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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Vivek Ranadive is widely credited with being one of the principal reasons the Kings still reign in Sacramento. His ownership exhilarated a new fanbase and he helped expel the increasingly aloof Maloof brothers from the hierarchy of the Kings. Ranadives methods have been strange to say the least. Publicly, the Kings owner has tinkered with the idea of having his team play 4-on-5 on the defensive end with an offensive cherry-picker hanging back. The Kings D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, average a staggering 138.5 ppg. Sure, they allow 136.3 ppg, but theyre 6-5. The latest strangeness around Ranadive and the Kings was the abrupt dismissal of head coach Mike Malone earlier in the week. The Kings are 11-14, but 2-9 since DeMarcus Cousins left the lineup. The first record is very respectable in the brutal Western Conference and the second record is expected when the best player is unavailable. Ranadive hired Malone before he hired his GM, Pete DAlessandro, a move Ranadive acknowledged was out of order. I know it was unconventional to get the coach before we got the GM, Ranadive conceded in an interview with Sacramentos News10. I consulted some of the experts in the game. They said Malone was the right guy and we should get him as soon as we could ... Malone was exactly what the doctor ordered. How could Malone be exactly what the doctor ordered, then be unemployed just a season and 24 games later? Everything was literally and figuratively falling apart, Ranadive explained to News10. There was chaos, even anarchy in the locker room. The draft was weeks away. We needed to get a coach in place who would restore order. Malone must have done that. In all my years watching the NBA, let alone covering it, I never witnessed a coach publicly call out his team to the media like Malone did. He wouldnt throw guys under the bus, hed do that, back them over with the bus, then repeat. But, as Yahoo Sports Adrian Wojnarowski reported, Malone softened a bit. Wojnarowski reported that Malone traveled to visit Cousins and Rudy Gay while they were on Team USA for the FIBA World Cup this summer. Wojnarowski even went as far as to say Malone was a big reason for Gay extending his contract in Sacramento and that Malone was getting through to Cousins, who could, at times, be a little difficult. So why then, fire the teams coach, a coach who was hired without approval of either DAllesandro, or Ranadives closest advisor, Chris Mullin, this early while the team is progressing and while the teams best player has VIRAL MENINGITIS? The Western Conference is arguably the most competitive that it has ever been, Ranadive explained. Its a little like the hi-tech business. Just because you invent the iphone, doesnt mean you can rest on your laurels. Just because you win 50 games, you cant be satisfied with the status quo. We live in a time when good enough, isnt. We need to take this to the next level. We needed to pivot so that we move from a great defensive orientation to having both defense and offense. Move from an isolation offense to a more free-flowing offense. Move from a rules-based culture which was important when there was chaos, to more of a value-based culture so you can have more of a read-and-respond offense. Wow, thats interesting, equating a value-based culture to a fluid NBA offense. Its certainly not owner speak. Thats a detailed, thought-out offering from someone who takes his job very seriously. Ranadive also said that the DAlessandro/Mullin combination made the final call, but Ranadives explanation was candid and very much forward-thinking. Clearly, offense is a big part of the problem Ranadive had with Malone. Owners meddling in sports matters is older than fire. Does Ranadive understand what he has in Cousins? A dominant, two-way big man who can shoot and pass, all while 24 years of age is a unique commodity. Does he want to flush Cousins impact in the future for the love of offense? Maybe he does, but Ranadive is a man who wont settle for anything but the best. Mark Cuban is a Maverick in team name and in personality. He did things oddly it seemed, and hes always had a hand in things. Now, Cuban is an elite, shrewd owner who has a championship ring and one of the most consistently strong teams every season. Cuban also backed off and let the basketball people run things when needs be. Wojnarowski said Ranadive really wanted Detroits Josh Smith and told other owners Malone didnt, yet still pursued him. Thats too meddlesome and hell need to curb that kind of behavior. But Ranadive isnt willing to settle. Doesnt that pinpoint exactly what a fanbase should look for in an owner? Progress is fine, but when that progression plateaus, hell find the next guy for the next level. Ranadive used Malone to balance his roster out mentally, then chucked him. Its like when Bane snapped that dudes neck who provided money and infrastructure, although the comparison is not exactly flawless. Ranadives methods are goofy, but his mind is where it should be. There will still be issues to flesh out for Ranadive going forward. Will any worthwhile coach want to work for an owner who fires coaches when the best player is away? Will any worthwhile coach want to work for an owner who fires coaches a little over 100 games into his tenure? Will any worthwhile coach want to work for an owner who wants to employ a 4-on-5 strategy? Ty Corbin is not the answer. He didnt do anything of note with the Utah Jazz and he wont in Sacramento. George Karls name was pumped up early based on the fact he has a working relationship with DAlessandro, but thats already appeared to fizzle. Sam Amick of USA Today reported that Mullin, DAlessandro and Cousins met with Mark Jackson after he called the game for ESPN Tuesday night. That would be fun - taking the most recent genius who butted heads with ownership and pair him with a guy who wants his coach to use lessons from his days coaching his daughters youth team. If this episode proved anything else, its that Ranadive isnt in this to just be owner and deposit checks. He wants to win and his desire to do so borders on impatience. Whoever the long-term solution is in Sacramento, be it Jackson, Karl or Mullin, better be on guard. Ranadive is doing things his way based on his background in the business and technology world. Its his right. He may have some trouble getting coaches to trust him for now, but his honesty and approach is refreshing. Improvement is the only acceptable outcome. Did he have a cherry-picker in software development? Wholesale Air Jordan 6 Nz . LOUIS -- Known for his game-managing and defensive skills, Yadier Molina made another statement with his bat. Cheap Air Jordan 6 Nz Online . Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form. http://www.cheapairjordan6nz.com/ . Certainly not Monday night. George Hill took care of the early work, scoring a season-high 26 points, and Paul George closed it out by scoring 11 of his 26 points during a decisive second-half stretch that finally allowed Indiana to pull away from Minnesota 98-84 for yet another win. Cheap Air Jordan 6 Nz Sale . JOHNS, N. Air Jordan 6 Nz Cheap .com) - Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall left Saturdays game against the Senators in the second period with a left knee injury.DETROIT -- Josmil Pinto was rounding third when he suddenly realized his coach was holding him up. Then he noticed something else: The throw from the outfield wasnt heading anywhere near the plate. So Pinto went home, and the comeback was only beginning for the Minnesota Twins. They scored three more runs the following inning -- thanks in part to more poor defence by Detroit -- for a 4-3 victory over the Tigers on Sunday. "A great win for us, when you take advantage of a mistake any time you can get one," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who was ejected in the fourth inning. "Winning two out of three here against this team is good. You take them any way you can get them." Eduardo Nunez hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth for the Twins, who had a bit of help from Detroits outfield in the late innings. Right fielder Torii Hunter threw to the wrong base to allow Pinto to score in the seventh, and an error by Rajai Davis in left was even more costly in the eighth. The Twins handed the AL Central-leading Tigers only their second series loss of the season. Detroit left-hander Robbie Ray pitched six scoreless innings in his second big league start and Ian Kinsler homered to put the Tigers up 3-0 in the fifth. The bullpen couldnt hold on. Minnesota pinch-hitter Danny Santana hit an RBI single in the seventh, when Pinto ran through a stop sign and scored from second. He may well have been out at the plate, but Hunter tossed the ball quickly to second instead of throwing home. "When I started running, I felt something in my foot, and I stopped, and then I started running. When I touched third base, I saw (the third base coach) like, Hey," said Pinto, pantomiming a stop sign. "And then I turned my head a little bit, and I saw Torii throw the ball to second base." So Pinto kept going. "Torii assumed, that with that kind of bloop single, the guy is scoring easy," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "But they held him up and he read Toriis throw." Detroits problems were only beginning. In the eighth, Pinto singled to left off Joba Chamberlain (1-2) with runners on first and second. One run scored on the hit, and the ball skipped past Davvis for an error that enabled another run to come home and allowed Pinto to reach second.dddddddddddd Nunez followed with his single to make it 4-3. Jared Burton (1-1) won in relief. Glen Perkins got four outs for his 10th save in 11 chances. With a runner on second and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Victor Martinez hit a line drive up the middle that hit reliever Casey Fien. The right-hander picked up the ball and threw a one-hopper to first to retire Martinez, then Fein left the game with a bruised right arm. Perkins came on and got pinch-hitter Nick Castellanos on a flyout with a runner on third. Minnesota starter Samuel Deduno gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. Miguel Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly in the first, and the Tigers made it 2-0 in the fourth on an RBI single by Austin Jackson. Detroit had the bases loaded later that inning when Gardenhire was ejected. With one out, Andrew Romine hit a grounder toward shortstop, but the Twins had no chance to turn a double play because the ball hit Jackson, who had been on second. Jackson was called out, Martinez was sent back to third and Romine was awarded first, leaving the bases still loaded with two outs. Gardenhire came out to argue, wanting the umpires to award a double play. Third base ump Joe West, the crew chief, ejected him. "In their opinion, which I was told, he didnt intentionally let the ball hit him. I know what happened. I think we all saw that he was trying to screen the (fielder). It was going to be a routine double play. Maybe the ball took a funny hop and hit him, but he didnt have to be there," Gardenhire said. "My opinion didnt work, lets just put it that way. So I ended up in here." The play didnt cost Minnesota any runs. Davis followed with a groundout to end the inning. NOTES: It was Gardenhires first ejection of the year and the 68th of his career in the regular season. ... Detroit plays at Baltimore on Monday night. Rick Porcello (5-1) starts for the Tigers against Bud Norris (2-2). ... The Twins have Monday off before hosting Boston. Ricky Nolasco (2-3) takes the mound for Minnesota on Tuesday night against Felix Doubront (1-3). China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '