Reading Into a Delay: Is Kurt Rambis the Next Kings Coach?

TZ, I’m assuming you’re the only one on the site that has anything that resembles a pipeline into the SacBee Sports writing staff, so I’ve got to ask you, “Can we please get Amick to get us some feedback on why the Kings have not contacted Johnson or Messina?” I don’t read the Bee everyday but I have not heard a single question asked re: the other, younger, more successful, candidates out there. Do we have any press on this at all?

two of the most important decisions of his GM career
you’d take your time too

no interview = no job. Nonetheless, I’d be happy with Rambis. He has had championship success at all levels, has been learing to coach a very fluid offense, and knows how to take a clothesline.

If Jackson wins with the Lakers would it not be unreasonable to assume that he might be done as coach and Rambis might get the Lakers gig next year (assuming he is the head coach in waiting)??

If Phil stays to ride the Kobe train into the ground, then he retires or goes off to coach whatever team Lebron is on, will the Laker job be that good a job then. Take Kobe off the Lakers and thats a pretty average team, Fisher has a fork in him, Farmer and eyechart (who here can spell sasha vujacic without looking it up) are average at best, Gasol has talent but isn’t a star by himself he didn’t do much in Memphis, Odom turns up once a week, they have a bunch of role guys like Walton and Ariza who are just that. Would Rambis really see that as being better than the Kings job?

I don’t agree with Napaer on many things but in this case the new Kings coach is a some minor issue in turning the team around, when getting better talent on board would make much more of a difference.

He’s principled and he’s very tenacious. Albeit in a maddeningly slow and methodical way. Petrie is NOT a knee jerk reactionary kind of dude. He is willing to let opportunity pass in for the sake of process and principle. There is something to be said for being principled (Lord knows, no one else in the NBA has much principle). But on the other hand there is also something to be said for “he who hesitates is lost” too.

  I am not certain Petrie had any interest in Jordan at all. It seems he interviewed Jordan just to do his due diligence, but I believe he did not have any intention of hiring Jordan. Petrie knew Jordan as well as anyone in the league, and if Jordan was the right guy, Geoff already had all the information he needed to hire him way BEFORE that interview. I think Petrie sees a flaw in Jordan that wasn’t acceptable to him. I don’t think it was money like others speculate. What that flaw is we will probably never know because Petrie is about as open as a CIA Operative.

  By that same token, it would seem he sees something in Rambus that intrigues him, because he has delayed the decision on Westphal for some reason (I don’t think Thibodeau is even in the running. He just doesn’t fit the criteria set forth…). Westphal, for all his questionable coaching history is technically qualified for the job. I do not believe either Westphal or Rambus would try to hold out for more money. I think these 2 canidates are pretty close to costing the same. So Petrie is weighing the pluses and minuses of these 2, and something about Westphal is keeping Rambus in the running.

 I do NOT like Rambus mostly because he bleeds Purple and Gold. He is a dyed in the wool FAKER! It would be very distasteful to have a FAKER lover as our head coach. Personally I do not see what it is about Westphal that is causing this delay. But if Petrie is reticent to hire him, I think you have to give Petrie the power to make this choice Don’t kid yourself, this choice is DO or DIE for Petrie. If he makes the wrong choice here, it most likely will be his last bad choice as GM of the Kings. Haveing looked pretty deeply into Westphal’s coaching in Phoenix, Seattle, and even his short stint at Pepperdine, I can’t find anything that jumps out at you that says DO NOT HIRE.

  Rambis, on the other hand didn’t really do all that well as the Faker fill in coach for the short time he was the Head Faker. He went (24-13) in the strike shortened season of 1998 with Kobe, Shaq, Glen Rice, Fisher, Eddie Jones, and Rodman. It was Kobe’s 2nd year, but all in all that team WAY underperformed. They were ranked 23rd out of 29 on defense. With Shaq being a dominant force, they should have been a WAY better defensively. Shaq was in his prime. They were swept by a San Antonio team that went on to win the championship. Still, when you look at Rambis’s coaching that year its very underwhelming. Sure, Rambis has gotten a lot more experience since then, but I do not see what it is that attracts Petrie to Rambis.

 On the other hand, Westphal’s coaching experience was pretty good,. 1993 – 95 he had 3 winning seasons. in ’93 he lost in the finals to Jordan. No shame in that. Then he went to Seattle where 1999 – 2001 he posted a winning record. In 1999/2000 season, the Supersonics were 45-37 and took a team of Gary Payton, Vin Baker, and a bunch of role players to the Western Conference finals where they lost to the Jazz 3-2. The Jazz were by far a better team with Malone and Stockton in their prime.

 So on coaching alone, Westphal looks like the better candidate. So WHY is Petrie slow to pull the trigger on Westphal? The turmoil on the Seattle team was mostly caused by Gary (I can’t shut my freeking mouth) Payton. Hopefully a choice will be made soon and we can all blog about the merit of the choice.