Sactown Royalty: FanPosts

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Week 4

2009-11-22T19:27:06Z

Have any of you seen Grant Napear in broad daylight? I'm not saying, I'm just saying. But back to the Kings, oh how the mighty have fallen. After going 3-0 last week, the Kings did the exact opposite this week. But still, there were some good things to take from this week, especially considering we only had one game with our main rotation playing (and that's still without Kevin and Cisco).

The Good

1. Tyreke Evans

Aren't you guys glad this guy is on our team? When's the last time a King's rookie has dropped 29 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, a steal and a block in a game? He did start off the year rather poorly for our expectations, but he is definitely showing he will become a force in this league, on both ends of the floor. I said this earlier in the week, but I think Kevin's injury might be a bit of a blessing in disguise, because it allows Tyreke to focus on being the leader at the moment and getting comfortable with the whole team, instead of deferring to Kevin at the beginning, and then when Kevin comes back, he'll be more comfortable running the team.

2. Donté Greene

Donté had a good couple games against Chicago and Houston, and even though he played limited minutes against Dallas, he did some good things during his floor time. He didn't miss a shot against Houston, and he scored a career high 24 points against Chicago, one of the few bright spots of that game (although it came at the expense of him shooting 8 three pointers). He's still very young and still makes mistakes, but I think we have to like the improvement Doratio has made in his game this year, and I'm going to give Westphal credit for that.

3. 3 Point shooting defense

The Kings continue to do a pretty good job defending the 3 point shot, only allowing 15 threes out of 49 attempts (.306) this week, and 7 of those came in the Chicago game (the one good 3 point game from another team, Chicago went 7-12)

4. Omri Casspi's Free Throws

Omri hit 6-7 free throws this week. Yay!

5. Kenny "Satan of Rebounding" Thomas

K-9 is doing everything we wanted Mancakes to do except for break faces. He averaged about 15 minutes a game last week and during that time put up stats of .3 points, 6.66! Boards and 1 block a game. Not bad at all. Maybe we should re-sign him for the mini... Whoa... I didn't mean it... put the knife down...

6. Sergio Rodriguez

Sergio played really well this week. He's by far the best passer on the team (3:1 A:to ratio this week), and he even shot well this week. His game against Chicago was nice all around with 9 points, 5 assists:1 TO, and a steal. I wonder if we'll see more of him. Seeing as how handling the ball has been one of biggest weaknesses this season, I think we will.

7. The Return of the Hawes?!?

After looking like he'd have another disappointing week, Spencer finally had a nice game as a starter against Houston, with 24 points (10-16 shooting 2-3 from 3), 9 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. We really need him to stay consistent though. Hopefully next week this kind of output continues.

8. Wabeno

Wabeno continues to be very effective in his time playing, and looking very deserving of the contract we gave him (who would have thought this last year?). He averaged 17 points (.478 FG%), 6 assists, 2.3 boards and a steal this week, and he's definitely stepped up on defense this year, trying his best even if not always succeeding. And that's all we can ask.

9. Scrappiness

The Kings should not have been close in either the Dallas or the Houston games. And yet they fought on, scrapped tooth and nail, and had a chance to win both those games. Its a kind of basketball I'm growing to love and I can't wait to see it all year. I think it will bring fans back to Arco, and we'll have to wait and see what attendance is like when we get back home, but its slowly been creeping up. The Chicago game had the highest attendance since the Memphis home opener.

10. Noc

The one game we didn't play with Noc this week was our biggest loss and I don't think that's a coincidence. He is acting the role of energy veteran at the moment and I think the team feeds off of his activity a little bit. I know we all say he's not part of our long term future, but I would not be surprised if we don't trade him this season at least.

11. Kevin Johnson

The Mayor is definitely being proactive in dealing with the Arena situation and I don't think that can be stressed enough. I think we're in good hands on that front. The deadline for proposals sent to his committee is Christmas Eve so hopefully we see a few more realistic options by then.

The Bad

1. Rebounding

We did not outrebound one opponent this week (although two of them were ties). Still we've come to expect better. Not one King broke 10 boards this week, with the closest being JT with 9 against Chicago.

2. Ime Udoka

Udoka did not have a good week, especially when his FG% wasn't even worthy of Desmond Mason. He didn't play against Houston, and you have to wonder if he shot his way out of the rotation, possibly replaced by Sergio. It's definitely too early to say, but I think he still has a spot, because he's shown he can be very effective.

3. Jason Thompson, Turnover Machine

After totaling 11 turnovers in the first 9 games of the season, Shock had 13 last week, including a horrible 7 turnovers against Chicago. He also hasn't been getting nearly as many assists as he was early in the season, only getting 4 for the week, and all that being against Houston. He also got 5 fouls in each of the 3 games last week, not to mention not getting one double-double all week (Side-note, JT double-doubles = victories still a coincidence)

4. Injuries

We missed 3 players (not including Kevin Martin and Cisco) to injuries this week. Noc to a hip-pointer against Chicago, Tyreke to a sprained finger, and Ime to Desmond Masonitis.

5. Sam Amick's Father passed away

From all of Sactown Royalty, our condolences to Sam Amick, whose father passed away on the 18th.

6. No more Sacramento Monarchs

What else is there to say? The Maloofs are backing the Kings 100% now, but it still is a little sad.

The Ugly

1. TURNOVERS

The Kings are not good at taking care of the ball. Is it cause there young and playing with a new coach? Perhaps. But it really, really needs to improve. The Kings had 62 assists to 56 turnovers this week. A little better than last week, but not by much. Sloppy ball-handling probably cost us the games against Dallas and Chicago.

2. Letting role players dominate us.

Against Chicago, Jannero Pargo scored 12 points in 14 minutes on 5-8 shooting. Against Dallas, Kris Humphries had 15 points, and 5 boards on 7-11 shooting in 24 minutes. And in Houston, Carl Landry (role player might be a bit strong for Landry, he's alright in my book. Same with his brother Marcus) scored 20 points on 6-8 shooting, had 7 rebounds, and a block in 25 minutes. We can't let those types of players have great games against us for whatever reason, because it ends up costing us games.

3. The slopfest that was the Chicago game

That game should not have been close. It was not fun to watch. Too many bad passes and ugly shots. We aren't going to win many games playing like this, and I'm surprised we didn't lose by 20+.

