My first official rant by Darth Vlade

VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
I've been the optimist. I've been the ray of sunshine, always looking for something good to say about someone. I've been the voice of reason, arguing for calm rational discussion. Heck, I've even defended the freaking Maloofs.

Well, boys and girls, slap your grandma and call her shorty, because I'm done.

Let's get one thing straight. I am still a Sacramento Kings fan. I bleed purple and I will until the day I die. That will never change.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get down to brass tacks.

Tonight's rant:

We need a coach. Not a babysitter, not someone who can prepare a power point presentation or who looks really good on camera. WE NEED A COACH. A real honest-to-Naismith coach. We need Phil Jackson or Jerry Sloan or someone else with something approaching their kind of credentials and we need him NOW.

Keith Smart is not the coach of the future for this franchise. Why? Because, unless he's doing everything he can to ensure a top draft pick, he simply doesn't get the job done. It's pretty pathetic when a Hall of Fame great like Oscar Robertson comes right out during a broadcast and says the Kings aren't utilizing our players properly. O didn't have to say a lot but what he said struck home. And what was the response from Howdy Doody? A stunned look, silence and then some babbled comment totally unrelated to what O had said.

At the beginning of the season, when Smart stepped in. hopes ran high in the land of the Kings. But it didn't take long before those hopes were dashed like bottles on a storm-tossed sea right onto the cliffs of despair. He waxed poetic about teaching the players the fundamentals and returning to good solid basketball. Good points, but where's the beef?

What we're seeing at this point in the season should be set plays with our best players getting good solid minutes and our bench coming in just long enough to give the starters a bit of a breather. Instead, we see substitutions for no rhyme or reason. And, even worse, we see an allocation of minutes that looks like something my cat created in the litter box. There is no logical reason for a player who's having a good night to be taken out of the game and pretty much forgotten until very late in the quarter. In fact, there's not even an illogical reason.

Keith Smart is a nice guy and he talks a good game. Unfortunately, talking doesn't win games and it doesn't develop young players. We have an incredible chance right now, and especially after we get another great draft pick, to start something that could easily rival the good old days. But, we're not going to do it with our present head coach at the helm. We absolutely must find someone to bring in who can teach the young players and also balance the needs of the veterans. We need to find a relevant coach if we ever want to be relevant again.

/end rant...for now
 
For Anakin, it took the death of Master Windu and the influence of the Sith.

For VF, it took the death of the Arena deal and the influence of The Maloofs/Keith Smart.

:p

 
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matthew76 said:
Darth Vader: Tall, white immobile man.
Vlade: Tall, white immobile man :)

I can see why you chose that nickname
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My user name is VF21, but was Vladefan21 before Vlade left the Kings. Hence the Darth Vlade. ;)
 
I see even the eternal optimist is down. As long as we have the Maloofs as owners, we will never have a real coach, nor will we have a good team. They are going to continue running this team at minimum payroll for as long as they can. The only hope is that they sell eventually. We literally have the worst owners in the NBA (and potentially NBA history.)
 
I wonder what Big O meant by not being used properly. It can mean a few things. Either where they're being played or when they're played or even how they're used while on the court.

I think the rate of subbing in and subbing out is a bit off. There's too often a wholesale change in the lineup and flow between substitutions feels off, as in there's often a dropoff after subbing players and certain players still seem unsure how to play with others.

Smart has the problem of being given a lineup that is overflowing at guard and maybe even more overflowing with scorers. He doesn't have a vet guard he can trust and he has one PG, maybe one and a half. Since Hickson and Hayes were both letdowns, the big man rotation hasn't been as strong as the dimwitted front office had hoped. The SF spot is a huge question mark.
 
What exactly did Oscar say? I missed the game tonight, or most of it anyway, so I didn't hear it. It's pretty funny that he caught Grant off guard though.

btw Smart is a horrible coach but part of the blame for this falls on Petrie for having a such a mismatched roster.
 
VF is right. Now is an extremely crucial time in our players' development, and the improvement in both the individual players and the team has not happened. Some here want to harp and say it's up to the individual to improve, and while that's true to an extent, that's not the kind of improvement you get mid season. The kind you get during the season comes from learning to run an offense against live opposition. It comes from taking your lumps against good teams while learning how to properly do things.

