Geoff Petrie Takes Some More Fire
by Tom Ziller on Jan 18, 2012 5:01 AM PST
in Commentary
Email
PrintAilene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee trained her inkwell on Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie in today's paper. The column doesn't call for the personnel boss' job, but it does point out how awful his recent moves look and includes this j'accuse from league sources:
[T]here has been enough chatter about the Kings to warrant attention. Embittered former Kings basketball employees speak of a paranoid, oppressive culture at their former job site. General managers complain about Petrie's reclusive nature. More than one team executive - frustrated by attempts to engage Petrie in trade talks - has taken the back-channel route to the Maloofs.
I thought Geoff Petrie was supposed to be so good that other GMs hid from him?
The heat on Petrie is growing increasingly warmer. He's running out of time to explain this away some six years after the team's last playoff bid. Don't be surprised if we start a hear about the Maloofs talking to potential, no-doubt cheap replacements.
67 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
If they remove Petrie I hope they hire from outside the organization
Everyone there now carries part of the taint from recent years.
by RobbR on Jan 18, 2012 5:40 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
The thing is, that section means nothing to me.
Other GMs are buttsore that they can’t get ahold of Petrie? So what? So they’re having trouble prying away our players for a bag of balls and a Coke?
I’d be more worried if it was that other GMs don’t want to talk to Petrie than Petrie is hard to get ahold of.
That said, I’m no longer on the Petrie bandwagon and I’m more on the fence. Which hurts, I’m getting splinters.
You're not worried that ...
… other GMs are being forced to ask the Maloofs about potential trades instead of the leader of our basketball operations?
That worries me twofold
1. Because Petrie does not appear to be at least hearing what sort of value other teams are placing on our “assets”.
b. The Maloofs are in the position of making unadvised decisions and forcing them on the FO.
Not Necessarily
Could be going like this:
“Hey, Geoff! I saw that recent DeMarcus blowup and was wondering what you thought about dumping him. Call me back.”
“Hey Geoff! Me again. Just wanted to touch base on the whole Cousins thing. Call me.”
“Hey Geoff! Look, I know you said in the press that he wasn’t on the table, but I really want to get an idea what the Cousins market looks like. It’s been a couple of days, call me back.”
“Hey Gavin, Petrie won’t call me back! What’s up with that?”
by Capt. Factorial on Jan 18, 2012 7:52 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
That's almost more damning
You think it’s more dangerous for Petrie to talk to other GMs than to not talk to them.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
This is my concern
Don’t be surprised if we start a hear about the Maloofs talking to potential, no-doubt cheap replacements.
If the franchise is struggling this much now, I worry how much worse it could get with a cheap replacement. Petrie is not above reproach, but I fear a replacement could be even worse.
Never forget, I'm a complete idiot.
Follow me on Twitter
Author of Inside-Out Game
by Exhibit G on Jan 18, 2012 6:51 AM PST reply actions 4 recs
We Kings fans appear to be fairly screwed here
Petrie is mailing it in, and if he leaves the Maloofs get to pick his replacement. Beautiful!!
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
by otis29 on Jan 18, 2012 6:58 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Horrible. Terrible. Things are really ugly. Take it from a Redskins fan.
I’ve seen what a shitty owner and lack of GM can do to a franchise. Skins went from one of the best teams in the NFL almost every year to a joke when Snyder took over.
Kings organization is a wreck, and I don’t see how the Kings can go forward unless the Maloofs change their ways or sell the team. It’s completely disheartening.
I'm sure there are many GM candidates out there
1. You think Pritchard would take a pay cut to get back?
2. An assistant GM like a Dennis Lindsey of San Antonio?
You don’t have to pry away RC Buford here. I think an assistant GM like Lindsey with the Spurs is a good choice. The Kings culture has gone haywire too.
Children, before you go to sleep check under your bed for the BOOGIE MAN!!
This is where the NBA needs to step in and take over.
We all know the “Major League Scenario”
There are a few people interested in buying the Kings, and the NBA should assert themselves and force out these cheap ass owners.
"First we get jobs, then we get the khakis, then we get the chicks."
by Wonderchild on Jan 18, 2012 10:16 AM PST up reply actions
Good Luck
We are probably stuck with the Maloofs.
The problem isn’t Petrie only making moves because of financial constraint its becasue he’s making moves that haven’t panned out and have set the team back.
Besides the Maloofs have said they are doing well. The Kings gave Thornton (RFA) 8M per year for essentially our 3rd best player.
Children, before you go to sleep check under your bed for the BOOGIE MAN!!
Can't really trust what the Maloofs say. Like, at all.
They say they’re doing well? So what? They’ve talked about taking losses in the past, but always maintained that they’d make it through and we’re gonna be ok. Then they were forced to sell their father’s profitable distributorship and almost their entire interest in the Palms. Maybe comapred to you and me they’re doing good. But, by NBA owner standards, they’re sucking big fat donkey balls.
"Put Kobe or Lebron in a wheelchair, and I can GUARANTEE Tyreke would demolish either. You might want to rethink what you just said." - MarcusC.
"I never read those trade threads. They seem to be mainly populated with the sports equivalent of people who think the Rapture is imminent." - andy sims.
by PhutureKings on Jan 18, 2012 12:57 PM PST up reply actions
"My plan is working to perfection."
SJSU. Excellence In Mediocrity, Since 1857.
by SierraSpartan on Jan 18, 2012 7:04 AM PST reply actions 4 recs
“We can’t trade our few good players, Stern will shut us down. How about we assemble the worst collection of role players ever to sabotage these guys?”
I think we already have.
Asked if the Kings had any intention of trading Cousins, basketball president Geoff Petrie said, "No."
Next up is Keith Smart, confronting a grim reality: He lacks the gravitas of a Larry Brown or a Jerry Sloan, and his roster consists of round parts and square holes.
Ahhh… No Voisin article is complete without either a Larry Brown mention or a creepy pervy comment on one of the players.
The funny thing is ...
… I almost included a line in my post promising no Larry Brown or Ricky mentions, but there it was. So close.
At least there were no rippling pectorals.
Even though the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas!
by LeaguePassAddict on Jan 18, 2012 9:44 AM PST up reply actions
I've been on the "fire" petrie bandwagon lately
But if teams are calling about DMC they should get ignored.
At the same time he should be working the phone vigorously trying to fix this mess. He can take a call for DMC just to divert it somewhere else at least. What happened to the Petrie Jedi mind tricks?
by Allbenji on Jan 18, 2012 7:41 AM PST via mobile reply actions
I have not... and will not jump on this bandwagon
Until the Maloofs have proven that he is allowed to spend money and not just float around the salary floor.
by HeuristicLineup on Jan 18, 2012 7:59 AM PST up reply actions
I would be with you
If not for the Salmons trade. That was the tipping point for me
by Allbenji on Jan 18, 2012 8:03 AM PST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
And the Outlaw deal
And locking up our first round pick for the next five years on the Hickson deal.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
by otis29 on Jan 18, 2012 8:11 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah..
All pretty damning. And it puts us in a pinch now that we have 3 SFs if you include Salmons, Garcia, and Outlaw. That is a big chunk of change tied up in a bunch of mediocrity.
"I gotta have more cowbell"
by CowbellKings on Jan 18, 2012 3:26 PM PST up reply actions
the Salmons trade
was initiated by Westphal. It’s been noted several times. Yeah, Petrie had the final say (or should have, who knows.) But I can’t blame him for trying to get behind his coach and give him some freedom to develop a team. Ok, yeah. What the hell was Petrie thinking there…
Uggggh…
...Watching DeMarcus Cousins’ transformation from large human to immortal kill beast...
If he's allowing Westphal to influence his decision making
Then he should have just hired Larry Brown back in the day. Isn’t that exactly what he was trying to avoid?
