| Something Wicked This Way Comes Authored by Dave Carmichael - December 6, 2005 - 4:08 am
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The Sacramento Kings are in uncharted waters. Arco Arena's storied fan base is stunned. The community is crying out for help, and for the moment, their cries are falling on deaf ears. The famous college atmosphere of the Kings' home floor is spotty at best. These are the times that try a king's soul.
Let's paint a scenario: T-Wolves at Sacramento. Minnesota, playing the first game of a back-to-back, have 2 wins in 6 games on the road. Its a Sunday night game, so the always packed Sacramento home floor should be rocking.
Most importantly: Kevin Garnett finishes with 11 points, missing all but 3 of his 14 shots, relegated to a non-factor.
Kings by 10? By 15? By 20?
Wrong.
Wolves by 8.
To use an overused cliche: It wasnt nearly that close.
Even worse: It wasnt NEARLY unexpected.
This is an enigma of a Kings team, one that head coach Rick Adelman cannot seem to solve. The talent is there, you could make an argument that Sacramento (on paper of course) has one of the best starting lineups in the NBA.
All-world point guard? Check.
A two guard playing lockdown D, averaging EIGHT rebounds a game? Check.
Arguably the league's best shooter at the small forward? Check.
A power forward hovering around 20 and 10 each year? Check.
The best passing center in the game (sound familiar)? Check.
In fact, Brad Miller (having learned from the best in his two years with Vlade Divac) is leading the team in assists with just over 6, while Bonzi Wells is leading Sacramento in rebounds with those 8 per game.
A center leading in assists?
A two guard leading in rebounds?
Like I said, a TOTAL enigma.
In covering a team, you get a sense of a team's attitude in the locker room after a game. Obviously, a lighter mood exists after a win, but you get a feel for ebbs and flows throughout the season.
Sunday night was different from any other night in recent memory. It was as if someone had been shot. Three starters left before the media got a chance to quiz them on the game. The two who stayed (Mike Bibby and Shareef Abdur-Rahim) showed the pain and frustration the entire team must be feeling.
Embarassment.
Shame.
Confusion.
Heart (and lack thereof).
These were the terms being thrown around last night after the game. Point guard and appointed team leader Mike Bibby looked like a kid who got caught stealing candy. Although Bibby isn't the most engaging interview there is, last night he stood in front of the media staring at his shoes, his voice barely audible. Short answers. No answers.
Shame.
Embarassment.
This is a Kings team that has only Bibby and Peja Stojakovic as holdovers from the magic team of 2002 that came within a 16-30 free throw shooting night of facing (and most likely beating) the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.
Gone is Doug Christie, and with him the lockdown defense, and all-out hustle.
Gone is Vlade Divac, the locker room anchor, the glue of the ballclub.
Gone is Chris Webber, and with him the smile and swagger that defined the glory seasons for the Kings.
All that is left now are a group of confused, embarassed, and TALENTED players looking for something. Guidance? Focus? Comprehension? Cohesion?
Confidence?
The answer to those questions lies in the hands of Coach Adelman, the steady orchestrator of the Kings resurgence. Along with wonderkind GM Geoff Petrie, it is these two men who must lead this team out of the dark hole it has found itself in this holiday season.
With building a new arena on the top of the agenda for owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, now is not the time to show the tightfisted Sacramento community a subpar product. Kings fans may be the best in the business, but these are not the 1999 fans that are just happy to make the playoffs. The community is not ignorant, they know the talent is there, and they expect victories.
For a city like Sacramento, a taste of success was both blessing and curse. Before, no one knew any better. Just having an NBA team, and seeing the city name on SportsCenter was good enough. Now there are expectations to fulfill.
Unfortunately, where the sounds of over 17,000 screaming faithful used to be, there is a bitterly cold wind blowing through. The team is drowning in a sea of uncertainty.
With Lebron James and Tracy McGrady in town this week, followed by a long road trip against the likes of San Antonio and Detroit, the water just keeps getting higher.
They need a lifeboat, and they need it now. |