On rotations: Smart has failed to set up a hierarchy. It's not that we have too many gunners, it's that Smart wants everyone to shoot. Even Outlaw. The reasons for stars not elevating is that everyone is out to get theirs. You know what? This is a team of NBA players. Given the green light, anyone can score, but that's not how you develop a team. You let the team know that under no uncertain terms, certain players are your number one and number two options.You develop number one and number two by constantly setting them up to succeed.

People talk about an off-season of importance, but I think the greatest damage was already done by a coach unwilling to do what his title required him to do.
 
VF21 said:
I've been the optimist. I've been the ray of sunshine, always looking for something good to say about someone. I've been the voice of reason, arguing for calm rational discussion. Heck, I've even defended the freaking Maloofs.

Well, boys and girls, slap your grandma and call her shorty, because I'm done.

Let's get one thing straight. I am still a Sacramento Kings fan. I bleed purple and I will until the day I die. That will never change.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get down to brass tacks.

Tonight's rant:

We need a coach. Not a babysitter, not someone who can prepare a power point presentation or who looks really good on camera. WE NEED A COACH. A real honest-to-Naismith coach. We need Phil Jackson or Jerry Sloan or someone else with something approaching their kind of credentials and we need him NOW.

Keith Smart is not the coach of the future for this franchise. Why? Because, unless he's doing everything he can to ensure a top draft pick, he simply doesn't get the job done. It's pretty pathetic when a Hall of Fame great like Oscar Robertson comes right out during a broadcast and says the Kings aren't utilizing our players properly. O didn't have to say a lot but what he said struck home. And what was the response from Howdy Doody? A stunned look, silence and then some babbled comment totally unrelated to what O had said.

At the beginning of the season, when Smart stepped in. hopes ran high in the land of the Kings. But it didn't take long before those hopes were dashed like bottles on a storm-tossed sea right onto the cliffs of despair. He waxed poetic about teaching the players the fundamentals and returning to good solid basketball. Good points, but where's the beef?

What we're seeing at this point in the season should be set plays with our best players getting good solid minutes and our bench coming in just long enough to give the starters a bit of a breather. Instead, we see substitutions for no rhyme or reason. And, even worse, we see an allocation of minutes that looks like something my cat created in the litter box. There is no logical reason for a player who's having a good night to be taken out of the game and pretty much forgotten until very late in the quarter. In fact, there's not even an illogical reason.

Keith Smart is a nice guy and he talks a good game. Unfortunately, talking doesn't win games and it doesn't develop young players. We have an incredible chance right now, and especially after we get another great draft pick, to start something that could easily rival the good old days. But, we're not going to do it with our present head coach at the helm. We absolutely must find someone to bring in who can teach the young players and also balance the needs of the veterans. We need to find a relevant coach if we ever want to be relevant again.

/end rant...for now
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It is obvious to me that we are either tanking or coach has been directed to play rookies and other non starters to evaluate them for next year. If these are real attempts by Smart to win then I completely agree with you.
 
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I want Smart out, but am afraid of who the Maloofs would hire. If they aren't going to pay, they are not going to get a coach who's very good. They sure blew it by not hiring Scott Brooks, though, when they had the chance. Hired Theus instead. Idiots. :mad:
 
kennadog said:
I want Smart out, but am afraid of who the Maloofs would hire. If they aren't going to pay, they are not going to get a coach who's very good. They sure blew it by not hiring Scott Brooks, though, when they had the chance. Hired Theus instead. Idiots. :mad:
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I very much blame them for doing their normal style over substance thing when Theus flashed them a smile and showed off his oily chest for them, but I can't/won't go revisionist on Scott Brooks -- Brooks was a nobody at the time, who's great accomplisment for us was beiong one of Musselman's asistants. I didn't want them to hire him -- did not like the icky vibe with Muss, where it felt like Brooks was actively undercutting that incompetent boob to try to get the job. A mistake on my part? Absolutely. Did the Kings have more information than I did? Sure. But nonetheless, that really would have been another blind hope and a prayer hiring.

