Kreidler: Artest must lead way

[VF21]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14187645p-15014698c.html

Mark Kreidler: Artest must lead way for Sacramento
By Mark Kreidler -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, February 14, 2006

It's a quick-hit thought process coming out of a weekend. That's life.

* Can Ron Artest really lead this team somewhere? Win a game on the road, and then we'll talk.

I love the idea that Artest has come in and ratcheted up the energy level in the Kings' locker room and on the floor, but a leader helps teams win the tough games. You don't get style points for beating Atlanta at home. Chicago and Memphis on the road in a back-to-back scenario? That's different.

Win one or both of those. Lead a victory there. Then, and only then, does the conversation about a .500 record and the playoff push get truly interesting.

By the way: Understand what's being asked of Artest. The Kings are absolutely awful on the road - 6-17 heading into the Bulls game tonight - and staring down the gullet of a travel-heavy schedule.

Between now and the end of March, Sacramento plays 22 games. Fourteen of those are out there in suitcase land, and even though they're not all crushers (Atlanta, Portland, Golden State and a few others dot the schedule), the Kings are mired in a culture of losing on the road. It's tough to break, and they're looking directly to Artest to begin that process of change.

It is amazing to the point of wildly unfair that so much has been put on Artest so quickly; people generally forget that the man is still trying to work himself into NBA shape. But it is what it is: If the Kings are going anywhere besides the lottery at the end of the season, it will be largely - very significantly - because of what Artest is able to accomplish in the way of a paradigm shift in locker-room thinking.

And if this all points out how leadership-free the Kings were before the Artest trade, so be it. Better to know it now than in the middle of the next lost season. It's just that Artest doesn't even get a minute to think about it. If the Kings are going to find life on the road, he'll be the one breathing it into them.

About the writer: Reach Mark Kreidler at (916) 321-1149 or mkreidler@sacbee.com.

 

[thesanityannex]

. Better to know it now than in the middle of the next lost season. It's just that Artest doesn't even get a minute to think about it.

The less time he has to think about it, the better.

 

[Kings113]

Kings win at least one of these games.

 

[Bricklayer]

Well, we damn well better or we begin to put ourselves in an almost impossible position. Have to be around .500 on the road from here on out, and we desperately need some confidence.

Of course, I remain ambivalent about the value of actualy making the playoffs this year. Costs us a higher pick and chance for a REAL high pick, and all for a first round dismissal against the Spurs? But it would be nice to show some life and have something to build on even if we fall short. continuing to fail on the road has the potential to become a giant mental block that we just don't need.

 

[Kings113]

It could be Dallas though, and honestly, I wouldn't be scared of playing them as I would be with the Spurs.

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

It could be Dallas though, and honestly, I wouldn't be scared of playing them as I would be with the Spurs.

While I would have agreed with you a year ago on this, this year, Dallas is a team to be respected. Pretty much any way you slice it, we aren't good enough to beat a top level team in a 7 game series. Right now we're playing to get better for next year.

 

[4cwebb]

While I would have agreed with you a year ago on this, this year, Dallas is a team to be respected. Pretty much any way you slice it, we aren't good enough to beat a top level team in a 7 game series. Right now we're playing to get better for next year.

This may well be true, but Artest is one of the few defenders that is able to give Dirk problems b/c he's quick enough to stay with him on the perimeter, and strong enough to keep him from using his size advantage in the post. Kings chances against Dallas would be much better than against the Spurs, imho, as that team would just pound the ball inside all day (and Parker would leave Bibby flat-footed for an entire series).

 

[Kings113]

While I would have agreed with you a year ago on this, this year, Dallas is a team to be respected. Pretty much any way you slice it, we aren't good enough to beat a top level team in a 7 game series. Right now we're playing to get better for next year.

Oh, I respect them, I follow the league. They're having a great season, and are now truly a balanced, consistent team. But I simply wouldn't be scared of them because they don't have Tony Parker/Tim Duncan/Ginobili/Spurs bench (they didn't re-sign Horry, sign NVE/Finley for the reg. season)/Spurs experience.

Also who knows how we'll be at the end of March/early April.

Right now we're playing to get in the playoffs AND for next season.