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Kruger takes the fall in Atlanta

by Terry Brown

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Also Below: Musselman orders young Warriors to share | Peep Show

Lon Kruger, we hardly knew thee.

"I think Lon is a great coach," Atlanta Hawk GM Pete Babcock told the Atlanta Journal Constitution after firing the head coach and his assistant Gar Heard. "It didn't work out here. There were reasons, and Lon shouldn't take the blame for what happened. He has great qualities. We thought it would work and that he would be the head coach for a long time to come."

Kruger wasn't there at Thursday night's lynching but we can let his players, er, former players, speak for him.

"It is more a reflection of us failing him than him failing us," forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim said. "It's easier to replace the coach."

Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Season Scoring Avg Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG Pct.

2001-02 20.5 7.8 3.2 1.0 0.4 .510

2002-03 21.2 9.0 3.1 1.2 1.0 .460

Funny, but that's exactly what Kruger said.

"At this level it's a players' game, and you don't have the opportunity to affect things as much as you would in college," Kruger said. "In college, the coach can have a great effect on the outcome of games. But the truth is, at the pro level, the better players you have, the better you will be. You can close that gap a little more in college ... But at the pro level the players really determine things more."

Glenn Robinson

Season Scoring Avg. Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG Pct.

2001-02 20.7 6.2 2.5 1.4 0.6 .460

2002-03 21.4 7.6 3.0 1.4 0.5 .440

"The tough decisions of Stan Kasten and Pete Babcock are out of our hands," Reef continued. "We need to go out and play better. We have to make the change work. The fact is that we underachieved. We're not living up to expectations."

Jason Terry

Season Scoring Avg. Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks FG Pct.

2001-02 19.3 3.5 5.7 1.8 0.1 .430

2002-03 17.0 3.4 7.7 1.8 0.2 .390

Basically, Kruger got canned for believing in his players. As Curtis Bunn of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution put it: "From the outset, a disposition of authority needed to be established. His perpetual positive spin immersed himself deeper on the wrong end of the players' graces. The best player in Hawks history, Dominique Wilkins, often was a victim of Mike Fratello's piercing and loud prodding. If 'Nique could be yelled at and pushed, so can Darvin Ham. And yet, Kruger's Mr. Nice Guy routine never wavered -- and now the team waves adieu to him."

Kruger began his NBA coaching stint three seasons ago after succeeding on the college level at Kansas State, Florida and Illinois.

Hawks under Kruger

Season Record Place

2000-01 25-55 7th

2001-02 33-49 6th

2002-03 11-16 5th

Bunn also wrote: "Kruger's only real noticeable coaching strategy occurred when he convinced the team to go public with a playoff guarantee or refund season-ticket purchases $125. It was an act of desperation. He might not ever admit it, but the thinking had to be that such an unprecedented move would charge a collection of talent stricken with a drastic case of malaise. Didn't work. At 11-16, the Hawks were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference at the time Kruger got run. And while that mark hardly is acceptable, it was more about the way the Hawks went down: without a fight. Much of Kruger's demise was his own doing, in that he treated the coddled, millionaire athletes like men. In case you haven't noticed, that does not work."

It was Babcock, though, who chose not to hire Nate McMillan, Byron Scott, Isiah Thomas and Doc Rivers, all coaches who, if the season ended now, would be headed to the playoffs.

It wasn't Kruger, a curious choice in the first place, who traded Dikembe Mutombo for Theo Ratliff or Robinson for Toni Kukoc or anybody for anybody and, well, he couldn't get on the dang floor himself and play defense could he?

The Hawks scored a nice 94.9 points per game but gave up an ugly 98.6.

In the end, Glenn Robinson was Glenn Robinson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim was Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jason Terry was Jason Terry and Lon Kruger lost his job because of it.

"You have to motivate the players a lot of different ways," said Terry Stotts, who will replace Kruger after serving as an assistant to Milwaukee's George Karl for 14 years. "You have to do it however you can. That is the mandate from Pete, to play hard and give defensive effort."

Terry Stotts, we hardly know thee.

Top aide takes over for Kruger

Jeffrey Denberg / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hawks need inspiration

Curtis Bunn / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Players accept share of failure

Curtis Bunn / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Stotts learned as aide for Karl

Jeffrey Denberg / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Musselman orders young Warriors to share

The Golden State Warriors have been warned: Pass the ball, or else.

Gilbert Arenas

Guard

Golden State Warriors

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

27 15.6 5.6 6.7 .409 .768

"It can't get worse," starting point guard Gilbert Arenas told the Oakland Tribune.

