb and realistic. I grew up. Money comes first and foremost.
Other than that - things didn't change much. Things that were good are still good or got even better. Most teams that sucked still do and some of the teams changed their fortunes like Boston or Portland. It will be an exciting NBA season with Kings as bystander. NBA champ will be decided in one of the Las Vegas casinos again.
RIP Eddie Giffin - former TDM award winner
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kings new season is important in terms of cleaning up the mess and starting over. Last season was a waste of time and we can not afford another one like that. We have got to do everything possible to finally start rebuilding and this time for real. We have to find a way to trade most of the veterans keeping only Kenny Thomas because he is way too flexible to get rid of him. We need to get picks and Young talent and when that happens we can actually play to win. We won't make postseason for the 2nd straight time. Thinking otherwise is very delusional and rather unhealthy. Best thing that can happen to us is to lose and lose some more. Now, obviously - we won't get lucky in the lottery but we can not afford another 10th pick. There is a real danger that Kings get back into the big black hole in which they were before 1998 and once we fall into that vicious circle - the way out will be hard to find and where the Kings will be located - is a mystery. The "future" has to start today or there might not be a tomorrow.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's see what do we have here:
We have Mike Bibby that is stuck in a bad movie which is an insult to his injury which will sideline him for a while. It sucks for him and for us because I expected him to make up for the last season and gets his trade value high. This is his last season as a King and we can only hope that he can come back and get in shape before trading deadline so we can get something. He deserves to play competative basketball which isn't something that we can currently offer.
Brad Miller seams to be healthy and motivated again bur Brad isn't a difference maker on a bad team. Right now it seams that except the hair style - there isn't anything wrong with him. He is probably most likely to stay and that is okay for now
Ron Artest - O.J. light is suspended for the first 7 games which is no surprise. One would think that it is a good thing because it only leaves him 75 games to screw up again. Unfortunately, the math is a little different in his case. The probability of him screwing up is still around 100 % despite 7 less opportunities to do so. Let's face it - this isn't a question of "if' - it is a question of ""when" and "how bad." What we can hope for is that he keeps it together long enough for us to unload him somewhere - anywhere. I can't wait for the day when Ron Artest nightmare is over for us and I will celebrate that occasion excessively. Keep in mind - only thing that he isn't capable of is feeding his dogs. Tick, tick, tick...
Kevin Martin will hopefully stay healthy and continue his amazing development. He won't be an all star yet because his team won't do well enough but that isn't important at the moment. I am looking forward to see how he will adjust to the fact the defenses will take him very seriously as they should.
Kenny Thomas - is still our starting "something." Just great
. He will remain to be our something to the year 2386 when his contract expires.
SAR - will yet again miss the postseason and if it wasn't for Rick Adelman - he would have a place in history as a best player that never played past "April 15th." He still has a title of a best player ever that never really mattered. Is he healthy anyways ?
Garcia - can he finally grow up or are we yet again going to see his consistent inconsistency ? It would be nice to see him develop into a high energy reliable substitute. For him - it is now or never at leats in the Kings uniform
Douby - can he be our new "Kevin Martin." It would be great. The kid has potential and hopefully he can take an advantage of a given opportunity. We sure could use another bright light in this darkness.
Hawes - needs to heal and to take it easy. Hopefully he can show us something in the 2nd part of the season. We need to be patient with him and hope that his knees will last for a while. Welcome to the Kings and good luck to You
Green - hopefully not a new "Jason Hart." I haven't seen him much so I will wait before passing a judgment, setting my expectations low as usual.
Moore - not sure why we need another one of those but he is here and let's hope that he will be remembered for more than his bad hair and his ability to torch us while playing for Nets
Salmons - He is a very decent role player who will have to do more this season and it will be interesting to see how he deals with that
Coach T - gets a grace period of 40 games unless he gets arrested for drunk driving or unless he mentions power point.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1) The "crap' written here is the way I see things and You aren't required to agree or even read it. If You see things otherwise - feel free to express in any way that You want to and that is within the rules and regulations of this board. This has been around since 2003/2004 season and the main purpose of it to make sure that VF21 can keep the PBP thread clean because she works hard enough without us making it harder by spamming her thread.
