http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/232002.html
Ailene Voisin: Petrie says Brown would not have been the right fit
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Sports Columnist
Last Updated 12:19 am PDT Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
This is a monumental roll of the dice, a Las Vegas gamble in more ways than one. Reggie Theus is a safer choice than Larry Brown?
I must be missing something here.
Reggie Theus? Remember the risky passes, the affinity for the open shot, the classic good looks? Remember, too, the physical toughness that led him into the basket support that night at Arco Arena?
The one-time King busted up his face, put on a mask, and went back for more. He threw more fancy passes, took more bad shots, became a star of some substance, though mostly of flash. But Theus, 49, has been away from the NBA since 1991 -- about the time Larry Brown began trimming his sideburns and taking aerobics.
Sixteen years is a long, long time.
This is a big, big stretch.
The leap from college to the pros routinely chews up men far more experienced than the current New Mexico State coach. Jerry Tarkanian lasted months. P.J. Carlesimo has been waiting a decade for another chance. Lon Kruger and Tim Floyd inherited terrible teams and scooted right back to college. Mike Montgomery was smarter than everybody else, but better with the playbook than people skills. Larry Brown excelled at UCLA and won a championship at Kansas.
The list goes on, of men who tried, mostly of men who failed. Why Reggie? Why Theus over current Kings assistant Scott Brooks or Los Angeles Lakers assistant Brian Shaw? Why turn a tortured roster over to a rookie, charming and engaging and earnest though he is?
Where is Larry Brown when you really need him? When you could have hired him?
Instead, this one has the Maloofs' palms all over it -- the look of the powerful family overwhelming its weary basketball president -- except that it misses the critical point: that Geoff Petrie didn't want Larry Brown. Just didn't want him.
"Obviously he has a great record over time," Petrie said Tuesday night, "but I don't think it was the right time or the right place. He wasn't the right fit. When you start looking at all the factors ... we can't afford to have the depth of the situation that developed in Detroit or New York. We can't risk that. We decided to go with a younger coach."
Like young coaches aren't risky? Like they don't invariably get fired shortly into their first head-coaching tenure?
I'll put my money on Larry Brown every time. I'll gamble on a Hall of Fame coach knowing that he'll be gone in two years, but, hey, what a two years! He would have been a hoot and a hollerer ... and one incredible upgrade on the sideline. Who out there didn't imagine the possibilities?
Mike Bibby guarding the ball. Ron Artest put in his place in the huddle. Brad Miller badgered into shape. Francisco García, Kevin Martin and Quincy Douby schooled by the master. Draft choices coping with the culture shock of the NBA, and the shock of Larry Brown.
The Maloofs gave their blessing. Go with Larry, they said. Instead, Petrie went with Theus, long a Maloof favorite and a few notches above Brooks and Shaw on the Charismo-Meter.
"I had a long talk with (Louisville coach Rick) Pitino," Petrie said, "and I was really impressed with what he had to say. Pitino told me that he was hesitant to hire Reggie at first, but that he was so persistent, so confident that he finally said, 'I'll do it, and I was really glad I did.' He has an irrepressible spirit about him. And at the end of the day, the guy has been a head coach."
As Petrie described the protracted search, the days and nights since Stan Van Gundy's freebie flight to Sacramento, he spoke of emotional swings, innumerable interviews, untold hours on the telephone inquiring into each candidate's background. He was determined to avoid a repeat of last year's mistake, specifically the failure to contact the Golden State Warriors about Musselman.
For a few days, Brooks appeared to be the leading candidate, his blue-collar roots and straightforward approach impressing Joe and Gavin Maloof. Theus and Shaw interviewed with the family members Friday in Las Vegas, and somewhat surprisingly, the Lakers assistant was said to have been the most impressive of the two.
And then came Larry.
And there went Larry.
So here comes Theus, who last graced an NBA court -- and he never seemed to sweat, even in the final seconds of a tie game -- when Michael Jordan was en route to his first NBA championship.
While Reggie was pursuing a career in acting, television and radio, he missed the Chicago Bulls' run, the end of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the great Utah Jazz teams, the Houston Rockets' back-to-back titles, the San Antonio Spurs' emergence, the return of the Lakers, and the Detroit Pistons' one-season splendor under -- yes -- Larry Brown.
Brown was the best teacher, best tactician, best motivator, best coach. He would have been the better choice. Instead, here comes Reggie. Best of luck. Let's see if he can roll a seven.
They held court in Sacramento
The Kings' coaches in the Sacramento era:
Seasons Coach W-L Pct. Playoffs Pct.
85-87 Phil Johnson 51-77 .398 0-3 .000
87, 88-90 Jerry Reynolds 56-114 .330 0-0 .000
87-88 Bill Russell 17-41 .293 0-0 .000
90-91 Dick Motta 48-113 .298 0-0 .000
91-92 Rex Hughes 22-35 .386 0-0 .000
92-97 Garry St. Jean 159-236 .402 1-3 .250
97-98 Eddie Jordan 33-64 .340 0-0 .000
98-06 Rick Adelman 395-229 .633 34-35 .493
06-07 Eric Musselman 33-49 .402 0-0 .000
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@ sacbee.com.
