Michael Malone (allegedly) opposed extensions for DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay

[Prince_XY]

It's been almost a week now and it seems like some fans still find it hard to move on since the firing of Malone. Most of these fans continue to speculate and spell doom for the Kings and aim their fumes at PDA and Vivek.

Since, most of these fans continue to feed from speculative journalism to continuously burn PDA and Vivek, how about taking another perspective. I know this is old speculative news and has been subtly discussed elsewhere, but still may be good enough to serve as psycho-therapy for those who still hate Vivek and PDA to the point of seeing them as the "enemies" or "outsiders" in Sacramento.

For those in-love with Cousins and Gay, if this article is true (which more likely is), you guys probably have to re-evaluate your perspective about who really cares more about your favorite players and team.

Michael Malone opposed extensions for DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay
http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2014/...osed-extensions-for-demarcus-cousins-rudy-gay

Sam Amick is delivering the other side of the story, emphasis mine.

From Malone's reluctance to endorse the offering of contract extensions for DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay to his preference that departed point guard Isaiah Thomas was re-signed in free agency to the pursuit of a new lead assistant coach during the summer, there were disagreements about personnel and style of play at every turn that brought them all to this tipping point.

(Tip of the cap to Aaron Bruski, who brought this to my attention)

Now, correlate the above with Vivek's statements below, then I would say the article above might be true.

Vivek Ranadivé speaks out on Malone firing
http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2014/12/17/7409997/vivek-ranadive-michael-malone-firing

"I've been beaten before," he said. "They said that Seattle had won, and we would never be able to keep this team. People said that Cousins was toxic, and he was a cancer and we should get rid of him. They said that Rudy [Gay] was terrible, and even if he came, he would never stay. They said if Isaiah [Thomas] left, the team would fall apart. So look, I'm surrounded by really smart people, and they give me great advice. They call the shots, and I support them."

 

[206Fan]

The Kings will continue to prove people wrong and wrong again. It's happened before.

"I'm surrounded by really smart people, and they give me great advice. They call the shots, and I support them"

I have no clue why fans keep thinking Vivek is some type of dictator when he clearly says he's not the one who does calls the shots.. a lot of fans are irrational imo.

They believe Vivek surrounds himself with bums off the street that are "yes" mans to him.

 

[Amit149]

Even if i believe this BS so what you are basically saying is that a coach that coached a team to a good record and have a good relationship with your key player should be fired because he is..... a bad GM??? that's not his job.

 

[Prince_XY]

Most of us thought that it was a "NO BRAINER" to offer contract extensions to Cousins and maybe a slightly lesser extent to Gay.

If you were reluctant to do that, then you must be really-really dumb fool.

Cousins?

Really?

So, Malone had second thoughts on giving Cousins his contract extension?

Really?

 

[GQ_Gabriel]

I've said it a million times, as a supporter of our owner Vivek Ranadive, this management has a good reason for everything that they do. The fans who continue to bash our FO do not want to see things from any perspective other than their own. I understand that everyone has an opinion, but let's look at all of the facts before we jump to assumptions. I can bet that a vast majority of these fans had no clue that Mike Malone opposed extending the contracts of DMC and Rudy Gay.

 

[Amit149]

Most of us thought that it was a "NO BRAINER" to offer contract extensions to Cousins and maybe a slightly lesser extent to Gay.

If you were reluctant to do that, then you must be really-really dumb fool.

Cousins?

Really?

So, Malone had second thoughts of giving Cousins his contract extension?

Really?

I really like people who are judging other people by knowing half facts and reports from people of interest... plus, again, Malone is not in power to give or sign contracts so I don't see where this report is coming from really (well I do- it is PR for PDA).

 

[Gilles]

I've said it a million times, as a supporter of our owner Vivek Ranadive, this management has a good reason for everything that they do. The fans who continue to bash our FO do not want to see things from any perspective other than their own. I understand that everyone has an opinion, but let's look at all of the facts before we jump to assumptions. I can bet that a vast majority of these fans had no clue that Mike Malone opposed extending the contracts of DMC and Rudy Gay.