"There's nothing wrong with change every now and then," starting center Erick Dampier said.

"If he feels we need to change the lineup, he's the coach," starting shooting guard Jason Richardson said.

Head coach Eric Musselman has spoken, threatened, promised, whatever you want to call it, to change the starting lineup of a 9-18 team -- a lineup that hasn't changed all season. Arenas, Richardson, Antawn Jamison, Troy Murphy and Dampier have been together at the opening buzzer 27 times this year. They are the only group to do so in the NBA.

They are also the group that totaled one assist in the first quarter of Sunday's 103-88 loss to Sacramento and three for the entire game.

"We'll see how we move the ball to start the game," Musselman said. "We've talked about it a lot the last two days."

Earl Boykins

Point Guard

Golden State Warriors

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

13 10.0 1.6 4.5 .484 .786

Now, let's see. He can insert 5-foot-5 Earl Boykins at point guard, or Mike Dunleavy (and his 34 percent FG shooting) at small forward, or maybe Jiri Welsch (27 percent from the field) at shooting guard, or exchange Adonal Foyle's 5.1 points per game for Dampier's 9.2. And let's not forget that Musselman also has Bob Sura, career 8.7 ppg on 41 percent shooting, coming off injured reserve.

Or he can see if a group comprised of three second-year players can pull itself together. After all, two years ago, the Warriors finished 17-65 before going 21-61 the following season and 9-18 so far this year.

Less than a week ago, the San Francisco Chronicle had this Mussleman quote: "I think the stability -- we need that. We need to know who our starters are. Now we can develop some guys off the bench. ... I think two years down the road, it's going to pay big dividends that we didn't jump all over the place."

So, he can stay that course, or he can begin jumping all over the place.

"We have our chemistry going right now," said Jason Richardson. "Why mess with it? I think it's working."

Coach to change Warriors lineup?

Vittorio Tafur / Oakland Tribune

Musselman hints at lineup changes

Brad Weinstein / San Francisco Chronicle

Warriors play game of blame

Gary Peterson / Contra Costa Times

Peep Show

Sacramento Kings: Sparkplug Bobby Jackson will be out of action for six weeks after breaking a knuckle on his left hand against the Lakers on Christmas day. With another tough game looming against the Blazers, Jim Jackson and Hedo Turkoglu are expected to absorb the minutes while Jackson heals. "It felt great to play and win," Kings forward Chris Webber told the Sacramento Bee. "But if we come back and lose to Portland, then what did it really mean? It means we're still immature as a team."

Todd MacCulloch

Center

Philadelphia 76ers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

28 8.9 5.5 0.5 .526 .691

Philadelphia 76ers: Head coach Larry Brown wants to get to the bottom of center Todd MacCulloch's foot problems, fearing that it might be more than a simple case of plantar fasciitis. "His feet are bothering him, it's obvious watching him play," Brown said. "The doctors say it's not going to do any damage [with] him playing, but he leads the league in tests. Hopefully, they'll find something." MacCulloch is not expected to miss the team's next game against the Jazz.

New York Knicks: Charlie Ward isn't speaking so it's hard to tell how hurt he really is. "Charlie's very tough and has a lot of pride," coach Don Chaney told Newsday. "A lot of times he doesn't disclose how much pain he's in." The point guard has sat out the last two New York practices and is probable for the team's next game.

Eric Piatkowski

Shooting Guard

Los Angeles Clippers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

22 10.9 3.1 1.6 .489 .825

Los Angeles Clippers: Easy come, easy go. Corey Maggette has recovered from his knee injury but has been replaced on injured reserve by Eric Piatkowski, who is having a hard time recovering from an abdominal strain. "It's only going to be for a week,'' Clippers coach Alvin Gentry told the Orange County Register. "I don't think that he (Piatkowski) would have been able to play the next five games.''

Washington Wizards: Rookie Jared Jeffries has fallen, and he can't get up. Not this season, anyway. "You never want to get injured, and it was one of those freak accidents that happen," Jeffries told the Baltimore Sun. "God's got a plan for everybody, and I have to get through it and work hard and get ready for next year." Jeffries tore the ACL of his right knee and will undergo surgery shortly.

Jackson sidelined six weeks

Martin McNeal / Sacramento Bee

MacCulloch's foot injury cause for concern

Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News

Chaney Rests Injured Ward to Energize Him

Jason Molinet / Newsday

Maggette ready, Piatkowski isn't

Art Thompson / Orange County Register

Jeffries out for season with torn ACL

Milton Kent / Baltimore Sun