If I'd wanted to say long time established regular season winner I would have.
Now this is where that "spoiled" tag for Kings fans becomes a question again -- Rick Adelman is "only" the 10th all time winningest coach in NBA PLAYOFF history (67 playoff victories). 3rd among active coaches behind Brown and Sloan. There is no active coach who has been to the Finals more often than he has (tied with Sloan, Pop, Brown).
Kings fans have spent years complaining that the grass is greener on the other side and arguing for the replacement of the most successful coach in franchise history. Meanwhile apparently unaware that there are maybe 10 guys EVER who were demonstrably better, and half of them are dead or long retired.
You can NOT win in this league without the players. Sometimes you could in the now defunct NHL. But you can NOT in the NBA. Stan Van Gundy didn't just suddenly get vastly brighter this year, he got two first rate superstars. Jerry Sloan did not suddenly get vastly dumber in the last couple of years, he lost two HOFs. Bibby and Peja don't quite cut it on the elite stud scale, and so Rick's hands are tied. Phil Jackson's hands would be tied. So would Pat Riley's hands. So would any coach in NBA history's hands.
Now this is where that "spoiled" tag for Kings fans becomes a question again -- Rick Adelman is "only" the 10th all time winningest coach in NBA PLAYOFF history (67 playoff victories). 3rd among active coaches behind Brown and Sloan. There is no active coach who has been to the Finals more often than he has (tied with Sloan, Pop, Brown).
Kings fans have spent years complaining that the grass is greener on the other side and arguing for the replacement of the most successful coach in franchise history. Meanwhile apparently unaware that there are maybe 10 guys EVER who were demonstrably better, and half of them are dead or long retired.
You can NOT win in this league without the players. Sometimes you could in the now defunct NHL. But you can NOT in the NBA. Stan Van Gundy didn't just suddenly get vastly brighter this year, he got two first rate superstars. Jerry Sloan did not suddenly get vastly dumber in the last couple of years, he lost two HOFs. Bibby and Peja don't quite cut it on the elite stud scale, and so Rick's hands are tied. Phil Jackson's hands would be tied. So would Pat Riley's hands. So would any coach in NBA history's hands.
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