http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13798522p-14640071c.html
2005 Kings Preview: The game is firmly in this man's hands
The Kings' season depends on Mike Bibby more than anyone
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, November 1, 2005
A year ago, Mike Bibby came closer than ever, within a few nods of earning his first All-Star berth. Yet as he enters his eighth NBA season - and his first as the sole and undisputed floor leader of the reconfigured Kings - he does so with his club's 2005-06 prospects dumped heavily and unequivocally onto his sturdy, stable shoulders.
As he passes.
As he defends.
As he leads.
As he plays, so play the Kings.
Even the quickest study of Rick Adelman's evolving club, of the anticipated low-post contributions of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and versatility of Bonzi Wells, of the purportedly enhanced emphasis on defense, of the estimated recovery time following another playoff ouster, begins with the Kings' smallest starter squeezed under the lens of a microscope.
Listed in the NBA register at 6-foot-1 and weighing in, he says, at a muscled 197 pounds, Bibby feels the heft of heightened expectations intensifying the normal heat of preseason. The Kings more or less are looking for something different. They are pushing and pulling on their point guard, demanding that he stretch and expand, diversifying his offense and embracing his defense.
"Mike needs to play to a higher standard if he's going to become an All-Star," Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said. "Just look around the West with Steve Nash, Baron Davis. ... He's a critical player for us because of the position he plays. And an area he needs to improve upon is his (on-the-ball) defense. If he's better defensively, we're going to be better defensively."
An internal tug of war of sorts already exists: Coaches and team officials have urged Bibby to shed 10 to 15 pounds, believing that to become lighter also is to become quicker, only to be greeted with the stubborn gaze of an experienced, accomplished player.
"I've never been lightning quick anyway," Bibby said. "They want me at a weight that I haven't been at (185 to 190 pounds) since college. But except for my (broken) foot, I've only missed a few games my entire career. I'm not the one they should be looking at for something like that."
Except, of course, that he's the point guard. The standard is different. Because they most often control the ball and establish tempo, they are afforded eldest-sibling status. And though he personally asked for none of this, not the shifting playmaking responsibilities nor the infatuation with defense, Bibby knows the Kings go nowhere without him. Without him becoming a more active, inspired defender, the Kings go one playoff round and out. Maybe not even that.
Indeed, the scouting report remains consistent. Opposing coaches and scouts marvel at his shooting prowess and instinctively clutch performances - Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge considers him one of the game's best shooters, period - but continue to poke holes at the rest of his game.
"Teams go at him," said Kings assistant Elston Turner, an exceptional defender during his NBA career. "They know he's an easy target. If you have a reputation, you have to change it. But it's almost like that attitude is OK."
This blustery defensive posture clashes famously, of course, with the old familiar standard - the Kings score, the opponent scores, and a good time is had by all, except of course, for those who truly believe that parties should be held only in late June. And old habits are like old slippers. Who doesn't crave comfort? As Adelman enters the final year of his contract, his stewardship will be defensible only if the defense improves significantly, if his players step out a little bit.
And it all starts with Bibby, with him assuming the role of a lead guard who involves teammates, who understands when to shoot, when to pass, when to run. There simply are no other options. Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie are gone. The purist's version of the Princeton offense has been gone even longer, having disappeared when Webber severely injured his knee (May 2003), then dissolved completely when he returned (March 2004) and apparently forgot what made him so good.
"I have been thinking about the way Phoenix gets all those easy baskets," added Bibby, thoughtfully, "and that we need to run more. It's too tough on us to come down and try to score in the halfcourt all the time. And defense is effort. If that means I need to give even more effort, I'm going to do that. It's not like I'm not trying, or just letting people do what they want."
Staying in front of his man. Taking a charge. Deflecting passes in the lanes. Swiping balls in the air. Pressuring opposing ballhandlers. It's OK to get a little defensive.
"All good defenders have a little bit of nastiness and pride in them," Turner said. "It's a will, a pride to get it done. I really don't see the will in Mike. I talk to him about it. How are you going to play 39, 40 minutes and not lay somebody out? Getting him to understand that. ... But I'm going to work with him, stay on him. He can be a great team defender."
Will he or won't he? And will he take his teammates along?
On demand, Bibby historically tunes in. Ask even more of Mike, and he should be an All-Star. For the Kings' sake, he has to be.
--------------------------
Bibby's career highlights
NBA
• Honored as the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week, Feb. 22-27, 2005.
• Named to the 2003 Men's National Team by USA Basketball.
• Hit the winning jumper with 8.2 seconds to play as the Kings took a 3-2 lead in the 2002 Western Conference finals, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 92-91.
• Ranked fourth in the NBA in assists in 2000-01.
• Tallied his first triple-double: 14 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds against Dallas on April 2, 2000.
• Finished fourth in the AT&T Shootout during the 2000 All-Star Weekend.
COLLEGE
• Named Pac-10 Player of the Year and first team All-America by the Associated Press after averaging 17.2 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.0 rpg and 2.40 spg as a sophomore at Arizona in 1997-98.
• As a freshman, scored 20 points in the NCAA semifinal against North Carolina and in the NCAA title game against Kentucky and averaged 18.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 3.3 apg, shooting .486 (18 for 37) from three-point range in the NCAA Tournament.
