Sactown Royalty: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Around SBN: Race to the BCS: rankings, in-game scores & blogs Bar-right-arrows

I'm Worried About Minutes aka Trade Someone Please

Finger_huge_tiny by Kfan in Korea on

(From the FanPosts. - TZ)

I was thinking about playing time for some of our younger players, and came to a frightening realization. We're now too deep. As our roster currently stands our 5 starters are Beno, Martin, Artest, Moore and Miller. The first 4 off the bench would be Garcia, Salmons, Hawes and Williams. The last 3 on the active roster(end of the bench guys) are Douby, Thompson and Singletary.

Based partly on last season's minutes, and knowing that Theus will be trying to win every game(rightfully so), I would predict a breakdown something like this:

Martin - 35, Artest - 35(closer to 40 last year), Miller - 33, Beno - 32 and Moore - 30 = 165 minutes

Garcia - 25, Salmons - 20, Hawes - 15, Williams - 10, and Douby -5 = 75 minutes

= 240.

That would assume Garcia backing up at the point and SG to get him his minutes and a few minutes for Artest at the 4(same as last year).

The problem here is we really need to be getting Douby 10+ minutes a game, because we need to find out this year what he can do, and I'd like to see Thompson get similar minutes to what Hawes got last year(10-15), without taking minutes from Williams(who is in a similar situation to Douby).

We're getting to the point where we need to start seeing what we've got with some of these guys. Our team isn't contending, so we don't have the luxury of letting a Gerald Wallace waste away on the bench and then blossom elsewhere. If there are players on this team we know for sure are not a part of the future, it is time to look at moving them now(Mikki, Brad, Ron).

The trade/trades kind of need to be for young talent, picks and expiring crap, similar to the Bibby deal(but hopefully with better picks). If we did the Odom or Marion trade, it would free up some minutes at the 1-3, but take even more time away from the young bigs. Odom or Marion getting 35 minutes at the 4 and Mikki taking 15-20 off the bench doesn't leave much playing time for Spencer, Sheldon and JT.

I'd hate to see Douby, Williams and Thompson sitting on the end of the bench, not getting a chance to develop as fast as they might, just so we can win an extra 5 games.

(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)

5 recs | Comment 181 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

Some things

First off I agree that the bench needs to thin out so we can find out where Mr Candace Parker (I envy him a little though; There are worse dates o ut there than the female Michael Jordan) stand. Douby too of course.

That’s another reason I favor an Artest/Thomas for Wally’s 1st round choice type of deal. Cutting Wally is easy to do with only a year left on his deal, and cutting Artest is impossible because he is such a valuable talent.

It’s time we find out what we have with our young guys. Udrih, Garcia, Salmons, Thompson, Hawes, Douby and Williams all have playing time that are currently precarious if a flip of personnel happens, with the slight exception of Beno as he is the only current “PG” on the roster. But that’s 6 players with question marks about the future, and last I checked, 6 spots on the roster constitutes half. It’s time Geoff pull the trigger on a deal with Cleveland to get K9 and Artest bye bye sayonara however you wanna put it. Asta la vista Ron! You’re caught in a numbers game tru warier!

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 3:25 PM PDT   0 recs

Where does Moore fit?

There hasn’t been a lot of talk about Mikki Moore this offseason. I’m guessing a big part of that would be that he’s not the most tradeable piece on the roster, but shouldn’t we be shopping him around to anyone who’s interested? He brings some good things to the table, but he’s desperately out of place on this current team. For a playoff contender, he’d be a good player to bring off the bench. But he’s not a starter, and he’s not worth hanging onto as a mentor figure, such as Brad Miller (let’s forget about the pot issues, he’s still a mentor to the kid bigs). The guy seems like a great person, and I’ve got nothing against him, it just seems like a logical move. As we must always remember, though, I’m an idiot. So what am I missing? I’m guessing his contract isn’t appealing (my work blocks basketballreference.com, and the NBA gives absolutely no contract information on nba.com). Anything else I’m missing? Or is this a logical step we just haven’t looked at yet?

