http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14161485p-14989368c.html
Mark Kreidler: Adelman focuses on future of Kings
The coach doesn't let his contract status interfere with his work
By Mark Kreidler -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Everything I know about Rick Adelman tells me that Adelman would be receptive to an overture from the Maloofs to discuss a new contract for him as coach of the Kings. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
After all, it's no fun being like everybody else in town.
The Adelman bandwagon is a terrifying thing. People jump on and off so fast, and with such reckless abandon, that you risk your whiplashed neck in deciding to observe it.
Not too many weeks ago, Adelman was figured as a (dead) lame duck. The Kings no longer were responding to his coaching, or so the thinking went. The standings showed it.
Now, with Sacramento having won five in a row at home and showing sparks of life in the wake of the Ron Artest trade, there is a school of thought that Adelman may be precisely the guy to take care of this roster, with its personality challenges and its court potential.
I think what I thought before: Adelman is a better coach than anyone the Maloofs might reasonably consider to replace him. Without some wins, though, that won't matter. And Monday, as Adelman stood at the Kings' practice facility discussing the team's future, it was clear that, for the first time in a while, the coach was cautiously optimistic again.
Artest is in uniform, and Kevin Martin and Francisco García are, too. Adelman is suddenly thinking about the long run in Sacramento, even if it doesn't include him.
"Getting Ron and changing our team a little bit, and seeing these two young guys come up, I'm just trying to see if we can make something happen the last 30 games," Adelman said. "Because it's not just for trying to catch up and get into the playoffs. It's really kind of setting the basis for next year with these guys."
Next season with Adelman? Well, not so fast. As of today, Adelman's status is precisely where it was when the season began: He's in the final season of his contract, with time winding down.
That's not to say that either Joe or Gavin Maloof has been definitive on the matter. Their actions have been fairly straightforward (they didn't extend Adelman's deal beyond this season, and they contacted Phil Jackson's representative after last season to see if Jackson was interested in taking over), but Joe was quoted last week by Sports Illustrated as saying he'd like to have Adelman around "for many years to come."
"That's a decision that I'll make," Adelman said of his own future. "The only thing that would change that is if they came to me and said, 'We want you to coach next year,' and then you make that decision right then.
"But if that doesn't happen, then I'm going to do what I can this season. At the end of the season, I'm going to sit down with my wife and decide - whether I have a choice here or not - what I want to do."
As to Maloof's recent comments, Adelman already has noted, wryly, that while he appreciates the kind words, there's no new contract on his desk. But there was one aspect of Joe Maloof's conversation with SI that Adelman wanted to clarify.
"I heard he said I was upset about the Phil Jackson thing," Adelman said. "I was - last summer.
"But I haven't thought about that all year. I have other things to worry about than that. So maybe they think that's reality, but I haven't said to anybody that I was still mad about Phil Jackson."
Adelman was upset by the Jackson deal in part because he felt he was owed a phone call. But the whole thing felt trivial once the season began and the coach and Kings president Geoff Petrie realized their "core" wasn't working, that they couldn't retool a winner around Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby and Brad Miller.
That was the low point. Monday, Adelman again looked like a coach who could see a horizon line in the distance. He loves the energy and production he's getting from Martin and García, and Artest has taken the team in a new direction.
Adelman, that is, sees that he can play the Kings' future right now, and still honestly be attempting to win enough games to keep his job and be part of it. Beyond that, it's all about the bandwagon.
About the writer: Reach Mark Kreidler at (916) 321-1149 or mkreidler@sacbee.com
Mark Kreidler: Adelman focuses on future of Kings
The coach doesn't let his contract status interfere with his work
By Mark Kreidler -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Everything I know about Rick Adelman tells me that Adelman would be receptive to an overture from the Maloofs to discuss a new contract for him as coach of the Kings. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
After all, it's no fun being like everybody else in town.
The Adelman bandwagon is a terrifying thing. People jump on and off so fast, and with such reckless abandon, that you risk your whiplashed neck in deciding to observe it.
Not too many weeks ago, Adelman was figured as a (dead) lame duck. The Kings no longer were responding to his coaching, or so the thinking went. The standings showed it.
Now, with Sacramento having won five in a row at home and showing sparks of life in the wake of the Ron Artest trade, there is a school of thought that Adelman may be precisely the guy to take care of this roster, with its personality challenges and its court potential.
I think what I thought before: Adelman is a better coach than anyone the Maloofs might reasonably consider to replace him. Without some wins, though, that won't matter. And Monday, as Adelman stood at the Kings' practice facility discussing the team's future, it was clear that, for the first time in a while, the coach was cautiously optimistic again.
Artest is in uniform, and Kevin Martin and Francisco García are, too. Adelman is suddenly thinking about the long run in Sacramento, even if it doesn't include him.
"Getting Ron and changing our team a little bit, and seeing these two young guys come up, I'm just trying to see if we can make something happen the last 30 games," Adelman said. "Because it's not just for trying to catch up and get into the playoffs. It's really kind of setting the basis for next year with these guys."
Next season with Adelman? Well, not so fast. As of today, Adelman's status is precisely where it was when the season began: He's in the final season of his contract, with time winding down.
That's not to say that either Joe or Gavin Maloof has been definitive on the matter. Their actions have been fairly straightforward (they didn't extend Adelman's deal beyond this season, and they contacted Phil Jackson's representative after last season to see if Jackson was interested in taking over), but Joe was quoted last week by Sports Illustrated as saying he'd like to have Adelman around "for many years to come."
"That's a decision that I'll make," Adelman said of his own future. "The only thing that would change that is if they came to me and said, 'We want you to coach next year,' and then you make that decision right then.
"But if that doesn't happen, then I'm going to do what I can this season. At the end of the season, I'm going to sit down with my wife and decide - whether I have a choice here or not - what I want to do."
As to Maloof's recent comments, Adelman already has noted, wryly, that while he appreciates the kind words, there's no new contract on his desk. But there was one aspect of Joe Maloof's conversation with SI that Adelman wanted to clarify.
"I heard he said I was upset about the Phil Jackson thing," Adelman said. "I was - last summer.
"But I haven't thought about that all year. I have other things to worry about than that. So maybe they think that's reality, but I haven't said to anybody that I was still mad about Phil Jackson."
Adelman was upset by the Jackson deal in part because he felt he was owed a phone call. But the whole thing felt trivial once the season began and the coach and Kings president Geoff Petrie realized their "core" wasn't working, that they couldn't retool a winner around Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby and Brad Miller.
That was the low point. Monday, Adelman again looked like a coach who could see a horizon line in the distance. He loves the energy and production he's getting from Martin and García, and Artest has taken the team in a new direction.
Adelman, that is, sees that he can play the Kings' future right now, and still honestly be attempting to win enough games to keep his job and be part of it. Beyond that, it's all about the bandwagon.
About the writer: Reach Mark Kreidler at (916) 321-1149 or mkreidler@sacbee.com
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