Now passing on Thibodeau, who was kind of leaguewide considered one of THE hot asistants to hire..that one pisses me off. Thibs probably came in and said ok, I beleive in bu8ilding defense first, adn winning games 95-91 and Petrie and The Maloofs panicked and said, not in our house!
 
Bricklayer said:
I very much blame them for doing their normal style over substance thing when Theus flashed them a smile and showed off his oily chest for them, but I can't/won't go revisionist on Scott Brooks -- Brooks was a nobody at the time, who's great accomplisment for us was beiong one of Musselman's asistants. I didn't want them to hire him -- did not like the icky vibe with Muss, where it felt like Brooks was actively undercutting that incompetent boob to try to get the job. A mistake on my part? Absolutely. Did the Kings have more information than I did? Sure. But nonetheless, that really would have been another blind hope and a prayer hiring.

Now passing on Thibodeau, who was kind of leaguewide considered one of THE hot asistants to hire..that one pisses me off. Thibs probably came in and said ok, I beleive in bu8ilding defense first, adn winning games 95-91 and Petrie and The Maloofs panicked and said, not in our house!
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Yep, I agree. Brooks is pure hindesight. At the time, I wanted a more proven coach, which we didn't get anyway, so I wasn't on the Brooks bandwagon. I wouldn't have cried bloody murder if we had hired him. But Elston Turner had more going for him than Brooks did, and we didn't hire him either. But Thibodeau is another story. He had a great resume, and as you said, he was considered an absolute winner around the league. Hell, even Larry Brown would have had this team playing better than it is. Problem is, he would have been trying to get Petrie's job as well.
 
It has been years since I posted on here, mainly due to huge demands on my time elsewhere, but fear not I have looked in from time to time and followed the team faithfully. Up until now I have felt little need to comment as I just seldom have anything of value o add to the discussions. When it comes to replacing the coach I agree in principal, however there is a myriad of factors that ALL need to be take into consideration. For simplicity sake I will not address the ownership issues here, and lets just look at the rebuild of this team.
As is the team has a fair amount of young talent and a heck of a future star to build around. The problem is that essentially since Rick Adelman left there has not been a PLAN for the team. Season after season Geoff had added the best available player from the draft and middling vets from trades and FA. The end result has been this Blue Light Special of a team. I have no idea what the orders or pressures for ownership are but since there is no point in discussing how to improve a team if the owners are unwilling or unable to pay for Top talent, I will assume that they are. It is also fair to assume that top talent will not sign as FA’s to the Kings at this point. So what to do.?
First Start at the top. If Petrie is no longer motivated to make things happen then a new GM might be in order. The point is that this whole organization needs to be treated as a dysfunctional work place very much like a failing school or business. Every employee involved with team performance from trainers to GM need to go through a full exit interview at the end of the season to determine who is working and who needs help and who needs to be replace. This is where a plan for the team comes into place. Just replacing the coach even with a GOOD coach will accomplish little if players and staff can’t play the style of ball the coach pushes. If you don’t believe me imagine Nelly coaching the Spurs or Greg Popavich in Miami.
If I ran the show at GM I would likely want to build a team around Demarcus who run the floor and initiate the offense through DC at the elbow. After sorting out the personalities of the players we want to keep you look at coaches. I have a lot of respect for Sloan but he may not be the right personality to work with Demarcus (maybe keep Smart as an assistant and a buffer?) but again Hayes and Demacus will have to be willing and able to run a lot of 2 man play. Thomas, Evans and Thorton all could play great pick and roll ball so it could work, but here is where a plan is required, we would HAVE to get a small forward who could stretch the floor with 3 point shooting (Garcia?)
More to the point what top coach will be willing to come take on this project and can/will the Maloofs cough up the bucks to make it happen? So unless we want to go back to the idea of an uncongenial back court with no true point guard and two hybrid guards in Evans and Thorton , we need another PG. I love Isaiah, but bear minimum we need a backup PG preferably with some experience and more size for certain matchups. Here are several Fas that fit this description, but more than likely we will have to trade to bring one in. And no I do not see Jimmer as the future at PG for this team. Actually he is part of the BIG log jam problem we have. As I said Evans and Thorton are just not traditional PGs and their A/TO proves it, Jimmer also appears destined to play the two. Playing Evans, at the 3 has been a dismal failure where he loses all the advantage of his size while exposing his weakness in shooting long balls and defending bigger men. One of these guys needs to start and two need to play from the bench, which also means we may have found our best bait for trading.
At the Small forward we desperately need a top starter. No I do not see Williams as that guy. We need size to help defend the paint (think shot blocker) unless we make the big move at the 3-4 for a goalie. We also need outside shooting from the 3. In all likely hood this is where the team will need to spend the real money. Will Kerlinko come back to the US and take our offer? I hope so but G. Wallace may also be available and could fit the bill depending on what direction the plan for the team takes. So finely the bigs. It is unlikely we could move Hayes and unclear what JT will want to return, but regardless, we can use a big man who blocks shots and does the dirty work with no need to score. If we lose JT then we need more from a new 4-5.
I don’t think the draft can help this team anymore and a great move will be to TRADE our pick and some of the talent on hand for either the PG or SF we need! Cutting corners at these two positions is just one more year of rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. We actually have quality big men if they are used right and complemented with the right help.
In the end I actually LIKE what coach Smart did with the team in terms of bonding. I give him a pass on a lot due to the facts that he had no input on personal, and the short season. I do hold him to account for just bizarre substitutions the stupid 3 guard line up and the lack of defensive focus. Should he go? Yes, but if and only if we have a proven winner as a replacement with a clear vision for how to take the core of DC, IT and either Thorton or Evans. I can say a lot about many of the rest on the list but in the end if the offer is right anyone else can and should be traded to fill the void at SF, the hole at PG and the opening at 4/5. If a suitable replacement can not be had then I can live with giving Smart another year BUT he needs to sit down with Petrie and craft a plan, and vision for the style of ball this team will play, get the personal together and get it done. If the team does not make the playoffs next season there can be no excuses.
 
