Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

by Tom Ziller on Jun 10, 2007 8:34 AM PDT in Links

A jaw-dropping rumor from the Newark Star-Ledger Dave D'Alessandro:

Once again, GEOFF PETRIE is showing good sense in pushing hard for TERRY PORTER to take over in Sacramento, and once again, the goofball owners who ruined the team a year ago -- by forcing out RICK ADELMAN and hiring ERIC MUSSELMANN despite Petrie's objections -- are not listening to their GM. Typical. We don't expect the Maloofs to know this, because they're usually too busy hanging around the gold-plated hot tubs of Vegas filming softcore-porn reality TV shows, when they aren't holding up their taxpayers to build a $450 million arena. But Porter did a great job in Milwaukee, making the playoffs his first year, turning MICHAEL REDD into a star, then getting dumped after an absurd string of injuries (notably, T.J. FORD'S spinal surgery) and the turmoil of having eight free agents on his roster dropped him to 30-52 in his second. He is going to be a great -- not good -- head coach someday.

I've heard D'Alessandro is fairly plugged in, and Petrie's mentor and friend Pete Carril is in NJ and was assumedly come back to the Kings if Porter got the job... but I'll still take it with a grain of salt.

If true, this is completely terrible news. I thought we were back to Petrie running the show?

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Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

Man! If this is true, then I'm ticked! I thought the Maloofs realilzed that they positively stink at the personnel end of the Kings spectrum. Every time they've gotten involved in Petrie's area, the Kings have gotten progressively worse.

Joe and Gavin...get your filthy hands out of Petrie's work. Focus on getting an arena deal done and quit sabotaging the team.

Hmmmm....perhaps....no....they couldn't be THAT slimy! Purposely sabo...NO! I refuse to believe that!

by jacquetbg on Jun 10, 2007 10:26 AM PDT reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

I take this report with a grain of salt as the basis of the article seemed to be mostly about taking a shot at the Maloof's. The arena comment is too obvious and simplistic to garner any merit, which to me casts doubts over the whole article.

by section214 on Jun 10, 2007 10:42 AM PDT reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

I hope you're right. But there is also a grain of truth that the Maloofs have been interfering a lot over the last couple of years.

by jacquetbg on Jun 10, 2007 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

That word "interfering" still cracks me up...I'm still waiting to find a job that my owners don't interfere in trivial things like the hiring of high-level employees.

The reality is, either Petrie is making a few bad decisions, or he's not making a strong enough case to convince his ownership on certain moves.

by otis29 on Jun 10, 2007 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

Yeah, well you may be right. However, I don't know if it's my imagination, but the Maloofs seem to be making some very poor public relations decisions over the last couple of years. They've gone from being the darlings of Sacramento to near-villains.

Prior to these last couple of years, the Maloofs have generally listened to Petrie when he has given them advice. Have they gotten to the point where they think they know basketball personnel better than Geoff does? Frankly, I'd trust Petrie more.

Joe and Gavin sure can run a show. They are great with their employees and customers from what I understand. They are more than willing to do whatever it takes to put a good product on the floor. What they need to do now is leave Petrie alone, cough up the bucks necessary to run the team, make an arena deal, and get back to the customer service that made them great owners.

by jacquetbg on Jun 10, 2007 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

I'd certainly trust Petrie's skills in the NBA draft, and acquiring free agents. The results have been mixed on the trade front, and we have no idea if he knows his stuff in picking a head coach. I'm not sure he's been in this situation outside of the Musselman hire.

Face it, Petrie has proven that he is an excellent GM while putting together a team for Rick Adelman. Maybe he is a one trick pony in that regard - but we need to find out since Adelman won't be returning.

by otis29 on Jun 10, 2007 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

Mixed on the trade front? Richmond for Webber, J Will for Bibby? Those are great trades, I understand that not all of the others were as spectacular but not every trade is supposed to be a blockbuster. To take away from the previous trades would require Isaiah Thomas-esque like trades, otherwise than that I'll take a few mediocre trades for a few blockbusters any day.

by CAB on Jun 10, 2007 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

I still think the best trade Petrie ever pulled off was DC13 for Corliss.

I am the stone that the builder refused I am the visual, the inspiration That made Lady Sing the Blues..I'm the spark that makes your idea bright...

by pookeyguru on Jun 10, 2007 10:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

Actually, I looked back at some of his trades and you are right - mixed is probably not the right word. For the most part, his trades have been decent.

However, I am not and have never been as high on Bibby as most, and J-Will has a ring, where Bibby does not. Also, you'd have to give Petrie a failing grade on the Webber deal to Philly. Many of us here felt the trade was acceptable if Petrie would be able to deal the individual parts he got back. The last time I looked, Kenny Thomas was still on the roster.

by otis29 on Jun 11, 2007 6:14 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

I can't agree with you on Bibby, but certainly do regarding the Webber trade. Webber on one leg was/is better than anybody we got for him. (I know his defense was/is not good but how much better are the other guys if at all? And Webb was, at least, guaranteed double digit rebounds.) And it doesn't seem like the salary dump ever occured since as of the end of last season Corlis, the Poodle, and the uselss Russian we got for Skinner were all still on the roster. I will always see it as a bad trade for the Kings. Still, I know other people see it differently.

by Kusian on Jun 11, 2007 9:37 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

It saved the kings paying luxury tax that's one real reason they did it. If the kings trade the poodle, kusian, would you be happy with the webber trade?

I am the stone that the builder refused I am the visual, the inspiration That made Lady Sing the Blues..I'm the spark that makes your idea bright...

by pookeyguru on Jun 11, 2007 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

Getting rid of him would go a long way to making it easier to swallow....for a lot of people, I think :-)

by Kusian on Jun 11, 2007 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

Except for me Kusian. I'm still shocked there was somebody willing to take him.

I am the stone that the builder refused I am the visual, the inspiration That made Lady Sing the Blues..I'm the spark that makes your idea bright...

by pookeyguru on Jun 11, 2007 7:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

Agreed, the criticism seemed pretty personal - and the writing makes me think his paper might be New Jersey's version of the NY Post.

by otis29 on Jun 10, 2007 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Re: Are the Maloofs Preventing a Porter Hire?

It could be too that he's looking for another angle on why Porter hasn't gotten an interview. Either way if what he's saying is true, and it seems very personal on his part with the criticisms he's making, it's a problem. However Otis there are some problems with what he is writing too. First off Dave D'Alessandro isn't a hack. He rarely, from what i've read, writes poorly written pieces. It could be that he isn't as familiar with the whole scenario of what's going on. Partly that makes me think that is what went on with this because he goes into detail, somewhat, about Porter's stay as a head coach and talks about the Palms. What does the Palms, with George Maloof running it I might add, have anything to do with the Kings operation?

So in short I agree that is some muck stirring in hopes of maybe hearing a response down the road that will give him a better read on the situation.

I am the stone that the builder refused I am the visual, the inspiration That made Lady Sing the Blues..I'm the spark that makes your idea bright...

by pookeyguru on Jun 10, 2007 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions