May 09, 2006

Adelman out in Sacramento after eight seasons: Rick Adelman will not return for a ninth season as coach of the Sacramento Kings, the team announced Tuesday.Adelman, who led the Kings to eight consecutive playoff appearances, will not receive a contract extension.

posted by STUNNER to basketball at 06:28 PM - 41 comments

If you want an amazing coach who has a proven track record of close but no cigar, Adelman is your man.

posted by everett at 06:54 PM on May 09, 2006

I think it was time for a change. Everett was right to say that he's never been able to get over the hump, even in the years when his window for success (v Shaq/Kobe, pre-duncan/parker/ginobli and pistons domination) was the widest. It may be a personnel problem too, but they've just never shown the commitment to D under Adelman that you need to succeed in the NBA. I wonder if this is a harbinger of big change to come in sacto, such as a move to vegas?

posted by ninjavshippo at 07:15 PM on May 09, 2006

close but no cigar, Dude has always had a 2nd tier team and has coached them to 2nd tier results. If I was a GM, I'd hire him in a heartbeat. He wont be out of work for long.

posted by Bill Lumbergh at 07:17 PM on May 09, 2006

Mr. Lumbergh, I was in no way meaning to criticize Rick Adelman. If you notice, I said an "amazing coach." However as far as always having a second tier team... in 90-91 Adelman had Danny Ainge, Terry Porter, Cliff Robinson, Buck Williams, Drazen Petrovich, and of course Clyde Drexler. I'm sure that I am missing some notables, but it would be a hard sell to say that that team was second tier.

posted by everett at 07:39 PM on May 09, 2006

If you need a Hitler impersonator for your California Capitol party, the rates just dropped.

posted by yerfatma at 08:01 PM on May 09, 2006

that's completely uncalled for yerfatma....and in VERY poor taste.

posted by tommybiden at 08:12 PM on May 09, 2006

My work here is through. It's not like I'm the first person to make that observation, though I hate to use the Nuremberg Defense.

posted by yerfatma at 08:49 PM on May 09, 2006

in 90-91 Adelman had Danny Ainge, Terry Porter, Cliff Robinson, Buck Williams, Drazen Petrovich, and of course Clyde Drexler. I'm sure that I am missing some notables, but it would be a hard sell to say that that team was second tier. Not having Michael Jordan placed them squarely in the 2nd tier.

posted by Bill Lumbergh at 09:13 PM on May 09, 2006

Yeah, apparently a lot of good teams couldn't get past Jordan in the early 90's. As a Sacramentan I am disappointed but not really surprised. Adelman was a lot of things that Sacramento is; not flashy but an imaginative solid worker. He and Petrie were teammates on the Blazers back in the 70's. They have a solid working relationship. It was speculated that after the courtship the Maloof's made with Jackson that Adelman might opt to not return even if asked. He is a proven commodity and won't be out of work for long. Regarding yerfatma, I hope that comment doesn't get deleted and it is forever associated with you. Disgusting, man. Personal attacks are so far below you that I'm a little surprised that you typed it, previewed it and had three minutes to edit it but still posted it.

posted by geekyguy at 09:38 PM on May 09, 2006

whats up all my nizzles, this is mr. shizzle hear to throw in his highly regarded two cents. adelman is a good coach but he is def. a second tier coach. but when u have divac(overrated but sevicable), webber, bibby, bobby jackson(great sixth man), peja(lights out shooting), turkoglu and u still cant win you're second tier. i mean he let horry ruin his title hopes with a single shot. so all in all adelman is a nice coach, just not the coach for a contender.

posted by Mr. Shizzle at 10:06 PM on May 09, 2006

I hope that comment doesn't get deleted and it is forever associated with you. Disgusting, man. Personal attacks are so far below you Am I missing something here? Rick Adleman bears an unfortunate resemblance to Hitler. The BSG has only mentioned it 1000x or so. Seems a bit below the bar for "disgusting", but your personal bar may vary.

posted by yerfatma at 06:04 AM on May 10, 2006

I was not offended Yerfatma. Just sayin'

posted by everett at 06:53 AM on May 10, 2006

Lighten up guys..is it disgusting to say that Rober Horry looks like Will Smith?

posted by scottyooooo at 07:37 AM on May 10, 2006

Fatty's right - Adelman looks like a fey Hitler. I think it's the lighter coloured hair that does it. Hey, these things happen. I don't think we'd be talking about the Kings as a second tier team if it weren't for the worst game 6 I ever saw four years ago. The one where the Lakers shot 27 free throws in the 4th quarter and were giftwrapped the game that saved their season. I had to take some time off the NBA after that one.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:01 AM on May 10, 2006

he doesn't look at all like hitler....other than the fact that both men are caucasian. and even if he did, that is a rude, ignorant comment to make about someone. a comment an insecure, low SELF-esteemed might make. people can't control how they look. would YERFATMA poke fun at a burn victim, or someone in a wheelchair? ignorance is a terrible thing.

