Politely Getting the Maloofs Out of the Way
Allow me to quote Joe Maloof about the search for the next head coach of the Sacramento Kings: “Whatever Geoff thinks.”
You sure about that, Joe?
Are you sure you mean that Geoff Petrie will actually be unshackled to do his job as GM? Or do you only mean those words this week, in the first flush, before Petrie begins edging closer to choosing a head coach who isn’t on your personal list of “great guys” to whom you’d like to cut a check?
Given how obviously the Maloofs have wanted to see the franchise succeed over the years, it is all the more remarkable how often Joe, Gavin and the whole nutty crew have sabotaged the process. They ran off Rick Adelman, their first and most original sin, for the apparent shortcoming of not being sociable enough. (I’m not exaggerating: Joe Maloof told me at one point that he wanted a coach who would win those games on the court and then be a constant presence in the community. How’s that workin’ out for ya?)
They overruled Petrie’s instincts to choose Eric Musselman, who wowed the family at his interview with a PowerPoint presentation and personally embossed leather folders for each Maloof. They overruled Petrie to select Reggie Theus, who’d buddied up to them while coaching at New Mexico State. (No such judgment on Kenny Natt, a decent guy who was asked to warm the seat this season after Theus went poof.)
They made loud noises about their cherished close friend John Whisenant, former coach of the WNBA’s Monarchs. After all, Whiz is trusted by Joe and Gavin. In a word: wow.
While other people wonder whether Petrie should be kept around, I’m constantly amazed that he hasn’t blown town by now. The Kings only got Petrie in the first place, remember, because Portland owner Paul Allen meddled in Petrie’s business there and mucked up the front office to the point that he became frustrated and left. The ensuing years showed just what magnitude of mistake that was, as Allen’s guys trashed the Blazers and Petrie built a powerhouse at Arco Arena.
Now Joe Maloof says Petrie will be free to hire the coach he wants – subject to ownership review, of course. As Petrie begins fleshing out a candidate list that is sure to be long on proven NBA track record, short on glitz and likely not cheap, we’ll see whether the Maloofs mean what their franchise-owning son is saying.
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