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Anyone see that article about noc? Is he demanding a trade in the offseason or does his opinion not count? personally i see his complaints and it could be solved with a good coach and a pg. kevin martin would get set up and his fg% would shoot up and guys like garcia wouldnt have to be the playmakers

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12044

To me it sounds more like valid frustration than him getting ready to demand a trade. Some of the comments were spot on: ownership more interested in not losing money than winning games, a lot of individualistic play and poor chemistry. This team needs a lot of work (not just some fresh, young, new pieces) and desperately needs some internal leadership. He can be a big part of that leadership...if he really wanted to be. I think he just needs a sign from Petrie and the Maloofs that they are committed to the same things that Noc is.

i agree....the maloofs have really drop the ball since 2003, they are only in this for their wallets. They "say" they want to win, but aren't doing anything to show it but complian about finances. hmph

This is good stuff.

As fans, we have all voiced our frustration with the Kings, Maloofs, Petrie, etc. this year. It has been frustrating to watch this team play all season long for various reasons (many of which Nocioni mentions).

Honestly, I can only imagine how a player like Noc can feel about the situation. He has to live in it day in and day out. And its different for Noc than it may be for other players on the team as it is clear to me that he has the kind of attitude that is committed to playing hard and helping his team get better.

Now, I know a ton of people will say "waaahh Nocioni, you are making a ton of money - suck it up and play basketball." But, hey, these are real concerns that Noc wants the team to admit that they are TRYING to turn around. It's one thing to call out the organization when they have made a couple of mistakes. But it has become clear to Nocioni (in his little over a month here) that there have been a whole string of mistakes by the Kings organization in the recent past and things need to change. He isn't calling to be traded or anything, but, as KIE said, he just wants to know that the Maloofs and Petrie are still committed to improving the Kings. And, I kind of want to know the same exact thing.

KingInExile wrote:To me it sounds more like valid frustration than him getting ready to demand a trade. Some of the comments were spot on: ownership more interested in not losing money than winning games, a lot of individualistic play and poor chemistry. This team needs a lot of work (not just some fresh, young, new pieces) and desperately needs some internal leadership. He can be a big part of that leadership...if he really wanted to be. I think he just needs a sign from Petrie and the Maloofs that they are committed to the same things that Noc is.

This part is SPOT ON. Ever since Webb was traded and to an extent Artest left, this team has lost it's winning attitude. Chris was a capable franchise piece that brought the SWAGGER teams need to win. Artest was crazy enough to believe it could be done. Whatever it is, we lack it. And that's the ROOT of this team playing so poorly, it's not from lack of talent. I think of any player in the lotto, Griffin would probably be the best at instilling that swagger back in Sacto.

ya, i hope the maloofs listen to him. besides his contract i like noc and his drive to win. he always plays all out and wants to play the team game. we need leadership from the pg position, but i think rubio is too young to do it right away and jennings may need development before that happens so hopefully we get griffin and he leads by example of his agressiveness. no matter what happens, i hope hawes turns into a leader next season. i see a lot of vlade in him and i always saw vlade as the glue that made the team go. we have tons of talent, we just need someone to run the team and not just look for their own stats

Interesting read there. I can see his points, but he just like everyone else needs to realize this is the ONLY way this franchise will get better. May not happen in one year, but I'd like to see this team with at least a training camp under their belt, a real head coach, and a designated style of play. I just don't get how even Nocioni could think this team would be able to develop any sort of chemistry with the amount of moves they've made recently.

Stick Noc on the bench for the rest of the year, get him a guy like Blake Griffin to play with, get him a real coach, and give this team a direction to play in. Then lets see what's going on then. If he doesn't like it, too bad, or he can leave, I'm sure the Maloofs would be OK with him leaving his deal on the table in a worst case scenario.

perezident wrote:i agree....the maloofs have really drop the ball since 2003, they are only in this for their wallets. They "say" they want to win, but aren't doing anything to show it but complian about finances. hmph

I still don't believe that, if they were they most assuredly would have done the supposed "other deals", because I'm sure they would have resulted in the Maloofs padding their pockets more than taking on Nocionis nearly 30 million dollars. I just think they finally "get it". You don't pay luxury tax on a team that is young and sucks at the moment. After 5 years they also realized that everything needed to be torn down, not just painted over or pieced together deadline after deadline. This team needs to get a top 5 level talent or two and right now the only conceivable way of doing so is to suck your way into it. Plenty of teams have done it, we tried not doing it, now there is no other choice.

