SI.com midseason grades

[Warhawk]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/paul_forrester/01/23/west.grades/2.html

FIRST-HALF RECAP

Well, that's two teams Ron Artest has ushered from onetime Finals contender to competitive dysfunction. It wasn't supposed to be this way for the former Pacer, but after a few weeks of pleasantries expressed in the press and a promising 8-5 start, the Kings have slowly sunk into the muck of the Pacific Division. Along the way came familiar reports of team frustration with Artest as well as Artest's frustration with not being "the man." But Sacramento's problems run deeper than Artest. Mike Bibby's shooting percentage is at a career low. Shareef Abdur-Rahim is scoring at almost half his career average. And Brad Miller's numbers are down from last year. Even the Kings' defense has been pedestrian at best, and that is with defensive-oriented coach Eric Musselman at the controls.

GRADE: D

Star Student
KEVIN MARTIN
Credit Artest for having at least one positive impact. Martin has taken Arest's suggestions to be more aggressive to heart, doubling his scoring average from last season AND shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3.

Back of the Class
BRAD MILLER
It's a good thing Martin has been so accurate from outside because Miller has offered so very little inside, with his 9.8 points and 6.1 rebounds a night.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Kings are one of the NBA's fastest-paced teams -- and thus one of the league's highest-scoring clubs. But they've also been caught flat-footed on defense more often than not. Might slowing down the pace and focusing a little more energy at the defensive end get the Kings headed in the right direction? It may not sell tickets, but neither does losing seven in a row. But these are only stopgap options for a team whose foundations, especially down low, are finding their better days behind them. In other words, this team might be closer to rebuilding than the playoffs. If Artest can't prove his worth, it may be time to consider an overhaul while Sacramento can still ease into it.

 

[GoGoGadget]

Agree with the overall D, but the reasons/explanations read as if they were based on nothing more than a few box scores and the team's former reputation.

Kings need to focus a little more on defense? Ya think??

 

[Oskor]

Agree with the overall D, but the reasons/explanations read as if they were based on nothing more than a few box scores and the team's former reputation.

Kings need to focus a little more on defense? Ya think??

You said it perfectly.

Ron Artest has ushered from onetime Finals contender to competitive dysfunction?

Where did that come from? As I recall we traded for Artest cause we were in the loto last year and no where near the finals.

The Kings are one of the NBA's fastest-paced teams

I think he's been looking at 1 too many 2002-2003 replays. Don't know what stat he was looking at when he made that comment.

 

[nbrans]

It's actually true that the Kings are one of the more fast-paced teams in the league. According to John Hollinger's pace factor, the Kings have the 6th fastest pace in the league.

Unfortunately, since the Kings not a fast-breaking team, I think that just means guys just take a lot of shots early in the shot clock. Which is yet another problem.