Author: larryfleisher

Over 200 coaching changes since Jerry Sloan took over

That’s an amazing stat when John Thompson mentioned it on his interview with Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan on Inside the NBA. Of course, knowing how my mind works, I wondered about all those changes.

He became the coach on December 9, 1988 and presided over a 97-89 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. It’s nearly impossible to list the exact order of coaching changes but the next best thing would be to do it by team.

Atlanta Hawks – Mike Fratello, Bob Weiss, Lenny Wilkens, Lon Kruger, Terry Stotts, Mike Woodson. (six coaches)

Boston Celtics – Jimmy Rodgers, Chris Ford, ML Carr, Rick Pitino, Jim O’Brien, John Carroll, Doc Rivers (seven)

Charlotte Bobcats – Bernie Bickerstaff, Sam Vincent (two)

Chicago Bulls – Doug Collins, Phil Jackson, Tim Floyd, Bill Berry, Bill Cartwright, Pete Myers, Scott Skiles (seven)

Cleveland Cavaliers – Lenny Wilkens, Mike Fratello, Randy Wittman, John Lucas, Keith Smart, Paul Silas, Brendan Malone, Mike Brown (eight)

Dallas Mavericks – John MacLeod, Richie Adubato, Gar Heard, Quinn Buckner, Dick Motta, Jim Cleamons, Don Nelson, Donn Nelson, Avery Johnson (nine)

Denver Nuggets – Doug Moe, Paul Westhead, Dan Issel, Gene Littles, Bernie Bickerstaff, Dick Motta, Bill Hanzlik, Mike D’Antoni, Dan Issel, Mike Evans, Jeff Bzdelik, Michael Cooper, George Karl (12)

Detroit Pistons – Chuck Daly, Ron Rothstein, Don Chaney, Doug Collins, Alvin Gentry, George Irvine, Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown, Flip Saunders (nine)

Golden State Warriors – Don Nelson, Bob Lanier, Rick Adelman, PJ Carlesimo, Garry St Jean, Dave Cowens, Brian Winters, Eric Musselman, Mike Montgomery, Don Nelson (nine)

Houston Rockets – Don Chaney, Rudy Tomjanovich, Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Adelman (four)

Indiana Pacers – George Irvine, Dick Versace, Bob Hill, Larry Brown, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Rick Carlisle, Jim O’Brien (eight)

Los Angeles Clippers – Gene Shue, Don Casey, Mike Schuler, Larry Brown, Bob Weiss, Bill Fitch, Chris Ford, Jim Todd, Alvin Gentry, Dennis Johnson, Mike Dunleavy (11)

Los Angeles Lakers – Pat Riley, Mike Dunleavy, Randy Pfund, Magic Johnson, Del Harris, Bill Bertka, Kurt Rambis, Phil Jackson, Rudy Tomjanovich, Frank Hamblen, Phil Jackson (10)

Memphis Grizzlies – Brian Winters, Stu Jackson, Brian Hill, Lionel Hollins, Sidney Lowe, Hubie Brown, Lionel Hollins, Mike Fratello, Tony Barone, Marc Iavaroni (nine)

Miami Heat – Ron Rothstein, Kevin Loughery, Alvin Gentry, Pat Riley, Stan Van Gundy, Pat Riley (five)

Milwaukee Bucks – Del Harris, Frank Hamblen, Mike Dunleavy, Chris Ford, George Karl, Terry Porter, Terry Stotts, Larry Krystowiak (eight)

Minnesota Timberwolves – Bill Musselman, Jimmy Rodgers, Sidney Lowe, Bill Blair, Flip Saunders, Kevin McHale, Dwane Casey, Randy Wittman (eight)

New Jersey Nets – Willis Reed, Bill Fitch, Chuck Daly, Butch Beard, John Calipari, Don Casey, Byron Scott, Lawrence Frank (eight)

New Orleans Hornets – Dick Harter, Gene Littles, Allan Bristow, Dave Cowens, Paul Silas, Tim Floyd, Byron Scott (seven)

New York Knicks – Rick Pitino, Stu Jackson, John McLeod, Pat Riley, Don Nelson, Jeff Van Gundy, Don Chaney, Herb Williams, Lenny Wilkens, Herb Williams, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas (11)

Orlando Magic – Matt Guokas, Brian Hill, Richie Adubato, Chuck Daly, Doc Rivers, Johnny Davis, Chris Jent, Brian Hill, Stan Van Gundy (eight)

Philadelphia 76ers – Jim Lynam, Doug Moe, Fred Carter, John Lucas, Johnny Davis, Larry Brown, Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, Jim O’Brien, Maurice Cheeks (10)

Phoenix Suns – Cotton Fitzsimmons, Paul Westphal, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Danny Ainge, Scott Skiles, Frank Johnson, Mike D’Antoni (six)

Portland TrailBlazers – Mike Schuler, Rick Adelman, PJ Carlesimo, Mike Dunleavy, Maurice Cheeks, Kevin Pritchard, Nate McMillian (seven)

Sacramento Kings – Jerry Reynolds, Dick Motta, Rex Hughes, Garry St. Jean, Eddie Jordan, Rick Adelman, Eric Musselman, Reggie Theus (eight)

San Antonio Spurs – Larry Brown, Bob Bass, Jerry Tarkanian, John Lucas, Rex Hughes, Bob Hill, Gregg Popovich (seven)

Seattle Supersonics – Bernie Bickerstaff, Tom Newell, Bob Kloppenburg, Bernie Bickerstaff, KC Jones, Bob Kloppenburg, George Karl, Paul Westphal, Nate McMillian, Bob Weiss, Bob Hill, PJ Carlesimo (10)

Toronto Raptors – Brendan Malone, Darrell Walker, Butch Carter, Lenny Wilkens, Kevin O’Neill, Sam Mitchell (six)

Washington Wizards – Wes Unseld, Jim Lynam, Bernie Bickerstaff, Jim Brovelli, Darrell Walker, Gar Heard, Leonard Hamilton, Doug Collins, Eddie Jordan (nine)

The best of Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas

The New York Times is offering its archives for free since 1985. That gives anyone a chance to look up any topic and read about it. Without further ado, InsideHoops.com presents the best quotes of the Isiah Thomas era on a monthly basis. Though many of these quotes were made to reporters from multiple media outlets, credit the New York Times archives as the source:

December 2003

12/23 ”Everything in New York is big and the best. ‘Here, we’re trying to win and right away.’