4. The Kings didn't get to make Bill Ingram cry again

Bah Humbug.

5. Jasonrp shaved

And as such, the Kings winning streak coming to an end is ALL HIS FAULT.

Player of the Week

Tyreke Evans

24.5 points, .525 FG%, .333 3P%, 5.5 boards, 7 assists

Yes, he only played two games, but he played good both those games, especially against Dallas. He is definitely giving us Kings fans hope for the future and that we might have a star in the making. One can only hope this type of production stays when Kevin comes back and that the two can co-exist because that could be an amazing backcourt for years to come.

Comment of the Week

Skelly porn gives me a boner
by ElRonToro on Nov 16, 2009 4:17 PM PST up reply actions 9 recs

And Nostradumbass's Predictions for Next Week

@ Memphis 11/23 W

v. New York 11/25 W

v. New Jersey 11/27 W (I have a bad feeling about this game though. I don't want to be THAT team)

Nostradumbass for the season (4-6)

On a side-note, if you've read LTTG's "Delusions of Grandeur" FanPost, he is exactly 4-0 on his predictions so far. Hopefully I don't jinx him, although I don't believe in that type of stuff.

The League is Catching Up to Jason Thompson

2009-11-22T17:35:47Z

After showing us a glimpse of the player he can become with five double-doubles and playing a key role in our four-game winning streak, it looks like the league is finally catching up to Jason Thompson.

He has regressed into some of last year's tendencies, of whining and moaning with each call and break that goes against him, and he seems to have lost some of the composure he displayed earlier in the year. Joakim Noah and Drew Gooden schooled him and outboarded him, and whoever he covered last night seemed to have no trouble getting to the rim or grabbing rebounds. The Rockets scored at will in the paint for the most part.

Meanwhile, JT had five rebounds last night, and the Kings third-quarter rally came with him riding pine and the Kings resuming their rebounding and defensive ways of their recent best play.

On Twitter the other day, JT said he was hoping to return to Dallas for All-Star weekend. Maybe it's time to shut down the All-Star talk, even for the sophomore game, stop reading the press clippings and this site, play your best, get back to being a double-double machine, help the Kings win and let the chips fall where they may.

That was then...

2009-11-22T10:05:31Z

I missed the game against Houston last night because I had an early thanksgiving celebration with some friends. Of course, I was checking the score on my blackberry constantly and thought the team was doing a great job at keping it close even without Reke. After learning he was out with the finger injury, I pretty much gave the team no chance of winning. When the Kings took the lead after the 3rd I was excited. Once again, these guys were showing how much they cared about playing hard and even after losing their main guy they were still finding ways to get the job done. Again, all these observation were being formed by just looking at the score and not really knowing what was happening on the floor.

The game ended up being a loss and I was ok with it. I thought the team fought and just couldn't find enough points at the end . Again, without knowing what happened, I was very proud of the team and expected to come home, read the threads, and see how they did in the eyes of you all. To my surprise, the game threads still had some negative comments about how awful they were playing and how bad we were being beat. I finally watched the recorded game to see what some were talking about and, considering our depleted rosted, I just didn't see it.

To me, it was as if most forgot that Tyreke was out and that our team was left with a bunch of average young players (average now) and average veterans. IMO this game should've been a loss before the game even started; we just didn't have enough healthy bodies to compete with a veteran scrappy Houston team. But the Kings did stay in it until the end, and yet some of us fans were still making statements such as "this is pathetic" or "I can't watch this much longer." Now I'll be the first to admit, I get sensitive about the criticism on this team, especially in game threads but I thought this was still a good intro (explanation) as to why I finally decided to look at what's to come after the jump.

For a while I wanted to compare this team, which we have so much hope for, to last year's team, the one we would like to erase form our memory forever. After getting frustrated with the constant lack of perspective and lack of appreciation (by some) for what these young guys are doing, I decided to find the numbers and present my results on some quick basic facts and stats about this year's Kings vs. last year's Kings. The following was not done to predict any future pattern this season, it was just a quick exercise to compare some of the numbers after 12 games of those two teams.

Roster

Last year's main rotation in the first 12 games:

Beno, Kevin (injured half those games), Salmons, Mikki, Miller, JT, Hawes, Bobby Brown, Bobby J, Shelden Williams

This year's main rotation in the first 12 games:

Reke, Kevin (injured after 5 games), Noc, JT, Hawes, Beno, Casspi, Donte, K-9, Brockman, May, Mason (waived, replaced by Udoka)

Record

Kings last year: 12 games played (6 home, 6 road) - record: 4 wins (3 home, 1 road) - 8 losses

Kings this year: 12 games played (6 home, 6 road) - record: 5 wins (4 home, 1 road) - 7 losses

Opponents winning percentage (after 12 games)

'08-'09 Kings = 0.44

'09-'10 Kings = 0.58

This year, on average, we've faced much tougher opponents than we did last year but still manage to have a better record.

Points

'08-'09 = In wins, the Kings outscored their opponent by an average of 9.75 points. In losses, the Kings were outscored by an average of 13.4

As many of you might remember, the Kings were blown out quite a bit last season. In these first 12 games, the Kings lost by 2, 26, 18, 34, 8, 2, 2, and 15.

'09-'10 = In wins, the Kings outsocred their opponents by an average of 8.2 points. In losses, the Kings were outscored by an average of 9.7 points

We were only blown out in our first game by 13, against the Spurs by 19, and against the Bulls by 14.

Rebounds

'08-'09 = The Kings actually outrebounded (or were even) their opponent on 8 out of 12 games. The total rebounding count after 12 games though had a net of -2. The Kings outrebounded their opponents by double digits only once (1 out of 8), while getting outrebounded by more than double digits on 2 occassions (2 out of 4).

'09-'10 = The Kings also outrebounded (or were even) their opponents on 8 out of 12 games. This time though, the total rebounding count after 12 games had a net of +33! We outrebounded opponents by double digits on 4 occassions (4 out of 8), while getting outrebounded by more than double digits only once (1 out of 4 but still beating Memphis).

