Fire Petrie says Bee's Voisin in Kings troubles rant

[PurpleHaze]

Ailene Voisin: It's time for Kings to give Petrie the boot

The Sacramento Bee Nov. 20, 2012

If the Maloofs are remotely interested in sustaining the Kings in Sacramento, tabling the new arena vs. renovated arena conversations at least for a few more days/months/years, they need to issue one sure, swift, franchise-shaking statement.
Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie has to go, and he has to take the entire basketball operations staff with him.
This just isn't working. The pieces still don't fit. Sleep Train Arena – once the home of league sellout streaks and colorful, chanting and knowledgeable Kings fans – has become a half-empty building in crisis.
We can talk all day about bad trades and the chronic tendency to fill roster spots with players of similar skills and sizes. We can discuss terrible coaching hires all night. We can argue about draft choices – many of whom were excellent during the Jason Williams, Peja Stojakovic, Hedo Turkoglu and Gerald Wallace era but that have been far less impressive in recent years.
Back when he knew what he was doing, Petrie, a two-time Executive of the Year, drafted well and traded wisely. He swapped Williams for Mike Bibby, traded Corliss Williamson for Doug Christie, stole Chris Webber from the Washington Wizards for Mitch Richmond and enticed free agent Vlade Divac with an exciting, viable and sweeping vision for the future.
It wasn't always like it is now, remember. Swatches of empty seats. Frustrated fans booing throughout. Players dribbling dents into the floor or jacking up jumpers with impunity. Veterans carping about the younger players. The younger players tagged with two-game suspensions for throwing cheap shot elbows (Thomas Robinson) and chewing out an opposing team's TV analyst for his critical comments (DeMarcus Cousins).
The Robinson-Cousins incidents offer a timely microcosm of a regime in chaos, one that has become rudderless, clueless and, most troubling of all, leaderless.
The fact Petrie refused to publicly address his players' suspensions when approached by local news outlets? That he sat on his stool in the arena's tunnel and remained stone-faced while the ejected Robinson walked past him en route to the locker room? That he stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the increasing importance of the 24/7 news cycle and the explosion in blogs and talk shows?
These are systemic, rotting-at-the-core issues, yet Petrie's approach is to pretend none of this exists. He is an isolationist at a time when the masses want to be included, especially in small-market, one-team towns. Want to be heard. Want to be appreciated. Want some reason to believe that the world isn't ending, that the Kings aren't leaving, and that with something resembling an offense, the team would be entertaining and uplifting, and certainly better than 2-8.
Instead, incrementally and undeniably, both by inertia and repeated mistakes, Petrie has stripped the once-proud franchise of its passion, its identity, its collective soul. And let's face it. Even though the decline has been accelerated by years of exhausting arena uncertainty, the owners aren't going to fire the owners. But something's gotta give.
Under Petrie, the NBA's longest-tenured top basketball executive, the Kings have missed the playoffs for six consecutive seasons; four coaches have been scorched in the process, with Keith Smart's job security suddenly not so secure; the slow start has dampened preseason enthusiasm and furthered the belief that the Maloofs don't care and Smart can't coach, and that Petrie's Princeton pedigree notwithstanding, he is no longer the brains behind a highly successful venture.
(NBA scouts summarized the Kings as a low-IQ roster that lacks a floor leader/facilitator, and has too many small guards and duplicating small forwards, a dearth of perimeter shooters, terrible chemistry and inexplicable offense.)
Assuming the Maloofs actually give two hoots about any of this? That they are seriously talking with potential local investors and evaluating arena renovation plans while fielding nonstop calls from the folks in Seattle, Las Vegas, Kansas City and Anaheim?
Then it's time to throw down their cards. Show us something. Make that critical bold move. Start vetting Petrie's successor. There are plenty of dynamic young candidates who grasp the importance of public relations and marketing, who excel at salary cap management and roster manipulation, and who might make themselves available for the top basketball spot.
Maloof acquaintance Kevin Pritchard (and his buddy Larry Bird?) immediately comes to mind. Others are Chad Buchanan (director of college scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers) and Mike Zarren (assistant general manager for the Boston Celtics).
Additionally, there are more than a few longtime executive types who might be intrigued on a short-term basis. So what exactly is Don Nelson doing these days? And Phil Jackson now that he isn't returning to coach the Lakers? And Steve Kerr?
It was a great run while it lasted, and Petrie ran a great operation for a while. But it's over. Sleep Train Arena is not the Pentagon. It's time to rid the building of its paranoia and negativity, to change the cultureand, yes, weave the Kings back into the fabric of the community.



