Top Ten Things that went right and Wrong this Season

[EmKingsFan4]

[font=verdana,geneva,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Season at a glance: The top 10 things that went right



By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, May 5, 2005

1. Blazing Bibby
Point guard Mike Bibby had his one of his finest statistical seasons when he absolutely had to, finishing with career highs in points (19.6) and rebounds (4.2).

2. The 50 factor
Kings coach Rick Adelman said this was the most challenging of his 15 seasons, yet he navigated the rotating roster of players to a fifth straight season with 50 or more victories.

3. Game 3
At least they gained one playoff win. And what a win it was. Not since the Los Angeles Lakers were in town in 2002 had Arco Arena rocked as it did Friday, when Seattle fell 116-104.

4. Webber leaves
The Kings moved a huge contract many thought was immovable. And Chris Webber's lack of mobility was exposed even more in Philadelphia.

5. Webber returns
Never mind that he didn't play like the Webber of old, but March 28, the newest 76er received much love at Arco from fans who knew his role in the franchise's rebirth.

6. Hope renewed
A 1-4 start this season meant the sky was falling in Kings land, but they bounced back to win 12 of the next 13 and looked dangerous again.

7. Bank on Bibby
Bibby hit buzzer-beaters to down Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers in back-to-back games at Arco in March.

8. Savoring 700
The season's biggest milestone came March 22, when Adelman recorded his 700th victory as the Kings beat Portland at Arco. He is just one of 15 NBA coaches to reach that mark.

9. Peja's finale
Yes, he was 1 for 8 in the fourth quarter of Game 5 against Seattle, but Stojakovic's 38 points were still impressive. And his last make brought the Kings within 120-118 with 36.5 seconds left.

10. Block party
Before newly acquired center Brian Skinner faded late, he provided a blocking beast of a presence the Kings had lacked.

[font=verdana,geneva,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Season at a glance: The top 10 things that went wrong



By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, May 5, 2005

1. The ouch factor
Injuries again stalled the team's progress, from Bobby Jackson's left wrist to Brad Miller's left leg, with the hurt lingering into the playoffs.

2. Chemistry on the fly
The Kings didn't have enough time to give all the new players a crash-course; no playoff team had as much roster turnover.

3. Toughness woes
It's a theme that never seems to go away. Where are the rebounds, the hard fouls, the charges, the playoff grit?

4. Peja's funk
He started slowly, then warmed up, then was hurt, then had bad stretches in the playoffs. Stojakovic is great when he's on, AWOL when he's off.

5. Leadership
It's a bad sign when players are wondering who the team leader is before playoff games. Mike Bibby? Bobby? Brad? Everyone? Anyone?

6. Home-court drop-off
Arco Arena has the reputation of being a sure thing for the Kings. But this season, the Game 4 meltdown to Seattle in effect gave the SuperSonics the series.

7. Inside job
Neither trades nor tough talk seemed to halt a trend. The Kings were battered inside, to the point that Chris Kaman, Joel Pryzbilla and Jerome James looked like All-Stars.

8. Disappearing bigs
Greg Ostertag didn't get off on the right foot and had his worst NBA season, and Brian Skinner was magnificent early, a mirage late.

9. Boiling emotions
It's one thing to play with fire. It's another to get tagged with technical fouls because of it. Cuttino Mobley, Miller and Bibby lost their cool too often.

10. Over and out
The season ended in a series the Kings could have won.

[/font]
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/12839853p-13689650c.html
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/12839852p-13689649c.html[/font]

 

[EmKingsFan4]

^^ Those are 2 separate articles that I thought would be easier just to merge into one...save people from having to read 2 threads!!

 

[Bad Boy Bo]

Sums up this season doesn't it? It's just one crazy year. Only makes you appreciate what we were and what's going to happpen more. And whatever happens, go Kings!

 

[JayBird]

[font=verdana,geneva,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][font=verdana,geneva,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
10. Over and out
The season ended in a series the Kings could have won.
[/font][/font]

Was he watching the same series I was watching? We COULD have won IF we were healthy, IF we played defense, IF we could contain Allen and James, IF we learned how to hold a lead, etc., etc. Way too many "if's". With our roster and the way Seattle was playing, we really didn't have a chance, IMO.

 

[funsc]

nice summery

 

[Team Dime]

[font=verdana,geneva,arial,helvetica,sans-serif][font=verdana,geneva,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
10. Over and out
The season ended in a series the Kings could have won.
[/font][/font]

Was he watching the same series I was watching? We COULD have won IF we were healthy, IF we played defense, IF we could contain Allen and James, IF we learned how to hold a lead, etc., etc. Way too many "if's". With our roster and the way Seattle was playing, we really didn't have a chance, IMO.

First, overall the best team won. They played some defense, rebounded, had better chemistry. The Sonics won.

However, it's not like the Kings didn't have a chance. The Sonics blew a big lead giving the Kings a shot in the end in game 1. The Kings pulled a no show in game 2. The Kings simply stopped playing good basketball and got cold inthe 2nd half of game 4. In game 5, they clearly had a shot. It's not like they got blown away in this series, they clearly had their chances.

 

[JayBird]

First, overall the best team won. They played some defense, rebounded, had better chemistry. The Sonics won.

However, it's not like the Kings didn't have a chance. The Sonics blew a big lead giving the Kings a shot in the end in game 1. The Kings pulled a no show in game 2. The Kings simply stopped playing good basketball and got cold inthe 2nd half of game 4. In game 5, they clearly had a shot. It's not like they got blown away in this series, they clearly had their chances.

Yea, we had our chances to win some games. All I'm saying is, coming into this year's playoffs, we were a team without an identity, with too many individual players, and it did NOT all come together like we had hoped. If it had, we have a chance. But when you enter the playoffs, where every possession counts, and there is an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty and lack of team chemistry, chances of winning a series, especially on the road, are slim to none.

 

[ghost of H.S.T]

Webber leaving was the worst thing that could have ever happened to this team.
Im going dancing until theres holes in the floor.