King's field goal percentage

'08-'09 = After 12 games, the Kings were shooting almost 48% from the field

'09-'10 = After 12 games, the Kings are shooting almost 46% from the field

Opponents field goal percentage

'08-'09 = After 12 games, Kings opponents were shooting 47% from the field

'09-'10 = After 12 games, Kings opponents are shooting 48% from the field

The main thing to me about the exercise was putting things into a bit of a different perspective, and realize in how much better of a situation this team finds itself all things considered. We can easily tell we are a much better team this year, especially after going through a whole season of mediocrity and dissapointments in '08-'09. To me, looking at how the roster changed, how much younger we are, and how the numbers have, for the most part, improved in some of these categories could maybe help some paint a better picture of today's Kings.

I appreciate these young guys that much more after remembering those awful blowouts last year and after seeing them play hard for 48 minutes every single game. I appreciate going down to the wire against teams, realistically, they have no business staying in games with. Some would say "but hey, we had a couple closed games last year too (Spurs and Phoenix)" but the difference is the type of team we have now. We don't have a veteran team that though average on talent could stay in games with other good teams. This year we have a bunch of young inexperienced kids with a lot of potential who are just learnng how to play the game but are still staying in games and playing their asses off to make up for their 'rookie' mistakes and even injuries.

Unfortunately, the intangibles these guys bring to the table won't show in the stats, but I trust most of you to take this into consideration and realize that what these kids are doing is truly remarkable. Much credit also goes to coach Westphal and his coaching staff who are definitely an upgrade from Theus and Natt. To me, they are leading this team in the right direction and I can't help but feel excited for what's to come.

I hope this is the last time I need to look at last year's numbers and, to be honest, with this new Kings, I have a hunch I won't be seeing any of that crap again.

NCAA Hoops Preview from the Kings' Perspective

2009-11-20T04:39:41Z

Disclaimer -

It is not my intent to begin a discussion of the draft when nearly the entire regular season lies before us. My fandom is invested in the 09/10 season much like the rest of STR's membership. I am certainly not "giving up on the season." However, just as we knew going into last season that the team would likely address the point guard position - whether that was through the draft or otherwise - the same could be said this season in regard to finding an additional interior presence to compliment Shock and (perhaps light a fire under) Hawes. Of course, the franchise's intent to add such a player has been noticeably apparent through the trade rumors involving Emeka Okafor and Samuel Dalembert.

So, with the NCAA basketball season beginning, and many of us following both the Kings and college hoops, there are a few collegiate prospects that should be interesting to observe over the coming months.

I have narrowed it down to a list of ten players, of whom at least one could very well find himself catching lobs from Tyreke in the not so distant future.

Players of Potential Interest to the Kings:

Solomon Alabi, C, Florida State - The best thing about Alabi is his size (measured 6'11" w/shoes and a 7'5" wingspan). He isn't as athletic as, say Thabeet (yikes!), but he is a decent shot blocker and runs the floor fairly well. Still, the Kings' interest in Alabi this season will depend on whether he has improved his offensive fundamentals, particularly passing the ball.

Cole Aldrich, F/C, Kansas - Like Alabi, Aldrich has fantastic size, and projects to be a center in the NBA. He isn't as fluid offensively of someone like Brook Lopez, but he is skilled. His shot is questionable from outside the paint and his lack of athleticism can make him turnover prone against quicker post players. Still, Aldrich is a very gifted rebounder and a better shot-blocker than you'd think. His stock was off the charts late last season and he'll definitely see interest from the Kings. Some might say he's a bit of a Hawes-Brockman hybrid.

Al-Farouq Aminu, F, Wake Forest - Aminu is an athletic freak. I saw him play against BYU last December and he has some major hops. As such he's been compared in the past to Josh Smith. That seems somewhat appropriate considering Aminu hasn't defined himself as either a 3 or a 4 (he's 6'8", 210 lbs.) and his offensive game is lacking. Aminu doesn't yet have the ability to shoot outside of 16-18 feet and he certainly cannot create for himself the way many NBA SF's can currently. It will be interesting to see how Aminu adjusts this season with Jeff Teague and James Johnson having been drafted and the Demon Deacons looking to him more offensively. If he's going to draw any kind of interest from Geoff Petrie, he'll have to improve his perimeter game and likely establish himself as a 3.

DeMarcus Cousins, F/C, Kentucky - I'm very interested in seeing Cousins play under Calipari this season. Cousins may have the skills/talent to become as big a star as Chris Webber someday. He could also turn out to be the next Jerome James. Like so many before him, it will depend on his mindset because Cousins is a physical specimen and has already developed some nice offensive tools that Petrie will have to recognize.

Ed Davis, F, North Carolina - Davis compares in some ways to Jason Thompson. He's a nice athlete and highly skilled around the basket, but he has yet to develop a mid-range game, even like unto Shock. Davis figures to get a lot of attention this season playing in Chapel Hill with Tyler Hansbrough departed and that will only help his game improve. If he can develop a shot outside of 12 feet look out because he's going to be a very nice player at the next level.

Derrick Favors, F, Georgia Tech - If you're drafting high come June, any team will have to take a long hard look at Favors. Even if he plays the 4 like Shock, if he were ever available to the Kings he'd still be a very intriguing prospect. Favors is uber-athletic with good size (6'10", 215 lbs.+) and phenomenal rebounding skills. Additionally, he is a tremendous shot-blocker. He'll play alongside another likely 1st round pick in Gani Lawal this season so it'll be interesting to say the least. By all reports, Favors appears to lack the character concerns of Cousins and has a solid work ethic.

John Henson, F, North Carolina - Henson just arrived at UNC and he's already drawn comparisons - at least in terms of physicality/athleticism - to Kevin Durant. That is too say dude is tall (6'10'') and skinny (200 lbs.?) (Keon Clark?). If Henson can add to his frame and continue to develop what appears to be a nice perimeter game those comparisons might not seem too inappropriate. He has a nice mid-range jumper but needs to really improve as a rebounder to be projected as a 4 - which would increase his draft stock dramatically and make him a lock for a top-ten selection.