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
I never enjoyed watching Salmons play when he was here before
and didn’t like the idea of bringing him back.
I also worried that his statistical season last year might be showing that he as on a significant down arc in his career. GP thought otherwise I suppose but so far it looks like a terrible move – and he is responsible.
"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower
by lietothegirls on Jan 18, 2012 1:21 PM PST up reply actions
Petrie: Shhh!!! Keep it down out there. Can't you see I'm busy in here.
Another day at the office of General Manager, Geoff Petrie whose reclusive ways have staff concerned. The phone rings, but he does not pick it up. One staff member tip toes to his door, pressing her ear against it, hoping to hear what is going on.
“That thud you hear is… their front office…laying the biggest collective egg in California.” – Sacbee
One staff member spoke on condition of anonymity, “He’s been working on this for years, really. But, we never thought it would come to fruition. Who would have thought he would lay an egg? What is going to happen next?”
Asked if the Kings had any intention of trading Cousins, basketball president Geoff Petrie said, "No."
I agree with your take, HL
Until I see the Kings spending more on talent, I cant put all the blame on Petrie. The Maloofs insist he has the green light, but I dont buy it.
They lost out on the bid for Dalembert and Crawford. If they really wanted them, they could have upped Dalembert’s offer to 2 year $20 mil and he would have signed here. They could have offered Crawford a fully guaranteed 2 year deal for $8 mil a season, but they didnt. I am not at all convinced Petrie has that green light.
"First we get jobs, then we get the khakis, then we get the chicks."
by Wonderchild on Jan 18, 2012 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
But you can blame Petrie for hiring Westphal and letting him run Kings into ground.
Petrie’s dealing with Westphal was inexcusable, and the last straw for me. Petrie almost allowed Wpahl to destroy the Kings and trade their best player. The fact that Petrie let Westphal somehow convince him to get Salmons is a joke. I used to love Petrie, but he is not doing his job well. Unless he does something miraculous, he should go….
by amonk81 on Jan 18, 2012 12:30 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
In fairness, I did say "all the blame cant go on Petrie"
He does share blame with the PW, the Maloofs, and the players. I am not at the point where I will single him out as THE person to blame for the players underperforming, but he is not blameless.
That said, I do place blame on him for his draft this year (2nd round excluded). I was a huge Kawhi fan going into the draft, as I thought he would compliment our current crop of players. Low usage guy, good defense, can hit the spot up three, great motor, moves around without the ball. I would have much rather seen us draft him and keep Beno.
"First we get jobs, then we get the khakis, then we get the chicks."
He HAS
1. He burned 33M on Thornton before he tested the market. He bid himself. He was a RFA.
2. He wasted 12M on Travis Outlaw.
3. He wasted 30M on Francisco Garcia
4. He took on money.
Its not about spending money. He has made BAD MOVES. Moves that have caused the team to make NO progress.
Who is to say Petrie if given the resources to spend will spend it properly.
Children, before you go to sleep check under your bed for the BOOGIE MAN!!
by kingme18 on Jan 18, 2012 11:05 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
4. He took on money with Salmons trade.
Children, before you go to sleep check under your bed for the BOOGIE MAN!!
by kingme18 on Jan 18, 2012 11:10 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I wish that there were a couple of other calls he refused to take or make.
Maybe we wouldn’t be stuck with Salmons and Outlaw.
"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom
The greatest impact player in NBA History - Tim Donaghy
by HighTops on Jan 18, 2012 9:26 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I wish Petrie would realized
Outlaw stunk it up ever since he left Portland.
Children, before you go to sleep check under your bed for the BOOGIE MAN!!
That was his job to know that.
He either:
1. Knew Outlaw stunk but took him anyway which shows incompetency
2. Didn’t know Outlaw stunk, but should have known, which shows incompetency.
Either way: Incompetency
Grade: Fail
Asked if the Kings had any intention of trading Cousins, basketball president Geoff Petrie said, "No."
