Corliss may be the obvious interim but that doesn't make him the right one. I'd hire Nancy as interim before Corliss. The guys would play their butts off for her as first ever female NBA head coach. By all accounts she is respected too. The tricky thing is she was hired because of her relationship with George. She would have mixed feelings about replacing him
Shots fired (post-Nets)
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it's either gonna happen before/at the all-star break or in the offseason, and i don't really see any way around that. of course, from the minute george karl was hired, it was always a short-term solution. his age and health issues meant that he was never going to be extended beyond his existing contract, if he even managed to survive through the duration of that contract. this is just one of the reasons that i was generally opposed to the idea of hiring karl in the first place. this franchise desperately needs stability, and even if most nba head coaches don't last long in their posts, it's important to hire somebody who you can envision leading your team into a winning culture for the next half-decade or more. karl was never going to be that guy. so i say it's best for vlade to recognize it now, and start the process of figuring out who that guy should be...
How much blame does Karl deserve? Did we forget the Kings came off a 5 game winning streak? Defense is also effort and communication. Cousins definitely has not been trying on the defensive end of the court these past few games (eye ball test). How much of this is to blame on Karl? If we do hire a new coach will it actually be any different? I do question Karl's rotations and minute distribution sometimes but there are definitely some players on the court not pulling their weight.
I also believe that the relationship between the franchise and Karl to begin with was already severed to being with. The relationship between Karl and DMC will never be repaired and I feel as if those two do not trust each other. There are some players that have definitely been on cruise control, but let's not forget that the Kings were in the 8th seed and coming off a 5 game winning streak. So the players have the ability to win but why are they not right now? I feel something happened behind the scenes between the 5 game winning streak and now, in man of those games, the players DID NOT look engaged at all.
I also believe that the relationship between the franchise and Karl to begin with was already severed to being with. The relationship between Karl and DMC will never be repaired and I feel as if those two do not trust each other. There are some players that have definitely been on cruise control, but let's not forget that the Kings were in the 8th seed and coming off a 5 game winning streak. So the players have the ability to win but why are they not right now? I feel something happened behind the scenes between the 5 game winning streak and now, in man of those games, the players DID NOT look engaged at all.
It may be plain as day to you. It may be plain as day on this board. But no way is it plain as day on the national scene. It's just going to be another easy punch line for ESPN: Well, it's another season, and another coach is fired in mid-season in Sacramento! Last year they actually had three head coaches during the course of their season. Can they make it four this year? They need a ground hog out there to figure out whether they should keep their coach at mid-season. They need to flip a coin at mid-season to figure it out over there; the head coach would at least have a 50-50 chance. Maybe they should just hire their next coach for half a season contract; they could start a new way of doing things around the league; it would save them some money, wouldn't it? You go Sacramento Kings. You're wonderful for all of us. When is it a bad time to have a good laugh?
More than anything, I'm interested to see if this is handled cleanly by ownership or if if turns into the same drawn out distraction filled process played out through the media like in the past. If it's swift, decisive, and non-dramatic it will go a long way for me in terms of being optimistic that the Vivek/Vlade combo is getting it together and on the right track. If this drags on and on and it becomes another circus of unnamed sources and rumors like last years coaching search and the offseason drama, I will be very disappointed and may have to resign myself into accepting that this is the way business is done around Vivek. Unfortunately it's already starting to look like the latter but hopefully they get it together soon
yeah, i disagree entirely. i think nancy lieberman is absolutely deserving of her position as an assistant coach, and i think she could very well be deserving of an nba head coaching gig someday, but i don't think it's a good idea to promote her in what would be a historic move midway through yet another season of dysfunction. i don't think it's fair to ask her to take over a team in disarray, without an offseason to prepare, while also managing the expectations of being the first female nba head coach. and i don't think this team needs to be saddled with those expectations (and the associated distractions) at this fragile moment in their pursuit of respectability, especially when figuring out something as basic as how to play effective defense needs to be priority #1. nancy lieberman will no doubt work her way into success on the sideline, but i'd rather the kings didn't make history by promoting lieberman into the undignifying task of being an interim head coach while the front office figures out who they really want for the job...