Greg Monroe, F, Georgetown - The Big East conference won't be as deep in terms of talent as in previous seasons as many of its top players moved to the NBA (Thabeet, Flynn, Williams, Clark, Cunningham, Young, Blair, Price) and many highly-touted recruits chose ACC and SEC schools. All of this should allow Georgtown, and particularly Monroe, to put up some significant offensive numbers. Monroe wisely chose to stay in school as he needed to improve in being a more consistent post-threat and a more polished ball-handler. He isn't quite as athletic as some of the aforementioned bigs, but he is a smart player with some terrific offensive skills. Monroe already has a jumper and has proved capable of grasping the Princeton offense. The Kings will certainly be interest in Monroe, especially if he were still available in the late-lottery and Sacramento finishes short of the playoffs as most "analysts" have projected.

Patrick Patterson, F, Kentucky - Contrary to popular belief, Patterson has failed to prove himself as a rebounder despite his bulk, and comparisons to Paul Millsap or DeJuan Blair have appeared inaccurate. However, Patterson is as polished offensively - if not more so - than those two players. DX compares him favorably to Brandon Bass. That is more accurate because Patterson has a nice mid-range game like Bass, but needs to improve as a post defender. Playing with DeMarcus Cousins this season should allow Patterson the opportunity to have better rebound matchups than his previous two years with the Wildcats. Of course, playing with John Wall as a distributor can't hurt Patterson either. Like Monroe, Patterson would be a interesting prospect for the Kings to consider in the late-lottery.

Larry Sanders, F, Virginia Commonwealth - Sanders doesn't appear to be a Petrie-esque prospect simply because he is pretty raw offensively. He compares to Alabi in that he has excellent size, athleticism and shot-blocking skills, and has also drawn comparisons to a young Theo Ratliff because of his defense and rebounding ability. Still, it will depend on how Sanders develops his offensive fundamentals and fills out his thin frame (see Henson, John) for the Kings to give him substantial consideration in the future.

Other Players of Note:

Jerome Jordan, C, Tulsa

Gani Lawal, F, Georgia Tech

Andrew Ogilvy, C, Vanderbilt

Ryan Thompson, G, Rider (Shock's little bro)

John Wall, G, Kentucky

International:

Donatas Motiejunas, C, Benetton Treviso

Jan Vesely, F/C, KK Partizan Belgrade

Patterson Photo Link
Davis Photo Link

Spencer Hawes's failing grade

2009-11-18T15:53:35Z

How far can we go with Spence??

I went to the game last night, 4th time this year. The place was the fullest I have seen it in a long time. The place felt like it was ready to explode if they could have just got the lead to 6 points, but the time never game.

From my perspective, every player on this team deserves a passing grade this year except two. The first one is Sean May who may be building a second story on his doghouse. The other is Spencer. He has just not been consistent. By all accounts, he has one great game this year. I know he is young, he would be a senior in college this year, but there are several other young centers in the league too. Last night I would have wanted Noah on my team rather than Spence. Horford, Lopez in NJ, Bynum, Noah, Hibbert, Okafor, Pryz etc, etc, are all young too. I do not see any hall of famers from this group yet, but so far this season I would probably take all of them ahead of Spence. Ok, maybe not Hibbert or Bynum (only because he is a Laker). But the young excuse is getting old. He has been in the league 3 years now.

And if you want to look at stats and come up with over 36 minutes he would average blah, blah, blah. I do not buy that either. There is a reason he is not on the floor for 36 minutes. There is a reason KT who has no offensive game is getting playing time. Spence is not getting it done. I am not asking for 20 and 15. I just want 12 and 9 on a consistent basis.

The Kings seemed to have approached respectability. Playoffs, not so sure. But if you look in the West, you can count on the Lakers, Suns, Dallas, SA, Denver, and Portland. That leaves NO (who has problems), Houston (somehow getting it done but not a lock), Utah (having problems) and OK. I think we can hang with Houston, NO, and OK. We are somewhere on the dotted line between Respectabiltiy and Playoffs I want to be closer to Playoffs than respectability.

At last night's game the thought just kept coming to me that if Okafor were out there with Evans, Beno, Donte, and JT, we would have had a better chance to win. .

Perhaps there is a reason for these rumors the last few days. Maybe Petrie sees us further up the dotted line and realizes there is a hole in the middle.

I am not looking to be hung with a new rope, and hope I posted this in the right section, but wonder if others out there in Kingsland feel the same way.

Searching for a backup center

2009-11-18T08:27:38Z

With all of this talk about Samuel Dalembert & Emeka Okafor I decided to look around & see if I can come up with a better solution to our back-up center issue. My first thought was aquiring a young center by trading Kenny Thomas' expiring contract & taking back salary from another player that a team would like to get rid of. Unfortunately the centers I am looking at I couldn't find another salary that those teams would obviously want to get rid of that still made sense for us. Those centers are Javale McGee, Robin Lopez, & DeAndre Jordan. For example we trade K9 for Robin Lopez & Leandro Barbosa. I don't think the suns would sign off on this which is my point to this post.

Now I am not saying I would do this this but would anyone at STR be willing to trade maybe an Omri Casspi for one of those players straight across? You might have to trade one young prospect for another but would it be worth it considering our need for a young, inexpensive solution to our back up "big" problem. Keep in mind the strong play of Andres Nocioni & the emergence of our beloved "Buckets". Or if there is another way to aquire one of these "bigs" maybe there are other suggestions.

If the Kings Lose Tonight it's All My Fault...

2009-11-17T20:03:18Z

Forget the likelihood of turnovers finally becoming too much to overcome (though the Bulls have committed just two less turnovers than the Kings, in the same amount of games), forget the possibility that we can't keep up this ridiculous offensive rebounding rate (13.89 per game, best in the NBA if I did the math right), even forget the propensity for former Kings players to have career nights against their former team (Tony Delk - 53pts, Jerome James - 17pts 15reb 5blocks, probably a few more) . All these are unsubstantiated mumbo jumbo brought to us by the stat hounds who in their need for order try to divine trends from vague numbers created by mathematical expressions so complex you would need a degree in psychoanalysis just to set your mind straight after you figured it all out.

Nope, if we lose tonight it is my fault. I'm convinced of it. For the first time since the Kings began winning I shaved. My golden locks of bristly man fuzz have been washed down the drain, and with it, any hope of continuing this winning streak. I didn't mean to, I swear, it started out as just a trim but it went horribly wrong and now I know that it's all my fault if the Kings lose tonight. The only hope I have of relieving my conscience is to hope and pray that enough of you have continued doing what you have been doing to keep this team winning. So help relieve my conscience and admit it if you have any pregame rituals, win streak extending superstitions, or special clothing that will help ensure a Kings victory tonight.

