Kings notes: Pacers capitalize on Sacramento's griping

[Warhawk]

Wasn't sure if this deserved it's own thread, but didn't want to hunt around for another to tack it on to.

After Friday's win at Sleep Train Arena, Indiana guard George Hill said in a
postgame interview with Kings radio that the Kings' complaining to officials was
part of the Pacers' game plan.


Hill said the Pacers wanted to "punish the criers" by running down the
court for easy baskets when the Kings were preoccupied with the officials.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/02/502...#storylink=cpy

[PurpleHaze]

Sadly, Kings are getting a quite easy to trash reputation around NBA. A game earlier in live TV postgame interview Luke Ridnour of T'Wolves said Kings were, "a bunch of great one-on-one players," in an obvious put down of their play. And now this one sticking it to them from George Hill of the Pacers.

[Prog]

Hill said the Pacers wanted to "punish the criers" by running down the
court for easy baskets when the Kings were preoccupied with the officials.

It's a well known tactic. Ask Rondo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZJ2OyFD7B8

[Kingster]

Wasn't sure if this deserved it's own thread, but didn't want to hunt around for another to tack it on to.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/02/502...#storylink=cpy

Makes sense. Teams will take advantage of mental weakness any chance they can get.

[Capt. Factorial]

Not surprised at all. Which of course points back to the coach. Here we've got Keith NASHT trying to be everybody's best friend.

Let me ask you a question: Do you think Jerry Sloan was everybody's best friend? Sloan was a disciplinarian who knew the game of basketball inside and out. And, golly gee, he got results.

We need a coach who can kick this roster into shape. You don't go hard in practice? You don't play. You whine to the officials in any way? You're yanked for the rest of the half, immediately. You don't run the play the coach called? Again, yanked.

These kids gotta be told that they need to figure out if its about the paycheck or about playing good basketball. And if it's about the paycheck, they can earn it warming up the bench.

[JB_kings]

Mentally weak? Well they do say a team is a reflection of their coach...

[Glenn]

Mentally weak? Well they do say a team is a reflection of their coach...

That's funny.

[HereWeVivek]

Sloan was a disciplinarian who knew the game of basketball inside and out. And, golly gee, he got results.

same can be said for Popavich

[Agent23]

Not surprised. Our best player is mentally weak. Our coach is stupid. We have the worst support system ever in terms of people in place to make sure our players are developed properly. 4-12 is what we get.

[bloom]

We do whine to refs but I’ve seen other teams cry more (and yeah it gets annoying when players do it all the time). Maybe it’s good that he said something, maybe this will light a fire under our players and make them want to be better. I hope that the next time that we play Indiana, the Kings will remember this and beat them.

On a side note, I remember when we drafted JT, he would be complaining all the time. That drove me nuts.

The whining also falls on the coach/assistant coaches. They need to make sure that their players aren’t focused on the officials.

[Npliam]

Not surprised at all. Which of course points back to the coach. Here we've got Keith NASHT trying to be everybody's best friend.

Let me ask you a question: Do you think Jerry Sloan was everybody's best friend? Sloan was a disciplinarian who knew the game of basketball inside and out. And, golly gee, he got results.

We need a coach who can kick this roster into shape. You don't go hard in practice? You don't play. You whine to the officials in any way? You're yanked for the rest of the half, immediately. You don't run the play the coach called? Again, yanked.

These kids gotta be told that they need to figure out if its about the paycheck or about playing good basketball. And if it's about the paycheck, they can earn it warming up the bench.

Would the fan base be happy with Demarcus and Thornton sitting for most of the game because they wouldn't play the way Sloan wanted them to? Would the fan base, ownership and management back Sloan instead of the players? I really doubt it. Demarcus already had one coach fired and he knows he has all the power he needs to do whatever he wants.

[hrdboild]

Would the fan base be happy with Demarcus and Thornton sitting for most of the game because they wouldn't play the way Sloan wanted them to? Would the fan base, ownership and management back Sloan instead of the players? I really doubt it. Demarcus already had one coach fired and he knows he has all the power he needs to do whatever he wants.

That's been presumed true regarding Demarcus, but don't you think Westphal got himself fired? He picked fights with players on multiple occasions and the team was getting blown out every night. I'd be happy with Demarcus and Thornton sitting for stretches if they continue to play like chickens with their heads cut off. In a sense it's hard to blame the players for acting like spoiled brats on the court when the coach just sits there and lets it happen. In the past Demarcus has performed best when he is held accountable for his nonsense. The pound it inside player I saw at Kentucky is a distant memory right now. Remember how Zach Randolph played under Isiah Thomas? That's basically what we've got.

[Warhawk]

Would the fan base be happy with Demarcus and Thornton sitting for most of the game because they wouldn't play the way Sloan wanted them to? Would the fan base, ownership and management back Sloan instead of the players? I really doubt it. Demarcus already had one coach fired and he knows he has all the power he needs to do whatever he wants.

Yes. Because the coaches we have had since Rick have all frankly sucked. I think the fans would back a serious coach who knew what they were doing. It is obvious Smart does not.

Someone posted on another thread that if you have gone through 5 coaches since then and the product sucked, it can't be the coach. And I say h*** yes it can. You just keep getting crappy coaches.

[rainmaker]

Would the fan base be happy with Demarcus and Thornton sitting for most of the game because they wouldn't play the way Sloan wanted them to? Would the fan base, ownership and management back Sloan instead of the players? I really doubt it. Demarcus already had one coach fired and he knows he has all the power he needs to do whatever he wants.

Given Cuz had a good relationship with Calipari, who's a tough as nails disciplinarian and is always in his player's faces, I don't believe a Sloan type wouldn't work with Cuz. Calapari has said Cuz is the most intelligent player he's coached, and Cuz knows when his coach is in over his head like we're seeing now. I actually think Cuz would love playing for a Sloan or JVG as they have the track record which show they know what the hell they're doing.

The idea Cuz doesn't respond well or can't handle a tough minded coach doesn't coincide with his time at Kentucky. I'd also say Cal is a better coach than either Westy or Smart, and Cuz knows that.

[Gary]

If we did get Sloan, and Cousins and Sloan butt heads then trade Cousins. Simple as that.

[Bricklayer]

All that said the "strict disciplinarian who kicks butt and makes men weep" thing woudln't work. Oddly, grown men don't particularly like to be bullied. nor overgrown teenagers for that matter. I think our guys are primed for a change, but there has to be a lot of carrot with that stick.

However, a coach who demanded accountabilty and knew how to make his horses run wihtout having to resort to the lash would do wonders. Its why I am more in support now than ever of an experienced hand who demands respect not with threats and yelling, leading to the inevitable Sprewellesque throttling by Cuz, but just by having acheived so much and knowing so much. Cuz remains I puzzle, I distrust Thornton's ego, but I do trust their competitiveness. They care. They are just dificult to manage. And guys like Tyreke I think would LOVE to have a coach who they could trust ont he sideline.

All pie in the sky though. Some people cry conspiracy with the Maloofs, I just cry poverty, stupidity, shallowness. If they don't finish losing the rest of their money themselves, they are prime candidates to fall for some smooth talking scam artist selling them prime beach property in Nevada. A smooth talker like Smart probably already has the keys to their foreclosed mansions by blowing smoke up their behinds and making them feel all special and informed and stuff. And then you have to remember pride. The Maloofs are dumb as rocks, but desperately want to hide it, and are dim enough to think the secret somehwo isn't out and that they can conceal it just by being stubborn. We didn't **** up! It was all part of the plan! We know what we're doing! Etc. etc. The takeaway of it is Smart is the coach. So plans on what we could do with somebody other than Smart are pointless. It really is a pathetic situation unworthy of major professional sports in this day and age.

[mac]

That's been presumed true regarding Demarcus, but don't you think Westphal got himself fired? He picked fights with players on multiple occasions and the team was getting blown out every night. I'd be happy with Demarcus and Thornton sitting for stretches if they continue to play like chickens with their heads cut off. In a sense it's hard to blame the players for acting like spoiled brats on the court when the coach just sits there and lets it happen. In the past Demarcus has performed best when he is held accountable for his nonsense. The pound it inside player I saw at Kentucky is a distant memory right now. Remember how Zach Randolph played under Isiah Thomas? That's basically what we've got.

We were "blown out every night" to the tune of 2-5 before he was fired. We weren't getting blown out in Cuz's rookie season. 2-5 is all it took to get him fired, but here we are at 4-12 ...

[mac]

We do whine to refs but I’ve seen other teams cry more (and yeah it gets annoying when players do it all the time). Maybe it’s good that he said something, maybe this will light a fire under our players and make them want to be better. I hope that the next time that we play Indiana, the Kings will remember this and beat them.

On a side note, I remember when we drafted JT, he would be complaining all the time. That drove me nuts.

The whining also falls on the coach/assistant coaches. They need to make sure that their players aren’t focused on the officials.

When we drafted JT? He still does it every single game ...

[LPKingsFan]

Yes. Because the coaches we have had since Rick have all frankly sucked. I think the fans would back a serious coach who knew what they were doing. It is obvious Smart does not.

Someone posted on another thread that if you have gone through 5 coaches since then and the product sucked, it can't be the coach. And I say h*** yes it can. You just keep getting crappy coaches.

And if you keep getting crappy coaches, don't you think it's time to look in the mirror?

[Warhawk]

And if you keep getting crappy coaches, don't you think it's time to look in the mirror?

Yes, I do. But the owners are the ones with the purse strings and they won't fire themselves. Unfortunately.