http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/20/499...for-kings.html

[kennadog]

I might agree with this, but I have zero faith in the Maloofs.

[IfAt1st]

Getting better involves risk.

We KNOW what abject and ongoing failure we have with Petrie and his group of sycophantic yes-men he's populated the organization with.

We simply cannot afford even one more year with Petrie being the basketball decision-maker, for on- and off-court reasons.

Roll the dice - take the chance, and hire someone YOUNGER, who has more of a passion for the modern game.

[rainmaker]

At least someone in the media finally started to bring the heat and acknowledge some of this crap. Most Sac media/bloggers won't touch this stuff, either because they're clueless (Jason Jones) or are afraid to lose their press passes or piss of someone within the organization (James Ham, Zeller).

On the surface it sounds like there's no possible way we can trust to Maloofs to make a good decision. However, something I've been thinking, just like with Stern threatening the revenue sharing if the Maloofs didn't pony up and spend, what if they feel pressure to prove they are not intentionally tanking and pushing away fans? Firing Westy after a 2-5 start and letting this crap drag on (we'll be 2-9 on Wed with a bunch of LAL fans rubbing it in) just looks bad for them if they have any intention on showing the NBA they aren't intentionally killing the market. But what I found interesting is that Prichard is a Maloof acquaintance. There are other options out there. I do wonder if pressure to make it not look like they're purposely alienating the fans and pooping on this market will factor in to any possible change. It's one hope.

One thing that I really don't like that Voison brought up, on top of everything else we've discussed, is Petrie's silence on all this. Most gm's are available and respond to the fire when things aren't going well. Petrie is nowhere to be heard yet again. Not commenting on the suspension when asked isn't good taste imo, but what's worse to me is him not commenting on anything at all. The wheels have fallen off and the guy responsible for putting this roster together and hiring this coach is nowhere to be heard. What other gm does that? Notice Kupchak for example is almost always available to LA media and always issuing statements.

[bajaden]

I realize that this is a complicated subject, and that perhaps I see it from a slightly different prespective emotionally than some others. I've met and talked to Petrie several times. I sat next to him and coachie at some sacramento Capitals games. So on a personal level, I've always found him gracious and accomadating. But results are what they are, and I'm a results guy. You can look at each individual incident or decision that makes up the whole, or you can just look at the whole. In the end, if the individual decisions don't add up to a successful result, its a failure!

I've said for some time, that this is a team made up of ill fitting pieces. I didn't build this team. Petrie did, and he has to take responsibility for it. Now we can confuse the entire issue by bringing the Maloof's interference into the picture. After all, they make for nice scapegoats, and good cover for mistakes. And mistakes have been made. Somehow, I don't think the Maloofs came up with the idea of trading for Salmons. Maybe as reported, Westphal did! So what? Do you as GM, just give your coach everything he wants even if you might not think its a good idea? Who exactly is in charge? Petrie? Or a strong minded coach?

Petrie, as has been pointed out in the Bee, has disappeared into the woodwork. He had no comments on any of the latest incidents. He's always been somewhat of a recluse, and thats fine when it comes to withholding info on possible trades or who you might draft. But there are times when leadership is required, and when last I checked, he's the president of operations for the Kings. I don't know if he suffering from burnout, or if he just doesn't care anymore. I suspect the former. I like Petrie a lot as a person, but I think he's been a failure of late as a GM. And it pains me to say that. I fear who he might be replaced with, but I do think the time might have come for a new direction. And if not, then will the Petrie of old please step forward and take charge. Because this ship is far off course, and desparately needs a captain with a vision.