Break Down of New Possible Trade

2009-11-17T13:24:19Z

ESPN and Marc Stein are reporthing that the Kings, Celts, and Sixers are considering a three way deal.Apparently the parties involved are in the process of salivating what is being offered on the table before deciding if they wanna buy the meal. The Skinny of the trade looks like this...........

Boston gets: Nocioni-also apparently the biggest road block on this deal because of the fact the Celts just resigned Rando and have Peirce and Allen's contracts looming.

Sixers get: K9, Brian "the giant Leperchaun" Scalabrine, and Tony Allen

Kings get: Dalambert and JR Giddens.

So what does this trade mean for the Kings at a quick glance, since it is 4 in the morning. Considering the area of concern for the front office right now is to add front court depth; i'm gonna take the easy road and assume the main point of the trade is to get Dalambert. For a guy making 12 mill this year though I don't think its much better than the Okafur deal. However when you consider the fact that Boston would be taking away Nocioni 7.5 mill on top of the loss of Thomas's 8.7 million and the Kings save roughly 3 million dollars for THIS. And to top it off his contract ends after next season (a season in which he'll make 13 million though), which is a year shorter than Nocioni's; so in essence we pay the same money but in a smaller time frame. This is key considering the fact that looking at Dalambert's stats nothing jumps out at you to say he deserved the contract he got.

Dalambert: 2 years 23.56 million remaining........however counterbalance that by subtracting Nocionis: 3 years 21 million remaining, and you see the Kings have freed up a year of flexibility without taking on that much more than they had.

Career Stats: 8.0 ppg 8.6 rpg 2.0 bpg and dismal .4 apg to 1.5 TO. He's averaged 26 mpg and shot about 51% from the field for his career.

Heres how some of the statistical percentages breakdown between Dalambert, Thompson, and Hawes this year (via 82games.com)

FG% FTa48 Ft% Ast48 OReb% Dreb% BS% Blck48

Dalambert: .489 4.7 78.3 1.4 9.9 20.5 4.8 3.7

Thompson: .453 9.0 82.8 4.0 13.4 17.2 2.4 1.9

Hawes: .418 3.8 85.7 2.9 6.6 18.4 2.7 2.2

And just for kicks

Okafur: .561 6.6 59.3 .9 11.2 22.1 3.2 2.4

Now I will admit that at first glance I hated this trade; however in true StR fashion I dived face first into the numbers and came back up for air with a renewed sence of joy. I now truley kinda, sort of, maybe, bob saggett like this trade. It has all the upside of the Emeka Okafur deal, with none of the negatives. Dalamberts production may not be eyecatching but his effiencency on the defensive glass and at guarding the rim is better than either Hawes or Thompson, and he is even shooting better from the field right now. Hey may not be a big body but he definately provides that interior defense, and most importantly the ability to alter shots at the rim. Can you imagine even if a guard manages to get by Tyreke they will have to then beat Thompson and Dalambert at the rim. The days of uncontested layups will be long gone.

Now not to get sidetracked, the reason I like this trade is because like I said it has the ups of the Okafur deal minus the downs. Sure he isn't averaging a double double like Okafur, but his rebounding percentages are about even, and he makes up for it in his shot blocking abilities. Even more so Dalambert wins the cake because his contract doesn't have that feeling of a bad night of partying in vegas to it. After next season his contract is done; just in time to start resigning Hawes, Thompson, and Greene.

The Contracts go as follows (via rotoworld.com)

Dalambert: 2009/10=11.36 million, 2010/11=12.2 million, 2011/12: Free Agent

Thompson: 2009/10=2.03 million; 2010/11=2.19 million; 2011/12=3 million (team option); 2012/2013=4.13 million (Restricted FA)

Hawes: 2009/10= 2.33, 2010/11= 2.97 (Team Option), 2011/12= 4.05(Restricted Free Agent), 2012/13: Free Agent

Donte Greene: 2009/10: $870,000, 2010/11: $930,700 (Team Option), 2011/12: $1,679,913 (Team Option), 2012/13: $2,503,070 (Restricted Free Agent)

compare that with the monstrosity that was Okafur's contract

2009/10: 10.54, 2010/11: 11.54, 2011/12: 12.54, 2012/13: 13.54, 2013/14: 14.54

What this also means is whoever the Kings draft next year (God it better not be a wing player) won't have to come in and log a bunch of minutes (unless need be either through injury or Dalambert turning out to a dud) their rookie season. They can get their feet wet, and then in the offseason the Kings can decide if they feel they have their third big man of if they want to hold on to Samuel, probably not but its an option.

I like this trade because as it has been stated; the Kings aren't going to be a FA factor this summer, and there aren't that many big name bigs that we can get with K9's expiring. Emeka would of been nice if he had the contract that Dalambert has but he doesn't. So go with the guy that has that contract and about the same production. The Kings will basically get to rent a defensive specialist big man for this season and next. It also sends the message that the front office thinks they have a core to work with and want to see what will happen when you start putting some pieces around those players to compliment their games even more.

So now let the corrections of my beliefs begin.........

P.S. Got to see JR Giddens play for UNM against my Aztecs here in San Diego and simply put he has the jumping ability of a young Desmond Mason. He has the makings of being a legit defender at 6'5" and 215 lbs. Needed to be more consistant with his jumpshot to be a true offensive threat at the pro level. SDSU's Lorrenzo Wade (now playing in greece) made a guy who was getting a lot of draft buzz for a mountain west conference player, look pretty pedestrian most the game; by keeping him on the outside. As far as NBA level skills i'm not sure because he has only played in a whopping 14 games. Have to imagine he learned something though playing behind Pierce and Allen. Could turn out to be more than just a throw in though; if the trade happens he should get minutes with no more Noc and Martin and Cisco still out. Some Evans to Giddens alley-oops sound nice, or better yet maybe some Hawes to Gidden lobs. (Like Vlade to Gerald back in the day)

Beast Mode-midnight madness dunk contest. Giddens vs Tony Dandridge

MWC MVP?? Discussion-good background on the kid

30th pick

College Stats

P.S.S. After spending an hour now making this as professional as my lazy a** can be I am fully aware that this deal like the Okafur one is likely to not go through, because of the fact Boston is dumping two expiring contracts for Nocioni, who still has 3 years and 21 million left with a team option for a fourth, and have to worry about Ray Allen's contract ending this summer and Pierce's being up as well if he declines his player option. Then again they aren't losing anything of real value (still have Perkins, Powe, Sheed, Williams, and Garnett) and add a player they feel can play the same role James Posey played when they won the title. So i guess like all of you I have no clue, but hey its what makes sports blogging great; always something to discuss even at 6 in the morning.

