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Just thought i'd share this from Hoopsworld.com.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_12747.shtml
The Kings Summer Report
By C. Sawyer
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Wed, 11 May 2005, 18:20
BACK AND THINKING FORWARD
50 wins. Who would think that a 50-win season could be as tumultuous as this. Things got right off to a bad start going 0-3 down in Texas. The season looked upside down anyway with Phoenix and Seattle playing like fire, which everyone knew would never last. But after a difficult beginning, the Kings looked to have righted the ship. By mid-December the Sacramento Kings had just put together a string of wins, with no consecutive losses, to be at 17-7. Not in the spotlight as in the past, due to the hype of Miami v. LA, and the surprise of Phoenix and Seattle, the Kings were still a team to be reckoned with, having one of the tops records in the league.
But this is the Kings and it is December so it’s about time for someone to be injured. Tuesday, December 21, a win, but at a price, unfortunately, for the Kings, a price they are getting used to paying. Bobby Jackson went down with a hand injury for what would be the rest of the season. From that point on the team faced one obstacle after another and was never able to find a way to pull together.
From the sidelines or the suites, the front office was watching the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle Sonics style of play light up the airwaves. Offense was the name of the game and without Mr. Instant Offense the Kings would never catch Phoenix in the standings and could risk a possible 4th seed in the playoffs. Changes for the team had been mulled about for a while but the time had come to shake things up, make a move, create some waves. Unfortunately those waves just about toppled the ship that was the Kings.
The first splash was the trade of team leader and defensive stalwart Doug Christie to Orlando for a streaky shooter, Cuttino Mobley. This trade seemed to shake the foundation of Arco, but on second glance maybe it was a move in the right direction. Christie, although still the soul of the Sacramento Kings, was not having a great year. His stats were down and he was getting older. Without the offense from Bobby Jackson having Christie on the court was becoming a liability to the Kings scoring abilities. Although many realized that the Kings were giving up more than just steals per game, that they were losing an asset that could not be quantified, it seemed like a progressive decision for the usually conservative Geoff Petrie to make.
And Mobley did his best to make Kings fans embrace him. After the trade, the Kings went on a 6-game winning streak. Mobley seemed to fit in without a hitch, Chris Webber was on fire, Peja was getting open looks, and the Kings looked like maybe they might even catch Phoenix. There was a hopeful buzz in Arco.
But, alas, injury struck again and Peja missed 6 games, the Kings struggled without his scoring presence. Although they were 4-2 they looked like they were missing something. Peja returned for a handful of games and things just got worse with Sacramento losing 4 games in a row, a first in years. At this point the Kings looked like they lacked the energy and enthusiasm needed to win. They had no inside presence and were playing erratically. They had some heartbreaking losses like the goal-tending call against Phoenix, which they could have used that to motivate themselves, instead they just seemed to sink further into their own abyss. No one on the Kings made the all-star team, another potential motivator, but again no inspiration seemed strong enough to propel the Kings out of their funk. Maybe they needed something drastic.
Then as the Kings were limping along something drastic did indeed come to pass. Days before the trade deadline, among all they hype of trading Peja, a trade was announced. Chris Webber was sent packing to Philly. Shock waves registered. Fans, teammates, sports pundits, it was inconceivable on many levels. The Kings were trading away the face of the Sacramento Kings. The Kings were trading away a scorer, a rebounder and a team leader. And somehow the Kings were able to trade away what everyone assumed was an untradeable contract. Many were disgruntled, many were pleased, and all were stunned. And what were they getting in return? Corliss Williamson, at least a familiar name, with a ring from last season; Kenny Thomas, not sure about this guy; and Brian Skinner, who? There was no way these three could possibly replace the stats that the Kings would lose with Webber. Oh well, at least they had salary flexibility, time to write the season off.
But not so fast. There was something exciting about these guys. They actually played some ball in the paint and they were willing to play defense and they seemed tough. Unusual sights out there on the Arco court. Fans and players warmed to these three fast, especially Skinner. It wasn’t your typical “Kings” basketball but these guys seemed to gut it out. It was fun to watch.
Then, of course, chomp – the injury bug bites big again. Brad Miller out for the rest of the season, first with a thigh contusion, so it didn’t seem so dreadful, but then someone broke another mirror and Miller broke his leg doing basically nothing. Don’t tell me there is no jinx.
Without Miller the Kings are not the Kings. You can’t play in the NBA and win without a big man. And especially for Sacramento, their game plan is centered on having a big man in the high post that can pass. They willingly gave up Webber but they didn’t know they would lose Miller too. However much heart Thomas and Skinner may have that cannot compensate for playing multiple games together and knowing each other. Without Miller and Webber just about every bit of running this team landed on Mike Bibby’s shoulders, and ultimately that weight would be just a bit too much. Cuttino Mobley did his best to help ease the burden, but as with Skinner and Thomas, there is only so much a new guy can do in these circumstances. To make matters worse, Bibby played most of the rest of the season with a sprained ankle, Skinner with jammed thumbs and Peja with all sorts of various nagging injuries. All teams have to deal with injuries but for some reason the Kings seem to get more than their fair share year after year.
As the season wound down the Kings struggled to keep their heads above water. The mentality, and not a good one in my opinion, was any playoff seed would be fine, just make the playoffs. They seemed to accept their fate and expect to lose. After Miller’s injury the Kings finished off the last 30 games of the season with a 15-15 record and a 6th seed, for every win they had a loss and for every positive aspect of their game their seemed to be a negative one as well.
Yes, Miller and Jackson were able to make it back for the playoffs against another ‘injury recovering’ Seattle team. But they were never able to figure out how to get it to work. Every problem they experienced during the regular season was magnified during the playoffs. Too erratic, no energy, bad timing, poor decisions, they had some moments, like the bench’s inspiring effort in game 2 and the solid game at Arco for game 3, but nothing held together. And that seemed to be the theme for the entire season. From trades, to injuries, to the play on the floor, to wins, the Kings just could not hold it together.
Looking back, the Kings this season lost their vision (Vlade), their heart (Webber) and their soul (Christie) seemingly too much to overcome. However, they still have their guts (Bibby), attitude (Miller), style (Peja) and vitality (Jackson). The Kings started the season without Vlade and just from that alone many people were writing them off. The trade of Christie and Webber was another blow. But losing Jackson and Miller to injuries was just too much to endure. By the end of the season the core of seven was only two – and you can only get so far on guts and style.
In perspective it’s surprising that were able to win 50 games. It is also disappointing that they couldn’t find a way to get 4 more in the playoffs.
The Kings have a turbulent off-season ahead of them. Players, coaches and staff have a lot of work to do. The players have to regroup and recharge themselves. Of the 14 that were on the roster at the end of the regular season it is an unknown as to who will return. Most likely Bibby and Miller, but I would place no guarantees on anyone.
There are no guarantees on the coaching staff either. The battle for Phil Jackson has caused its own turmoil. Although, in my personal opinion, I think Phil is a great coach, I think he could do a lot with Bibby, Peja and Miller as his core, and I think that he would attract some great talent to the team, I don’t think he will wind up in Sacramento. I understand that the Maloofs had the obligation to see if they could get him, but unfortunately in the long run it will probably do more harm than good.
Ultimately, it all starts and ends with the front office; Petrie and the Maloofs. They need to regroup and recharge themselves also. They need to determine what they want this team's identity to be, and then find the players to get there. It won’t be an easy task.
In the (many) weeks to come I will discuss some of the possibilities. A bit about the players, the coaches and the front office goals. Drafts, trades, free agencies, what the Kings have now, what they need and what they will probably get. Let me know what you think.
C. Sawyer is a freelance writer for Hoopsworld.com and welcomes your thoughts and comments on the Kings, basketball, or anything else
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_12747.shtml
The Kings Summer Report
By C. Sawyer
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Wed, 11 May 2005, 18:20
BACK AND THINKING FORWARD
50 wins. Who would think that a 50-win season could be as tumultuous as this. Things got right off to a bad start going 0-3 down in Texas. The season looked upside down anyway with Phoenix and Seattle playing like fire, which everyone knew would never last. But after a difficult beginning, the Kings looked to have righted the ship. By mid-December the Sacramento Kings had just put together a string of wins, with no consecutive losses, to be at 17-7. Not in the spotlight as in the past, due to the hype of Miami v. LA, and the surprise of Phoenix and Seattle, the Kings were still a team to be reckoned with, having one of the tops records in the league.
But this is the Kings and it is December so it’s about time for someone to be injured. Tuesday, December 21, a win, but at a price, unfortunately, for the Kings, a price they are getting used to paying. Bobby Jackson went down with a hand injury for what would be the rest of the season. From that point on the team faced one obstacle after another and was never able to find a way to pull together.
From the sidelines or the suites, the front office was watching the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle Sonics style of play light up the airwaves. Offense was the name of the game and without Mr. Instant Offense the Kings would never catch Phoenix in the standings and could risk a possible 4th seed in the playoffs. Changes for the team had been mulled about for a while but the time had come to shake things up, make a move, create some waves. Unfortunately those waves just about toppled the ship that was the Kings.
The first splash was the trade of team leader and defensive stalwart Doug Christie to Orlando for a streaky shooter, Cuttino Mobley. This trade seemed to shake the foundation of Arco, but on second glance maybe it was a move in the right direction. Christie, although still the soul of the Sacramento Kings, was not having a great year. His stats were down and he was getting older. Without the offense from Bobby Jackson having Christie on the court was becoming a liability to the Kings scoring abilities. Although many realized that the Kings were giving up more than just steals per game, that they were losing an asset that could not be quantified, it seemed like a progressive decision for the usually conservative Geoff Petrie to make.
And Mobley did his best to make Kings fans embrace him. After the trade, the Kings went on a 6-game winning streak. Mobley seemed to fit in without a hitch, Chris Webber was on fire, Peja was getting open looks, and the Kings looked like maybe they might even catch Phoenix. There was a hopeful buzz in Arco.
But, alas, injury struck again and Peja missed 6 games, the Kings struggled without his scoring presence. Although they were 4-2 they looked like they were missing something. Peja returned for a handful of games and things just got worse with Sacramento losing 4 games in a row, a first in years. At this point the Kings looked like they lacked the energy and enthusiasm needed to win. They had no inside presence and were playing erratically. They had some heartbreaking losses like the goal-tending call against Phoenix, which they could have used that to motivate themselves, instead they just seemed to sink further into their own abyss. No one on the Kings made the all-star team, another potential motivator, but again no inspiration seemed strong enough to propel the Kings out of their funk. Maybe they needed something drastic.
Then as the Kings were limping along something drastic did indeed come to pass. Days before the trade deadline, among all they hype of trading Peja, a trade was announced. Chris Webber was sent packing to Philly. Shock waves registered. Fans, teammates, sports pundits, it was inconceivable on many levels. The Kings were trading away the face of the Sacramento Kings. The Kings were trading away a scorer, a rebounder and a team leader. And somehow the Kings were able to trade away what everyone assumed was an untradeable contract. Many were disgruntled, many were pleased, and all were stunned. And what were they getting in return? Corliss Williamson, at least a familiar name, with a ring from last season; Kenny Thomas, not sure about this guy; and Brian Skinner, who? There was no way these three could possibly replace the stats that the Kings would lose with Webber. Oh well, at least they had salary flexibility, time to write the season off.
But not so fast. There was something exciting about these guys. They actually played some ball in the paint and they were willing to play defense and they seemed tough. Unusual sights out there on the Arco court. Fans and players warmed to these three fast, especially Skinner. It wasn’t your typical “Kings” basketball but these guys seemed to gut it out. It was fun to watch.