12/24 ”One of the things that I’m evaluating and assessing is what will a New York Knick player look like and what values will he possess and how will he play?”

12/28 ”Winning to me is not a good effort. ‘You either win or lose.”

12/30 ”I think there are different ways to motivate people. I’ve always tried to inspire people instead of trying to manipulate them through fear, because if you’re going to have a long-lasting effect it has to be through true inspiration of that individual wanting to succeed as opposed to I’m going to frighten you to succeed.”

January 2004

1/4 ”He’s got great stuff. ‘His defense stuff is solid, his offensive stuff is exceptional. He’s got a great basketball background. I’m confident if we can put the right things around him from a coaching standpoint, I as a manager can do the right things by him, he can have success here.” – expressing his confidence in Don Chaney

1/5 ”It just made me realize how important that position was to us and how much we needed to go out and acquire a guy like that. ‘You just don’t get a chance to get these superstar players and have them be on your team in this day and age.”- after acquiring Marbury

1/12 ”We’re in the state where I think it would be impossible for me to do both and do them well. ‘We’re trying to get healthy and we got to dig ourselves out of a big hole. And I don’t think I would do this organization justice by trying to do both jobs.” – on if he could coach and be in the front office

1/13 ”You definitely don’t like to see anyone humiliated in such a public forum. It’s a tough time for him as a man.” – on the David Letterman show discussing the status of Don Chaney

1/14 ”We came to the conclusion late this morning. You never thought you would be able to get a Hall of Fame coach to be able to coach a team. Having the opportunity to have the winningest coach in basketball, we pride ourselves on being the best and having the opportunity to select the best. I just think he’s a perfect fit. And I think he’s the perfect fit for Stephon.” – on hiring Lenny Wilkens

1/19 ”He’s a very special player, a very gifted player,” ”And I think, ideally, we would still like to get more athletic and go out and acquire the best talent and get the best players for him to play with. I would like for us to become a much more athletic team, a quicker team.” – more on Marbury

February 2004

2/15 ”The only reason we made the trade was because we got both players. When you add Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed to our team, it makes us a much more athletic team. I think we’ve become a better defensive team, a better rebounding team.” – on acquiring Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed.

2/15 ”I wanted to put together a team that was exciting for the fans to come and watch, a team that had some character and some guts, but also a team that you can grab a box of popcorn and grab a soda and enjoy the game. ”You want players and you want a team that people want to see. I think this is a team that when everyone is healthy and playing well, it can be an exciting team that people will want to see and talk about.”

March 2004

3/17 ”Lenny and I are on the same page. ‘We talk daily, nightly, hourly. We work well together. I love my team. I love our coach. I love our players. But I want more.” – after he yelled at the Knicks for sucking in an overtime win over Washington

April 2004

4/23 ”This is a starting point for us; we will learn from this experience. You’ve got to be in the playoffs and have some humiliating moments to learn to win.” – following n 81-78 loss to the Nets in Game Three

4/27 ”But I didn’t think it was a good message to send to our fans to say: ‘You know, we haven’t made the playoffs in two years. We’re going to get rid of all the salary and go young, and, you know, by the way, the next three years we aren’t going to make the playoffs because we’re going to be young and rebuilding.”’ – after the Knicks were swept in the playoffs by the Nets.

October 2004

10/1 “After watching the Yankees pour Champagne last night in their locker room, I got really fired up and inspired. “I look at our team, and that’s what we aspire to be. And I’m pretty excited about this year and the possibilities and the chances that we have. I like all the young guys that we have, love the veterans that are coming back. The coaches are enthused. We’ve got a chance to have a really good year, and I’m excited about it.”

10/7 – If he conforms to the Knick ways and he acts accordingly, yeah. Thus far, he’s conformed. Everything’s O.K. if you do what we’re asking you to do. But when you try to do things the way you want to do them, there are issues with that.” – on Shandon Anderson

November 2004

11/9 – “I have no interest in coaching,. I don’t think I’ll ever coach the New York Knicks.”

11/9 – “As long as I’m the president of basketball operations here in New York, I don’t see myself coaching the New York Knicks,” he said. “And I wish you would stop writing it or stop saying it, because that’s not going to happen while I’m here.

11/9 – “I think in other cities, you may be able to pull off G.M.-coach, but I don’t think in this city you can do it, simply because the energy and the passion that it takes to do one job, the way we have to travel, the way we have to live, the complexities of this city. I know, myself, I wouldn’t have the energy to be the president and also the coach.”

December 2004

12/7 “I think he’s in that discussion. I know the thing that the coaches value the most is his work ethic, the way he approaches the game every night and the way he does the dirty work inside the paint. He’s not flashy; he’s effective. He’s just a worker.” – on Nazr Mohammed

12/12 “If you’re not playing for the championship, then you’re not good enough. And my job is to continue to try to make us good enough, so we can compete and try to win the championship one day.”

January 2005

1/4 – “I thought he was awesome, and I happen to agree with him. “When you look at his numbers across the board and what we do when he’s out on the floor, I think he is the best right now.” – on Marbury declaring himself the NBA’s best point guard

1/21 -“It hurts to watch your team lose by 1 and 2 points and get beat at the buzzer and all that But you know what? It’s part of the process. If you want to make quick, rash decisions, then you should go hire somebody else. But if you want sustained growth, in terms of how we’re building it, right now I’m stubborn enough to stick to my plan.”

1/22 – “It’s tough when you lose someone such as Lenny, “What he’s meant to the game of basketball, what he’s done for our organization, and last year when we got together, I think where he’s brought us to, we’re on solid footing. He laid the foundation, he came in and handled it with class and dignity and grace. He did all the right things to get us into the playoffs last year.”

Gathered by Larry Fleisher of InsideHoops.com from the New York Times archives

February 2005

2/9 – “Make no mistake, the man in front of you has been through a lot of tough times,” Thomas said of himself. As he added: “Our best days are in front of us and not in the present. We have to be patient enough to get to that day.” – explaining the 19-30 record

2/24 – “We were able to upgrade our talent in getting Malik Rose and Maurice Taylor. There’s also the addition of the two picks. We have two first-round picks this year and two first-round picks next year. We will be able to improve our team with the youth we’ll get in the draft, or we may be able to package some players and do some other things. This gives us creative ability in the draft.” – on the deals for Malik Rose and Maurice Taylor.

2/24 “Malik is a high-energy player, and the fans are going to enjoy watching him play. “In terms of his salary, a guy like Malik who is making $5 or $6 million a year is worthy of that contract. The two or three additional years that he has, I’m very comfortable paying those numbers. Those are not $12, $13 or $14 million numbers.”