Never forget: I am a complete idiot

by Exhibit G on Jul 21, 2008 3:39 PM PDT   0 recs

Mikki Moore isn't that important

And he’ll take whatever role he gets because that’s what he’ll have to do. Mikki Moore isn’t important short or long term at this point. That’s why I suspect nobody cares.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 3:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I agree that he's not key

I’m suggesting that maybe the Kings should be trying to shop him around to clear playing time. It’s not like we’re trying to develop Mikki at this point (he’s, what, 33 or 34 now?)

Never forget: I am a complete idiot

by Exhibit G on Jul 21, 2008 3:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Why?

He can play whatever role the Kings need him. I would rather the Kings move Artest and Thomas, then Miller, and then Moore if they can. Otherwise, what would be the point?

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 3:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I would say Artest & Thomas 1st. 100% agree there. But I would then say Moore before Miller, because of the mentor aspect. Miller is a former all-star and former Team USA’er. His play has declined, but I think he can be very helpful in the development of the young bigs. I don’t see Mikki providing the same insights.

Never forget: I am a complete idiot

by Exhibit G on Jul 21, 2008 4:07 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I agree with Brad becoming a mentor to the young bigs

I wouldn’t mind him backing up Hawes in a couple years (maybe even next year)

by eduardo_m7 on Jul 21, 2008 4:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hawes as the starting center scares me.

I would love to see him start next year, but he’s still very young and definitely needs to add some polish and physicality to his game this season before he becomes the starter by design (ie: when not covering for an injury/suspension).

by cabz on Jul 21, 2008 4:34 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Plus...

I’m of the thinking that Miller may have played better last year because he gave up the Bud Light (based on his comments). After 5 games off this year, and hopefully giving up pot (during the season at least), will we see another boost in performance?

Not to mention that I would love to see Thompson work with Miller on passing…

by cabz on Jul 21, 2008 4:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Shaq in his prime!

Miller gives up Beer and Grass, morphs into All-NBA star.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The problem with shopping Mikki
The problem with shopping Mikki Moore is the way the Kings are approaching their “rebuild.” The team has four other power forwards that they aren’t willing to start.
  • Jason Thompson: Too young and unexperienced
  • Shelden Williams: The coaching staff doesn’t believe he can play.
  • Kenny Thomas: I don’t think anyone wants to see Kenny play.
  • Shareef: Injured, future uncertain.

The Kings don’t want to really rebuild. A real rebuilding team would throw Williams and Thompson out there to let the best man win. The Kings seem dedicated to winning 35-40 games per year while “rebuilding,” so they’re just not going to trust the position to anyone else on the roster.

In the end, I agree with you. Mikki Moore should be available, and I think he would have takers. But Petrie is absolutely not going to make Mikki available unless another power forward comes back in trade. They just don’t trust the other guys to run the position.

by Carl on Jul 21, 2008 5:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Carl

I think you’re over-stating what the coaching staff thinks about Shelden. I think early training camp and the first 2 months will say more about Shelden than any perceived feeling about Shelden Williams at this point means.

Why not let the young guys take over the spot by mid-season if they aren’t in contenton again? I think it’s possible that the franchise thinks the young players are good enough to take over in spots as long as enough veterans are there to fill the gaps.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 5:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, they have until mid-Oct. to make contract dicisions on both Williams and Douby.

These two are going to get early run just to make sure they are Euro League/CBA players.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 5:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Doghouse

It seemed pretty clear to me that Shelden was in the dog house from the beginning. He only played double-digit minutes four times between the trade and the beginning of April, when the Maloofs essentially threatened Theus to play the young guys. I seem to remember Theus saying something to the effect of “We know what Shelden and Quincy can give us” when those two weren’t playing. Not a ringing endorsement.

I maintain that the coaching staff have made up their minds on both Qunicy. I’m not sure they’re right about either guy, but there’s a reason they get paid to evaluate talent and I don’t. I would just as soon see Shelden cleared out to open up playing time for Thompson.

by Carl on Jul 21, 2008 6:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think part of the problem with Sheldon

last year was conditioning. I seem to remember some criticisms about that. If he’s in better shape this year, and by the summer league he seemed to be, he might get another look.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 21, 2008 6:04 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Conditioning and absolutely horrible foot work.

Williams lacks a lot of fundamentals for a guy who played at Duke.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

He's a banger though

That’s gotta be worth something isn’t it?

