http://premium.si.cnn.com/pr/subs2/siexclusive/2006/pr/subs/siexclusive/01/31/kings0206/
Risky Business
The Kings have had a lot of luck when rolling the dice on reclamation projects, but Ron Artest is no ordinary gamble
By Ian Thomsen
Despite all the hysteria Ron Artest created in the stands, over the airwaves and in the Indiana Pacers' locker room, the Sacramento Kings think acquiring him for Peja Stojakovic was a good bet. "We weren't going anywhere," says co-owner Joe Maloof, whose team was 18-24 before the trade. "We thought that Peja, Brad [Miller] and [Mike] Bibby would work, but it wasn't the right formula."
The Kings have a solid track record of resurrecting problem players (most notably Chris Webber, who was known as a disruptive underachiever before they dealt for him in 1998), and they envision a huge upside for their newest problem. Take away his baggage, and Artest becomes a 6'7" version of Kevin Garnett: the best small forward at both ends of the court, as none other than Pacers president Larry Bird said last summer.
The Kings gave Artest a low-key welcome: He was already on the bus as his teammates boarded for a ride to a New York airport last Thursday, and each player greeted him with a handshake or a hug. For his part, the newest King welcomed the opportunity to start over. "You learn from your experiences," says Artest. "I did a lot of good things in Indiana also, [though] that's probably overshadowed." Now, as the Kings try to avoid their first losing season in seven years, they hope Artest can provide the intensity they've been missing all season. He will also bring some much-needed flexibility to the offense. Artest can shoot threes and dominate in the post, and he has the athleticism and strength in the lane to make the cuts and finishes that made the Kings' Princeton-style offense nearly unstoppable in the days of Webber, Vlade Divac and Bobby Jackson.
"They're still a really good screening and passing team with Miller and Bibby," says a Western Conference scout. "When [Artest] figures out how to play off them, he'll make a lot more layups than they were getting from Peja."
There are plenty more moves to come in Sacramento. In the same way that he once reconstructed the Kings' roster around the passing and shooting skills of Webber, G.M. Geoff Petrie will try to build around the tenacious defense of Artest. He'll also need to deal for a shooter or two -- what used to be a Kings strength is now a weakness, as the Celtics proved by packing their defense inside and daring the Kings to shoot during Artest's debut, an 84-74 Boston win last Friday. "That never happened to us before," says Sacramento coach Rick Adelman. "We would destroy teams when they did that."
Adelman is in the final year of his contract, so he may not see the Kings through their next rebuilding phase. "Rick has a history of getting the best years and the best play out of his most talented guys," says Petrie, "and hopefully that will come to pass again." Adelman, though, says he isn't looking beyond "these last 40 games" and that he played no role in the decision to acquire Artest. "[Adelman's] a little angry at Gavin and me," says Joe Maloof. "That started with the Phil Jackson thing [the Maloofs' ardent but unsuccessful wooing of Jackson last summer], but I don't have any animosity toward him, and I'd like to have him as our coach for many years to come."
Risky Business
The Kings have had a lot of luck when rolling the dice on reclamation projects, but Ron Artest is no ordinary gamble
By Ian Thomsen
Despite all the hysteria Ron Artest created in the stands, over the airwaves and in the Indiana Pacers' locker room, the Sacramento Kings think acquiring him for Peja Stojakovic was a good bet. "We weren't going anywhere," says co-owner Joe Maloof, whose team was 18-24 before the trade. "We thought that Peja, Brad [Miller] and [Mike] Bibby would work, but it wasn't the right formula."
The Kings have a solid track record of resurrecting problem players (most notably Chris Webber, who was known as a disruptive underachiever before they dealt for him in 1998), and they envision a huge upside for their newest problem. Take away his baggage, and Artest becomes a 6'7" version of Kevin Garnett: the best small forward at both ends of the court, as none other than Pacers president Larry Bird said last summer.
The Kings gave Artest a low-key welcome: He was already on the bus as his teammates boarded for a ride to a New York airport last Thursday, and each player greeted him with a handshake or a hug. For his part, the newest King welcomed the opportunity to start over. "You learn from your experiences," says Artest. "I did a lot of good things in Indiana also, [though] that's probably overshadowed." Now, as the Kings try to avoid their first losing season in seven years, they hope Artest can provide the intensity they've been missing all season. He will also bring some much-needed flexibility to the offense. Artest can shoot threes and dominate in the post, and he has the athleticism and strength in the lane to make the cuts and finishes that made the Kings' Princeton-style offense nearly unstoppable in the days of Webber, Vlade Divac and Bobby Jackson.
"They're still a really good screening and passing team with Miller and Bibby," says a Western Conference scout. "When [Artest] figures out how to play off them, he'll make a lot more layups than they were getting from Peja."
There are plenty more moves to come in Sacramento. In the same way that he once reconstructed the Kings' roster around the passing and shooting skills of Webber, G.M. Geoff Petrie will try to build around the tenacious defense of Artest. He'll also need to deal for a shooter or two -- what used to be a Kings strength is now a weakness, as the Celtics proved by packing their defense inside and daring the Kings to shoot during Artest's debut, an 84-74 Boston win last Friday. "That never happened to us before," says Sacramento coach Rick Adelman. "We would destroy teams when they did that."
Adelman is in the final year of his contract, so he may not see the Kings through their next rebuilding phase. "Rick has a history of getting the best years and the best play out of his most talented guys," says Petrie, "and hopefully that will come to pass again." Adelman, though, says he isn't looking beyond "these last 40 games" and that he played no role in the decision to acquire Artest. "[Adelman's] a little angry at Gavin and me," says Joe Maloof. "That started with the Phil Jackson thing [the Maloofs' ardent but unsuccessful wooing of Jackson last summer], but I don't have any animosity toward him, and I'd like to have him as our coach for many years to come."
