Beno bites hand that fed him in Kings' victory over Spurs
Web Posted: 11/27/2007 01:16 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. Little more than three weeks ago, coach Reggie Theus heralded Beno Udrih's arrival in Sacramento with the kind of cavalry-is-coming melodramatics that only sound authentic in old western movies.
"Help is on the way," Theus announced after the Kings signed the Spurs castoff to play point guard Nov 1.
That over-the-top proclamation doesn't sound so sappy now. Mostly because Udrih has, indeed, helped the Kings.
Putting together the best game of his life Monday, Udrih scored a career-high 27 points and outplayed the point guard he backed up for three seasons to aid his new team in beating his old one at Arco Arena, 112-99.
"I tried not to let my emotions get to me," said Udrih, who never scored more than 25 points in 207 games with the Spurs. "I was just trying to play the game."
Brad Miller had 17 points to go with 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Kings, who had all five starters score in double digits.
Tim Duncan led the Spurs (12-3) with 15 points but had only five after the first quarter. Tony Parker, under whom Udrih apprenticed in San Antonio, had 12 points, seven assists and a team-best seven rebounds but struggled to get to the rim.
Sacramento's victory snapped a five-game winning streak for the Spurs, who were off to the best start in franchise history. It also broke a three-game losing streak for the Kings (5-9).
The Spurs' first-round pick in 2004, Udrih spent three mercurial seasons in San Antonio. Shipped to Minnesota for next to nothing before the start of the season the Timberwolves hastily waived him Udrih landed in Sacramento. He landed on his feet.
The Kings were in the market for a point guard after Mike Bibby was sidelined by thumb surgery in October. Udrih was a point guard in search of playing time, which he wasn't going to get behind Parker and Jacque Vaughn.
"Quite a bit of what we needed, he offers," Theus said.
Udrih left town quietly upon his trade in October but recently told a Sacramento newspaper he felt unappreciated by the Spurs. He took a less forceful tack Monday "I am thankful to them," he said. "They are the reason I am here."
One didn't have to remind Spurs coach Gregg Popovich of that. Much as another jettisoned former Spurs first-round pick Houston's Luis Scola did earlier this month, Udrih came back to haunt his former team.
It turns out Udrih isn't the only one who believes he might have been mishandled in San Antonio. Popovich agrees.
"I did a poor job of creating an environment where he could get better," Popovich said. "He's a natural at the position. I just wish I had done a better job with him."
On Monday, Udrih discovered winning basketball games to be the best revenge.
The Kings grabbed control midway through the third quarter, scoring on 12 of 13 possessions during a 28-10 run that allowed them to break open the game.
With 2:57 left in the fourth, Udrih made his closing statement. He grabbed a loose ball, weaved the length of the floor for a transition layup, drew a foul and completed a 3-point play.
That sequence put Sacramento ahead 106-92. It also allowed Udrih to match his career high, against the team with whom he'd spent all but eight games of his career.
The Kings had the signature victory of the Theus era. Their losing streak was finished. And Udrih, if he were inclined to claim it as such, had his revenge.
Afterward, Udrih would only go so far as to admit the obvious.
"Winning games is the sweetest," Udrih said. "It just feels great to win."
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LINK: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...r.2eedc96.html
And in June, he'll be wondering why he doesn't have to be at shoot-around tomorrow...Putting together the best game of his life Monday, Udrih scored a career-high 27 points and outplayed the point guard he backed up for three seasons to aid his new team in beating his old one at Arco Arena, 112-99.
One of the most annoying things on this board has been the constant Beno bashing. I have been a Spurs fan since the 70's, went to my first game in 78 and over the years I never heard of anyone taking so much heat for so being a second/third string option. The heat also seemed to stem from a mob mentality on this board that does not reflect the general public. Well, to all the Beno bashers at Spurstalk, How does crow taste for breakfast this morning? I know some of you will be in denial and continue to bash him which will put you in the same class as Maverick and Suns fans. You will not be able to admit your wrong.
you truly sound like a Spurs fan.... and yes.. class is the word that still defines us ALL... despite i do not always agree with the beno bashing spirit.. you have to admit... he deserved it... and being in Pop's doghouse is one of the big reason's why we post here... that's why he is so popular among us... he was always there... give us a break would you?
