Questions about next season squad

[AleksandarN]

I tried to go to sleep tonight but I can not fall asleep because I was thinking about all of the questions or problems that could arise this upcoming season. The first thing that popped in my head was:

What happens if Bonzi Wells starts going into a me first type of mind frame because he is thinking about his next contract?

What happens if the players stop listening to the Rick?

What happens if Pedja dislikes a team mate who triys to take contol of the team and trys then to be the leader the team which Pedja thinks is not a "real leader"?

What happens if SAR knees become shot?

What happens if we start losing and SAR wants to be traded to a winning team?

What happens if the new players fail to fit in with our offense?

What happens if we start looking for a new coach while Rick is still coaching the team and this gets leaked to the press in the middle of the season?

What if Kenny Thomas creates a rift in the chemistry because he is not starting?


See there is a lot of questions going into this season. It will be interesting how it turns out. That is what I look foward to this season is to see how this unfolds. All I can say is enjoy the ride. I hope that we see none of these questions this season. I hope to see us in the final I know a long shot given the odds but I still hope.

 

[ForlornKing]

Um, we're screwed.

 

[SacTownKid]

Um, this team as you see it now no longer exists after this season. Pretty much that simple.

Better question is, how long into the season will it take for the Maloofs to decide to hammer out a long term deal for Rick Adelman?

 

[Bricklayer]

I tried to go to sleep tonight but I can not fall asleep because I was thinking about all of the questions or problems that could arise this upcoming season. The first thing that popped in my head was:

Man, and I thought I was depressing...

What happens if Bonzi Wells starts going into a me first type of mind frame because he is thinking about his next contract?

Not actually how I would word my own Bonzi concern, but similar. My own is what happens if Bonzi gets frustrated at the lack of shots caused by our shooting logjam, decides this was not what he had in mind, and slips into spitting at coach, bitching at everyone, headband throwing, chair kicking mini-Artestdom? To address both concerns I hope we put in some isolations for him outside the normal flow of the offense -- really his greatest use to us anyway as a guy who can create. Call his number occassionally. Keep him happy and involved and punsihing the other team, not us.

What happens if the players stop listening to the Rick?

Simple enough -- Rick gets fired and we likely see the season go down the drain. But at this point that whole "tired of hearing the same voice thing" is completley invalid with only two players on the roster who have heard that same voice for more than two years. The real concern on that front is not Mike or Peja, its Shareef and Bonzi and KT -- guys who have their own way of doing things and have not proven extremely coachable in the past. If guys get frustrated by shots/minutes and decide they want to complain and do their own thing... Still, perhaps Rick's greatest skill over the years has been getting people to buy into his systems, so we'll see.

What happens if Pedja dislikes a team mate who triys to take contol of the team and trys then to be the leader the team which Pedja thinks is not a "real leader"?

More passive aggressive undermining perhaps, but its hard to see him pout away his contract year so I doubt it will get too disruptive in season.

But this season, and remaining offseason even, is going to a very interesting test of Petrie/the Maloofs' loyalty to Peja. In under a month he has gone from a #1 or at worst #1b option (to Bibby's #1a) to just another offensive player in a lineup loaded/overloaded with big scorers. To just another guy. That may have been done in some ways to protect Peja, or the Kings, from throwing him out there pretending to be a #1 and having him fail. Or the effect of those moves could be to make him almost superflorous. Either way when you've just picked up 20ppg at $6mil per, and then you have Peja looming at 20ppg for $15mil...makes it all look silly. How Petrie/the Maloofs are looking at teh cost/benefit of that may determine what the response would be to more Peja problems. If they are 100% permanently dedicated to Peja, then they respond to the situation by letting Bonzi walk and using the room gained from his salary dump to make room to max out Peja who presumably gets more shots next year with Bonzi gone. On the other hand if they think paying Peja max is even more ridiculous given all of the options around on the team, then more Peja problems may actually finally spell the end of his tenure here.

What happens if SAR knees become shot?

I'm not too worried about that short term in this season. Long term? New Jersey's action does raise questions. The size of Reef's contract means we might still be able to move him if we do it early as soon as we see signs. But wait too long, and we are stuck with him. And with his game, he is one shaky knee from pretty much being 15pts 6rebs. Still -- not gong to worry too much about it until it happens. He's been durable so far in his career. But once he hits 30-1 I'm going to start watching closely (assuming he is still here).

