Most that know me, also know that like VF21, I tend to be optimistic, or at worse, try to cut whomever, a player, a GM, a coach, or an owner more slack than the average fan on this forum does. Even Westphal, who I disliked from the get go. I've learned to be a patient person when it comes to basketball. History shows that building a team takes time. But when I see were headed in the wrong direction, or worse, we were going in the right direction, hit the brakes, and made a U-Turn in order to go in the wrong direction, you've just lost me.
Vivek and PDA are trying to re-invent the wheel when it doesn't need re-inventing. It is, at the end of the day, still a freaking wheel. All it needs is some cleaning, and in today's world, maybe a change of rubber. I realize that Vivek likes to think outside the box, but, being a business man, isn't selling the product the bottom line? And in order to sell the product, don't you have to know who your customers are? What their expectations are? Isn't it their money thats fuels the engine?
In the 50's and 60"s, when Japan got into the auto market in the US, they were thinking outside the box. But they didn't try to re-invent the automobile. For one thing, they realized that people were already sold on what was there. It was a matter of what shape and color appealed to you the most. So they decided to change the little things that no one was paying attention to. Like a little spring that held your brake line out of harms way. They tried to make the engines more efficient. They didn't try to make a different machine, they tried to make a better machine. Vivek is trying to make a different machine. I wish him luck, but he can do it without me.
I hope I'm wrong about this. I hope we're all wrong. My question to Vivek would be, who are you trying to please, your customer base, or yourself? What's that old saying, "The customer is always right"? Shouldn't he/she come first? Are you a business man, or an ideologist? How many failed experiments did Edison have before he succeeded? Five thousand? Ten thousand? Well while your on experiment number two, we Kings fans have already gone through a few thousand experiments, and frankly, were getting a little weary. Might I remind you, that if we wanted a team like the Warriors, we have such a team just 70 miles down the road. And, I might add, that team is starting to look more appealing by the minute.
Vivek likes to point out that he has surrounded himself with great basketball minds. I would like to point out to him, that they all appear to be of like mind. How many in the organization have opposing points of view? The only one of note, Malone, just got fired! Are you surrounded by great basketball minds, or just a group of yes men? I can't honestly answer that question. I can't tell Mullins he doesn't know anything about basketball. But I do know that a great player doesn't always make for a great coach, or GM. As a matter of fact, history tells us that some of the greatest coaches, were just average players at best. Riley and Jackson spring to mind. Steve Kerr might be the latest example. Time will tell.
Damage has been done, but it's not irreparable. Hire George Karl, and make it appear that was your intent all along. Publicly slap PDA across the knuckles with a drum stick for saying, it isn't about winning, it's about style. Believe it or not, we freaking care about winning, even if it's winning ugly. Get the wins, the style can come later. Winning is a culture you have to develop. So is losing! Winners go into every game believing their going to win, and that's half the battle. Losers go into every game hoping their going to win. Develop the culture first, anyway you can. Then worry about style. Show us you really are a smart guy. Show us your not just a rich guy with a new toy.
By the way, a smart guy would already know that Corbin isn't the answer. We know that, and we assume you know that. So stop with the BS already. Here's another clue for you. Just about every fan on this forum knows more about basketball than you do. I've been watching NBA basketball for over fifty years. And I'm not alone here. So when you or your organization try to blow smoke up our butts, your losing our respect. A true visionary is flexible. He's not locked into one idea. Right now, your swimming upstream. Much easier the other way. Just watch out for the waterfalls.
