Peja needs to go

VF21 · Feb 15, 2005

KP said:

I don't know why I even try...

WHY is it troubling that they sent him home? He has a strained hamstring AND the flu. Would you rather he stayed and traveled with the team for no reason other than to possibly spread more germs?

Peja Stojakovic is a Sacramento King. Personally, I think he's being done a vast disservice and I'm saddened about it. It seems some people (speaking in general terms now) are almost giddy with excitement when they point to what they perceive as his failures. To me, that's not what Kings fans are all about. Criticism is one thing but to make it sound as though he's the devil incarnate is just wrong.

1kingzfan · Feb 15, 2005

It's simple VF21...some people would much rather have things happen that make them look right rather than have their team win.

Very sad.

It happens all the time on the Bleacher Mob Forum board.

KP · Feb 15, 2005

VF21 said:

You've got to know me well enough to know I don't want him traded. The thing is... pulled Hammy... Flu-like symptoms? It's just a little worrisome thats all, only because I think we need to keep him, and hopefully it was due to his back injury(IMO it is) but he hasn't been playing well, and there has been speculation, and now this. Don't worry VF, the trade deadline is right around the corner it will all be over soon. Then you'll only have to look at "let's trade Peja next year" threads.

KP · Feb 15, 2005

1kingzfan said:

This post= the Truth... unfortunately.

B-52 · Feb 15, 2005

VF21 said:

Hey VF' I'm new to this board and while we agree to disagree, I enjoy posting and reading what you guys have to say. Would you agree that we all want is a title. Do you think we can get it done with the core we have now. The other night I believe it was the Sonics game Mobley and Peja where having alot of words about running some plays that Peja was not getting involved. Team chemistry I believe has alot to do with a great (not just a good) Kings team. I look foward to your answer.

KP · Feb 15, 2005

B-52 said:

I've noticed(what I think) is a little bit of that too. But I think VF's point is that we really have no idea whats being said, or how they are really getting along. Thats all.

nAj jAn™ · Feb 15, 2005

Pedja went home because of flu and injury?!? Why? Because of one week AS break? or Chicago has no five star hotel?

Tomorrow in New Jersey, will Pedja plane back to join his teamates or he will just relax in his hometown?

I'm on this....Pedja needs to go....

I think he is now tired in the NBA and always being criticize "a soft player"...He's just tired! Period...

B-52 · Feb 15, 2005

KP said:

O.K. thanks for clearing that up.....

funsc · Feb 15, 2005

Can we trade Tag for Vlade, which will (hopefully) help Pedja to find himself back?

KP · Feb 15, 2005

funsc said:

We might as well, at this point even if Vlade was out for the season he'd play about as much as Tag is at this point.

vj9999 · Feb 15, 2005

nAj jAn™ said:

Considering that he probably has more friends in Chicago than in Sacramento, I think he must be really sick/njured if he/they decded it would be the best for him to skip the Chicago visit.

piksi · Feb 15, 2005

vj9999 said:

No kidding. He missed a large party that Serbs would throw him.

nAj jAn™ · Feb 15, 2005

He doesn't want to play against Chicago, that's his future team....

vj9999 · Feb 15, 2005

piksi said:

I felt bad for few guys they showed in the crowd wearing national #8 jerseys. There was a Vlade lookalike there too. I had to pause and o back just to make sure it really wasnt him

vj9999 · Feb 15, 2005

nAj jAn™ said:

I know. Webber played against the Knicks

PejaFanatic · Feb 15, 2005

nAj jAn™ said:

It's funny how people like to assume things such as he is tired of playing in the NBA.

I would like to join the club of assuming and it could be that the Kings told Peja to go home and rest up. Who knows right?

ReinadelosReys · Feb 15, 2005

We can't sit here and pretend that everything is honky dory, but at the same time it does us no good to make up things. Peja hasn't been right since the start of the season, that is a fact that I don't think any of us can ignore. Whether is it physical, mental, the long lay off of not playing ball over the summer for the first time in probably his life or a nagging injury or something else, I don't know. I do however believe that Peja has earned enough respect over the last 7 years to at least be given the benefit of the doubt, which is exactly what I am doing.

Unlike SOME people with CERTAIN OTHER players, I am not going to hold what he said before against him. Maybe this break will be good for him to fix whatever it is that ails him...or maybe it won't. Only one way to find out.

KP · Feb 15, 2005

ReinadelosReys said:

Thats my whole point^. I agree with you 100%.

VF21 · Feb 15, 2005

B-52 said:

Sorry I missed this until just now.

Would I agree that we all want a title? Well, yes and no. I have been a fan since the beginning and a fan of NBA basketball for over 40 years. I would love to see the Kings win a title but I'm not hung up on it to the point of not being able to accept less than an NBA championship. I just want to see the game I've loved for all these years played well, and for the last few years the Kings have pretty much exceeded any expectations I ever had for them.

Do I think we can get it done with the core we have now? Yes. The question is can we get it done IF some of that core isn't healthy? There's the problem. We don't have the 6th man of the year and we're playing without an all-star small forward. We have EIGHT players on the team who weren't here last year. Two of those have had very little chances for practice with the team. (That last situation will be at least partially addressed during the all-star break.) If I've seen anything this year, it's the ability of any team to beat any other team on a given night if the fates smile on them.

Having attended games myself and knowing some season ticket holders I know that reports of problems with the team chemistry are pretty much blown out of proportion. I don't think it's a problem.

Bricklayer has said it before and I'll paraphrase him now: We could be fine or we could be ONE MORE TRADE away from finally getting the pieces to fit together properly to give us the best chance since 2002 of getting a title. One thing I do believe is that Geoff Petrie knows what's right for this team. I trust him.

So, if he moves Pedja it will be because he truly believes it to be in the best interests of the team. And if he doesn't move him, it will be because he thinks it's best to keep him. I trust Geoff Petrie. He's never let me down and the teams he's assembled have literally taken my breath away on more than one occasion. That's pretty good, especially when you think back to the lean years.

I hope that answered your questions. It's been a long day and I think I'm starting to babble. (Comments from long-standing members about my babbling will NOT be appreciated.)

So, B-52, welcome to the board.

Now and forever, GO KINGS!!!!!

6th · Feb 15, 2005

VF21 said:

Err.......ummmm.....well then, never mind.

ImaKingsFan · Feb 15, 2005

I am with VF on this one. You have to trust Petrie. But I would be a liar if I didn't say it would be a bitter pill if it did happen, to lose DC and Peja in one year.

B-52 · Feb 15, 2005

Well said, I think with health and the right G.P. moves where going to get there. I don't want a team that moves folks around like the Lakers or Dallas. Peja has given us alot, no wrong there. I've posted my last "trade Peja" post I'll trust GP. Thanks for doin a great job with this forum. "VF21" sounds like some Navy here. As a retired USAF guy maybe thats why we had some differences

Good on ya and GO KINGS

Elektrik · Feb 15, 2005

Ok, here I go again. I'm going to try and do this again, hopefully without being labeled because I have what for some people is an unpopular opinion. I stand by my original post which started this whole thread. I have continued to view this thread with interest and have found that there is a large contingent of posters that share my view. Not to mention that part of my starting it was to create discussion over what is very obviously a divided school of thought. In that sense it has been a success.
First off, I have always liked Peja. I do think he hasn't played to his potential. For whatever reason he is not what he used to be. I won't speculate on why that is because I don't know. I just know what I see. I believe a change of scenery will do him good provided that we are not shortchanged if he were to be traded. The glaring weaknesses of team rebounding and athleticism can be addressed if he is traded for someone that possesses those attributes. My title of "Peja needs to go" did not mean that he should be sent packing without getting something of equal value or better in return. Like most fans, I trust Petrie knows what he is doing.
While I am hoping that Peja is dealt before the trade deadline, I will also root for him should he remain a King. As much as I think he needs to go my gut instinct tells me he will be a King after the deadline but who knows. We'll just have to wait and see.
My desire to have him traded is because as a fan I think we need to address those shortcomings I mentioned earlier. Peja is the most tradeable commodity. Now that Doug is gone we do not have the defensive presence as in past years and to me it is a glaring weakness. I want the team to win a championship and as this squad stands now I just don't see it happening. We have plenty of offense but are not stopping people and closing out games as in past years. I do not want this team to stand pat just because all the guys are a good buch of fellows. I want them to do whatever it takes to put them over the top so we can all attend a parade in March.

VF21 · Feb 15, 2005

Elektik - I commend you because this thread has elicited a lot of good discussion. It's amazing how much controversy has followed our Kings the past few years. Last year it was Webber. This year it's Peja. Without controversy it would get pretty dull. What always makes me proud to be a part of kingsfans.com is that for the most part people can discuss these types of things WITHOUT resorting to the flames, insults, profanity, etc. so rampant on other boards.

I do, however, have one real problem with your comments above.

Elektrik said:

I cannot attend a parade in March. March is for St. Patrick's Day. I think we'd better reschedule it. I'm thinking June might be good.

Elektrik · Feb 15, 2005

VF21 said:

Duuhhhhh......My bad. I guess I reread everything but the last sentence.

VF21 · Feb 15, 2005

B-52 said:

Well said, I think with health and the right G.P. moves where going to get there. I don't want a team that moves folks around like the Lakers or Dallas. Peja has given us alot, no wrong there. I've posted my last "trade Peja" post I'll trust GP. Thanks for doin a great job with this forum. "VF21" sounds like some Navy here. As a retired USAF guy maybe thats why we had some differences

Good on ya and GO KINGS

Thanks!

B-52 · Feb 15, 2005

Elektrik said:

Sorry Elektrik, But you right, the Kings would sweep the "Final Four'' with how they are playing now

that was a joke

Freakout · Feb 16, 2005

Bricklayer said:

Just such a huge step down in talent and age that I wouldn't really consider it. That's the sort fo thing Geoff normally does to other teams, not that they do to us. There'd be a parade in downtown Toronto.

Marshall is an interesting player for the Kings because if we could somehow get him as a BACKUP to Peja/Webb, we could have a heck of a talented bench. But replacing Peja with Marshall...well its the same thing as replacing Webb with Kurt Thomas or whatever. Losing a star for an aging middling talent. If it doesn't work the franchise has a very hard time ever recovering from that because you certainly can't move a Donyell Marshall for a new young talent on Peja's level.

And that's the problem with 9 out of 10 possible trades for Peja. There are real questions about whether Peja does the things we need to win a championship, but he's good enough that there are just very few names out there that tickle my interest. Bottomline I have real questions whether Peja is going to show up in the playoffs, whether he's going to grab the big board for us, hit the floor after that loose ball. But would I feel more confident going into the playoffs with Peja as a SF or Marshall as a SF? Take my chances with Peja if that's the choice.

Butler and George for Peja!

Ryle · Feb 16, 2005

I just dreamed up another trade. Kenny Thomas and Dalembert from Philly for Peja. Definitely solves our rebounding problems but then creates a big log jam at the 4/5 positions. I think what the playoffs last year showed is that Guard play is important in the playoffs and I think we are set there depending, of course, on the health of Bobby.

Thomas is a rebouder and a hustler and Dalembert has alot of potential and is also a good rebounder and shot blocker. Just a thought and the only problems I have is that Thomas has a big contract.

Bricklayer · Feb 16, 2005

Ryle said:

Why would we want to intentionally unbalance our team like that? Can only play so many guys up front unless we were going to put Thomas in as a slow SF.

Peja needs to go

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