Ok, I realize I am writing this out of pure emotion, but there is thought underneath all of that emotion.  I am pissed after yesterday's "Lottery".  I use the quotations for a reason.  But more on that later.  First I would like to tackle David Stern.  Both figuratively and literally. 

David Stern has been great for corporate sponsors, individual team owners, NBA investors and the players themselves.  He took over the NBA and did a Vince McMahon.  He turned a struggling, boring, organization that was televised late at night when hardly anyone was watching, and turned it into the Mega-Gazillion dollar giant it is today.  He saw the marketing potential of Michael Jordan and rode those coat tails for as long as he could.  By that time, the NBA had enough momentum that he could really tighten the screws. 

Once Nike jumped on board and the marketing dollars came flying in, he horns and pitchfork soon appeared.  We are now basking in the "franken-Stern" he has created.  Now, the NBA is not only showed in primetime T.V. spots, but it is a world-wide organization and he, the owners, big business, and the players are raking it in.  Our beloved game, is now officially a business.  I realize this isn't any new revelation, but my last hope of it being a game again, is gone.

When the Kings lost to the Lakers in the ugly game 6, I was sitting in my one bedroom apartment.  I barely had enough money for food, let alone cable and the internet, but I had both of those as well.  (You all know how it is right? I mean you have to sacrifice a mayonaise sandwich or two for you cable and internet, i.e. porn).  But I will never forget seeing Kobe elbow Mike Bibby with Bob Delaney not more than 10ft away and his eyes are fixed squarely on the play and he swallowed his whistle.  As soon as the final buzzer sounded, I went online and sent an email to the NBA, addressed to David Stern, and told him I would never spend $1 on his product ever again. 

Well, like all of promises and resolutions, that quickly faded when the next season came.  But to this day, I have not bought a ticket to a Kings game.  Yes, I have gone when invited but I have not bought one ticket.  I have watched a lot of games since then (Kings and other teams) and I shake my head every time I watch.  It is extremely bad when you can tell how a game will be officiated (and generally what the outcome is) when you know who the officials are.  It is bad when Shaq leaves the Lakers and wins a title, but the most "exciting" player and one of the top selling jerseys in the league can't get out of the first round for a couple of years, so the NBA allows a trade like Pau Gasol for a roll of toilet paper and a Kit-Kat bar.  It is bad, when now you have an aging star in Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers are probably about 2-3 years away from being average, and "Tah-Dah!!!" the other L.A. franchise gets the first pick in this year's "Lottery" (this is their second 1st overall pick, in 1998 the drafted Michael Olowokandi). 

Meanwhile you have a struggling franchise in Sacramento, a team only a few years removed from being the most exciting team in the league and challenging for a championship year-in and year-out, an organization who is struggling to build an arena in its current city, speculation that the owner's want to move the team, for years have had the most loyal fans in the league, and last seaon the team looked like it should be in the developmental league and not the NBA, and won a total of 17 games (2 less than the next crappy team) and they get the 4th pick in this year's draft.

David Stern, how could you let this happen?  Here is the main problem I have with the Lottery.  Everything is so damned secretive.  Now I guess there are representatives from every team in the room when the ping-pong balls go through the wheel, but why does it have to be done behind closed doors?  Why can't the ping-pong balls be pulled on live T.V.?  I mean, its already on prime time, you might as well do it then.  Again, everything in the league is so secretive it drives me crazy.

Also, it is only recently (like this year) that you actually hear officials getting called out by the NBA for poor officiating.  Why do you think that is?  Why weren't they called out like this 10 years ago?  Because the NBA knows fans (like me) are refusing to go to the games because the officiating is so poor (especially when you are playing an opposing team with a superstar, a la Kobe, Dwayne Wade, Lebron, etc).  Why would I spend my money on a game when I know Dick Bevetta is going to officiate the Kings Vs. Lakers?  I can tell you what the outcome is.  Why do I want to go to a game and watch an official from the opposite side of the floor make a call for an official who is standing right in front of the play?

This is all David Stern's monster.  The game caters to the superstars because the superstars make David Stern and the owners money.  Can anyone honestly tell me that the Kings are on the same playing field as the Lakers or the Celtics or the Knicks?  Can you tell me that Jason Thompson will get the same calls that Tim Duncan will get?  Why is it that an L.A. team got the first pick this year?  Why is it that the worst team by record in the NBA this past season doesn't have a top three pick (forget that the Kings should have the first overall pick)?

Does anyone here really think that the Nuggets have a chance against the Lakers or the Magic have a chance against the Cavs?  This "Star Treatmen" bullshit has got to go.  I will not attend a game next year, I will continue to not purchase a ticket to a Kings game and frankly I am not even sure I want to watch basketball anymore.  Now I am sure that last part will change come October, but I will bet right now that the Lakers will win this year and Lebron will win it next year.

And to hear the names of coaches the Kings were interviewing: Eddie Jordan and Paul Westphal.  Are you kidding me?  Eddie Jordan had a very talented team with the Wizards (Arenas, Jameson, Butler) and couldn't win.  Paul Westphal hasn't coached in the league for 10 years.  And Rick Petino's name was also mentioned?  You mean the guy who wouldn't play Chauncey Billups, that Rick Petino?  This is all great timing for the Kings.  They can't get an arena built, they have the worst record in the NBA, the name's for head coaching candidates suck ass, they get the 4th pick, geeez David Stern, I wonder if you want the franchise to move to another city? 

I think it is easier to move a franchise than it is to create a new one.  To move, all you would need is an excuse to get out.  Well the Kings are losing money in Sacramento, so we better move them to a city who will sell out an arena, and probably build a new one within a couple of years of its tenure there.  But to start a new one, you need investors and an arena already in existence?  The city council here has pretty much given the middle finger to the maloofs and the NBA, so that doesn't help either (don't get me started on their inadequacies).

