Kings imploding; DeMarcus Cousins leading mutiny.

[brantonli]

Wow no wonder they wanted Hayes, maybe they should have a run at Derek Fisher just to get the other guys' heads on straight.

post below: Thing is, I'll be very surprised if half of them remember the name of the guy who offered them the job in the first place.

[KelticForce1349]

Just out of curiosity...do you think the average NBA player actually knows the name of the guy that coaches their team?

[KingBaller]

Just out of curiosity...do you think the average NBA player actually knows the name of the guy that coaches their team?

wtf of course they do you think they retarded niggah

[33teeth]

I as the first reply stated, this isn't just Cousins. Tyreke had this to say "Everybody keeps blaming the coach, about the plays, the plays not (being) good, but, hey, it be like that sometime," guard Tyreke Evans said. "You've just got to play." Meaning that, yeah, the plays suck (or don't exist).

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/01/415...#storylink=cpy

And, I think he's mostly right. I don't think Westphal has an offensive system and that's a huge part of what's going wrong. When he sees players not passing or cutting hard, hustling or playing D, he should say something or bench them. He just sits there. He doesn't call plays or even have a scheme. Nothing.

I don't see Westphal making it much deeper into this season before he's out and Smart takes over as head coach.

Editing to add that I really wished they'd have fired Westphal before the season. I think the only reason they didn't is because of the lockout and the tiny training camp.

[knickballer]

Truthfully the Kings look like a bunch of thugs out on the court.. They won't get anywhere cause they have a bunch of angry chuckers on that team with awful attitudes..

[JMT]

Westphal is in over his head. This team is poorly built, and the attitudes are going to be a problem. I've never seen anything from him that he can manage that, and even with the addition of a veteran leader like Hayes or Outlaw it won't be enough.

This.

They are going to have to start virtually from scratch. There's young talent, but they need a solid veteran presence on the floor, not just in the locker room. And Westphal is done.

Maloof's don't care. They want to move the team, and KJ keeps pulling rabbits out of the hat to keep them there. I doubt they'll be happy unless the league approves Las Vegas, which isn't going to happen anytime soon.

[Walker]

Are most of the people on this forum too young to remeber Westphal coaching Phoenix or what?

Dude can coach, and do it very well. Pretty hard to coach a team choc full of complete morons....

[Nash-tastic]

The sky is the limit for Cousin's game, but too bad he's an idiot..

[kumquat]

Just get rid of Cousins - no team is going to even make the playoffs with that guy, let alone win a championship.

[33teeth]

Are most of the people on this forum too young to remeber Westphal coaching Phoenix or what?

Dude can coach, and do it very well. Pretty hard to coach a team choc full of complete morons....

That was a very talented team. He took over the team (after being assistant) that already had a system in place and his first year there was the best year they had. He only lasted, what, three seasons? Not too many people are sold on him as a coach.

[miles berg]

Umm, he had some outstanding veterans in Phoenix.

[chips93]

Disagree.

They've got a good start as far as young talent goes.

PG- Jimmer
SG- Tyreke/Thornton
SF- ??? Although I am big on Honeycutt's game.
PF- Hickson/Thompson
C- Cousins

They need a new coach who will make these pieces fit together, because right now it looks like each guy is solely out there for his own in the midst of 10-20 point loss instead of working as a team to win games.

nobody is saying that they arent talented, its how those talents fit together.

salmons is their sf btw, so in their starting 5, there isnt one player who has a great reputation as a team first guy. they all wanna shoot, and none of them wanna play any defense.

[RoseCity07]

Every time the Kings are on a roll and playing well Westphal makes a bad substitution. The other coaches have got to be thanking this guy for letting them back into the game. I know when the Blazers beat them he took Cousins out right as he was starting to heat up.

[Owl]

Disagree.

They've got a good start as far as young talent goes.

PG- Jimmer
SG- Tyreke/Thornton
SF- ??? Although I am big on Honeycutt's game.
PF- Hickson/Thompson
C- Cousins

They need a new coach who will make these pieces fit together, because right now it looks like each guy is solely out there for his own in the midst of 10-20 point loss instead of working as a team to win games.

They do have good young talent (or at least potential), but the point being made is that they don't fit together. With the exception of Hayes there are no good defenders in their rotation (could Honeycutt and Whiteside help? obviously they are less polished offensively). As you everyone seems to be looking for their own (shots) and whilst that's partially coaching its also characteristic of who these players are. They lack leadership, defense, chemistry, efficient scorers, structure. A new coach would help a little as would a veteran leader at pg but do the pieces compliment one another, I'd say not.

There are big question marks over their 2 stars
Tyreke: Can he get back to rookie year form (or better). Can he run a team or fit in/work with a point guard that will (and accept that ball won't always be in his hands)?

Cousins: Will he get into shape? Can he shoot better than 43% (awful for a big man). Or is he just the next Coleman/Beasley.

Put simply I fear their flaws may be too ingrained into their personalities/egos and the way they play probably doesn't fit.

Issues of fit normally don't matter too much for non-contenders so much as assets and Sacramento certainly has those, but the toxic atmosphere in Sacto might end up altering their long term career trajectories. I tend to buy into Bill Simmons idea that you can only have 1 knucklehead/questionable character guy on your team (especially on losing team).


Westphal was a great player and did an okay job at Phoenix but a poor one Seattle. He hadn't been a head coach for a long time and smacked of a cheap hire.

Sad to say it but best case scenario might be a new market, new owners, new coach, new management and a decision on who their main man is (and trade the other for picks before you have to give them a big contract), oh and trade Thompson and Hickson to a place where athleticism is more valued than b-ball IQ, certainly don't give them big extensions.

[JMT]

Are most of the people on this forum too young to remeber Westphal coaching Phoenix or what?

Dude can coach, and do it very well. Pretty hard to coach a team choc full of complete morons....

League has changed just a bit in 15 years.

He also doesn't have Barkley, KJ, Majerle, AC, Tisdale, Person, etc.

Once his star left, he couldn't win and got fired in short order. Outside three years with a loaded Suns team, he's had one winning season in his career.