Paul Westphal Approaching Dick Motta's Dark Mark

BRING BACK REGGIE!!!

I got curious and went back to look for Kevin Pelton’s commentary on why Westphal was a bad idea based on his Seattle tenure. It sounds a bit prescient, to be honest.

Westphal took over in a tough spot at the end of the Sonics’ run, and I give him credit for his willingness to play young players and develop Rashard Lewis. Still, he hastened the end of the team’s run with his mismanagement. He inexplicably started Billy Owens (picked up, along with Olden Polynice, from the Kings — I’m sure I don’t have to tell you guys) over first Hersey Hawkins — who had started all 82 games the previous five seasons and never come off the bench in his life — and then Detlef Schrempf. Not only was Owens terrible and out of shape, it was a slap in the face to the team’s veterans.

Westphal also did poorly in terms of managing the team’s stars. Again, not an easy task, but he tried to coddle Gary Payton (who did not respect him at all) and went tough on Vin Baker (who crumbled mentally). By the time he was fired at the start of the 2000-01 season, there was little question he had lost the team.

I really don’t mean to pile on … this bleak time is just bringing up all these, er, questions.

on the available Coaches out there.

I really can’t see how a new coach can be worse than this. Even if he is equally bad, a change will help the players morally.

I think we’re not far from a shoulder bump.

The reason he is here is because he is a cheap coach for maloffs.we are doomed!!!

I still do not understand why they off’d Theus. especially when you look at all the injuries he was dealing with. Maybe he didn’t toe the corp. line, how ever he was a lot better then the previous coach and the two that have followed him.

Did the worst coaches of Kings history not have the proper players in place to play like a cohesive unit? Or was it a matter of the coach just not being able to rally all available talent together?

Ellie, aside, I do not see any benefit to changing coaches now. No legit coach is going to sign with us mid-season. Promoting Ellie is just setting him up for failure. We will once again be viewed around the league—by both players and coaches as dysfunctional. Quality coaches are far less likely to sign with a team that continues to cut their coaches. We will never know if this team with PW at the helm might have turned things around. The interim coach with have all the authority of a lame duck president. And even if we do win a couple more games, it will make absolutely no difference in the long run.

Lots of risks, very little upside. Sounds like a pretty crappy idea to me.

I still like an idea i heard last week..Take Singletary (49ers Coach) and Switch him with Westphal..It really can’t get worse for either team…

What is right by the fans perspective and what is right by the Maloof’s tight wallets are two different things.

As much as I dislike PW and the “Poo Flinging to see what sticks” method of line up changes… I am not sure the Maloof’s would want to spend the money any way for a BETTER coach. (is there even one available right now?) They picked the cheapest guy on the market that no one else was really chasing. Then they extend his contract after proving next to nothing. They had the match that started the fire with Rick… and the downward coaching spiral is all on them since then.

What the fans want is not what the Maloof’s want… then again is it ever with any team?.

With Dick Motta, you moved out a more veteran team with Danny Ainge and Rodney McCray. That hasn’t happened with the Kings (Kevin Martin jokes aside), and it’s quite possible that the cap space is far more valuable than Kevin Martin and Carl Landry combined.

Dick Motta wanted a young team and that’s the way Jerry Reynolds and Gregg Lukenbill went. This is part of Geoff Petrie’s idea, and it just hasn’t worked out as quickly as we were hoping. There are so many differences between the 100 games with Dick Motta and Paul Westphal I’m not sure comparing the two has any other value other than teaching the young fans how god-awful the Kings were when Dick Motta was the head coach.

Oh, $h*t…

RUN!!!

Westphal’s problem is that he is so clearly dumb. He does not learn from his mistakes and he hasn’t a clue about the team’s chemistry. The team is dispirited and they have no faith in him.
His last post game interview was painful to watch. He blames his players for his failure. He is already done. You get what you pay for.

Westphal is also 56th all-time in NBA coaching wins and 20th in win percentage among coaches who have coached at least 500 games.

Warrior fan and fantasy NBA owner who lives in Sacto here. Paul Westphal is a horrible fantasy coach. I think he is because of his weird starting lineup and always trying to “experiment” with the roster. Is he an NBA coach or mad scientist? The Kings have some good, young players to develop if Westphal would only play them. For example, Beno Udrih needs minutes and should be starting. Beno proved himself last year. He should be starting with Tyreke. Or I had Samuel Dalembert on my fantasy roster, but he was inconsistent, so I ended up dropping him. I’d pick up Francisco Garcia if he only get regular minutes. He should be playing about 28 mpg as starter or sixth man. At SF, I rather see Omri Casspi or Carl Landry, and would like with Donte Greene if he doesn’t get yanked after two minutes. At PF, you got Carl Landry, but now he’s going to the bench. How can a team even jell if the players keep changing and they’re not given enough minutes. I was going to the game last Saturday, but after I heard about Carl Landry, I said why bother?