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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/11705583p-12594295c.html
Misfortune reversal: From 1-4 to 12-1
Patience, Adelman says, was big part of the U-turn
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, December 9, 2004
It's never been one of those practice-what-you-preach sort of relationships.During the Kings' 1-4 start, coach Rick Adelman was a portrait of impatience, frustrated nightly at his overeager offense that once ran up scores on opponents but was suddenly running itself into the ground with quick shots and poor passing.
Twelve wins in 13 games later, and Adelman says the arrival of patience - in everyone but Adelman himself, of course - has keyed the turnaround.
"The thing that really upset me about the start of the season was we were impatient offensively, (with a) right of entitlement that we were going to be good offensively," Adelman said. "We (told the team) 'We have absolutely no chance to win if you play like that offensively.' "
The Kings' season-opening test was dubbed the Texas Triangle - a treacherous route through Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
Bermuda Triangle was more like it.
The Kings were lost as they had not been in Adelman's Sacramento term, starting 0-3 for the first time in his seven seasons. They have since found their way, begging the question of how the drastic U-turn has seemed as easy as the start was difficult.
No offense to the defense, but it's always been about the offense.
"We've got a good offensive team, and that's really our strength - I don't care what anybody says," Adelman said. "... and if we just keep getting better offensively, that's always going to be our strength."
The Kings - who have finished among the NBA's top three in scoring every season since 1998 - have since found the scoring machine they temporarily misplaced. They are back to their free-flowing, hard-driving, quick-scoring selves, improving in all the right offensive categories since their blowout loss to Seattle capped their 1-4 start.
The once-narrow gap between assists and turnovers has widened significantly, with shooting percentages of all kinds returning to Kings-esque levels and per-game scoring up 11.9 points since Game No. 5. No one player has found his way more than Peja Stojakovic, who scored more than 20 points just once in the first five games, yet has finished with 20 or more in 11 of the last 13.
Bobby Jackson has overcome his shooting woes and has hit half his shots in the last five games.
"We were being real selfish (early), weren't passing the ball extremely well, just looking for one shot and going up," Jackson said. "We would stand and watch people. And ... that's when we're at our worst. We've got to keep the ball moving, come off pick and rolls, move the ball, cut. We weren't doing that, but we our now."
The presence of Doug Christie may have played the biggest role, as he has battled through the painful plantar fasciitis on his left foot to return to his pesky, passing self. He missed the Dallas opener, then averaged just 21 minutes per game in the next four games. Christie has average 34 minutes since, his box score line never telling the truth of his worth.
"He just fits with our starting group," Adelman said. "And the experience level is huge. When you don't have him, you're playing with rookies and you can't run the same things offensively."
Adelman said he's made no major changes to spark the winning streak, and the schedule may have been the most significant factor. The Kings' first four losses came to teams with a combined .684 winning percentage. The Kings' 12 subsequent opponents (they played Memphis twice) have a .448 winning percentage.
"The offense has steadily gotten better, back to the form it was in last year," said assistant coach T.R. Dunn, who watched from afar as a Denver assistant last season. "I thought that it would because of who these guys are. Everybody can have a down night or two or more, but over time it averages out."
Misfortune reversal: From 1-4 to 12-1
Patience, Adelman says, was big part of the U-turn
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, December 9, 2004
It's never been one of those practice-what-you-preach sort of relationships.During the Kings' 1-4 start, coach Rick Adelman was a portrait of impatience, frustrated nightly at his overeager offense that once ran up scores on opponents but was suddenly running itself into the ground with quick shots and poor passing.
Twelve wins in 13 games later, and Adelman says the arrival of patience - in everyone but Adelman himself, of course - has keyed the turnaround.
"The thing that really upset me about the start of the season was we were impatient offensively, (with a) right of entitlement that we were going to be good offensively," Adelman said. "We (told the team) 'We have absolutely no chance to win if you play like that offensively.' "
The Kings' season-opening test was dubbed the Texas Triangle - a treacherous route through Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
Bermuda Triangle was more like it.
The Kings were lost as they had not been in Adelman's Sacramento term, starting 0-3 for the first time in his seven seasons. They have since found their way, begging the question of how the drastic U-turn has seemed as easy as the start was difficult.
No offense to the defense, but it's always been about the offense.
"We've got a good offensive team, and that's really our strength - I don't care what anybody says," Adelman said. "... and if we just keep getting better offensively, that's always going to be our strength."
The Kings - who have finished among the NBA's top three in scoring every season since 1998 - have since found the scoring machine they temporarily misplaced. They are back to their free-flowing, hard-driving, quick-scoring selves, improving in all the right offensive categories since their blowout loss to Seattle capped their 1-4 start.
The once-narrow gap between assists and turnovers has widened significantly, with shooting percentages of all kinds returning to Kings-esque levels and per-game scoring up 11.9 points since Game No. 5. No one player has found his way more than Peja Stojakovic, who scored more than 20 points just once in the first five games, yet has finished with 20 or more in 11 of the last 13.
Bobby Jackson has overcome his shooting woes and has hit half his shots in the last five games.
"We were being real selfish (early), weren't passing the ball extremely well, just looking for one shot and going up," Jackson said. "We would stand and watch people. And ... that's when we're at our worst. We've got to keep the ball moving, come off pick and rolls, move the ball, cut. We weren't doing that, but we our now."
The presence of Doug Christie may have played the biggest role, as he has battled through the painful plantar fasciitis on his left foot to return to his pesky, passing self. He missed the Dallas opener, then averaged just 21 minutes per game in the next four games. Christie has average 34 minutes since, his box score line never telling the truth of his worth.
"He just fits with our starting group," Adelman said. "And the experience level is huge. When you don't have him, you're playing with rookies and you can't run the same things offensively."
Adelman said he's made no major changes to spark the winning streak, and the schedule may have been the most significant factor. The Kings' first four losses came to teams with a combined .684 winning percentage. The Kings' 12 subsequent opponents (they played Memphis twice) have a .448 winning percentage.
"The offense has steadily gotten better, back to the form it was in last year," said assistant coach T.R. Dunn, who watched from afar as a Denver assistant last season. "I thought that it would because of who these guys are. Everybody can have a down night or two or more, but over time it averages out."
