[外電] Kings' coaching carousel must stop

[Paraguay (巴拉圭)]

Source: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/story/1806373.html

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Kings' coaching carousel must stop

By Ailene Voisin / Friday, Apr. 24, 2009 - 12:06 am

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There has been nothing sweet about this Kings coaching handoff from Eric
Musselman to Reggie Theus to Kenny Natt. It's been more like a botched
possession than a natural progression, a succession of unproven head coaches
overseeing a massive rebuilding project, becoming overwhelmed by the enormity
of the task and eventually adding to California's bloated unemployment
figures.

That has to change. That and a lot of other things around Arco Arena have to
change.

As Geoff Petrie embarks on yet another search, the job requirements this time
should be specific and non-negotiable, have nothing to do with friendships or
previous associations, and even less to do with the past. The next coach
can't be a rookie, a loser or a victim of revisionist history.

Spencer Hawes is not Vlade Divac. Jason Thompson is not Chris Webber. The
grand old Kings did not win the NBA championship. Funny, how people forget.

But what characterized the Kings' most successful teams – and what every
King teams since has lacked – is an identity, a style. The Webber-Divac
bunch threw pretty passes and couldn't get a stop to save the game, much less
their souls, but operated within a defined, identifiable structure.

You knew who the Kings were, and so did they.

The next Kings coach has the challenge of developing young talent,
influencing the formation of a roster and implementing recognizable offensive
and defensive schemes, all while adapting to particular talent (and lack
thereof), even if it requires a dramatic shift in approach.

Change is OK. Defense is OK. Guarding an opponent doesn't have to be an
afterthought, the annoying younger sibling who is either ignored or shoved to
the side. Nor must the offense be read aloud from Pete Carril's Princeton
textbooks, though the continued presence and tutoring of Coachie remain
invaluable.

No, among his many assets, this new Kings coach better have a personality
strong enough to withstand Petrie's quietly persistent influence and be
empowered to shake the building to its philosophical foundation. Toward that
end, the most encouraging news of the afternoon might have been provided by
Petrie himself as he walked toward the office, moments removed from
announcing that Natt would not be retained.

"No more grand experiments," the basketball president said, with a quick
laugh. Earlier, he narrowed the list of candidates significantly, virtually
eliminating anyone without NBA head-coaching experience and "some level of
success" within the league.

Until further notice – or unless the Kings are rejected by all their favored
candidates – that means individuals such as Jeff Ruland, Ettore Messina,
Kurt Rambis, Brian Shaw and John Whisenant apparently fail to make the cut,
while Eddie Jordan, Mike Fratello, Jeff Van Gundy and Paul Westphal would
seem to fit the profile.

Petrie also indicated his interest in one or two coaches currently involved
in the playoffs. Further, should the Kings fare well at the May 19 draft
lottery, winning the opportunity to draft Blake Griffin or Spain's Ricky
Rubio, the coaching vacancy suddenly becomes more attractive.

All of which leads to the inevitable and timely questions concerning the
lousy economy and lagging ticket sales – a critical source of revenue for
small-market franchises. Asked about this later Thursday, Kings co-owner Joe
Maloof said financial considerations will be a factor, but not the
determinant; the stature of the coach will set the price.

"Every team is evaluating their business practices," he said, "but just
because you cut one area doesn't mean you won't spend in another. We've
always said, 'If we have a chance to win a championship, we'll spend the
money.' And we did. We had one of the highest payrolls in the league. Now, if
we have a chance to pounce, to jump on something special that makes sense,
gets us out of the cellar and back on the right track, we'll do it. Whatever
Geoff thinks. Fans are tired of all these (unproven) coaches. We want to
start winning again."

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