What happens if we start losing and SAR wants to be traded to a winning team?

I doubt that happens this season unless we REALLY start losing. We have th advnatage that Shareef has no clue what winning is like in the NBA. If we are all of .500 that's going to be him you hear in the locker room screaming WOOT! WE'RE ROLLING NOW BABY! Only way I see it happening is in some nightmare combination of all these questions, where guys get frustrated over shots, the chemistry fractures (or never forms) we start to underacheive and unravel and Reef's unhappiness comes not only from our record but also over his shots, the atmosphere etc.

What happens if the new players fail to fit in with our offense?

Reef should fit in ok, if he can be convinced to pass. Bonzi not so much, but the beauty of Bonzi for me at least is precisely that he does NOT fit into our offense. That he's capable of being forceful and would rather attack than passively shoot. The problem will come if either guy gets selfish, and especially if that leads to a general competition for shots as EVERYBODY starts getting selfish in response.

What happens if we start looking for a new coach while Rick is still coaching the team and this gets leaked to the press in the middle of the season?

Lame duckitis. Be a distraction and could hurt us down the stretch, but assuming it only happens in the last few months of the season, not likely to really be a disaster. Much will depend on whether the new players in particular have bonded with Rick beforehand or not. Bonzi in particular has the potential to go off and do his own thing if he smells blood and has no loyalty to the coach. Basically, anybody who has a problem with Rick, his minutes, the shots he's getting etc. before such a leak, will take advantage to rock the boat. Still, since I don't expect this team to beat the serious teams in the playoffs anyway, if they mildly underacheive in the postseason because of distractions, I don't view it as a true disaster. Just mean another offseason of retooling.

What if Kenny Thomas creates a rift in the chemistry because he is not starting?

This is possible. The last time KT was happy was..well not sure I can recall in his NBA career. With a new team forming an identity, two guys who have caused their own problems recently in Bonzi and SAR in the lineup, guys competing for shots in contract years, I would really feel more comfortable eliminating as many potential sources of discontent as possible before we got underway. Still KT off the bench being unhappy is not enough to scuttle our season alone, UNLESS it spills over and the Bonzis begin to feel the negative vibe and respond in kind.

See there is a lot of questions going into this season. It will be interesting how it turns out. That is what I look foward to this season is to see how this unfolds. All I can say is enjoy the ride. I hope that we see none of these questions this season. I hope to see us in the final I know a long shot given the odds but I still hope.

I'm still hoping for some more significant moves by Petrie to make some of these offseason musings moot, but we'll see.

 

[Crvena Zvezda]

1. What happens if Bonzi Wells starts going into a me first type of mind frame because he is thinking about his next contract?

2.What happens if the players stop listening to the Rick?

3.What happens if Pedja dislikes a team mate who triys to take contol of the team and trys then to be the leader the team which Pedja thinks is not a "real leader"?

4.What happens if SAR knees become shot?

5.What happens if we start losing and SAR wants to be traded to a winning team?

6.What happens if the new players fail to fit in with our offense?

7.What happens if we start looking for a new coach while Rick is still coaching the team and this gets leaked to the press in the middle of the season?

8.What if Kenny Thomas creates a rift in the chemistry because he is not starting?

1. Then we shouldn't resign him
2. Won't happen but if it does we need a new coach
3. Tell Peja to shutup and take it like a man
4. Then he will be injured and will get surgery or w/e , not like we haven't covered an injury before
5. No answer for this one
6. Won't happen, the will adjust eventually
7. Oh well , NBA is a buisness.
8. Tell him to suck it up and stop being a *****.

 

[DeAtHrOw]

I tried to go to sleep tonight but I can not fall asleep because I was thinking about all of the questions or problems that could arise this upcoming season. The first thing that popped in my head was:

What happens if Bonzi Wells starts going into a me first type of mind frame because he is thinking about his next contract?

What happens if the players stop listening to the Rick?

What happens if Pedja dislikes a team mate who triys to take contol of the team and trys then to be the leader the team which Pedja thinks is not a "real leader"?

What happens if SAR knees become shot?

What happens if we start losing and SAR wants to be traded to a winning team?

What happens if the new players fail to fit in with our offense?

