Lost @ C
by betweentheeyes on Feb 15, 2010 8:37 PM PST
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This is an exciting time for us Kings fans as the we now look toward the remainder of the 2010 season. The All-Star weekend couldn’t have been better with a showcasing of the crown jewels – Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi. Evans seems to impress without fail with his first award, the Rook/Soph MVP. It is an awkward feeling to see an elite talent take shape in a Kings uniform. Embrace it.
The schedule continues: Having already topped last year’s win total with 18 wins there are 30 games to go. At the current win percentage that is another 10 wins or 28 total wins for the year. A greater than 10 game improvement. There is the draft lottery in late May and then the NBA draft in June. But it is the trade deadline that captures our thoughts this week. With that in mind – in which direction shall the Kings go?
The Kings have a talented backcourt. The franchise player in rookie Tyreke Evans teamed with the former franchise player Kevin Martin. The 3 spot is well manned with Casspi, Greene, Garcia, and Nocioni crowded together. All capable with some star potential thrown in . Seems pretty set for the most part.
We then examine the frontcourt. The questions that were posed at the beginning of this season persist. Can this team expect to advance with the current power forward and center talents? A look at this season and seeing the level of competition they face the answer is No. Resoundingly No.
Spencer Hawes has talent and is young. He has shown, and will cotinue to exhibit, improvement. Can he be a starting Center in the NBA? Yes. But he needs help.
Jason Thompson is a rebounding force with a superior motor and offensive skills that he has fleeting confidence in. He is strong and athletic. Can he be a starting power forward in the NBA? Yes, but he needs support.
Some of the limits that Hawes has are strengths of JT and the reverse is true as well. However both chaps fall short defensively. Without support to shore up this lack of defense this Kings team is destined to remain out of the playoff picture. The Kings need a frontcourt stud. A player of the abilities to command attention on the defensive and offensive end, more so defensively. Further, it poses the question – what type of team are the Kings to become? A verson of the Warriors and Suns or a version of the Spurs and Nuggets or something in between – the Thunder and Blazers.
The answer to that question begins this week in many respects. If the Kings make a deal for Troy Murphy or Antawn Jamison the Kings get better. How much better? And to what end? If the Kings stay pat and make only minor or no moves than this points to a different direction. The Kings will see where the season brings them with the young team they have and fate will determine where the draft takes them. To a possible young center or power forward that can bring a higher level of talent or not. Maybe the Kings get the first or second pick and take a point guard or a shooting guard (Wall is #1, Turner #2).
Will upgrading older talent this week (Murphy, Jamison) be a good or bad investment in tomorrow? Will trading for a David Lee or Ty Thomas be a shrwed upgrade in talent or just leave the Kings still avoiding the defensive answer they need but at a higher, riskier cost? Should the Kings pick up a defensive big like Dalembert or Okafor who have large holes in their games and bigger claims in their contracts and expect that to be enough of a patch for the play of Shock and Hawes? Should the the Kings let the trade deadline die ?
I am of the belief that the future is still very uncertain in Sacramento. The Arena proposals remain unachored, the salary cap is sinking, the economy is choppy, and the crew young and unsure. Why dive head first into uncertain waters? I expect the Kings to do little or nothing this week and build on a slow and steady course this next two seasons.
(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)
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I don't think there's much doubt
That the future at the 1, 2 and 3 look pretty bright (some would say the 2 is the present, not the future, but with 5 good years left in KM, I am not one of them)
It is indeed the frontline that needs/deserves the most scrutiny. Are JT and Hawes the future? Part of the future?
I’m in the group that is more than a little concerned that we have too many of our hopes riding on those two and that other options, starting options, must be explored.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
Show 'em how it's done old man.
Well done Bte.
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. 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.....
Maybe
the professor can fashion a center out of coconuts, and we can finally get off of this god-forsaken island.
Nice read, bte. Rec ’d.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
Making a trade before the deadline is an opportunity for the Kings
There have been trade talks some including Kevin Martin, some not. I believe that if Petrie can make a trade, which he feels will make the team better in some regard, he will do it. Why pass up an opportunity, if it presents itself?
To be the best, you have to do your best. Otherwise, you are only second-rate.
