So Tyreke isn't a true PG????

I'm going to open with the disclaimer that I'm not writing this post with the intent of going into Hollingers stat book to back up what I'm saying; rather my intent here is to point out observations and stupid labels that we try to force upon players because of the position they play.

Its no big secret that going into the draft this year there were an abundance of PG, which played into the Kings favor because with the recent picks of Hawes, Thompson, and play of Martin and Cisco at the two guard spot the most glaring defiency on the team was the PG position. Even with the revival of Wabeno as a floor general I'd still make the argument that he is not a star caliber PG. A damn good one, and a very versatile one when he plays to his potential, but in a sport driven by star players he just lacks that "It" factor to make the Kings a contender. Can he be the glue that holds us together? very well yes, yes he can. No with this said let us quantem leap into the jump............whoooooosh......

So unlike about half of the fans on draft day who were upset that the Kings didn't select Flynn, Jennings, or the fourth Jonas Brother; I was unbelievably happy when the Kings decided to take Tyreke Evans. Now I know this seems shocking when everyone on ESPN and "insert mainstream sports media here" was saying he is a good ballhandler but more a two guard, a postion held by a stud with the last name Martin on this team. My reasons for this was 1) i was high off life and THC and 2) if you have followed Tyreke through high school and his time at Memphis the kid just has something about him that we have never had on this Kings  since the likes of Webber. He has that swagger, that provado that he can't be stopped, and when he steps on the floor not only does he think he's the best player, he flat out knows it, and makes everyone else know it.

For this reason I say to the people who were calling for the floppy haired kid that is apparently god's gift to the point guard postion (without every playing an NBA game, and yes I stayed up and saw him in the Olympics and noticed him before the draft when the hype machine got a hold of him, and felt that he played well; but thought to myself he was late first round, or bottom lottery material at best) have you ever watched the Kings play in their  "golden" years of Webber, Vlade, and Bibby? I believe not, or if you did you didn't fully understand what was going on, on the court.

See basketball unlike any other sport is a Star driven League. Don't get me wrong each sport has household names in it that are capable of doing outstanding things on their court of choice. However in no other sport can one player clearly dominate a game, and change the outcome of such game. You could have the best home run hitter in baseball, but if they are lucky they get to bat merely four times; a Cy Young pitcher only gets to make a difference once every five games. In football having a star player means they only contribute to half of the teams production, and assuming they aren't a quarterback or running back their influence on the game is based solely off the talent around them rather  then their own merits (you could get 20 tackles a game, but won't mean jack if your corners get beat everytime). You could put Peyton Manning on the Lions last year and yes they would of not gone 0-16 but how many games could Peyton himself really have won without an adequite offensive line, receiver, running back, and defense. However in the NBA you can take a bunch of scrubs and put a guy like Lebron James on that team and they can win 50+ easily.

Now this brings me back to the point of the Adelman led Kings that continually competed for a Championship year in and year out. What made this team great was not that they had a MVP type player (Even though pre-injury Webber was probably one of the top 6 players in the game) but rather that they had five guys that played like one. Those teams were on the same heartbeat basically, and each player knew where the other was going to be before that player was even there. They played a brand of basketball that was exciting and fun to watch because all five guys on the floor were willing to make the pass.

They never had that one guy that was going to get you 10+ assists a night, Bibby and Jackson were outstanding floor generals but there were not Stockton or Nash and didn't pretend to be. Each player played to their strenghts, which for many of them was unselfishness, the ability to hit down the open shot, and like the team we see before us today versatility. We had guys like Hedo who could play the 2,3, or 4 off the bench (kinda like Donte). Our best assist players were guys by the name of Webber and Vlade who if I remember correctly were not true PG's, I could be wrong about this though. Bibby and Christie's roles in the backcourt were intertangible, you could even make the argument that Christie was a better playmaker than Bibby. However, this is not to say that Bibby wasn't our PG, because he was. He was the best ballhandler on our team; and just as importantly a leader.

If you don't have one of the top 4 players in the NBA you shouldn't parade around as if you do, if you don't have Chris Paul or Steve Nash then don't expect your PG to do the same things night in and night out. As much as basketball is a star driven sport when it comes down to it five guys playing as one will beat one guy trying to carry four others.

This is why Tyreke Evans was the best fit in this draft. What he brings to the table at his position is revelutionary in the game today. Think about the fact that the knocks on him playing the point aren't that he isn't fast enough to do it, or that he doesn't have the ball handling skills to do it (because as we have seen so far he has speed and mad handles) but that he isn't the type of guy to get you double digit assists a night. To that I say how many guys are able to do that night in and night out? The fears of Evans being a ballhog or pounding the ball into the ground are just unfair.His game is no where near similar to Artest or Salmons, this kid can get to the basket at will RIGHT NOW and he is just 15 games into his nba career; think of what his driving abilities will be when he has played over 100 games. The fact of the matter is that he has the swagger to be the head of an NBA team, and has been a leader of whatever team he has been on since he was in Junior High. When it comes down to it; confidence in your ability to make plays and leadership are what make a great pg.

If you haven't noticed the identity of this franchise, as created by Petrie and Carill is five guys; actually 12 guys; playing as one. We should be thankfuly for the fact that we have a team that plays that way right now, and brings back those fond memories of the "greatest show on the court". What I want you to take out of this post is to appreciate the talent the Kings have in number 13 and not to try and label him into something he's not; and more so enjoy the fact that we have a TEAM again that enjoys the game and plays it with passion and smiles.