from the sacbee
Kings notes: Better effort is needed to have winning Kings
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, November 1,
Rick Adelman has already blown a gasket, and the Kings' regular-season opener is still one day away.
The coach, whose teams have won at least 55 games the past four seasons, knows those victories were earned, not awarded. And after his Kings did little to earn anything other than the spectators' wrath during the first half of Friday night's preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns, Adelman lost it.
"I've never yelled at a team like I did at halftime of that game," the coach said Sunday afternoon following a three-hour workout at the Kings' practice facility. "That was embarrassing.
"I don't care if it was an exhibition or what. We're playing at home, and we're down 28 points (at halftime). That's never happened since I've been coaching. The way (the team) went about it was just unbelievable.
"I know we'll respond on Tuesday (in Dallas against the Mavericks) and play a lot better. But that's frustrating. It makes you really wonder as a coach."
Adelman didn't say it directly, but the Kings played the final two preseason games in a manner that will get a coach fired. Since he still hopes to receive an OK on the team's contract option for next season, Adelman hopes the players who have recently led one of the NBA's most successful teams will reappear quickly.
"They've done things that a lot of teams can't do," Adelman said. "They've maintained a certain level year after year, and they've always come back and they stayed there. And before they know it, that could change. That could be gone, and we don't want that to happen this year."
Power forward Chris Webber sat out Friday's game, but he played Thursday in Dallas, where the Kings were also abysmal. Webber claims he's ready to go, as is the team.
"We can only blame ourselves," he said. "Coaches put the game plan out there, but if we don't have personal pride against somebody scoring against you, you have to get (bleeped) off and say, I don't want that to happen again. And that's what our discussion was (Sunday).
"But we're going to be all right. I'm not going to be the one to panic. I'll let all the stories be written and people say they don't know this and don't know that about our team, but I'm not going be panicking."
Adelman said his team had a better attitude Sunday than they displayed Friday.
"I think eyes were opened," he said. "We looked at defensive film, and it was like we thought it was. I think really the core guys coming back, those are the ones I really talked to. We said all along that they had to come out and play when they played. And I don't believe they did.
"We talked about the way we played offensively and defensively, and we should have been better than that. But you can't do anything about it now. But the concentration (Sunday) in practice was totally different (compared to Friday's game) because I think they were a little bit embarrassed by what went on. And let's face it, if those guys don't play at a high level at the start of the season, we're going to be hurting.
"So you've got to point it out, you've got to see it transform in practice and you've got to see it transform into the game. That'll be the test.
Said Kings center Brad Miller: "I'd rather play like (expletive) now than next week."
Et cetera - The Kings held off on making roster cuts partly so they can see how guard Doug Christie (plantar fasciitis, left foot) responds to practicing today and how X-rays on center Greg Ostertag's fractured right hand come out. * Adelman said Courtney Alexander (sore left foot) will be placed on the injured list, but the guard was told he needs to begin practicing every day.
Kings notes: Better effort is needed to have winning Kings
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, November 1,
Rick Adelman has already blown a gasket, and the Kings' regular-season opener is still one day away.
The coach, whose teams have won at least 55 games the past four seasons, knows those victories were earned, not awarded. And after his Kings did little to earn anything other than the spectators' wrath during the first half of Friday night's preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns, Adelman lost it.
"I've never yelled at a team like I did at halftime of that game," the coach said Sunday afternoon following a three-hour workout at the Kings' practice facility. "That was embarrassing.
"I don't care if it was an exhibition or what. We're playing at home, and we're down 28 points (at halftime). That's never happened since I've been coaching. The way (the team) went about it was just unbelievable.
"I know we'll respond on Tuesday (in Dallas against the Mavericks) and play a lot better. But that's frustrating. It makes you really wonder as a coach."
Adelman didn't say it directly, but the Kings played the final two preseason games in a manner that will get a coach fired. Since he still hopes to receive an OK on the team's contract option for next season, Adelman hopes the players who have recently led one of the NBA's most successful teams will reappear quickly.
"They've done things that a lot of teams can't do," Adelman said. "They've maintained a certain level year after year, and they've always come back and they stayed there. And before they know it, that could change. That could be gone, and we don't want that to happen this year."
Power forward Chris Webber sat out Friday's game, but he played Thursday in Dallas, where the Kings were also abysmal. Webber claims he's ready to go, as is the team.
"We can only blame ourselves," he said. "Coaches put the game plan out there, but if we don't have personal pride against somebody scoring against you, you have to get (bleeped) off and say, I don't want that to happen again. And that's what our discussion was (Sunday).
"But we're going to be all right. I'm not going to be the one to panic. I'll let all the stories be written and people say they don't know this and don't know that about our team, but I'm not going be panicking."
Adelman said his team had a better attitude Sunday than they displayed Friday.
"I think eyes were opened," he said. "We looked at defensive film, and it was like we thought it was. I think really the core guys coming back, those are the ones I really talked to. We said all along that they had to come out and play when they played. And I don't believe they did.
"We talked about the way we played offensively and defensively, and we should have been better than that. But you can't do anything about it now. But the concentration (Sunday) in practice was totally different (compared to Friday's game) because I think they were a little bit embarrassed by what went on. And let's face it, if those guys don't play at a high level at the start of the season, we're going to be hurting.
"So you've got to point it out, you've got to see it transform in practice and you've got to see it transform into the game. That'll be the test.
Said Kings center Brad Miller: "I'd rather play like (expletive) now than next week."
Et cetera - The Kings held off on making roster cuts partly so they can see how guard Doug Christie (plantar fasciitis, left foot) responds to practicing today and how X-rays on center Greg Ostertag's fractured right hand come out. * Adelman said Courtney Alexander (sore left foot) will be placed on the injured list, but the guard was told he needs to begin practicing every day.