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 6:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If Williams was a hustle player then sure but...

he’s not and for that matter he’s a shot blocker who doesn’t block shots.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:16 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Shot blocking isn't that big of a deal to me

I don’t think Shelden’s game is as bad as some are saying it is, and I don’t think his upside will merit the KIngs opting to keep his contract for another season beyond this one. I could see, under a best case scenario, a 3 year deal for like 10 million though. That is fairly possible.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 6:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

4.6.....no way dude.

Welcome to the unemployment line Mr. Parker-Williams, please take a number and be seated.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:22 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think the Shanghai Sharks

could free up some space for him.

by Travis Mays Hayes on Jul 21, 2008 6:33 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Lost in Translation?

“He’s a shot blocker who doesn’t block shots.”

You aren’t stealing Casey Stengel’s material now, are you? Say it ain’t so.

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jul 21, 2008 6:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Didn't know Stengel coached hoops.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

He didn't

He was a just another fellow who did funny things with the mother tongue.

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jul 21, 2008 6:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm justing f-in with you Clarese.

I know who Casey Stengel is.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

sorry...was not is.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 7:00 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

No problem

Once Casey gets in your blood, It’s tough to get him out.

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jul 21, 2008 7:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I see your point

Perhaps that is what irks me. I’m all about taking some lumps in the short-term in order to develop players for the long-term. But in today’s “what have you done for me lately?” world of sports fandom, I understand.

Never forget: I am a complete idiot

by Exhibit G on Jul 21, 2008 9:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Mikki

agree he needs to be moved (in addition to ron-ron and K9)... Orlando seems like a good destination for him, and we could get back JJ Reddick and the former laker Brian what’s his name (both one year deals)... we then keep either Reddick or Douby, whomever performs best and lose Mikki a year early.

by longtimelistenerfirsttimecaller on Jul 21, 2008 4:23 PM PDT   0 recs

Not a bad plan...

Orlando is always looking for a big. It would only save the Kings the 2 million in buyout cash and the Kings could then instantly waive Cook (just to spite his Lakers lineage). I would then advise a Douby v. Reddick death match, winner gets a roster spot, loser…well…dies. My money would be on the uni-brow but 90210 might have some crazy bitch slap move we haven’t seen before.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 5:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Quibble

I disagree that Shelden is above Thompson in the pecking order. It’s pretty clear to me that the Kings drafted Thompson because they didn’t believe in the Shelden Williams.

I also agree that we’ve got too much middling and/or redundant veteran talent that needs to be cleared out. I’m not holding my breath. If there’s one thing Petrie has done the last several years, it’s sit on his hands. At this point I can only hope the team doesn’t enter the season with Artest on the roster. I think the Lakers would take Mikki along with Artest for Odom. As I said in other threads, I don’t think the Lakers are going to budge on taking Kenny Thomas, and if a third team wanted him, they could trade for him directly.

by Carl on Jul 21, 2008 5:38 PM PDT   0 recs

Sheldon

started in the Summer league, with Thompson coming off the bench. And I’d expect Reggie to favor a veteran over a rook. But it is possible that JT could pass Sheldon during camp.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 21, 2008 5:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Money

Shelden started, but Thompson actually played more minutes per game. I would bet money that, barring injury, Thompson plays more minutes than Shelden does for the Kings this year.

by Carl on Jul 21, 2008 5:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

He barely played more mins

Playing more mins matter if it was 3-5 mins more. But it was something like a whole extra minute. I don’t think that’s that big of a deal. Especially since JT ended up averaging .6 more mins a game. That is not a big deal in any way.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 5:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You may be right

doesn’t really affect my point either way, as you noted by calling it a quibble.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 21, 2008 6:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Your right about the Shelden/Thompson thingy...

Williams was auditioning for an NBA roster spot during the summer league, not so much playing time. I think his fiance has a better chance of getting meaningful NBA minutes this season.

The whole Mikki instead of K-9 deal doesn’t work unless other players are involved because the Kings would go over the tax threshold. Sheldon Williams would have to be added to the deal, and that would be a lot of generosity on Petrie’s part (basically freeing the Lakers of all but the 2 mill owed Moore via buy-out clause).

