Options at the Two-Guard With Kevin Martin Sidelined

option 3 and hope for option 5.

JT at the 3 mixed in with some Beno 1, BobbyJ 2 and Salmons 3.

Donte’ should get 10-15 minutes – but I’m convinced he can’t stay on the floor (though he should get some minutes here to prove I’m wrong)

Go big at them, strangly enough, its what we’ve got / are best at right now (last year I’d never thought I’d say that this year!)

About Douby’s injury? Isn’t he mostly just in a suit for roster space reasons?

I just want to give a pat on the back to you and Section214 for the quantity and quality of posts here. Really nice job.

I assume Bobby Jackson will start, but probably won’t play more than 25 minutes. Donte Greene is going to get some burn.

Unless AI has gotten very slow in his old age, the guards are going to have their hands full. I look for JT to play the 3 early so John can rest BJax. Then the Kings will switch to the zone so that Thompson doesn’t have to chase Tayshaun Prince around the court.

Of course everything depends on whether QD can toughen up and give them some minutes.

Long Comment Alter

The biggest thing I think Reggie can do is remain rigid with his rotations to make players earn spots on the floor. Greene is talented. It makes sense that he gets minutes (mins). It would make sense that he do it against reserves to get confidence. That would seemingly make sense, right? Not to me.

Donte Greene is the major asset you’re going to get from the Artest trade. The general assumption is that Greene will take time to develop, but in general, it doesn’t usually take much time for a young Swing to learn the game. Points it takes time, and big men are usually asked to take a steeper climb to reach the top than they have time for. And all but a few haven’t quite gotten to the top. But swingmen? Like Donte Greene is? They usually produce within the first year, on some reasonable level, or they don’t produce at all.

The bottom line is that if Reggie Theus insists on keeping Mikki Moore in the lineup without Kevin Martin around, it’s a bad mistake. The KIngs need all of their realistic firepower thrown against the Pistons, and they need to do so without Martin around. When Maritn is around, it makes “some” sense to keep Mikki in the starting lineup to balance the star/role player complement. That being said, the Kings aren’t going to likely to hang around against the Pistons, or anybody else, if the Kings are constantly in getting into deficits with Mikki in the game because he’s outmatched playing vs Sheed or whomever he’s checking defensively. And unless you think his offensive output will kick into the low teens (12-14 ppg), then why keep him in the starting lineup? I think with Martin’s absence, this is a time to move Mikki out of the lineup, and start Jason Thompson. He’s already outplaying Mikki, and it was only a matter of time. Now is the time, and it’s forcing Reggie’s hand, but he has to roll with the dice now. Because if he doesn’t, sayonara Reggie.

On the other hand, Donte Greene doesn’t deserve to start. But you’re going to need get minutes out of Donte. If for the most part, your best lineup without Kmart is going to be a Beno/Salmons/JT/Miller combination, with whomever is going to fill the SG/SF slot depending on where you slot Salmons, it makes more sense to put Greene out there with the best lineup, and ask him to do things that are within his control. Play hard. Be active offensively. Pay as much attention as possible. Do as best as you can on Tayshaun (tonight), and against “starting SF insert here” for the next few games. We don’t need you to win us games Donte. We need you to not be a gaping hole for the next 6 games. That’s within Donte’s capability. Because if it isn’t, Donte is a bust. And if Reggie doesn’t adjust his lineup, saying it for the 2nd time, then the greatest mistake he will be making will not be doing the best thing for this team at this moment in the time. Alot is on the line starting tonight.