Ailene Voisin: Peja needs to become shooting, not falling, star
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, April 29, 2005
Better defense. Better energy. Better shot selection. Better chemistry. Better matchups. Better ball movement. Better body movement.
Anything else missing?
A peeved Peja.
An engaged, assertive Peja.
The animated Peja of March and early April.
Not to suggest that Stojakovic should suddenly start ignoring Rashard Lewis, hoisting off-balance jumpers, or pounding the ball so long and so hard that he fractures the wooden Arco Arena floor; the Kings do enough of that already. But with this best-of-seven NBA playoff series shifting to Sacramento, that 0-2 deficit is almost large enough to accommodate a dozen purple-and-black coffins.
Decisive measures are needed, among them the emergence of a desperate Peja, the more mature player who, before suffering that late-season injury setback, managed incremental steps toward on-court leadership.
No longer dominated by Chris Webber or protected by Vlade Divac, Stojakovic, 27, was a changed man, a more dynamic presence who contributed his usual assortment of three-pointers, transition layups and backdoor cuts but, for the first time in his seven NBA seasons, deferred to no one.
His personality could no longer be summarized simply as sweet or sullen or silent. He had a lot to say on the court and, in fact, was frequently observed gesturing wildly, directing teammates, chatting with the refs, furiously strategizing with point guard Mike Bibby. And when jumped by Cuttino Mobley for one reason or another, Peja responded aggressively, accepted the challenge and went toe-to-toe, his features expressive and emotional and engaged.
After one such encounter, Mobley patted him on the head, and the two walked off, smiling.
Yet in the two games against the Seattle SuperSonics - the only two games Stojakovic has played since straining his groin April 15 against the Los Angeles Lakers - the three-time All-Star has gone into quiet retreat; he's back to being the nice guy who's content to fit in.
His defense on Lewis has been decent, and he led the Kings with 10 rebounds in Game 2. But his offense has sputtered (12-of-29 shooting), and on a team still searching for an identity, the leadership burden rests heavily with its two best players.
Bibby, of course, figures to break out before the next breakfast. His postseason performances are well-chronicled. He's a king under pressure.
But Peja has something to prove. His postseasons have been marred by injuries and inconsistency, and a year ago, by a lack of inclusion. (A hobbled Webber's refusal to share the ball following his return from the knee injury was fact, not fiction.)
But this is a completely different team, a less talented team, one dependent upon Stojakovic to emerge as a legitimate postseason star, as someone with abundant skills and a winner's edge: Muscle for rebounds. Cut backdoor with courage. Demand the ball. Confront the opposition, and if necessary, his own teammates; this is an ideal time to emerge from that comfort zone and stretch his persona.
"You get to the point where you deal in technical things," longtime Kings assistant and former Princeton coach Pete Carril suggested, "and then I used to write on the blackboard 'attitudinal things,' like desire and scrapping, all those things that make the technical things work."
In other words, this is on Peja, the amiable, even playful veteran who bristles at inferences that he wilts in the postseason. The rap visibly stings, the accusations resonating from as far away as his native Serbia.
"People said I was soft, that I didn't play defense. Leadership isn't about jacking up a bunch of bad shots, so I can't worry about what people say," said a frowning Stojakovic, who, of course, worries what people say.
All players do. All players long to become playoff legends. The question invariably becomes: which ones make the transition?
Webber for years was regarded as a player who shrunk in the clutch - a perception that dissolved these last several seasons. Doug Christie admitted choking during Game 7 of that fabled 2002 series against the Lakers, yet he was impressive in 2003 and outstanding in 2004. Divac was the Kings' primary option against the Utah Jazz in 1999, yet he, too, had to overcome two missed free throws that cost the Lakers a series against the San Antonio Spurs earlier in his career.
Stojakovic undoubtedly has more than enough time to script a more flattering postseason portrayal, but the current challenge is more daunting than ever. Brad Miller, who initiates the high-post offense that exploits Stojakovic's strengths, is less than 100 percent. Additionally, Mobley is more of a scorer than the departed Christie, who had a knack for finding Peja in rhythm. Divac is gone, Webber is gone, and with all the injuries and new faces, the lineups can be a mystery at a moment's notice.
But this isn't about scoring the most points or launching the most attempts. This is about making big plays and making some noise.
