Pete D'Allesandro

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Just lucky or did he just maybe have a plan? There is no way you can criticize the product we're currently seeing on the court.

I mentioned it in the game thread and was accused of trying to start an argument so I've started this thread. Those of you who were most critical of PDA - think maybe you were wrong?
 
I'm loving the performance so far. Loving it. And getting completely ready to eat my words.

That being said, to play devils advocate why is it that anytime a fan questions the moves PDA makes, he's called reactionary and told to give it time? Yet 4 positive games in is enough time to say told you so? Should this streak end and we go back to what we've seen before, would the chest beating fans calling for crow eating be willing to do the same. Just curious.

And again, just so it isn't lost in these comments, I'm loving this season.
 
sdballer said:
I'm loving the performance so far. Loving it. And getting completely ready to eat my words.

That being said, to play devils advocate why is it that anytime a fan questions the moves PDA makes, he's called reactionary and told to give it time? Yet 4 positive games in is enough time to say told you so? Should this streak end and we go back to what we've seen before, would the chest beating fans calling for crow eating be willing to do the same. Just curious.

And again, just so it isn't lost in these comments, I'm loving this season.
Click to expand...

Thing is the play shows no signs of streakiness or flukiness. That's the real kicker.
 
still too early to tell if we were wrong or right on his decisions. I'm sure getting Williams was a failed experiment but it's nice to have that expiring to use towards Rudy.
 
I'm gonna put this out there NOW just in case. PDA has quietly put together a team that responds to their coach, responds to each other and understands what's expected of them. Part of the credit goes to Malone, of course, but he can only work with what he's given. Part of the credit also goes to Cuz and Rudy, who've obviously brought back knowledge from the FIBA Championship that has been extremely beneficial. Bottom line? If this team does even half as well as they're looking right now, PDA could be in line for GM of the Year.
 
ShastaKingsFan said:
His Carl Landry signing is showing strong signs, over a year later. Good news is we didn't need him last year, but we sure do this season....and he's warming quickly
Click to expand...

This board was extremely biased against Landry because we basically got the only BAD portion of his career in his previous stint with us. So that warped many's perception of him. And of course, being hurt all last year didn't help either.

But this is who he is. He's a quality offensive player that can get us 10-12 points off the bench a night and knows how to play within a team system.
 
Most casual fans see our record so far as a fluke. Hardcore NBA guys though know our play on the court is much improved. We're a top 10 defense so far and we're also the only team besides Golden State with two top 10 scorers. It's too early to be talking playoffs, but these are not lucky wins and a .500+ record no longer looks like a pipe dream. I've believed in Cousins since the beginning, I'm coming around on Rudy Gay. The progress we're seeing right now in team defense, offensive efficiency, and just flat out good vibes is very impressive considering our coach and GM have only been on the job for a year and 5 months and they've replaced nearly the entire roster.
 
The_Jamal said:
This board was extremely biased against Landry because we basically got the only BAD portion of his career in his previous stint with us. So that warped many's perception of him. And of course, being hurt all last year didn't help either.

But this is who he is. He's a quality offensive player that can get us 10-12 points off the bench a night and knows how to play within a team system.
Click to expand...

I was impressed with Carl's game, since back when he was with Houston. He's got talent, is a pitbull in the post, and has a good midrange shot. Also a positive workman like pro
 
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A few things have been the difference so far this year as opposed to the last few years in Sacramento.

1. Cuz and Rudy's leadership.
- They've taken this team and put it on their backs. I think their time spent in the FIBA was more valuable than we think. There's a new maturity there and you can see how close these two have become. They are the leaders of this team. I'm excited to see what they can do together over the course of 82 games.

2. The signing of Darren Collison.
- Stability, consistency and always looking to involve Cuz and Rudy. We haven't had this kind of game at the 1 in a long time.

3. A healthy Carl Landry.
- Good signing? Still up for debate. However, Landry is healthy this year and he will always bring veteran leadership, decent scoring and some tough boards. Our bench lacked all of that last year.

4. Omri Casspi.
- Fire and intensity off the bench. Again, we lacked that last year.

5. Confidence and Chemistry.
- Intangibles that are crucial to success. One starts with belief in themselves and the other starts with belief in each other. I would argue that we haven't had either of those in several years! It starts with Cuz and Rudy and it works its way down. Even looking at the rate that were getting to the line right now, it begins with confidence. You don't get this many FT attempts without having the confidence to drive to the hoop, to initiate contact. In years past, we've always expected to NOT get those calls. This year, we know we can and we're forcing the ref to make those calls.
 
Granted it's super early and naturally there is going to be a let down in near future but one thing is for sure the team is vastly improved this year. Going .500 is a very realistic goal and if they can accomplish that then next year is the year they really shoot for the playoffs. Of course making the playoffs this year would be great but that would be a dream scenario and not even one that I think PDA planned for. I think what PDA did plan for however is an improved team and a much more cohesive team that actually plays as a team. Suddenly some of those signings like Landry and Casspi that were labeled by the
experts" here as bad signings or useless signings are starting to look pretty good. Those guys have been a big part of the team chemistry thus far.

If figures that all of those that trashed PDA over the past year are no where to be found in this thread thus far. Several members here including a couple of the egomaniacs that kept calling PDA a "gerbil" and making it clear they could do a better job are nowhere to be found. You'll see them in the other threads acting like they knew this was going to happen all along and acting like they know why but you still won't see them even admit that maybe they were wrong about Pete.

This is why they play the games and why every new season is a new opportunity. You never know what's going to happen and how a team is going to improve or falter.
 
There's a lot of good and some bad with PDA. The two big ones (signing Cousins to the extension and trading for Gay) are really the engine to our rise, and that is all PDA. So much props to him.
 
Robin Lopez might have been an ok player to have.... but I've been all about people waiting before judging PDA. No GM bats a 1000. He's a risk taker and I think he's hit more than missed thats for sure.

The next move could be pretty important.
 
'Number 5, the confidence and chemistry- ' This is the most elusive and challenging. Putting a team together isn't like playing Fantasy Basketball, and I have to admire PDA and the staff for putting a team together that believes in each other and buys in, making moves that many soundly disagreed with, based on stats. For the first time in I can't even count how many years, I see a TEAM out there. I see a TEAM on the bench. It helps that DeMarcus Cousins is a talent unlike anything I have seen in a long time, but that talent is wasted and/or never realized without the support shown to him by Vivek, PDA and Malone. It's about buy in and believe, team above one, trust. That is so hard to draw up on a whiteboard, but without it, you have the Kings of the last 10 years.
 
I have been critical of D'Alessandro, and I'm still not all the way sold (ask me again when we find out where Derrick Williams is at the end of the year), but I'll definitely give him credit for building a culture that can help Cousins mature, between Michael Malone and his coaching staff, and the veterans he's brought on board. There's a perfectly cromulent alternate dimension where DeMarcus Cousins becomes Rasheed Wallace 2.0, so kudos to D'Alessandro for not letting that happen.

Granted, he didn't technically hire Malone, but he's mostly gotten the guys that Malone said he needed, and it appears to be working out.
 
I always said it was too early to judge, and I hold firm on that.

The main thing was the purge and changing a culture of losing, and so far it's working. But a culture of winning still has to be built and just like the chubby kid that goes on a diet and loses the first 15 lbs overnight, it's still a long path to success and you can slip and end up right back where you started.

But I have more faith than I have had in years.
 
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PDA's most important moves were
1.) he got Rudy Gay,
2.) turning point was letting go of IT to sign this guy:
kingsnation said:
2. The signing of Darren Collison.
- Stability, consistency and always looking to involve Cuz and Rudy. We haven't had this kind of game at the 1 in a long time.
Click to expand...
rainmaker said:
Most valuable aspect to DC's play, aside from better defense at the point of attack is his understanding of how to control tempo, spread the ball around, ride the hot hand and/or the focal points and look for his own within the offense or when one of/both Rudy/Cuz are on the bench.

Thus far, the guy just gets it, it being how to run the team and the closest thing we've had to a floor general in years, maybe since Bibby. Beno had a good stretch here though.

We're not 3-1 without DC handling the rock the last 6 mins of games and knowing how to close out wins.
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Even Cousins knows it.
The Hammer said:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...ssions-is-there-hope-for-the-sacramento-kings

"Biggest thing, DC is our floor general," Cousins said. "He's communicating with us, he's leading us every night. He's the head of the snake right now, and he's doing a tremendous job defending the basketball. Everybody's stepping up, everybody's buying in, everybody's locked in."
Click to expand...
Probably one more important signing and we're sure to be a playoff team.

Congrats PDA for this franchise-changing moves.
 
Last edited:
Swaze said:
Granted it's super early and naturally there is going to be a let down in near future but one thing is for sure the team is vastly improved this year. Going .500 is a very realistic goal and if they can accomplish that then next year is the year they really shoot for the playoffs. Of course making the playoffs this year would be great but that would be a dream scenario and not even one that I think PDA planned for. I think what PDA did plan for however is an improved team and a much more cohesive team that actually plays as a team. Suddenly some of those signings like Landry and Casspi that were labeled by the
experts" here as bad signings or useless signings are starting to look pretty good. Those guys have been a big part of the team chemistry thus far.

If figures that all of those that trashed PDA over the past year are no where to be found in this thread thus far. Several members here including a couple of the egomaniacs that kept calling PDA a "gerbil" and making it clear they could do a better job are nowhere to be found. You'll see them in the other threads acting like they knew this was going to happen all along and acting like they know why but you still won't see them even admit that maybe they were wrong about Pete.

This is why they play the games and why every new season is a new opportunity. You never know what's going to happen and how a team is going to improve or falter.
Click to expand...
This team tries hard on D, so what you call a potential letdown will most likely be perceived as "I can't believe, we still had a chance to win that" type of game. Good days!:eek::D
 
I think he has had a better off-season this year, than he did last year!

Overall, I didn't mind his signings this off-season. I was hoping for that ever elusive shot blocker at PF and Rondo at PG like most of us. I also didn't like that he didn't get enough back for IT by not trading him at the trade deadline last season.

However, I always loved his Rudy Gay trade. Wasn't a fan of Williams trade. Was not thrilled th Landry at that money. Liked the signing of Collison, Casspi, Moreland, Sessions and Moreland. Would also like the signing of williams if it happens.

Sessions is just having a horrid start to the season but he will come around. His signing, and a fit Landry gives this team a scoring punch off the bench. It provides a very nice balance for us. Two major scorers in the starting 5 in Cousins and Gay and 2 good reserves scorers in Landry and Sessions (inside and outside attack). Sessions hasn't fired a shot yet but he will.

If only we could get a better production from SG. Its a better balanced team than last year's and everyone is buying in defensively!
 
TheBadGuy said:
Well he's still better than DWill.
Click to expand...
DWill was and is a young prospect some turn out some don't. Gambling away an old injury prone vet happens. Stop crying about it...we have a much better 3 now.
 
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