Bill Walton on the 2006 Sacramento Kings

by ridnour8 on Dec 14, 2006 10:58 AM PST

Taken from the live chat on ESPN.com

Joel (Camarillo, CA): What's up with my Kings? Is it just the injuries? There seems to be no chemistry at all and far too much reliance on the jump shot. What do we need to do and who has to step up to turn this slide around?

Bill Walton: (1:38 PM ET ) The Kings find themselves once again at a serious crossroads, which leads me to believe that they will do everything possible to land Allen Iverson. But the problems that Ron Artest brings whenever he goes are now front and center with Sacramento. It's overshadowing one of the brightest stories of this young NBA season, Kevin Martin. Basketball is a young man's game, and Brad Miller is not the all-star level player he once was. While Eric Musselman should be lauded for his emphasis commitment to defense, this league is heading in a different direction (see the Phoenix Suns). Mike Bibby, still an outstanding player, Kenny Thomas, undersized but plays with passion, Shareef Abdul-Raheem, quality team leader. Most of the Western Conference has leapfrogged above the Kings. This is not a team that I see making a dramatic turnaround and somehow finding a way to play on a consistent basis with Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Utah, and the Lakers as the powers in the West.

Bill Walton: (1:40 PM ET ) When Sacramento made the bold move of trading Chris Webber, it was the signal of a new era. That era was bolstered temporarily by the addition of Ron Artest, but it's still a team in a rebuilding/restructuring mode. Fortunately, they have Jeff Petrie, fortunately, they have the Maloofs, and fortunately, they have some of the most fervent, loyal, and supportive fans in the entire NBA. At the end of the day, you still need at least one of the league's best players. Sacramento's roster is still in flux.

Took Bill 2 paragraphs to explain what I can say in one sentence....

We just arent a very good basketball team right now.

NOTE All spelling errors are courtesy of Big Bill.

(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)

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by Rhondda Nunes on Dec 16, 2006 12:57 PM PST reply actions

Yep

And there was some question after Luke hit the floor hard asking Bill if, as a father, he couldn't help but be worried when that happened. He said, "I'm more worried about the missed shot."

by pyro on Dec 16, 2006 3:59 PM PST up reply actions