David Stern is already making plans to move this franchise.  Of course he won't say it publicly.  He will continue to say things like "our priority is to keep the Kings in Sacramento" or "this City has such loyal fans, they deserve to keep the Kings" or whatever spin he can throw out there, but its a line of bull.  This Kings don't have the corporate sponsorship like other teams do, the fans don't go to the games (and for good reason) and the City Council doesn't want to build an arena.  Sounds like it is easy to move the franchise.

And just because they keep pushing back the date for the unveiling of the arena and all of the cal-expo garbage and that drawing they were showing a few months back for the "new" cal-exp, is crock of shit.  Right now there isn't a city for the Kings to move to, that is right now there isn't.  So pretend to do everything you can, but in the meantime set it up for the quick escape out the backdoor. 

Thank you David Stern you pathetic loser.  Thanks for taking this once great game and turning it into a business.  Thank you David Stern for taking our franchise from us.  Thank you David Stern for giving us a predetermined play to watch for an extraordinarily large sum of money, only the find out the hero was never going to win and the evil empire continues to grow.  In fact, tell you what.....

 

F-U DAVID STERN!!!!!!!!

To all of the Royalty fans out there, I can't say this is my best work.  In fact I am sure there are some inaccuracies, for that I apologize.  To hear Gavin Maloof say we should be positive about this, shows what kind of spineless owners they are.  They should be pissed and should call for an investigation.  For lack of a better term, we "earned" that #1 draft pick.  Not necessarily the right to Blake Griffin, we earned the pick.  The Kings got screwed, this City got screwed, and us the fans who suffered through 2008-2009 of god awful basketball got screwed.  F-the positive crap. 

I hope you share these emotions with me, but i understand if you don't.  I look forward to reading Ziller's and Pookey's and Section's great research and options the Kings have for the next year.  They are much more level-headed than I, so I will now bow to them.

Oh, and Mike Lamb (I know you are on here) you better get on the air, if not today, then tomorrow and I want you to blast the NBA and David Stern. Damn it, go crazy!!!!!!

 

 

according to SI (link provide below) here are the opponents.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/12/29/09-opponents.ap/

AFC WEST

San Diego

Home: Denver, Kansas City, Oakland, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Miami, Philadelphia, Washington

Away: Denver, Kansas City, Oakland, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Dallas, N.Y. Giants

Denver

Home: Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New England, Dallas, N.Y. Giants

Away: Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Washington

Oakland

Home: Denver, Kansas City, San Diego, Baltimore, Cincinnati, N.Y. Jets, Philadelphia, Washington

Away: Denver, Kansas City, San Diego, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Houston, Dallas, N.Y. Giants

Kansas City

Home: Denver, Oakland, San Diego, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Dallas, N.Y. Giants

Away: Denver, Oakland, San Diego, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Washington

 

Looking at the teams that the AFC West is playing this coming year, I like how the Chiefs' schedule stacks up.  Granted all of the teams play pretty much the same opponents (yes, i know there are a few exceptions, but for the most part the "big" games are the same). 

I certainly would rather play Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Dallas and the Giants at home.  Baltimore will be a tough game on the road, because they are a completely different team at home.  But the Bengals, J-Ville has lost key personnel.  Phily and Washington will be tough. 

The Chiefs' have a tough schedule, but so does the rest of the west.  One last Patriots conspiracy theory.  Notice how the Broncos are playing the Pats and the Chiefs aren't.  Do you think Coach Bill heard something about that and didn't want Cassel opening up the Pats playbook to whichever team he was on?

Bottom line is, like everyone, I want to see improvement from this team.  I could see 8 wins out of this team in 09/10.  But then again I could see 4 wins as well.  For the first time, in a long time, who knows what to expect.  We had a great draft last year, so I want to see those players improve in their sophmore attempt.  I want an impact player from the 3rd pick.  But, all goes for not if Cassel flames.  No pressure Matt, but you better bring your Brady impersonation with you to KC, or I am going to be pissed.

 

These days the Kings resemble those teams of the early to mid 90s when Petrie first showed up.  When you look at last year into this year, this team had ugly contracts for players who's skills were on the decline or had left the building long ago.  And to further the similarity between the two eras of horrific Kings basketball, Petrie has to play a lot of the waiting game.  Either wait for the contracts to expire (simply because nobody wants the player eventhough the contract is expiring) or wait for the players contract to expire which will allow them to be tradeable. 

Now that I have stated the obvious, I have some concerns about the direction of this team right now (shocking I know that any of us would have concerns).  Here are my concerns:

1.  The leader of this team (he is by default simply because he makes the most) is Kevin Martin.  Is he "The Guy"?  Looking at Championship calibur teams, they all have "The Guy".  So IF (big stress here) GP can get players in here to compliment a coaching style that will make this team a contender again, will Kevin be the guy down the stretch of games, or take this team on his back, or get in someone's face and tell him to step it up?  Personally I don't see it.  He is a nice player, but I don't see him leading this team, and now I think his contract is not tradeable anytime soon.

2. Are the young players going to develop like we hope they can?  I know, I know, they need time and it is early in the two recent draft picks careers.  But this has to be a concern simply because there aren't going to be a lot of players on this team after this year.  So are the Kings going to build in the draft or get role players in free agency. The last part scares the hell out of me, simply because we may have to overpay to get an average player.

3.  A Chris Webber trade and Vlade Divac signing simply aren't out there.  The only player that we would be able to trade to get something of a "stud" or player with potential back is Kevin Martin.  But, his salary increases every year and reaches close to $13million by the end.  Also, he has been injury prone the last couple of years, would a team really want to trade their valued players for an injury prone, $13million a year player?

4.  The free agent crop after this year and next year, to put it bluntly, is crap.  First of all, Lebron, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade aren't coming here.  So what does that leave?  Either star players who will be over 30, but will still command the big bucks and average players.  If we sign the over 30 crowd, then we will be right back where we are now.  If we sign the average players, who on this team is going to be the leader?