April 2005

4/20 – “I really like what we have. When you’ve lost 30 games by 6 points or less, there’s some hope. So we’re not as far away as our record would indicate.” – the day after the team finished 33-49

4/20 – “The way I feel right now, I’d trade my mother if the right deal came along,” – discussing on how to improve the roster

June 2005

6/28 – “We like Herb Williams as a coach; he did a fine job when he was here. I’m sorry. He did a fine job of coaching the team. But we want to do the best and do the right thing for the New York Knicks, and we’ll be diligent and patient with our approach.” – Thomas jumping the gun on the coaching job.

6/30 – “I don’t think I’ve ever said this to any of you publicly, but last year was really the first time that I’ve ever been associated with a basketball team that was called ‘soft’ at certain times. Every team that I’ve ever played on has always been a great defensive team, whether it’s been my high school team, college team or pro team, or the team that I coached in Indiana.” – Thomas on the day he introduced Quentin Richardson, Channing Frye, Nate Robinson and David Lee

July 2005

7/2 – “Any guy that has ‘center’ next to his name, we’re interested in.”- Thomas discussing his search for a free agent center in class that included Stromile Swift and Samuel Dalembert

7/6 – “That is so far from the truth. And I’m ashamed for you guys that you even have to ask me that, because there is absolutely no truth to it at all.” – denying reports that Marbury was available.

7/28 – “Larry has won every place that he’s gone. And make no mistake about it, I think he will work extremely hard to turn this situation around for us.” – introducing Larry Brown as his third coach in nearly two years

November 2005

11/16 – “I like what I’m seeing, I like what we’ve done. Actually, pretty excited about the way we’re playing. – before the Knicks fell to 2-6 with a loss at the LA Lakers

December 2005

12/22 – “We were very competitive out on the road, and I don’t know if there’s a fear of playing at home, but we’ve had some embarrassing losses at home. And it seems that our guys are much more competitive and play with a lot more confidence away from home.” – celebrating his second anniversary on the job by saying the bad crowd reactions in double digits losses negatively impact the team.

February 2006

2/4 – ”I’m not saying this is a move to get to the playoffs or anything like that. Jalen is a person who fits exactly what we need. A very versatile player, he can handle the ball in the backcourt, he can score from the small forward position and he can take some of the scoring load off some of our younger players who have been asked to score at difficult times during the game.” – on acquiring Jalen Rose’s contract from the Raptors.

2/23 – “We feel pretty good about the direction we’re headed,.We’re not happy with the record. However, our future is bright.” – after acquiring Steve Francis

April 2006

4/20 – “I don’t think that our record is indicative of the type of coach that he is or the type of players that we have,” – after the 23-win season ended

Gathered by Larry Fleisher of http://www.insidehoops.com from the New York Times archives

June 2006

6/27 – “I’ve been in pressure situations before.All my life has basically been about pressure, about having to get it done. And just because you say it publicly does not make me afraid of it or shy away from it. You got a job to do, go get it done.” – responding to the mandate by Dolan for significant progress

6/28 – “It’s challenging. I don’t think there’s anybody else in the league or in sports probably working under this situation. However, that’s how it is.” – in response to Dolan’s mandate for significant progress or else (whatever that means)

6/28 – “I’d rather bet on myself. If my career is in the hands of somebody else, trust is not something that I have a lot of these days.” – accepting the challenge of coaching his roster

6/28 – “No, because I stand here before you today in all honesty and I say I would still rather have Eddy Curry than any player in this draft and every G.M. polled would take Eddy Curry in this draft. And if we had the second pick, I would have traded the second pick in the draft for Eddy Curry.” – defending the Eddy Curry trade on draft night

August 8 –

“I spent a lot of time this summer talking to different people about chemistry because one of the things that was written and said and that’s true about us is the chemistry wasn’t right. And what Jared brings to us, more so than talent, he brings chemistry. I think he balances your locker room. He balances the plane ride. Relationshipwise, in a group setting, he’s the chemical piece that makes everything kind of work, in a strange kind of way.” -introducing Jared Jefferies.

October 2006

October 10 – “I knew exactly what I was thinking. I wasn’t looking for Jerome to be an offensive player. I’m more than confident that the things that I want out of him, in terms of defending and rebounding, he’s very capable of doing. And he will do them. If you’re asking him to be a 20-point scorer and you want to judge him on his low-post game, then you’re looking at the wrong guy. But for a $5 million investment, and we didn’t have a center, I know exactly what I was doing. And you should keep that in mind. It’s not $30 million a year, it’s only five. I’m just saying, for centers in this league, backup, starting, whoever, we got a pretty good price there.” – defending his signing of Jerome James

October 13 – “Chances are, when you look at our schedule, we may start out in a hole. And you can’t get so buried in a hole that you lose hope. And you’ve got to have enough intestinal fortitude to fight yourself out of the hole and persevere and overcome the obstacles.” – after the preseason opener

October 25 – “He’s a big man; he’s a nice man. But there needs to come a time when it’s ‘Don’t play with Eddy.’ We want him to really have a presence out on the floor.” – urging Eddy Curry to be more tough on the court.

November 2006

11/4 – “This is an unmerciful league, and we’ll have a long memory. And one day, we’ll be the team that’s on top, doing the kicking and the stepping, And when we kick and we step, if we ever get to the top, it’s going to be a hard kick and a hard step, just like people have stepped on us pretty hard. We’ll be pretty unforgiving when we get on top.” – referring to how the Pacers celebrated their 109-95 win in the home opener

11/6 – “I was looking for a few good men,” – after using reserves to get his team back in a game against the Spurs and putting 42 million in salary on the bench.

December 2006

12/16 – “Hey, don’t go to the basket right now. It wouldn’t be a good idea.Just letting you know.” – his apparent threat to Carmelo Anthony that sparked the brawl heard around the world

12/27 – “Our crowd had a huge impact on the game tonight. “Being at home definitely has again become very comfortable to us. We like to play here now. It’s a good feeling when the Garden puts its arms around you.” – after a 151-145 three OT win over Detroit

12/29 “They’re a beautiful basketball team. The way they move, the way they pass, the way they cut, they’re good. One day, again, the goal is to try to get to that kind of level of play.” – correctly describing the Suns after a blowout loss

January 2007

1/3 – “This is a big win for us. “This whole season, every time it seems like we are at death’s door the team responds and gets a win.

