Just Say Noc

I was this close to finagling Kevin Durant from the #*$&%@, then you go and post this.

(recd)

Noc could be the defensive glue that holds our young team together, but at what price?

He makes more than Cisco, Donte, & Casspi put together. He’s the 3rd highest paid contract on the team. That’s the dollars end of the business.

Unless your going to trade a young prospect of which we only have JT, Donte, Casspi who else is there. And, a trade must be made. We have 3 PG’s, 3 SF’s, 2 SG’s(martin & Cisco), 3 PF’s (including Thomas) and 1 Center. Let me repeat this we have 1 Center.

I’ll avoid getting in the the (Ike/May) debate because I don’t believe JT has or will have the low post game to backup at Center this year. Plus, I’d rather see JT learn how to play PF before we start pushing him in the Center spot.

Garcia is our backup SG & a BYC so getting a Center by trading him creates more problems and isn’t easily done. Beno is a serviceable backup with a unfavorable contract. Thomas, well no one wants to pay his contract until after the trade deadline. And, that leaves use with Noc or Donte or our cap space.

Something is going to have to go if we’re going to pick up a serviceable backup Center. And, if Noc has to go, then I guess our young team will have to rely on the coaching staff for their leadership until one of the players steps up.

Noc is a 5-year vet w/ a career average of 12 points and 5 boards. His best year resulted in a PER of over 16. Last year was substantially worse than that, at just over 12. Still, I don’t see (especially after summer league) Greene doing particularly better, and Casspi is unproven as of yet.

Translation: his best year was slightly above average and now he’s a below-average performer and heading downhill, but we don’t know what the kids will do, so we better hang on to him so we can be respectably crappy.

Repeat after me: youth movement, youth movement, youth movement.

Give the kids a chance. They can’t be much worse, they’re a lot cheaper, and they at least have the potential to get better.

Noc will probably get worse before he gets better, and he won’t be around when the Kings get better anyway.

Expendable. Next.

The minute that you can unload him for expiring, pull the trigger. If it costs a game or two this year, the extra cap space next year will more than make up for it.

I agree with portions of the post, PK, especially as it pertains to trading anchors (Noc) for potentially bigger anchors (Dalembert). And as long as Noc is better than Greene or Casspi, he should get the starting nod.

Rec’d for the entertaining read.

Look, I want to get rid of Beno as bad as the next guy or girl (or Jamie Lee Curtis).

Especially for the hermaphrodite joke. I laughed… it was pretty darn funny.

I’m not saying hang onto Noc for dear life. If something comes along that makes sense for the team, do it.

What I’m saying is that:
a) I think Noc’s intangibles (the hustle, diving plays, toughness) are being underrated.
b) He should NOT be lumped into the Beno-KTEC group of underperforming-overpaid players.
c) As of right now, he’s the best option at SF.
d) You need some veteran influence on the floor, not just coming from the bench via the coaching staff. This is important for the growth of a young team, as it helps with identity and attitude.
e) Don’t be in such a rush to unload the guy that you take back another bad contract (i.e., Dalembert). Worst-case scenario, Noc does his thing (serviceably) until Greene or Casspi are ready to take over.
f) When using Trade Machine, try to create deals that make sense for both teams and take the Kings’ needs (especially for veteran players, ball-movement, cap space and the depth-chart) into consideration.

As Section and Aykis said, I might not be in 100% agreement with every point, but overall it was a good read. Good humor at the expense of poor Jamie, good rationale on slowing the freakout.

The Noce conundrum is that the Kings would like to lose his contract, but they are really hard up for floor leaders right now. Noce may be their best option in that respect, which is not saying much, but the guy does bring some leadership/intangibles. That is provided he doesn’t go postal over the fact that he is not in the long-term plans of a team for whom losing twice as many games as they win will be considered a major improvement.

right now Noc is still he best player at the position, end of story. The way that the top tier teams are going for it right now see who feels they could use him and go from there. He is not a problem contract like KTEC or Beno due to the fact he contribrutes to the team. In the middle of July there should be no huge rush since free agency is still taking place and rosters are not set. It will work out in time, but until then I will appriciate a player busting their ass and hoping it rubs off.

I’m terrible sorry, what exactly does KTEC stand for?

I think I have the first two letters figured out.