Just thought of this: you can Malone, while Rudy still hasn't signed an extension. Does Gay sign it after that? And lol at not supporting re-signing of Boogie. Sure, Malone wanted him gone...

 

[Merdiesel]

I really like people who are judging other people by knowing half facts and reports from people of interest... plus, again, Malone is not in power to give or sign contracts so I don't see where this report is coming from really (well I do- it is PR for PDA).

Isn't that what everyone has been doing with Vivek and PDA for the past week?

 

[randymoss1881]

Only a fool would think malone who connected with cousins instantly wouldn't want to give cousins an extension. And Gay why in the world would malone be against it he played great in the time malone coached him and Gay signed here because of malone/DMC. You think if Gay wanted to stay cause of malone , malone wouldn't want him get that weak crap outta here.

 

[Amit149]

Isn't that what everyone has been doing with Vivek and PDA for the past week?

At least when people criticize Vivek and PDA it was about their ACTIONS and things THEY said. in Malone's case it is all speculation with nothing to support it.

 

[Chubbs]

Most of us thought that it was a "NO BRAINER" to offer contract extensions to Cousins and maybe a slightly lesser extent to Gay.

If you were reluctant to do that, then you must be really-really dumb fool.

Cousins?

Really?

So, Malone had second thoughts on giving Cousins his contract extension?

Really?

There was no real rush (maybe that's debatable) to do it at the time they offered the extension to Boogie. Same with Rudy. Both they could have waited. Simple as that. That is quite a different thing than saying Malone wanted Boogie and Gay gone. Reluctance seems likea reasonable position. Boogie had the rep as a coach killer at that time, and Malone was just starting here. Maybe he wanted to get to know the guy before committing to 4 more years? Again, not really that crazy.

I won't call the FO enemies, but they are outsiders. There's nothing really to argue there. They're certainly not local businessman who took over the team. Or do you know something I don't?

PDA and Vivek have to earn back my trust. And, even more importantly, the trust of their players. And the trust of potential players. They've turned this team into a punchline. They really have. Maybe they come out on top in the end. That part isn't written yet. But right now? Things are pretty goddamn grim.

But hey, more power to you. You're not alone. Vivek still has a handful of supporters.

 

[Amit149]

You know what, everything else aside- we as fans went 180 from great optimism to pessimism. a team that showed promise lost it coach for no one else ready to take over and than came all of the reports about the will to break up the teams core to get a "big name".
oh, and in-between we became pro sports laughing stock- with 4-5, and 12 YO girl's basketball refrences.

that alone deserve, imo, the loss of trust in FO. does that say they are now the enemy? of course not, but they'll need to earn my trust back.

 

[GQ_Gabriel]

I question those who have made clear their loss of trust in this FO.

It is way to soon to be making those remarks. To be honest, nobody knows what transpired between coach and management, nor since when. We may be right, we may be wrong. The one blatant fact is that we're barely a couple of games into the post-Malone era.

You're a Kings fan. Don't let what the outsiders, and non-fans of our team think discourage you or alter your perception of our FO. Sacramento pride, right? I could honestly care less what the posters over at RealGM have to say about our situation. We follow this team day in day out, it's apart of our everyday lives. If 2 months from now, Ty Corbin is still coaching this team, and our record is abysmal, then rightfully so I expect many fans to lose their trust. But give this team a chance to prove you wrong as they have done since taking over.

 

[Spike]

Wait, PDA gave a statement that tarnished Malone's rep at a time when his own is at an all time low? I'm shocked. SHOCKED. I guess that's why Malone met with Cousins and Gay in europe.

Listen, there's some truth in his statements, but to bring them out now (and for you to repeat them) is clearly agenda-driven. He's in full CYA mode.

Could he have said, "if you get rid of IT, I'm left with nothing on this bench?!" It's easy to say he was opposed. Similar with Cousins and Gay.

We'll never know about Malone, but we concretely know PDA's actions.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I question those who have made clear their loss of trust in this FO.
It is way to soon to be making those remarks. To be honest, nobody knows what transpired between coach and management, nor since when. We may be right, we may be wrong. The one blatant fact is that we're barely a couple of games into the post-Malone era.
You're a Kings fan. Don't let what the outsiders, and non-fans of our team think discourage you or alter your perception of our FO. Sacramento pride, right? I could honestly care less what the posters over at RealGM have to say about our situation. We follow this team day in day out, it's apart of our everyday lives. If 2 months from now, Ty Corbin is still coaching this team, and our record is abysmal, then rightfully so I expect many fans to lose their trust. But give this team a chance to prove you wrong as they have done since taking over.

You and I may not be working from the same values of "proof" and "wrong."

 

[Merdiesel]

At least when people criticize Vivek and PDA it was about their ACTIONS and things THEY said. in Malone's case it is all speculation with nothing to support it.

That makes sense.

 

[King of Nowhere]

Seems like the players thought pretty highly of him. In fact, Gay said that having Malone here is one of the reasons he signed the extension.

http://cowbellkingdom.com/sunday-musings-sacramento-kings-leave-door-open-for-scrutiny/

After firing Michael Malone last Sunday night, the Sacramento Kings ownership and front office have found themselves at center stage of a big-league flop. Fans are pissed. The local and national media are befuddled and not in a “wow, this could be a genius move” kind of way. And lastly, this move was EXTREMELY unpopular with the players. Does all caps and bold capture the tenor properly?

The players are not happy at all with the Malone ousting. They are like children in a bad divorce, caught in the middle. They are confused and maybe more importantly, they are disappointed that their season is unraveling right in front of their eyes.

“It’s too much outside stuff influencing this team,” Cousins said following Thursday night’s loss to the Bucks. “I just want to get back to basketball; that’s it. Get back to basketball and get back on the right track.”

Just a month ago Rudy Gay inked a new three-year extension with the Kings. Not only did he like the direction the team was going, but after a tryout with the Kings last season and spending time with Malone in Spain this summer as part of Team USA, he was sold on him as the coach of this team going forward.

“At the time, a lot, at the time, a lot,” Gay said of how much Malone’s presence impacted his decision to sign an extension in Sacramento.

Gay credits Malone for part for his career turnaround. After becoming the poster child for bad analytics, Gay is playing at an All-Star level for the Kings this season.

“I can sit here and talk all day about what I’ve learned from him,” Gay said of Malone. “I think he’s made me a way better player offensively and defensively. Once I got here, he allowed me a chance to expand my game, and I thank him for that.”

 

[Chubbs]

They fired Malone. That much is fact. And it was done in a potentially very disruptive manner. Of course we don't know if the team falls apart. Yet. But there've been signs. Losing to the bucks, barely scratching out a win against the Kobe's. We will see if the team rallies tonight and makes a game of it. I'm sure not as hopeful of that happening as I was a month ago, that's for sure.

And Vivek declaring the Rudy signing a success, or even the DC signing, hold your horses buddy. It's not even the all star break of DC's first season. And Rudy's extension hasn't even kicked in yet. Holding those up as success stories, it's just a bit premature.

 

[Chubbs]

Wait, PDA gave a statement that tarnished Malone's rep at a time when his own is at an all time low? I'm shocked. SHOCKED. I guess that's why Malone met with Cousins and Gay in europe.

Listen, there's some truth in his statements, but to bring them out now (and for you to repeat them) is clearly agenda-driven. He's in full CYA mode.

Could he have said, "if you get rid of IT, I'm left with nothing on this bench?!" It's easy to say he was opposed. Similar with Cousins and Gay.

We'll never know, but we concretely know PDA's actions.

Exactly regarding IT. If it was presented to Malone, do you want IT or Ramon Sessions, what do you think a coach would say?

We know they made a massively unpopular move. Unpopular with the players, the media, the fans, commentators, other coaches. Do they luck out and win anyway? It could happen. I'm not holding my breath though.