Karl said in interview with Zack Lowe yesterday "I don't think Boogie will ever like his coach" Oh really? Don't tell that to Mike Malone! Boogie will get along with someone he respects for the value he brings to the position based on basketball IQ and leadership and integrity just like LeBron respected Spoelstra but didn't respect Blatt.
I don't think Boogie's relationship with Karl is severed as one between Blatt and LeBron was, but certainly it is not anywhere near what it was with Malone. And Karl's comment speaks volume about his inability to connect with his players in a constructive way. There is a disconnect between coaches and players you can see in every huddle. They are not a close knit family. This reflects on Karl and environment he has created. It reflects too on Boogie and lack of leadership but you get my drift.
I don't think Boogie's relationship with Karl is severed as one between Blatt and LeBron was, but certainly it is not anywhere near what it was with Malone. And Karl's comment speaks volume about his inability to connect with his players in a constructive way. There is a disconnect between coaches and players you can see in every huddle. They are not a close knit family. This reflects on Karl and environment he has created. It reflects too on Boogie and lack of leadership but you get my drift.
sure it is. there was endless coverage of karl's "no player is untradable" quote and demarcus' icy demeanor towards karl last offseason. there were countless stories about how combustible the entire situation was, and those stories were only amplified by cousins' locker room outburst at karl earlier in the season. there were many, many writers predicting that this was a doomed experiment and that karl wouldn't survive the season. and hey, would you look at that? here we are, approaching the all-star break, and the kings are on the verge of firing him. national writers are going to rejoice in their smug "i told you so" articles when it happens. it's absolutely plain as day to just about everybody paying attention across the league that the kings and george karl were a marriage destined for an uncomfortable divorce. sure, there will also be plenty of punchlines regarding the kings' coaching carousel, but i imagine very few national writers are going to look at this franchise and say that they blew it by firing george karl. they'll run ownership/management over the coals for their inability to promote a stable environment, but very few have made the argument that george karl was the right fit for sacramento. most have seen this coming...
Nancy has the more impressive resume than Corliss. That's just fact. And I would contend she is smarter and more of a natural leader. And being first NBA head coach who happens to be a woman does not create expectations that are difficult to manage, it creates intrigue. That's not a bad thing. And there's nothing "undignified" about being a interim head coach. Its an opportunity to show what you can do.
i'm not questioning her resume; it's impeccable. and she's definitely whip smart and a natural leader. and i think she'd be perfectly capable of operating as a head coach in the nba. i'm just not sure if any of that matters when there are only 32 games left in a season that will surely end with a search for a long-term replacement at head coach...
personally, i don't think "intrigue" is something this team needs right now. in the wake of a possible george karl firing, i think they'll need as little media attention and outside distraction as possible so they can focus on improving defensively and maintaining chemistry in advance of that eventual long-term coaching hire. corliss williamson makes sense to me as an interim head coach because he's a former nba player who's spent a couple of years on the sideline already with the kings. such a promotion keeps expectations low and could help keep the team together...
i mean, this whole situation is an absolute clusterf***. there's no way of getting around that. so in the interest of not inviting further boat-rocking into the kings' locker room, i'd rather go with the "safer," less controversy-inviting choice. and make no mistake, the minute you make history by hiring the first female nba head coach, even in an "interim" capacity, you unwittingly invite controversy into your locker room. right or wrong, everybody is going to have something to say about it. everybody is going to want to weigh in, from twitter to jimmy kimmel. and while i'm a very progressive individual on these issues, i don't want to presume that nba players are going to feel the same way. again, i'd rather just minimize the possibility of distraction/dysfunction when there are only 32 games left in a season that began with playoff hopes, but will likely end with another disappointing lottery appearance...
oh, and by the way, you might want to tell tyrone corbin that there's nothing undignified about being an interim head coach...
