Last Cup of Sorrow
G-League
Saw this at Yahoo! Sports, and it has a lot of stuff about the Kings, so here:
Royal flush?
By Steve Kerr
February 14, 2005
[size=-2]STEVE KERR’S THREE POINTS[/size]
1. PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chris Webber. C-Webb had three triple-doubles in five games and was just one assist and one rebound away from another one in the Kings' loss to Seattle. Webber has fought his way past a painful knee injury to post terrific numbers this season.
2. GAME OF THE WEEK
Tuesday: Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets. Don't look now, but the Rockets have won seven in a row. The Wizards, meanwhile, have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and continue to persevere while they await the return of Larry Hughes.
3. STAT OF THE WEEK
The Golden State Warriors out-rebounded the Phoenix Suns 72-52 on Sunday, including a 31-8 advantage on the offensive boards – and lost. Four-for-29 three-point shooting did the Warriors in.</SPAN>It was a tough week for the Sacramento Kings.
In the midst of a four-game losing streak, Rick Adelman's team also learned that its four best players – Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic – had been snubbed for the All-Star game. To add insult to injury, three of the team's four losses came against Western Conference contenders – Phoenix, Seattle and Dallas – and two of the three defeats ended with controversial non-goaltending calls.
In addition to the difficult losses and the exclusion of some worthy players from Sunday's All-Star game in Denver, Adelman and his team are reeling.
The Kings have had a terrific season, and as always, Adelman has done a fantastic job. He has long been one of the more underrated coaches in the game. Year in and year out, his teams compete, move the ball and play an entertaining style. This season's club is no different. The Kings lead the league in assists (25.03 per game) and are second in scoring at more than 103 points per game.
But, after talking with Adelman several times during the season, I got the sense that he was aware the Kings' success was somewhat precarious. As good as Sacramento is offensively, the team often struggles on defense.
The Kings' front line is hurt by big, versatile forwards who use their speed to drive to the rim. Sacramento's rebounding is a problem, too. And with the West as strong as it is, Adelman knows that one bad streak can knock the Kings back into the pack.
After ending their losing streak with a 104-100 win in Boston on Sunday, the Kings find themselves at 33-18, in fifth place in the West and 6 ½ games behind the first-place Suns in the Pacific Division. Eight of the Kings' next nine games are on the road, so they are about to enter a critical stage. With Houston and Memphis breathing down their necks, it is critical for the Kings to regain their momentum and make another push back up the conference standings.
In order for them to do so, Bibby, Miller, Webber and Stojakovic will have to play like the All-Stars they are – even if they weren't picked this season.
Bibby has had the best season of his NBA career and is the most notable of the Kings' exclusions. One of the game's great clutch shooters, the point guard has also taken on more of the ball-handling responsibilities since the trade of Doug Christie.
In key moments, the Kings look for Bibby, and more often than not, he delivers. He and Steve Nash have been the best point guards in the West this season, and Bibby deserves to be playing with Nash in Denver.
You can make a case for Miller, too. The Kings' center has had a better season than Yao Ming, the starting center for the West All-Stars, and Miller's passing and shooting are among the best in the league at his position. Miller has picked up where Vlade Divac left off and given the Kings' potent offense an outstanding high-post passer and shooter.
Webber has had a terrific season as well. Despite being noticeably slowed by his knee injury in the 2003 playoffs, Webber maintains the skills that allow him to do so much on the floor – shoot, pass and rebound.
The fourth King who is worthy of All-Star status is Stojakovic. The game's preeminent shooter, Stojakovic's numbers are down a bit this season, but he is still a big-time scorer with unlimited range. At 6-foot-10, he can shoot over anyone.
Every year, several worthy players are left off the All-Star team, but rarely does a team with four candidates get denied. The Kings' foursome did its best Ralph Nader impression by taking votes away from each other in that all four received votes from coaches around the conference but probably negated each other's chances. Ironically, the All-Star snubs could actually help the Kings. A year ago, Miller severely sprained his ankle in the All-Star game and his absence derailed Sacramento from its smooth ride. Not sending anyone to Denver will give the players and coaches a much-needed rest. The break will give the Kings the chance to gather themselves and regroup.
Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Royal flush?
By Steve Kerr
February 14, 2005
[size=-2]STEVE KERR’S THREE POINTS[/size]
1. PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chris Webber. C-Webb had three triple-doubles in five games and was just one assist and one rebound away from another one in the Kings' loss to Seattle. Webber has fought his way past a painful knee injury to post terrific numbers this season.
2. GAME OF THE WEEK
Tuesday: Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets. Don't look now, but the Rockets have won seven in a row. The Wizards, meanwhile, have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and continue to persevere while they await the return of Larry Hughes.
3. STAT OF THE WEEK
The Golden State Warriors out-rebounded the Phoenix Suns 72-52 on Sunday, including a 31-8 advantage on the offensive boards – and lost. Four-for-29 three-point shooting did the Warriors in.</SPAN>It was a tough week for the Sacramento Kings.
In the midst of a four-game losing streak, Rick Adelman's team also learned that its four best players – Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic – had been snubbed for the All-Star game. To add insult to injury, three of the team's four losses came against Western Conference contenders – Phoenix, Seattle and Dallas – and two of the three defeats ended with controversial non-goaltending calls.
In addition to the difficult losses and the exclusion of some worthy players from Sunday's All-Star game in Denver, Adelman and his team are reeling.
The Kings have had a terrific season, and as always, Adelman has done a fantastic job. He has long been one of the more underrated coaches in the game. Year in and year out, his teams compete, move the ball and play an entertaining style. This season's club is no different. The Kings lead the league in assists (25.03 per game) and are second in scoring at more than 103 points per game.
But, after talking with Adelman several times during the season, I got the sense that he was aware the Kings' success was somewhat precarious. As good as Sacramento is offensively, the team often struggles on defense.
The Kings' front line is hurt by big, versatile forwards who use their speed to drive to the rim. Sacramento's rebounding is a problem, too. And with the West as strong as it is, Adelman knows that one bad streak can knock the Kings back into the pack.
After ending their losing streak with a 104-100 win in Boston on Sunday, the Kings find themselves at 33-18, in fifth place in the West and 6 ½ games behind the first-place Suns in the Pacific Division. Eight of the Kings' next nine games are on the road, so they are about to enter a critical stage. With Houston and Memphis breathing down their necks, it is critical for the Kings to regain their momentum and make another push back up the conference standings.
In order for them to do so, Bibby, Miller, Webber and Stojakovic will have to play like the All-Stars they are – even if they weren't picked this season.
Bibby has had the best season of his NBA career and is the most notable of the Kings' exclusions. One of the game's great clutch shooters, the point guard has also taken on more of the ball-handling responsibilities since the trade of Doug Christie.
In key moments, the Kings look for Bibby, and more often than not, he delivers. He and Steve Nash have been the best point guards in the West this season, and Bibby deserves to be playing with Nash in Denver.
You can make a case for Miller, too. The Kings' center has had a better season than Yao Ming, the starting center for the West All-Stars, and Miller's passing and shooting are among the best in the league at his position. Miller has picked up where Vlade Divac left off and given the Kings' potent offense an outstanding high-post passer and shooter.
Webber has had a terrific season as well. Despite being noticeably slowed by his knee injury in the 2003 playoffs, Webber maintains the skills that allow him to do so much on the floor – shoot, pass and rebound.
The fourth King who is worthy of All-Star status is Stojakovic. The game's preeminent shooter, Stojakovic's numbers are down a bit this season, but he is still a big-time scorer with unlimited range. At 6-foot-10, he can shoot over anyone.
Every year, several worthy players are left off the All-Star team, but rarely does a team with four candidates get denied. The Kings' foursome did its best Ralph Nader impression by taking votes away from each other in that all four received votes from coaches around the conference but probably negated each other's chances. Ironically, the All-Star snubs could actually help the Kings. A year ago, Miller severely sprained his ankle in the All-Star game and his absence derailed Sacramento from its smooth ride. Not sending anyone to Denver will give the players and coaches a much-needed rest. The break will give the Kings the chance to gather themselves and regroup.
Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
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Nice article from Kerr.
