Q&A with Petrie

[KingInExile]

Sam Amick sits down with Petrie for a lengthy Q&A session. Topics include an overview of the season, an assessment of Regie, Ron's future, rebuilding, the draft and more.

Q: People are always wondering if you think you can build a team with Ron as a major piece? If Ron opts out, nobody really knows if you guys would try to hold onto him (by making a free agent offer).

A: I'm probably not too disposed to get into that. In terms of speculating about his free agency, it's not something we have any real control over to start with. It's his decision to make. We'll certainly be prepared to look at our team depending on what way it goes. Everybody who's a fan and who has watched Ron knows that he's a very good player. And when he's going good, he's really effective.

Q: Do you feel like his value around the league is lower than it should be as far as how people still look at him?

A: To some extent, he's the proverbial dilemma wrapped in a mystery. But you have to respect things he can do on the court.

Q: Do you feel that things are changing at all - perception wise - since he just had another good year?

A: While he's here, he's been one of our players. We've invested a lot of time and effort and actually people trying to give him the best advice and counsel that you can on an ongoing basis. That's really all you can do with any player.

Q: Talk about Beno. You've talked about how you feel he proved a lot to himself and to people around the league last season.

A: He's a good spirit. I've said this before, that he did prove a lot to himself after his experience in San Antonio. And I think he proved a lot to other people around the league. I think we were fortunate, given the set of circumstances that came about there, that we were able to sign him. It gave him the opportunity, and it gave us a chance - Reggie as well - to try and play a little bit of a different way with a different style of point guard. Some of that was just circumstance. If San Antonio didn't need to get under the luxury tax and Minnesota wasn't willing to accommodate them and if Minnesota hadn't waived him and if Mike (Bibby) hadn't been hurt, then he might not have ever showed up here (Petrie laughs). It just shows you sometimes how circumstance plays a lot in how things work out.

............

Q: Next summer you guys have some potential to have salary cap space, but in 2010 you're in line to possibly have the third most amount of money (under the cap) in the league. Talk about how that bigger picture fits into every move you're making right now.

A: We all believe that at some point in time, if you look back over the history of teams that have rebuilt or changed their teams dramatically, somewhere in there - not all of them, but a high percentage of them - there was at least one year or so when they had a significant amount of real room to either sign players or trade players or whatever that you really can't do otherwise. The great thing about real room is that you're adding talent without giving up anything. It's just money - sometimes a lot of it (laughs). But it's a component in building a team. At some point, in order to get there, you have to start husbanding your resources a little bit and looking at how you spend money in the shorter term to have a chance to get there.

[pillwenney]

Geoff is just the king of generalities. You can always count on him to have like 3 soundbites per interview that are basically like "we saw some good things".

[KingInExile]

Meh, you can't really expect him to give a lot of specifics, especially when it comes to possible player movement. There's only so much he can say without giving away his hand (and possibly hurting future negotiations).

[_SRV_]

The things I look for in these Q&A sessions is usually retrospective view over previous moves, usually no longer relevant, I don't really expect definitive answers regarding the future, he simply can't give any info on that.

[Wolfay]

I'm just glad the Maloofs were smart enough to keep Petrie.

[a-rod]

^+1000000

[pillwenney]

No I know, it's just kinda funny. But there was definitely some good info in there as well.

I'm particularly encouraged with his mention of '10 being the main FA summer.

[ICMTM]

Petrie is becoming a DRY interview! He doesn't say anything.

[UKF]

The way the interviewed ended, do you think Sam ended it in that way on purpose trying to say that the player that we draft will most likely be out of Europe?

Thats what I got from that...

[KingInExile]

Not at all. I doubt Petrie has any specific guy pegged yet.

[Smills91]

I doubt Petrie's made up his mind, he's a personal workout type of guy. That's when he's comfortable. With that said, Love/Gallanari are prototypical Petrie-esque picks, at least potentially.

[UKF]

Ok. I was just throwing a rock off the dock.

Petrie was just in Europe, so there he did see him a lot, but he still needs to personally workout the native guys.

[KingInExile]

His "European Vacation" is nothing new. I don't doubt that he likely saw someone there that intrigues him. But that's about it IMO.

[SacTown Kings]

Is it just me or does anyone else get the impression Petrie is NOT too keen on keeping Ron around. When asked about Ron's situation Petrie simply says it is Ron's decision to make and he will just have to wait and be prepared to see what happens. Sure that is true but I would think he would say something like I hope he picks up his option because he is a vital part to this team or something to that effect.

Then he says when Ron is on his game he is a good player. I take that as sometimes he is not on his game and he hurts the team. The he says "To some extent, he's the proverbial dilemma wrapped in a mystery. But you have to respect things he can do on the court." What the hell does that mean? Sounds like "he is good, but unpredictable" I just don't like what Petrie is saying.

Then there's "We've invested a lot of time and effort and actually people trying to give him the best advice and counsel that you can on an ongoing basis." They are giving Ron counseling on an ongoing basis?