personally, i don't think "intrigue" is something this team needs right now. in the wake of a possible george karl firing, i think they'll need as little media attention and outside distraction as possible so they can focus on improving defensively and maintaining chemistry in advance of that eventual long-term coaching hire. corliss williamson makes sense to me as an interim head coach because he's a former nba player who's spent a couple of years on the sideline already with the kings. such a promotion keeps expectations low and could help keep the team together...
i mean, this whole situation is an absolute clusterf***. there's no way of getting around that. so in the interest of not inviting further boat-rocking into the kings' locker room, i'd rather go with the "safer," less controversy-inviting choice. and make no mistake, the minute you make history by hiring the first female nba head coach, even in an "interim" capacity, you unwittingly invite controversy into your locker room. right or wrong, everybody is going to have something to say about it. everybody is going to want to weigh in, from twitter to jimmy kimmel. and while i'm a very progressive individual on these issues, i don't want to presume that nba players are going to feel the same way. again, i'd rather just minimize the possibility of distraction/dysfunction when there are only 32 games left in a season that began with playoff hopes, but will likely end with another disappointing lottery appearance...
oh, and by the way, you might want to tell tyrone corbin that there's nothing undignified about being an interim head coach...
This is eerily prescient. Everything they talk about in there happened in Sacramento. The lack of variety in the playbook, the switching and collapsing in the paint, guards guarding big men way too often, favoritism toward veteran role-players, inability to defend the three, aversion to playing young players. It's all in there. You could copy and paste, switch the names around, and it would read as a summary of why the Kings are underachieving this year.
Boy, I'd have to think long and hard about taking over this team in mid-season. I suppose you could look at it as an opportunity. For someone like Corliss, it could be a career changer. And that makes the job enticing. It would allow Corliss to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Of course, it's possible that at the end of the day, or the temporary experiment, you'll be pushed back into the shadows. Still, as you go round and round on the Kings merry-go round, you occasionally see that brass ring hanging there. So why not take a stab at grabbing it.
If Karl is indeed fired, and all signs seem to indicate that the organization is leaning in that direction, then the two most likely choices to take over the team are either Corliss, or Vlade. Overall, Vlade is the safer choice if you think the season may be lost. Everyone would know up front that he's only a temporary replacement with no aspirations of keeping the job. Plus, it would give the GM an up close and personal view of the internal problems of the team.
Corliss on the other hand, would be interviewing for the j0b. He would be a popular choice, but at the same time, maybe being the fan favorite would put pressure on Vlade to give him more time to prove his worth. Especially if the team shows improvement, but still misses the playoffs. We could be stuck with another coach for another season who isn't really up to the task. Let me be clear, I don't know what kind of coach Corliss would be. He may be the answer, or not. What I do know, is that this coaching carousel has to stop. This team needs stability, and you'll never have it if your constantly changing GM's and head coaches.
I'll admit that I was on board with hiring George Karl. I mean why not? He's one of the all time winning coaches in the NBA. I felt that this franchise needed a coach like him, even if temporary, to bring some structure and stability to the chaos that has surrounded the team for the last five or six years. But alas, it was not to be. And so we are where we are, and it looks like a change is eminent. I don't envy Vlade the job. The moment he fires Karl, even though expected, the incoming flak from the national media may equal shock and awe. It's easy for us arm chair GM's, beer in hand, to wax poetic (stole that one) on what Vlade should do. We don't have to read on a daily basis, that were idiots like Vlade does.
Hey, perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Karl hasn't been fired yet, and maybe he won't be. Personally, I'm torn. On one hand I sincerely wanted Karl to succeed. On the other hand, he drove me nuts with his rotations, and his obsession with playing Belinelli excessive minutes despite the results. I didn't have as much of a problem with his system, as I did with who he decided was worthy of minutes in his system. I had a problem with him talking out of both sides of his mouth. Saying that we need to improve defensively, but leaving his best defenders sitting on the bench at crucial moments of the game. He has said that he coaches by the seat of his pants, and if so, then apparently he forgot that his head isn't located there. Anyone have Rick Adelman's phone number?