The Beno bashing is not undeserved. The guy still can't understand why he was pulled in the 2005 series (really?) and he still can't understand what Pop wanted out of him. He was here for three miserable years. It was frustrating knowing he had talent but no brains to use that talent. I predict he will be successful on any team that has a philosophy of just scoring. Until he matures, he won't be able to understand schemes and systems that are required for higher level basketball. He does not yet possess a high basketball IQ.
I think all along, many of us (at least I felt this way) had the talent to succeed. He was given so many opportunities. Pop kept starting him off as the main backup option at the point guard, but he always seemed to be back at the end of the bench by the end of the season. It was unbelievably frustrating, and for a series as close as the 2006 Dallas series was, it may have cost us a championship. But the frank truth was that the coaching staff felt they couldn't trust him on the floor (even with a hobbling NVE). The 2005 Finals proved that, and he showed no signs that he improved his decision making or handling skills since that time. In fact, it's arguable that he still hasn't learned anything. He hasn't shown anything which was not known about him - that he had potential and a good stroke.
He deserved it.
Beno was a big frustration for 3 years. No heart, no desire, he did nothing!
I don't miss him.
TP and the Spurs have been owned by Beno!
He played a really good game. I'm sure he is on cloud nine right now and rightfully so.
It's easier to play in a losing team with no presure whensoever, tham playing for a championship team,where you have to come in and produce in limited minutes,and play Alot of D.
But still,I wish him well.
Thank you Sir, I hope majority of Spurs fans are like you.
I really have a hard time understand the extent of the Beno bashing too. I think some of our fans get carried away by jumping all over Beno. Give dude a break. I think both sides were a disappointment here. We could have given him more opportunities and he could have taken better advantage of those opportunities he did get. I liked the pace he had to his game, and he has a much better jump shot than many give him credit for. He did struggle at times handling the ball, but compared to some other PG we had, I think he was a decent back up. In any case, good luck Beno. Cant Hate
Beno would be gone next year anyway when his rookie contract would have expired. There was NO WAY he was coming back to SA.
He and TP are the same age and Beno's ego would not have allowed him to be a backup here. This guy was gone sooner or later. What a croc that he showed so little interest in being a quality player for the Spurs who drafted him with that last No. 1 pick in 2004 and guaranteed him millions of dollars.
The Spurs drafted a talented guy who can be a good NBA player, but the heart and desire cannot always be measured. The at ude displayed by Beno especially in the last year or so was simply unacceptable. He would rather get the PT, roll up some numbers, and be with a mediocre team instead of being a good soldier here.
Well stated. I too have never understood all the bashing of Beno that has gone on here. No doubt he had talent. It was Pops JOB to bring that talent to the front. Instead he let it rot away in favor of the NVE experiment. If making mistakes means being benched, the why wasn't Pop benched in 2006 when he was obviously unprepared for what the Mavs threw at him in the WC Finals? Then trying to go "small ball on the fly" without any preparation. Shouldn't that have earned him a few days to "think about his mistakes"? His only salvation was the Spurs were talented enough to almost pull it off.
But like the man said, Beno got his revenge last night.
The Beno bashing was somewhat deserved under some circunstances as he repeteadly failed to admit he failed more than once. Still, no one could argue his talent. People in this board are very cruel sometimes when a guy is playing bad and then out of the blue he becomes a hero when he plays great. It's just not the true spirit of fan.
Beno was an outcast, I think everyone sees that now, including Pop:
"I did a poor job of creating an environment where he could get better," Popovich said. "He's a natural at the position. I just wish I had done a better job with him."
Beno knows the Spurs inside out, I'm not surprised he was able to contain Parker; although I didn't watch the game.
Manu says something which is very important as our D is falling apart. I hope this is a wake-up call (and please don't tell me this is November):
"We have had games where we score 128, 115 and 110,'' San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "It's always fun in the game, but that's not who we are. We've really got to find our defense and hold teams under 90 points.''
What I just don't understand is why a player like Beno has to make an statement, like he crossed this game in the calendar, sort of "I will show them what they did to me and make them pay for it". That just doesn't show how great you are, it shows how pitiful you can be (scoring carrier-high just this game)
"They didn't have to trade me,'' Udrih said. "I could still be sitting on the bench. They helped me. ... I didn't let myself get happy looking across the court. I stayed focused on my game. They're my team and I was three years with them. It was special, but I can't take it for myself.''
Why is Beno waiting to score a carrier high last night? Couldn't he do that before, during his 3 years tenure with the spurs?
