So summer's here......

I would like to post a message and thoughts on the upcoming summer. As a commenter and longtime member of StR, I've seen how a few summers have played out. Since the summer of '10 is promising to be the busiest summer ever with the Free Agency of a few players, and the VSL with so many reasons for Kings fans to watch, and with the summer Olympic schedule looming? Lots to talk about. Those are just 3 topics out there.

Personally I'm thinking about the best & worst 25 moments of the Sacramento era so far. I started this idea a few years ago, and like many things it seems I touch, I dropped the ball on it. I'll think this time I have a bit better motivation.

That's just one topic. Fanhouse had a tip off timer to the start of the season where factoids and different various NBA hodgepodge was written about. There were plenty of days in August and September where that was the only thing that showed up. This is probably my favorite of those pieces.

My point here is just be creative in what you wish to introduce. If you want to discuss some kinds of number analysis or whatever, and write a long fanpost, go for it. I don't think TZ or 214 will disagree with this statement when I say this: More quality content from the members never EVER hurts StR. Don't be afraid to step up. If you're lucky, Henry Abbott or Trey Kirby might link to you.

So let me suggest a few things.

1) Telling TZ or 214 how to moderate this place in public or through comments is a bad idea. I'm willing to bet they think it's less of an issue privately, but seeing as I'm not them I don't know this for sure. What I can tell you is over the years I've seen more sarcastic responses from both about such than anything else that's directly related to the running of the site. You just might want to remember that TZ has been writing a blog for 5 years, and 214 has been at StR for nearly 3 years. They're not novices at this thing. Let 'em take care of the bad stuff. (This absolutely goes for the spam. I know it's annoying, They hate it and so do all of us. Eventually a solution will arise, probably in 2012 like everything else, but until then flag it.) That's what flagging (under the actions tab of all comments) is for.

2) DeMarcus Cousins per minute numbers are awesome. Writing a post about them and little else? Not so awesome.

3) Talking about Vegas Summer League as if it's a glimpse at future stars is unwise. I'm aware that stars have showed well in VSL in the past, but there's a few things to remember. One, big men pick up a lot of fouls. They can pick up 10 fouls for each game, and it seems that big men (and the refs, who are definitely not NBA caliber, right along with the young bigs) are determined to make sure these fouls get called. So if DMC & Whiteside pick up a lot of fouls don't be surprised. Writing how both can't adapt to the NBA based on a league that's not designed to accentuate much of either young man's strength is pretty unwise. If you write something that concludes that, I won't say anything. I'll just roll my eyes. I highly doubt I'll be alone. Also, writing Whiteside off if he shows poorly is dumb too. He's a project right now. That's why he was taken 33. He won't morph into Inspector Gadget by October if he shows well in Vegas in a few weeks.

4) Wherever LeBron James goes is news. I'm pretty sure your dead grandmother will know about it before you write a 75 word fanpost. And, if I'm at StR at the moment the news breaks, I'll bet I'll see 20 fanposts within an hour lamenting why the Kings should have saved the capspace to make a run at LeBron. Just do drugs instead. At least you'll get something out of it.

5) Insert every other big name FA here instead of LBJ unless you have a very compelling argument. I doubt you'll compel me though truthfully.

6) Comparing the NFL salary cap negotiations to NBA salary cap negotiations is stupid. Different leagues. Different needs for a salary cap. I've seen some interesting parallels, but unless you're talking about the Supreme Court, David Stern & the NFL, I doubt you'll have anything of substance. The CBA is a tricky thing, and people who know it well (like me) are not above making mistakes in interpreting a piece of information. Having said that, you might be surprised that there is an answer to your question without writing a 75 word fanpost to ask said question. What's really good about this place is that there are a number of people who can answer within a reasonable amount of time (an hour maybe) the question you ask. Trust me it works. If you really don't like asking questions, just bookmark Coon's FAQ & Sham's salary page (reading the blog is also recommended).

7) Learning to accept criticism is a big part of the StR experience. However, it's not personal. Remember that a few people know each other personally, but are mostly anonymous. What you write around here is what people have to judge you by. Because many come here for high quality Kings related content, if you're not meeting that expectation there will be people who don't like it. (Hell, there are people who don't agree with what I think is high quality content. You can't please everyone.) Like anywhere else, this place has growing pains with new readers. Everyone does better when a criticism isn't personal or petty.

At this point, I'm hoping that people do get that poor grammar and formatting is a poor way to show off an idea. But I'm not optimistic. It will always be an issue with a few people out there. Know that irritates folks too. (Just for the newbies out there.)

8) Oh, since you've read 1 & 7, and you're muttering one to talk, I know. I am. Keep in mind I've been nearly banned twice. And those just are times I know about. That doesn't include the incident that helped usher in the formal commenting rules with other readers. I've made my share of mistakes and had my fair share of being in the pain in the ass. Think of this as passing along wisdom.

9) There are a lot of good sites and blogs out there. Reading SI, ESPN, or the biggest sites exclusively is okay. Anybody can do that, but if you wish to expand your horizons, there are also 29 other team sites like StR dedicated to each NBA team. Not every site will be like StR (there is only one place like this--I'm pretty sure there's a mutual benefit but I didn't believe it when Kenny Natt was the head coach) but most provide some of the best content you can find out there. Over the summer there is plenty of places you can pick to read. There is a sidebar of SB Nation blogs you can read (not to mention in other sports). If you're bored and don't feel like talking Kings, there are 29 other teams. As long as you don't talk about another team's site not having enough traffic (that really annoys bloggers of all shapes, sizes & colors), or act like a fool, you'll be okay. The good news is that many people already do this. I just figure that out of the 1000 new people that are possibly reading this, 100 might pick up the hint. Just 10%. Just 10%.....

10) Have fun. You aren't getting the most out of this place if you don't enjoy sarcastic humor, basketball and ironic thoughts. If there's one thing I've learned from this place (and there's been a lot I've learned), is that you have a very diverse worldwide community of knowledgable and passionate basketball fans who have one common passion. When I was growing up wandering the streets of Sacramento as a teenager thinking about the Kings, I often felt alone. And, with the exception of people mostly in the 916 (or near the 916), that was true. It's no longer the case. StR is exactly what you put into it. However, the biggest thing you can do is be realistic with yourself about what you expect StR to do for you.

Note: This post was probably not endorsed by President Obama.