About the writer: The Bee's Ailene Voisin can be reached at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
2005 Kings Preview: The game is firmly in this man's hands
The Kings' season depends on Mike Bibby more than anyone
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, November 1, 2005
A year ago, Mike Bibby came closer than ever, within a few nods of earning his first All-Star berth. Yet as he enters his eighth NBA season - and his first as the sole and undisputed floor leader of the reconfigured Kings - he does so with his club's 2005-06 prospects dumped heavily and unequivocally onto his sturdy, stable shoulders.
As he passes.
As he defends.
As he leads.
As he plays, so play the Kings.
Even the quickest study of Rick Adelman's evolving club, of the anticipated low-post contributions of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and versatility of Bonzi Wells, of the purportedly enhanced emphasis on defense, of the estimated recovery time following another playoff ouster, begins with the Kings' smallest starter squeezed under the lens of a microscope.
Listed in the NBA register at 6-foot-1 and weighing in, he says, at a muscled 197 pounds, Bibby feels the heft of heightened expectations intensifying the normal heat of preseason. The Kings more or less are looking for something different. They are pushing and pulling on their point guard, demanding that he stretch and expand, diversifying his offense and embracing his defense.
"Mike needs to play to a higher standard if he's going to become an All-Star," Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said. "Just look around the West with Steve Nash, Baron Davis. ... He's a critical player for us because of the position he plays. And an area he needs to improve upon is his (on-the-ball) defense. If he's better defensively, we're going to be better defensively."
An internal tug of war of sorts already exists: Coaches and team officials have urged Bibby to shed 10 to 15 pounds, believing that to become lighter also is to become quicker, only to be greeted with the stubborn gaze of an experienced, accomplished player.
"I've never been lightning quick anyway," Bibby said. "They want me at a weight that I haven't been at (185 to 190 pounds) since college. But except for my (broken) foot, I've only missed a few games my entire career. I'm not the one they should be looking at for something like that."
Except, of course, that he's the point guard. The standard is different. Because they most often control the ball and establish tempo, they are afforded eldest-sibling status. And though he personally asked for none of this, not the shifting playmaking responsibilities nor the infatuation with defense, Bibby knows the Kings go nowhere without him. Without him becoming a more active, inspired defender, the Kings go one playoff round and out. Maybe not even that.
Indeed, the scouting report remains consistent. Opposing coaches and scouts marvel at his shooting prowess and instinctively clutch performances - Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge considers him one of the game's best shooters, period - but continue to poke holes at the rest of his game.
"Teams go at him," said Kings assistant Elston Turner, an exceptional defender during his NBA career. "They know he's an easy target. If you have a reputation, you have to change it. But it's almost like that attitude is OK."
This blustery defensive posture clashes famously, of course, with the old familiar standard - the Kings score, the opponent scores, and a good time is had by all, except of course, for those who truly believe that parties should be held only in late June. And old habits are like old slippers. Who doesn't crave comfort? As Adelman enters the final year of his contract, his stewardship will be defensible only if the defense improves significantly, if his players step out a little bit.
And it all starts with Bibby, with him assuming the role of a lead guard who involves teammates, who understands when to shoot, when to pass, when to run. There simply are no other options. Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie are gone. The purist's version of the Princeton offense has been gone even longer, having disappeared when Webber severely injured his knee (May 2003), then dissolved completely when he returned (March 2004) and apparently forgot what made him so good.
"I have been thinking about the way Phoenix gets all those easy baskets," added Bibby, thoughtfully, "and that we need to run more. It's too tough on us to come down and try to score in the halfcourt all the time. And defense is effort. If that means I need to give even more effort, I'm going to do that. It's not like I'm not trying, or just letting people do what they want."
Staying in front of his man. Taking a charge. Deflecting passes in the lanes. Swiping balls in the air. Pressuring opposing ballhandlers. It's OK to get a little defensive.
"All good defenders have a little bit of nastiness and pride in them," Turner said. "It's a will, a pride to get it done. I really don't see the will in Mike. I talk to him about it. How are you going to play 39, 40 minutes and not lay somebody out? Getting him to understand that. ... But I'm going to work with him, stay on him. He can be a great team defender."
Will he or won't he? And will he take his teammates along?
On demand, Bibby historically tunes in. Ask even more of Mike, and he should be an All-Star. For the Kings' sake, he has to be.
--------------------------
Bibby's career highlights
NBA
• Honored as the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week, Feb. 22-27, 2005.
• Named to the 2003 Men's National Team by USA Basketball.
• Hit the winning jumper with 8.2 seconds to play as the Kings took a 3-2 lead in the 2002 Western Conference finals, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 92-91.
• Ranked fourth in the NBA in assists in 2000-01.
• Tallied his first triple-double: 14 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds against Dallas on April 2, 2000.
• Finished fourth in the AT&T Shootout during the 2000 All-Star Weekend.
COLLEGE
• Named Pac-10 Player of the Year and first team All-America by the Associated Press after averaging 17.2 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.0 rpg and 2.40 spg as a sophomore at Arizona in 1997-98.
• As a freshman, scored 20 points in the NCAA semifinal against North Carolina and in the NCAA title game against Kentucky and averaged 18.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 3.3 apg, shooting .486 (18 for 37) from three-point range in the NCAA Tournament.
About the writer: The Bee's Ailene Voisin can be reached at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
