Can the Kings Use the D-League Effectively?

by Tom Ziller on Jul 28, 2009 10:12 AM PDT in Commentary

Regarding the Kings' traditional ignoring of that whole "D-League" thing, the tide turned somewhere between Donté Greene's five-game stint in Reno last season and the hiring of Bryan Gates as an assistant coach to Paul Westphal. Prior to Greene's sojourn, the Kings had never sent a player to the team's D-League affiliate, and had only "called up" a D-League player once (Justin Williams in 2006-07, who also happened to be the final training camp cut that season).

The Kings are not in a position to use the D-League as San Antonio has. The Spurs own their affiliate (the Austin Toros) and as such use it as a bit of a true farm team, as documented by Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell. The Kings do not own the Reno Bighorns, and given current economic conditions with the franchise will not soon own the Bighorns. (I'd love to be proven wrong, but ...)

But other teams have used the D-League with some success. Can the Kings do the same, now that the franchise's attitude toward it has apparently shifted?

The answer: probably not. Who exactly do you send down to Reno? Tyreke Evans? No. No no no. He should be your sixth man until he supplants Beno Udrih as the starting point guard. Evans needs to be on the big team.

Jon Brockman isn't the type of second-round pick who belongs in the D-League. You know what he is. Sure, he could use some polish -- a lot of polish -- but beating up on sub-NBA talents isn't going to provide that. Unless you make him play off-guard in Reno. Which I would support with all of my heart.

What about the two young small forwards, Greene and Omri Casspi? Casspi is an interesting quandary, in that while he needs floor time to learn the NBA game he already provides something the Kings need: high energy play on the wing. You plug him in, and he'll do stuff -- chase down loose balls, go after offensive rebounds, scream a bit, run the floor. And he won't be taking a lot of shots in the process. I can see Omri playing 20 minutes and taking only four or five field goal attempts.

I can't see Donté doing that. That's not to the detraction of Greene -- I want him to shoot, I'd love to see him try to fill it up when he gets in the game. He can get his shot off cleanly against just about any defender you throw at him. When he finds the touch, the range, he could be a killer scorer. So we want him to shoot shoot shoot. But the Kings also need to compete, and if Greene hasn't yet found his NBA rhythm (Vegas would indicate he has not) the team can't have him hoisting up 15 FGAs a night.

But the Reno Bighorns? Yes, please. Donté actually had decent numbers with Reno last season: 20 points on less than 17 FGAs, very few turnovers, a goodly number of blocks and steals. He shot 54% from two-point range. He was good! except that he took (and missed) a lot of threes and didn't rebound particularly well. He was able to play his game, which is predicated on firing away at will. And I think it helped his confidence (though it's quite hard to tell, given his lack of action in Sacramento). It certainly didn't hurt anyone, as he wouldn't have played in the Kings' games during that spell.

Omri may get to shoot more in a dozen games with Reno than he would with a dozen games with Sacramento, but it just doesn't seem like Omri's game will depend on his shooting ability. It will be predicated on energy and activity. You would like Greene to be similiarly focused, with the electric offense we pray for more of a nice addition than a requirement. But you would also like a bowl of chocolate pudding for lunch, and that's just not in the cards right now, is it Billy? IS IT?

So, my verdict, here on July 28, some four months before the beginning of the D-League season: only Greene can ride the Bighorn.

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I'll agree with you here

Donte definitely could use the D-League. Omri not so much. I have a feeling the Zohan is going to be a fan fave soon cause I see a really fast and athletic Hedo. You could even play him at the 2 guard spot and have him play with Evans for Super Giant lineup.

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by Aykis16 on Jul 28, 2009 10:19 AM PDT reply actions

It's all true

but I think that sending Donte back to the D-League may seriously compromise his self-confidence, and that’s not good for an athlete.
I think he has the skills and the will to learn all the things he needs in the NBA, and we have a good coaching staff that can help him.

