The Newly Watchable Sacramento Kings

by Tom Ziller on Oct 21, 2010 1:35 PM PDT in Commentary

Not everyone in basketballdom agrees that the Kings will be good this season. Most expect modest improvements of 3-10 added win; some think the team will flirt with .500 or even the final Western playoff spot. That's a fairly wide range, and it's just full of uncertainty.

Despite that, it seems nearly everyone agrees that the Kings will be fun to watch. The Kings. Fun. Imagine that.

Mike Prada of SBNation.com released his 2010-11 Watchability Scale today, and the Kings placed 9th. Here is what Prada had to say:

What I do know is that Tyreke Evans is poised to take a massive jump, depending on how well his jumper is progressing (current prognosis: work in progress). I also know that watching DeMarcus Cousins is going to be so much fun. It's been a long time since we've seen a big man so fiery and willing to speak his mind.

Prada goes onto to show an example (the Derrick Favors smackdown) of why Cousins will be fun for viewers. Many Kings fans feel the same way; even as Brandon Jennings ripped the heart out of Ricky Rubio's chest here in Sacramento before the 2009 draft, a subsection of fans seemed to really appreciate the swagger, the mouth on that kid. Cousins is pretty similar in that regard. If you thought Jennings was a breath of fresh air, you'd probably consider Cousins a breath of fresh air. If you considered Jennings a punk, you probably ought to consider Cousins a punk.

It's a question of degree and timing for Cousins -- how mad will he get, and when? Will he be ejected from games or practices? Will he cost the team a critical point with a crunch time tech? Will it happen every third week, or once in a blue moon? As a general NBA fan, you don't care. That Rasheedian spontaneity is gold. But for Kings fans, we'd prefer it be kept to a minimum. It comes down to manageability -- can DeMarcus and the team manage it well?

Thankfully, while perhaps Kings fans aren't unanimously looking forward to DMC's attutide in all its glory, there's plenty more watchable about this team, starting with No. 13 to extending all the freaking way around the roster. Evans alone makes for compelling game action; with Cousins (a force of nature), that's boosted. (That's what much of what Prada writes it pointed towards, that DMC looks to be a beast with swagger, unfortunately rare in today's NBA.) There's still Omri Casspi and Donte Greene, and explosive scorers like Carl Landry. This is a whole mix of compelling players, and while success is the first priority of just about every Kings fan, fun is high up there. We're in for a fun season, and it seems the rest of the nation agrees.

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Mr Simmons

Also puts the Kings at #9 on his “NBA Season Ticket Rankings”. More or less a ranking of teams and his excitement to watch them play in person.

by Gabraham on Oct 21, 2010 2:10 PM PDT via mobile reply actions

Great read.

I was thinking the exact same thing the other day. This will be the most fun I’ve had watching the Kings since the Glory Days where we approached 100 points by the end of the 3rd quarter. It should be a hell of a ride.

'Terrible preview...pretty weak, didn't learn anything new. pretty sad." - mastermike

by Scott Coleman on Oct 21, 2010 2:14 PM PDT via mobile reply actions

if you will it, dude, it is no dream.

I just hope we roll on november 3rd. I’ll take a 30-win season if cut down la on national television. F*cking Nazis. Nothin changes.

by doriank on Oct 21, 2010 2:35 PM PDT reply actions

Theodor Herzl

by Travis Mays Hayes on Oct 21, 2010 6:37 PM PDT up reply actions

doriank

Your comment is disgusting.

Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen. And for a limited time, every third person who follows me on Twitter (andy_sims) gets a free ice cream cone.

Which I will eat.

by andy sims on Oct 21, 2010 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions

watchable = entertainment value

I posted this comment yesterday, so it was interesting to read this – I like the process of watching these Kings grow, I think there is value in this type of entertainment. When the Kings achieve playoff success, it will make me appreciate it that much more.

While Carl Landry is fun to watch in the post scoring on bigger players, I think we know what we get out of him.

Evans and Cousins are unique because they can do things that aren’t easily replicated and you don’t see much. How high are their ceilings?

The fascinating components for me are Casspi and Greene. Will Greene stay driven long enough to realize his full potential? Will a more measured workout routine allow Casspi to stay intense and aggressive through out the whole season?

The one common trait for all these players have is they play with fire and passion. You can’t discount that in the “watchability” factor.

And of course, everyone is waiting to see what Whiteside can do

by tricky bastard on Oct 21, 2010 3:18 PM PDT reply actions

Outside of Sac this is all about this years ROY race and whether or not last years was a fluke

This team will not reach the status of the 99-01 SI “Greatest Show on the Court”. In fact unless major changes are made in the offensive scheme, this could be one of the boringest teams to watch. Unless you are a fan of one of our opponents, when they are able to penetrate our defense like a sieve.

It’s not that I’m not excited to watch our young core mature, and become the great players we all expect them to be. It’s just that so far this preseason and after the trade deadline last year, the lack of ball movement, one on five offense and the over dribbling has been nowhere near exciting. Exciting plays yes occasionally, exciting basketball no. And, as much as I like the front court additions and what they’ll do for our defense, I can’t be too excited by the offensive additions.

