The Inside Dish
http://www.nba.com/kings/news/The_Inside_Dishvs_Milwaukee_-103994-58.html
by Devin Blankenship--March 23, 2004
Kings vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Plug Your Nose......
Funk: (fungk) n. A state of cowardly fright; a panic. A state of severe
depression.
The Kings are in a funk right now.
Take that back—the Kings right now are in a super-funk, Rick James-style
. No, they aren't depressed or in a state of cowardly fright or panic.
They just seemed to have forgotten how they are supposed to play, and it
couldn't have come at a worse time of year.
Sacramento is in the middle of its toughest stretch of the season, having
to face all of the elite teams in the Western Conference over the next two
weeks, and can't seem to stop tripping over its own feet as it tries to
secure the top seed in the Western Conference. The Kings aren't defending
or running their offense very well and as a result, they aren't winning
like they were.
Sacramento has struggled in the first quarter of every game since playing
the Portland Trailblazers on March 12, and has had to expend an extra-
ordinary amount of energy trying to get back in those ballgames—a big
reason it is 3-4 during that stretch.
But why, might you ask?
Several reasons—the return of Chris Webber (I don't want to hear it boo
-birds) has definitely mixed things up as the team tries to figure out how
to reintegrate him. Bobby Jackon’s absence can’t be overlooked as well
—his ability to spark the team when it is dragging has been sorely missed
. The fact that the Kings are playing a tougher schedule right now is also
a reason.
Whether they can get through this stretch and become a better team for it
will be a factor in how far Sacramento gets in the playoffs.
Big Mouth…
Damon Jones of the Bucks is one of the biggest trash talkers in the NBA.
Seriously, he’s right there with the best.
Jones used to get his teammates so heated during practices with the Kings
last year that tempers would almost start to flair as he screamed and
yelled in what was supposed to be easy scrimmages.
Now that Damon has landed in Milwaukee as the starting point guard for
the Bucks, you can bet he had a lot to say to his former team on Tuesday.
There were hoots and hollers and a lot of things coming from his mouth
all game long that can’t be put into print. On one particular play, Jones
complained so much to the referees about a non-call that Mike Bibby finally
had enough and yelled at Damon, “Stop (talking)! Just play man!”
Random Thoughts...
Keith Van Horn is a great fit for the Bucks, much better than Tim Thomas
was. He is a better rebounder and just as athletic. Plus his shot is more
consistent than Thomas’.
Is it me, or did Toni Kukoc age 10 years in a couple of NBA seasons? His
dark hair is now gray and shaggy, giving him the appearance of a much
older man.
The Kings fast-break is non-existent right now; they were outscored 15-6
by the Bucks. I guess what they say is true—it’s hard to run when you
are constantly inbounding the ball off a made basket, versus a defensive
rebound.
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http://www.nba.com/kings/news/The_Inside_Dishvs_Houston_03-103740-58.html
by Devin Blankenship--March 21, 2004
Kings vs. Houston Rockets
Dark Day…
There was a stink on Sunday, and it didn’t emanate from the court.
For the first time in memory, Kings fans made an embarrassment of
themselves. The booing of Chris Webber 11 games into his return to the
court was something that was shocking and uncalled for, on top of the
fact it was in front of a national TV audience on ESPN.
Sacramento fans are world-renowned for their support of their team
throughout the years, even when times were tough (the early 80’s and
90's). They are the most faithful and best fans to play in front according
to the media and players alike. Yet, the way ARCO Arena turned on Webber
because he was missing shots late against the Houston Rockets was
tantamount to a stab in the back.
There is the adage that fans pay for their ticket and therefore have the
right to boo—which is true. But just because fans can boo doesn't make
it right or smart. In fact, booing your franchise player with two minutes
to go in a close game makes one ponder and scratch his or her head in
bewilderment.
Would Minnesota fans boo Kevin Garnett if he was struggling from the
field? Would Spurs fans boo Tim Duncan for a lack of production, not
effort?
Let's look at the facts:
Webber is basically playing in his preseason right now, trying to work
himself into shape. He has only had a few practices to mesh with the team
and is attempting to fit it without disrupting the team's flow.
Webber was not forcing shots on Sunday. He was wide-open on most of them,
and they just weren’t falling. You can’t complain about a guy who is
missing shots. Half of them rattled in and out.
The same fans who booed him, cheered when he made a critical steal seconds
later—what kind of fickleness is that?
The bottom line is this—what good is it to boo your franchise player late
in a game when you need him the most? Do you think that’s going to spark
him and make him play better?
And yes, Webber was missing shots—a lot of them in fact. But he was
missing jumpers that he normally makes. He was missing shots where he was
wide open with the defense collapsing on his teammates and forcing him to
shoot. He was not forcing things or being selfish. He was attempting to
do what the Kings pay him to do—win games.
Perhaps some feel that they have carte blanche to boo Webber whenever
they want because of some of Chris' off-the-court problems. Or maybe
some have become spoiled by the Kings' recent success and just won't
stand for a player missing shots. Whatever the reason, the short leash
is not going to make CWebb play any better—he is renowned for feeding
off the crowd's positive energy, not negative.
Finally, for those who think Webber didn't notice what was going on—he
did. It was obvious in the locker room afterwards that he had been
affected by the fans reaction and that it was not something that would
just go away—it hurt.
Family turning on family? From now on, let's continue to keep ARCO classy
by leaving the booing at home.
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