Bricklayer said:
I very much blame them for doing their normal style over substance thing when Theus flashed them a smile and showed off his oily chest for them, but I can't/won't go revisionist on Scott Brooks -- Brooks was a nobody at the time, who's great accomplisment for us was beiong one of Musselman's asistants. I didn't want them to hire him -- did not like the icky vibe with Muss, where it felt like Brooks was actively undercutting that incompetent boob to try to get the job. A mistake on my part? Absolutely. Did the Kings have more information than I did? Sure. But nonetheless, that really would have been another blind hope and a prayer hiring.

Now passing on Thibodeau, who was kind of leaguewide considered one of THE hot asistants to hire..that one pisses me off. Thibs probably came in and said ok, I beleive in bu8ilding defense first, adn winning games 95-91 and Petrie and The Maloofs panicked and said, not in our house!
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I would have been seriously happy if the Kings had hired Thibodeau. Seriously happy.
 
I agree on some points from Smart that seem unproductive at worst and confusing at best: his substitution pattern (or lack thereof), apparent lack of set plays arounf Cuz, letting Cuz go 4-5 min without a touch, lack of motion on offense, lack of rotation on defense and weak side help, and lack of perimeter defense 80% of the time.

Now he may also have inputs from the front office that cause some of this, we know he does not have the skill set on defense needed to cut down 3's and perimeter shooters and no real stopper "big" on defense. That plus no training camp for him, a compressed season, becoming head coach 15% into the season and a bench from hell. We may think he is suspect but lets give him a summer league, a pre-season and a regular season to work with and see what he can do. And hope Petrie and the Maloofs get agressive to rebuild into a playoff contender in 2012-13.
 
