Well, at least we don't have to wait anymore

[troosvelt]

So at least we no longer have to wait and wonder what will end our season.

I love these guys but I just don't see any way they can both recover from the injuries and also get back into sync in time for playoffs.

Probable 1st round exit.

Then again Lakers probably won't even make post season.

 

[KP]

With the all the movement this season we were one injury(of our big 3) away from a chance to even try to win in the 1st round. That injury has just occured. Can't believe we let Vlade go and Paid Tag the money it would have taken to keep him. All those who have been saying Tag should get more minutes get ready for a rude awakening. I have serious doubts that anyone of our frontcourt guys(Skinner included) that we have left can fill Brads shoes for any extended period. It's a lot easier when you aren't the main man with everything expected of you. This injury is devastating. Pharoah proved me wrong once already, He's no scrub, I just hope he can prove me wrong again.

 

[Team Dime]

With the all the movement this season we were one injury(of our big 3) away from a chance to even try to win in the 1st round. That injury has just occured. Can't believe we let Vlade go and Paid Tag the money it would have taken to keep him. All those who have been saying Tag should get more minutes get ready for a rude awakening. I have serious doubts that anyone of our frontcourt guys(Skinner included) that we have left can fill Brads shoes for any extended period. It's a lot easier when you aren't the main man with everything expected of you. This injury is devastating. Pharoah proved me wrong once already, He's no scrub, I just hope he can prove me wrong again.

I agree that Tag is nothing to get excited about. The fact he can't even get in decent shape is pathetic. Skinner is no Miller, but the guy has shown that he can play. His inside presence on D will be very beneficial. The one other thing he can do that Brad can't is that he is alot better finisher (he actually dunks the ball, Brad take notes!). Somehow the Kings always seem to battle adversity pretty well when everyone thinks they won't be able to handle it. I think they'll be ok over the next month, especially if #16 has any pride.

 

[Bricklayer]

We'll be ok. (And in case you haven't noticed Tag has actually been able to produce far mroe than Vlade this season anyway -- Vlade is basically retired).

We can survive for a while if Skinner can keep on producing at the level he has been. Obviously major challenges -- it does get harder the longer you have to go without a main guy (especially as teams adjust), and we have now basically swapped our All Star frontcourt for a middling Eastern Conference team's BACKUP frontcourt. But we've always overcome, and have already had to overcome having no Brad for the last 6 games. If Peja can pull his head out (and who knows) we should be able to limp on home. First round will be very tough now, but if we get the right matchup its still doable. Just wish I knew who the hell was going to show up during the playoffs. Basically Bibby is the only proven trustworthy non-rehabbing postseason force we have. Peja's got a history of disappearing in the playoffs, Brad and Bobby will be coming off of major injuries, and everybody else is either brand new to the team, deep on the bench, inexperienced or some combo of the above.

 

[KP]

We'll be ok. (

Please define "ok".

 

[SLAB]

Can't believe we let Vlade go and Paid Tag the money it would have taken to keep him.

I hate to be the Devils advocate, but where is Vlade now? On the IR recovering from a herniated disk?

I'll agree Tag has been a BUST, but I'd rather have a BUST who is capable of playing some D to someone who has been on IR all pretty much all year.

Plus, in the playoffs, tha game slows down, and turns more defensive. Giving Tag at least some benefit.

 

[VF21]

KP - We DIDN'T let Vlade go. He chose to take a better offer. AND, just for the record, Vlade will most likely NOT step foot on a basketball court in uniform again so what's the point of saying anything about him anyway? It's not like he's proven Petrie made the wrong decision or anything.

I'm not going to lay any expectations on this team for the rest of this season. I've enjoyed the hell out of the last few games; the old excitement was back and it's been wonderful. If they only make to the first round, I'll still be cheering my lungs out.

 

[KP]

I hate to be the Devils advocate, but where is Vlade now? On the IR recovering from a herniated disk?

I'll agree Tag has been a BUST, but I'd rather have a BUST who is capable of playing some D to someone who has been on IR all pretty much all year.

Plus, in the playoffs, tha game slows down, and turns more defensive. Giving Tag at least some benefit.

Whose to say Vlade would have hurt his back(and basically lost the will to play) if he had stayed?

 

[KP]

KP - We DIDN'T let Vlade go. He chose to take a better offer. AND, just for the record, Vlade will most likely NOT step foot on a basketball court in uniform again so what's the point of saying anything about him anyway? It's not like he's proven Petrie made the wrong decision or anything.

I'm not going to lay any expectations on this team for the rest of this season. I've enjoyed the hell out of the last few games; the old excitement was back and it's been wonderful. If they only make to the first round, I'll still be cheering my lungs out.

VF we offered him 1 year 2.5 mil. Then we turned around and gave tag almost 9 mil over 2 years. Vlade took about the same in LA. We let him go, they wanted him to go. I think a lot of bad moves have been made this season. We won't know until next year if we slide back down into lottery hell. But if your pinning all your hopes on Peja like our management seems to be I think your going to be dissapointed. This team has been torn apart, to early IMO. If I would have told you 1st round loss at the end of last season what would you have said?

