Aw Shit!!! What Happened to the Kings!?

What the fuck? They should have won and they probably would've if they made their friggin free throws. Well, I just hope the Lakers don't win another championship /versus/images/icons/mad.gif

Shaq should be banned from basketball because he's unstoppable and unguardable, he's genetic freak of nature!!!The only way the nets are gonna win is if they break his legs /versus/images/icons/tongue.gif

 

Man the NBA is making me sick to my stomach. Kings had BOTH of the last games. The refs screwed the Kings out of game 6 and free throws killed them in Game 7, not to mention Christy couldn't hit the broad side of the barn, and all of the big men were committing stupid fouls. It's just too bad I was really looking forward to seeing a Nets and Kings Matchup. Now Nets are getting swept. oh well =). But still GO NETS!!

 

i agree; of course, there were a couple of other reasons why they lost, but i can't believe it; they couldn't hit their free throws AND they were in home court territory! what the?

small list of reasons why they lost:

1)couldn't hit free throws(were something like 5/14)
2)christie couldn't hit his crucial shots(he was way open for a 3 in one incident, wouldve tied the game right there)
3)stoyakavic(did i spell that right?) didn't hit his wide open 3(which would have at the incident, tied the game as well)
4)divac fouled out

*sigh*, i really wanted the kings to win the western conference; bibby is too awesome, and webber is a pretty good shooter.

well, guess we'll have to root for the nets now.

btw, i guess it's hard stopping shaq, but you do have to remember that he's a big guy...making him run is the way to beating him; of course that's hard to practice in theory, but if you can draw him out and out-maneuver him, the game is yours.

btw, it was interesting seeing webber guarding shaq(or for your un-fanatic NBA people, a power forward guarding a center) and vice versa late in the game...haha shaq, let's see you try to defend webber's outside shot!

 

Im a Kings fan so dont get me wrong...
Webber SUCKS! Hes supposedly a franchise player and he didnt do squat in the 4th quarter and in OT. He only had 20 points, he shouldve been abusing Horry and Walker but hes got no post up moves. He keeps taking these lame outside J's instead of taking it strong too. Id rather have Robert Horry(who I hate) in the playoffs than Webber. Webber just has no clutch. Peja choked so bad on that wide open 3...the series probably wouldve went to the Kings if he was healthy. Maybe next year...
Vlade shouldnt have had that last foul called on him in such a tight situation, shoulda just been a no call.
Mike Bibby is the man.

 

agreed; right now bibby is the king's best player; nails nearly everything.

true(what you said about webber); he's arguably the most passive power forward right now; of course he makes those outside shots when needed, but what power forwards are supposed to do are bang it inside; leave the outside shots to the shooters. i keep thinking that if webber just plays more aggressively going in, the king's abilities would rise drastically.

 

I'm giving Webber some credit, but not a lot here. He was double teamed A LOT in game 7. That was why he had so many assists in both games 6 & 7, but that still won't change the fact that he is a horrendous post up player. Webber is bigger than Samaki Walker, he should have back him up to the basket instead of passing it or shooting it 15 feet away.

Bibby did show he can be the go to guy now, that's cool. I was waiting for him to show his true talent. As for Christy, why put him in there when he 1) he couldn't stop Bryant 2) not make a freaking shot. Leave Bobby Jackson in there for crying out loud, at least he can penetrate and make shots from long range. Peja was out TOO long with his injury, he was rusty as hell and everyone knew it. He couldn't make a basket with all that pressure. Nice to see that he's not a "go to guy"

 

Well, nevermind bitching about who sucks and who doesn't. Can't change the fact that they lost, so right now I hope the Nets can find a miracle from God to beat the Lakers, cause that's the only way I can see them winning.

 

This Is What Happened...

THE TRUTH COMES OUT: WHY THE KINGS LOST (at least why the Kings think they lost)

"Obviously, free throws were the reason we lost this game. We just shot terrible free throws. Things like that happen, though. I can't ever recall having a night like tonight, where we collectively, as a team, missed so many free throws.â€Â
-- C Vlade Divac on Game 7 loss

"It was a great game, but we shot ourselves in the foot. Nobody is going to win a game when you are shooting 30 free throws and only make 16 of them. That's how the ball rolls sometimes. It was a tough game because we worked so hard… We're normally a better free-throw shooting team… It's tough because we know we're right there. We gave the Lakers a run for their money, but this feels like our hearts have been torn out."
-- PG/SG Bobby Jackson on Game 7

"He hadn't been that consistent until the last two games. Really, he only had one bad game shooting them in this series. But when he's making them like that, we've got a serious problem."
-- Coach Rick Adelman on C Shaquille O'Neal

