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Sacramento Kings missing home court swagger
[SIZE=-1]jwstrtc[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Associated Press[/SIZE]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A certain swagger that used to accompany the
Sacramento Kings when they stepped on their home court has eroded - at least for now.
There is currently no magic at Arco Arena, a place where opposing teams over the last six seasons knew it would be difficult to emerge with a victory. No home court in the NBA has been any tougher since the 1999-2000 season when the Kings became a Western Conference power.
Home sweet home? Hardly.
With one game remaining tonight from a 12 of 14 stretch at home that began in November and has carried over into December, the Kings have a mediocre 6-6 record at Arco. Heading into Wednesday's games, 20 other NBA teams had better home records than Sacramento.
"Yeah, it's a lot different here," Wally Szczerbiak said Sunday after Minnesota easily handled the slumping Kings. "I think they have five losses at home now. That was what they would have for an entire season here in the past."
That's no exaggeration. During a four-year stretch, the Kings averaged just over six losses per season, going a combined 138-26 between 2001 and 2004. During a six-year tenure from 2000 to 2005, the team dropped an average of eight games a year, posting a winning percentage of 80 percent.
Perhaps it was an indication of things to come this year when Detroit thumped the Kings 102-88 in their home opener. Five days later a 10-point loss to the lowly Knicks was another clue the era of home invincibility had departed.
The core of the team that regularly dismissed opponents at noisy Arco Arena is mostly gone.
Vlade Divac departed as a free agent after the 2004 season, while both Chris Webber and Doug Christie were traded last year during the regular season.
Key reserve Bobby Jackson went to Memphis this summer, leaving Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Brad Miller as the only familiar faces.
In Minnesota this year, Kevin Garnett has experienced a similar situation with plenty of new faces. While the Timberwolves have regrouped after a poor start, the Kings haven't. Garnett suggests the Kings made a bad decision by getting rid of Webber.
"Webb took all the Ws with him," Garnett said. "Maybe they need to bring him back."
Another loss Tuesday night to Cleveland was the fourth overall, including three straight at home, which hasn't occurred since April 2000.
Stojakovic says the current team needs to react like the previous clubs when a losing streak took place.
"This team has always responded in the past, that's what we need to do now," he said. "The talent is here, hopefully we can play through it."
---
Time for a coaching change?
Late in the fourth quarter against the Cavaliers, a disgruntled fan yelled toward the Kings bench, "You need to go (Rick) Adelman."
Is that any way to treat a head coach who has posted nearly 400 victories in Sacramento and has a winning percentage of 64 percent (358-202)?
Sports Illustrated recently suggested the organization is considering replacing Adelman with John Whisenant, who coached the WNBA Sacramento Monarchs to a championship in 2005 and has been attending games during the recent homestand.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim seemed annoyed when asked if changes need to be made after the Cleveland game.
"Change what? What can we change?" he said. "This is us. We have to roll with it. Our expectations are so much higher than where we are right now."
---
What's the trend?
The losing continues for the Kings, but the reasons vary.
A lack of effort was among the prime reasons for a lackluster loss Sunday to Minnesota.
Last week, the Kings were destroyed on the boards in a defeat at Golden State.
Against the Cavaliers, it was Bibby and Stojakovic combining for 2-of-11 from 3-point territory that was among the areas leading to the latest defeat.
"I've said it every time, it's always something different," Adelman said. "Tonight it was Peja not making shots and Mike not making shots. I think we're getting things a little better in certain areas with Shareef and Bonzi (Wells), but there has to be more of a balance, you have to get everyone in sync."
---
Notes: In a pair of statistical oddities, off-guard Wells leads the Kings in rebounding (8.1) and Miller, the team's center, is the assist leader (6.1). . Despite the 7-11 record, the Kings have only been outscored by eight points overall this season. . The bench had another poor effort against Cleveland, combining for 10 points and four rebounds in 41 minutes.