So, I have mixed emotions now - he was definitely our demise last night and it was premeditated with details. He is a good player and probably deserved to be taken into account and not being mishandled by people, but us the fans are in a great deal responsible for it. He was an outcast and he is showing that now.
most of beno's biggest critics were once his biggest supporters. i thought beno had a chance to push tony for the starting job back in 04, 05, then.... he disappeared.
i dont care if he parties or wears a tu-tu, but it was extremely disappointing to see him get worse instead of improve. manu and duncan play injured all the time, but beno would pull out for months with the smallest of ailments. and then, when you add the pathetic interviews, disappointment turns to hate. do i hate beno the individual? of course not. but beno the player? he's weak and weaklings have no place on a champ team. enjoy playing on a bottom dweller beno.
Beno had a fabulous game. No doubt about it. I would have liked to have seen more of Darius on Beno. Ah, but one game does not a career make.
Beno is a classic underachiever, who shifts blame for his situation onto everyone else. He takes no personal accountability for the situation he was in. Hopefully he matures and goes onto have a nice NBA career.
Beno just couldn't handle the pressure that was put on him.
He couldn't come in and play a super "controlled" game within a very regimented system. He was asked to do things he just couldn't do. "Come off the bench and control yourself and the game. Don't us up!"
Too much thinking for Beno. He could never relax with all that pressure on him.
Give him a ball and tell him..."just go play," he does fine.
SAC is fine for him. No pressure, no thinking...."just go play." He can do that.
Spurs play a very cerebreal, controlled (sans Manu), defense first game. Lotta players can't/won't play that type of ball. It's not so much fun for them individually.
Have fun Beno.
Last edited by SouthernFried; 11-27-2007 at 01:01 PM.
Hmmm you know, the point of a career high is that it is CAREER HIGH. You can put up a new career high you know?
He still has trouble bringing the ball up court against pressure. That hasn't changed
Yeah i never understood that. It's like sharks in feeding frenzy. Everyone was ready to kill Beno for some reason. I always thought Beno actually played a very intelligent game, certainly lot more intelligent than Parker who everyone here seems to think is the greatest PG (never mind, greatest player in NBA period) what with all the talk of him being the first option over Duncan, etc.etc.
Anyway, i knew Beno was a good PG, a REAL PG who may have been managed too aggressively by Pop and it is unfortunate that he didn't get to stick with the Spurs because on nights like this when no one can get the ball into TD, Beno might have done better.
Bill Land was saying that Beno was the victim of unfortunate cir stances every time the opportunity came for him to shine, he would get injured or something. I call bull . I'll be the first one to admint that Van Exel was a huge mistake, but that didn't mean that Beno was foresaken. If he had stepped up, Pop would've gladly given him minutes over Van Exel. Beno had plenty of game opportunities and he choked them away. I have the utmost respect for Pop for taking the blame in not creating the right atmosphere, but that's typical of a great leader.
"They didn't have to trade me,'' Udrih said. "I could still be sitting on the bench." Sounds like he was expecting to ride the pine towards another ring. From what I saw last night, it took getting traded for Beno to find some motivation, and that's just sad.
This is really funny. Why on earth would he rather play behind Parker for 5-7 minutes (or zero) if he could play against him or even against any other really good player in NBA in every game for 30+ min?
Is this so hard to understand?
You all see him as he should be happy as a TP's backup and he says NO. And then you go and call that as lack of desire
Headline fixed.Beno bites hand that overpaid, overfed him in Kings' victory over Spurs
Some guys can handle coaching (Parker), some guys can't (Beno). Pop's decision to go with NVE was a colossal mistake. I don't think Pop ever forgave Beno for how he screwed up in the 2005 NBA Finals. Perhaps there may have been some things that Pop could have done differently.
However Beno definitely should have done some things differently. First, he needed to become a bit more self-aware. I don't believe he ever accepted any responsibility for why he wasn't getting minutes. He simply expected everything to be handed to him. He acted like a spoiled brat. He also needed to have dedicated more time developing his game. He's a very talented player. He's just mentally soft.
As some have said, I think Beno is a good ball player. I just think that he felt he deserved more playing time. I think he thinks he's a very good point guard in this league and therefore wanted to show that, but here in S.A that wasn't going to happen when you have Tony Parker who is getting around 36 minutes a game. Beno wanted to go to a team where he would get playing time and he got it.
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