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 5:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

But if the Kings don't believe in Williams

If the Kings don’t believe Shelden can play, what’s the difference in including him in the trade?

by Carl on Jul 21, 2008 5:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Money mostly

It might cost the Kings luxury tax this season to include him in a potential Lamar Odom trade with Ron Artest.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 5:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Avoid the tax

Including Shelden in the trade with Mikki would help the Kings avoid the luxury tax.

by Carl on Jul 21, 2008 5:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

only this year, not going forward.

And again, why give up Williams, Douby and Moore (roughly 8.6 million in expiring contracts after the 2 mill buy-out) so the Lakers can get a better deal.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:05 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Cap space. Cap space. Cap space.

Williams might be a 12-15 man but his contract expires and K-9’s does not. Let’s not give the Lakers any hand outs, right now the deal is simple- if you want Ron you have to take Kenny Thomas.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 5:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Getting rid of Kenny Thomas is one goal of Petrie's

Getting another tangible asset like a 1st round pick or a quality young player has to be another goal. Artest just won’t merit a star in return right now. Petrie has to give up that end of negotiating in my humble opinion.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 6:00 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah

If we’re trading expiring deals for expiring deals and nothing else. It doesn’t make much sense. Especially if there’s more money coming back than going out. That’s why Scoop’s Artest/Douby/Williams for Odom deal is stupid. We’d be better off letting all 3 deals expire and saving on the tax.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 21, 2008 6:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah that's why Carl's scenario isn't holding water

Also I think people are forgetting that Shareef probably won’t be on the cap after this seaosn anyway. Either he takes his ETO and takes one last shot at glory somewhere else, and he won’t get that with a trade, or he gets medically retired and stops playing period. Either way the Kings win.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 6:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Can't he medically retire and then give it a go down the road.

That’s what Darius Miles is doing right now. I see the Kings having 15-16 mill to spend this coming off-season and the crop keeps looking better.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yep

On one hand. On the other hand he can just finish the season and exercise his ETO and be done with it. I don’t know if he is a clear cut case for medical retirement. Then again I’m not intimately familiar with his rehab either.

As far as Free Agency goes I’m not a big fan of it. You end up overspending for players as is, and since many of us disagree about where Beno’s value is, it’s hard to imagine us feeling good about dishing out 60 million to Josh Smith on a much better Free Agent market. I just dont think that Free Agency is a real way to go myself. Never have, and probably never will. I think internal improvement from the youth corps is where this team will post it’s hopes on.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 6:18 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Deng looks like he might sign the tender and go UFA next season.

Add that to the miriad of possible ETO’s and vets, it might be a better summer than 2010 and the Kings could be one a select number of teams with cap space.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:25 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If Miles makes it back

his contract numbers get added back onto the Portland payroll. Not such a big deal for Paul Allen, but something like that would suck for our “poor” owners.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 21, 2008 6:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Well

Mikki is vastly underrated on this team. I think Mikki should still start for the team becuase he provides some energy and athleticism on the frontline. Jason, Shelden and Spencer will just have to earn their minutes.

The team needs to be in a mode where they keep on improving. 38 was a nice improvement over 33 and this year climbing over .500 should be the goal. Somewhere between 41-45 should be within expectations especially if the Kings can get some value for Artest.

Josh Smith for Artest anyone?

BOOK IT!

by kingme18 on Jul 21, 2008 6:33 PM PDT   0 recs

Can a guy who averaged 8.5 and 6.0 in 30 minutes a game be underrated?

It’s not like the guy is a defensive specialist.

And yes on Smith for me. I like the 3/4 combo ability. Smith and Salmons this year- Thompson and Smith next year.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yes

Mikki does many of the intangibles for the Kings like drawing charges and hustling. Mikki is a big reason why the Kings won 38 games last year. Am I saying he’s the answer PF? NO. I think he’s been a good stopgap that has kept the team competitive.

BOOK IT!

by kingme18 on Jul 21, 2008 7:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think he overachieved too

Sad, but true.

Kevin Pritchard has Chuck Norris tied up in the trunk of his car.

by otis29 on Jul 21, 2008 8:15 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Childress plus filler for Artest?

It looks like Childress is going to walk anyway to Greece. Maybe a three-way would get it done if the Hawks don’t want Artest. Childress would solve our backup point guard problem (although he’d be a point forward), and Martin would score more and we could maybe dump Salmons and some other bench guys for a decent combo guard.

