I'm really curious why your so negative about the future. What is the foundation for your opinion? I, personally, for the most part, try to stay on the outside looking in. It may be easier for me because I live in baja. But I do watch all the games that are televised.
If you look at Petrie's track record, when compared to the rest of the league, its pretty good. Perfect? No. I realize that some people are impatient and want results now. Petrie is the type of GM that is methodical and careful, but more than that, he usually has a long range plan. Unfortunally for us, he is not one to divilige his plans.
The last time he put together a contending team, he penciled in a date on the calendar when we were going to be significantly under the cap. He made a trade or two and signed Valde and Wa La, we were contenders.. It wasn't an accident that we had a team that could pass the ball. It wasn't a great rebounding team, but it was decent. It wasn't going to go down as the best defensive team in the league, but it was a better defensive team than it was given credit for. My point is, he had a plan, and I believe he has a plan now.
The problem is that the first time around, no one thought we would ever compete for a title. I remember Grant saying on the radio many times the the Kings would never have the resourses to compete for a title. Well, Petrie came first, then the Maloff's and we had the resourses.
Now people are spoiled by sucess. They expect to win, and they want it done now. They want action. And if they can't see, what they consider significant movement in the direction they want, heads should roll.
My intent is not to convince you of anything. Nor is it a defense of the Kings organization. Its more of a curiosity of how I can see things entirely differently than you and I'm sure many others on this fourm. I can understand being critical of a trade or a draft selection. We certainly all have our opinions on such things. But to believe that we won't be competive until 2015? What do you consider competive? Winning the championship? Making the playoffs? Getting through the second round? What is it that satisfy's you?
You and I agree that it takes a big man a while to mature. You seem to have patience in that regard. Why not have the same patience with the team as a whole? At least until after the 2010 season.
You've misunderstood me. I do have patience. That's what I'm saying - it's other people who don't have patience. They expect things to turn rosy in 2010, what I'm saying is it's far more realistic that it will be 2013 than 2010. How many teams have gone from the state we're in to contenders in two years? No team. It's not magic. As you said, it requires a plan. So far, I've yet to see Petrie put fourth a plan. Either that, or he is doing it at an unnecessarily slow pace.
With our last contending team, it's no coincidence that we had a young, exciting team. We got that through (relatively) high lotto picks and good drafting. J-Will at 7, Peja, Hedo. Webber was a top 3 PF in the League. He was young. Teams have learnt, and we're not going to get another C-Webb with the trade pieces we have. People don't trade away young stars now, at least not for what we can offer. Pretty much the only way to get a real superstar now is through the draft. So far, Petrie has shown a lack of planning to get that star. If we wasn't trying to keep us mediocre and away from the worst in the league for as long as possible, their is absolutely no way we'd have seen signings such as Moore. If you're going to use the MLE when the team should be rebuilding, at least use it on young players. Moore has to be the most pointless signing I've witnessed, and it's just one example.
I am not spoilt by success, and I certainly don't want or expect it now. I think I'm one of the more realistic posters on here. What I do want and expect, however, is that both the Maloofs and Petrie commit fully to a rebuild. Based on their actions the last few years, I find it increasingly difficult to think they are in full rebuild mode.
You ask what satisfies me? I'll tell you. It is not simply winning a 'ship or competing. What satisfies me is knowing that the front office are doing all they can to rebuild, so someday we can compete. That entails clearing out deadwood, bringing in young players by aquiring picks, trading for them, whatever. It's not going to be done in two years, despite what some think. If anything, that's most likely when the rebuild will begin. By that time we'll have alot of expirings. We won't be attractive to a star. We won't have our own young star (unless we get one in late lottery - highly unlikely). That's when the rebuild will just begin. And a rebuild doesn't take one or two or even three years. It takes longer. Ask the Blazers, who are doing it flawlessly. They've been doing it for a few years now and they're still in the lottery. But they've put themselves in a GREAT position for the future. If I had to bet on a team dominating ala the Spurs, it would be the Blazers.
I hope now you see more clearly where I'm coming from. To be satisfied I have to see that Petrie and co. are trying hard to go with a youth movement. Based on other teams buying picks etc., I find it difficult to believe they are. It's going to take more than "Petrie put the 'ship team together" to convince me he'll do it again. I'm unconvinced as of this moment. I'm not a GP hater by any means and who knows, maybe my mind will be changed by tonight.
I only used 2015 as a measuring stick. It could be 2012 when we get our star, or it could be 2020. Who knows? Alot of teams go through huge droughts, just ask the Celtics (who got their title by going young and gaining young stars), Hawks, etc. It's very possible we could be a decade away from even getting a superstar. It's not going to happen naturally. We have to make it happen.