Constantly sifting through the sands can dig a deeper hole.
Acquisition for acquistion’s sake is a desperate advance that makes little sense when there is such an uphill climb and we have just left the base camp.
by betweentheeyes on Feb 16, 2010 9:31 AM PST up reply actions
That's reasonable too.
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. 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.....
I am a little uncertain about the team too..
I think our backcourt is pretty much set. I’d like to see Nocioni/Beno go if we can get something of value for them. I don’t know what we are going to do when Cisco comes back, and how bad he is going to disrupt the rotation and kill the playing time from the young players. At this point, i wouldn’t mind trading him, which will be tough..
Rec'd BTE
In my opinion, Noc, Beno, K9, Sergio, the scrap heap guys…any of those guys should be moved if it results in some form of salary relief.
Everyone else should stay barring very favorable deals. I hope Noc or Beno find new homes, I’m not particularly confident though, and I still think the most likely scenario is nothing substantial happens.
If you want Noc or Beno moved, we need to hope for an arms race amongst contenders developing. If that happens, some teams might be compelled to add bench firepower, even at overpriced rates.
What we've got here is, failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach.
There are deals to be had - but the price has to balance
If you are Indiana (Murphy) or Washington (Jamison) or Philadelpha (Dalembert) or New Orleans (Okafor) or Golden State (Beidrins) – would you take the Kings cast offs (Noce, Beno, Garcia, KThomas) in exchange?
It has to either lower their cap and/or make their team better and big men are not a dime a dozen (look at those salaries!). Anything can happen but most likely nothing will. The Kings need frontcourt help but not at any cost. A shrewd deal may be out there, but it may not be this week. Perhaps this summer or at the draft.
by betweentheeyes on Feb 16, 2010 9:41 AM PST up reply actions
I could still see
a) Nocioni going to a contender, although his name has lost some of the jets it had earlier in the season,
b) Thomas leaving for an expensive big (not likely and probably not productive enough to do).
c) I really am not in the camp that thinks Beno is someone to part with right now. I think he is the better third guy in the guard rotation than Sergio is or Francisco can be counted on this year to be.
Lower their expectations and rise to met them
It has been really quiet on the Kings front lately
Which might very well mean GP is working hard. With Portland landing Camby & the Rockets possibly trading T-Mac to NY that might be our opportunity to snatch up Tyrus Thomas. What about Hilton Armstrong, an early 2nd round pick, & cash? Teams seem to like cash these days. The Nuggs have a high payroll & maybe San Antonio is looking to snatch up Drew Gooden for cheap when he negotiates a buyout with DC. That all opens the door for us.
I love beating dead horses.
the record is skipping (yes, young ones, at one time music was on a vinyl platter that turned while a needle followed the grooves)
well Aykis16 albenji’s (or are you Aykis17?) TyThomas for a 30 game tryout is a better deal for him than it would be for the Kings. He could get a chance to showcase his talents in a different environment which could show other teams that he was just in the wrong situation in Chicago. He would play at least 30 min a game and have the chance to put up some quality numbers. He just might make himself attractive enough for someone to consider that maybe his qualifying offer of $6.2 with a $15M cap hold is reasonable.
hahaha, just kidding. The guy is going to get $3M or so when the summer comes. And he should give some of it to David Thorpe for making people believe he is not Eddy Curry’s loopy brother.
by betweentheeyes on Feb 16, 2010 1:39 PM PST up reply actions
What the hell did I ever do to you BTE?
It seems like every chance you get you are getting on me about something.
I love beating dead horses.
if that is the case, I am guilty of overstepping my "giving someone poop" quota
and requests forgiveness. No harm meant, I like what you have to say and hope you continue to add more. I will be more prudent with my comments.
I was mostly getting on Aykis through you on this one. He has a man crush on TyThomas which I don’t share. You are guilty by association only.
by betweentheeyes on Feb 16, 2010 4:05 PM PST up reply actions
It's cool I try not to take things too personally
but I just noticed a lot lately you’ve giving me crap after some of my comments & just wasn’t sure if I pissed you off somewhere.
I love beating dead horses.