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jul 21, 2008 6:54 PM PDT   0 recs

That's a lot to give up for a combo guard.

Maybe Salmons for Barbosa.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jul 21, 2008 6:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That Would be a Great Deal

Petrie could be GM of the year if he pulls that off and just stands pat with the rest of the lineup.

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jul 21, 2008 7:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hell yes I’d do this.

by Ziller on Jul 21, 2008 7:32 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

why?

Just curious – what makes Childress more interesting than Odom/Marion/Many other possibilities.

That said, I love Childress’s game, and think he’d be a great fit, and is very underappreciated in Atlanta. However, that stroke makes me wary.

Mikki Moore in the skills challenge! - LPA

by iashwash on Jul 21, 2008 9:37 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah I don't quite understand the appeal of Smith and/or Childress either

I realize both are good players in their own way, but I think it’s a reach that either could come to Sacramento without paying a hefty price.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Jul 22, 2008 5:01 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Works for me.

Get it done, GP.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 21, 2008 8:11 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

yes please

i love childress. that he may end up going to greece makes me think we might be able to get him slightly on the cheap?

by sactoreg on Jul 22, 2008 5:03 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Depth is a Good Thing

Championship teams are rarely carried by 5-6 players with little or no contributions from the bench, at least in recent NBA title teams. Detroit might have been one of the thinnest teams, but they still got key contributions from guys like Lindsey Hunter. The Spurs get a lot of help from their bench. Then you have Posey, House and the guys like Powe who stepped up big when it counted for the Celtics.

Now, if we could just trade a few of those extra players and upgrade a little at some of our new weak spots (backup point guard is the most glaring need), we might surprise a few folks.

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jul 21, 2008 7:29 PM PDT   0 recs

Of course depth is a good thing

but having young unknowns on the bench behind Garnet, Pierce and Allen or behind Webber, Peja and Vlade is a lot different than having your future stagnating behind Moore, Miller and Artest.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 21, 2008 7:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The Future?

I think you can lop off a few players from that list – Douby, Williams, Salmons for starters. Those guys are not in the younger core you are trying to buiild around.

Artest is not far behind any of the six you mentioned in terms of skill and probably has more talent than at least a couple of them. Miller is a notch below, and Moore doesn’tt even belong in the conversation.

Reggie is still going to start Moore, and the young guys are still going to have to win the job.

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jul 21, 2008 10:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think you missed my point

I included Moore, Miller and Artest as 3 starters that are not in our long term plans(thus blocking the progress of our younger players). And I think it’s safe to say Artest is not in our long term plans. If he was Petrie would not have taken the chance that he might opt out and walk for nothing. He’d have signed him to an extension. You’ll notice I didn’t include Martin or Beno who I consider a part of our future, since they have the youth and the contracts that say this is so.

The point is, if you are contending you have to sacrifice development of youth(see Gerald Wallace). Maybe trade your youth and draft picks, or let them sit at the end of the bench because you have a greater more immediate goal. If you’re rebuilding I think your focus has to be less “What can we do this season” and more “How can we contend next season, or 2 seasons down the road”.

Maybe Douby, Williams and Salmons are not part of our future either, but I think there is at least some question about that for those three. No question, Moore, Miller and Artest are not.

Yeah, if Moore is on the team he will start. If you read the original post, you’ll see I have him down as a starter.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jul 21, 2008 10:36 PM PDT to parent up   3 recs

Recommended

Good stuff.

by Carl on Jul 21, 2008 11:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think what's safe to say

is that Ron Artest’s status is in limbo.

He may still get an extension at some point, but for now Petrie will entertain trade offers for him, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

If he isn’t traded and the Kings play good ball for the first 20-30 games and surprise some folks, anything is possible.

I think Petrie has to look to trade guys like Salmons, Moore, Williams – in essense, spare parts if Artest is not dealt – and try to upgrade at the combo guard. There’s no doubt Garcia can handle those chores, but he’s probably better suited at the 3. And if/when it becomes a choice between Garcia and Salmons for playing time, I’d opt for Garcia.

Douby? I think he’s going to play the 2, period. Bombs away, baby.

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jul 22, 2008 6:28 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs