Sactown Royalty: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Sports blogs for fans, by fans.
New Blog: World Soccer Digest for Soccer Fans!

Line Up the Point Guard Options

When they initially talked about Mike Bibby's injury, my brain immediately assumed Quincy Douby or Orien Greene would take over the starting spot. It looks like that won't be the case, with Geoff Petrie telling Sam Amick he's going to look for free agent help. And actually, Douby or Greene may still start... but someone else will likely be brought in to take some minutes off their hands. Based on Amick's report and internal musings, here's a comparison of the possibilities.


Name              Pros                         Cons                      
Gary Payton       Veteran leadership           Old as dirt, ineffective
Earl Boykins      Scorer, low turnovers        No defense, possibly too expensive
Mike Wilks        Decent shooter, distributor  Short track record
Luther Head       Lethal deep shooter, young   He's a shooting guard, would have to trade something
Rafer Alston      Nice ballhandler             Fat contract, terrible shooter
Keith McLeod      ...                          He's terrible

Not a lot of great options. The problem with Boykins, who might be the best option on paper, is he's not going to figure in any future plans with the team -- when Bibby's back, Boykins is useless. If you're going to bring in Head, you're not improving the point guard position over Douby and John Salmons. Payton is a waste of time at this point; Alston's a waste of cash...

... which is why Mike Wilks (who the Kings almost signed back in July) makes the most sense. He's been hanging around town all summer, playing with some of the guys in pick-up games and working out. He'll likely jump at the minimum contract, since that's all he was going to get before anyways. And he'll actually fit with the team when Bibby returns, as a spot-minute locker room leader.

The problem? All those things (minus the Bibby absence) applied in July, and Petrie passed. Why? No idea. We'll see how desperate Petrie and Reggie Theus are to get a veteran back there, though.

UPDATE: Chucky Atkins is out 6-8 weeks with a pulled groin, and Denver signed Mike Wilks (who they had just cut). One option down.

0 recs  |  Comment 22 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
(Of course, another option is just go to war with the point guards you have. The King aren't going to win a lot the first few weeks anyway; continue the Quincy Douby as PG experiment indefinitely.)

by Ziller on Oct 27, 2007 10:35 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
i'd trade for alston if houston wants SAR, just to save some money.  i'd rather let douby, greene, and one of the wings play point.

by dun on Oct 27, 2007 10:40 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Alston has a horrible contract and he still might go to jail for stabbing someone. Not exactly the character guy the Kings are looking for.
We are slipping into the NBA abyss.

by jjham15 on Oct 27, 2007 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Adelman actually has stated in the local media that he likes Rafer and has been suprised at how quickly he has picked up the offense. Maybe he was just giving lip service to Skip but it seemed genuine. The Rockets will most likely hang on to him.

by Mityt on Oct 29, 2007 1:14 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Sorry kingme18 didn't mean to steal your comment, just scrolled to the bottom.

by Mityt on Oct 29, 2007 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
I think Boykins has proved that he is hard to keep off the court when given the opportunity. At this point, I don't know that Douby is a long term fix and I certainly don't want to find out if he is the next starting point guard for the Kings...because he isn't. Bringing in Boykins can only help the Kings at this point, short term or long term (next 2 years). Standing pat would be a huge mistake.

I'm kind of surprised the Bibby haters haven't come out early to express their joy at watching Salmons, Douby and Garcia at the point.

Free Earl!

We are slipping into the NBA abyss.

by jjham15 on Oct 27, 2007 10:43 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Free Earl Indeed
I'd snap up Boykins in a second.  He's easily the best available option (career PER: 16.2) and perhaps more importantly, he's fun to watch and a natural crowd favorite.  And I agree that he'll find a way to get minutes even after Bibby's return.
Ballhype - the best stories, the biggest fans

by jgurney on Oct 27, 2007 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Earl Boykins is a quick fix solution, which I don't think the Kings should look for. I'm hoping the Kings look to the future and slot Douby as the opening night point guard. With Bibby, 35 wins was the best they were going to to do anyways. Why not give Douby a long good look and get him in the rookie-sophomore game in New Orleans. I for one think its embarrassing not to have any King in the midseason classic in three season. Ugh.
Ready to Rule: Kevin Martin

by kingme18 on Oct 27, 2007 10:49 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Plus I want to see Martin take more of a 1st option on offense role which is bound to happen anyways. I think without Bibby, you could see Martin perhaps expand his game to not just scoring but also improve his abysmal ball-handling skills.
Ready to Rule: Kevin Martin

by kingme18 on Oct 27, 2007 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Not having Bibby gives us a few interesting things:

-Can Douby step it up and really develop? I personally think giving him the starting spot would be great for the supposed rebuild we're in. We've seen him play fairly well, why not give him the chance to do it consistently?

-Brad Miller might be forced to step it up and use some of those passing and shooting skills that have been missing.

-How well does Artest play, after the suspension, without Bibby? All the supposed on-court chemistry issues will be gone if Bibby's our for a few months.

by vfettke on Oct 27, 2007 11:22 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Rumor was Juan Dixon is on the cusp of being cut in Toronto. If he became available, and granted thats a great big if, I think he'd be a nice pick-up for the Kings. He's not a great defender and he's a streaky shooter but he's an effective player.

by rbiegler on Oct 27, 2007 11:32 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
No Thanks on Juan Dixon.
I am the stone that the builder refused I am the visual, the inspiration That made Lady Sing the Blues..I'm the spark that makes your idea bright...

by pookeyguru on Oct 27, 2007 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
The loss of Bibby is terrible for us. The idea of placing Douby in at starting PG looks sounds decent on the surface but is not realistic. Douby can POSSIBLY spell our starting PG a few minutes off the BENCH but he is not a starting PG in the NBA. I have news for you guys.... Effective PG's in the NBA are born and NOT MADE...We better start looking "out of house" if we hope to field a decent starting lineup come tip-off!

by Hoops916 on Oct 27, 2007 11:47 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Right on! PG is the most difficult of all the  positions to master.  The Kings have no one with the athleticism or the experience to adequately fill in for Bibby.  Geoff P. should work overtime and explore every possible option to sign a legitimate point guard.  

by aspen on Oct 28, 2007 3:25 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
The Kings already have a good PG, Orien Greene.  He's a team player.  Douby may never be able to acquire the skills to be PG.  Last night showed that Theus may be starting to understand that.  Shakur is a terrible ball handler and turns the ball over too much. Douby kept screwing up.  Finally at the end of the game Theus realised the only PG he could count on was Greene.  Unfortunately it was already too late.

by KingsFan on Oct 27, 2007 12:12 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
I like Greene as well for what he brings to the defensive end and his ability to run the squad (looks good thus far, although he IS doing it against other teams' 2nd tier players) My only concern is his shot. Is it consistant enough to keep the defense honest? Thats my only question mark on him!

by Hoops916 on Oct 27, 2007 3:17 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Green plays out of control far to often on the offensive end and picks up fouls quickly on the defensive end. If we don't go out and get a legit point guard, we are going to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, which could quickly drown Theus and kill any team chemistry. It's crazy not to look outside and I think Petries knows it.

by SavageBeast on Oct 27, 2007 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
I rather develop young players than to look for a quick fix. Earl Boykins is NOT a point guard people.
Ready to Rule: Kevin Martin

by kingme18 on Oct 27, 2007 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
He averaged 4.3 assists in 28 minutes a game with Denver last year. Sounds like a point guard to me.

by SavageBeast on Oct 27, 2007 11:17 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Just to follow up, in his first two years, Greene has averaged neearly as many turnovers as assists, and 5.8 fouls per 40 minutes. And his three point percentage is less than 22%. Yeah the guy can D-up, but is it worth that kind of offensive drop?

Compare that to Boykins whose career assist to turnover ratio 3.4 to 1.2 and who shoots 35% from outside the arc. No contest.  

by SavageBeast on Oct 27, 2007 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
With Artest and a mean-spirited Brad I say yes. If not production from the 3 and the 5 then no.

by Mityt on Oct 29, 2007 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Re: Line Up the Point Guard Options
Rafer Alston ain't happening because apparently Adelman likes him.

Earl Boykins is a shoot first, second and forever point guard.

Payton is washed up and does he want to play for a lottery team? Didn't think so.

Wilks is gone.

Ready to Rule: Kevin Martin

by kingme18 on Oct 27, 2007 11:10 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to Sactown Royalty, the best community of Sacramento Kings fans in the universe. That's not my opinion; it's scientific fact.
Start posting about the Kings »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Spaceshaolinninja_small
NCAA Hoops Preview from the Kings' Perspective
Zebulon_small
Jason Thompson, Foul Machine
Eastern_logs_small
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Week 3
Old_logo_gif_small
Pookeyguru's Salary Cap FAQ

Recent FanPosts

200751153242283_small
That was then...
Small
Spencer Hawes's failing grade
Small
Searching for a backup center
Small
If the Kings Lose Tonight it's All My Fault...
S5000963_small
Break Down of New Possible Trade
___small
Kings Remain Active in Trade Talks
Tyreke_yahoo_small
Okafor vs. Our Bigs
Small
The Trade Block

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Local Sponsors


Editor

Loofie_small Ziller

Joe_kleine_small section214

Associate Editor

Coachie_small rbiegler

Authors

Banana2_small Exhibit G