What happens if we start looking for a new coach while Rick is still coaching the team and this gets leaked to the press in the middle of the season?

What if Kenny Thomas creates a rift in the chemistry because he is not starting?


See there is a lot of questions going into this season. It will be interesting how it turns out. That is what I look foward to this season is to see how this unfolds. All I can say is enjoy the ride. I hope that we see none of these questions this season. I hope to see us in the final I know a long shot given the odds but I still hope.

I suggest you get some sleeping pills.

 

[sono]

You got far more ifs than mine . The most alarming for me are Bonzi & KT's.
The other teams have as many ifs as we do on the other hand.
I'm a big believer in Napoleon's quote (not Dynamite ) "when you go to bed take off your worries with your clothes..." Try it, might work.

 

[sono]

...
But this season, and remaining offseason even, is going to a very interesting test of Petrie/the Maloofs' loyalty to Peja. In under a month he has gone from a #1 or at worst #1b option (to Bibby's #1a) to just another offensive player in a lineup loaded/overloaded with big scorers. To just another guy. That may have been done in some ways to protect Peja, or the Kings, from throwing him out there pretending to be a #1 and having him fail. Or the effect of those moves could be to make him almost superflorous. Either way when you've just picked up 20ppg at $6mil per, and then you have Peja looming at 20ppg for $15mil...makes it all look silly. How Petrie/the Maloofs are looking at teh cost/benefit of that may determine what the response would be to more Peja problems. If they are 100% permanently dedicated to Peja, then they respond to the situation by letting Bonzi walk and using the room gained from his salary dump to make room to max out Peja who presumably gets more shots next year with Bonzi gone. On the other hand if they think paying Peja max is even more ridiculous given all of the options around on the team, then more Peja problems may actually finally spell the end of his tenure here.
...

It's really an interesting angle to see Peja's 'if'. I've thought Peja is #1 scoring option (was and will be), even after Shareef's addition.

 

[Kingaholic]

You got far more ifs than mine . The most alarming for me are Bonzi & KT's.
The other teams have as many ifs as we do on the other hand.
I'm a big believer in Napoleon's quote (not Dynamite ) "when you go to bed take off your worries with your clothes..."

There was another Napoleon? Wait... I'm confused...

 

[funkykingston]

What happens if Bonzi Wells starts going into a me first type of mind frame because he is thinking about his next contract?

Punch him in the mouth.

What happens if the players stop listening to the Rick?

He should punch all of them in the mouth.

What happens if Pedja dislikes a team mate who triys to take contol of the team and trys then to be the leader the team which Pedja thinks is not a "real leader"?

Somebody should punch Peja in the mouth

What happens if SAR knees become shot?

Punch the team doctor in the mouth.

What happens if we start losing and SAR wants to be traded to a winning team?

Not likely. Even if the team struggles early, he'll have a starting job and the team's potential is readily apparent. The only way I see this team not making the playoffs is if it is struck again with injuries.

What happens if the new players fail to fit in with our offense?

I have almost zero fear of this. VERY few guys have not fit in to RA's system. Considering that Petrie targeted Wells and Rahim from the beginning of the offseason, I can't believe that they wouldn't slide right in and contribute.

What happens if we start looking for a new coach while Rick is still coaching the team and this gets leaked to the press in the middle of the season?

Punch Joe Maloof in the mouth.

What if Kenny Thomas creates a rift in the chemistry because he is not starting?

I think if Kenny is given enough minutes (and in all likelihood he IS the team's sixth man at this point) then he'll be fine. If not, I suppose he'd have to be dealt for whatever the team could get for him. If there are no takers, punch him in the mouth.

I think you're getting yourself worked up over nothing with these questions. My biggest questions for the season are: Can Bibby and company follow up on their talk and improve the team defense? Are SAR and Miller going to be able to rebound at a high enough level for the team to be successful?

On a much more minor note, I also wonder if a backup will be brought in for Peja (Barnes?) and how some of the young guys (Hart, Cisco, Martin, Sampson) will contribute, assuming Price and Sampson even make the team.