If Karl is indeed fired, and all signs seem to indicate that the organization is leaning in that direction, then the two most likely choices to take over the team are either Corliss, or Vlade. Overall, Vlade is the safer choice if you think the season may be lost. Everyone would know up front that he's only a temporary replacement with no aspirations of keeping the job. Plus, it would give the GM an up close and personal view of the internal problems of the team.
Corliss on the other hand, would be interviewing for the j0b. He would be a popular choice, but at the same time, maybe being the fan favorite would put pressure on Vlade to give him more time to prove his worth. Especially if the team shows improvement, but still misses the playoffs. We could be stuck with another coach for another season who isn't really up to the task. Let me be clear, I don't know what kind of coach Corliss would be. He may be the answer, or not. What I do know, is that this coaching carousel has to stop. This team needs stability, and you'll never have it if your constantly changing GM's and head coaches.
I'll admit that I was on board with hiring George Karl. I mean why not? He's one of the all time winning coaches in the NBA. I felt that this franchise needed a coach like him, even if temporary, to bring some structure and stability to the chaos that has surrounded the team for the last five or six years. But alas, it was not to be. And so we are where we are, and it looks like a change is eminent. I don't envy Vlade the job. The moment he fires Karl, even though expected, the incoming flak from the national media may equal shock and awe. It's easy for us arm chair GM's, beer in hand, to wax poetic (stole that one) on what Vlade should do. We don't have to read on a daily basis, that were idiots like Vlade does.
Hey, perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Karl hasn't been fired yet, and maybe he won't be. Personally, I'm torn. On one hand I sincerely wanted Karl to succeed. On the other hand, he drove me nuts with his rotations, and his obsession with playing Belinelli excessive minutes despite the results. I didn't have as much of a problem with his system, as I did with who he decided was worthy of minutes in his system. I had a problem with him talking out of both sides of his mouth. Saying that we need to improve defensively, but leaving his best defenders sitting on the bench at crucial moments of the game. He has said that he coaches by the seat of his pants, and if so, then apparently he forgot that his head isn't located there. Anyone have Rick Adelman's phone number?
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I know that was a joke, but Adelman was as checked out in his final year Minnesota as Karl is here.
I'm going to be daring and say the national press will not be as one-note about this firing as they have been in the past. People working the main line at ESPN will trash it since Karl worked with ESPN in the past. His coworker pals will trash it.
However, the people at the edges know Karl has done a bad job of coaching this year. They'll talk about instability, but they'll also talk about the woeful defense. Lowe and Simmons, normally drama fans, have already mentioned Karl's issues with the team's defense post-newsbreak.
So I don't think the national press will be as brutal this time around. The reasons being: 1) Hard to ignore Karl's stubbornness and the quality of the job done so far. 2) Cousins would be the scapegoat, but he's putting up HOF level year 3) They're all eating a little pride after Alvin Gentry's struggles. Maybe some doubt creeping in on their ability to judge a coach. 4) They had Kings fans take them to task on the nature of how they report on the Kings for a solid 5 months at the least. This would have an impact on anyone.
I'm going to be daring and say the national press will not be as one-note about this firing as they have been in the past. People working the main line at ESPN will trash it since Karl worked with ESPN in the past. His coworker pals will trash it.
However, the people at the edges know Karl has done a bad job of coaching this year. They'll talk about instability, but they'll also talk about the woeful defense. Lowe and Simmons, normally drama fans, have already mentioned Karl's issues with the team's defense post-newsbreak.
So I don't think the national press will be as brutal this time around. The reasons being: 1) Hard to ignore Karl's stubbornness and the quality of the job done so far. 2) Cousins would be the scapegoat, but he's putting up HOF level year 3) They're all eating a little pride after Alvin Gentry's struggles. Maybe some doubt creeping in on their ability to judge a coach. 4) They had Kings fans take them to task on the nature of how they report on the Kings for a solid 5 months at the least. This would have an impact on anyone.