Sacramento Kings missing home court swagger
[SIZE=-1]jwstrtc[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Associated Press[/SIZE]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A certain swagger that used to accompany the
Sacramento Kings when they stepped on their home court has eroded - at least for now.
There is currently no magic at Arco Arena, a place where opposing teams over the last six seasons knew it would be difficult to emerge with a victory. No home court in the NBA has been any tougher since the 1999-2000 season when the Kings became a Western Conference power.
Home sweet home? Hardly.
With one game remaining tonight from a 12 of 14 stretch at home that began in November and has carried over into December, the Kings have a mediocre 6-6 record at Arco. Heading into Wednesday's games, 20 other NBA teams had better home records than Sacramento.
"Yeah, it's a lot different here," Wally Szczerbiak said Sunday after Minnesota easily handled the slumping Kings. "I think they have five losses at home now. That was what they would have for an entire season here in the past."
That's no exaggeration. During a four-year stretch, the Kings averaged just over six losses per season, going a combined 138-26 between 2001 and 2004. During a six-year tenure from 2000 to 2005, the team dropped an average of eight games a year, posting a winning percentage of 80 percent.
Perhaps it was an indication of things to come this year when Detroit thumped the Kings 102-88 in their home opener. Five days later a 10-point loss to the lowly Knicks was another clue the era of home invincibility had departed.
The core of the team that regularly dismissed opponents at noisy Arco Arena is mostly gone.
Vlade Divac departed as a free agent after the 2004 season, while both Chris Webber and Doug Christie were traded last year during the regular season.
Key reserve Bobby Jackson went to Memphis this summer, leaving Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Brad Miller as the only familiar faces.
In Minnesota this year, Kevin Garnett has experienced a similar situation with plenty of new faces. While the Timberwolves have regrouped after a poor start, the Kings haven't. Garnett suggests the Kings made a bad decision by getting rid of Webber.
"Webb took all the Ws with him," Garnett said. "Maybe they need to bring him back."
Another loss Tuesday night to Cleveland was the fourth overall, including three straight at home, which hasn't occurred since April 2000.
Stojakovic says the current team needs to react like the previous clubs when a losing streak took place.
"This team has always responded in the past, that's what we need to do now," he said. "The talent is here, hopefully we can play through it."
---
Time for a coaching change?
Late in the fourth quarter against the Cavaliers, a disgruntled fan yelled toward the Kings bench, "You need to go (Rick) Adelman."
Is that any way to treat a head coach who has posted nearly 400 victories in Sacramento and has a winning percentage of 64 percent (358-202)?
Sports Illustrated recently suggested the organization is considering replacing Adelman with John Whisenant, who coached the WNBA Sacramento Monarchs to a championship in 2005 and has been attending games during the recent homestand.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim seemed annoyed when asked if changes need to be made after the Cleveland game.
"Change what? What can we change?" he said. "This is us. We have to roll with it. Our expectations are so much higher than where we are right now."
---
What's the trend?
The losing continues for the Kings, but the reasons vary.
A lack of effort was among the prime reasons for a lackluster loss Sunday to Minnesota.
Last week, the Kings were destroyed on the boards in a defeat at Golden State.
Against the Cavaliers, it was Bibby and Stojakovic combining for 2-of-11 from 3-point territory that was among the areas leading to the latest defeat.
"I've said it every time, it's always something different," Adelman said. "Tonight it was Peja not making shots and Mike not making shots. I think we're getting things a little better in certain areas with Shareef and Bonzi (Wells), but there has to be more of a balance, you have to get everyone in sync."
---
Notes: In a pair of statistical oddities, off-guard Wells leads the Kings in rebounding (8.1) and Miller, the team's center, is the assist leader (6.1). . Despite the 7-11 record, the Kings have only been outscored by eight points overall this season. . The bench had another poor effort against Cleveland, combining for 10 points and four rebounds in 41 minutes.
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