Something Must Change - and Quickly

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Yes, there were boos.

Yes, there was another defeat.

So, yes, after Tuesday's 102-97 loss to the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, this is the time to start asking whether the Kings have tuned out coach Rick Adelman, the man whose soft, scratchy voice resonated throughout this building for the better part of eight seasons, and if so, how long before team president Geoff Petrie joins the crowd and pursues a change.

Go ahead and ask. Typically, he still isn't talking.

"Rick is our coach until he is no longer our coach," Petrie said late Tuesday, his face flushed, and carefully choosing his words. "That's the way it's always been."

True, except that when it comes to performance, it has never been this bad under Adelman, neither statistically (7-11) nor emotionally. The Kings have become a chore, the late shift at Arco Arena a real drag. For the price of a ticket - oh, wait, they gain free admission - the Kings continue sleepwalking through vast stretches of their exercises, expending effort and energy selectively, displaying a stunning lack of enthusiasm, and otherwise behaving in a manner fit for neither Kings nor their fans.

There was a time when Arco seethed with genuine passion, the clamor overwhelming even the nauseating, unnecessary fan prompts that spoil the mood. There was a time - almost all of the time, in fact - when the Kings compensated for their familiar defensive lapses with sharp, precise offense, and with a commitment to both the coach and the system.

But this is different, this is new.

The Kings are confused, sloppy, uninspired.

The masses are huddled, restless and bored - and everyone else is just really ticked off.

The general sentiment regarding the team right now appears to be one mostly of anger, and mostly, because the intensity level has sputtered ever since the opening tip in Oklahoma City. Around here, winning and losing is only slightly less important than appearing to care about winning and losing, but at these prices, even undying affection comes with a sticker. Given the current state of affairs, including three consecutive home losses and subpar production from Mike Bibby, Brad Miller and especially Peja Stojakovic, the three players projected as the club's foundation, someone within the organization better start sending roses, picking up the dinner check, or purchasing round-trip tickets to the Bahamas.

Courtside seats no longer even guarantee a kiss. Keep this up, tickets will be plentiful, and at reduced prices. Someone better do something.

"I think we're letting our fans down," said Bibby, "and we've got to change it around. I think we could have hustled a little bit more. This is frustrating and I'm really pissed off."

Adelman, who acknowledged Monday that he sensed his job security shrinking with each loss, looks beaten down. Petrie looks beaten up. Longtime acquaintances, both men understand how the game is played, that there comes a point during every coach's tenure when expectations are unfulfilled, players no longer respond, and someone else comes in.

Is this that time? Is the Adelman finale nearing?

It certainly appears so, for the names of available candidates to receive mention, among them Don Nelson, Kevin McHale, Rick Majerus, Don Chaney, and perhaps even Monarchs coach John Whisenant, cited by Sports Illustrated last week as a "credible" possibility.
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Don Nelson would be a great fit for this team. Out of the listed canidates to replace Adelman, I think the Kings have to go with Nellie. He obviously knows how to win with small-ball and if Dirk Nowitzki opts out of his current deal, you have to like Nellie's chances of recruiting him over. A Bibby-Nowitzki foundation would be a great move for the Kings.