Kings Remain Active in Trade Talks

2009-11-17T11:57:02Z

Good morning STR,
I am so anxious about watching the Battle of the Memphis PGs that I can not sleep. (Just Kidding. Studying for a Midterm). But I came across a very interesting article that got me sidetracked a little bit.

Our Good Friend Marc Stein Reports

Sources told ESPN.com that the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings, in considering the feasibility of a Samuel Dalembert-for-Kenny Thomas swap, have discussed expanding that concept with Boston by trying to draw in the Celtics on a potential three-way deal that would land Andres Nocioni with the Celts.

I was very intrigued with the possibilities that this could have become, so I continued reading, and was very disappointed with the details:

But the full deal as it stands, if it eventually gets that far, would send Nocioni to Boston, Kenny Thomas, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine to Philadelphia and Dalembert and J.R. Giddens to Sacramento.

The deal seems like it is being seriously considered by all sides as Stein explains

Sources further stressed over the past 48 hours that this should be classified as an ongoing conversation as the teams involved decide how much they like what’s on the table.

So the talks between New Orleans and Sacramento seems to have stopped, but the Kings continue to show us that they are pushing to improve the team NOW! I like the message they are sending the fans, but do not necessarily like this deal, especially since Dalembert is making $12 million this year and $13 million next year. Without an extra pick for us, which I doubt will happen , I stop this trade right now, because we can get ALOT more value for Kenny Thomas AND Nocioni. Stein breaks down the trade from our standpoint:

The Kings have interest in securing another big man to join Spencer Hawes and the fast-developing Jason Thompson in their frontcourt rotation and have pondered the merits of gambling on Dalembert for some time. And trading for Philly’s out-of-favor center certainly makes more sense than a deal for New Orleans’ Emeka Okafor, who has four years and nearly $40 million left on his contract through the 2013-14 season. It’s believed that Sacramento, even if these three-way talks go no further, will continue to field offers for Nocioni, given the Kings’ desire to have cap space in the summer of 2011 and the promising early development of rookie Omri Casspi.

What do you guys think about the trade?

How about the message that the team is sending us?

P.S. Go Kings!

P.P.S. Wish Me Luck on my Midterms Tomorrow!

P.P.P.S. Hope my format (as a New Member) is good enough for Pookey! ;)

Jason Thompson, Foul Machine

2009-11-17T06:47:49Z

(From the FanPosts. - TZ)

Much has been made of Jason Thompson's foul troubles. Last season, he finished with 314 personal fouls in 82 games, and the second-place fouler was not even close. Paul Millsap of Utah tallied 288 fouls.

Big men are much more likely to foul than smaller players, given the intensity of the game near the basket. This is nothing new. But being among the leaders in fouls committed does not necessarily reflect poorly on a player. Some previous season leaders in total fouls include Shawn Kemp, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Of course, leading the league in fouls doesn't instantly make you a superstar. Just ask Shawn Bradley, Danny Fortson, Jason Collins, Ervin Johnson, and Mikki Moore.

If you look at the league leaders in total fouls committed so far in 2009-10, JT's got the eighth highest total (Greg Oden leads the pack). In personal fouls per game, JT is second. So, who cares if JT has a bunch of fouls?

Furthermore, are fouls necessarily bad? It entirely depends on the foul. Some fouls come during the recovery from a blown defensive assignment, while others are the product of hard-nosed defense. Some result in free points via free throws, while others limit the scoring from two sure points to zero points or one point.

With fouls, the biggest issue is lost playing time. With a 21.6 PER so far this season, Thompson is proving to be a valuable asset that needs to be on the court. Last year, JT averaged 6.5 fouls per 48 minutes, and was only able to play 28.1 minutes a game, which--being plenty of playing time for a rookie--was surely lower than it would have been had he been able to curb the fouls a bit. That foul rate was actually 18th-worst in the league--bad, but not as horrible or "telling" as leading the league in fouls seemingly was. As a side note, Andres Nocioni finished 21st in 2008-2009 with 6.3 fouls per 48 minutes.

This year, he's dropped his fouls to 5.7 per 48 minutes, which is a much more respectable 65th. He's up to 34.4 minutes per game, which is probably close to what it will be for most of the year, provided he can keep his fouls down like he has. In comparison, Jon Brockman gets 10.4 fouls per 48 minutes, which, if we set the qualifying bar at 7 games played, would place him 4th-worst in the league, behind Hasheem Thabeet (14.9!), JaVale McGee (11.8), and Rasho Nesterovic (10.6).

In Ziller's recent front-page post, we read:

There has been one other stand-out improvement, but credit for this one likely goes to Paul Westphal: Thompson is playing more minutes this season. Last year, J.T. averaged 28 minutes per game. Even after the All-Star Break, when Brad Miller, Shelden Williams and Mikki Moore were exiled, Thompson still averaged less than 32 minutes a game. Thompson's foul rate hasn't lowered significantly (4.9 per 36 to 4.3), but Westphal has decided to keep him on the court for longer stretches. That's helped the per-game numbers reach (to date) All-Star level.

I submit that a drop from 4.9 fouls to 4.3 per 36 minutes is a significant improvement, provided it holds for the whole season. At 34 minutes per game, JT's averaging a half of a foul less per game this season. That greatly increases the odds that he'll be on the court.

Ironically, Thompson's foul total may increase this season, in spite of a decrease in his foul rate. If JT averages 34 minutes per game with 5.7 fouls per 48 minutes for all of 2009-10, he will finish with about 331 fouls. That total could very well lead the league again, though a healthy Greg Oden might challenge him.

