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Twelve Minutes that may make or break the season for the Kings
By Daniel Dullum Febraury 12, 2006 |
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Twelve minutes. That's the amount of time it took, in Salt Lake City, on Feb. 3rd which will define a turning point in the Sacramento Kings' season. What remains to be seen if it’s turn for the worse – or the better. That night, after taking a lead into the fourth quarter, the Kings then set an NBA record of going 0-for-20 from the floor in the process of blowing that lead and eventually losing to the Utah Jazz. Maybe it's unfair, but as much as the Kings have struggled, especially on the road, that horrendous 12-minute stretch may mark a turning point in the wrong direction as the Kings continue their quest for the eighth playoff spot in the NBA Western Conference. Mostly because it came just when the team began to show signs of jelling with new forward Ron Artest and getting injured players like Bonzi Wells and Brad Miller back into action. With nowhere to go but up, the Kings rebounded nicely and played the Suns tough in Phoenix last Friday. It's remarkable how, from year-to-year, good teams have another opponent they just don't match up well against. For the Suns, that nemesis is Sacramento. The Kings have defeated Phoenix twice already this season, but the third time wasn't a charm. With starters, Miller and Mike Bibby struggling offensively, Coach Rick Adelman benched them during a strong third- and fourth-quarter run by Sacramento that fell short in the closing seconds. Despite the 112-104 verdict, younger players, like Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin stepped up nicely in Phoenix. There's nothing like returning home to get well, and for the Kings, it didn't hurt that they came home on Sunday to host the woeful Atlanta Hawks, a team that helps many squads get well these days. Sacramento cruised to an easy 109-84 win, once again giving its fans hope of sneaking into the playoffs. Artest led the way with 20 points and six assists with another strong performance since arriving from Indiana. Kevin Martin also had 20 points for Sacramento, and Kenny Thomas contributed a double double (17 points, 10 boards). The Kings have a tough go to get to the playoffs. First, at 23-28 as of Feb. 12, they need to climb closer to .500, and second, they need to play better on the road and the majority of their remaining games are away from Arco Arena. Fans must understand that the Kings are, rebuilding on the fly. This is not 2002. Webber, Vlade, Peja, Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie … they're all long gone, so get over it. It's time to look forward. It's still going to take some time for this team to gel as a cohesive unit consistently - something that may take the remainder of the season to accomplish. Again, fans must understand that reworking the roster and the chemistry takes time. Thus far, Sacramento has the makings of a good young nucleus. If they don't make the playoffs, there's no reason to panic. Finally, don’t look for Coach Adelman to get bounced. Mid-season coaching changes rarely work and it certainly won’t work here. Actually, Adelman has done a pretty decent job with the young talent he’s been given to work with. If a coaching change is in the works, it’ll most likely occur in the off-season. Even then, don’t bet on it. |
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