 

[Bricklayer]

Please define "ok".

Can still win more than half our remaining games, have a shot at maintaining our position in the favorable 4/5 matchup with Dallas, and let's just say a 45/35/25/5 % chance to escape the first round vs. Dallas, Seattle, Phoenix and San Antonio respectively.

Remember -- I've generally assumed the championship hopes died as of the most recent trade (and were on life support before that). We've been spoiled around here always being contenders. Time to just ratchet expectations down a bit this year and try to reload for next season. So I define "ok" as continuing to play like a good team, do not collapse, have a decent chance to pull an upset in Rnd 1. Just don't embarass ourselves and maintain our dignity as an upper echelon team.

 

[KP]

Can still win more than half our remaining games, have a shot at maintaining our position in the favorable 4/5 matchup with Dallas, and let's just say a 45/35/25/5 % chance to escape the first round vs. Dallas, Seattle, Phoenix and San Antonio respectively.

Remember -- I've generally assumed the championship hopes died as of the most recent trade (and were on life support before that). We've been spoiled around here always being contenders. Time to just ratchet expectations down a bit this year and try to reload for next season. So I define "ok" as continuing to play like a good team, do not collapse, have a decent chance to pull an upset in Rnd 1. Just don't embarass ourselves and maintain our dignity as an upper echelon team.

I don't disagree with any of your predictions there, I just don't think thats ok.

 

[SacTownKid]

Whose to say Vlade would have hurt his back(and basically lost the will to play) if he had stayed?

This is the Sacramento Kings were talking about here. If he stayed he would not only have herniated a disk, he would have broken both legs, fractured his skull, and given birth to a baby seal.

 

[KP]

This is the Sacramento Kings were talking about here. If he stayed he would not only have herniated a disk, he would have broken both legs, faractured his skull, and given birth to a baby seal.

Good point.

 

[VF21]

VF we offered him 1 year 2.5 mil. Then we turned around and gave tag almost 9 mil over 2 years. Vlade took about the same in LA. We let him go, they wanted him to go. I think a lot of bad moves have been made this season. We won't know until next year if we slide back down into lottery hell. But if your pinning all your hopes on Peja like our management seems to be I think your going to be dissapointed. This team has been torn apart, to early IMO. If I would have told you 1st round loss at the end of last season what would you have said?

The point isn't how much we offered Vlade. With all due respect to the player I have admired since he first came to the NBA, Vlade Divac in 2004 was NOT the same Vlade Divac. He had slowed considerably, his passes were no longer the crisp precision tools they had been before, AND he was tired. Petrie made the right decision and I do not fault Vlade for accepting the larger paycheck. In all honesty, it would have broken my heart to see him stay here and continue the inexorable decline.

The team has been torn apart so it can be rebuilt. We are not going to win the 2002 WCF. We aren't going to get revenge for what we think could well have been ours if the basketball gods had been just a little kinder. That era is over.

Doug is out for the year with lingering effects from the plantar fasciitis that he tried to play through while he was here. Another good move on Petrie's part.

I don't know yet about Webber but I strongly suspect Petrie made the right decision at the right time because he sees a much bigger picture than we mere mortals.

Bottom line is that I have been a Kings fan since 1985. I have ALWAYS cheered for the guys wearing the uniforms and I'm going to continue to do so. All I REALLY and TRULY want is to watch basketball being played at an elite level. The Kings we have today are showing they're still capable of doing that and for me that's all I need. If they make it to the second round of the playoffs or further, it's just icing on the cake.

I LOVE THIS TEAM!!

 

[SacTownKid]

The point isn't how much we offered Vlade. With all due respect to the player I have admired since he first came to the NBA, Vlade Divac in 2004 was NOT the same Vlade Divac. He had slowed considerably, his passes were no longer the crisp precision tools they had been before, AND he was tired. Petrie made the right decision and I do not fault Vlade for accepting the larger paycheck. In all honesty, it would have broken my heart to see him stay here and continue the inexorable decline.

The team has been torn apart so it can be rebuilt. We are not going to win the 2002 WCF. We aren't going to get revenge for what we think could well have been ours if the basketball gods had been just a little kinder. That era is over.

Doug is out for the year with lingering effects from the plantar fasciitis that he tried to play through while he was here. Another good move on Petrie's part.

I don't know yet about Webber but I strongly suspect Petrie made the right decision at the right time because he sees a much bigger picture than we mere mortals.

Bottom line is that I have been a Kings fan since 1985. I have ALWAYS cheered for the guys wearing the uniforms and I'm going to continue to do so. All I REALLY and TRULY want is to watch basketball being played at an elite level. The Kings we have today are showing they're still capable of doing that and for me that's all I need. If they make it to the second round of the playoffs or further, it's just icing on the cake.

I LOVE THIS TEAM!!

I don't know how anyone with two eyes couldn't see that "that" team was well past their prime and in serious decline. Doug, Vlade, even Webb to a certain extent. Doesn't really take a brain surgeon to figure that one out. I wonder how this team would be doing if we kept Vlade, Doug, and Webber??? I mean even if they were healthy.