Continue reading this post »

so i was toiling around on sacbee.com today and saw the article of c-webb and vlade's jersey retirement and it got me thinking.  as much as we loved what they did for this team, what did they really do to warrant a jersey retirement?

here is my thinking.  other cities retire jerseys of players who led their team to championships and/or are hall of famers.  their players also spent the majority of their careers with their team and provided consistent winning seasons and every year competed for a championship, whether they won or not, they were competing.

chris webber:  remember he didn't want to come here.  also, he was in the league for 15 years and only spent 5 1/2 years with the kings.  yes, he led us to the western conference finals, but just once.  not only that, but he wasn't the leader of those teams.  everyone who really knew the team, would say that vlade was the leader.  also, when the game was on the line, especially in the playoffs, he very rarely got the ball when it counted.  now some would argue that the team was so balanced that the kings had many options to go to.  but that furthers my point.  he was just another player on a good team.  remember the playoff series against the jazz, game 5, in utah.  who got the ball on the last trip down?  vlade.  also, game 5 against the lakers?  bibby. now don't think i don't appreciate webber.  when he was in the league, he was a top 5 PF.  but he was very predictable, his low-post move was the right hand jump hook.  if his free-throw line jumper wasn't falling, he was very one-dimensional.  and, he didn't have to be "the man" on those teams.  j-will would take the last shot, vlade did, and later bibby.  c-webb was a good player on a good team.  we should honor him, but not with a jersey retirement.

vlade divac:  everybody loves vlade.  this one is more difficult to argue just because he was the heart and soul of those kings teams. but, he was a role player.  yes, like i said before, he took the last shot in game 5 against the jazz, but he wasn't the consistent go-to guy.  he set great screens for peja, and peja probably wouldn't have received the attention he did without vlade setting those screens, or feeding him those backdoor passes.  but vlade never filled up the stat sheet.  he was a 12-15 pt a game, 7-10 rebound guy.  sometimes more (very seldom) and sometimes less.  he was an average defender, the fact that he was 7ft and close to 300lbs allowed him to be an "immovable object".  but, like webber, he never got us to the finals, let alone a championship.  he won't get into the hall of fame.  and like webber, he spent 5 of his 16 years in the league on the kings. 

the bottom line is, and i think deep down all of us would agree, neither one really deserve their jersey's retired.  yes they were good players, but not hall of famers.  when other teams played the kings they didn't scheme around either one (i would give maybe webber, but again the kings were so deep that when webber had off games, somebody else was there to pick up the slack).  so why retire their jerseys?

frankly, i think it is a PR thing.  we certainly don't want to forget those years, but those years were a blip on the map.  and frankly, those kings teams really only had 1-2, if you really stretch 3, years that they had a legitimate shot at the title.  and if they would have won it all, maybe i feel different, but they didn't win and they weren't close.  they never made the finals.  yes they should have, but they didn't.  also, the kings have now been down for several years, attendance is down, and excitement is down, that the PR department has to find a way to get people thinking about the kings again and the best way to do that was to re-live the "glory" days, which weren't that long ago.

they were good players, on a good team, in a good time for the kings.  i am sorry to say, that is all.

The fact that the carry is seldom called, but frequently done, i can live with.  The fact that the travel violation is seldom called, but frequently done, i can live with.  Hell even the crappy charge call when a player has an open line, only to have another player run from the other side of the floor, get to a spot a split second before the driving player gets to the half-circle, and a charge is called and this is a good defensive play, i can stomach this (but this is a close second to what i am about to discuss).  but the technical foul is the worst case of authority given to the officials. 

watching the game last night to see bobby jackson get tossed, and quickly for that matter, because an official has an ego drives me insane.  the fact that you need to know which officials you can talk to and which ones you can't talk to (cough, steve javie) drives home my point.  i look at the NFL.  this is a brutal sport where for the life of the player they have been taught to hurt the other player, and there is just as much arguing and posturing at the officials in that sport as their is in the NBA and they don't get called for a "technical foul".  i mean really, what the hell is a technical foul anyway? 

the NBA has let the players run this league for so long that this is their way to keep them in line.  really?  why is it you rarely see kobe get a technical, and he talks to the officials every trip down the court.  the only comparison i can think of for a technical foul is the  police officers who need to fill their ticket quota.  oh no the city needs more money, go out and write more tickets for parking violations or someone rolling through a stop sign, eventhough there is nobody around a 10mile radius of this stop sign and he/she is making a right hand turn.  the NBA seems to use the technical foul to supplement their income. 

david stern:  ok, attendence is down, tv viewership is down, we need to find a way to bring in more money.  any suggestions?

"yes" man:  well sir, we could take some authority out of the hands of the officials, actually play basketball the way it is suppose to be played by letting the players decide the outcome of the game.  this will allow smaller markets to actually compete and bring the fan base back to places like sacramento, memphis, minnesota and charlotte.

david stern:  ok, your fired.  no, what i want to do to bring in more money is have the officials call more technical fouls to "troublesome" players like rasheed wallace and smaller, lesser-known players so we can pay for the pension plans of duane causewell, lionel simmons, steve kerr, tom tolbert and other guys who have probably found other careers, but we are contractually obligated to give them some money for being average players who stayed in the league the minimum amount of time to get a pension for the rest of their lives.  yes, that is what i want to do.  someone get me javie on the phone.

the fact that the clippers were able to get marcus camby out of denver for the option to switch second round picks and a bag of doritos simply because the NBA would profit from two LA teams being successful is pitiful. 

back to my original point, sorry for the tangent.  the technical foul is the most useless authority given to officials.  has it actually stopped them from arguing?  has it given me the opportunity to actually know more officials names than i normally should?  has it been used evenly?  when was the last time you saw kobe, shaq, lebron, dwayne wade or any other "superstar" been tossed because they received a 2nd technical? 

my solution, get rid of the technical foul.  put a fourth official on the floor so you can cover the corners of the halfcourt.  make the game more like the college game and let the players actually be able to play defense and be agressive.  if you want to curb the arguing, then really penalize the player or the team, like you have just cost your team 10 pts for your actions.  or suspend the player for 1 or 2 games. 

as much as david stern has been a decent commissioner (basically he is the vince mcmahon of the NBA because he took a once laughed at sport and made it into a very profitable business by piggy-backing on one player, MJ, much like vince did hulk hogan) he has let the players association get way too powerful.  their guaranteed contracts, like baseball, have destroyed the sport.  the star players get the star treatment and everyone else is treated differently.  hence the technical foul. 