Personally, I think everyone is a little too in love with Noci. If Kenny Thomas came out and said this, EVERYONE would be on his ass saying how he needs to keep his mouth shut. Noci is a decent player, but he's new to the team, and has no right calling out fellow players/ownership after only being here for a month. Keep it in the locker room and away from the media.

I'm sorry skaterdude, but I have to disagree...
Noc said what we have been saying on here for the past year...
He goes out and busts his ass for the team day in and day out!
He has the right to point out what is wrong with the organization!
He wants the team 2 improve just as much as we do..
And him calling out the maloofs + fellow teammates may spark his teammates..
and it may finally get n2 the maloofs' head that this is about BASKETBALL!
I like Noc + his hustle, but he should be a 6th man type of player on our team!
Imagine if we drafted Blake Griffin at #1... Traded Thompson for #10 pick + drafted Teague/Jennings...
And with the 23rd pick, we drafted Derozan...
Imagine this lineup + basically all from the draft!
Teague or Jennings/ Beno
K-Mart/ Cisco
Derozan/ Noc/ Donte
Blake
Hawes
We would be playoff team in no time!

xx_skaterdude_xx wrote:Personally, I think everyone is a little too in love with Noci. If Kenny Thomas came out and said this, EVERYONE would be on his ass saying how he needs to keep his mouth shut. Noci is a decent player, but he's new to the team, and has no right calling out fellow players/ownership after only being here for a month. Keep it in the locker room and away from the media.

If Kenny Thomas came out and said this I would be happy...it would be a vast improvement, a sign that he actually cares about something.

Sam Amick has a follow-up on this today: http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/1730022.html

Speaking with The Bee a day later, Nocioni – who is well aware that the team's standing in Sacramento is tenuous in light of lagging attendance and looming arena issues – said the tone of his sentiments was lost in translation and voiced concerns about how the comments could affect fans' perception of him.

"The concern about this is about what the people who are going to support an arena and support the team think about me," Nocioni said in a phone interview Wednesday night. "This is my concern. (That) and my teammates. That's it.

"I don't want the people of Sacramento to think I'm the kind of guy who likes to complain, that I don't want to compete, or that I'm here to be here for (two) months and then want (to be traded). If this (team) is going to be competitive in the next couple (of) years … I want to be here."

xx_skaterdude_xx wrote:Personally, I think everyone is a little too in love with Noci. If Kenny Thomas came out and said this, EVERYONE would be on his ass saying how he needs to keep his mouth shut. Noci is a decent player, but he's new to the team, and has no right calling out fellow players/ownership after only being here for a month. Keep it in the locker room and away from the media.

Kenny thomas is still a king?!? at least we half way stephon maurberyed him

we need to trade martin(even though the kings are in the dump, you see how carelessly he plays, like he doesnt care if we win or lose. i admit he puts up numbers, but his attitude is just awful), trade him for a player who has a winning attitude and can put up numbers not only in points but in assists and STEALS, a hustler, hawes is horrible (no defense, get's lost out on the defensive end), cisco needs to look to pass more then put up shots, JT is cool just needs inside improvement on the defensive end as well as the offensive end, beno, well we all know about his capabilities.......

aznmaburi3 wrote:we need to trade martin(even though the kings are in the dump, you see how carelessly he plays, like he doesnt care if we win or lose. i admit he puts up numbers, but his attitude is just awful), trade him for a player who has a winning attitude and can put up numbers not only in points but in assists and STEALS, a hustler, hawes is horrible (no defense, get's lost out on the defensive end), cisco needs to look to pass more then put up shots, JT is cool just needs inside improvement on the defensive end as well as the offensive end, beno, well we all know about his capabilities.......