HndsmCelt said:
It has been years since I posted on here, mainly due to huge demands on my time elsewhere, but fear not I have looked in from time to time and followed the team faithfully. Up until now I have felt little need to comment as I just seldom have anything of value o add to the discussions. When it comes to replacing the coach I agree in principal, however there is a myriad of factors that ALL need to be take into consideration. For simplicity sake I will not address the ownership issues here, and lets just look at the rebuild of this team.
As is the team has a fair amount of young talent and a heck of a future star to build around. The problem is that essentially since Rick Adelman left there has not been a PLAN for the team. Season after season Geoff had added the best available player from the draft and middling vets from trades and FA. The end result has been this Blue Light Special of a team. I have no idea what the orders or pressures for ownership are but since there is no point in discussing how to improve a team if the owners are unwilling or unable to pay for Top talent, I will assume that they are. It is also fair to assume that top talent will not sign as FA’s to the Kings at this point. So what to do.?
First Start at the top. If Petrie is no longer motivated to make things happen then a new GM might be in order. The point is that this whole organization needs to be treated as a dysfunctional work place very much like a failing school or business. Every employee involved with team performance from trainers to GM need to go through a full exit interview at the end of the season to determine who is working and who needs help and who needs to be replace. This is where a plan for the team comes into place. Just replacing the coach even with a GOOD coach will accomplish little if players and staff can’t play the style of ball the coach pushes. If you don’t believe me imagine Nelly coaching the Spurs or Greg Popavich in Miami.
If I ran the show at GM I would likely want to build a team around Demarcus who run the floor and initiate the offense through DC at the elbow. After sorting out the personalities of the players we want to keep you look at coaches. I have a lot of respect for Sloan but he may not be the right personality to work with Demarcus (maybe keep Smart as an assistant and a buffer?) but again Hayes and Demacus will have to be willing and able to run a lot of 2 man play. Thomas, Evans and Thorton all could play great pick and roll ball so it could work, but here is where a plan is required, we would HAVE to get a small forward who could stretch the floor with 3 point shooting (Garcia?)
More to the point what top coach will be willing to come take on this project and can/will the Maloofs cough up the bucks to make it happen? So unless we want to go back to the idea of an uncongenial back court with no true point guard and two hybrid guards in Evans and Thorton , we need another PG. I love Isaiah, but bear minimum we need a backup PG preferably with some experience and more size for certain matchups. Here are several Fas that fit this description, but more than likely we will have to trade to bring one in. And no I do not see Jimmer as the future at PG for this team. Actually he is part of the BIG log jam problem we have. As I said Evans and Thorton are just not traditional PGs and their A/TO proves it, Jimmer also appears destined to play the two. Playing Evans, at the 3 has been a dismal failure where he loses all the advantage of his size while exposing his weakness in shooting long balls and defending bigger men. One of these guys needs to start and two need to play from the bench, which also means we may have found our best bait for trading.
At the Small forward we desperately need a top starter. No I do not see Williams as that guy. We need size to help defend the paint (think shot blocker) unless we make the big move at the 3-4 for a goalie. We also need outside shooting from the 3. In all likely hood this is where the team will need to spend the real money. Will Kerlinko come back to the US and take our offer? I hope so but G. Wallace may also be available and could fit the bill depending on what direction the plan for the team takes. So finely the bigs. It is unlikely we could move Hayes and unclear what JT will want to return, but regardless, we can use a big man who blocks shots and does the dirty work with no need to score. If we lose JT then we need more from a new 4-5.
I don’t think the draft can help this team anymore and a great move will be to TRADE our pick and some of the talent on hand for either the PG or SF we need! Cutting corners at these two positions is just one more year of rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. We actually have quality big men if they are used right and complemented with the right help.
In the end I actually LIKE what coach Smart did with the team in terms of bonding. I give him a pass on a lot due to the facts that he had no input on personal, and the short season. I do hold him to account for just bizarre substitutions the stupid 3 guard line up and the lack of defensive focus. Should he go? Yes, but if and only if we have a proven winner as a replacement with a clear vision for how to take the core of DC, IT and either Thorton or Evans. I can say a lot about many of the rest on the list but in the end if the offer is right anyone else can and should be traded to fill the void at SF, the hole at PG and the opening at 4/5. If a suitable replacement can not be had then I can live with giving Smart another year BUT he needs to sit down with Petrie and craft a plan, and vision for the style of ball this team will play, get the personal together and get it done. If the team does not make the playoffs next season there can be no excuses.
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It is incredibly good to see you post again. You have been missed.
 
swisshh said:
I wonder what Big O meant by not being used properly. It can mean a few things. Either where they're being played or when they're played or even how they're used while on the court.

I think the rate of subbing in and subbing out is a bit off. There's too often a wholesale change in the lineup and flow between substitutions feels off, as in there's often a dropoff after subbing players and certain players still seem unsure how to play with others.