"how dare you mr. average player argue my call your outta here.  ok kobe, yes i understand, i missed that call.  yes i will call it next time.  yes sir i understand you make more than i do.  yes, i know my mom is a whore.  mr. bryant, could you hold for one second, sheldon williams you are out of here.  ok, sorry mr. bryant.  yes i will make sure it doesn't happen again' - Steve Javie

what a business...er, i mean sport.

So I am all of the way out here in Sacramento, CA and have only been able to watch a hand full of games, due to various reasons.  First they aren't on over here very much (not like the Montana years where we got all 16 games or the early 2000s when we scored 150 points a game and they were fun to watch).  All I remember hearing after the draft was KC had a great draft.  I think most "experts" gave them an "A" for their picks. 

So based on the fact that I haven't been able to watch much, I am relying on the Pride to give me your opinions.  We had a couple of high profile first round picks in Dorsey and Albert.  How have they turned out?  Also, there was a lot of excitement over Charles, what do you think now?

Granted we have two games left, but really, I won't expect them to turn into pro bowlers in the last two games.  Have they grown in their first year?  The book is essentially still out, but is Dorsey the new Ryan Sims?

We are suppose to be young and inexperienced, but have any of you seen anything in our young guys to be excited about?

"Lincecum said he was on his couch watching NFL highlights with his roommate when he got the news."

the above is from MSN's sports link.

ok, what the hell is the NL Cy Young Award winner doing with a roommate?  can we get this guy a fat contract now so he can stop eating Top Ramen, Triskets and drinking orange juice out of the little packages with the bendy straws?  does he have the beat up couch, lava lamp and milk crates too?  i mean i got the hole superbad scene in my head when the Unibomber opens the door and there is a layer of pot smoke and Timmy eating holding a bag of Doritos while his roommate is on the couch playing Grand Theft Auto or Guitar Hero.

i mean i love Timmy as much as anyone, but unless he's got the Three's Company thing working, i am a little concerned.  maybe Zito can let one of his hottie girlfriends move in with Timmy and kick McLovin to the curb.

I personally believe the Giants should keep Fred Lewis and here is why.  True he may not be the best outfielder in the game, but he should get better with some work.  For years we have all screamed that this team has never had any speed, and Fred is fast.  He has some pop in his bat (9hrs, which on this team is like 30 right now).  Now most people want 30+ from the corner outfielders, but I give you Adam Dunn as an example, low .200s for average and high strikeouts per AB.  Fred makes contact.  He steals bags at a high rate (20 for 27).  He has 6 errors with 9 outfield assists, leads the team in that category.   One know I will give is that he is 27.  A lot older for a first time full-time player, but that is how the Giants have always done it, see Aurilia and Feliz.  I think he will be a Randy Winn-type player (another underappreciated Giant right now, that may be a post for later).  Look every team needs guys like these.  You aren't going to have all-stars at every position and you need guys who will steal a base, track down a ball in the gap, bunt for a single and even take you out of the yard if you make a mistake.  Fred is that guy.  Randy Winn is that guy too.  These guys get overlooked because there isn't that one superstar on this team to carry the Giants through the tough stretches. 

I am writing this because I have seen a few posts and/or comments wanting to trade him and I always ask myself "trade him for what?"  generally you are going to get like for like, so let's say we get prospects.  They will probably be Fred's equivalent, except no major league experience.  Fred now has a year under his belt.  The other thing that frustrates me is I see and hear a lot of fans saying we don't have any homegrown talent.  But as soon as one gets to the Bigs we want to trade him.  Looking at the non-pitching talent that has been brought up in the last few years, there is a reason Fred has been the only one to stick.  Ortmeir has flamed, Schierholtz isn't ready and may never be, Velez has been surpassed a few times since he has been up, etc., etc., etc. 

The other case is, in all probability Randy Winn isn't coming back next year, if he makes it through August of this year.  Fred could move over to right-field and you can put your big bat in left.  I would rather have speed to cover triples alley in right than a big guy over there.  Plus the Phone Booth's right field is one of the toughest in baseball and I wouldn't want a big-bat type of guy, who probably wouldn't be good in the field, that combo is rare and the Giants ain't getting one anytime soon.  So you move Fred to right, he will make his mistakes, but will learn, you sign a big-bat for left and you have somewhat solved your power problems.

So McCoven I ask you, is my logic right?  Would you do something differently?  If you would trade Lewis, to who and for what (in this case prospects don't count because they are unproven)?  Names in the trade would be good and you reasoning.

I would like this to be a semi-serious discussion please.

there were rumors that the kings and mavs were talking about and artest deal.  i was pretty much indifferent with that trade.  then i saw this:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3515172

now i am happy that GP didn't pull the trigger.  whether the mavs would do the deal of not doesn't matter.  basically we would be trading artesf for...well uh, artest.  he headcase for a basketcase.  pick your poison. 

"In Petrie I Trust"

I apologize if this has already been discussed, but has he signed yet?  If not, what is the status?  I haven't heard anything.  I have searched a few sites and can't find anything.

Also, what about the rest of the picks, what is their status?

And just for fun, any predictions on Dorsey's output this year.

I say he has a Mario Williams-type first year.  He will get a few sacks early, then the league will throw some things at him to see if he adjusts.  He'll struggle for a few weeks, but will finish with 8.5 sacks.

Please forgive me if this has already been discussed, but why are they so bad at home?  I was reading the preview of tonights game on ESPN and saw that the Giants are .500 on the road, which for this team is great, but they are 10 games under .500 at home.  With the Phone Booth being a "Pitchers Park" and the Giants pitching being pretty good (and even with their inadequacies with some of the pitchers, see Zito) you would think that our yard would mask some of the flaws we have.

Or are they over-achieving on the road?

“I’m more struck by the fact that Leon Powe gets more foul shots than our whole team does in (Powe’s) 14 minutes of play,” Jackson said, even mispronouncing the Celtic forward’s name to add insult to his 13-10 free throw edge. “That’s ridiculous.

“You can’t play from a deficit like that; that we had in that half, 19-2 in the first half. I’ve never seen a game like that in all these years I’ve coached in the Finals. Unbelievable.”

Those are the remarks of our beloved Coach Phillip.  Although I do believe the Celtics were more of the aggressors, it was pretty pathetic the officiating.  Not suprising considering Bob Delaney was there (side note to previous posts, why do I know his name, because he is a crappy official).  Example would be Kobe's second foul.  If you called that, then you have to call everything on every possession.  Again, this changed the game because Kobe went out not wanting to pick up a cheap 3rd foul.  This didn't happen at the end of the game, but it affected the rest of the game. 

I can't stand the Lakers, but fair is fair.  Now for more of a conspiracy theory.  Before you knock it, think about it:

The NBA didn't want the Lakers to win Game 2.  Why?  Because the Celtics have been a horrible road team in the Playoffs and the last thing the NBA wants is for this "Dream Matchup" to be done in 5 games.  This series is going at least six, with a possibiltiy of seven.  Now I am not saying the Celtics can't win in LA, in fact I bet they take at least one game.  But I bet the Lakers win Game 6 forcing a Game 7. 

David Stern would pee down his leg if it went seven games.  Also look for Steve Javie to play a roll in these playoffs, with a possibility of Joe Crawford and Dick Bevetta showing their faces as well.  Gee I know their names too.  Coincidence?

My former handle was "NBA Officials are on the take" but I changed it to shamelessly promote our crappy little garage band (btw check out myspace.com/cynemamusic.com).  Eventhough I changed my handle, I still believe they are on the take. 

Yesterday all I heard on the radio was "Why was Joe Crawford on the floor to officiate game 4?"  Simple, the WWE, er..um, the NBA is fixed.  Like it or not, it is a fact.  They probably aren't going to the officials and saying "we want the Lakers to win, get the point?".  That is being done by Vegas.  But they know that in a critical game they can put an egotistical maniac on the floor and "take control" of the game.  Crawford, Delaney, Bevetta, Javie are all in the same mix.  Just a side note, the fact that I know their names, let-alone how they officiate means they are crappy officials.  Its like the NLCS in the 90s with the Braves and the Marlins and Eric Gregg was giving strikes 12 inches off of the plate to Livan Hernandez (thanks to Gregg my beloved Giants went out and signed Hernandez because they thought he could pitch). 

The NBA would like nothing else than to have a Lakers-Celtics championship to relive the 80s.  Lets look at the alternatives:

1.  Lakers vs. Pistons -  Would be intriguing if the Pistons hadn't already won it in the last five years and have been in the Eastern Conference championship series for the last six years.

2.  Celtics vs. Spurs -  Again, would be intriguing if the Spurs hadn't won last year and had 5 rings since Duncan has shown up and contended every year since he and Coach Pop took over.

3.  Lakers vs. Pistons - Ideal!!!  Why?  The Lakers haven't been there since Shaq.  Shaq left and won a ring in Miami.  The Lakers hadn't gotten out of the first round since Shaq left.  LA is their second largest market, plus all of the Laker honks throughout the country would get a woody and jerk-off to Kobe hitting fade-aways in the championship series.  The Celtics haven't been competitive for awhile.  Last years championship series ratings were in the tank.  You get my point?

So what does the NBA do?  They see the Celtics jump out to a great record to start the season, same with the Lakers.  Kobe pissed and moaned all of season about the "direction" of the Lakers.  Then amazingly the Gasol trade happens.  And now the David Stern is licking his chops and the thought of reliving the 80s. 

The coincidences are just too frequent and obvious.  The sooner you realize this, the better you will feel.  If you want to watch Wrestlemania, er, I mean the Lakers and Celtics go ahead.  I on the otherhand am going to watch something that is a little less predictable, like the sun rising or my wife getting pissed at me for leaving the seat up or angelina jolie adopting another african orphan.

ok, so i have read many of the comments on this site regarding the trade.  more so than not, most people aren't thrilled with it.  here is my take:

first, let's give GP more credit than what we are giving him.  remember when he first came here, it took a few years to develop a championship type team.  he is strapped with bad contracts, and he knows it.  i don't care what he says about any of the players we picked up.  wright, lue and johnson will be gone after the season, if not sooner.  williams is guaranteed for this and next year and that is it.  so basically he is gone after next year.  so what did we get?

well the obvious is cap space for next year and the year after that.  anybody who thinks we were going to get an all-star for bibby is smoking something real good.  any playoff contending team isn't going to give up an all-star for bibby and any crappy team isn't going to give up their future studs for a declining point guard to run their bad team.  

as far as draft picks the same basically applies.  anybody who is contention right now will have a later round pick, which let's be honest, really isn't going to help this team.  the best we could have done with a later round pick is to use it in another trade.  

so we got cap space for the future.  which in my opinion, suits this team well.  we will definitely suck for the next couple of years.  but, we get lottery picks and cap space and in another 3-5 years, we are contenders again.  granted that is a long time to wait, but i would rather wait then go through season after season of .500 ball only to maybe make the playoffs and then get booted in the first round year after year.  that isn't anything to get excited about.

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I don't want to sound like I am a downer, but the Kings aren't making the playoffs this year.  As it stands today, they are 5 1/2 behind Golden State for the 8th spot and they would have to jump teams like Houston and Utah to get to GS.  So with that being said I say we need to look at the future of this team.  I saw CoolCats post on Dalembert.  I am not sold on him or his contract.  The 76ers won't want Artest, Bibby or Miller for him and I would not rather send out youth or picks to them for a high-priced rebounder/shot blocker.  

