I've been meaning to type up this post for awhile now... and it's funny because I always ended up not doing it. Well, that needs to change.
Looking back on Rick Adelman's career, it's always been funny to me the lack of respect he's gotten. The amount of wins through injuries, new players and adversity he's had speak for themselves -- at least in my eyes.
The majority of players that have come to Sacramento in the Rick Adelman-era have enjoyed the best years of their careers here. They've been the benefactors of a pass-first offense where they also became believers. Getting a group of 12 NBA players with their large egos and large paychecks all on the same page and all contributing towards the same goal is very difficult. Most franchises rely on a star system to win them games -- but Sacramento is one of the few franchises that relies on the team.
Instead of one or two guys shouldering the majority of the load and the rest filling their roles, Sacramento approaches things with a team unity where every player is expected to be a solid part of the system.
Building a system like this took guts and a lot of patience because it's a system very few NBA teams have even tried. Most people feel that if you don't go the conventional way, you're doomed to fail and it's better off to imitate what everyone else is doing.
Rick was daring enough to fully implement a system that was different than anyone else's, and because of this he's made a team where people that have never played in the motion offense can come in immediately and make major contributions and play through numerous injuries to key personnel and yet through it all, still have a highly successful team.
Look back on the ridiculous amount of injuries Sacramento has had. Most other teams would be dead in the water many times over again if they went through even half the amount of health problems the Kings have had. Yet, Sacramento persevered and continued to win many of their games.
It's also a testament to Adelman's abilities about how successful most of the players are when they come to Sacramento. I said before that people usually have the best years of their career here, and it's a wonderful system that enables them to do this. The mid-season acquisition of Cuttino Mobley is a great example. Without much time to practice, Mobley was able to come in and make big contributions to this team. Most players usually take weeks or more than likely months before they make the impact Mobley was able to make almost from day one.
Adelman certainly isn't the only reason why Sac has had success, but he's a BIG part of the reason why.
So next time you see guys like Kenny Thomas and Brian Skinner who were making a minimal impact on a team like the Sixers come into Sacramento and play great basketball for the Kings, just remember that they're playing in a system that really lets them contribute and show off what they're capable of.
And do keep in mind who's the main force behind this system, our coach, Rick Adelman.
Looking back on Rick Adelman's career, it's always been funny to me the lack of respect he's gotten. The amount of wins through injuries, new players and adversity he's had speak for themselves -- at least in my eyes.
The majority of players that have come to Sacramento in the Rick Adelman-era have enjoyed the best years of their careers here. They've been the benefactors of a pass-first offense where they also became believers. Getting a group of 12 NBA players with their large egos and large paychecks all on the same page and all contributing towards the same goal is very difficult. Most franchises rely on a star system to win them games -- but Sacramento is one of the few franchises that relies on the team.
Instead of one or two guys shouldering the majority of the load and the rest filling their roles, Sacramento approaches things with a team unity where every player is expected to be a solid part of the system.
Building a system like this took guts and a lot of patience because it's a system very few NBA teams have even tried. Most people feel that if you don't go the conventional way, you're doomed to fail and it's better off to imitate what everyone else is doing.
Rick was daring enough to fully implement a system that was different than anyone else's, and because of this he's made a team where people that have never played in the motion offense can come in immediately and make major contributions and play through numerous injuries to key personnel and yet through it all, still have a highly successful team.
Look back on the ridiculous amount of injuries Sacramento has had. Most other teams would be dead in the water many times over again if they went through even half the amount of health problems the Kings have had. Yet, Sacramento persevered and continued to win many of their games.
It's also a testament to Adelman's abilities about how successful most of the players are when they come to Sacramento. I said before that people usually have the best years of their career here, and it's a wonderful system that enables them to do this. The mid-season acquisition of Cuttino Mobley is a great example. Without much time to practice, Mobley was able to come in and make big contributions to this team. Most players usually take weeks or more than likely months before they make the impact Mobley was able to make almost from day one.
Adelman certainly isn't the only reason why Sac has had success, but he's a BIG part of the reason why.
So next time you see guys like Kenny Thomas and Brian Skinner who were making a minimal impact on a team like the Sixers come into Sacramento and play great basketball for the Kings, just remember that they're playing in a system that really lets them contribute and show off what they're capable of.
And do keep in mind who's the main force behind this system, our coach, Rick Adelman.