"It's one of those things. The shot felt good. It just missed. It was a very frustrating series for me. I never felt completely healthy. I just have to get healthy and ready for next year. I just wish I could have helped my teammates more."
-- SF Peja Stojakovic

"We had a six- or seven-point lead, but you are not in control with that lead in the NBA."
-- PF Chris Webber

"That Robert Horry shot is the one that saved their butt. Otherwise we go up three games to one. But you have to hand it to the Lakers. They came all the way back."
-- SG Bobby Jackson on what he thinks was the pivotal point of the series

"Doug's still a great player. He struggled a little in this series. But that's basketball. We all struggle at times. We don't do that well this season without him."
-- C Vlade Divac on SG Doug Christie

"But I missed a few times. The shots just didn't go down. ... It was still there for us at the end to win, but we just couldn't do it."
-- PG Mike Bibby


GETTING LOST IN THE CWEBB

"This has been the best decision of my life. The only regret is not getting a championship. It all worked out for the best in my life. I'm gonna hug that group of guys. ... If I had the same decision again, I'd make the same choice."
-- PF Chris Webber on his decision to stay with the Kings

"I think a few things happened. They started to check Shaquille (O'Neal). When he checks me, I'm not gonna post up. I'm gonna try to move around him, take advantage of that mismatch."
-- PF Chris Webber on his decision to look for the pass instead of the shot

"If we would have won, I think it would have been one of the greatest series… You know, positives are gonna grow out of it. Flowers grow out of manure. You just keep playing, stay positive. ... Be proud of your effort. That's what I am. ... I know the Kings deserved the series."
-- PF Chris Webber on the series with the Lakers

"That's been worn out, OK? Chris Webber's the reason we're here and the reason we could win this series... We had so many guys grow up during this time frame. You know, we're not going away. I guarantee that. We're not going away."
-- Coach Rick Adelman on PF Chris Webber’s inability to score at the end of games



IT’S ABOUT HEART…

"Deep. Deeper than we've ever dug before."
-- PG Derek Fisher on the Lakers reaching down within themselves

"It hasn't been pretty, it's not going to be pretty. But we still have the heart of a champion."
-- SF Rick Fox on the Lakers

"It's like I told Chris Webber. Our guys don't budge."
-- SG Kobe Bryant on PF Chris Webber

"We've been playing together for five years. If we don't understand what to do by now, something's wrong."
-- PF Robert Horry

"We continue to believe."
-- PG Derek Fisher


YOU BET YOUR SWEET BIBBY…

"I'm proud of what Mike did in the playoffs," Falk said. "He's not only one of the best young guards in the league, he's one of the best young players in the league. I'm disappointed he can't show what he can do in the NBA Finals. He's a throwback. He's not trying to be a movie star or a singer. He's a basketball player who wants to get better. He's one of the finest people I've dealt with in my 28 years in the business."
-- David Falk, PG Mike Bibby’s agent

â€ÂWe have to keep Mike Bibby. It's that simple."
-- SG Bobby Jackson

"Mike had a coming-out party in the playoffs. He's a bona fide star and he's getting bona-fide-star calls. But he played great and he hit clutch shots."
-- Coach Phil Jackson on PG Mike Bibby

"First of all, I know it's a business, and I can't really get into the business side of this. But Mike knows how I feel. I've got some duct tape in the office. I'm going to tie his (butt) up if that's what it's going to take."
-- PF Chris Webber on PG Mike Bibby

"Is he a free agent. Can we get him? Dr. Buss, can we spend the money? That cat is good."
-- SF Rick Fox on PG Mike Bibby


THE MAKINGS OF A RIVALRY… MAYBE…

"[The rivalry is] most definitely [on]. You keep this nucleus together ... we sign Mike [Bibby, who's up for an extension], and that's the only thing we've got to think about this summer, we sign him. I'm definitely positive that he comes back."
-- SG Bobby Jackson on a Kings/Lakers rivalry

"I feel they're the next best team in the West. And obviously it's very close between the two teams. I think that has to create rivalry. They haven't beaten us in any serious playoff situation, but on the other hand they gave us everything we could possibly want this time."
-- Dr. Jerry Buss

"They gotta beat us first. You know the rules, baby."
-- SG Kobe Bryant on a Kings/Lakers rivalry



GIVING THEM CREDIT AFTER ALL

They humbled us in a lot of ways. They fought admirably. They really did. I can sit and talk all day about how impressed we were with them."
-- SF Rick Fox

"They showed us they are a great ballclub. Much improved. They really deserved to be there."
-- PF Samaki Walker

"They (the Kings) played hard," he said. "They pushed us to the limits. They have a very good team. They have poise out there on the floor. And I think the coaching staff and the players deserve a lot of credit for that."
-- Coach Phil Jackson

"I have to give Sacramento credit -- they put up a great fight. They should feel good about themselves. This went down to the wire. The fans here really enjoy their basketball, and they got a tremendous ride."
-- SG Mitch Richmond





Team with a dream…

Where there is no vision, the people perish…
-- Proverbs 29:18

::raises a glass::

To the Kings: may they find prosperity in the near future!