Obviously, if by January he’s still struggling as we’ve seen on the Summer League, we have to consider very well D-League for him.

"Even when I’m old and grey, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game." — Michael Jordan

Go Kings!

by Panzerfaust on Jul 28, 2009 10:21 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

I'm going to disagree with sending Donté to Reno

At least, not right away. I really want to see what Westphal, Gates, and the rest of the new coaches can do to help him. He would certainly get more game opportunity, but I think he needs to be getting consistent coaching from the new staff.

If he doesn’t respond to that coaching after a month or two, then I would absolutely support another visit to the D-League.

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by Exhibit G on Jul 28, 2009 10:30 AM PDT reply actions

+1 Exactly what I was going to say

D league buys you minutes, but not necessarily the quality coaching that you really need for improvement in my opinion. If after a month or two with the new staff, he still isn’t improving then D-Leaugue is either a way to give him minutes to fix what’s broken or a stick to make him do what he should,

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by SavageBeast on Jul 28, 2009 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Training camp

Donte’s future may well be decided there. If Casspi outperforms him – he may be on his way out. That may be hasty and he’ll get other chances but how many minutes do we have at the 3? You have to concentrate on developing someone.
The best will win out.

So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii

by lietothegirls on Jul 28, 2009 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions

You may be right

With Nocioni, Garcia, Greene, and Casspi, there wouldn’t be enough minutes to go around. But if Westphal tinkers with some big line-ups such as Garcia playing at the 2, it could clear some of the logjam. But that depends on Westphal’s strategy.

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by Exhibit G on Jul 28, 2009 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions

If Garcia doesn't play the two

who does? Who’s the backup two guard?

Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.

by Aykis16 on Jul 28, 2009 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Depends

Cisco seems like the obvious choice for a bigger line-up. Otherwise, if the team plays a smaller lineup, I wouldn’t be stunned to see Evans paired with Sergio or Beno.

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by Exhibit G on Jul 28, 2009 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Actually you know what might work

Have Beno back up K-Mart as a shooting guard and have ’Reke and Sergio man the point.

Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.

by Aykis16 on Jul 28, 2009 1:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Beno, Evans and Sergio

I could see a lot of combinations using 2 of those 3. It doesn’t really matter who you call the point guard and who you call the 2 guard.

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by Exhibit G on Jul 28, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions

If we could trade Beno for a Center I'd be ecstatic

I really want to see Sergio unleashed.

Father of the "Natt this!" movement and Grandmaster of the "Never let AnotherStupidSN forget what a Sham-Wow is" Order.

by Aykis16 on Jul 28, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions

If Beno limits Sergio's playing time...

…could we call him a “Serg protector?”

Thanks, I’ll be here all week.

Never forget: I am a complete idiot

by Exhibit G on Jul 28, 2009 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions

uhg!

So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii

by lietothegirls on Jul 29, 2009 8:24 PM PDT up reply actions

I can't see having Beno and Serg on the court at the same time

Neither of those guys plays defense, and their combined perimeter shooting is pretty weak. Also, they both need to have the ball to be effective. That combination seems like a recipe for getting torched by opposing guards.

From the people who brought you Reggie Musselnatt.

by My Losing Season on Jul 28, 2009 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions

I think a lot of people are over estimating the front line talent.

May & Brockman haven’t done anything yet. May has a 82 game career and has done nothing to prove he can play at his rookie season level. And certainly with his medical history, the odds of him finishing the season are low. Brockman hasn’t played one game against NBA talent. And although, he was a rebounding machine in college, how many of the players that he rebounded against made it into the NBA? The GSW might be the only team in the division, where he isn’t completely outmatched.

So, who’s left? Spencer, JT & Thomas. We need Noc & Greene around just to backup our suspect PF’s. Cisco is our only backup SG over 6’ 3". So, I don’t think we’ll be shipping anyone to Reno. In fact, let’s wait until May passes his physical and Brockman gets a contract before we start setting our lineup..

