Okay, the season is about to begin, but Kings fans don't have to worry about how things will play out. We here at Kings Talking Points already know...
So circle your calendars and watch for these noteworthy events:
7 DAYS until...
We hear that Donte Greene is a new man. In perfect shape. His shot looking fine. Ready to become a huge contributor.
10 DAYS until...
Tyreke Evans turns his ankle in practice. Officials announce he's day-to-day. The trainer talks about alternative therapies. Evans limps through the rest of the season.
24 DAYS until...
Donte Greene airballs three straight shots and disappears for a 10-minute stretch during a pivotal point in the game. Westphal sits Greene for the next five games.
33 DAYS until...
We realize that absolutely nobody on this team wants to pass the ball. Selfishness prevails. Assists are non-existent. And Geoff Petries realizes that, oops, they should've actually found a true point guard.
45 DAYS until...
DeMarcus Cousins enjoys his first full-blown meltdown of the season, glaring at his teammates and coach after getting tossed out of the game for whining at an official. In the locker room, Cousins acts contrite and proclaims he's matured.
60 DAYS until...
Sacramento's attempt at getting an arena officially fizzles and we realize that this is really the last season of pro basketball in Sacramento.
72 DAYS until...
The Kings fire Paul Westphal when they discover he's installed a worthless offense and a clueless defense.
87 DAYS until...
Jimmer Fredette takes control of the team and makes it his own, giving the Kings a leader for the first time in ages. Evans sulks and eventually....
96 DAYS until...
Evans is dealt in a blockbuster trade.
122 DAYS until...
The team, under a new coach and instilled with new confidence, begins to win games and open eyes around the league
146 DAYS until...
The season winds down in a mix of renewed enthusiasm and a hail of despair.
Showing posts with label Kings coach Paul Westphal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kings coach Paul Westphal. Show all posts
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Friday, December 24, 2010
Joe Maloof's secret text messages: What it would take to fire Paul Westphal
Last night, Joe Maloof sent a text message to Jason Jones of the Bee proclaiming that "No" he was not going to fire Paul Westphal.
What hasn't been revealed were a number of text messages sent by Joe Maloof to his brother Gavin laying down the guidelines for what WOULD cause the firing of the coach.
The text messages were secretly leaked to Kings Talking Points and we are revealing them here today:
--If Paul tries to high-five me in the practice facility bathroom one more time, he's out.
--If Paul keeps ignoring my pleas to massage Tyreke's aching feet during timeouts, he is canned. Period.
--Paul is gone if he can't figure out that calling DeMarcus a "Sulky Suzy" in pre-game warmups is not helpful to the delightful young man's mental well being.
--I think Westy is done if I could convince Bill Walton to coach the team. He was at the house the other night and I love his enthusiasm, but his teeth are kinda annoying.
--If Paul loses another 20 more in a row, there's a pretty good chance we can get off easy by telling the press that he is voluntarily stepping down because of chronic heartburn. That way we don't look like we fired anybody and maybe Westy gets a deal with Zantac.
What hasn't been revealed were a number of text messages sent by Joe Maloof to his brother Gavin laying down the guidelines for what WOULD cause the firing of the coach.
The text messages were secretly leaked to Kings Talking Points and we are revealing them here today:
--If Paul tries to high-five me in the practice facility bathroom one more time, he's out.
--If Paul keeps ignoring my pleas to massage Tyreke's aching feet during timeouts, he is canned. Period.
--Paul is gone if he can't figure out that calling DeMarcus a "Sulky Suzy" in pre-game warmups is not helpful to the delightful young man's mental well being.
--I think Westy is done if I could convince Bill Walton to coach the team. He was at the house the other night and I love his enthusiasm, but his teeth are kinda annoying.
--If Paul loses another 20 more in a row, there's a pretty good chance we can get off easy by telling the press that he is voluntarily stepping down because of chronic heartburn. That way we don't look like we fired anybody and maybe Westy gets a deal with Zantac.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
DeMarcus Cousins is fined, but it's not a first-time incident for the Kings
DeMarcus Cousins was fined and benched for delivering the "choke" sign during the final moments of Tuesday night's humiliating loss to the Warriors.
But this is far from the first time for a incident like this for the Kings.
In an effort to promote fairness, we've gone over the film for the past few weeks to look for other players who were caught doing odd things on the sidelines.