So the question is: What should be down either before the trade deadline or after the season to get this team, not only to the playoffs, but to a team that can make noise in the playoffs?

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Ok look it, I could really care less about the Lakers always being shown on ESPN and Kobe Bryant highlights every two minutes, but when I go to the Kings homepage and see that the first video clip shown is a Laker highlight, that is way too much.  

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=sac

Holy Moly!!!! Is all I have to say.  First off, I am not into the WNBA.  This may sound like you have heard it before, but for me its true.  Watching the WNBA is like watching five year olds play soccer.  The ball goes one direction and then both teams run over to it with their legs extended in the kicking position and the only thing they ever kick is the other kids shins.  I tried last year harder than I ever have to watch it and give it a chance.  But when I heard the announcer say something of the effect that "So-and-So dunked the other night in a game and it was the fifth recorded dunk in a WNBA game..." I pretty much turned the channel to Magnum P.I., at least I can watch the scenery in Hawaii.

With all of that being said, I have never been a fan of the women in the league.  Ok this is where it gets sexest.  But lets be real, most of us judge the female sideline reporter by their looks first.  And mind you, I am no Brad Pitt or George Clooney myself, but I do like a good looking girl to be staring back at me from the magic box.  Then if she has something good to say, it is a bonus.  If you think I am wrong about this, then why do the professional teams have cheerleaders?  Do I really need to be told when to cheer at an NBA game?

But Kayte is hot!!!!  I hope she is on there more often.  And she did a good job.  She has a personality, which helps on TV.  In fact I would go so far as to recommend them putting old Jerry Reynolds out to pasture and make glue out of him and stick Kayte next to the red-headed stepchild.  

Yes this is an off-topic post, but really, are the Kings worth talking about?  Petrie never gives us anything to talk about in the papers.  You never really hear him slip with his secret trades.  So, when Kayte came on TV, it made the game worth watching, at least at halftime.  The team is pretty fun to watch.  They try hard (everyone except for Barf Miller).  Thank God he got rid of that stupid headband.  The sooner we trade him, the more games I will watch.

First, it won't be because they will win a championship, this year or even 1-2 years from now.  I am excited because it looks like they are trying out there.  We finally have a point guard who can break down the defense and either get an easy layup or dish to an open shooter.  Now I am a bibby fan, but he isn't the fastest point guard in the league.  He has become crafty with his moves over the years, but he isn't going to impress anybody with his speed.  And with point guards being lightning bolts now-a-days, a quick point guard is essential, and it is a bonus that he can shoot.  Since Ron-Ron has a player option after this year, and with the way he is playing, the Kings should be able to trade him for an expiring contract and a draft pick.  I am probably the only one who thinks that if we could keep him, we should.  The reason is he tries every play and is a shut-down defender and he is an offensive force on the blocks.  His jumper is sporatic at-best.  He is one of those players that don't come around everyday.  But, I know he is probably not staying after this year, so we better get something for him.

K-Mart needs to step up and be a leader.  He must demand the ball in the fourth quarter.  Even if he misses some shots, he needs the feel of the basketball in his hands in crunch-time, otherwise he won't make it to the superstar level.  Which is ok if he is going to be a second option, but if he does become that, and the Kings lose the players we think they will (Artest and Bibby) who will take that fourth quarter shot?

I have seen Hawes play only a few minutes so I really don't have an opinion on him yet.  But talking to people it sounds like he has some skills.  So we will wait and see about him.  Garcia can be a leader on the floor.  He isn't afraid of the ball (sometimes to the detriment of the team).  But lets remember its not like he got a lot of playing time under the last two regimes.  The more playing time he gets in those situations the better he will handle them.

Reggie is doing a good job.  The team is playing hard.  I think it helps that he is playing the young guys minutes.  The more wins they get, the more they will respond to him.  The veterans I think may shut him down as the year goes on, so it is probably good that he is playing the young guys and some of the older guys are hurt.

If this team can win anywhere from 30-35 games this year, I think it will be a good year.  If some trades are made and the right moves are made, I think in the next couple of years we could see a very good team again.

Apparently my response under Pookey's post was too long, so...

First, Pookey let me just say I am glad to see you writing stuff again.  I haven't been on the site very often lately, but when I do I generally look for a post from you.  You always have good "takes" (as Rome would say).  I might not agree with you all of the time (see Arena issue) but I always can respect where you come from.  Your post are well thought out.  Ok, now that I am done with that, to my second point.  I have always hated Voisin's columns.  I can never get thru the first few paragraphs.  I don't receive the paper daily, but at least once a week I will go get one just to stay up to date on things.  And everytime I see here columns, if they aren't something stupid about the Kings, then she will have an R.E. Graswich type of feel to them on some other topic like: Drinking Water, Do We Really Need It? (made-up column title to prove a point).  I think I would rather read the Classified section under the Power Tools and Farm Equipment than read her articles. I thought the Bee would be upgraded when Bob Graswich moved to the Metro so when the over 80 crowd reads that section to see if their name is in it, they will read his garbage and wet themselves.  But then they brought in Bob Jr. (aka Voisin) with her crap.

As for Bibby, yes he has an ego since his contract.  No he is not a leader.  But he is not the sole problem with this team.  Would his departure help this team?  Maybe.  Yes we may get salary cap relief if some of the proposed trades happen.  But we still have Miller and Thomas' contracts.  Bibby can't play defense to save his life.  But I am not so sure that it is a lack of effort all of the time.  Is he Randy Moss-like and takes defense possessions off? yes, but when he tries, that is all I can ask for.  He just isn't quick.  Also, I think the lack of a shot blocker in the middle exaggerates his defensive inadequacies.  J-Will can't play defense either, but he has Shaq in the middle, so many PGs are not really keen on going to the hole.  Now I know we don't have Shaq or Dikembe or Zo or any of the other studs in the middle.  But I am not even asking for a stud in the middle.  I would like an average center who will at the very least change shots.  Instead we have Miller, who if you can believe this, is SLOWER than Bibby (see Millers post up moves or Peja-like drives to the hole where he flails his arms, screems a blood-curddling UGH!!! and throws the ball into the second row of the stands, hoping to get a whisle because he is "Peja Former All-Star" or in Brads case "Brad Miller, Hunter, Redneck and All-Around Lazy Ass" and don't give me shit that he has lost weight this off season, let's see a real game and not the preseason).  Back to the point.  Bibby is a great third guy.  He and Webber or Vlade worked a good pick and roll, even when Peja was here.