posted by tommybiden at 08:29 AM on May 10, 2006

Saying a brother looks like Hitler and making fun of burn victim are two totally different things. Are you just trying to pick a fight? Stupidity is a terrible thing. P.S. people who look like Hitler are fair game for ridicule, take for instnce my best friends father who bears a striking resemblence to Hitler. We called him Adolf Dadler until he shaved his little mustache and got a hair cut.

posted by HATER 187 at 08:40 AM on May 10, 2006

you are correct hater, stupidity IS a terrible thing, but not nearly as terrible as ignorance. one cannot help being stupid, but it's your own choice to be ignorant. how is making fun of one persons looks ok, but not another. I am NOT the one looking for a fight, i didn't make the initial rude, ignorant comment. that is the individual who crossed the line. because you and your friends bully and pick on someone does not make it right, it just makes you very very shallow.

posted by tommybiden at 08:56 AM on May 10, 2006

would YERFATMA poke fun at a burn victim, or someone in a wheelchair? ignorance is a terrible thing. Yes. The real ignorance here is the idea personal attacks are "below" me.

posted by yerfatma at 09:00 AM on May 10, 2006

Speaking of poor taste, is it in poor taste for me to hope that Sam Mitchell has a nervous breakdown and has to quit, and then the Raptors hire Adelman? If so, then forget I posted this.

posted by Scott Carefoot at 09:04 AM on May 10, 2006

I'll be the first to admit I'm about as deep as a slip n slide, my point is you can decide to change your look if you bear a striking resemblence to one of the most hated figures in history whereas a burn victim has no choice in their apperance. I blame you for the ruination of this thread with your poor choice of anaology.

posted by HATER 187 at 09:21 AM on May 10, 2006

joe montanna - barry manilow

posted by scottyooooo at 09:25 AM on May 10, 2006

I once saw Pol Pot in a tortilla. He looked radiant.

posted by yerfatma at 10:35 AM on May 10, 2006

1. Adelman gets this year's Flip Saunders award for getting jobbed after years of doing a lot with a little. 2. He also looks like Hitler.

posted by cobra! at 10:47 AM on May 10, 2006

Yeah, to get this back on track, can someone explain to me what Adleman did wrong? He had a decent group, did ok with them and now he didn't do so well with a team that's not so good. Is this just the Mal-oafs trying to maintain fan interest or is there someone out there who could do more with the Kings?

posted by yerfatma at 11:14 AM on May 10, 2006

This team has constantly underperfomed. While the Lakers were Shaq and Kobe's team they couldn't get past them and by the time the were broken up their window of opportunity had closed.

posted by HATER 187 at 11:22 AM on May 10, 2006

Yeah - I think it's clear that they have go back a few squares and rethink the personnel. Unfortunately, it is difficult to do a regime change without actually changing the regime. Adelman will land on his feet with likely a bigger, nicer contract somewhere else.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:58 AM on May 10, 2006

Lumbergh... you said it all just right in one sentence. Unlike me, I usually say a lot and get at least half of it wrong. he had a good team, and he got good results. simple.

posted by Pabo at 12:05 PM on May 10, 2006

That the Kings couldn't match up against Kobe & Shaq, or Tim Duncan, is hardly Adelman's fault. One might argue they actually outperformed their own abilities during the regular season for several years there. Didn't they lead the league in victories a couple of times? I don't see the decision to replace Adelman as a move in the right direction - but I do understand that sometimes you have to do something for appearances sake. And yes, he will bounce back quickly and probably get more money to coach a team with less potential, while the Kings will again make the playoffs next year regardless who they bring in, because they have the talent to get that far - but still they won't get further without some major shifts in personnel. And the reason he looks like Hitler has everything to do with the silly little mustache, and nothing else. And while any reference to someone who commits heinous genocidal acts is clearly insensitive, I'm pretty sure people say worse on this board every day.

posted by MW12 at 12:11 PM on May 10, 2006

right on... except there's the chance the kings don't make the playoffs (they're good, but the west won't be a picnic next year) and then the management would look stupid.

posted by Pabo at 12:24 PM on May 10, 2006

Reaction from the local press and Sactown Royalty. I think the Maloofs have made a huge mistake here. You don't fire a head coach, especially one who got you into the playoffs in what could best be described as a rebuilding year, without already having one lined up. It appears (without having to read between the lines) that the Maloofs are looking for a "defensive-oriented" coach, because they thought their squad was a bit softbatch. Now, even if Larry Brown or Dick Harter or Rick Carlisle were available, I don't think it would work. This squad, with the exception of Artest, Garcia, and perhaps Miller; is not constructed to be a defensive team. They should have either gone into the off season looking to bring in more defensive players (if that is the angle they want to take), or they should have reversed their stance and had Adelman run an offence similar to the Suns.