“Who knows maybe this will turn out to be a very lucky season for us.” – after a 99-81 win in Portland

1/10 – “I think we’ve gotten to a point where we’re not looked at as one of those teams that you’re supposed to beat. I know we’ve gotten better as a basketball team, and I know next month we’ll be better than we are this month. But we’ve gotten to the level where I think we’re starting to get some respect around the league, that it’s not a ‘gimme’ anymore.” – before a 13-point home win over the 76ers
Gathered by Larry Fleisher of www.insidehoops.com from the New York Times archives

February 2007

2/6 – “I never thought we would see .500 at home,” after a win over the Clippers improved the Knicks to 13-13 at home.

2/26 – “It’d be nice if the godfather anointed him also,” – looking for Shaq to respect Eddy Curry

March 2007

3/18 – “I’m not a drug addict, but he’s my No. 1 drug,.“If it got close, that’s the button that I’ll push. I can’t help it. It’s like I’m Pavlov’s dog.” – after a rare blowout win allowed Curry to rest.

April 2007

4/19 – “You may look at the record. But I don’t think there’s a team out there that walks in saying, ‘This is an easy night for us.’ You can’t say that wasn’t the case all the time. I don’t think that will be again.” – reflecting on the 2006-07 season

June 2007

6/13 – ”I’m kind of hoping we don’t embarrass ourselves too much,’ – when the Knicks announced an exhibition game with Maccabi Tel Aviv

6/29 – “It’s safe to say that the ball will be in one of their hands most every time down the court. We’ll throw the ball inside. Either it will be in Eddy’s hands on one side or it will be in Zach’s hands on the other. The thing that’s intriguing about Zach is he can step out. He has a great midrange game.” – discussing the acquisition of Zach Randolph.

October 2007

October 11 – “I don’t think any of us received a warm reaction tonight. Whatever reaction that happens to me or for me, I’m a big boy. I’ve handled and conducted myself well, and I’ve been yelled at, screamed at, booed at. And I know how to handle myself. I’ll be fine, thank you.” – after most of the Macabbi Tel Aviv fans booed him at MSG

October 22 – ”I think players are starting to pick up their intensity as we get closer to the season,” – after a preseason victory over Boston.

November 2007 (It gets good here…)

November 2 – “This is a year where the best people play” – after benching Marbury in the season opener

November 13 – “We need leadership from that position at the point guard, and we also need defense. And those are two things that he’s definitely capable of doing. And when he returns, that’s what I expect out of him.” – explaining his decision to bench Marbury.

November 14 – “We’ll keep that in-house” – whether Marbury’s absence was excused or unexcused.

November 16 – “I’ve played with people I don’t like; I’ve won with people I don’t like,” – on welcoming Marbury back and comparing it to his playing career in Detroit

November 21 – “That’s on Isiah tonight. You never want to see this type of display of basketball, anywhere. And that’s on my desk. That’s on me.” – after his team made 29 turnovers in a 108-82 drubbing by the Warriors.

November 24 – “In New York, you’re either dead or alive. You lose a game and you’re dead, and you win one and you basically get to survive.” – after a win over the Bulls

November 26 – “He’s self-driven and he’s self-motivated, so you don’t have to get on him too often. But you do have to remind him sometimes of how good he should be, and don’t let him accept where he is.” – referring to Marbury after a win over Utah
November 29 – “I thought every single player was thinking about himself, as opposed to thinking about the team. I don’t know where this game came from.” – after a 104-59 loss in Boston on national TV.

November 30 – “Every time you lose a game in New York, we’re on death row here. So tonight they unstrapped the belts and I get to walk. And had we lost, I’m sure they’d have wet me down.” – after a 91-88 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in which the Knicks rallied from 17 points down.

December 2007

December 8 – “We had a rough start, but we’re starting to stabilize here.” – an hour before the Sixers rebounded and laughed their way to a 105-77 victory at MSG.

December 8 “I don’t really think this is a time to threaten anyone. I think it’s a time for me to get my team feeling good about themselves again and build their confidence up and get them back to trusting and loving each other and being a team.” – after that same loss.

December 10 -“It’s the fans’ fault because they don’t have a good sixth man,” – speaking to season ticket holder Mara Altschuler.

December 10 “I was just trying to make sure that we kept the team together and we stayed focused on what we were doing, in trying to win a basketball game. Our fans are great. They support us and they show up and we’re glad they’re here. – attempting to downplay the conversation with the fan following a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

December 11 “To me, it’s win or die. And I literally mean death. I don’t mean walk away. I mean death. That’s how I approach it. And we got a job to do here, we’re going to get it done. I’m confident we got the right players, I’m confident we got the right people, and we’ll dig our way out of this.

December 14 – “There’s certain things that he probably won’t ever be good at doing,” Thomas said. “We want to just make sure that he keeps doing the things that he knows how to do well.” – admitting that Eddy Curry might not be good at some important things like defending, rebounding and shot blocking

December 17 – “There are a lot of things that can be said about me and teams that I’ve coached and the way I played,” Thomas said Monday night, “but I’ve never been accused of not having heart or competing. And tonight was very discouraging to me because we didn’t collectively play with heart and compete like I know I do.”

December 17 – “We don’t have the grit to sustain a run. A team makes a run at us and collectively we just cave. We just give in.”

December 17 – “I can give you a lot of things, but I can’t give you pride and heart.” He said he looked forward to the day when the questions would be about what he did wrong strategically, and not “about heart and courage.”

December 18 “I’m not happy about where we are. And if we don’t turn it around soon, then yeah, we’ll have to make some changes.” – after totally ripping his players for their 119-92 loss to Indiana.

December 23 – “We probably have the wrong guys starting” – indicating changes would be made in the starting lineup following a 95-90 loss to the Lakers

December 31 “We’ll keep moving in this direction.” – reminded about a comment that two weeks later it would be fair to ask about his job security.

December 31 “Me as coach” – answering the follow-up of which direction

January 2008:

January 4 – “I believe that one day that we will win a championship here,. And I believe a couple of these guys will be a part of that. And I believe I’ll be a part of that. – before the Knicks fell behind 24 and lost by 10 to Sacramento
“And as I sit here and I say it today, I know people will laugh even more at me. But I’m hellbent on getting this accomplished and making sure that we get it done. And I’m not leaving until we get it done. – further adding on

“I don’t necessarily just want to win a championship I want to leave something that’s going to stand for a long time. I want to leave a legacy. I want to leave tradition. I want to leave an imprint and a blueprint in terms of how people play and how they coach and how they respond when they put on a Knick uniform.”

