Kings still have work to do - ESPN Insider
- Thread starter thedofd
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I guess that the team not being used to Webber on the floor didn't matter. I guess that Miller's injured elbow didn't matter. I guess Vlade's disappearing act didn't matter. I guess the signifigantly tougher schedule didn't matter either.
I wore a blue shirt the day I got a flat tire, so I obviously shouldn't wear blue shirts any more, right?
I wore a blue shirt the day I got a flat tire, so I obviously shouldn't wear blue shirts any more, right?
I could give a crap about the regular season. Yea, it was a shame that the team struggled, lost games they shouldn't have. Certainly some of it was do to integrating Chris, who was just coming of a potentially career ending injury. How convenient to dismiss, totally, the other factors at work. Tougher schedule, Bobby out, Brad injured, missing games, and far less effective than when he was healthy. Let's also totally dismiss the fact that the Kings of the early season ranked dead last in almost every statistical defensive catagory.
In the Play-Offs, when it mattered, which players stepped up for us? Chris, on one good leg, was one of the ones that did.
In the Play-Offs, when it mattered, which players stepped up for us? Chris, on one good leg, was one of the ones that did.
Bball ... Webber didn't do badly in the playoffs. And we do not know that it was, in fact, Webber's fault for Peja's current little snit. Just as many people are saying it's the Maloof's fault because they didn't give the okay to pay Vlade enough to stay.
There's no need to yell. We can all read what you're saying...
There's no need to yell. We can all read what you're saying...
Webber was the one who said he wasn't talking about Peja when he made his comments after we lost to the Twolves. He said something to the effect that it wasn't Peja's fault if his shots weren't falling, sometimes you go through shooting slumps. It seems more likely that Peja's request for a trade is just him being a drama-queen. I would bet that it was caused as much by Vlade's departure as by anything that Webber said.
The main impetous seems to be the fact he thought the Kings organization treated Vlade unfairly in not offering him more money. Should we blame Chris for that?
You don't honestly believe Peja is THAT weak minded he would demand a trade because Webb said the team needed to get tougher, do you? Do we really want him if he is?
You don't honestly believe Peja is THAT weak minded he would demand a trade because Webb said the team needed to get tougher, do you? Do we really want him if he is?
Bball - Look, all we're saying is there are a bunch of really sharp basketball fans on this forum. If you're going to make statements without substance in fact they're going to call you on them...
Webber did badly last year, mostly in the season? He didn't play in most of the season. When he did, no one with a scintilla of basketball knowledge expected him to be 100% right off the bat. As Adelman has said since in interviews, he knew it was gonna be tough for Webber but he (Adelman) also knew we were dead in the playoffs if Webb didn't come back.
No one knows, for sure, why Peja is ticked off. Remember, as Kingsgurl pointed out in another thread, Peja also wanted to quit the NBA after his first year and Vlade had to talk him into staying. This isn't new with Peja...
Now, can we all just get along?
Webber did badly last year, mostly in the season? He didn't play in most of the season. When he did, no one with a scintilla of basketball knowledge expected him to be 100% right off the bat. As Adelman has said since in interviews, he knew it was gonna be tough for Webber but he (Adelman) also knew we were dead in the playoffs if Webb didn't come back.
No one knows, for sure, why Peja is ticked off. Remember, as Kingsgurl pointed out in another thread, Peja also wanted to quit the NBA after his first year and Vlade had to talk him into staying. This isn't new with Peja...
Now, can we all just get along?
Some people view things very differently.
When did he rip Peja (I assume that's who you're referring to when you speak of the best player; I don't agree, but that's a prevalent and respectable opinion) and support his departure?
I remember him saying: "I want to play with people who work hard.... Peja is a hard worker."
I don't see how that can be misconstrued to give you the belief that he ripped Peja (maybe something else is the interview makes you think that), and I certainly don't see how you can think that he wants Peja gone, not in light of that comment.
The things that were listed above were a good start. But there are more.
I'm not saying that Chris Webber is the consummate professional and that he can do no wrong. I'm saying that, at this point in time, I'd rather have Chris Webber than have no power forward at all. I'd rather have him than Bryant Reeves or Allan Houston, too. And I think that most "Kings fans" would agree with me.
Is he overpaid? Yes. Has he contributed to - perhaps even caused - chemistry issues? Yes. Has he been injury prone since he's been here? Yes. Has he missed 25% of the games? Yes. Has the team played okay without him? Yes. Does the team need him, healthy, (or a player with similar talent and ability) to win a championship? Yes, this season that is the case. Would I rather have him here than there? Yes.