The only play left for them is "Oh yeah, well this and that move worked when no one said it would. And P.S.-Malone is an idiot." You can buy that line or not.

 

[lawlman91]

Shh... just let them have their moment

I'll just say that Rudy and DeMarcus and the rest of the team respected Malone, no matter what happened in the past or whatever rotation decisions Malone made. This FO made a mistake by throwing away long term stability and growth and should be given poopoo for it

 

[kingsboi]

I'm sure Malone wanted DeMarcus signed...however he wanted for DeMarcus to "earn" it...there's a difference, this thread is not worded properly.

 

[hrdboild]

So if you want it to look like Coach Malone was a problem and the team was succeeding in spite of him not because of him, this is how you might try and go about it. But this is essentially meaningless without context.

Did Malone oppose a Cousins extension before he'd ever coached DeMarcus before? Maybe he did. But should we even care? Remember the Kings signed Cousins to an extension in the same off-season that Malone was hired. Did he say he wanted Cousins gone or just that he wanted to wait and see? Obviously they developed a good working relationship together, so I don't see how that's relevant now.

With Rudy Gay, there was (and is) an argument against signing him to an extension right now as well. PDA and Vivek think he's a top 3 SF in the NBA. They've said this over and over again. Of course they do, because they only care about one side of the court and Rudy is elite as a scorer. For someone looking at the full package -- offense, defense, length of contract, dollar amount -- maybe you don't want to lock yourself into Rudy Gay without fully exploring your options first. And it's to Malone's credit if he did have reservations about committing to Rudy long-term, that he's got him playing so well regardless. Rudy Gay is having by far the best year of his career to date, and that's mostly under Malone's watch. We'll see where he goes from here. There's a lot more contract left (3 1/2 years) for this to turn into a decision we regret.

As regards Isaiah Thomas, saying you want a player back and actually being the one to manage the dollars and cents of making it happen are two different things. I didn't want IT back only because I didn't think his ego could handle a diminished role. And also because I thought he would be too expensive to retain as a bench player. Could we have used him off the bench? Absolutely. Would he have been okay with it? We'll never know. I think it was clear to most of us as outside observers that the body language between IT, Gay, and Cousins indicated Thomas probably had to be the one to go, or at least adapt his play style. But that's speculating from the outside. And again, we're talking about behind the scenes chit-chat here. Did Malone embrace Collison immediately and find a way to work effectively around his talents? Judging by the start of the season I think so. And that's what a coach's job is -- offer your input on personnel decisions then coach the players you have.

With the front office forcing Malone to hire a new lead assistant-- who isn't going to feel threatened when your boss attempts to hire your successor and smuggle them in under your nose? How that can be portrayed as anything other than an underhanded attempt to sabotage the head coaching job by PDA and Mullin is beyond me. And again, what do we know here? We know Malone acquiesced to their demand for a more experienced lead assistant and hired a very good one. In fact, Tyrone Corbin came in and immediately led our undersized summer league team to the championship game. This was the guy Malone hand-picked and most everyone here celebrated as a great hire over the summer. Suddenly this reflects poorly on Malone too?

Just give it a rest already. We've seen, heard, read a lot about why this decision was made. Everything points to a clash of personalities. They just didn't get along. Either PDA and Mullin were going to go or Malone was going to go and it was two against one. Once Pete got Mullin on his side (or vice versa) it was over for Malone, just a matter of when. Trying to spin this as anything else only makes the group in charge look childish. You won. Not everyone likes the decision you made, but it was your decision to make so just move on. You can't win and expect everyone to like you for it...

...... ...that would be called compromise.

 

[Bricklayer]

Anyone rememeber when the Maloofs realized they were going to get disemboweled over firing Rick and so decided to try to throw shade at him after firing him? I do.

I also remember a number of fools trying to defend that move too.

 

[GQ_Gabriel]

I'm sure Malone wanted DeMarcus signed...however he wanted for DeMarcus to "earn" it...there's a difference, this thread is not worded properly.