This is not a defense of Petrie, just the first thing that popped into my mind
More than one team executive – frustrated by attempts to engage Petrie in trade talks – has taken the back-channel route to the Maloofs.
This is like listening to people in front offices of baseball complain about Brian Sabian. I know he’s polarizing among Giants fans (I am not one of them) but trust me, people in front offices of major league baseball HATE HIM with a passion.
Agreed
I remember when Ainge came out and complained that he didn’t know that Kevin Martin was in play. Sounded like a major CYA move.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
Have to say though
These are the things that form Hollinger’s thoughts on the Kings front office that often go on being bashed here.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 18, 2012 9:50 AM PST up reply actions
I thought of Sabean as well
However, he’s always had that reputation (as far as I can tell), while this is more recent behavior from Petrie.
And let’s be real, baseball is a weird animal. Sabean and his staff did a great job putting together an incredible young pitching staff, and he deserves credit for that. But he’s extremely inept at putting together an offensive roster. If he can find a league average offense, that team has a chance to win the whole enchilada every season.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
This is not a defense of Petrie, just the first thing that popped into my mind
by wallywagon11 on Jan 18, 2012 10:30 AM PST up reply actions
crap sorry didn't mean to post just that
was going to just reiterate, just letting you know it was just a random thought that popped in my head after reading this post and the article in the sacbee.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 18, 2012 10:32 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah, same here
Sabean is still getting torched by the fans, even after the WS win. I think most people feel he lucked into it, but most people also think he “wasted” most of Bonds’ years with the team by not putting enough talent around him.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
I have one acquitance from college who works for the Giant's affiliate in San Jose and had a few conversations with people who work out of Oakland and Sacramento for the Athletics and Rivercats
and the Sabean stories are the best front office stories.
I still remember Sabean doing a chat for mlb.com way back when Vlad signed with the Angeles and Giants fans pestering him about not going after Vlad and him getting REALLY defensive. Pretty funny.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 18, 2012 10:57 AM PST up reply actions
It's hard to listen to an interview with him without coming away thinking he's just a huge dickhead
Or just a very unlikeable person. I think if he had more personality, that might change opinions a bit.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
oh absolutely
He’s a dick. It’s all about his personality. Nobody likes being strung along on the phone with the guy.
by wallywagon11 on Jan 18, 2012 11:14 AM PST up reply actions
I think a lot of GMs come across as dicks, or at least arrogant
When you’re in the business of hiring and firing people, and making the tough decisions, I think it would be helpful to be a bit of an asshole.
Regarding Sabean, I thought it was funny how in the Moneyball movie, Billy Beane calls him “Sabey Sabes” (or something like that), but when a reporter asked Beane about it, he said he actually called Sabean “shnookums”
And yeah, not a Giants fan, but Sabean is the luckiest SOB on the planet. He has gotten three draft picks correctly in about 15 years (Lincecum, Cain and Sandoval), but otherwise can’t put together a roster to save his life. The fact that putz has a championship while Billy Beane does not is frustrating.
Al Davis 1929-2011 Just rest in peace, baby
"Da greatness of Da Rooster" - RLangford
Follow me on Twitter @FernandoRGallo
Personality
If you can do the job who cares if the guy is a dick, Barry Bonds great player but not the best rep.
Since Moneyball and having had Hudson, Mulder and Zito what has Beane done, its a great movie and Beane is a more interesting personality but all the As seem to do is rebuild.
Think Sabean deserves credit for what the Giants did. Were they lucky when they won, yeh maybe, but when they lost in 2002 blowing a huge lead in game 6 wasn’t that bad luck.
Hard to be too critical of Beane in my opinion
Everyone else has caught on – many other teams play “Moneyball”, but they have additional dollars to cover up their mistakes.
Nobody else is as dumb (or as blind) as they used to be.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
We all know a Petrie
He’s the guy in your office who has somehow convinced the decision-makers that he is exponentially more valuable that everyone else in the office knows he is.
Can we get him an answer machine?