Smart has the problem of being given a lineup that is overflowing at guard and maybe even more overflowing with scorers. He doesn't have a vet guard he can trust and he has one PG, maybe one and a half. Since Hickson and Hayes were both letdowns, the big man rotation hasn't been as strong as the dimwitted front office had hoped. The SF spot is a huge question mark.
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Oscar thought both IT and Tyreke should be shooting more because nobody was stopping them. The inference was that others, probably Cousins, who took more shots than anybody, should be shooting less.
 
What this team needs is a SYSTEMIC fix. That means that that the GM doesn't go out and get immature young players and hang the coach out to dry when the immature players act immaturely. That means the owners and the GM are working hand in glove on an approach to win. That means that the GM doesn't give the coach incompatible players to work with because he's out to accumulate talent, regardless of how that talent works with each other. That means there is consensus building in the organization on how to win. That means the players know that the coach is backed by the GM and the owners. That means you don't roll dice on a coach. You get a proven winner. And yes, that means the owners are willing to spend money in order to win and don't hamstring the GM by their financial constraints. We are a loooooooong way from that point, unfortunately. It's obviously a dysfunctional organization. It's a disgrace is what it is. The entire organization from owner to GM to coach needs to get fixed in order to win.

P.S. I'm convinced IT is starting pg material. He's played with or better than most of the NBA point guards in this league. To my mind, he's at least as good now as Connelly, and most on this board would have loved to have him at the beginning of the season. To me, he's a young Tony Parker with much more of an outside shot than Parker had at the same stage of his career.
 
Kingster said:
Oscar thought both IT and Tyreke should be shooting more because nobody was stopping them. The inference was that others, probably Cousins, who took more shots than anybody, should be shooting less.
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I disagree. I don't think you can infer anything from Oscar's comments. He wasn't talking about Cousins at that moment at all; he was talking about how Tyreke was unstoppable at that point and should be utilized more driving inside.
 
VF21 said:
I disagree. I don't think you can infer anything from Oscar's comments. He wasn't talking about Cousins at that moment at all; he was talking about how Tyreke was unstoppable at that point and should be utilized more driving inside.
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I think his inference was nothing more than that Tyreke and IT were used improperly. And, yes, he said Tyreke should be taking it to the rim more. Now, I would take his opinion seriously. Far more seriously than members of this forum who disagree. If I were the coach, I might ask him personally what he meant. He is a huge part of our history, the NBA's history, and he was a darn good scoring PG.
 
Personally, I feel our biggest problem is our owners. The Maloofs have 2 switches right now – 1. They’re cheap 2. They run on their emotions…We saw it with Ron and it continues to change (Tyreke, Demarcus, and now I.T) I don’t even want to mention the coaches...But while they do that, they in some way throw the other guys that they hyped away...and at this point they're currently hurting one of our future players - Tyreke.

Ever since Rick left it’s been a sinking ship. We’ve had more coaches that we do players on our bench. We don’t have stability. They want to control everything and yes, to a degree they should have a say but I’ve seen this time and time again – they think that they’re both the GM and Coach. You’ll see them give up the reigns only to want it back again.

I’m sorry but if they want to play all those positions its no wonder why free agents won’t come here.

They’ve thrown away so much money on coaches that have no credential that if they just kept Rick or hired someone who has some authority our players/franchise would be more stable.

I agree that we should get a good coach. Smart has done some good things but he’s also had me scratching my head and being totally frustrated…I’m not in favor or Sloan but I do like Nate McMillan and I think he would be nice for this team. I wouldn’t mind having Smart on the bench as an assistant but they should hire Nate, sign him to a 3 year deal. Let the guy be the coach and let our GM have some freedom…Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Sorry if this was a little scattered.
 
bloom said:
Personally, I feel our biggest problem is our owners. The Maloofs have 2 switches right now – 1. They’re cheap 2. They run on their emotions…We saw it with Ron and it continues to change (Tyreke, Demarcus, and now I.T) I don’t even want to mention the coaches...But while they do that, they in some way throw the other guys that they hyped away...and at this point they're currently hurting one of our future players - Tyreke.

Ever since Rick left it’s been a sinking ship. We’ve had more coaches that we do players on our bench. We don’t have stability. They want to control everything and yes, to a degree they should have a say but I’ve seen this time and time again – they think that they’re both the GM and Coach. You’ll see them give up the reigns only to want it back again.