Noc was a a pretty hot commodity when we aquired him. I remember Amick saying there were a few teams that were pushing to grab him. I don’t know what the kings would yeild in return, but the thing is that Noc has some sort of value, and if the Kings ever decide to move him, it wouldn’t be that hard. Sure you might not get a young prospect, but you won’t get a bad contract in return. He is a skilled, tough, and atheltic garbage player. There aren’t too many players with his skill and athletisim that are willing to do the dirty work on the court.

Too many teams are desperate to stop the Lakers, Cavs & Magic that we may end up with a seriously good offer. Plus, we’ll see where we are at in the season — we might be half-way decent and have no intention of actually moving him (unless someone gives us the farm).

rec’d

Nocioni should be considered a welcome addition to the roster. To re-iterate your commetns; he has these good qualities: He provides experience, hustle and talent. He is the starting 3 for this Kings team. The negatives to him are – he is not “young”, he is a bit slow and unathletic, his talents are unspectacular, he would not be a starter on a contending team, his contract is just a bit on the higher side (even with his declining pay scale) for an unspectacular player.

The item you have avoided in your assessment: He has expressed unhappiness on being on this team (a surprisingly unprofessional display for a foreign player).

Let’s just address the last negative:

 - he has expressed unhappiness on being on this team – and that is what I believe has prompted the spark to ignite the “trade Noce” flame. Can there be a bigger turn off to a fan than rejection? Heck no. Are most athletes so self centered as to bite the hand that feeds. Obviously, because it happens too darn much. Most foreign players have had a tempering of the ego cultured into of them before they get here. Not unlike Supersizing and prostate cancer, all media access superEgo is an American byproduct. Nocioni has unfortunately acquired a touch of “diarrhea of the mouth” after his trade to Sacramento.. Ev eryone knows that being publicly unhappy lowers trade value and makes one more difficult to move, but id trumps common sense. So be it. I expect that over the next few years, as the Kings pass from cellar dweller to mediocre that the climb out of the basement will be a test of Nocioni’s professional attitude, if he stays a King. I am hopeful that his comments were a “speaking out of turn” event and will cease and desist. This summer and pre-season will give ample opportunity to either cry out again or get his feces cohesive. I (hope and) expect the latter because the resaon to have a veteran is to keep this young team focused and directed. If Nocioni is unhappy and keeps to himself (think the opposite of the ultimate Kings teammate – Vlade Divac) than he needs to go.

Phuture make some excellent points as to why the Kings still need Noc.

Until we can work a sensible trade for a better SF or Greene/Casspi demonstrate that they’re ready to explode into a legit, consistent player, Noc represents our best option to serve as the anchor at a “stacked” small forward position, and to be a guy that can talk from an experienced viewpoint when needed.

Then there’s

Besides, while he’ll make about $7.5M this season, his contract declines each remaining season, and the last year is a team option. It’s not bad at all, really.

There is no question that no one has stepped up to beat Noc out of the starting job. And, he does offer experience and talent for a reasonably priced contract. And, I see no need as of this time to trade him, to upgrade the talent at SF. The point that people are missing is that if Noc were to get injured, we still have options. Cisco has started at the 3 and done well. Casspi although a NBA rookie, has played professional ball at the highest levels of European basketball. And, Donte is working hard to up his game and has already shown improved defense, rebounding and shot blocking.

Now, what happens if Hawes gets injured. Even if we sign (Ike or May or Powe) we still have a poor 4/5 rotation. JT has no low post game and didn’t shine at the 5 in SL, let alone the regular season. Brockman’s undersized with no offense, & still hasn’t proven he can rebound at the NBA level. And, none of the other prospective Bigs, can play the 5. So, we start JT out of position at the 5, and when he gets tired or gets into foul trouble, what do we do?

WE NEED ANOTHER CENTER. And, Noc, as has been pointed out, has talent and value with a reasonable contract. Which makes him our best tradeable commodity. Yes, we may get weaker at the 3. And, we’ll miss his leadership. But, at least at the 3 we have acceptable options. We have NO OPTIONS at the 5.

We are horribly, desperately thin at the 4/5. I don’t want to take on some crappy contract to address the problem but I also don’t want our young players to be forced to play out of position, to be wretchedly overmatched by PF after PF or Center after Center – I don’t think they’ll learn much in that scenario thats worth learning.
Q: Would you take on Kaman’s contract for Noce’s? The upside, if he’s healthy he’s a true physical post player, the downside – IF he’s healthy.