JT is apparently learning ways to limit his fouls, but he probably won't be averaging fewer than 4 fouls per game anytime soon. As long as JT is able to avoid the cheap ones, it's okay if he's up with the league leaders in total fouls. Just make them count, and keep playing 34+ minutes per game.

Okafor vs. Our Bigs

2009-11-16T22:44:33Z

Though this deal appears to be dead, I thought I’d take a quick look at Emeka Okafor’s stats and compare them to the guys he could take minutes from if the Kings did the deal that Amick said was in the works: Spencer Hawes, Kenny Thomas and John Brockman.

Spencer Hawes: $2.3 million, $3.0 million, $4.1 million.

* 29.6 minutes per game, 42% FGs, 86% FTs.

* Per 36 minutes: 2.4 OReb, 6.4 DReb, 8.8 TReb, 2.2 A, 2.7 TOs, 0.8 steals, 1.6 Bl, 3.8 PFs, 12.7 points.

Jon Brockman: $458,000, $932,000.

* 8.6 minutes per game, 62% FGs, 33% FTs.

* Per 36 Minutes: 7.2 OReb, 6.6 DReb, 13.8 TReb, 1.2 A, 1.2 TOs, 0.0 steals, 0.0 Bl, 7.8 PFs, 11.3 points.

Kenny Thomas: $8.8 million.

* 13.4 minutes per game, 43% FGs, 83% FTs.

* Per 36 Minutes: 5.4 OReb, 7.5 DReb, 12.9 TReb, 1.1 A, 2.7 TOs, 0.5 steals, 1.1 Bl, 3.2 PFs, 5.9 points.

Emeka Okafor: $10.8 million, $11.8 million, $12.8 million, $13.8 million, $14.8 million.

* 29.5 minutes per game, 51% FGs, 56% FTs.

* Per 36 Minutes: 3.6 OReb, 8.0 DReb, 11.6 TReb, 0.8 A, 2.1 TOs, 0.6 steals, 2.3 Bl, 3.8 PFs, 12.8 points.

Rankings

* Minutes per game: Hawes 29.6, Okafor 29.5, Thomas 13.4, Brockman 8.6.

* FG%: Brockman 62%, Okafor 51%, Thomas 43%, Hawes 42%.

* FT%: Hawes 86%, Thomas 83%, Okafor 56%, Brockman 33%.

Per 36 Minutes

* Offensive Rebounds: Brockman 7.2, Thomas 5.4, Okafor 3.6, Hawes 2.4.

* Defensive Rebounds: Okafor 8.0, Thomas 7.5, Brockman 6.6, Hawes 6.4.

* Total Rebounds: Brockman 13.8, Thomas 12.9, Okafor 11.6, Hawes 8.8.

* Assists: Hawes 2.2, Brockman 1.2, Thomas 1.1, Okafor 0.8.

* Turnovers: Brockman 1.2, Okafor 2.1, Thomas 2.7, Hawes 2.7.

* Steals: Hawes 0.8, Okafor 0.6, Thomas 0.5, Brockman 0.0.

* Blocks: Okafor 2.3, Hawes 1.6, Thomas 1.1, Brockman 0.0.

* Fouls: Thomas 3.2, Okafor 3.8, Hawes 3.8, Brockman 7.8.

* Points: Okafor 12.8, Hawes 12.7, Brockman 11.3, Thomas 5.9.

So you get so-so scoring, probably another team block per game, pretty decent shooting on the limited shots he does take, terrible free throw shooting, very few assists, and rebounding which is actually less than the average of two of the guys he’d replace. And he’d be the highest paid player on your roster for the next five years.

No, thanks. But, hey, if you’re determined to blow it up and want to get rid of David West, let’s talk.

The Trade Block

2009-11-16T07:19:36Z

Ok so it has already started, rumors of possible trades and will continue until the deadline. I have a feeling we will be hot with trade talk until the deadline or until a couple trades go down. So the question is this what things would you like or hope to see? Who do you consider untouchable? Who would you like to see dumped? Who's in the middle? Why? Possible trades and what the can do for us.

Let me start with my views on the current roster.

Don't want to see traded at all: Evans, JT, Omri, Greene

For a very quality player or Included in a deal that gets a top 5 pick: Martin, Garcia.

For the right deal: Hawes (though i'd like to keep him i think he can turn out to be a fine player in the league the right skill set to a talented 3 man front court rotation but we still need one more to complete that.)

Everyone else pretty much fair game

And players id like to see gone by the deadline: K9, Nocioni. (k9 is a valuable trade asset letting him come off the books at the end of the year probably wont be as valuable since we wont land a free agent so use the trade chip while we have it. And Nocioni probably best to keep him till closer to the deadline when we have Kmart / Cisco back but id like to see him gone hopefully for something decent though probably not much.

Possible trades that sound good? Ill add some later after playing with trade machine, what about you guys?

Trade Machine

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Week 3

2009-11-16T05:42:34Z

What a great week for us. I don't think anyone could have predicted how good we've been playing, especially without Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia. We end the week at 5-4 and in 6th place in the West. So lets take a look at what happened.

The Good:

1. 3-0! > .500 BABY!

Unbelievable. We come off a nice win in Utah and defend our home floor against the Warriors, Thunder and Rockets. I don't know if this success will be sustainable, but I'm really hoping it is. We might actually not be talking about the draft till about March now!

2. Improving on closing out teams in the 4th quarter.

The Kings have been doing a much better job of keeping control of the game. In both the New Orleans and Atlanta games, the Kings could have won, if only they had executed better in the 4th. Even in the Utah game, Utah almost came back and won during a huge 4th quarter run. But this week, especially against Oklahoma City and Houston, the Kings managed to keep control of the game and pull out the victory, something last years team was seemingly incapable of, leading a lot of close, heartbreaking losses.

3. Jason "Destroyer of Worlds" Thompson

I love JT. And he's been stepping it up big time this season and especially without K-Mart. He is missing some easy shots, but he'll get those to go in eventually. And its scary to think of what will happen when those start to drop. He's also quickly becoming one of the best offensive rebounders in the league, something the Kings have never really had. The best part of his improvement is his improving defense and being able to stay in the game without fouling. His highest fouling game this week came against Oklahoma City, when he had 5 fouls in almost 40 minutes, but that was a very badly refereed game, and there were a lot of people in foul trouble on both sides. Also, JT continues his double-double streak, which now sits at 5 in a row and 5 for the season. Fun coincidence of the week (H/T to Kfan): JT had 17 double-doubles last year. He has 5 this year. Kings won 17 games last year, 5 this year so far. Keep it up JT.