I’m sorry but if they want to play all those positions its no wonder why free agents won’t come here.

They’ve thrown away so much money on coaches that have no credential that if they just kept Rick or hired someone who has some authority our players/franchise would be more stable.

I agree that we should get a good coach. Smart has done some good things but he’s also had me scratching my head and being totally frustrated…I’m not in favor or Sloan but I do like Nate McMillan and I think he would be nice for this team. I wouldn’t mind having Smart on the bench as an assistant but they should hire Nate, sign him to a 3 year deal. Let the guy be the coach and let our GM have some freedom…Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Sorry if this was a little scattered.
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Couldn't agree more!

However, one thing that we are overlooking, myself included is, why would a coach that is worth a pinch of salt want to come to coach the Kings?! I know we have some nice young talent and IMHO 2 players to build around in Cousins and Evans BUT a MAJOR turn off in all this is the ownership and uncertainty of the situation.

Lets to a little exercise where we out ourselves in the position of Nate McMillan who I think would be great for this team. I have no doubt he will get another coaching job during the off-season.

Pros for coaching the Kings
- Young talent already here (specifically Cousins and Evans who are McMillan type players)
- Another quality lottery pick to add to the mix
- Fantastic fan base

Cons for coaching the Kings
- Schizophrenic ownership
- Uncertainty of the whereabouts of the franchise (will they remain in Sacramento or will they relocate and where to?)
- Cost cutting in the operations department
- Broke owners who won't spend to get better and will continue to field a team on the cheap
- Will the owners have the ability to re-sign our most important players (Cousins and Reke).

There are just too many question marks around this franchise at the moment for any self respecting, proven NBA coach to be interested in overlooking other opportunities to jump on board.

We are in a REALLY ****ty position where even if the Magoofs WANT to spend some serious money or a REAL, PROVEN coach, chances are that coach will say "thanks but no thanks" and look elsewhere.

Its almost better being unemployed coach than being employed by the Kings. :(
 
I wouldn't mind trying out our team under coach Paul Silas and Jordan as owner, just for half a season. Just to see whether we end up as bad as the Bobcats hahaha... At least we'd have a nice spanky stadium.
 
At the end of last year I was willing to give Westphal another shot this year to be the coach.
He was playing Cousins next to a defensive big in Sammy, he was playing Tyreke at a guard spot, and he was playing a full-sized SF. So in essence, he was playing a more convential line-up, and we were winning at a pretty good clip as we finished the season.
So things were looking pretty good, and since it appeared that the players were playing hard for him, it made sense that he stay as the coach to continue to develop chemistry.

When Westphal decided that a 'read-and-react' offensive scheme would be the best for the team (horrible idea) and then tried to oust Cousins, it was clear he had to go.

Smart did the smart thing and immediately went to repair the relationship with Cousins, which is what had to be done.

But other than that, Smart hasn't done anything which warrants another chance next season. He's proven that he either can't or isn't willing to coach an offense that emphasizes play in the half-court utilizing Cousins & Tyreke's skill-set.

And frankly as long as the coaching staff emphasizes 'easy buckets' as the primary offense, we're going to not only lose as a team, we're going to under-utilize our top talent.

This team is a mess. We're not going into the offseason with any kind of positive momentum, and therefore there isn't a single reason to keep coach Smart.

I'd prefer a top name coach, but at this point, all I really want is a coach who can do 3 things:
1.) Maintain good relationship with star players
2.) Play full-sized line-ups
3.) Teach offensive execution utilizing our best talent

I'd love for it to be a defense-first coach, but just the above 3 items would be an upgrade over Westphal and Smart.
 
Glenn said:
I think his inference was nothing more than that Tyreke and IT were used improperly. And, yes, he said Tyreke should be taking it to the rim more. Now, I would take his opinion seriously. Far more seriously than members of this forum who disagree. If I were the coach, I might ask him personally what he meant. He is a huge part of our history, the NBA's history, and he was a darn good scoring PG.
Click to expand...

Here is my question. How many games has he actually watched? Was he just going off the game he was at or has he watch a bunch of games?

I was at the game so I don't know if it was mentioned or what the context of his statement was.
 
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