Official PDA live radio thread
- Thread starter PurpleHaze
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A few salient points from this interview.
Poor conditioning - I think this comes back to Vivek's girls team. He won that season by having his girls outrun their competition, full court presses, swarming players on the inbound, etc.. That works well in lower tiers of competition where you can out-commit the opposition; seize a competitive advantage by discarding generally regarded rules of sportsmanship, etc. As the level of competition increases, this gives diminishing returns. Teams at this level know how to beat a fullcourt press. They know how to inbound against pressure (with occasional lapses.) The differences in a maximally conditioned athlete and a submaximally conditioned athlete at this level are miliseconds and micrometers. The odds of those improvements increasing your outcome when there is a talent disparity are miniscule. These guys need a basketball lifer in the office in the worst way.
We are tanking this year to keep the pick. Keeping Corbin is basically an admission that we don't want to win, in which case, I hope that Gay and Cousins are okay with another losing season. I guess the only question now is whether Mullin will be head coach next year. I hope not, but I have no confidence in the organization now.
I am going to take some time to make sense of this mess and try to come back with some devil's advocate arguments as to why Kings fans should hold a positive outlook on this mess.
Poor conditioning - I think this comes back to Vivek's girls team. He won that season by having his girls outrun their competition, full court presses, swarming players on the inbound, etc.. That works well in lower tiers of competition where you can out-commit the opposition; seize a competitive advantage by discarding generally regarded rules of sportsmanship, etc. As the level of competition increases, this gives diminishing returns. Teams at this level know how to beat a fullcourt press. They know how to inbound against pressure (with occasional lapses.) The differences in a maximally conditioned athlete and a submaximally conditioned athlete at this level are miliseconds and micrometers. The odds of those improvements increasing your outcome when there is a talent disparity are miniscule. These guys need a basketball lifer in the office in the worst way.
We are tanking this year to keep the pick. Keeping Corbin is basically an admission that we don't want to win, in which case, I hope that Gay and Cousins are okay with another losing season. I guess the only question now is whether Mullin will be head coach next year. I hope not, but I have no confidence in the organization now.
I am going to take some time to make sense of this mess and try to come back with some devil's advocate arguments as to why Kings fans should hold a positive outlook on this mess.
At one point, I would have screamed at you and totally denied that anything like that was even remotely possible. Unfortunately, that was before I listened to the podcast today and read the comment here.
And that's something else I hate. PDA is almost doing what the Maloofs never could do, no matter how much they tried. He's breaking my spirit and I will NOT allow that to happen without recourse.
Be caredful what you wish for, Pete D'Allesandro. Kings fans are not like any other fans. We have been through the fire too many times. A few more scald marks mean nothing. FIX OUR TEAM AND FIX IT RIGHT. AND FIX IT NOW!
And that's something else I hate. PDA is almost doing what the Maloofs never could do, no matter how much they tried. He's breaking my spirit and I will NOT allow that to happen without recourse.
Be caredful what you wish for, Pete D'Allesandro. Kings fans are not like any other fans. We have been through the fire too many times. A few more scald marks mean nothing. FIX OUR TEAM AND FIX IT RIGHT. AND FIX IT NOW!
I can tell you a few reasons we "could" be happy about the future (next season)
1. McLemore went from a probable bust to showing very high potential liked we all hoped but most of us doubted would happen.
2. Thompson and Landry contracts get easier to move.
3. Expensive over pay for a gamble in Williams expires freeing up cap space.
4. Collison has been a budget friendly signing
5. Cousins has shown the development we all hoped he would
6. Rudy is on a contract
7. We've got a shot to keep our pick now.
1. McLemore went from a probable bust to showing very high potential liked we all hoped but most of us doubted would happen.
2. Thompson and Landry contracts get easier to move.
3. Expensive over pay for a gamble in Williams expires freeing up cap space.
4. Collison has been a budget friendly signing
5. Cousins has shown the development we all hoped he would
6. Rudy is on a contract
7. We've got a shot to keep our pick now.
You don't know my name because I was the guy who FORGOT to mention his association with KF.com when he asked his question. Oops.