“I want to leave what I left in Detroit. I want to put that here and I want to leave that here in New York. I want to leave a championship legacy.”

January 9 – “They’re all untouchable” – responding to an inquiry about the trade deadline

January 9 “I wasn’t trying to get ejected. I was trying to get a technical foul because I was trying to bring it to their attention.” – explaining why he went out on the court to complain to Eric Lewis.

Discuss this with other fans on the InsideHoops basketball message board.

What can you get for Stephon Marbury in Fantasyland?

Upon seeing the story in the Daily News hinting at Marbury’s possible departure from the Knicks, I decided to try to see what I could get for him by using the ESPN Trade Machine

Here are the successful results and the reality:

1 – Marbury to Washington for Antawn Jamison. Marbury gets to play with Gilbert Arenas for two years and that pushes DeShawn Stevenson to the bench while making Andray Blatche the starting power forward. On the Knicks side of the equation, a Marbury departure will make Nate Robinson the starting point guard or push Jamal Crawford there and Quentin Richardson to the starting shooting guard. If they put Jamison into the starting five, it makes him the small forward.

2 – Marbury to Sacramento for Ron Artest and Mike Bibby. Marbury becomes the point guard in Sacramento and Bibby becomes the point guard for the Knicks. As for Artest’s role he becomes the starting small forward and Quentin Richardson becomes the sixth man. Back in Sacramento, Francisco Garcia becomes the starting small forward.

3 – Marbury to Portland for Raef LaFrentz and Darius Miles – That’s a total unrealistic deal for both sides at least I think it. LaFrentz barely plays and Miles is coming back from major knee surgery and a lot of money.

4 – Marbury to Phoenix for Shawn Marion – Another unrealistic trade but if Phoenix ever offered this, I’d do this quickly. Marbury probably in this instance supplants Raja Bell as the shooting guard while Alando Tucker maybe moves to replace Marion. Marion slides over to small forward in New York, Crawford the point and Richardson the two-guard.

5 – Marbury to New Orleans for Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson. Another unlikely one but Marbury gets to be the two-guard alongside Chris Paul. Bobby Jackson becomes the starting point guard, Richardson goes to the bench and Stojakovic starts at small forward

(Note this thing also said I could trade him for Jason Kidd, obviously that’s not happening)

6 – Marbury for Michael Redd and Dan Gadzuric. In theory not a terrible trade but both players have four years remaining. Gadzuric becomes Eddy Curry’s backup while Redd becomes the starting shooting guard and Crawford moves to the point. Marbury becomes Milwaukee’s starting shooting guard.

7 – Marbury for Kobe Bryant. Both players have similar salaries but Bryant has a no-trade clause. Should this happen, both would simply be the starting two-guards.

8 – Marbury for Cuttino Mobley and Corey Maggette – Marbury plays with Sam Cassell while Mobley becomes the starting two-guard and Maggette the three, pushing Crawford to the point and Richardson to the bench.

9 – Marbury for Jermaine O’Neal – The money is similar and so are the years remaining. The Knicks essentially would play with two power forwards alongside Curry while the Pacers use Marbury as the point or in reserve role.

10 – Marbury for Baron Davis – Money is similar and so are the years. Both players become the point guard. Another doubtful trade.

11 – It also says you can get Allen Iverson straight up for Marbury but that is as likely as George Karl and Isiah Thomas having a meal together.

Connections and Storylines for a Tuesday

Boston @ Indiana – The last time Boston was 6-0 was way back on November 15, 1987. They reached that point with a 103-98 win at Market Square Arena. Larry Bird scored 11 of his 24 points in the first quarter and the Celtics made 10 of their 13 shots.

But of more recent history is that they’ll be facing the last coach that won a playoff series for the Celtics and that was Jim O’Brien, who in 2003 guided the Celtics to the Eastern Conference semifinals. O’Brien stepped down just as Danny Ainge took over and dealt away players such as Antoine Walker and Eric Williams for the likes of Raef LaFrentz and Ricky Davis.

As for the present, the 5-0 start has seen the Celtics win by an average of 16.6 points – a figure that would be larger if not for a three-point win in Toronto. They have had six quarters in which they have outscored the opponent by double digits.

As for the Pacers, their present three-game losing streak makes that 3-0 start seem like a thing of the past. They were last seen coughing up a 25-point lead and losing 113-106 to the Nuggets and they’ve also seen Danny Granger’s drop as he is 18-of-50 and 0-of-13 from three-point range in his last three contests. The loss to Denver came a night after they blew an eight-point lead and gave up 20-2 run in Charlotte.

Seattle @ Orlando – If the Sonics had been able or wanted to re-sign Rashard Lewis, they might have had a win or two. They take an 0-7 mark into this and have never been 0-8. So what do they plan on doing to combat the losing, especially after coming within four points of the Detroit Pistons Sunday night. I do not know just yet but from someone who saw the game, the Sonics played well enough against teams not named the Pistons. Five of Seattle’s seven losses have been by single digits so maybe the laws of statistics could be in their favor.

As for Orlando, the Magic are 5-2 with Lewis, who is averaging 20.2 points and one of the many long-range shooters that pace a team that has four games with at least 10-pointers. Their defense is far from being perfect as Stan Van Gundy said it was a bunch of things, especially pertaining to the low post the other night in New York when I asked him.

Another thing to expect if you’re defending the Magic is that they will keep shooting. If 10 misfire, they figure the 11th will go in and chances are Dwight Howard will grab a majority of those misses although he might have some problems if Chris Wilcox and Nick Collision are on the court on the same time. They make the Sonics one of eight teams with two players averaging eight rebounds .

Miami @ Charlotte – Now that Miami has won for the first time since April 13, they can begin the season. Taking this back-to-back with Charlotte and Seattle might be very important because a back-to-back with Boston and New Jersey is next. The Heat are the worst team in the league when it comes to scoring at 84.5 points but if they can get the Bobcats to cave into the slow, plodding halfcourt style they can and probably win this. That’s among the things they did in New York in a 75-72 win. They also came back from six down in the final six-plus minutes, holding the Knicks to one basket and no points in the final 2 1/2 minutes. They also have been getting the big time blue collar effort from Udonis Haslem, who resembled many of the players that Pat Riley used to coach in New York with his 16-point, 16 rebound showing. That’s my unscientific analysis of the Heat, here’s some scientific analysis

As for Charlotte, they’ve never been this good this late in a season. Last year it took the Bobcats 14 games to get to four victories, in 2005-06 it was 12 games and in 2004-05 it was also 14. They already have an 90-88 win over Miami and that was a game they nearly lost. But of course like many teams that have yet to consistently win, late-game execution can be a problem like it was in Sunday’s 85-82 loss to Houston. They were up five heading into the fourth and up seven with 6:05 remaining. The teams like the Pistons, Spurs, Suns usually expand that lead to double-digits while the losing or inconsistent teams blow it or make it tough and that’s what happened. They allowed the Rockets to hang in there and they eventually took the lead and the superstar got the call when Tracy McGrady got a call against Gerald Wallace in the waning seconds.

Continue reading “Connections and Storylines for a Tuesday”

How rare is it to allow less than 80 points and still lose?

The Knicks did something they used to do when they were good and that was allow less than 80 points. How rare is that these days for this defensive deficient team?

It is so rare that is has only happened 16 times since Isiah Thomas took over things on Dec. 22, 2003. Before Sunday’s 75-72 loss, they had won their last 13 games when allowing under 80 points but of that streak went back to a 77-67 loss against San Antonio on January 27, 2004.

So how about the rest of the league?

Boston Celtics – have won their last two when doing so dating a 79-74 loss vs. New Jersey on April 14, 2006.

New Jersey Nets – 13 in a row going back to a 79-67 loss vs. Seattle on 11/17/2004

Philadelphia – five in a row going back to a 77-76 loss vs. Houston on 12/4/2004

Toronto – six in a row going back to a 74-66 loss at Detroit on 4/9/2004

Chicago – lost one 78-72 at Milwaukee on November 3. had won 18 in a row going back to a 77-73 loss on 12/17/2003

Cleveland -22 in a row going back to 75-67 loss at Toronto on 1/7/2004

Detroit – 12 in a row going back to a 79-74 loss vs. New Jersey on 3/26/2006. Before that 23 in row going back to a 75-74 loss to Portland on 12/18/2004

Indiana – three in a row going back to a 78-71 loss vs. Minnesota on 12/23/2006

Milwaukee – 28 in a row going back to a 79-77 loss at Chicago on 4/18/1999

Atlanta – three in a row going back to a 77-75 loss vs. Portland on 11/27/2005

Charlotte – has only done it once

Miami – 14 in a row going back to a 78-77 loss at Detroit on 11/26/2004

Orlando – 16 in a row going back to a 75-68 loss vs. New York on 11/3/2003

Washington – seven in a row going back to a 79-76 loss vs. Indiana on 4/3/2005

Dallas – two in a row going back to a 75-71 loss at Denver on 4/6/2006

Houston – one going back to a 77-72 loss vs. Boston on 2/25/2006

Memphis – 21 in a row going back to a 78-67 loss at San Antonio on 12/15/2003

New Orleans – 1o in a row going back to a 76-67 loss at Denver on 11/29/2004

San Antonio – 28 in a row going back to a 73-67 loss at Houston on 1/15/2005

Denver – seven in a row going back to a 71-60 loss at Indiana on 11/4/2003

Minnesota – 70 in a row going back to a 79-78 loss at Dallas on 11/30/1991

Portland – five in a row going back to a 78-65 loss at New Jersey on 3/15/2006

Seattle – 35 in a row going back to a 79-77 loss at San Antonio on 2/8/2000

Utah – six in a row going back to a 79-70 loss vs. San Antonio on 11/30/2006

Golden State – five in a row going back to a 78-75 loss vs. Portland on 11/3/2004

LA Clippers – one in a row going back to a 77-75 loss at Seattle on 3/1/2007.

LA Lakers – two in a row going back to a 76-74 loss vs. Houston on 12/18/2005. before that 16 in a row going back to a 79-78 loss vs. New York on 4/1/2001

Phoenix – 56 times in a row, have never lost when doing so

Sacramento – 38 times in a row, have never lost since moving to Sacramento

When you allow the other team to hit 10 three-pointers, you usually lose

The genesis for this post was reading the various stories and blogs on the Orlando Magic who hit 10 three-pointers and that got me thinking about the following hypothesis: can teams win when they allow at least three-pointers? This year a game has featured one team hitting 10 three-pointers in the following instances:

10/31 Orlando hits 12 and beats Milwaukee 102-83

10/31 Indiana hits 13 and beats Washington 119-110 in overtime

10/31 New Orleans hits 10 and beats Sacramento 104-90

10/31 San Antonio hits 13, allows 10 and beats Memphis 104-101 (both teams took 23)

10/31 – Denver hit 11 and beat Seattle 120-103
11/1 – Phoenix hit 11 and beat Seattle 106-99
11/2 – Cleveland hit 12 and beat New York 110-106
11/2 – Toronto hit 13 and beat New Jersey 106-69
11/2 – New Orleans hit 11 and beat Portland 113-93
11/2 – San Antonio hit 12 and beat Sacramento 96-80
11/3 – Orlando hit 10 and beat Washington 94-82
11/3 – Memphis hit 10 and lost to Indiana 121-111
11/3 – Utah hit 12 and beat Golden State 133-110 (Warriors had 13 but took 31)
11/4 – Boston hit 12 and beat Toronto 98-95 (OT) (Raptors were 10-of-25)
11/6 – Orlando hit 10 and beat Minnesota 111-103
11/6 – New Orleans hit 14 and beats the LA Lakers 118-104
11/7 – Orlando hit 10 and beats Toronto 105-96
11/7 – Phoenix hit 11 and loses to Atlanta 105-96
11/7 – Memphis hit 10 and beats Seattle 105-98
11/8 – Dallas hit 10 and beats Golden State 120-115 (Warriors go 11-of-25

So far that is 20 games which teams have hit 10 three pointers and only two have lost.

Clippers 3-0, Bulls 0-4: What’s going on here?

Quick, raise your hands if you called some guy that handles your money and told him you were willing to gamble that the Clippers would be 3-0 and the Bulls would be 0-4. After all wasn’t this supposed to be another losing season for Los Angeles’ other team and a step up for the Bulls.

Wasn’t it supposed to be this way for the Clippers, especially when Elton Brand went down. Well a funny thing happened on the way to the first full week of the NBA season, Chris Kaman lost some weight and his hair. Kaman had his third straight double-double, something he did once last season and five times during the extremely fun 2005-06 season.

I have to admit, I haven’t seen much of the Clippers. I only watched some of the fourth quarter against Golden State on Friday so I’ll be interested to see how their game with the 3-0 Pacers goes Wednesday.