 

[sactown_draftpick]

1. Then we shouldn't resign him
2. Won't happen but if it does we need a new coach
3. Tell Peja to shutup and take it like a man
4. Then he will be injured and will get surgery or w/e , not like we haven't covered an injury before
5. No answer for this one
6. Won't happen, the will adjust eventually
7. Oh well , NBA is a buisness.
8. Tell him to suck it up and stop being a *****.

u pretty much put my thoughts into words

 

[sactown_draftpick]

I suggest you get some sleeping pills.

lol see if SAR endorses any (sleeping pills tht is )

 

[IVote4Replay]

wow... then i would be kinda depressed if that all happened....

 

[Bricklayer]

Punch him in the mouth.

I like it!

You know, if there were more punches in the mouth in professional sport, there would probably be a LOT less whining and complaining by pro atheltes being paid millions of dollars. Whine about minutes? Punch in the mouth. Coach-killer? Punch in the mouth. Terrel Owens? General full body beatdown by a team of kung fu artists.

 

[tubiscus]

I tried to go to sleep tonight but I can not fall asleep because I was thinking about all of the questions or problems that could arise this upcoming season. The first thing that popped in my head was:

What happens if Bonzi Wells..........

Why am I reminded of William Shatner on SNL???

 

[GoGoGadget]

You know, if there were more punches in the mouth in professional sport, there would probably be a LOT less whining and complaining by pro atheltes being paid millions of dollars.

The ice packs would pretty much guarantee a slow down in the whining department -- hard to talk with one on your face.

 

[Rowdyone]

Reading your list prompted me to think, "Gee, we'd sound like 90% of the other teams out there".

 

[VF21]

I tried to go to sleep tonight but I can not fall asleep because I was thinking about all of the questions or problems that could arise this upcoming season.

You forgot a couple:

What if a meteor hits ARCO a) while the team is there; b) while the team is playing somewhere else?

What if the sun explodes?

What if there really is no such thing as basketball and this is all the world's most intricate practical joke played just on me?

What if David Stern mandates that all future NBA games will be shown ONLY on pay-per-view and no fans will be able to attend games?

What if the Maloofs move the Kings to Argentina?

...

 

[thesanityannex]

What if the Lakers win the division?

 

[sono]

There was another Napoleon? Wait... I'm confused...

his

name is Napoleon Dynamite.

 

[PFFFT!!]

What if we stopped asking questions? Would the world end?

 

[VF21]

sono - It was a joke. You apparently missed it. Kingaholic was kidding you. NOTE the winking emoticon at the end of his comment.

 

[Folsom Al]

I tried to go to sleep tonight but I can not fall asleep because I was thinking about all of the questions or problems that could arise this upcoming season. The first thing that popped in my head was:

AleksandarN ..... you need a BETTER BED !!!! Like the one in this picture:

 

[VF21]

Is it just me or does the headboard look like two chairbacks? Is this some kind of trick bed that can fold down via very clever hinges to two dining room chairs?

 

[Folsom Al]

Are you looking to replace that dining room table already ???

Exemplifying symmetry, balance, and harmony with the natural world, the intriguing elements of the Sensay Bed transport you to a realm of pure tranquility. Arranged with simplistic precision, a multitude of pleasures are skillfully built into the Sensay’s unique design. In place of a solid, uniform headboard, the bed features two ergonomic back rests that gently conform to your body’s natural curvature and are adjustable up and down to suit your individual needs. Ideal for finding that perfect, upright position so difficult to achieve with traditional bed frames, the Sensay allows you to read or relax in absolute comfort. Additionally, the frame and its accoutrements are constructed from solid, mahogany hardwood to ensure beauty, longevity and durability for years to come. Available in natural brown or our exclusive espresso, either shade makes an exquisite addition to your bedroom haven and a wonderful match with any of the complementary pieces in the Sensay Collection.



Where or how would you play poker on this thing ???

 

[VF21]

Sorry, but it looks like it's been stuffed with surplus plastic bags from the grocery store.

If I wanted to play poker, MY first move would be to get rid of the lumpy mattress.

 

[Folsom Al]

Not only that, but .... where would I put my drink ???

 

[sono]

lol, Folsom did you change your profession?

 

[VF21]

Step #2 - Grabbing your favorite router, you modify the night stand. You add spaces for drinks, a well for potato chips and another for a removable dip container. Then, well under way, you add the mandatory ice bucket.

 

[sono]

sono - It was a joke. You apparently missed it. Kingaholic was kidding you. NOTE the winking emoticon at the end of his comment.

oops, my bad