Q&A went on for a bit. I thought PDA was a lot more forthcoming in the off-the-record stuff. For the most part, I think he did a pretty good job of addressing some of the major concerns around here. I don't know how much more clear he could have been about the front office valuing wins first and foremost. He believes the team needs to be successful on both offense and defense to win, and he's not ignoring the defensive side of the ball. He actually thinks that under Corbin the pace has been higher than he'd like. 4-on-5 defense was not only never considered, but it was never suggested by Vivek (or anybody, apparently) in the first place.
I think a lot of people wanted things out of this interview that weren't going to happen. There weren't going to be ten people in the audience jeering PDA, nobody was going to ask if he was going to resign, nobody was going to drop an f-bomb on him, and he wasn't going to announce a Karl hiring - or, frankly, say anything that wasn't in direct support of the guy who's currently in charge (by that I mean Corbin). It was what it was. I came out optimistic. Obviously I'm in the minority.
Q&A went on for a bit. I thought PDA was a lot more forthcoming in the off-the-record stuff. For the most part, I think he did a pretty good job of addressing some of the major concerns around here. I don't know how much more clear he could have been about the front office valuing wins first and foremost. He believes the team needs to be successful on both offense and defense to win, and he's not ignoring the defensive side of the ball. He actually thinks that under Corbin the pace has been higher than he'd like. 4-on-5 defense was not only never considered, but it was never suggested by Vivek (or anybody, apparently) in the first place.
I think a lot of people wanted things out of this interview that weren't going to happen. There weren't going to be ten people in the audience jeering PDA, nobody was going to ask if he was going to resign, nobody was going to drop an f-bomb on him, and he wasn't going to announce a Karl hiring - or, frankly, say anything that wasn't in direct support of the guy who's currently in charge (by that I mean Corbin). It was what it was. I came out optimistic. Obviously I'm in the minority.
i think you're in the minority because out of the few positive things he said, that you mentioned, it is EXTREMELY hard to actually take him seriously. Actions speak louder than words.
when he says crap like the team can still win this season and it's just because DMC is still sick that they aren't, it's hard to take him seriously
when he says crap like the team can still win this season and it's just because DMC is still sick that they aren't, it's hard to take him seriously
That's why more than ever we Kings fans can't be apathetic, resigned to another debacle losing season - a season Vivek said was to be all about wins and losses. We must organize to make our opinion of incompetent PDA (and others - Mullin, etc.) heard damn loud and clear. At every game, in the form of t-shirts, loud chants, feedback to minority owners as well as the majority owner, STH holding back on commitment, etc. We can't stand pat, see DMC grow more frustrated along with all of us. Petey's snake head served up - NOW! I'll still go to games but with a serious mission... Lots of... SAC-RA-MEN-TO!! SAC-RA-MEN-TO!! But even more... FIRE PETE!! FIRE PETE!! FIRE PETE!!
by the way, i really think it needs to be emphasized that it is borderline insane for any nba executive to bring up f***ing summer league during a regular season interview regarding the state of the team. sure, summer league is fun; it's a nice mid-afternoon snack while nba fans salivate for the evening appetizer of preseason, which is itself just a hunger pang for the main course of the regular season. but summer league should never be some kind of baseline of expectation for regular season performance, and it only underscores just how frighteningly green pete d'allesandro comes across when he's speaking on behalf of the sacramento kings...
now, i don't honestly believe that d'allesandro values summer league so highly that he would judge regular season play against SL performance. rather, i think it was just his half-assed way of attempting to lend further authority to tyrone corbin, who coached the kings' summer league squad. but i still can't believe he actually brought up summer league unprompted. it's the kind of sh** that, like "4-on-5 defense," gets giddily snatched up for a pull-quote, and makes the rounds in national media outlets, thus heaping further insult on the team during a time of considerable adversity, and requiring further damage control from the various PR limbs of the organization...
now, i don't honestly believe that d'allesandro values summer league so highly that he would judge regular season play against SL performance. rather, i think it was just his half-assed way of attempting to lend further authority to tyrone corbin, who coached the kings' summer league squad. but i still can't believe he actually brought up summer league unprompted. it's the kind of sh** that, like "4-on-5 defense," gets giddily snatched up for a pull-quote, and makes the rounds in national media outlets, thus heaping further insult on the team during a time of considerable adversity, and requiring further damage control from the various PR limbs of the organization...
Capt. is Jeff.
