Adelman - Ready for Hire

by user Hoopsaddict.com

By Will Tran for HoopsAddict.com

Throughout the season, I wondered when the Maloof Brothers would fire Rick Adelman. The Sacramento Kings were last in the Pacific Division and were on pace to miss the playoffs since the 1997-1998 season. Their golden run appeared to be over. Ron Artest did not think so. Artest arrived after the All-Star game and revived the Kings franchise, making them one of the hottest teams entering the playoffs. In doing so, he saved Adelman’s job or so I thought. The Maloof Brothers fired Rick Adelman last week and his departure means Mike Bibby is the only person remaining from the 2002 team that almost dethroned the Lakers and won the championship.

Every player has moved on since then. Peja Stojakovich appears to be happy in Indiana, Chris Webber is back to his 20 points, 10 rebounds form in Philly, Doug Christie retired after numerous injuries, Vlade Divac earned a one year salary sitting on the Laker bench before finally retiring, Bobby Jackson provides instant offense off the bench in Memphis, and Jimmy Jackson continues the trend of hopping from team to team.

It’s Adelman’s turn to find his niche. Where will he coach next?

New York Knicks

The Situation: The New York Knicks are once again making headlines with their coaching situation. However, they are firing a coach instead of hiring. Larry Brown is on the chopping block after just one season. Isiah Thomas will not surprise anyone if he buyouts Larry Brown’s contract and hires some other big name coach. We all know how much he likes to spend. Expect more tricks up the GM’s sleeve this offseason.

The Roster: Adelman favors unselfish play and that will not happen when the best players on the team are Francis, Marbury, Rose, Richardson, and Crawford. These players are shooting guards who have been main scorers at some point in their careers. The next batch of players are disappointing big men who have not lived up to expectations. An example is Eddy Curry who never fully recovered from his heart surgery.

Last Call: Everyone believed that a Hall of Famer coach would be able to set the Knicks on the right path. That did not happen and the result is Larry Brown’s name being tarnished. Though I could definitely see Isiah Thomas courting Adelman during the offseason, expect Adelman to refuse. He wants to avoid being another Larry Brown.

Seattle Supersonics

The Situation: Everything looked bright following the team’s 50 win season and first-round victory against the Kings in 2005. However, management knew that many of their players (and the coach) were in contract years, and it would take a miracle to keep the entire squad intact. The pessimistic outlook resulted in the team losing many key components. Nate McMillan left to coach the Trailblazers, Antonio Daniels took his instant 6th man offense to the Wizards, and Jerome James and his monstrous dunks took a wrong turn and got lost in New York City. Without them, the team was unable to continue the winning trend and missed the postseason this year. The lackluster performance resulted in the firing of Bob Weiss for Bob Hill who did not improve the team.

The Roster: Though not as athletic as last season, the team still continues to run with Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, and Luke Ridnour leading the offense. This big three is very similar to the Kings’ big three of Bibby, Artest, and Brad Miller. Adelman would start coaching next season in a very familiar situation.

Last Call: Though Adelman specializes in a run-and-gun offense, he often runs his offense through his big men. Because the Sonics just have Nick Collison, do not expect Adelman to coach a team without much frontcourt talent.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Situation: Kevin Garnett and his Timberwolves have missed the playoffs twice following his MVP season. They have lost most of their talent at the same time. Only Garnett, Trenton Hassell, and Troy Hudson remain from the 58-24 squad. Sam Cassell is with the Clippers, Latrell Sprewell is missing in action, and Michael Olowokandi and Wally Szcberbiak are with the Celtics. Finally, Flip Saunders, their former coach, is coaching Detroit.

The Roster: Adelman has a reliable big man and leader in Kevin Garnett who is a very good passer. Though Garnett has apparently lost his competitive spirit, he is still putting up monstrous numbers. Outside of KG, the team has a triple-double threat in Ricky Davis, a competent point guard in Marcus Banks, and a defensive specialist in Trenton Hassell.

Last Call: Though we often see Garnett crying on national television for missing the playoffs, he is definitely capable of at least one more championship push. He is not defeated; he just needs to believe. If the team hires Adelman, Garnett may have reason to believe the Timberwolves can win it all. I really do believe that Adelman can coach the Timberwolves. I think his offense complements Banks and Davis who like to run in the open court.

Date

Mon 05/22/06, 1:33 pm EST