Yet another season preview...

By show of hands, who else is sick of this lockout? Normally around this time of year we'd be getting jazzed up about training camp, preseason, and the new big name free agent acquisitions that the Maloofs brought into town (or maybe not), but instead we're subjected to following national reporters on Twitter in hopes of catching some scrap of optimism from board meetings that have thusfar been anything but positive. To this point on StR, I have been limited to commenting on the work of others rather than putting out any entries myself, so with this post I'd like to join those of you who have been bold enough to share more than just a brief snippet of your opinions.

As any follower of the Sacramento Kings can attest, the last few years haven't been all that pretty. Certainly there have been some high points: The awarding of the ROY to Tyreke Evans, the selection and subsequent brilliance of DeMarcus Cousins, a certain game-winning shot against the Memphis Grizzlies, and (my personal favorite) the sweep of Jimmermania all across Northern California. But we've had more than our fair share of challenges. A 17-win season, followed by a 25-win season over the last couple of years, and the unspeakable idea of moving to Anaheim. But through it all, we have persevered and remained one of the most loyal and dedicated fanbases in all of professional sports. This year, I believe we will reap our rewards.

 

There are a number of reasons for that premise, but I will limit them to 4: Tyreke, DeMarcus, Thornton, and Jimmer.

1.     Tyreke Evans is healthy again. Though his shooting performance (9-25) in the recent Team Philly vs. Team Melo pick-up game was abysmal, he displayed an explosiveness that we haven't seen since his rookie year. His shot, despite the hype on his efforts to improve it, still needs some work, but his isolation dribbling is unsurpassed by just about anyone in the league. He has the combination of footwork, handles, quickness, size, and strength to blow by nearly any defender he faces. While he still has areas of his game that he can improve, expect to see the dominant Tyreke we used to know on the floor this year.

2.     DeMarcus Cousins will be better than ever this year. Much was made by the national media about his outbursts and temper tantrums, and justifiably so, but Cousins was also under a level of scrutiny that made it difficult for him not to fail. While immature, his attitude concerns are somewhat overblown, and this young man has a very real desire to win. Based on what sparse pick-up game video content I have seen, he appears to have trimmed up and become a little more nimble and explosive than he was in his rookie season. I anticipate an explosion out of the young big this year, creating a powerful one-two punch with Mr. Evans.

3.     Marcus Thornton is an excellent backcourt mate to Tyreke, and provides another dynamic scoring threat in the Kings guard lineup. Averaging over 20 ppg in his time "rocking the purple", Thornton can provide spacing and scoring that the Kings desperately need. Tyreke can slash and drive with the best of them, and Demarcus possesses a level of passing and scoring skill that is rare among men his size, but limiting the Kings to only their scoring abilities will hamper the team. With Thornton as another scoring threat, the defense must play DeMarcus and Tyreke honestly, and he provides a kick-out option that can consistently hit the outside shot. His defense is not nearly as bad as advertised, so whether he is starting the game or coming off the bench, Thornton will never be a liability to this team.

4.     Jimmer Fredette is perhaps the only reason that Thornton may start the game in a seat. While many have projected the rookie's ceiling as a volume-scorer off the bench, I respectfully disagree. As a current BYU student, I was able to see Jimmer up close in nearly every game he suited up for in his last two years as a Cougar, and I can tell you one thing for certain: The kid knows the game. He is a very high iq player, and will quickly pick up on the NBA game and adapt to a new role as a facilitator. Tyreke, for all his strengths, is a guard that needs a shooter and passer playing by his side. Jimmer is already among the elite in one of those categories, and I believe he can grow into the other. In the recent "Jimmer's All-Star" game hosted at the Marriott Center in Provo, Jimmer finished the game with 27 points and 10 assists. While pick-up game stats should rarely be given any credence, it still speaks to the fact that Jimmer is trying to distribute the ball and run an offense. He complements both Tyreke and Thornton very well, and I believe he'll both earn and receive a significant share of the backcourt playing time in his rookie season.

The hope for the Kings in 2011-2012 is of course based upon the hope that we even have a season. But I don't think you can be a Kings fan without being either an optimist or a masochist, and after the Anaheim saga I'm definitely one of the former. So here's to the Kings getting another season underway and becoming one of the most intriguing young teams in all of basketball!