Maybe I’m wrong and the team will start playing more like a team when they get more playing time with the main starters. But, certainly the lack of exciting plays, alley-oops, cutters finishing above the rim, accurate passes into the blocks setting our bigs up for a dunk, and pick and rolls with our bigs finishing strong at the rim doesn’t bode well for exciting basketball. And without team work it won’t take the coaches in the NBA long to come up with schemes to shut down our two all-stars.

I don’t know what type of offense the coaching staff has been teaching this preseason, but I hope the players start to put it into use soon.

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by HighTops on Oct 21, 2010 3:25 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Come on Eeyore , cheer up !!

by 9K1NGS6 on Oct 21, 2010 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

I agree

I haven’t seen consistent offensive sets this preseason. I know it IS the preseason and all, but you’d think that the coaching staff would want to see the fundamentals used within the game no matter who is in the game.

We’re on the up-and-up but I don’t think we can be a playoff team until we see some consistency in offense, defense, and substitutions. We need to shore up or outside shooting as well as reduce our turnover rate. I hope the Kings can improve in both areas this year.

by clicc916 on Oct 21, 2010 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions

I think WINNING

is the most exciting type of basketball, with the 1990’s Knicks and Heat being the lone exceptions to that rule.

by Smills9133 on Oct 21, 2010 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions

And every Spurs Championship ever.

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by PhutureKings on Oct 21, 2010 11:42 PM PDT up reply actions

I think the Spurs get a bum rap

They don’t play fast, but they play good basketball. Not playing fast doesn’t necessarily equal boring. The Spurs during their championship seasons were interesting, special, and informative to watch.

The general populous may have found them boring, but they’re the same people that have led to our current 24 hr. cable news situation. “MUST HAVE CONFLICT, NOW!”

Don't say stupid shit. You won’t be perceived as stupid. - pookeyguru

by Kfan in Korea on Oct 22, 2010 12:55 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

they were pretty fun last year too

because i remember our old starting lineup of beno udrih, kevin martin, pre-explosion john salmons, brad miller, and stick-legs moore. makes me shiver

by Harrisonyaka on Oct 21, 2010 4:19 PM PDT reply actions

You guys know something thats not worth watching?

An idiot burning a part of the Galleria today…

"Morrison beats Casspi 1 on 1". - MarcusC

by Surprise Team on Oct 21, 2010 4:39 PM PDT reply actions

Sounds like someone with their priorities straight to me.......

Oh wait, Malls are now the new churches of America. My bad.

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by pookeyguru on Oct 21, 2010 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions

well considering retail was the only part of the local economy looking up at the moment

kind of sucks to see people lose their jobs because of one idiot

I predict JT will never breathe through his nose.

by wallywagon11 on Oct 21, 2010 9:07 PM PDT up reply actions

That picture would have been even MORE 'watchable'

if it had DMC’s elbow dismantling Sasha Whosabitch’s face.

by Smills9133 on Oct 21, 2010 5:07 PM PDT reply actions

SI puts us at tied for 13th in the West

Life is every mammal's journey from very very wet to very very dry.

by Holmdel on Oct 21, 2010 5:10 PM PDT reply actions

Tied?

Cop-out.

"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!

by caseycheesecake on Oct 21, 2010 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions

There are only three teams I wanna watch.

Sacramento, The Kings, and The Sacramento Kings.

This.

by elfboy_ on Oct 21, 2010 6:09 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs

Good post Ziller

However I feel the need to add someone to your last paragraph dedicated to fun Kings to watch. His name is Beno Udrih.

by Marcus Newton on Oct 21, 2010 8:55 PM PDT reply actions

The dubs have played "entertaining" ball for a while now and have 1 trip to the playoffs to show for it.

I like many am curious to see how ‘Reke has improved since last season. I want to see if JT can develop some consistency and whether it’s Donté or Omri who finally wins the starting spot. I can’t wait to see Cisco show some of his old spark. I’m hoping that Carl Landry reverts to the player we thought we were trading for. At worst I’m expecting Beno to at least play to last seasons level. I want Pooh Jeter to show that GP still has the magic touch and that 29 other GM’s were myopic to have passed on him. I believe that later in the season Whiteside is going to show some of the doubters at StR that he is going to be an extremely productive player and that by drafting DMC and Hassan in the same draft that GP should considered an elite GM up there with Buford, Presti and Pritchard. I need to see by the All – Star game that PW has solidified his rotations and am looking for a clear indication of whether he is the coach to take this team forward or not. I am hoping like h*ll not to see any of the chaos and desperation we saw in Reggie and Natt’s season. I am hoping for at least 11 more wins. Other than that, entertaining isn’t even on my list.

"I make love to pressure" - Stephen Jackson

by Bluejohn on Oct 21, 2010 9:15 PM PDT reply actions