"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom

by HighTops on Jul 28, 2009 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Agreed. However...

Brockman battled with Jordan Hill, Taj Gibson, Jeff Pendergraph, and Kevin Love (2008 draft). The Brock’s battles with Kevin Love were pretty memorable and we all know K-Love can definitely rebound in the NBA. I think all three PAC 10 bigs from this year’s draft can bang at the next level. I think The Brock’s college rebounding numbers will correlate pretty well in NBA.

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by JETisKing on Jul 28, 2009 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe, but let's wait until we know for sure before we brake up the team. All I'm saying

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by HighTops on Jul 28, 2009 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I would love to see Donte in the D-League

I think that he has to demonstrate a higher degree of discipline than he has so far. His shot selection must improve, IMO, before he will be an asset on the court. And court time may be what he needs to resolve some issues. On the other hand he will be the most talented player on the court most nights, and that may serve to promote shot taking—and not necessarily good shots.

Sure it could be considered a slap in the face to retain Casspi on the parent club and send Donte down, but maybe a slap in the face is what is called for, I dunno. I’m far removed from the personality/player behavior situation.

The move would also serve to alleviate our log-jam situation at SF. I dont think Donte really has a role as a PF and it seems like we are covering our PF bases with May and Brockman.

by DustyG on Jul 28, 2009 10:48 AM PDT reply actions

Since I was at the games...

I think that the only thing one of the players would get out of it is to get back into a grove if they had not played much. I watched Donte play when he was here and you could tell from the first game to the last that he became more comfortable. I agree the brockman or Omri dont seem to be the fit for it. Sacramento is in a very different place than the Spurs because the young kings need to play on the real floor more than the spurs future players.

One thing to look into though is I think they recently changed a rule that a team can for less than the cost of a vets minimum the kings could run the team without owning it. that may be the more beneficial way to go. I think rediculous upside knows more about that though.

Finding positives in a 65 loss season since 2009

by Hilton on Jul 28, 2009 10:59 AM PDT reply actions

Couple things

It’s obvious that Brockman, Evans or Casspi don’t really need to go to the D-League. What is obvious that A) the Kings need to trade Beno or Noc sooner than later if they can (I’m assuming they can’t right now which is why they’re hasn’t been an announced deal), and B) that Greene needs to go to the D-League for a bigger portion than 5 games.

It isn’t worth it to the Kings, or Greene, to have him up there for 5 games, light them up—at least in strict terms of scoring—only to come back to Sacramento and sit on the bench (which is what happened last season). If Donte is a project, and with Garcia, Nocioni (and Casspi potentially) ahead of him to play the 3 on this team, and with Brockman, May, Nocioni and JT ahead of Donte at the 4, it’s going to be very difficult to expect that Donte has an easy route to PT.

I don’t think the Kings will give up on him, but giving him a chance makes more sense than not, and right now, there isn’t a coach that would give Donte more of a chance than the guys I mentioned because all of them (minus Beno & Noc) are likely to be able to bring multiple kinds of value to the court without needing to shoot the ball. That’s Evans, Martin’s, and Hawes job essentially. After that, where players get their touches is how they fit in, and where Donte may fit in is being that super sub scorer off the bench (the Kings absolutely need one of those) that can light it up in short spurts.

I’m hoping that’s what Donte can become. If he can be that sooner than later, there is plenty of time for him to still become a reasonable low-caliber All-Star. But, you can’t be Rashard Lewis until you’re Rashard Lewis, and while Lewis is valuable to the Magic because of what he can do, he’s also a player that needs to play with the right type’s of talents to take advantage of his skills. This is what the NBA is really about: Fit.

I’m hoping Donte ends up in the D-League, and that time is spent looking to move Noc/Beno because the Kings no longer need either guy (or give minutes to either truthfully). On the other hand, if either of those guys are gone, and there is a reasonable chance for Donte to get mins on the Kings roster, he had better be in the EC under such scenario.