[Sac.1989]

this is a complete joke. You tell me they will lure a top tier GM and then empower and give him the funds to make the changes needed. Complete BS. GPs recent struggles are a complete product of the environment he works in.

Voisins going after the wrong fish here in her bid to stay relevant and its quite possible that GP knows where this ship is headed and is working off the less is more premise in a bid to save face. He's clearly failing but i wouldnt be wrong if i said perhaps he feels a sense of complete helplessness.

Its clear as day we're screwed and just sitting idle until the maloofs make their next move.

[Krunker]

I'm also ready to get rid of Petrie, the player acquisitions have been questionable and he handled the Cousins/Westphal thing very poorly. I have a hard time seeing the Maloofs pulling the trigger though, especially if it costs them money. The Kings are dead last in attendance (http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance). Will the Maloofs lose money with revenue sharing and force them to sell before being allowed to move?

[Mass]

I agree Petrie has to be blamed for this mess, and that at this point he should go. This team has no chemistry, no real leaders, too many small and similar players. But, I have no faith the Maloofs will hire someone better. I'm pretty sure they would give Shareef the GM job. If they would hire Pritchard, I'd definitely do it. But like I said, it won't ever happen.

[Čarolija]

I might agree with this, but I have zero faith in the Maloofs.

That is the issue! If we fire Petrie, Maloofs won't pay the top dollar to bring in a gun GM! They will either decide to run it themselves or bring in some slick, smooth talking bull**** artist for a can of cool aid!

[tyreeeke]

Give Smart the GM duties as well, save some money.

[PurpleHaze]

That brilliant mind John Whisenant to the rescue - ugh!? Afterall, the long-time Maloof family favorite was once both GM and Head Coach at same time for Monarchs.

[jcassio]

Could it be that Ailene Voisin was told by a source that the Maloofs were planning to fire Petrie? That would be a reason for her flame-throwing article - to get out in front of a story and be relevant. Or maybe even create a little pressure to move the Maloofs off the fence if the source told her that the Maloofs were thinking about firing Petrie. In any case, it's also possible that she just came up with this on her own out of frustration. But the first scenario is more interesting.

[Big Cuz 15]

this is a complete joke. You tell me they will lure a top tier GM and then empower and give him the funds to make the changes needed. Complete BS. GPs recent struggles are a complete product of the environment he works in.

Voisins going after the wrong fish here in her bid to stay relevant and its quite possible that GP knows where this ship is headed and is working off the less is more premise in a bid to save face. He's clearly failing but i wouldnt be wrong if i said perhaps he feels a sense of complete helplessness.

Its clear as day we're screwed and just sitting idle until the maloofs make their next move.

the maloofs will make the next gm for the direction of the franchise. remember they were the ones that alienated adelman by pursuing phil jackson while he was still the head coach. don't forget the stupidity in defense wins championships so they went out and traded for ron artest. theres only so much you can do as a gm when your working with idiot owners and a budget that consists of 4 pennies, 2 dimes and a nickel.

wait til the next gm comes in and if its like the current situation after adelman, i'll walk away as a kings fan. this annual head coaching carousel sucks

[Chupacabra]

So blame the gm, who has compiled the necessary talent, but dont blame coach smart or the broke owners that have tried to sabotage the city? Where is the logic? The owners are too broke to go over the cap and the headcoach is incapable of being a headcoach. The source of the problem is the owners.

[Larry David]

She is right. The Maloofs aren’t going to fire themselves. Because nobody is coming to game and the Kings are the Maloofs only business, any GM is going to be on a tight budget.

The franchise has been a mess for 6 years. While he was on a tight budget, Petrie built all of those team. Yet again, the team is bad. Players aren’t playing hard and they seem to be on the verge of starting to turn on each other. When things get this bad for this long … somebody gets fired. Otherwise, you are telling your players and fans that the status quo is acceptable.