When did he rip Peja (I assume that's who you're referring to when you speak of the best player; I don't agree, but that's a prevalent and respectable opinion) and support his departure?
I remember him saying: "I want to play with people who work hard.... Peja is a hard worker."
I don't see how that can be misconstrued to give you the belief that he ripped Peja (maybe something else is the interview makes you think that), and I certainly don't see how you can think that he wants Peja gone, not in light of that comment.
The things that were listed above were a good start. But there are more.
I'm not saying that Chris Webber is the consummate professional and that he can do no wrong. I'm saying that, at this point in time, I'd rather have Chris Webber than have no power forward at all. I'd rather have him than Bryant Reeves or Allan Houston, too. And I think that most "Kings fans" would agree with me.
Is he overpaid? Yes. Has he contributed to - perhaps even caused - chemistry issues? Yes. Has he been injury prone since he's been here? Yes. Has he missed 25% of the games? Yes. Has the team played okay without him? Yes. Does the team need him, healthy, (or a player with similar talent and ability) to win a championship? Yes, this season that is the case. Would I rather have him here than there? Yes.
Darn it, I'm late again!
No fair, Monk, KG and VF21 get to have all the fun. Now everyone is going to play nice/fair before I get a say in it!
Oh well, for future reference I guess:
-For someone who played "bad," Webb did relatively good. If bad is scoring 16-plus points 19 times, grabbing seven-plus rebounds 18 times and handing out four-plus assists in 16 games (I had more #'s on the assists, but they got lost in the meltdown), then I'd love to see what "horrible" looks like.
-Webb had hold drilled in his knees, had almost all the muscle in his leg deteriorate and then had to rehab for 10 months, not playing basketball, something he's done almost his whole life, 300 days to only come back and put on an amazing performance at Arco vs. the Clippers. Who else could have done that? Who? Peja, and no offense to him but I don't think so. Any one else? I highly doubt it. For that simple fact, and you could even add in there that his skills havn't diminished and his less than normal play was due more to lack of mobility and physical problems rather than diminished skills, makes him IMHO still the best player on the team. THAT BEING SAID it doesn't matter. The Kings just don't need him in top form, they need Peja, Mike, Doug, Brad, Bobby and who ever else wants to step up.
No fair, Monk, KG and VF21 get to have all the fun. Now everyone is going to play nice/fair before I get a say in it!Oh well, for future reference I guess:
-For someone who played "bad," Webb did relatively good. If bad is scoring 16-plus points 19 times, grabbing seven-plus rebounds 18 times and handing out four-plus assists in 16 games (I had more #'s on the assists, but they got lost in the meltdown), then I'd love to see what "horrible" looks like.
-Webb had hold drilled in his knees, had almost all the muscle in his leg deteriorate and then had to rehab for 10 months, not playing basketball, something he's done almost his whole life, 300 days to only come back and put on an amazing performance at Arco vs. the Clippers. Who else could have done that? Who? Peja, and no offense to him but I don't think so. Any one else? I highly doubt it. For that simple fact, and you could even add in there that his skills havn't diminished and his less than normal play was due more to lack of mobility and physical problems rather than diminished skills, makes him IMHO still the best player on the team. THAT BEING SAID it doesn't matter. The Kings just don't need him in top form, they need Peja, Mike, Doug, Brad, Bobby and who ever else wants to step up.
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We were also 8-4 in the first 12. No one remembers that it took 12 more games for us to start losing after Webber came back. Wouldn't the negative effects of his presence have hurt us immediately? Why would it take 12 games for his cancerous presence to start dropping games for us?
The reasons we went 12-12 in our final 24 were Webber's prolonged integration, Vlade's hibernation, Brad's injury, Bobby's injury, and the much tougher schedule in late March and April. To blame it solely on Webb is out of this world to me. People preach about how much Bobby means to this team, and then ignore his absence when talking about our slide last season. People are so shocked that Vlade left because "he meant so much to the Kings", but ignore the fact that he decided - and commented on his decision - to take it easy down the stretch.
And let's not talk about the playoffs. Peja's the best player on the team? Okay, then why is it Webber's fault that we got bounced, when Peja mailed it in 4 out of 5 nights?
:: sighs prayerfully ::
Boy, I'll tell ya... this offseason can't end soon enough...