And All for the Want of a Horseshoe Nail

This guy would fit that description.

Especially since we were playing the Knicks on Saturday and Zach Randolph somehow managed to spank us even though his team was playing the Rockets.

I think you mean Al Harrington, rbiegler

I agree with your sentiments that Theus just is not a good fit for a GM like Petrie. Honestly though, what NBA team WOULD he be a good fit for? I think he is one of those coaches just best suited to the NCAA style. He is a nice face to put on a college organization and a great recruiter with that charisma and charm. He has a good level of knowledge of the game as a former NBA player, and probably is great at teaching young kids the basics. I just haven’t seen anything really intriguing or creative that he has done during his stretch here in Sacramento that makes me believe that he has the chops for the NBA game.

The question I have a this point is whether or not we can find someone who is able to take these players that Petrie loves so much offensively, and help turn them into more complete players. That is the reason I am opposed to another run with Eddie Jordan, who had his teams scoring a lot of points, but were completely unable to defense. We need someone that can balance that offensive prowess with a more tough-minded defensive philosophy. We had some years under Adelman where we were able to do that, but haven’t since.

I Think the combo of J-Shock & Hawes in the paint will be suficient for GP’s system. Hawes gets those blocks, plays decent D and has a developing offensive arsenal. Meanwhile, JT has the soft hands, athleticism and passing ability that the high post game requires. It’s not all wrapped up in one player, but they’re both good enough to develop into what the system needs. Together J-Shock & Hawes will manage to play good enouh D while distributing the ball, recognizing plays and getting us plenty of offense.

The two of them in a high-tempo game can easily penetrate (especially if moving together or trailing for a finish) in a faster-paced system and finish strong, or pass out to the perimeter if need be. The threat of Martin waiting on the outside will keep the opposing team’s D from collapsing too much on our bigs. Meanwhile, Shock & Hawes are able to draw the D out of the interior (due to their decent mid-range) when appropriate, to clear the lane for a Martin slice to the hoop. Add Garcia playing some decent D and hitting some shots. Then, put an uber-athletic Greene, who is big for his position in the line-up, and the Kings of the future are kind of hard to game-plan against. If we can add a PG that is capable of distributing better, initiating plays, and locking up his guy, we’ll be pretty solid.

Just gonna take time. But, the players that are needed to play Petrie’s entertaining style are beginning to emerge. They just need time and a few more pieces to compete the project.

What I am liking is the versatility. Depending on trades, etc., we can get at least two quality players this off-season, in the draft & free agency. We can use one for a PG and the other for another Big Man, if we want to. For example, say we luck out and get a top-2 draft pick. It’s either Rubio or Griffin — and either one would be great! Then, add what we’re lacking in free agency or a trade.

Imagine in a few years: Hawes, Griffin, (the versatility of) J-Shock (allows you to play him at SF), Martin & a decent PG (via free agent or trade). That frountcourt is monstrous enough to play against big teams, yet athletic enough to go against small-ballers. The bench then brings in Brown, Garcia, Greene & our Houston 1st rounder and our 2010 first rounder.

Or, perhaps this: Hawes, J-Shock, Greene, Martin & Rubio. We’re still big, given Greene’s size at SF, still athletic, plus, the Kings have a guy at PG who is truly remarkable at finding open guys and creating plays. And that’s not including our draft picks or free agent signings!

Granted this all assumes a best-case-scenario in this year’s draft and a few trades going through, but the point is, I believe we’re on our way. We got some good pieces and the possibilities are not unrealistic that the Kings could assemble a very competitive squad that will be able to play together long-term with a lot of success.

In fact, I’m almost becoming addicted to rebuilding mode. It allows us fans to dream of all the combinations and possibilities. When you cheer for a squad like the Lakers, Celts (or even Portland), you know not much is going to change. Your options are limited: hope the team wins it all, or wait for the opportunity to do it again next year.

Embrace the Rebuild. It will be over before you know it, and then, all we get to do is sit-back, or stand-up, and shout our heads off as we wildly root for our guys to kill the opposing team!