Loud and clear. These Kings need a grownup Peja.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12807124p-13657446c.html
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Friday, April 29, 2005
Better defense. Better energy. Better shot selection. Better chemistry. Better matchups. Better ball movement. Better body movement.
Anything else missing?
A peeved Peja.
An engaged, assertive Peja.
The animated Peja of March and early April.
Not to suggest that Stojakovic should suddenly start ignoring Rashard Lewis, hoisting off-balance jumpers, or pounding the ball so long and so hard that he fractures the wooden Arco Arena floor; the Kings do enough of that already. But with this best-of-seven NBA playoff series shifting to Sacramento, that 0-2 deficit is almost large enough to accommodate a dozen purple-and-black coffins.
Decisive measures are needed, among them the emergence of a desperate Peja, the more mature player who, before suffering that late-season injury setback, managed incremental steps toward on-court leadership.
No longer dominated by Chris Webber or protected by Vlade Divac, Stojakovic, 27, was a changed man, a more dynamic presence who contributed his usual assortment of three-pointers, transition layups and backdoor cuts but, for the first time in his seven NBA seasons, deferred to no one.
His personality could no longer be summarized simply as sweet or sullen or silent. He had a lot to say on the court and, in fact, was frequently observed gesturing wildly, directing teammates, chatting with the refs, furiously strategizing with point guard Mike Bibby. And when jumped by Cuttino Mobley for one reason or another, Peja responded aggressively, accepted the challenge and went toe-to-toe, his features expressive and emotional and engaged.
After one such encounter, Mobley patted him on the head, and the two walked off, smiling.
Yet in the two games against the Seattle SuperSonics - the only two games Stojakovic has played since straining his groin April 15 against the Los Angeles Lakers - the three-time All-Star has gone into quiet retreat; he's back to being the nice guy who's content to fit in.
His defense on Lewis has been decent, and he led the Kings with 10 rebounds in Game 2. But his offense has sputtered (12-of-29 shooting), and on a team still searching for an identity, the leadership burden rests heavily with its two best players.
Bibby, of course, figures to break out before the next breakfast. His postseason performances are well-chronicled. He's a king under pressure.
But Peja has something to prove. His postseasons have been marred by injuries and inconsistency, and a year ago, by a lack of inclusion. (A hobbled Webber's refusal to share the ball following his return from the knee injury was fact, not fiction.)
But this is a completely different team, a less talented team, one dependent upon Stojakovic to emerge as a legitimate postseason star, as someone with abundant skills and a winner's edge: Muscle for rebounds. Cut backdoor with courage. Demand the ball. Confront the opposition, and if necessary, his own teammates; this is an ideal time to emerge from that comfort zone and stretch his persona.
"You get to the point where you deal in technical things," longtime Kings assistant and former Princeton coach Pete Carril suggested, "and then I used to write on the blackboard 'attitudinal things,' like desire and scrapping, all those things that make the technical things work."
In other words, this is on Peja, the amiable, even playful veteran who bristles at inferences that he wilts in the postseason. The rap visibly stings, the accusations resonating from as far away as his native Serbia.
"People said I was soft, that I didn't play defense. Leadership isn't about jacking up a bunch of bad shots, so I can't worry about what people say," said a frowning Stojakovic, who, of course, worries what people say.
All players do. All players long to become playoff legends. The question invariably becomes: which ones make the transition?
Webber for years was regarded as a player who shrunk in the clutch - a perception that dissolved these last several seasons. Doug Christie admitted choking during Game 7 of that fabled 2002 series against the Lakers, yet he was impressive in 2003 and outstanding in 2004. Divac was the Kings' primary option against the Utah Jazz in 1999, yet he, too, had to overcome two missed free throws that cost the Lakers a series against the San Antonio Spurs earlier in his career.
Stojakovic undoubtedly has more than enough time to script a more flattering postseason portrayal, but the current challenge is more daunting than ever. Brad Miller, who initiates the high-post offense that exploits Stojakovic's strengths, is less than 100 percent. Additionally, Mobley is more of a scorer than the departed Christie, who had a knack for finding Peja in rhythm. Divac is gone, Webber is gone, and with all the injuries and new faces, the lineups can be a mystery at a moment's notice.
But this isn't about scoring the most points or launching the most attempts. This is about making big plays and making some noise.
Loud and clear. These Kings need a grownup Peja.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12807124p-13657446c.html
