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Kings put squeeze on Spurs
By Ric Bucher, ESPN The Magazine
There's still a chance that Ron Artest will lose his mind or that Bonzi Wells will blow his cool. So, for now, let's not go overboard with the appearance that the Sacramento Kings have several matchups that pose serious problems for the San Antonio Spurs.
The matchup that isn't going to go away, though, is between coaches Rick Adelman and Gregg Popovich, with Adelman pinpointing every single San Antonio pressure point and squeezing it to death. On Sunday, the Kings showed the champs once again they aren't going to be a typical No. 8 seed with a 102-84 trouncing, paced by 25 points and 17 boards from Wells. With the series tied 2-2, Adelman and the Kings seem, against all odds, to have a handle on how to handle the Spurs.
In the process, Adelman also has put a viselike grip on Kings ownership, the Maloof family. One of the nuggets rattling around the rumor mill all season has been that Adelman is out, the reasons being his lack of assertiveness and defensive acuity and the general sense that the Kings' core had stopped listening to him.
Now, anything short of a lengthy renewal and a significant raise would seem out of order.
Whatever impression you may have of Adelman from his sour sideline demeanor, bland wardrobe or somewhat whiny voice, the man has always understood how to exploit his team's strengths and his opponent's weaknesses. Always. He also has never been afraid to do whatever is necessary, no matter whose feelings among his players it might hurt.
I was a beat writer covering Adelman with the Golden State Warriors, watching as he kept his team in contention for a playoff spot all season despite Tim Hardaway and Latrell Sprewell hating each other and Joe Smith as his best low-post presence. They didn't make it, but they never quit. Considering the meager talent and massive turmoil, it may have been as good as any coaching job he's done. In any case, what he's doing now to Popovich is no surprise.
For those not paying attention, what Adelman has pinpointed is that the Spurs don't have an easy answer for Artest and Wells attacking from the wings, and the solution to stopping the Spurs' balanced offense is to keep Tim Duncan guessing, make Tony Parker a playmaker and Manu Ginobili a catch-and-shoot player.
During and after the game, several TNT analysts -- Jalen Rose, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith -- opined that the way to free Ginobili of Artest's shackles is to get him the ball in transition and coming off double screens. Well, sure, but that depends on the Kings missing shots and the Spurs rebounding well, which are not guarantees.
One rather drastic option is to replace Tony Parker with Ginobili at point guard. Parker, while continuing to score at a decent clip, isn't creating easy baskets for anybody else and isn't exactly shutting down Mike Bibby, who's averaging 19 points per game in the series. Putting Ginobili at the point and starting Brent Barry or Michael Finley at least creates a wrinkle for Adelman to iron out, specifically who Bibby guards and how to attack a bigger, longer opponent.
Take nothing away from what Parker has done this season; after all, he did play a huge part in the Spurs claiming the West's best record. But the playoffs require your key players to carry the load, to be better, to do what's necessary. Manu, time and again, has done that. He is San Antonio's energizer and X factor, and whatever other cliche you want to throw out there. I've said from the start, without him at 100 percent, it doesn't matter what Duncan or Parker or anybody else does, the Spurs don't defend their title.
Now, as it stands, they have some questions to answer to make it out of the first round. Questions posed by one Rick Adelman. Rarely has a lame duck looked so spry.
Kings put squeeze on Spurs
By Ric Bucher, ESPN The Magazine
There's still a chance that Ron Artest will lose his mind or that Bonzi Wells will blow his cool. So, for now, let's not go overboard with the appearance that the Sacramento Kings have several matchups that pose serious problems for the San Antonio Spurs.
The matchup that isn't going to go away, though, is between coaches Rick Adelman and Gregg Popovich, with Adelman pinpointing every single San Antonio pressure point and squeezing it to death. On Sunday, the Kings showed the champs once again they aren't going to be a typical No. 8 seed with a 102-84 trouncing, paced by 25 points and 17 boards from Wells. With the series tied 2-2, Adelman and the Kings seem, against all odds, to have a handle on how to handle the Spurs.
In the process, Adelman also has put a viselike grip on Kings ownership, the Maloof family. One of the nuggets rattling around the rumor mill all season has been that Adelman is out, the reasons being his lack of assertiveness and defensive acuity and the general sense that the Kings' core had stopped listening to him.
Now, anything short of a lengthy renewal and a significant raise would seem out of order.
Whatever impression you may have of Adelman from his sour sideline demeanor, bland wardrobe or somewhat whiny voice, the man has always understood how to exploit his team's strengths and his opponent's weaknesses. Always. He also has never been afraid to do whatever is necessary, no matter whose feelings among his players it might hurt.
I was a beat writer covering Adelman with the Golden State Warriors, watching as he kept his team in contention for a playoff spot all season despite Tim Hardaway and Latrell Sprewell hating each other and Joe Smith as his best low-post presence. They didn't make it, but they never quit. Considering the meager talent and massive turmoil, it may have been as good as any coaching job he's done. In any case, what he's doing now to Popovich is no surprise.
For those not paying attention, what Adelman has pinpointed is that the Spurs don't have an easy answer for Artest and Wells attacking from the wings, and the solution to stopping the Spurs' balanced offense is to keep Tim Duncan guessing, make Tony Parker a playmaker and Manu Ginobili a catch-and-shoot player.
During and after the game, several TNT analysts -- Jalen Rose, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith -- opined that the way to free Ginobili of Artest's shackles is to get him the ball in transition and coming off double screens. Well, sure, but that depends on the Kings missing shots and the Spurs rebounding well, which are not guarantees.
One rather drastic option is to replace Tony Parker with Ginobili at point guard. Parker, while continuing to score at a decent clip, isn't creating easy baskets for anybody else and isn't exactly shutting down Mike Bibby, who's averaging 19 points per game in the series. Putting Ginobili at the point and starting Brent Barry or Michael Finley at least creates a wrinkle for Adelman to iron out, specifically who Bibby guards and how to attack a bigger, longer opponent.
Take nothing away from what Parker has done this season; after all, he did play a huge part in the Spurs claiming the West's best record. But the playoffs require your key players to carry the load, to be better, to do what's necessary. Manu, time and again, has done that. He is San Antonio's energizer and X factor, and whatever other cliche you want to throw out there. I've said from the start, without him at 100 percent, it doesn't matter what Duncan or Parker or anybody else does, the Spurs don't defend their title.
Now, as it stands, they have some questions to answer to make it out of the first round. Questions posed by one Rick Adelman. Rarely has a lame duck looked so spry.