As for Adelman.  This is the old argument of is it the coach, the system or the players.  Would Joe Montana have been Joe Montana without Bill Walsh?  Maybe.  Would the Kings have won as many games with another coach other than Adelman during those years?  Probably not.  But as I have always said on this and other sites, if you don't win the Championship then you are second with all of the rest.  There is only one team that can win it all.  And that is very hard to do.  I think Adelman is a great regular season coach, but a horrible Post-season coach.  Talent will only take you so far in this league.  You still need a coach to be able to make in-game changes, half-time changes and in a series game-to-game changes.  Adelman did good in the regular season because the talent over came many obstacles in the middle of the game.  But in a series, when the other coach made adjustments, Adelman stuck to the same thing, and then the talent only went so far.  During a 7-game series, coaches like Phil Jackson and, as much as it pains me to say this, Don Nelson make adjustments to what the other team is doing.  

Now I will contradict my last paragraph.  If Kobe gets called for a foul on Bibby in the final minutes of game six (see Kobe's elbow in Bibby's face) or if Horry doesn't break our hearts in game 4 or if the Kings would make a free throw in gamee 7, then maybe we aren't having this discussion about Adelman.  But as the hillbillies say, if the dog would have got the rabbit, then we would have something to eat.  Or as Rome says, if my aunt had 'nads, then she'd be my uncle.  The bottom line is, coaches are first judged on do they win in the regular season.  Check for Adelman.  If they do, then they are judged on if they win in the post season.  Adelman, graded as a C.  He could won series, but not THE series.  He didn't get the Kings to THE SERIES.  That is the bottom line.  But as you have said in your post, that doesn't matter now....

So the next question is where do we go from here?  Well we have to suck for a couple of more years to get better.  We need a very low (1-5 draft pick) this year.  We need K-Mart to turn into Tracy McGrady (minus the back problems) and be unstoppable as well as a better than average defender.  We need to get rid of Miller, Bibby and Thomas.  Artest I don't mind on this team because at least he brings it night-in and night-out.  Hopefully he keeps his nose clean.  Besides we aren't going to get a player of his calibur at the salary he is making.  Plus, we aren't going to win with him or with out him.  To me he is a non-factor.  

I am hoping for two things this year, as I will be hoping for my beloved Giants for next year.  

First, be fun and exciting.  If they lose 50-60 games this year, but are competitive and try hard and lose because they don't know how to win yet (that is the young guys).  That is ok with me this year.  Second, I want the young guys to play the bulk of the minutes this year.  Get them some experience and see if they can hang in this league.  Teams will want Bibby, they already do.  And there may even be a team that wants Miller.  I don't care if Thomas is a distraction.  He isn't a core guy or an up and coming guy.  He is a 12th man as far as I am concerned.  

Pookey, good to hear from you.  Pick apart my stuff and let me know what you think.

Alright, so I am officially throwing in the towel, well actually it was thrown in a long time ago I am just now coming to grips with it.  But here is my confusion, why in the hell did we start Kevin Correia yesterday?  Why not Sanchez, Misch, Kinney, etc?  This is exactly why it is tough to be a Giants fan, this and the fact they haven't won a world series since they have been in S.F. (and for the record the Marlins have won two since they were brought into the league in the 90s!!!!!)

Here we have a perfect opportunity to see what the future has in store with our young players and make moves based on their ability to prove whether they belong in the Bigs or not.  What do our crack (or on crack) GM and Manager do?  We start a relief pitcher.  The fact that it looks like he pitched well is beside the point.  He is not a starter.  We have others who are waiting there turn, and in my opinion deserve it more than Correia does.  At the very least, we see what the others have and maybe that allows us to move them or one of the others in the off-season for some bats.  Starting Correia yesterday did nothing for the future of this team and that pisses me off!!!!!

Too much has been put squarely on Barry Bonds for this whole "Steroids Era" thing.  I get into it with friends all of the time (many of whom aren't giants fans, i didn't know that there were non-giants fans).  And I ask them two simple questions, which they can not answer:

1.  When did the steriods era being?
2.  When did it end?

And of course no one can definitively answer those two questions.  Oh sure we can speculate when it began, but you can't tell me that it has ended, because people keep getting suspended.  Not only that, but who is to say they are using a better masking agent or different, untraceable, drugs.  

So what, Barry is about to break the great homerun record.  Roger Clemens has over 300 wins, has anyone checked his medicine cabinet yet?  sure he is sucking this year, but dude hasn't gotten any smaller is his 40s.

The only reason Barry Bonds is being thrown under the bus is because he is a "bad guy".  ask any reporter and they will tell you.  So because he is/was a bad guy to the press, they feel they have to create all of this "controversy" over the whole steroids thing.  is it cheating if you are taking a substance that isn't banned? or wasn't banned at the time?  i realize these are new ideas, but i get sick and tired of listening to midnight sports talk (look i was coming home from a concert and it was either midnight sports talk or hair growing commercials) and all of these idiots, who have never spoke to the guy, saying what a bad guy he is and he is a cheater and all of that shit.

i don't think anyone can argue that he didn't take anything, of course he did.  but so has everyone.  and just because he is at the brink of the "impossible" and he is a bad guy, we need to write books about him and boo even louder than normal (except when he hits a homerun then we stand and cheer).  i say F-U to all of the bonds haters.  i don't like the guy personally either, but i am not asking him to be a nice guy.  i am asking him to contribute to the teams success on the field.  if he wants to shoot up with roids, who the hell cares.  i haven't once heard him say to the kids that they should try it.

and they call them "performance enhancing" drugs.  isn't working out performance enhancing?  i mean i don't remember seeing mantle, aaron, ruth, cobb, williams, etc, lifting a weight.  hell most of them were lifting a beer.  it wasn't until the late 70s and early 80s did weight lifting start to become the thing to do.  so why isn't pujols or a-rod treated like bonds?  well, because they talk to the media, all media.  

so for the last time, so what, bonds has taken steriods, other players have and other players still are.  so to the media, go fuck yourselves.  and lastly, to san diego, thank you for showing class as he hit it.  it is nice to see that there are still people who appreciate the rare talent that bonds is, roids or not.