" …. and if your phone call is regarding Demarcus Cousins or are a debt collector looking for the Maloofs you will not receive a call back. Thanks Geoff!"
by bignerd on Jan 18, 2012 10:04 AM PST reply actions 3 recs
Just recently on a Chat Wrap with Chad Ford...
there was this little doozy..
Alek (CA)
The Kings are a disaster and it seems something needs to change. What can they do either through trade or draft to fix some of their problems?
Chad Ford (1:26 PM)
Well … I guess the coach wasn’t the whole problem. With the way they’ve enabled DeMarcus Cousins … he’s not going anywhere. All signs have pointed to Geoff Petrie for a while … just wondering if the Maloofs have the clarity to understand it and the courage to do something about it.
It’s starting to peek outside the Sac bubble too.
To be fair,
Chad Ford has had a hard on for the Kings front office for quite some time. They don’t like him and he doesn’t like them. This is not to minimize Petrie’s gaffes – I just don’t consider Ford to be a reasonable and credible source on this issue.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jan 18, 2012 11:15 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, when Chad Ford ventures into opinion, I tend to tune him out
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!" - Michael Scott
people talk in this business
and have no interest in getting each other in trouble
by wallywagon11 on Jan 18, 2012 11:15 AM PST up reply actions
The Maloofs are the main reason for the Kings decline....
And Petrie has made plenty of terrible idiotic trades throughout the years, as well as multiple bad draft picks in both rounds. The Maloofs & Petrie are the main reasons the Kings have gone downhill. Period.
"Clowns hate how I lock this down, but if they think I'm obnoxious now, wait til I pop Cristal." - Copywrite
I still blame it all on Chris Webber's knee.
Oh, and George W. Bush, of course. But, I blame him for everything. Like my burned toast this morning.
"Put Kobe or Lebron in a wheelchair, and I can GUARANTEE Tyreke would demolish either. You might want to rethink what you just said." - MarcusC.
"I never read those trade threads. They seem to be mainly populated with the sports equivalent of people who think the Rapture is imminent." - andy sims.
by PhutureKings on Jan 18, 2012 1:04 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
lol
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Jan 18, 2012 1:10 PM PST up reply actions
I know somebody who can fix that for you!
Just give him 4 more years.
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Jan 18, 2012 1:11 PM PST up reply actions
Thoughts
I had read somewhere (it may have been Bill Simmons on a podcast) the former players tend to overpay as GMs as they were players once and they are sympathetic to seeing guys wanting to get paid, when what they get paid may not reflect their true worth.
To quote Simmons again he made the point of comparing what the Kings paid Thornton Vs what someone like Jason Richardson got paid. His point was they are the similar players but look at the value and length of contract, but who would you rather have?
It would be hard to think many fans were in favor of the Salmons deal and it shows that the fears fears may be realized, why didn’t Kings Management see this?
Would take anything Chad Ford says about the Kings front office with a grain of salt, would think any team who drafted Cousins will have to deal his maturity issues, I would have liked for the Kings to have signed a vet last year to mentor him
The fact the Tyreke has unique skills, but the team struggled last year to move the ball, why wasn’t some PG bought in the help the team?
Does the Kings management structure resembling the Raiders, pre Reggie McKenzie or is that unkind?
by Murf on Jan 18, 2012 1:30 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Vultures
Opinions of bitter former employees, bitter GM’s, and bitter media should be taken with a grain of salt. Some GM’s can’t take “no” for an answer so they try to go through owners. If there are leaks/rats in your FO they should be rooted out. If someone’s reputation is in question, would leaving/quitting prove critics wrong, or staying and rebuilding a winner under less than favorable financial conditions?
by getPGwithbounce on Jan 18, 2012 5:45 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Behind the Box Score, where the Boston Celtics are moving on to the conference finals
- NBA Playoffs Fan Fiction: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- The Indiana Pacers? Gone till November
- Shaquille O’Neal is in a Chinese beer commercial, too (VIDEO)
- ‘Deep Thoughts’ and Cheap Thoughts: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
