To blow up the Kings or not to blow up the Kings?
It's a dilemma with which the brass at Arco Arena has little experience.
Basketball president Geoff Petrie has built a celebrated career either by inheriting a good team and taking it to the NBA Finals (Portland) or transforming a team into a title contender from nothing (the Kings).
But presiding over the crash of an eight-season joy ride of annual playoff runs? Viewing the eighth seed of the Western Conference as a daunting battle for a Kings army filled with question marks? Yes, these issues were dogging the Kings at this time last season, but this feels different. This feel like a new crossroads, a rough one. The fans are spoiled now, the tickets expensive. That old habit of winning -- like puppy love washed down with beer and hot dogs -- has made everyone more demanding, less impressionable -- and less patient.
The temptation for the Kings is to keep competing, to keep tinkering, which is what they did by pulling the trigger on the Ron Artest trade one year ago today.
Wednesday night, Artest's looming anniversary served as a reminder of how good he can be -- he scored 36 points against Milwaukee -- and how this season differs from last.
With a twinkle in his eye and a smile, Artest boldly predicted a Kings playoff run last season and made good on it. Wednesday, his mood was serious, his demeanor somber.
"Hopefully, we can have that same Cinderella ending and go a little bit further," Artest said. "We're pretty sick of the losses."
When asked if this Kings team could reach the playoffs, Artest said: "I still feel the same way, and I'm definitely not going to go back on my word."
It sounded like Artest, minus last year's conviction and charm -- a metaphor for a season lacking in conviction and last season's finishing spunk.
With Wednesday night's 114-106 win over Milwaukee, the Kings have won three of four after losing seven in a row, but Artest wasn't impressed.
The Kings beat two losing teams and a .500 squad decimated by injuries -- and they had to sweat profusely to do it and suffer certain indignities.
When Earl Boykins -- at 5-foot-5 in sneakers -- lights you up for a career-high 36 points as he did the Kings on Wednesday night, it's easy to understand Artest's weariness over the "Isn't it cool you won?" questions from the media.
"That game didn't mean anything -- we're supposed to win these games," he said. "We're going to find out what kind of team we are on the road."
At 5-12 away from Arco -- one of the worst road marks in the NBA -- the Kings could face a painful reckoning if a looming four-game trip goes badly.
What if the Kings roll over some more the way they did at Detroit? Or if they disappear in the fourth quarter the way they did at Toronto? Or if they come back with nothing but their tails between their legs? Then we come back to the original question we posed here: Would that be enough proof that the retooling wasn't working and the rebuilding was a vital pill to swallow?
"We're now in definite transition, though we're trying to short-cut that," Petrie said Wednesday. "We're going to have to wait and see how feasible that might be."
You couldn't help wondering, while leaving Arco Arena on Wednesday night, whether beating the woeful Bucks -- and taking a gift-wrapped comeback from the New Jersey Nets -- only prolonged the hard decisions Petrie might have to make.
It's a tough spot for him and surely one for the Kings' owners -- guys who wear their emotions on their Kings replica jerseys and tend to stay away when times are tough.
The Maloofs weren't here Wednesday -- or Monday, for that matter -- but you know what? They can go away, but the issue at hand will not.
Reach Marcos Bretón at (916) 321-1096 or mbreton@ sacbee.com. Back columns: www.sacbee.com/breton.
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/113387.html
It's a dilemma with which the brass at Arco Arena has little experience.
Basketball president Geoff Petrie has built a celebrated career either by inheriting a good team and taking it to the NBA Finals (Portland) or transforming a team into a title contender from nothing (the Kings).
But presiding over the crash of an eight-season joy ride of annual playoff runs? Viewing the eighth seed of the Western Conference as a daunting battle for a Kings army filled with question marks? Yes, these issues were dogging the Kings at this time last season, but this feels different. This feel like a new crossroads, a rough one. The fans are spoiled now, the tickets expensive. That old habit of winning -- like puppy love washed down with beer and hot dogs -- has made everyone more demanding, less impressionable -- and less patient.
The temptation for the Kings is to keep competing, to keep tinkering, which is what they did by pulling the trigger on the Ron Artest trade one year ago today.
Wednesday night, Artest's looming anniversary served as a reminder of how good he can be -- he scored 36 points against Milwaukee -- and how this season differs from last.
With a twinkle in his eye and a smile, Artest boldly predicted a Kings playoff run last season and made good on it. Wednesday, his mood was serious, his demeanor somber.
"Hopefully, we can have that same Cinderella ending and go a little bit further," Artest said. "We're pretty sick of the losses."
When asked if this Kings team could reach the playoffs, Artest said: "I still feel the same way, and I'm definitely not going to go back on my word."
It sounded like Artest, minus last year's conviction and charm -- a metaphor for a season lacking in conviction and last season's finishing spunk.
With Wednesday night's 114-106 win over Milwaukee, the Kings have won three of four after losing seven in a row, but Artest wasn't impressed.
The Kings beat two losing teams and a .500 squad decimated by injuries -- and they had to sweat profusely to do it and suffer certain indignities.
When Earl Boykins -- at 5-foot-5 in sneakers -- lights you up for a career-high 36 points as he did the Kings on Wednesday night, it's easy to understand Artest's weariness over the "Isn't it cool you won?" questions from the media.
"That game didn't mean anything -- we're supposed to win these games," he said. "We're going to find out what kind of team we are on the road."
At 5-12 away from Arco -- one of the worst road marks in the NBA -- the Kings could face a painful reckoning if a looming four-game trip goes badly.
What if the Kings roll over some more the way they did at Detroit? Or if they disappear in the fourth quarter the way they did at Toronto? Or if they come back with nothing but their tails between their legs? Then we come back to the original question we posed here: Would that be enough proof that the retooling wasn't working and the rebuilding was a vital pill to swallow?
"We're now in definite transition, though we're trying to short-cut that," Petrie said Wednesday. "We're going to have to wait and see how feasible that might be."
You couldn't help wondering, while leaving Arco Arena on Wednesday night, whether beating the woeful Bucks -- and taking a gift-wrapped comeback from the New Jersey Nets -- only prolonged the hard decisions Petrie might have to make.
It's a tough spot for him and surely one for the Kings' owners -- guys who wear their emotions on their Kings replica jerseys and tend to stay away when times are tough.
The Maloofs weren't here Wednesday -- or Monday, for that matter -- but you know what? They can go away, but the issue at hand will not.
Reach Marcos Bretón at (916) 321-1096 or mbreton@ sacbee.com. Back columns: www.sacbee.com/breton.
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/113387.html