Well, well.  No suprise here.  I'll bet it has been going on for a very long time.  Its just like my name says.  And I'll bet that there were/are others who have bribed or had some influence, gambling or otherwise, on the outcome of games.  Thank you NBA for what was once a great game that everyone could get behind and turning it into a profit-minded only business.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2943095

Alright, I think we are all in agreement that the team will not be much better this year than it was last year.  I am not saying the Kings don't have a shot at the playoffs, but this is not a championship team.  With that said, here is a link to the '08 free agents for next year.  Assuming the team doesn't make the playoffs, and based on the preliminary moves we have seen made, who off this list is a TRUE possibility of the Kings going after?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=2008FreeAgents

Can someone explain to me the contract for Kevin Durant and the Sonics?  I saw he signed for the first two years guaranteed, and I believe the 3rd and 4th years are team options.  If Durant is suppose to be the cornerstone of the future, why would the Sonics only lock him up for guaranteed 2 years and their option for the next two?  Does this have to do with the collective bargaining agreement and draft position?

Since it looks like the champ is sidelined, maybe Mando can finally quit pretending he is a closer and move on to a more realistic career.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=3313743

That is the underlying theme here.  I think we are all in agreement that you can't win with talent alone, that there has to be a solid coach behind the talent.  But the coach alone can't take a bunch of average talent and make a championship team out of them.  So with the average talent, collectively, on this team, will Reggie Theus make a difference to this team?

I have been a long believer that college coaches won't win in the NBA, i know this is an opinion that is shared by many, maybe not on this site, but most reporters hold that opinion with me.  The fact that Reggie is an ex-player does help, however he played before most of the players on this team could even walk.  So they really didn't get a chance to see him play.  His career isn't fresh in their minds.  Also, he hasn't coached in the NBA so the veterans may not respect him as much at first.

With all of that said, I am rooting for they guy and this team, simply because I am a fan.  However, I feel once again this is a stop-gap until the player personnel is changed on this team.  I don't see Reggie coaching past three years on this team simply because the losing may wear on him or the losing may wear on the maloofs.

I don't know if I am in the minority in this one, and since our team isn't playing, and the draft isn't here yet, I figured we could talk NBA Championship basketball.  Bob Delaney missed one when Kobe went UFC fighting up on Bibby's face, but he did the right thing by not blowing his whistle last night.

I hate the "we have a foul to give, so let's run at him and grab his arms as they are running around and get a cheap foul".  To me those fouls should be one free throw and the ball back.  Those are the cheapest of cheap fouls.  I didn't see the play happen, but I saw the entire replay this morning and that is exactly what Bowen did the Lebron.  Those fouls should never be called, and that one last night should no way be called.  I know Lebron retracted his statement that it was a foul, but the fact that you could see him mouthing it and then complaining to Delaney has opened everybody up to screaming it was a foul.

I may have to change my name.  Because if the NBA truely wanted to make extra money, the Cavs would have won that game.  They would have made sure of it.  The NBA needs to justify, although I don't know why, the "Lebron Hype". Since ESPN and SI and all of the other mags and media have annointed King Lebron the next MJ, they feel like they need to justify it.  MJ didn't win the whole thing until years after he was in the league and it took a good team around him for that to happen.  The Cavs are an average team playing in a below average conference.  Lebron will get his one day, but it shouldn't be because of people screaming for that call to be made.

Good for you Delaney, I still hate you though.

Hey Sabean if you are really listening to us and making moves based on our reaction to certain players then i have an idea for you.  I know this is kind of out of the normal giants thinking lately but to be competitive in the second half of the season, then listen to this:

GET US SOME FUCKING HITTING!!!!!!!

Excuse my language but this is ridiculous.  It seems like it is all or nothing with this team.  We score double-digit runs and win or we can't score more than 2 runs and lose.  Nobody, except for Molina, has been consistent.  Who in this lineup scares you at the plate?  Nobody!!!!!  Here we have one of the best starting pitching staffs in all of baseball and it seems like Sabean is pissing it away.  I could even live without the all-star closer, because what good is it to have a great closer if you can't even get him in the game with a chance to save it.  This is freaking frustrating, I mean even the Rockies are ahead of us.  That's right the Rockies.  

I know this is probably late in the game, but Sabean has got to go.  

hasn't this experiment been done already?  i can't remember the last college coach to actually win in the NBA.  i don't blame the coaches.  hell for that money i will have a sucky team for a few years of guaranteed money.  i am not sayinng orlando is crap, but they do have a little ways to go for them to real challenge for anything.

Hey Jazz Fan, now you know what it is like and why I have the name that I do.  What the hell was that?  Can Steve Javie go with Joey Crawford?  I mean I thought this was the playoffs and I thought home court meant something.  By home court I don't mean the advantage in a series, I mean just simply playing at home.  What was the free throw advantage, like 21-4 in favor of the Spurs?  You know I feel real bad for the Jazz, and I am not ashamed to say I am actually rooting for them.  Everyone thought that once Stockton and Malone were gone they would go in the tank.  But even after they left, the Jazz were one of the teams I hated to face because Coach Sloan got them to give everything they had every night.  Now they have a good team with quality guys and play hard and once again the WWE, I mean the NBA steps in and decides the game for them.  

Granted this isn't bid market v. small market, but still it is the Spurs, who continue to win every year against the Jazz who haven't won for a while.  

So once again, the officials decide the game.