I would of liked to hear Petrie say "I would like to see Ron in a Kings uniform and I think he can be a big part of our future" instead of "who knows what Ron will do, he is a good player WHEN he is on his game, he is a proverbial dilemma, we give him on going counseling as that is all we can do".

Sorry I don't like what Petrie is saying one bit. Maybe I am just trying to read into too much.

[KingInExile]

Is it just me or does anyone else get the impression Petrie is NOT too keen on keeping Ron around. When asked about Ron's situation Petrie simply says it is Ron's decision to make and he will just have to wait and be prepared to see what happens. Sure that is true but I would think he would say something like I hope he picks up his option because he is a vital part to this team or something to that effect.

Then he says when Ron is on his game he is a good player. I take that as sometimes he is not on his game and he hurts the team. The he says "To some extent, he's the proverbial dilemma wrapped in a mystery. But you have to respect things he can do on the court." What the hell does that mean? Sounds like "he is good, but unpredictable" I just don't like what Petrie is saying.

Then there's "We've invested a lot of time and effort and actually people trying to give him the best advice and counsel that you can on an ongoing basis." They are giving Ron counseling on an ongoing basis?

I would of liked to hear Petrie say "I would like to see Ron in a Kings uniform and I think he can be a big part of our future" instead of "who knows what Ron will do, he is a good player WHEN he is on his game, he is a proverbial dilemma, we give him on going counseling as that is all we can do".

Sorry I don't like what Petrie is saying one bit. Maybe I am just trying to read into too much.

I think it is more him being very cautious about what he says for various reasons. On one level I don't think he wants to appear to be tampering with Ron's decision by saying what he wants Ron to do with his option. Those are the kind of things that get GMs and teams in trouble with the league, which is something Petrie avoids. From a negotiating standpoint, Petrie is going to keep his "feelings" close to his vest so Ron's agent doesn't come around and say "I read in the Bee that you really want Ron around...open your wallet". When I think back to any answers he's given the media about players, he's always been very subdued and never lets his true feelings show through.

As for the counseling comment, I think you are taking that more literally than he intended. I think what he's saying is that the franchise has committed to provide him with as much assistance as he's willing to take in order to keep his off-court life from interfering with his on-court performance. I doubt they are requiring him to go through constant counseling, just giving him the resources he thinks he needs to get his life in order (not worth denying that he's had problems and needed help).

I agree that Petire likely won't be heartbroken if Ron opts out. But I don't think he's anxious to have him leave.

[SacKingZZZ]

Is it just me or does anyone else get the impression Petrie is NOT too keen on keeping Ron around. When asked about Ron's situation Petrie simply says it is Ron's decision to make and he will just have to wait and be prepared to see what happens. Sure that is true but I would think he would say something like I hope he picks up his option because he is a vital part to this team or something to that effect.

Then he says when Ron is on his game he is a good player. I take that as sometimes he is not on his game and he hurts the team. The he says "To some extent, he's the proverbial dilemma wrapped in a mystery. But you have to respect things he can do on the court." What the hell does that mean? Sounds like "he is good, but unpredictable" I just don't like what Petrie is saying.

Then there's "We've invested a lot of time and effort and actually people trying to give him the best advice and counsel that you can on an ongoing basis." They are giving Ron counseling on an ongoing basis?

I would of liked to hear Petrie say "I would like to see Ron in a Kings uniform and I think he can be a big part of our future" instead of "who knows what Ron will do, he is a good player WHEN he is on his game, he is a proverbial dilemma, we give him on going counseling as that is all we can do".

Sorry I don't like what Petrie is saying one bit. Maybe I am just trying to read into too much.

He won't give him away for 25 cents on the dollar, but for 75? Yeah, that'll do. If the deadline is any indication that is.

I mean look at the facts! If anyone here is expecting Geoff Petrie to commit to Ron Artest at this point you may be very disappointed. Then again, if he did I would even be more disappointed just on the basis that it makes it look like Geoff is taking advice from the magic 8 ball on his personnel moves. That or he is completely bipolar.

[Wolfay]

-= original quote snipped =-



He won't give him away for 25 cents on the dollar, but for 75? Yeah, that'll do. If the deadline is any indication that is.

I mean look at the facts! If anyone here is expecting Geoff Petrie to commit to Ron Artest at this point you may be very disappointed. Then again, if he did I would even be more disappointed just on the basis that it makes it look like Geoff is taking advice from the magic 8 ball on his personnel moves. That or he is completely bipolar.

What facts?

[BMiller52]

The odd thing is a couple weeks ago on the radio he sounded a lot more positive about Ron and less about Beno, in this interview it's flipped.

[CWEBB#4+Kings]

I feel like Geof is starting to lose his magic, i really hope he does something quick to get this team back in track. If he lets Ron opt out, we will just be digging ourselves deeper in this whole that we're stuck in. Atleast get something back for him. If Geof is having doubts about him, he should take action right away. I do not understand why this team is sinking.

[nolimit0820]

How is this team sinking? And why does this team sinking directly correlate with getting a package for Artest. Nothing is going to happen overnight with this team. I think the future looks bright and its just getting started.