Elise10
Starter
As if the title wasn't nauseating enough:
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http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/102841.html
Ailene Voisin: Bibbyish bounce is back in his step
Kings need point guard to lead the way
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Sports Columnist
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, January 4, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
Print | E-Mail | Comments (5)
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
Now that the Cold War of the Kings appears to have ended as mysteriously as it began, without a single shot fired or a star player traded, Mike Bibby is resembling Mike Bibby.
The silky smooth jumpers are released in rhythm. The change-of-pace dribble drives are reappearing. The passes are delivered crisply and willingly, and on time. Indeed, Bibby's most important pass Tuesday night was a simple, symbolic handoff to former in-house rival Ron Artest, who was exhorted by the crowd to break the 40-point barrier in the waning seconds against the New York Knicks.
Their secret is safe for now, the cause and resolution of the snit remaining sealed. (Both must have prepped at the Bill Clinton School of Diplomacy: Deny, deny, deny.)
"They just want to win," Kings coach Eric Musselman said with a half-grin, as if that explains why his two veterans suddenly seem committed to coexisting and sharing all the Kings' burdens.
Seriously. It's as if they sipped from the same Kool-Aid while exchanging Christmas gifts. Though Bibby-Artest never escalated to Shaq-Kobe -- with the Kings' stars expressing their differences with frozen glances and cold shoulders rather than the verbal bantering that sells so well in Hollywood -- the two are actually behaving like allies.
They can be observed conversing on the court and slapping palms after baskets. They even seem to have expunged themselves of the temptation to see who can jack up the most ill-advised, off-balance jumpers in the shortest amount of time.
And this just in: With the trade rumors abating, the attention turns inward, specifically, to whether Artest re-emerges as a consistent dictatorial defensive presence and whether Bibby maintains his recent offensive output and inspired efforts at the other end. Scratch that. The really tough question is whether Bibby can change his game to more effectively serve his team's particular needs, in this case by initiating the offense and distributing the ball, while shooting a higher percentage and at least attempting to impede his counterpart's movement.
"Our style has changed," Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie noted, "and while Mike's greatest asset is his ability to make shots, he is also in a position where he needs to get the ball to people in the right places at the right time.
"For us to get better, that has to happen. But the encouraging thing is that, these last four games, we're playing better, and Mike looks like he has turned the corner."
As the Kings straddle the .500 mark in another season of transition -- and the club's strengths and weaknesses becoming increasingly apparent -- Bibby's workload is undeniably heavier. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, he could make a case for an unfair labor practice. (Ah, just kidding.) There is no Doug Christie as primary ballhandler and playmaker. No Vlade Divac-Chris Webber or Divac-Brad Miller combination through which to run the offense. No Bobby Jackson to frenetically accelerate the pace. No dominant low-post threat or frontcourt size.
Conversely, Bibby no longer should feel compelled to habitually walk the ball upcourt, as he did to accommodate the immobile, but still demanding, post-injury Webber. The pressure is simply distributed differently. With this current assemblage of Kings -- the small lineups providing Bibby with speedy open-court options Kevin Martin, Quincy Douby and Cisco García as a balancing act to Artest and Miller -- quickness, ball movement and defensive energy trump plodding bodies and stagnant halfcourt play.
"I'm trying to push it more," acknowledged Bibby, who is still shooting a career-worst 35.8 percent, "and get some layups. It's a lot better to start out 3 for 3 than 0 for 3."
Now in his ninth season, the longest-tenured King attributes his recent improvement to the fact his sore right wrist is healing, the new/old basketball has been restored, and the Kings collectively have been playing more unselfishly and with heightened defensive intensity. Looking longer term, the combination of factors enables the Kings-in-transition to remain in the playoff chase while Petrie evaluates and plots for what looms as a very active offseason.
For now, peace and goodwill prevail at Arco.
But beware. The market is fluid.
[/FONT]
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http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/102841.html
Ailene Voisin: Bibbyish bounce is back in his step
Kings need point guard to lead the way
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Sports Columnist
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, January 4, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
Print | E-Mail | Comments (5)
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
Now that the Cold War of the Kings appears to have ended as mysteriously as it began, without a single shot fired or a star player traded, Mike Bibby is resembling Mike Bibby.
The silky smooth jumpers are released in rhythm. The change-of-pace dribble drives are reappearing. The passes are delivered crisply and willingly, and on time. Indeed, Bibby's most important pass Tuesday night was a simple, symbolic handoff to former in-house rival Ron Artest, who was exhorted by the crowd to break the 40-point barrier in the waning seconds against the New York Knicks.
Their secret is safe for now, the cause and resolution of the snit remaining sealed. (Both must have prepped at the Bill Clinton School of Diplomacy: Deny, deny, deny.)
"They just want to win," Kings coach Eric Musselman said with a half-grin, as if that explains why his two veterans suddenly seem committed to coexisting and sharing all the Kings' burdens.
Seriously. It's as if they sipped from the same Kool-Aid while exchanging Christmas gifts. Though Bibby-Artest never escalated to Shaq-Kobe -- with the Kings' stars expressing their differences with frozen glances and cold shoulders rather than the verbal bantering that sells so well in Hollywood -- the two are actually behaving like allies.
They can be observed conversing on the court and slapping palms after baskets. They even seem to have expunged themselves of the temptation to see who can jack up the most ill-advised, off-balance jumpers in the shortest amount of time.
And this just in: With the trade rumors abating, the attention turns inward, specifically, to whether Artest re-emerges as a consistent dictatorial defensive presence and whether Bibby maintains his recent offensive output and inspired efforts at the other end. Scratch that. The really tough question is whether Bibby can change his game to more effectively serve his team's particular needs, in this case by initiating the offense and distributing the ball, while shooting a higher percentage and at least attempting to impede his counterpart's movement.
"Our style has changed," Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie noted, "and while Mike's greatest asset is his ability to make shots, he is also in a position where he needs to get the ball to people in the right places at the right time.
"For us to get better, that has to happen. But the encouraging thing is that, these last four games, we're playing better, and Mike looks like he has turned the corner."
As the Kings straddle the .500 mark in another season of transition -- and the club's strengths and weaknesses becoming increasingly apparent -- Bibby's workload is undeniably heavier. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, he could make a case for an unfair labor practice. (Ah, just kidding.) There is no Doug Christie as primary ballhandler and playmaker. No Vlade Divac-Chris Webber or Divac-Brad Miller combination through which to run the offense. No Bobby Jackson to frenetically accelerate the pace. No dominant low-post threat or frontcourt size.
Conversely, Bibby no longer should feel compelled to habitually walk the ball upcourt, as he did to accommodate the immobile, but still demanding, post-injury Webber. The pressure is simply distributed differently. With this current assemblage of Kings -- the small lineups providing Bibby with speedy open-court options Kevin Martin, Quincy Douby and Cisco García as a balancing act to Artest and Miller -- quickness, ball movement and defensive energy trump plodding bodies and stagnant halfcourt play.
"I'm trying to push it more," acknowledged Bibby, who is still shooting a career-worst 35.8 percent, "and get some layups. It's a lot better to start out 3 for 3 than 0 for 3."
Now in his ninth season, the longest-tenured King attributes his recent improvement to the fact his sore right wrist is healing, the new/old basketball has been restored, and the Kings collectively have been playing more unselfishly and with heightened defensive intensity. Looking longer term, the combination of factors enables the Kings-in-transition to remain in the playoff chase while Petrie evaluates and plots for what looms as a very active offseason.
For now, peace and goodwill prevail at Arco.
But beware. The market is fluid.
[/FONT]