It was a great series played by some outstanding players. Major props need to be lofted up for Mike Bibby and Bobby Jackson. Without their heart and determination as well as their gutsy play, the Kings are not nearly as closely matched as they thought they were IMO. So much more can be said about their courage and will to win; they are both just extraordinary people and players… No need to elaborate too much on what the Kings themselves have already pointed out as their reasons for losing this series. Suffice it to say 30 free throws and doinking 14 of them is supposed to kill a team. That I think was the one of biggest problems they had that day.

We all know that everyone who comes to this league has skills. In whatever capacity, we all know that the skill level in this sport leaves only room for the very best in the world to compete. The other great issue facing the Kings is Heart and Leadership. Mike and Bobby are the only ones on their team who had the guts, leadership and vision to take the Kings to the next level. None of the other Kings embraced that. As I stated at the start of this post, Mike needed someone else to step up with him. As we all saw, he had to do it by himself and that attempt failed. But we all know that this is what you need at this point of the season, not skills alone. Mike and Bobby have it in aces and kings and the rest of the deck is being picked up still by the rest of the team. Let me add this piece to my argument:

Chris Webber $12,750,000
Vlade Divac $10,444,642
Doug Christie $5,200,000
Predrag Stojakovic $5,000,000
Scot Pollard $4,344,188
Mike Bibby $4,174,898

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/stories/2001-02-salaries-more.htm#sac>Click this link to see all the Kings’ salaries.</a>

Those are their salaries this year. I do not feel that Mike should have been the only one taking shots at the end of the game. Look at those salaries. Everyone of those guys is paid to be ready to play and my assertion is the same one that Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley made about Kevin Garnett. The higher and highest paid player is supposed to be the one to hand the ball and lead his team to victory. CWebb is getting paid $12,750,000 to set screens and picks? C'mon. He's getting paid better than Kobe Bryant ($11,250,000) but at least Kobe leads his team and isnt' afraid to pull the trigger or make decisions in the heat of battle that will lead his team to glory. Sorry if this stings: all the players that are receiving more money than Mike on his team were useless this year when their team and their fans need them most. That's just sad...

Another issue has to do with Chris Webber. One thing that made me wonder about if the Kings as a team were ready to become champs was the look in their eyes. I've seen that look before in the eyes of some of the great Vikings and Bills teams and I know that look all to well. Except for Mike and Bobby, I sensed fear in the Kings especially from Chris Webber. Vlade Divac seemed to almost panic when he needed to react. That bothered me. I wonder if other people saw what I saw.

Let me say it one more time so everybody who's new to the board knows: I'm not a hater of any team really. I want to see everybody play to their potential and beyond and my fantasy in any NBA team matchup is to see them go at it playing top notch basketball all game long, go into quadruple overtime and have the game called because of exhaustion. I'm ticked because as fan of Chris Webber, Doug Christie, and Vlade Divac, I want them to play fearlessly. I want them to put it to the other team, even the Lakers, by playing strong, determined, focused and fearless basketball. Good basketball is good basketball no matter which team is playing it. That's just the way it is... I would think that these players playing scared would tick off a bunch of people even beyond me and I'm not a Kings fan. If I'm Joe or Gavin Maloof, I'd be very ticked. Why would I pay CWebb big time, better than Kobe money and he doesn't want to put the ball in the basket when I need and want it most? The big knock on CWebb in the media is that his stats are good from Quarters 1-3 and then in the 4th, he fades. Game 7, CWebb scored on scored only six second-half points. 6 = 3 Baskets for him in 29+ minutes including OT. His team needed him to get the gun out and shoot. Doing the dirty work and all that is fine by me, too. But he is primarily paid to put the ball in the basket because he does that better than almost anyone else at his position.

I only pointed out the idea of Fear and Panic because it intrigued me. The Kings pointed out on their own that free throws killed them. I do want to make a distinction between Fear and Panic and being Scared. Fear garners respect. I know CWebb has that. Panic involves the loss of wits and wherewithal and the ability make wise decisions. Being Scared is more about being taken over by hopelessness to the point of running away from what faces a person or doing nothing to stop its intents and purposes. That's what I mean about CWebb and some of the other Kings. I never said they were Scared...