 

[VF21]

I don't know how anyone with two eyes couldn't see that "that" team was well past their prime and in serious decline. Doug, Vlade, even Webb to a certain extent. Doesn't really take a brain surgeon to figure that one out. I wonder how this team would be doing if we kept Vlade, Doug, and Webber??? I mean even if they were healthy.

The thing is most of us didn't want to look at them with two eyes. We were looking at them with our hearts and still trying to figure out a way to change the outcome of the 2002 WCF.

How would "that" team be doing right now? We'll never know. Too many variables. And that's for the best. It's over; it's in the past; it's yesterday's news.

If people are going to continue to root for this team through thick and thin they need to look forward and quit looking back.

Just my three cents...

VF21 drags the soapbox back into its corner...

 

[KP]

The point isn't how much we offered Vlade. With all due respect to the player I have admired since he first came to the NBA, Vlade Divac in 2004 was NOT the same Vlade Divac.
QUOTE] I can't believe I'm saying this to you... but what were you watching? The guy had a string of 11 games where he avg over 10 assists a game last year. Sure he was a liability on Defense(no more than Brad) but he had this offense running like a well oiled machine. He had an exceptional year last year.

 

[KP]

I wonder how this team would be doing if we kept Vlade, Doug, and Webber??? I mean even if they were healthy.

Bingo.

 

[VF21]

KP - Did you watch the playoffs? Did you see ANYTHING from Vlade you remember as a positive? ANYTHING? Going back to before Webber came back is irrelevant. Once Webber came back and the decision was made to get him back into the lineup as much as possible, Vlade simply seemed to quit trying.

The point is moot. You can argue the past all you like but I've moved on. Brad Miller was brought here to replace Vlade and he did. End of story. Vlade would have come off the bench had he stayed and there is NO WAY to guarantee he would have been productive.

Too much has happened to try and lift one or two events out and point to them as evidence of Vlade's continued ability to perform.

But that's not the point. The point is that the team you keep wanting to resurrect WAS a good team but it's gone. It won't be back...those days are over.

 

[VF21]

Bingo.

Um, I think STK is saying the team would be worse if Vlade, Doug and Webber were still here, not better.

 

[KP]

It won't be back...those days are over.

If different decisions were made they wouldn't have to be. I'm not jumping off the ship, but I've questioned almost every decision Petrie has made this year. It's all added up to this, being happy(because of ridiculously lowered expectations) with a 1st round exit, if we put up a "good" fight. If he doesn't do something this offseason to improve this team we will look back on this season as the begining of the end(for now). We had a lot of good pieces at the end of last year and I don't think we used them correctly. Thats just my opinion but that's what I think. You can disagree with me if you want, time can be the only real judge in this debate. Don't worry, all is not lost... I've eaten a lot of crow lately.

 

[buddahead_916]

Christ, sometimes I regret coming on this site. There are some straight up pessimist's here. Have we not won three in a row? We ARE going to the playoffs and all I've read tonight is "well I guess it's going to be a first round knockout this year" comments from everyone.

Cheer up. Bibby is playing great. We all know Peja is capable of being great. Mobley 's still here. Oh, did I mention BJAX will be coming back soon?

While I love Miller and am extremely disspointed he's out for awile, I am not giving up because of one man. Skinner. This is a guy who gives it his all every night and with the Kings starting lineup IN,he lacks Miller's talent in FT%, THAT"S IT. Miller is great when everone's injured but with cuttino, mike, peja, kenny, corliss, etc... on the coourt do you really think he'd be putting up extemely better #'s than skinner is now??? Miller is better and I'd RATHER see skinner coming off the bench for him, but we've seen the Kings through harder times than this.

BELIEVE

 

[slugking50]

One mans (or womans) pessimists is another man (or womans) realist.


The road ahead certainly wont be easy but we will be alright. We have his Royal Bibbiness. (Ok I know that was lame.. Sounded good at first )

 

[troosvelt]

Exactly, not being pessimistic, not saying we'll never win another game.

But realistically we are going to face all of our playoff series on the road this year and are going to either be shorthanded or have the problem of working people back into rotation just as we head into the playoffs.

It's just reality.

 

[VF21]

On the ABC pre-game show this morning, they had a piece with the Maloofs. Both Joe and Gavin said that the core group had not gotten it done, and it was time to move on, to make changes and find a NEW core group to rebuild with...

They were careful not to mention any names, so I think there are clearly more changes to be made.

It showed them cheerly very loudly for Bibby and for Skinner.

I'm not reading anything into that except that, as owners of the Kings, they made some tough decisions and told Petrie to implement them. We're facing an exciting time, believe it or not. Petrie isn't a fool. He built the 2002 team and I'm looking forward to the new model Kings team with an excitement I used to have for the September debut of the new car models back in the days when they were trucked in to showrooms late at night and the windows were all covered until the day of the reveal.

This is a GOOD time to be a Kings fan. The future is going to be interesting!!!