http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14087143p-14917423c.html
Kings notes: Opposing coaches full of compliments
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Rick Adelman and Mike D'Antoni were teammates once, with the 1974-75 Kansas City-Omaha Kings.
D'Antoni, the Phoenix Suns' coach, said Adelman, his roommate then, was the tidy one and joked that he wasn't nearly as talented. Truth is, both scrambled for minutes behind Tiny Archibald, who dazzled the NBA that season with a 26.5 average. Three decades later, and neither man can believe he's coaching in the NBA. D'Antoni's first NBA lead gig was during the strike-shortened season of 1998-99 (also the first year Adelman coached the Kings). The Nuggets, woefully thin on talent, went 14-36, with D'Antoni the fall guy and lasting just the one season.
Adelman defends D'Antoni's NBA coaching start and current standing, much like D'Antoni defends Adelman's current plight, an injury-ravaged team stuck in last place in the Pacific Division, and overall Kings tenure.
"Mike had no chance in Denver," Adelman said. "They gave him that group, and everyone knew it'd be a bad group, and then they let him go. That happens. You get a bad situation, and there's not much you can do about it. You get a good group, and look what Mike's done."
Said D'Antoni of Adelman: "Oh, he's still a great coach. They're short-handed right now, and that's always hard. But the man's won 50-plus games all those years in a row. He's a great coach."
Walking wounded
Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim are inching closer to a return, though both are on the shelf indefinitely with a partial groin tear and a broken jaw, respectively.
Wells, averaging 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds, has been able to shoot in practice but not scrimmage.
Abdur-Rahim, averaging 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds, has had his jaw wired shut, meaning he can't even enjoy simple pleasures such as eating or talking, not to mention calling out for defensive help. The power forward has been cleared to scrimmage "a little," Adelman said.
Wells said he has to be smart about his return, careful not to let his competitive juices get the best of him.
"I've got to be smart because I don't want to yank the groin back out," the guard said. "I don't want to come back 'til I'm really ready, go out there and favor it. I don't want to be a liability."
In the meantime, Wells said he likes the efforts of Francisco García and Kevin Martin, who have absorbed a ton of his minutes.
"I like to see Francisco and Kevin have good games," he said. "I'm proud of them. They're my young guys. But some nights, when we're not clicking, that's when it's really frustrating for me because I can't go out there and help out."
Admiring Nash
Adelman has seen Steve Nash steer teams at breakneck speed for years, including during those spirited Dallas-Kings playoff series. Now, as Nash gets older, he seems to improve, with Phoenix again leading the NBA in scoring and Nash again leading the league in assists.
"You can't play that way unless you've got a guy like Nash, and he's the best in the league at what he does," Adelman said. "He sees everything on the floor. He can make adjustments as he goes, the same way (John) Stockton was, the same way Magic (Johnson) was."
Knocking down pins
The Peja Stojakovic Children's Foundation and Group Seven that includes former Kings leader Vlade Divac is hosting the fourth annual Charitabowl tonight at Country Club Lanes, with all proceeds and donations to benefit Stojakovic's homeland of Serbia & Montenegro and the Boys and Girls Club of the Sacramento region. The event starts at 6 p.m. with VIP tickets, general admission tickets, individual bowler specials and other items or events that can be purchased. Visit pejavlade.com for more information.
About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916) 321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com.
Kings notes: Opposing coaches full of compliments
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Rick Adelman and Mike D'Antoni were teammates once, with the 1974-75 Kansas City-Omaha Kings.
D'Antoni, the Phoenix Suns' coach, said Adelman, his roommate then, was the tidy one and joked that he wasn't nearly as talented. Truth is, both scrambled for minutes behind Tiny Archibald, who dazzled the NBA that season with a 26.5 average. Three decades later, and neither man can believe he's coaching in the NBA. D'Antoni's first NBA lead gig was during the strike-shortened season of 1998-99 (also the first year Adelman coached the Kings). The Nuggets, woefully thin on talent, went 14-36, with D'Antoni the fall guy and lasting just the one season.
Adelman defends D'Antoni's NBA coaching start and current standing, much like D'Antoni defends Adelman's current plight, an injury-ravaged team stuck in last place in the Pacific Division, and overall Kings tenure.
"Mike had no chance in Denver," Adelman said. "They gave him that group, and everyone knew it'd be a bad group, and then they let him go. That happens. You get a bad situation, and there's not much you can do about it. You get a good group, and look what Mike's done."
Said D'Antoni of Adelman: "Oh, he's still a great coach. They're short-handed right now, and that's always hard. But the man's won 50-plus games all those years in a row. He's a great coach."
Walking wounded
Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim are inching closer to a return, though both are on the shelf indefinitely with a partial groin tear and a broken jaw, respectively.
Wells, averaging 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds, has been able to shoot in practice but not scrimmage.
Abdur-Rahim, averaging 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds, has had his jaw wired shut, meaning he can't even enjoy simple pleasures such as eating or talking, not to mention calling out for defensive help. The power forward has been cleared to scrimmage "a little," Adelman said.
Wells said he has to be smart about his return, careful not to let his competitive juices get the best of him.
"I've got to be smart because I don't want to yank the groin back out," the guard said. "I don't want to come back 'til I'm really ready, go out there and favor it. I don't want to be a liability."
In the meantime, Wells said he likes the efforts of Francisco García and Kevin Martin, who have absorbed a ton of his minutes.
"I like to see Francisco and Kevin have good games," he said. "I'm proud of them. They're my young guys. But some nights, when we're not clicking, that's when it's really frustrating for me because I can't go out there and help out."
Admiring Nash
Adelman has seen Steve Nash steer teams at breakneck speed for years, including during those spirited Dallas-Kings playoff series. Now, as Nash gets older, he seems to improve, with Phoenix again leading the NBA in scoring and Nash again leading the league in assists.
"You can't play that way unless you've got a guy like Nash, and he's the best in the league at what he does," Adelman said. "He sees everything on the floor. He can make adjustments as he goes, the same way (John) Stockton was, the same way Magic (Johnson) was."
Knocking down pins
The Peja Stojakovic Children's Foundation and Group Seven that includes former Kings leader Vlade Divac is hosting the fourth annual Charitabowl tonight at Country Club Lanes, with all proceeds and donations to benefit Stojakovic's homeland of Serbia & Montenegro and the Boys and Girls Club of the Sacramento region. The event starts at 6 p.m. with VIP tickets, general admission tickets, individual bowler specials and other items or events that can be purchased. Visit pejavlade.com for more information.
About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916) 321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com.