Now should I get excited about the Clippers just yet? I’d guess probably not, wins over the defensively challenged Warriors, the fourth-quarter deficient SuperSonics and one over the what the heck is going here Bulls, might be reason for skepticism, especially since they were 5-1 last season and did not even make the playoffs.

What I will be excited about is the night that Cuttino Mobley had. He was 10-for-10 in the first half, 13-of-17 overall for 33 points. What you also have to like is the final moments of the fourth when the Clippers turned an 89-85 deficit with 4:05 remaining into the victory – a full detailed synopsis can be found here .

That brings us to the other end of the spectrum – the 0-4 Chicago Bulls. Now keep in mind they also started this way three years ago and made the playoffs but the expectations were different this time around. In case you need to be reminded about that, here’s some the lead paragraph from the Sporting News NBA preview magazine:

“John Paxson has slowly built the Chicago Bulls over his five seasons as general manager into of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and perhaps the franchise with the most upside in the years to come.”

So what’s the problem?

The fourth quarter seems to be an issue. They missed their final seven shots against the Clippers. Saturday in Milwaukee, they were down five with 2:07 remaining and missed five of their final six. A night earlier against Philadelphia, they were down two with 5:16 remaining and missed their final seven shots. And finally a week ago in New Jersey, they had a three-point with 4:14 remaining in regulation and missed 14 of their final 20 shots. That adds up to 1-for-19 in the last three games when it was theirs to win.

I’m not panicking and neither are the Bulls. After all they’ve made the playoffs in three straight seasons in spite of a combined record of 13-26 in the first month of the season. It is just troubling to see a team who many think is the cream of the crop in the East perform like this, especially against three teams that aren’t projected playoff teams.

Knicks win a home opener and other Sunday items

How long has it been since a Knick team won their home opener? A little over six years, a time that is so long that Jeff Van Gundy was coaching and Michael Jordan was playing.

It’s so long that none of the central figures in the 97-93 win were remotely close to the scene on October 30, 2001.

For example, Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 24 points. The last time the Knicks won their home opener, he was on the injured list, which has since been replaced by the inactive list.

Zach Randolph, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds in his home debut, including a key defensive rebound down the stretch, made his NBA debut for Portland and played one minute in a loss to the Lakers.

Eddy Curry had not even made his debut, that came a night later in 12 minutes off the bench for the Bulls where two of his teammates were Charles Oakley and Greg Anthony.

Stephon Marbury was starting over this time with the Phoenix Suns and scored 14 points in a 98-96 win over the Nuggets.

Isiah Thomas was coaching across the river for the Pacers in New Jersey. His team blew an 11-point deficit and wilted in the fourth quarter of a 103-97 loss.

You get the idea.

The quality of play may not have been the greatest but there was enough things to like if you happen to root for the Knicks.

Jamal Crawford – 24 points, 49 in his first two games. The totals in the previous three seasons were 33, 15 and 26. Might this be a sign of a breakout? One thing that is certain is he has bulked up and can absorb that contact a little better.

Fourth quarter – 20 points allowed, big defensive rebound by Zach Randolph, who has two doubles-doubles already.

I’m not going to wax poetic about this one. It’s not Game Seven of a playoff series, it’s game one of 41, game two of 82 but anyone associated with the Knicks will take a 97-93 victory or similar.

From an entertainment standpoint, this game is about a B. Watching Crawford was exciting, waiting to see if and when the other shoe would drop (a collapse by the Knicks) was interesting and seeing Randolph beat Ryan Gomes for that rebound was nice to see.

I thought the shoe would drop when Eddy Curry forgot that when the shot clock is turned off, all you have to do is pass it out and let the perimeter guys milk it. D’oh. He picked up an offensive rebound, had his shot blocked and Antoine Walker missed a three-pointer that would have tied it, forced overtime probably and given the Knicks more chances for the shoe to drop.

Those things put a player, especially a new one on the plus side with the tough New York crowd.

As for Minnesota, this is a young team with an interesting collection of players. Craig Smith is a nice little bruiser down low, I’ve always liked Gomes and of course Al Jefferson is solid, although he has to score more than six points after the first quarter.

The theme with them is forging an identity of a team that is coming to scratch and claw and be successful some of the time (probably 25-30 times this season).

Anyways back to the rest of the association:

Not counting watching the ending of Boston-Toronto and Atlanta-Detroit on the internet, I caught some of that Lakers-Jazz game.

From that, I saw a lot of hustle plays as they pulled away for a 119-109 win over Utah. It was so impressive that even Kobe Bryant got into the act, blocking a dunk attempt by Andrei Kirilenko. That would have made it a five-point game but it was not a coincidence that minutes later the Lakers went up by double digits.

Had I been hanging out on the couch and not at the Knick game, I probably would have watched the Hawks-Pistons game. The Hawks were solid Friday against Dallas and for three quarters were the same in Detroit. We’ve seen that before, the Pistons tease their opponent into thinking they can win and then get it rolling in the fourth. Of course they may or may not have been jipped by the refs (again that comes down to earning the respect, which teams such as them and the T-Wolves will get by playing hard and competing) .

So how did the nine-point lead evaporate?

Well with 11:27 remaining, Josh Childress puts in a layup for a five-point lead. Six turnovers and eight missed shots later, they’re down by six. And the linked text will cover the rest of the details.

It looks like we’ll have to add the Heat and Sonics to the 0-3 club .

The Heat fell 90-88 to the Bobcats and until “Flash comes back, who’s getting the ball in clutch situations. Here’s who got the ball in the final six minutes when Charlotte almost squandered a 16-point lead. Shaq got it twice for a dunk and free throws, Chris Quinn then had two free throws, missed a three, Haslem missed a 17-footer, Wright hits a jumper and two from the line but misses a three. Ricky Davis hits a three and Haslem gets another crack. I’m sure Pat Riley is eagerly anticipating me writing a post where Wade is the one, maybe next week in New York.

The Bobcats are 2-0 for the first time and I’m not getting the bubbly just yet. After all, they won the first game against a team who had a player forget what the score was (Maurice Williams) and almost coughed up a 16-point lead before. If anything I’d celebrate the final minute on defense because Sam Vincent was obvious in saying our inepxerience showed there.

So how’s PJ doing? It was another fourth quarter to forget for the 0-3 Sonics. They haven’t been this bad since 1985-86. Kevin Durant is obviously good, but those fourth quarters need fixing. It was 37-25 today in favor of the Clippers and through three games, it is 98-66 in favor of Seattle opponents in the fourth.