Earn it? DeMarcus Cousins, even before he signed his extension, was head and shoulders above anyone else in terms of our best player. Though he definitely may have helped, it's not as if Malone turned him into the emerging big man that he is today.

This is Sacramento, we're a small market team and you sign talent like DMC if you're lucky enough to land it. You don't hold out and wait until you believe he's earned it. It's part of the risk factor that you're confronted with if your not New York, Los Angeles, Etc. As much as a hothead he can be, I don't believe that you hold out on offering an extension for any reason with Cousins.

 

[kingsboi]

Earn it? DeMarcus Cousins, even before he signed his extension, was head and shoulders above anyone else in terms of our best player. Though he definitely may have helped, it's not as if Malone turned him into the emerging big man that he is today.

This is Sacramento, we're a small market team and you sign talent like DMC if you're lucky enough to land it. You don't hold out and wait until you believe he's earned it. It's part of the risk factor that you're confronted with if your not New York, Los Angeles, Etc. As much as a hothead he can be, I don't believe that you hold out on offering an extension for any reason with Cousins.

Malone was not talking about "earning" it from a statistical standpoint. The organization knew what they were getting from him all ready. What they wanted to see was maturity and no more childish antics from Boogie...that's what Malone was referencing when he mentioned the word "earn".

 

[Chubbs]

Anyone rememeber when the Maloofs realized they were going to get disemboweled over firing Rick and so decided to try to throw shade at him after firing him? I do.

I also remember a number of fools trying to defend that move too.

I don't remember, how did that turn out?

 

[hrdboild]

Earn it? DeMarcus Cousins, even before he signed his extension, was head and shoulders above anyone else in terms of our best player. Though he definitely may have helped, it's not as if Malone turned him into the emerging big man that he is today.

This is Sacramento, we're a small market team and you sign talent like DMC if you're lucky enough to land it. You don't hold out and wait until you believe he's earned it. It's part of the risk factor that you're confronted with if your not New York, Los Angeles, Etc. As much as a hothead he can be, I don't believe that you hold out on offering an extension for any reason with Cousins.

Malone had a full-time job as assistant coach of a different team prior to this. A team which features one of Cousins nemeses at C no less (he and Bogut always go at it). No doubt he was a little bit familiar with Cousins' game from scouting the Kings but he had 28 other teams to worry about too. And until you actually get into the organization working with someone day-to-day, it's hard to tell what their personality and work ethic are really like. The implication here that Malone got dragged kicking and screaming into coaching DeMarcus Cousins is trying really hard to make something out of nothing.

 

[GQ_Gabriel]

Malone was not talking about "earning" it from a statistical standpoint. The organization knew what they were getting from him all ready. What they wanted to see was maturity and no more childish antics from Boogie...that's what Malone was referencing when he mentioned the word "earn".

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I wholeheartedly agreed with having him clean up his tantrums.

 

[dude12]

If you believe Vivek and PDA and those statements that your choice but I don't for one second believe that crap. And I don't think the OP realizes on all fronts what this move does in the eyes of other potential players who could possibly think about Sac as a destination in FA.........among other things. Perception is a big thing and the perception is that these guys may be a little untrustworthy(Collison getting the reigns and now involved in trade talk 25 games into his Sac career)....... Let the few keep their blinders on.

 

[GQ_Gabriel]

Malone had a full-time job as assistant coach of a different team prior to this. A team which features one of Cousins nemeses at C no less (he and Bogut always go at it). No doubt he was a little bit familiar with Cousins' game from scouting the Kings but until you actually get into the organization working with someone day-to-day, it's hard to tell what their personality and work ethic are really like. The implication here that Malone got dragged kicking and screaming into coaching DeMarcus Cousins is trying really hard to make something out of nothing.

These reports do make it seem as if Coach Malone wanted to go in a different direction in terms of our core of players. Whether he really felt that a tandem of DMC and Gay wouldn't take us far is beyond our knowledge. All I am saying is that if he wasn't a proponent of extending both players at the times that we did, I am very glad that our FO seemingly disregarded that notion.