THANK YOU so much for repping us. I don't have any problem with you being the first to leave. When he totally disrespected you and your question with that BS response, you did the honorable thing. The other choice you had would have been something Bricklayer has made reference to and I don't know how long it would have taken us to raise bail money.
THANK YOU so much for repping us. I don't have any problem with you being the first to leave. When he totally disrespected you and your question with that BS response, you did the honorable thing. The other choice you had would have been something Bricklayer has made reference to and I don't know how long it would have taken us to raise bail money.
And I didn't feel disrespected. I just felt like I was talking to a politician - which is pretty much what I expected. Lots of spin, very little substance.
But here's the thing. I've talked to Geoff Petrie in person a couple times when he was the GM. He never gave me anything of substance either. No secret insight that wasn't public knowledge. And I get that, from Petrie and D'Alessandro. But with Geoff I ALWAYS felt like I was talking to a basketball guy. A lifer. I don't get that vibe from Pete. Agent? Sure. Attorney? Yup. Political campaigner? Absolutely. True hoops head? Nope.
Which is why despite my best efforts I rolled my eyes at him when he was answering a question and asking us to trust in him and their plans. Trust is earned. He hasn't earned mine. And today only emphasized that fact further.
When you think about it all he has done really well is the following.
1. Max Cousins (easy decision)
2. Having Rudy here and getting a team friendly contract (You could argue keeping Evans decision makes this a wash)
3. Budget deal for Collison
4. Dirt cheap Casspi deal
5. McLemore draft (he technically slid though, was not any special insight)
6. Drafting Ray
That's pretty much it
1. Max Cousins (easy decision)
2. Having Rudy here and getting a team friendly contract (You could argue keeping Evans decision makes this a wash)
3. Budget deal for Collison
4. Dirt cheap Casspi deal
5. McLemore draft (he technically slid though, was not any special insight)
6. Drafting Ray
That's pretty much it
I remember after we beat Houston in that game, and people were on here ****ting on the team about feeling good about winning a summer league 'championship'. I remember, at that point, standing up for the team for having something positive to build on. Now, I feel like an ass, realizing that the KFO may have actually thought that was a 'big deal'.
If you are pissed, going to these games, and don't want to boo the players, in 1991 Knicks fans were crystal clear with ownership about why they were pissed and what needed to happen.
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/02/sports/basketball-knicks-fans-turn-up-the-heat-on-bianchi.html
Pete Must Go!
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/02/sports/basketball-knicks-fans-turn-up-the-heat-on-bianchi.html
Pete Must Go!
FWIW I was with you at the time. The Kings young guys SHOULD feel good about winning Summer League. Here were three guys we need minutes out of (Ben, Ray, Nik) and another that might eventually be a find (Moreland) and they played like a team and won. It's a small thing but something to build on. ANY winning ways that can carry over to the regular season are great. Same reason that Rudy And Boogie's summer experience was good, albeit at a much higher level. None of those games matter when the regular season starts but if they help you be a better player and teammate then they are absolutely valuable experiences.
But yeah, in terms of overall vision for the franchise if Pete and Vivek are seriously taking cues from Summer League or the circus in Reno then I don't really know what to say.
But yeah, in terms of overall vision for the franchise if Pete and Vivek are seriously taking cues from Summer League or the circus in Reno then I don't really know what to say.
This would have been a great counter, but they didn't really have enough time with Pete's long winded responses.
Guys like Landry and Collison came here because of a guy like Malone. Not just because of Malone, but I felt the team's best lure was that you had a coach that players respected and a top tier talent in Cousins. Those were your assets for FA. Nice weather can be found in other places. "Hey winter is okay here" isn't turning heads Pete. However, ownership meddling with the coach within a turnaround season? That will turn heads the other way.
Because we saw former Kings comment on what happened and it wasn't positive. I am positive other players and potential FAs are seeing/thinking the same thing. They see no stability here.
Guys like Landry and Collison came here because of a guy like Malone. Not just because of Malone, but I felt the team's best lure was that you had a coach that players respected and a top tier talent in Cousins. Those were your assets for FA. Nice weather can be found in other places. "Hey winter is okay here" isn't turning heads Pete. However, ownership meddling with the coach within a turnaround season? That will turn heads the other way.
Because we saw former Kings comment on what happened and it wasn't positive. I am positive other players and potential FAs are seeing/thinking the same thing. They see no stability here.