In Casspi's defense, it should be pointed out that the Kings' style has not made it any easier for him to convince his coach - at least when it comes to the offensive side of the game.
The sight of Casspi running from basket to basket, from offense to defense without the ball, has been all too common this season.
According to the same local journalist, "Sacramento has been something of a double-edged sword for Casspi. On the one hand, the team believed in him and gave him a chance to prove himself - something that he was not guaranteed at any other team. On the other hand, the team is in a state of perpetual professional chaos - this season at least - and that makes it almost impossible for him to show what he's capable of."
Appreciate me!
Casspi has expressed his frustration this season in various ways. Sometimes, it has been more implied, such as when he told journalists that "it's not easy being a small forward in this team.' Other times, it has been more overt: "We have to pass the ball more."
After the Kings' victory over Utah last week, he decided to take a more proactive approach.
"The situation in Sacramento isn't like it was for me before," he wrote in his column on his official website. "Coach Paul Westphal has been doing different things in practice, and it has been made certain I'm not in his plans. Taking away the thing I love most - playing basketball - has been hard for me. I know there are a lot of teams, including some strong playoff contenders, who are interested in me for next year. I'm not saying I'm counting the seconds until it's over, but I know that when the season ends, I will have to make some tough decisions. It would be selfish of me to say I want to leave, but I am sure that I'm good enough to play, whether it's for the Kings organization or for another team. I hope I find myself on a team who will appreciate my ability as an athlete and as a human being. The year in Sacramento seemed to start out positive, but unfortunately, it hasn't progressed the way I wanted. I just hope I am appreciated enough here that I they will let me go somewhere else where I can just play basketball."
Since Casspi's website appears in both English and Hebrew, it didn't take long before the managers and fans saw what he had written. They quickly came to realize that, unlike a certain airline that Casspi advertises, from his perspective, Sacramento is far from feeling like home.
Westphal reacted calmly to Casspi's online rant, saying merely that "there's not much doubt that Omri is frustrated and it wouldn't really surprise me that he wants to play. He's a good guy and a good competitor and feels like he shouldn't be coming off the bench."
The fans, in contrast, took Casspi's column to heart. On Sactown Royalty, the official Kings' forum, one fan wrote the following: "Omri cares if he plays and gets upset when he doesn't. That, to me, is admirable. But at a time when we are fighting to keep the Kings in Sacramento, the last thing we want to read about it someone asking to leave."
Other fans were less understanding. "If Omri wants more minutes, he's just going to have to play better," wrote one. "If you can't get ahead of a limited player like Greene in the rotation, then you've only got yourself to blame."
Wait and see
Casspi's outburst even made it into the national press, where some commentators started suggesting teams where the Israeli player might fit in better; Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte. Others, however, were slightly more realistic.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sport wrote that "Casspi is in only the second year of his rookie deal; the Kings have a guaranteed next year followed by a team option for the year after that, plus rights to keep him longer. So, basically, if they don't want to trade him they don't have to.
The good news for Casspi is the situation with the Kings could be very different next year. Alongside an all-but-certain move to Anaheim is rumored to come big changes in terms of coach (and up the front office chain ). That would mean a new system and a chance for Casspi to earn more court time."
In the days after his column was published, Casspi was busy with damage control.
"I'm not angry with anyone and I am not crying; this is just the situation," he told the Sacramento Bee. "Hopefully, next season the situation will be different."
Westphal, for his part, reiterated that he understands Casspi's frustration, but was infuriated by Casspi saying that he wanted to move somewhere with a more team-based mentality. "Maybe that was lost in translation but that's kind of a ridiculous statement," the coach said.
Unfortunately for Casspi, the starting five that Westphal has cobbled together and which has seen the Israeli player relegated to the bench, is turning out to be something of a success story. Without Casspi, the Kings are having a mini-renaissance in the twilight of the season and have won five of the games in which Casspi did not play any part. The next time that Casspi gets any significant amount of court time, it seems, will be when he dons the national team colors at this summer's European Championships.
Next season, in contrast, is a very different story. If the threatened players' strike does not happen and Casspi isn't forced to move back to Maccabi Tel Aviv, he will start the next season, his third in the NBA, with the burden of proof very much on him. No professional athlete likes to stand still - and that's especially true of the first Israeli to grace the NBA, who has already announced that he wants to take his next step forward wearing the colors of a different team.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition...-love-1.355638