There's a featured poll over on the right sidebar. Yes, I just now figured out how to create one of those, two full months after 2.0 went live and four months after I started playing with the Beta version. I'm a slow learner.

The question deserves some discourse, especially since we're arguing debating Anthony Randolph and Darrell Arthur.

Randolph could be a better Shawn Marion, or he could be a worse Robert Swift. Arthur could be Shareef Abdur-Rahim, or he could be Kenny Thomas. With Randolph, the poles of worst-case and best-case are far -- very, very far. There's a significant risk of getting absolutely nothing out of him. But if he figures it out, if it all comes together with the spirit of Reggie Theus and Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia busting his ass every day ... it could be glorious. Multiple-time All-Star glorious.

With Arthur (in my opinion), there's a chance he could be an All-Star snub some day. There's a chance, too, he could end up like a Darius Songaila. The best guess, for me, would be a better Nick Collison: just a solid, solid player who helps you win games. The risk is lower, the ceiling is lower.

You can approach the question two ways: how close to do you feel this team is to meaningful contention? How do you think championships are won?

On the first, I think we'd all agree this team is not really that close. If it were, opting for something like a "sure thing" would take greater urgency -- at the top levels, you can't afford to blow cheap roster spots on ineffectual players. And, if you're that close, the marginal benefit of another STAR is minimized. (In other words: Michael Redd means more to the Bucks than he would to the Lakers.)

The second question's where we'll split. Do you need super-duper stars to win a title? Recent evidence would imply an affirmative. Assuming Kevin Martin becomes a super-duper star (possible, though only we may believe it), you need at least another ... and probably two more. If Darrell Arthur or D.J. Augustin or Roy Hibbert or Marreese Speights have no shot to be super-duper stars, they don't really help that goal, do they?

If you think Randolph has that shot -- however small it is -- and if you also think you need a few more super-duper stars to get to the summit ... how do you justify passing him up for a potential roleplayer? I'm honestly asking, because I've wavered on this issue, vascillating between Randolph, DeAndre Jordan and the others. I'd like to hear ... err, read your thoughts. Vote in the featured poll, and discuss in this thread.

It looks like Joe Alexander might be the riser coming out of Sacramento's big Friday draft workout. Sam Amick of The Bee talked to Vanilla Sky.

"I feel I'm as good a shooter as anyone (at the workout)," the 6-foot-8 Alexander said when asked about his alleged weaknesses. "I shoot 50 percent from the NBA three (point line) every workout I've been to, so anyone who's watched me extensively knows I've got a full set of skills. I don't have any glaring weaknesses.

"The No. 1 thing people talk about is ballhandling (deficiencies), which is even more incorrect. That's my biggest strength. People have no idea what they're talking about, just throw the stereotype out there that because I'm 6-8 I can't handle the ball because I played forward in college. It's ridiculous."

Russell Westbrook tweaked his ankle and didn't get to scrimmage against Ty Lawson. (What, did Randy Brown run the point?) Darrell Arthur played but complained of some back pain which had already caused a rescheduled workout in Sactown. No word on how Lawson looked, though he (and Nico Batum) seem most irrelevant since they likely depend on the Kings grabbing another first.

The importance of the headline here: Petrie drafts kids who can shoot. Kevin Martin got drafted because he broke Peja's workout record for shooting. Quincy Douby got drafted because he broke Martin's record.

I'm still not opposed to Alexander. I'd prefer a lockdown PG defender who can dunk like Ronnie Price, or an ultra-skinny version of Chris Bosh. But I'm not in the camp who thinks another small forward would mean the death of the team. We need talent, period. If Alexander's more talented than the PGs or PFs left on the board (which might be the case with regards to Augustin and Arthur, though D.J.'s looking top-11 almost for sure), take him. Deal with the logjam this summer or at the deadline, or never. Garcia/Martin/Salmons/Alexander/Artest for the win! No one's stopping that lineup!

And while I'm feeling good, a highlight reel:

Sal(i)vation time, courtesy of The Bee's Melody Gutierrez.

The Kings will work out six players, including four potential first-round draft picks. Included in the mix is Russell Westbrook (6-foot-3, point guard, UCLA), Darrell Arthur (6-10, power forward, Kansas), Joe Alexander (6-8, small forward, West Virginia) and Ty Lawson (5-11, point guard, North Carolina).

Nicolas Batum (6-8, small forward, Le Mans, France) and Othello Hunter (6-8, power forward, Ohio State) are also scheduled for today's 9:30 a.m. workout at the Kings' practice facility.

After working out D.J. Augustin on Monday, this is the next logical step.

Without getting ahead of myself, I want to say Boston's Finals defense has made me lean to Westbrook even harder than before.