Then, of course, chomp – the injury bug bites big again. Brad Miller out for the rest of the season, first with a thigh contusion, so it didn’t seem so dreadful, but then someone broke another mirror and Miller broke his leg doing basically nothing. Don’t tell me there is no jinx.
Without Miller the Kings are not the Kings. You can’t play in the NBA and win without a big man. And especially for Sacramento, their game plan is centered on having a big man in the high post that can pass. They willingly gave up Webber but they didn’t know they would lose Miller too. However much heart Thomas and Skinner may have that cannot compensate for playing multiple games together and knowing each other. Without Miller and Webber just about every bit of running this team landed on Mike Bibby’s shoulders, and ultimately that weight would be just a bit too much. Cuttino Mobley did his best to help ease the burden, but as with Skinner and Thomas, there is only so much a new guy can do in these circumstances. To make matters worse, Bibby played most of the rest of the season with a sprained ankle, Skinner with jammed thumbs and Peja with all sorts of various nagging injuries. All teams have to deal with injuries but for some reason the Kings seem to get more than their fair share year after year.
As the season wound down the Kings struggled to keep their heads above water. The mentality, and not a good one in my opinion, was any playoff seed would be fine, just make the playoffs. They seemed to accept their fate and expect to lose. After Miller’s injury the Kings finished off the last 30 games of the season with a 15-15 record and a 6th seed, for every win they had a loss and for every positive aspect of their game their seemed to be a negative one as well.
Yes, Miller and Jackson were able to make it back for the playoffs against another ‘injury recovering’ Seattle team. But they were never able to figure out how to get it to work. Every problem they experienced during the regular season was magnified during the playoffs. Too erratic, no energy, bad timing, poor decisions, they had some moments, like the bench’s inspiring effort in game 2 and the solid game at Arco for game 3, but nothing held together. And that seemed to be the theme for the entire season. From trades, to injuries, to the play on the floor, to wins, the Kings just could not hold it together.
Looking back, the Kings this season lost their vision (Vlade), their heart (Webber) and their soul (Christie) seemingly too much to overcome. However, they still have their guts (Bibby), attitude (Miller), style (Peja) and vitality (Jackson). The Kings started the season without Vlade and just from that alone many people were writing them off. The trade of Christie and Webber was another blow. But losing Jackson and Miller to injuries was just too much to endure. By the end of the season the core of seven was only two – and you can only get so far on guts and style.
In perspective it’s surprising that were able to win 50 games. It is also disappointing that they couldn’t find a way to get 4 more in the playoffs.
The Kings have a turbulent off-season ahead of them. Players, coaches and staff have a lot of work to do. The players have to regroup and recharge themselves. Of the 14 that were on the roster at the end of the regular season it is an unknown as to who will return. Most likely Bibby and Miller, but I would place no guarantees on anyone.
There are no guarantees on the coaching staff either. The battle for Phil Jackson has caused its own turmoil. Although, in my personal opinion, I think Phil is a great coach, I think he could do a lot with Bibby, Peja and Miller as his core, and I think that he would attract some great talent to the team, I don’t think he will wind up in Sacramento. I understand that the Maloofs had the obligation to see if they could get him, but unfortunately in the long run it will probably do more harm than good.
Ultimately, it all starts and ends with the front office; Petrie and the Maloofs. They need to regroup and recharge themselves also. They need to determine what they want this team's identity to be, and then find the players to get there. It won’t be an easy task.
In the (many) weeks to come I will discuss some of the possibilities. A bit about the players, the coaches and the front office goals. Drafts, trades, free agencies, what the Kings have now, what they need and what they will probably get. Let me know what you think.
C. Sawyer is a freelance writer for Hoopsworld.com and welcomes your thoughts and comments on the Kings, basketball, or anything else