BLASPHOMY. Hawes is vlade 2.0. i agree with martin tho unless we can make him the #2 or 3 option. I think martin tries to lead by example, but he doesnt care enough to do that. i would trade the entire team for a deron williams type player (leader, playmaker, clutch scorer, defender, and whatever else the teams needs). watching what williams does with garbage is insane.

bflewis wrote:I'm sorry skaterdude, but I have to disagree...
Noc said what we have been saying on here for the past year...
He goes out and busts his ass for the team day in and day out!
He has the right to point out what is wrong with the organization!
He wants the team 2 improve just as much as we do..
And him calling out the maloofs + fellow teammates may spark his teammates..
and it may finally get n2 the maloofs' head that this is about BASKETBALL!
I like Noc + his hustle, but he should be a 6th man type of player on our team!
Imagine if we drafted Blake Griffin at #1... Traded Thompson for #10 pick + drafted Teague/Jennings...
And with the 23rd pick, we drafted Derozan...
Imagine this lineup + basically all from the draft!
Teague or Jennings/ Beno
K-Mart/ Cisco
Derozan/ Noc/ Donte
Blake
Hawes
We would be playoff team in no time!

Regardless, Noci has only been here for a month. He has no right to call out his fellow players/ownership to the media. I'm sure the entire Kings team could bitch and moan about how terrible this season has been, how they don't get the ball enough, that we don't play team ball, etc etc. Noci needs to shut up and just play his game, simple as that.

agreed. I like Martin, but its not like we are winning games with him putting up 24ppg a night. Even when he goes for 30+ it rarely has any substantial meaning. I think now is the perfect time to trade him, but only if we can get like a top 5 pick.

Potentially the #1 pick, another top 5 pick, and a pick in mid-20's would be pretty awesome. If nothing else it would bring us some hope, lol.

darkadun wrote:agreed. I like Martin, but its not like we are winning games with him putting up 24ppg a night. Even when he goes for 30+ it rarely has any substantial meaning. I think now is the perfect time to trade him, but only if we can get like a top 5 pick.

Potentially the #1 pick, another top 5 pick, and a pick in mid-20's would be pretty awesome. If nothing else it would bring us some hope, lol.

Of course we can succeed with Kevin scoring 24PPG. We just can't succeed if he is our main guy down the stretch. But anybody scoring over 24PPG on under 16 shots per game is unquestionably helping your team (unless said player also turns it over like 6 times a game and literally lays down on defense).

But moreover, I really, really, seriously doubt we trade Kevin for any unproven talent unless we are really, really sure that said player will be a franchise player (in which case Kevin wouldn't be enough for them anyway). A top 5 pick wouldn't qualify--I don't think any pick in this draft would qualify. Generally, any trade that makes us worse right now is in all likelihood going to be a "no".

xx_skaterdude_xx wrote:

bflewis wrote:I'm sorry skaterdude, but I have to disagree...
Noc said what we have been saying on here for the past year...
He goes out and busts his ass for the team day in and day out!
He has the right to point out what is wrong with the organization!
He wants the team 2 improve just as much as we do..
And him calling out the maloofs + fellow teammates may spark his teammates..
and it may finally get n2 the maloofs' head that this is about BASKETBALL!
I like Noc + his hustle, but he should be a 6th man type of player on our team!
Imagine if we drafted Blake Griffin at #1... Traded Thompson for #10 pick + drafted Teague/Jennings...
And with the 23rd pick, we drafted Derozan...
Imagine this lineup + basically all from the draft!
Teague or Jennings/ Beno
K-Mart/ Cisco
Derozan/ Noc/ Donte
Blake
Hawes
We would be playoff team in no time!

Regardless, Noci has only been here for a month. He has no right to call out his fellow players/ownership to the media. I'm sure the entire Kings team could bitch and moan about how terrible this season has been, how they don't get the ball enough, that we don't play team ball, etc etc. Noci needs to shut up and just play his game, simple as that.

So wait, the fact that he's only been on the roster for about a month voids his right to speak his mind? Is that what you're saying? That's bull! He's part of this team, paid to contribute to the team's success and is penciled in as a piece Petrie wants around for the future. He's got every right to point out what he thinks this team's problems are. And it's not like he's pointing out anything that isn't blatantly obvious. Besides, it's not like he was saying "I don't want to be here because of these problems". His comments were more along the line of "these are the problems that management needs to address and, if management wants me to be here long-term, I want assurances that they will seriously address them". Big difference IMO.

The Fact That he has only been here for a few months and has spoken up bout how much our management needs to change only shows his desire to win and win now! He already sees the problem with our franchise with only a month in a kings uniform