There are issues on this team and, while it feels very good for now, there's stuff that needs to be addressed. Signing Mike Bibby is an absolute No. 1 priority right now but getting him to buy into the make up of this team can be a huge sticking point depending on Mike's goals. Does anyone else smell that weaselly odor near the Kings’ front office? That’s David Falk and he’s going to have a field day with the Maloofs. Count on that…

As for the Lakers, wipe your brow and just say “Good game, Kings. Thanks for the memories…†and leave it at that. Many key plays were made down the stretch. I think the quotes above are more than enough to give props to the team. All I’m going to say here is thank God for Shaq, Kobe, Robert, Derek, Rick, Brian, and Coach Phil Jackson: you pulled it together when you needed it most. You believed in yourselves in the face of doubt and doubters. Good job! Hope you had a good day off and that you’re getting ready to throw down against Nets here at the Staples Center…

The Lakers have many issues of their own too but I’m not going to address them all here. There’s another series to play and a bunch of my issues with the Lakers have mostly to do with the front office workings and the Laker roster. Some of immediate big issues the Lakers had in this series will carry over to the next one.
Mike Bibby ran unabated to the goal and go the shot he wanted at will. Neither my man Derek Fisher nor Lindsey Hunter nor even Kobe Bryant were completely effective against him. In the next series the baddest point guard on the planet will gun sling with the top guns in the West. His name is Jason Kidd and he handles the rock like Billy the Kid handled a gun. Yes, he deserves the utmost respect.
Rebounding is key to any victory. The Lakers are inconsistent at best when cleaning the glass. Who cares if you hate doing it? It must get done.
Robert Horry is better off the bench than he is a starter IMO. Samaki Walker needs to look in a mirror and decide what the rest of his life is going to be like if he doesn’t make that Laker uniform look good…
Mitch Richmond is a drain on Laker resources. I’m betting that the Lakers do not offer him a contract next year.
Kobe is all that but he still has a bunch of growing up to do…
Rick Fox also has been, at best, inconsistent. He needs to get sharper.
Coach Phil Jackson could wake up and smell the coffee a little more. I didn’t like his defensive mixes during a lot of the series and some of the plays on offense just left much to be desired.
Shaq is playing as well as he possibly could play. He’s the only one I can’t beef about. Of course, when facing someone who is that much taller and heavier than you are, would you?

Make up whatever you want about the officiating. It’s common knowledge that I have no love of NBA officiating nor its governing body headed by David Stern. They make calls that affect the outcome and they do not make calls that still affect the outcome. Too much bias shows up in games and it is a detriment to the sport and to the fans to have to endure them…

References:
NBA.com
ESPN.com
LATimes.com
SacBee.com
Sports.Excite.com
Sports.Yahoo.com

 

Re: This Is What Happened...

Wow!!! wow!!! That was a long post, felt like I was reading the sports section of my newspaper.

 

And We Thought They Were Past This...

Yes, you did! LOL Here's so' mo'...

WORD TO THE KINGS WHO ARE NOT

"They felt they won five out of six games in that series, but champions make plays at the right time. We were saved by Robert [Horry's] jumper [in Game 4], regardless of how lucky you want to say it is.''
-- SF Rick Fox

"We have to give Sacramento some credit… It doesn't hurt that Adelman ticked him off."
-- SG Kobe Bryant

â€ÂDon't cry,
Dry your eyes,
Here comes Shaq
With his four little guys (teammates)…
I wrote that for Rick Adelman."
-- C Shaquille O'Neal’s rap for Coach Rick Adelman

"(Friday's) game was dedicated to Rick Adelman. I'm at home, in the bathroom, flipping through the channels, and he's complaining about how I'm stepping over the line. So that game's dedicated to him. I don't believe people still question me after all the tough times and all the hard work I've been through… The more you cry, and the more you complain, the madder I get. The madder I get, the more I have to dominate. So thank you, Mr. Adelman."
-- C Shaquille O'Neal


References:
ESPN.com
LATimes.com
NorthJersey.com

I post a lot over <a target="_blank" href=http://basketball.fanhome.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=84>HERE</a> under the same name. I'm just you're average Laker fan...

 

The nets are eating shit!

The Nets, Oh the Nets. They are playing horribly in this series, I guess they couldn't find a miracle after all. It's over for them, they're about to be swept at their own court, they're playing almost as bad as Tyson against Lewis, picked apart piece by piece, well at least Tyson had a slight chance.

As I predicted Shaq is unstoppable against any of their players hopefully next year the Kings can come back and defeat the Lakers for the championship like they should have done before.

 

I Heard that!

<font color="white">First things first: Sign Mike Bibby... Then the Kings will be on the right track. Chris Webber makes entirely too much money for what he does. I agree with Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley when they say that, if a player is making that much money, in the 4th quarter of big games, he should have the ball in his hands and making decisions that will put points on the board. He and/or Vlade need to take a paycut and Joe and Gavin need to give that money to Mike yesterday...</font color>