Its an initiation -
back up your opinion for the 6 months or get pounded some
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 Feb 17, 2010 11:44 AM PST up reply actions
After that you still get pounded
just less often. Thick skin, it ain’t personal.
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 Feb 17, 2010 1:27 PM PST up reply actions
a quick note to allbenj's
I was a bit aghast that you feel perscuted by me. First off, I agree and disagree with various ideas and posts by whim and mood more than conviction and concern. We are displaying our opinions to each other on this site. Your opinion is no more right or wrong than mine, but this site is more to kick around our thoughts than anything else and sometimes we will disagree. I truly had no idea nor intention of downgrading or commenting to your posts particularly more or less than anyone else. If I have made you feel poorly or picked on, I will own up to some of the blame, and ask forgiveness for this transgression, you don’t deserve it, certainly not from my hand.
This site is a strange place. We have a place to congregate and exchange our thoughts about something we share – Kings basketball. The internet can make strangers feel like acquaintances, and acquaitances like friends. Common interests bring us closer together. At StR we come to throw our thoughts against the wall and see what sticks. There are exceptions. This site is Tom Ziller’s creation and he and a handful of others on this site have substance to their statements. I look at TZ this way (my version):
1) Watch Kings basketball
2) Analyze events
3) Study statistics
4) Accumulate more data
5) Use formulae and equations
6) Produce charts and/or graphs
7) Analyze findings
8) Find relevence
9) Conclusions and statements
10) Opinions and editorials
I just go from 1 to 10 and skip all that messy stuff in between. So please, my disagreements are not worth an ounce of frustration and my humor probably pleases me more than anyone else, but if makes you smile, glad I could help.
by betweentheeyes on Feb 17, 2010 2:40 PM PST up reply actions
True
BUT – they have some serious vets that no young player could ever justify not listening too though. Diss Duncan and Ginobli and your next contract may be in Europe.
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 Feb 17, 2010 11:46 AM PST up reply actions
coconuts
Maybe if our starting 4 and 5 had a pair of coconuts, we would not be having this conversation. OK, not nice. I take it back, Sorry JT and Spence. But as it has been mentioned several times, until these two positions get solved ( I still believe “the Show” has a chance at the 4 spot) I believe we are in for more of the same.
Currently, we damn near have to play a perfect game to win against a good or semi-good team on the road or at home. You can only overcome so many mistakes. You can overcome a certain number of mistakes, but with limited help at the 4 and 5, the mistakes that have to be overcome become to numerous at times to win.
I believe Petrie has the assets to solve this concern. Just have to wait.
by noreboundsnorings on Feb 17, 2010 10:26 AM PST reply actions
It's a shame our young bigs had to play behind a seriously fading Brad Miller
& an “I’ve played for every team twice” jouneyman. I believe that really hurt them. These aren’t guys who were ready to be stars coming out of college like a Blake Griffin. They were guys with some potential who were probably in need of a mentor. I still think they will be good as shown last night when Boston came to town. I just think they need help. What does anyone think about an Antonio McDyss? I hear SA wants to move him. I’m just not sure how good of a locker room guy he is or if he would want to be here.
I love beating dead horses.
brad miller's medicinal help
I am sure he helped the youngsters and told them what headshop had the best deal on zig-zags.
by noreboundsnorings on Feb 17, 2010 1:08 PM PST reply actions
KINGS NEED SOLOMON ALABI LIKE HUMANS NEED AIR...
They should be in perfect position to get him in the draft and might even be able to unload some cash by trading down to get him. Imagine a REAL conter that plays defense and all that stuff…Cole Aldrich = Hawes 2.0 dont do it Petrie go for Alabi
Alabi looks intriguing
I’ve been touting him for a while, and ya gotta like that 7’5" wingspan!
Also, the center at Baylor, Ekpe Udoh, is really looking strong, and could be a lottery pick by the draft. He had 15 boards tonight vs Okla State. Against Texas Tech last week Udoh had 11 boards, 13 points and 9 (!) blocked shots.
On the other hand, the roster is more flexible now that we’ve added Landry and Dorsey. The Kings could go big ( and I hope they do), but they also can look at guys like Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson or Xavier Henry at the 2 or 3.
"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn professional."
(Hunter Thompson)
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