2) If You are new - You will find many abbreviation that won't be familiar to You and that is okay. Someone will eventually tell You what they mean but I will not write down those definitions specifically every time.
3) Due to several reasons (such as my work, more traveling and the fact that Ron Artest is still in the "holy" uniform etc), I might not be able/willing to do this night, after night, after night and others will be needed to step up and keep this going. Some of You have already done it and it isn't hard - it just takes time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the 2007/2008 season of Kings basketball, but be aware that You are entering it at Your own risk. It will be long and very painful and You will need to either look at the big picture (future) or to pick out little things to keep You going because the present isn't bright and Kings don't have the "right now" to focus on. We had a great "yesterday" and we have a uncertain tomorrow but there is no today because our today is a transition phase in its early stage and while we are hoping that it is a transition to something better - we really don't know.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have to make a peace with the past. It was great while it lasted but it is past and it even feels like it was a lifetime ago. I used to open every game thread with reminiscing the victories of the past and that is over. We don't need to be reminded of things that we won't forget anyways and we don't need to make things harder on us by comparing the Adelman era to whatever this is because it is impossible. That team was special and any other team in the future no matter what it achieves it still won't be that team. Call it a "first love" syndrome, call it whatever You want but it is what it is.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last season was wasted in many ways. In fact if You look past Kevin's great development - Kings made things actually worse. In the NBA - if You stand still - You regress and we didn't even stand still. We regressed the old fashioned way by making one mistake after another after another. We couldn't win when we needed and we couldn't lose when we needed. We didn't do anything right. Consequently, we were left with no playoffs, a mediocre draft pick, a team that isn't going anywhere and an ex coach that is being paid 5 million $ so that he doesn't coach us and every penny of those 5 millions is worth it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The last - never ending season was replaced by unproductive and also never ending summer in which nothing happened as a worst of all scenarios. When I say nothing - I look at the big picture. We did get a new coach who doesn't seam to be a Microsoft kind of a guy and who has big advantage in a fact that he can't possibly be worse than Muss. His job isn't easy and we have to wish him best of luck because he will need it. Muss asked for 50 games before being able to know what team he has and got 82 too many. Coach T gets 82 games to show that he can coach. 82 games that can be used as training on the job because they won't matte much. We will see how he does it. So far he hasn't been arrested yet which is a start.
The draft passed by and we got a kid with potential and bad knees. What else is new. We will judge him when we see him but it is very questionable how much we will see him and how often we will see him. The opportunity to draft better was wasted in March and April by linning meaningless games. Couple more wosses would have made the difference. Thanks again Muss. Hope You get to coach Lakers one day.
Finally, as I expected there were no trades of any magnitude simply because we have nothing that anyone could possibly want unless we want to part with Kevin which we don't. Our trading assets were a PG with a chronic defense allergy coming of a truly pathetic season shooting as well as Steve Wonder, a lunatic as stable as a 3 legged chair which 2 other legs we glued with Elmer's glue, a anti rebounding center with bad feet and a flexible piece leftover from the Webber trade in 1835. At least we didn't take someone else's nuclear waste. I never thought that I would ever say this but this summer for a moment I wished that Danny Ainge was our GM. BTW - Thanks Corliss - You will be missed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't do preseason because it is a waste of time and it has never been good to us. Last preseason game I watched involved DC's fist and Rick Fox chin. It was great and i knew back then that it can't be beaten ever. Since the Kings preseasons consisted of bunch of meaningless games in between injuries,suspensions and arrests. Another groundhog day in the Kingdom.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2007/2008 is the 1st NBA season after the referee scandal and that alone will be interesting. Get ready for lots of complaining all year long. There is no doubt about that NBA has lost a good deal of credibility and that the damage control is needed. I don't know how it will work out and I could care less. I don't even need to find out details about specific games that were "fixed." Those things have happened before and they will happen again - not just in basketball and not only on this continent. I have seen fixed games before in soccer and I have seen them in the NBA. It ruins the sport but it is our reality. When I was young, dumb and idealistic I used to think that the game (soccer, basketball, etc) is above such things but as I said - I was young, dumb and realistic. I grew up. Money comes first and foremost.
Other than that - things didn't change much. Things that were good are still good or got even better. Most teams that sucked still do and some of the teams changed their fortunes like Boston or Portland. It will be an exciting NBA season with Kings as bystander. NBA champ will be decided in one of the Las Vegas casinos again.
RIP Eddie Giffin - former TDM award winner
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kings new season is important in terms of cleaning up the mess and starting over. Last season was a waste of time and we can not afford another one like that. We have got to do everything possible to finally start rebuilding and this time for real. We have to find a way to trade most of the veterans keeping only Kenny Thomas because he is way too flexible to get rid of him. We need to get picks and Young talent and when that happens we can actually play to win. We won't make postseason for the 2nd straight time. Thinking otherwise is very delusional and rather unhealthy. Best thing that can happen to us is to lose and lose some more. Now, obviously - we won't get lucky in the lottery but we can not afford another 10th pick. There is a real danger that Kings get back into the big black hole in which they were before 1998 and once we fall into that vicious circle - the way out will be hard to find and where the Kings will be located - is a mystery. The "future" has to start today or there might not be a tomorrow.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's see what do we have here:
We have Mike Bibby that is stuck in a bad movie which is an insult to his injury which will sideline him for a while. It sucks for him and for us because I expected him to make up for the last season and gets his trade value high. This is his last season as a King and we can only hope that he can come back and get in shape before trading deadline so we can get something. He deserves to play competative basketball which isn't something that we can currently offer.
Brad Miller seams to be healthy and motivated again bur Brad isn't a difference maker on a bad team. Right now it seams that except the hair style - there isn't anything wrong with him. He is probably most likely to stay and that is okay for now
Ron Artest - O.J. light is suspended for the first 7 games which is no surprise. One would think that it is a good thing because it only leaves him 75 games to screw up again. Unfortunately, the math is a little different in his case. The probability of him screwing up is still around 100 % despite 7 less opportunities to do so. Let's face it - this isn't a question of "if' - it is a question of ""when" and "how bad." What we can hope for is that he keeps it together long enough for us to unload him somewhere - anywhere. I can't wait for the day when Ron Artest nightmare is over for us and I will celebrate that occasion excessively. Keep in mind - only thing that he isn't capable of is feeding his dogs. Tick, tick, tick...
Kevin Martin will hopefully stay healthy and continue his amazing development. He won't be an all star yet because his team won't do well enough but that isn't important at the moment. I am looking forward to see how he will adjust to the fact the defenses will take him very seriously as they should.
Kenny Thomas - is still our starting "something." Just great
. He will remain to be our something to the year 2386 when his contract expires. SAR - will yet again miss the postseason and if it wasn't for Rick Adelman - he would have a place in history as a best player that never played past "April 15th." He still has a title of a best player ever that never really mattered. Is he healthy anyways ?
Garcia - can he finally grow up or are we yet again going to see his consistent inconsistency ? It would be nice to see him develop into a high energy reliable substitute. For him - it is now or never at leats in the Kings uniform
Douby - can he be our new "Kevin Martin." It would be great. The kid has potential and hopefully he can take an advantage of a given opportunity. We sure could use another bright light in this darkness.
Hawes - needs to heal and to take it easy. Hopefully he can show us something in the 2nd part of the season. We need to be patient with him and hope that his knees will last for a while. Welcome to the Kings and good luck to You
Green - hopefully not a new "Jason Hart." I haven't seen him much so I will wait before passing a judgment, setting my expectations low as usual.
Moore - not sure why we need another one of those but he is here and let's hope that he will be remembered for more than his bad hair and his ability to torch us while playing for Nets
Salmons - He is a very decent role player who will have to do more this season and it will be interesting to see how he deals with that
Coach T - gets a grace period of 40 games unless he gets arrested for drunk driving or unless he mentions power point.
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. I will hope for a good performance, effort and a woss. Also everyone will hopefully stay healthy.
even when the sky is falling.
) Great job, Piksi, as per usual. Like VF21, I usually read them more than once. 
