No matter how hard you try, it's near impossible to change people. People have to WANT to change for themselves. The Kings can do things to help bring Peja back into the fold, but in the end, it's all on Stojakovic.
To be blunt, I'm with Bobby Jackson on the whole thing. Trade him, move on. Obviously.... I'm not the Kings GM for a reason, and neither is Bobby. Being patient as a GM has paid off so many times for Petrie, and this is another case where I have a strong hunch Petrie is going to let the guys play it out and decide a few months later what to do.
Right now from what I've seen of the Kings as a team, their body language doesn't reflect that of a championship team, and that's REALLY sad to see. It's still two games in though, so there's plenty of time to turn things around. It just is sad to me to see such a proud and confident team down so early in a season.
Right now, Sac looks REALLY out of sorts to me. I know not having Vlade in the lockeroom is really messing with all of the guys. Having Peja demand a trade hurts. A huge part of the Kings family is missing right now, and I think it's reflecting clearly in their play.
A few easier games and a few wins goes a long ways in making things better. And some time in front of an Arco crowd that's going to show the team a lot of love will help all of the guys.
This schedule is like being kicked when you're down, but hopefully this team just gets through it alright and there's going to be some great nights ahead of them.
But, don't underestimate this stretch of the season.... This is huge and Sac needs to turn things around here soon. We're in arguably one of the deepest conferences of ALL TIME, although things will get easier, they're not going to get easy.
Taking it a game at a time, a win in Houston is going to go A LONG way in boosting morale. We've had bad road trips before, and the Texas triangle is one of the toughest in sports. Coming out of things 1-2 isn't bad, and it's something good to build on.
The main thing I want to see Saturday is some pride, some team spirit and a little fun out there. Good things will happen as long as the guys just stick with it.