There have been 4 coaches on Petrie’s watch. He didn’t pick most of them (and that’s typically an owner’s call). Almost all of them are mediocre coaches. But still. I don’t see how Petrie gets another 4 months to start over with another coach.

Fans are debating whether Petrie should be fired. I think the business of basketball requires that in this situation that somebody gets fired. Based upon what’s unfolded here over the past 6 years, he’s the overwhelming favorite to go.

I think he stays only if the Maloofs are going to instruct him to make some unpopular moves like trading Evans and overhauling the roster again and then not renewing his contract in the spring. Basically, Petrie takes the hit and then the new GM gets to come in and work with a cleaner slate.

[Section 101]

The best GM for the job just got an extension in New Orleans.

[jalfa]

At least someone in the media finally started to bring the heat and acknowledge some of this crap. Most Sac media/bloggers won't touch this stuff, either because they're clueless (Jason Jones) or are afraid to lose their press passes or piss of someone within the organization (James Ham, Zeller).

On the surface it sounds like there's no possible way we can trust to Maloofs to make a good decision. However, something I've been thinking, just like with Stern threatening the revenue sharing if the Maloofs didn't pony up and spend, what if they feel pressure to prove they are not intentionally tanking and pushing away fans? Firing Westy after a 2-5 start and letting this crap drag on (we'll be 2-9 on Wed with a bunch of LAL fans rubbing it in) just looks bad for them if they have any intention on showing the NBA they aren't intentionally killing the market. But what I found interesting is that Prichard is a Maloof acquaintance. There are other options out there. I do wonder if pressure to make it not look like they're purposely alienating the fans and pooping on this market will factor in to any possible change. It's one hope.

One thing that I really don't like that Voison brought up, on top of everything else we've discussed, is Petrie's silence on all this. Most gm's are available and respond to the fire when things aren't going well. Petrie is nowhere to be heard yet again. Not commenting on the suspension when asked isn't good taste imo, but what's worse to me is him not commenting on anything at all. The wheels have fallen off and the guy responsible for putting this roster together and hiring this coach is nowhere to be heard. What other gm does that? Notice Kupchak for example is almost always available to LA media and always issuing statements.

it's weird how many of the Kings' problems could be solved by former or current Blazers employees. need more shooting and playmaking from the PG? Damian Lillard. need shooting and defense from the SF? Nicolas Batum. need a coach that actually knows how to properly manage lineups and rotations and works well with young players? Nate McMillan. need a GM that knows how to construct a winner and doesn't shy away from being creative about it? Kevin Pritchard. need a new owner, like, period? nobody can help you with that. which is a shame, because, if the Kings had gotten that prior to last year's draft, they would've had a shot (albeit in Batum's case a very marginal one) at every single other one.

[Spike]

So blame the gm, who has compiled the necessary talent, but dont blame coach smart or the broke owners that have tried to sabotage the city? Where is the logic? The owners are too broke to go over the cap and the headcoach is incapable of being a headcoach. The source of the problem is the owners.

This man speaks my mind.

[chief bromden]

We are assuming that Petrie is responsible for building this team, but we know that the draft selections have been manipulated by the owners. Who is to say that they don't also manipulate other decisions as well? I am willing to bet that Petrie hasn't lost all of his marbles yet. He probably sits in the tunnel stone-faced because he is in a situation where his hands are tied and can't act.


If/when Petrie is fired, wouldn't Jerry Reynolds be the best bet for a replacement? Salary already on the books, and he's loyal to the organization. Things would definitely improve then

In fact, Jerry Reynolds currently sits as the Kings Director of Player Personnel.

From the King's Broadcaster bio page:
"Reynolds is responsible for keeping abreast of both the professional and collegiate talent pools available to the Kings, while also helping to oversee the club's scouting efforts"

Maybe he should receive some heat as well.

[Heuge]

Ive been saying this for years.
Why is it when Voison says it, I question my own perspective...

That being said, we need a direction change. It would be foolish to hire another coach (even though we have a crap one now). The owners will not fire themselves (insert cuss word here____). Petrie has done little in recent years to show competency. I say, then, go for it. Make the change. Could it really make matters worse?