posted by lilnemo at 12:59 PM on May 10, 2006

if you're putting miller in your list of best defensive players, you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

posted by ninjavshippo at 01:33 PM on May 10, 2006

if you're putting miller in your list of best defensive players, you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel. Yes, but his is a qualified inclusion. He's a good position/help defender with above average footwork. He knows how to use his heighth and strength. However, he is not as quick as one would like (obviously).

posted by lilnemo at 02:43 PM on May 10, 2006

Maybe the Maloof's were just looking for someone that would be easier for Artest to choke. Adelman did a great job with some lousy teams. Chris Webber, for all of the love he gets, hasn't done jack without Adelman, and the same goes for Bibby, Vlade, Christie, etc... The only people to blame for the season the Kings had is the Moron who made the Webber trade. Personally, I think Adelman wanted out... Let the next coach deal with the inevitable time when Ron Artest makes the entire club look like tools.

posted by LostInDaJungle at 03:23 PM on May 10, 2006

The intelligence of the Webber trade has always been arguable... Kenny Thomas is a decent player, and when you couple him with Abdur-Rahim, they more than compensate for webber, who still struggles to consistently put up the same numbers in Philly as he did in Sacramento. The Kings only had one or two years where they had a legitimate shot at the title, and those were ruined by a couple of bad luck notes, i.e. the Samari Parker buzzer beater at the end of the first half of game 7 in 2002 which wasn't supposed to count and would've nulled the significance of Horry's last second shot. Or how about the trend for a key Sacramento player to be injured just before the playoffs every year? Peja last year, Bobby Jackson a couple of times, Webber during key series, eventually leading to his departure.... They weren't a second tier team, they jus didn't have their first tier impact players come playoff time. Right now, they're again rebuilding, trying to bring themselves back to the elite level of competition. Give them about 2-4 years, and they'll make it to the 'ship. Y'all can quote me on that, too. All in all, though, the Maloofs shouldnt've punished Adelman for his great tenure, and they'll be very hard pressed to come up with a viable replacement. Plus, who else is going to be able to handle Artest the way Adelman did? I don't think he's willing to play for free anymore... P.S. it's my first post, y'all. HOLLA

posted by kbdatkidd at 06:17 PM on May 10, 2006

I really think the Maloof brothers did him a big favor. Its possible that he took that franchise as for as they can go. It's time for him to get a fresh start some where else. It's nothing personal. Only business. He now has the option of going somewhere like back to Portland, Seattle, Houston, Orlando, or even Miami. Each one of these teams have coaches that WILL NOT win championship

posted by SALT at 07:46 PM on May 10, 2006

Did one single play determine Adelman's fate? Kings vs. Lakers, Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals, Kings up 2-1 in the series. Sacramento had blown almost all of a 24-point lead, but still led by 2 in the closing seconds. Kobe Bryant missed a contested layup, Shaq got the rebound and missed on a putback attempt, and Vlade Divac got to the loose ball but couldn't stay in bounds. He tapped the ball back into play, it went straight to Robert Horry, and we all know what happened next. Why didn't Divac just grab the ball while going out of bounds? At least the Lakers would have had to inbound the ball. Better yet, Divac should have tried to punch the ball high in the air, since time might have expired by the time it came back down. Who knows, maybe the Kings still would have lost this series even had they won Game 4. It's more likely, though, that Sacramento would have prevailed, and they would have been favored to beat the Nets for the NBA title.

posted by TerpFan at 10:36 PM on May 10, 2006

would YERFATMA poke fun at a burn victim, or someone in a wheelchair? geez dont burn victims and people in wheelchairs have enough problems without being used as examples of hurtful ridicule on a sightless message board... having said that im not sure yourmother,fat cares about any of that...only provincial cynicism for the entertainment of the misses seems to matter...

posted by bar_mangled_banter at 12:08 AM on May 11, 2006

And I have known the eyes already, known them all— The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase, And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall, Then how should I begin To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways? And how should I presume? Sportsfilter: The Opiate of the Misses

posted by yerfatma at 07:59 AM on May 11, 2006

After watching the Kings for some 15-20 odd years, they will never win a championship in Sacramento, Adelman was part of the problem, but I see the bigger problem being the "Magoof" Brothers. When they had what at the time was concidered the best team percentage wise in the NBA, they couldn't get to the Prom. The coaching change will be good for Sac. and only a team at the bottom will hire Adelman to coach, that way they know they can atleast get to the playoffs.

posted by vetteman at 08:17 AM on May 11, 2006

Yerfatma you seem to be making more new friends every day. Regarding Adelman, its one of those cases of a team used to winning but not ever getting to the championship finally saying that its time to get a new coach. The Red Wings did it with Dave Lewis and other teams have done it as well. It is simply an instance that the Kings feel Adelman will not get them over the hump.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 12:26 PM on May 11, 2006

Yerfatma you seem to be making more new friends every day. The funny thing is, I'm trying to get rid of some.

posted by yerfatma at 02:06 PM on May 11, 2006

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