--At four minutes into the second quarter of the Mavericks game, Donte Greene was seen quietly motioning to Dirk Nowitzki for an autograph. Nowitzki said something nasty in German and ignored him. Greene smiled, applauded, waved a towel, and cheered the response.
--With 30 seconds left in a recent loss to the Heat, Tyreke Evans waited for Kings coach Paul Westphal to turn his back, then he placed his finger down his throat, bent over, and feigned vomiting. When Westphal quickly spun around, Evans quickly grabbed for his ankle and grimaced in pain.
--While sitting on the bench during a blowout loss to the Rockets, Carl Landy was seen hiding under a towel, talking on his cell phone and mouthing the words, "You're my agent, get me the hell out of here."
--During a dry spell in the fourth quarter of a game against the Hornets, Beno Udrih was seen secretly using a Sharpie to write "Pass this, Tyreke" on the game ball. Later, during an important possession, Evans took the ball and held it for a full 20 seconds as he attempted to read the slightly smudged writing. The 24-second clock sounded just at Evans crashed into a defender for an offensive foul.
--Finally, even Westphal hasn't been immune. He was seen flashing the bird to his entire team during a timeout in overtime during the Warriors game.
But this is far from the first time for a incident like this for the Kings.
In an effort to promote fairness, we've gone over the film for the past few weeks to look for other players who were caught doing odd things on the sidelines.
--At four minutes into the second quarter of the Mavericks game, Donte Greene was seen quietly motioning to Dirk Nowitzki for an autograph. Nowitzki said something nasty in German and ignored him. Greene smiled, applauded, waved a towel, and cheered the response.
--With 30 seconds left in a recent loss to the Heat, Tyreke Evans waited for Kings coach Paul Westphal to turn his back, then he placed his finger down his throat, bent over, and feigned vomiting. When Westphal quickly spun around, Evans quickly grabbed for his ankle and grimaced in pain.
--While sitting on the bench during a blowout loss to the Rockets, Carl Landy was seen hiding under a towel, talking on his cell phone and mouthing the words, "You're my agent, get me the hell out of here."
--During a dry spell in the fourth quarter of a game against the Hornets, Beno Udrih was seen secretly using a Sharpie to write "Pass this, Tyreke" on the game ball. Later, during an important possession, Evans took the ball and held it for a full 20 seconds as he attempted to read the slightly smudged writing. The 24-second clock sounded just at Evans crashed into a defender for an offensive foul.
--Finally, even Westphal hasn't been immune. He was seen flashing the bird to his entire team during a timeout in overtime during the Warriors game.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Westphal is in the dark and that's all you need to know
During Paul Westphal's press conference after Tuesday night's loss to the Rockets, a reporter asked him about the newly acquired shooting guard Jermaine Taylor.
Westphal shot the reporter a dirty look and asked, "Why are you asking me that question?"
When the reporter explained, Westphal said, "I've just been coaching the game, I don't about any trades."
Really? Really?
Geoff Petrie can't even bother to pick up a phone and tell his coach about a new player coming aboard? No brief consultation? How about slipping him a note at halftime?
The exchange made Westphal look like an out-of-the-loop rube.
Was this an honest oversight? Or was it an ominous sign that Petrie just has no regard for Westphal and the way he's coaching and doesn't care to include his coach in personnel decisions.
When I asked Kings beat writer Jason Jones about it in a tweet, he tweeted back that Westphal just couldn't say anything yet because the trade wasn't official.
If that was true, that's what he should have said, But it sure didn't look like that on camera.
Stay tuned.
It's gonna get really interesting.
Westphal shot the reporter a dirty look and asked, "Why are you asking me that question?"
When the reporter explained, Westphal said, "I've just been coaching the game, I don't about any trades."
Really? Really?
Geoff Petrie can't even bother to pick up a phone and tell his coach about a new player coming aboard? No brief consultation? How about slipping him a note at halftime?
The exchange made Westphal look like an out-of-the-loop rube.
Was this an honest oversight? Or was it an ominous sign that Petrie just has no regard for Westphal and the way he's coaching and doesn't care to include his coach in personnel decisions.
When I asked Kings beat writer Jason Jones about it in a tweet, he tweeted back that Westphal just couldn't say anything yet because the trade wasn't official.
If that was true, that's what he should have said, But it sure didn't look like that on camera.
Stay tuned.
It's gonna get really interesting.
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