Decisions, Decisions. (Which, given how the Kings operate, I’m not sure they will do that.)

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

by pookeyguru on Jul 28, 2009 12:23 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

You could be right, but

If by trading Beno & Noc SOONER you mean before the rookies have proven themself capable of playing quality minutes than I’ll have to disagree. We have no assureances that Brockman or May can play. Even JT has yet to prove that he can stay out of foul trouble.

So, we have the backup PF, starting SF, backup SF, & backup SG positions to fill. And, that doesnt’ take into account injuries. That’s approximately 72mpg and all the backups for those positions need to come from the 4 SF’s until the PF’s prove otherwise. So, we don’t really have a glut of SF’s. We have a group of very versitile players that we’re probably going to end up needing at least until the trade deadline.

As to Donte, what I saw at VSL was a guy who was trying to change his game. Yes, he took 10 3pt shoots in 5 games, but some were because the shot clock was running out. Donte made a concerted effort to go to the rim offensively, and to rebound & block shots. He was the best finisher of the bigs on the breakaways, and he made major strides in improving his defense. In fact, Donte has said several times that he wants the defensive closer role. And, after the job he did on Randolf, I’d say he’s well on his way.

So, yes, Donte could be a scorer off the bench. But, I hope he achieves his goal and becomes the defensive stopper.

"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom

by HighTops on Jul 28, 2009 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions

As far as your last line HT

I hope you’re right. The Kings could absolutely use that type of player.

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

by pookeyguru on Jul 28, 2009 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Don't hold your breath

Donte still needs to mature before he is able to become a facor on either end of the court. The most encouging part of Donte’s time in Summer League were on D, where he had possetions where he was really able to lock a player down. Its all about focus with him, if he can focus for 10-15 minutes during a game he would be a rotation player

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by Ellimist on Jul 28, 2009 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions

No one expects any of the young guys to develop overnight

We’re only looking for improvement from one year to the next. Donte didn’t get in to the rotation on a regular basis last year. So, if he can get 10-15mpg, with improved defense & rebounding, than I’ll be happy. I never expected a 20 yr old picked 28th in the draft, and with only one yr of college ball to win the starting SF job in less than 3yrs.

"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom

by HighTops on Jul 28, 2009 11:44 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Amen HT

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

by pookeyguru on Jul 29, 2009 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions

If you can't bring the mountain to Mohammed

Is it possible that by bringing in Bryan Gates that in place of sending players to the D-League they sent the D-League to the players?

Donté continues to be a large topic of concern. He finished a disappointing first season on a disappointing team. He needs to mature and his game needs an even larger growth spurt. He is working on improving. He is a project, simple as that, one that came out a year too early, maybe two years to early.

The Kings coaching staff is chock full of teachers. This is a patient crew who appear to realize that they have to dig a foundation before they can build this group into a team. Donté is in a good place with the Kings. Hopefully he can make it the right place. He is at least another season away though. Casspi has Euro pro experience and is bursting at the seems to show you, the Kings, the NBA, Israel and the rest of the World that he belongs.

Brockman. Still not signed. Maybe the Kings – GP and JLevien are figuring out a way to put him in Europe for a year. Doesn’t seem the right place for him, but better than Reno. It seems like “the Back Up Center” aka “the Buc” will be lucky number 13 for the Kings. If no Buc is available than I expect to see Hoss signed, tout de suite.

by betweentheeyes on Jul 28, 2009 1:23 PM PDT reply actions

Good point.

Is it possible that by bringing in Bryan Gates that in place of sending players to the D-League they sent the D-League to the players?

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by JETisKing on Jul 28, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Regarding Brock and Europe

i think he would fit in easily . His size is normal for a PF in Europe . Not saying he will be a top player but given the rebounding ability that i saw in summer league he is going to make money in Europe . Doesnt have to create his own shot , just rebound and tip in …

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by GreekKing on Jul 28, 2009 7:17 PM PDT up reply actions