Ailene Voisin: Petrie says Brown would not have been the right fit
By Ailene Voisin - Bee Sports Columnist
Last Updated 12:19 am PDT Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
This is a monumental roll of the dice, a Las Vegas gamble in more ways than one. Reggie Theus is a safer choice than Larry Brown?
I must be missing something here.
Reggie Theus? Remember the risky passes, the affinity for the open shot, the classic good looks? Remember, too, the physical toughness that led him into the basket support that night at Arco Arena?
The one-time King busted up his face, put on a mask, and went back for more. He threw more fancy passes, took more bad shots, became a star of some substance, though mostly of flash. But Theus, 49, has been away from the NBA since 1991 -- about the time Larry Brown began trimming his sideburns and taking aerobics.
Sixteen years is a long, long time.
This is a big, big stretch.
The leap from college to the pros routinely chews up men far more experienced than the current New Mexico State coach. Jerry Tarkanian lasted months. P.J. Carlesimo has been waiting a decade for another chance. Lon Kruger and Tim Floyd inherited terrible teams and scooted right back to college. Mike Montgomery was smarter than everybody else, but better with the playbook than people skills. Larry Brown excelled at UCLA and won a championship at Kansas.
The list goes on, of men who tried, mostly of men who failed. Why Reggie? Why Theus over current Kings assistant Scott Brooks or Los Angeles Lakers assistant Brian Shaw? Why turn a tortured roster over to a rookie, charming and engaging and earnest though he is?
Where is Larry Brown when you really need him? When you could have hired him?
Instead, this one has the Maloofs' palms all over it -- the look of the powerful family overwhelming its weary basketball president -- except that it misses the critical point: that Geoff Petrie didn't want Larry Brown. Just didn't want him.
"Obviously he has a great record over time," Petrie said Tuesday night, "but I don't think it was the right time or the right place. He wasn't the right fit. When you start looking at all the factors ... we can't afford to have the depth of the situation that developed in Detroit or New York. We can't risk that. We decided to go with a younger coach."
Like young coaches aren't risky? Like they don't invariably get fired shortly into their first head-coaching tenure?
I'll put my money on Larry Brown every time. I'll gamble on a Hall of Fame coach knowing that he'll be gone in two years, but, hey, what a two years! He would have been a hoot and a hollerer ... and one incredible upgrade on the sideline. Who out there didn't imagine the possibilities?
Mike Bibby guarding the ball. Ron Artest put in his place in the huddle. Brad Miller badgered into shape. Francisco García, Kevin Martin and Quincy Douby schooled by the master. Draft choices coping with the culture shock of the NBA, and the shock of Larry Brown.
The Maloofs gave their blessing. Go with Larry, they said. Instead, Petrie went with Theus, long a Maloof favorite and a few notches above Brooks and Shaw on the Charismo-Meter.
"I had a long talk with (Louisville coach Rick) Pitino," Petrie said, "and I was really impressed with what he had to say. Pitino told me that he was hesitant to hire Reggie at first, but that he was so persistent, so confident that he finally said, 'I'll do it, and I was really glad I did.' He has an irrepressible spirit about him. And at the end of the day, the guy has been a head coach."
As Petrie described the protracted search, the days and nights since Stan Van Gundy's freebie flight to Sacramento, he spoke of emotional swings, innumerable interviews, untold hours on the telephone inquiring into each candidate's background. He was determined to avoid a repeat of last year's mistake, specifically the failure to contact the Golden State Warriors about Musselman.
For a few days, Brooks appeared to be the leading candidate, his blue-collar roots and straightforward approach impressing Joe and Gavin Maloof. Theus and Shaw interviewed with the family members Friday in Las Vegas, and somewhat surprisingly, the Lakers assistant was said to have been the most impressive of the two.
And then came Larry.
And there went Larry.
So here comes Theus, who last graced an NBA court -- and he never seemed to sweat, even in the final seconds of a tie game -- when Michael Jordan was en route to his first NBA championship.
While Reggie was pursuing a career in acting, television and radio, he missed the Chicago Bulls' run, the end of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the great Utah Jazz teams, the Houston Rockets' back-to-back titles, the San Antonio Spurs' emergence, the return of the Lakers, and the Detroit Pistons' one-season splendor under -- yes -- Larry Brown.
Brown was the best teacher, best tactician, best motivator, best coach. He would have been the better choice. Instead, here comes Reggie. Best of luck. Let's see if he can roll a seven.
They held court in Sacramento
The Kings' coaches in the Sacramento era:
Seasons Coach W-L Pct. Playoffs Pct.
85-87 Phil Johnson 51-77 .398 0-3 .000
87, 88-90 Jerry Reynolds 56-114 .330 0-0 .000
87-88 Bill Russell 17-41 .293 0-0 .000
90-91 Dick Motta 48-113 .298 0-0 .000
91-92 Rex Hughes 22-35 .386 0-0 .000
92-97 Garry St. Jean 159-236 .402 1-3 .250
97-98 Eddie Jordan 33-64 .340 0-0 .000
98-06 Rick Adelman 395-229 .633 34-35 .493
06-07 Eric Musselman 33-49 .402 0-0 .000
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@ sacbee.com.
) Anyways, Brown was a gamble to in his own right. Would he stay more than a year? Could he deal with the histrionics that are Ron? Was he too old for the rebuild? 
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