It sounds a little frustrating for PJ doesn’t it?

“We need to develop a little more aggression than we have right now, especially in the fourth quarter,” Carlesimo said. “Our defense is lousy, but every game it’s 20-something turnovers and 25 points. It’s just not bad half-court defense. It’s giving up 25 points in transition.”

I won’t tell you what the article contains but you can find out that Durant is averaging four points in the final 12 minutes.

And finally, I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far without discussing the Raptors-Celtics game. Sounded like fun as it went to overtime and Ray Allen won it with a three-pointer. Our condolences to Doc Rivers, who had to miss due to his father’s death. But imagine having those three choices to get the shot and none would have been wrong, that’s a nice problem to have.

By the way, I’d have watched that game over the football – even Patriots-Colts.

A walk around Knicks-Wolves pregame

Pregame –

Isiah Thomas talks for five minutes or so, mainly questions about Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry. He also reiterates his “whoever is playing the best” mantra, which basically means he plans on rewarding good play which could lead to wins. He also addresses the fact that Al Sharpton canceled his protest.

Randy Wittman, who some of you may or may not know is a former teammate of Isiah Thomas from their days at Indiana. He does his pregame business in a much more informal setting, sitting on the scorer’s table while his team shoots around. He says he is there for his friend and that famous smile needs to return.

After the meet and greet with a few reporters, I relate to him my autograph story about how in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I used to mail away cards to get autographed and I have his from when he played with the Pacers. I said, I often wondered if they were legitimate or if some intern signed them and he says that I’ll have to show him the card.

As this informal conversation is happening, Antoine Walker is shooting and I must say he looks kind of thinner, which kind of contradicts Pat Riley’s contention that he wasn’t in shape. (Of course I could be wrong as I’m not a fitness guru).

So you’ve lost your first three games

Less than a week into the new season, there are five teams that are 0-3, including three that many project to be in the playoffs.

The teams are as follows:

Washington – @ Indiana, @ Boston and vs. Orlando

Chicago – @ New Jersey, vs. Philadelphia, @ Milwaukee

Golden State – vs. Utah, @ LA Clippers, @ Utah

Two of the teams are not projected to be in the playoffs:

Portland – @ San Antonio, @ New Orleans, @ Houston

Sacramento – @ New Orleans, @ San Antonio, @ Dallas

So what does this mean, is the season doomed? Off the top of my head I couldn’t tell you but I know where to get the evidence.

2006-07

Boston – 0-3 finished with 24 wins

Denver – 0-3 finished with 45 wins lost to Spurs in the first round

Dallas – 0-4 finished with 67 wins lost to Warriors in first round

2005-06

Philadelphia 0-3 finished with 38 wins, two games out of the eighth seed

Toronto 0-9 finished with 27 wins

New York 0-5 finished with 23 wins

Atlanta 0-9 finished with 26 wins

Orlando 0-3 finished with 36 wins

2004-05

Cleveland 0-3 finished with 42 wins one behind the eighth-place Sixers

Chicago 0-9 finished with 47 wins, lost to Washington in the first round

Atlanta 0-4 finished with 13 wins

New Orleans 0-8 finished with 18 wins

Memphis 0-4 finished with 45 wins, lost to Phoenix in the first round

Golden State 0-6 finished with 34 wins

Sacramento 0-3 finished with 50 wins, lost to Seattle in the first round

2003-04

Miami 0-7 finished with 42 wins, lost to Indiana in the second round

Atlanta 0-3 finished with 28 wins

Cleveland 0-5 finished with 35 wins, one behind the eighth place Celtics

So in the last four seasons, it happened 18 times and six times team recovered. That being said, how are these teams feeling about it

Washington – Their league-worst field goal percentage got worse after a 34.8 showing in the loss to Orlando but they say they’ll be fine:

“We’ll bounce back,” Eddie Jordan said. “If this was three in a row in January, then it wouldn’t be a red flag. But because it is three in a row at the beginning of the season, it stands out. We’re not in a bad way. We feel good, and we’ll bounce back.”

“We’ll find [the offense]. No one is panicking,” Caron Butler said. “We know what this nucleus is capable of, and the coaching staff is great at making changes on the fly. We’ll just have to tweak it a little bit — a tweak here and a tweak there and we’ll get back at it.”

Chicago – Perhaps the recent trade talks and lack of contract extension have factored in. Ben Gordon was the only starter to reach double figures and it came on a 31-percent shooting night and a 14-turnover night. The tone from the postgame is considerably different than that from Washington.

Scott Skiles: “I felt like we were just bored with preseason. But maybe we just weren’t very good.”

Kirk Hinrich: “We’re not the same team right now.

Golden State: The Warriors have allowed 133, 120 and 117. They have scored 110, 114 and 96. The first two losses resulted in a lineup change as Al Harrington became a starter and Monta Ellis became a reserve. That kept Carlos Boozer somewhat quiet but the Jazz guards made plenty of noise.

The mood is not doom and gloom but the knowledge they can’t screw around much longer is apparent:

“We made that crazy run last year, but we can’t afford to get off to an 0-3, 0-4, 0-5 (start),” Warriors forward Matt Barnes said. “No one can afford that. We have to straighten this out somehow. It obviously starts on the defensive end. We’ve got to tighten up our defense, and we’ve just got to win us some games.”

Portland – Putting a rebuilding team on the road against three better teams to start is always difficult. It can cause many weaknesses to be exposed and while the talent is there, it doesn’t provide them with ample opportunities to prove it. In the three games, they fell behind by a combined 52 points before halftime.

“The thing I recognize is we have some things to work on — and this road trip showed that,” forward Martell Webster said. “The chemistry on this team is fine — we just have to figure out a way to put together four quarters. I mean, you can see that it takes us being down 15 to 20 points for us to dig down in a stance and start playing people.

Sacramento – I doubt anyone is surprised that the Kings are where they are. Even with Ron Artest and Mike Bibby, the Kings are expected to be among the league’s worst teams. Things have fallen so far the Arco Arena did not get a vote in the GM’s poll of the best homecourt advantages. Their third loss had to make anyone involved with the Kings nautious as they allowed the Mavericks to shoot 65 percent.

“Everybody knows we’ve got a long ways to work and this is just the first three of 82 games,” Mikki Moore said. “But a (butt)-whupping is a butt-whupping. I’m not saying we’re getting used to it, but we’re just trying to keep each other up.”