4. Paul Westphal's coaching

Paul Westphal had two things he wanted the Kings to improve upon when he got hired: 3-point defense and rebounding. This week the Kings held opponents to 32.3% from 3 (20-62) and outrebounded them 157-105 by an average margin of 17.33. That is huge. Our defense has been better as well, as we held teams to an average of 101.6 points and 43.9% from the field. I think a lot of this has to do with having a coach who knows what he's doing. Vive Westphalia.

5. The Kings backcourt of Evans/Udrih

Tyreke and Beno have been playing very well together, they can both handle the ball and complement each other very nicely. Beno has even been showing glimpses of trying on the defensive end. Both Beno and Tyreke have also come through in big situations in crunch time. I don't think we win against Oklahoma City or Houston without them playing the way they have been.

6. Donte Greene, Rotation player

Donte has definitely come into his own early in the season, and he contributed meaningfully in both the Golden State and OKC games, and had a career night against the Dubs. He didn't play much in Houston, but I'm not too worried about it, Westphal doesn't really have a set rotation and goes with matchups instead. I think we'll see a lot more of Donte as the year goes on, and hopefully its just as good as what we saw early this week.

7. Omri Casspi's double-double

Omri played an awesome game against the Warriors: 12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. I have been very surprised with how ready he's been to make a difference on this team. I thought at the beginning of the season it would take him at least a couple of years before he'd be performing like he has been. Another fantastic late first-round pick by Mr. Petrie.

8. Andres Nocioni's defense against Kevin Durant

Yes, Kevin Durant scored 37. But most of it came when Noc was on the bench or guarding someone else. Durant might have scored 50 if Noc didn't play him so well. Durant had a horrible shooting night, and I think that can be attributed to Noc. Great job.

9. Ime Udoka

I <3 Ime. He brings a lot to the team that we can't see. I'm sort of glad we had to see how horrible Desmond Mason was in order to appreciate Ime even more.

10. Kenny Thomas

Kenny has been very effective when Coach puts him in. He plays solid defense, and rebounds the ball very well. He's doing pretty much what we had hoped Sean May would be able to do. For about 8 million more dollars. Ah well. At least he's sort of earning his keep now. Sort of.

11. K-9 for Okafor Trade Rumors.

I'm putting this under the good because it shows to me that the Kings are looking for more talent to put on this team, and I honestly think that if this trade does happen (its looking unlikely at the moment), the Kings could contend for the playoffs THIS year. Petrie hasn't really done a trade for talent in a while (mostly been salary dumps as of late), but when he does do talent trades, good results usually happen (It's even working out with Artest for B-Jax, Donte and Omri). I think we will do a trade for talent before the deadline, and its possible it could be a big move. In my opinion, Okafor is a big move. And my opinion is that he would be better than anyone we would get in free agency.

12. The Donte Greene Show on Ustream

It was nice to see that the guys are hanging out and creating some nice chemistry together (the chemistry on-court between 'Reke and JT is becoming quite apparent). StR also got a shout-out, and I found you could understand 'Reke better when he freestyles. I propose all his interviews now come in freestyle form, if only for clarity.

The Bad:

1. Spencer Hawes

Spencer hasn't really been playing as well as we hoped he would this week at least. He was decently effective in the Warriors and OKC games, but really stank it up against Houston. He also hasn't hit a three-pointer yet all year, although he's taken 9 of them. He also was a bit of a butterfingers this week, with 8 turnovers on the week compared to 4 assists. His defense and rebounding have been pretty good though, its just his offense that has been lacking. Hopefully he comes around.

2. Omri Casspi's free throw struggles.

Omri has not shot well at the line all season (only shooting 20%). It almost cost us the game against Oklahoma City when he clanked two free throws in the last minute. I don't know why he's been having trouble at the line, especially since he's been shooting so well from the field (56% FG, 47% 3P), but its definitely something he needs to work on.

3. Sean May

Sean May did not play once this week. I don't know if he's played himself out of the rotation, but it looks like it. The Brock Ness Monster and K-9 seem to have taken his place.

The Ugly:

1. Kings 3-point shooting

The Kings might have been doing a good job at holding teams to a low 3P%, but they did an even worse job making them this week, shooting only 15-47 (31.9%). And a lot of them have been wide open shots as well. Its definitely something I expect to improve as the season goes along.

2. Handling the ball.

The Kings had 55 assists to 53 turnovers this week, a ratio of barely 1:1. This desperately needs to improve, especially because most of them are silly mistakes. I have to chalk it up to a young team still learning each others game, but its still a disconcerting stat.

3. Bill "Crying in the corner cause the Kings beat the Rockets" Ingram

Bill Ingram wrote this about the Kings over at Hoopsworld last week:

luis in el paso, texas:
hey bill: there is rumors going around that the rockets are gonna trade t-mac and jermaine taylor to the kings for k-mart, nocioni, and abdur rahim expiring contract but retired.. if true would you aproove this trade? your thoughts??
Bill Ingram:
That's because the Kings are talking about trading Kevin Martin. They talked about it last season before the deadline and I'm hearing it again. It helps stoke the flames of the rumor mill when you draft a guy who plays his position - and he averages 25 ppg when Martin is out (ok, that's just two games). The Kings would like to get out from under Martin's contract, and the Rockets would definitely listen if they called.

paul westphal in kings HQ:
Does Sacramento really need k.martin or can they trade him? does the starting lineup should be Evens, Udrich, Casspi, Thompson and Hawes? They can a good big man instead of him and they are hurting down low (may is not the answer).

Bill Ingram:
In talked to a couple of league execs about that situation, there is real doubt about Evans’ ability to play the 2 from a defensive standpoint. He can score, sure, but can he defend the plethora of All-Star twos in the NBA? I don’t think so . . .

Raheem in MPLS:
As a fan of the NBA, would you consider the Knicks as one of the worst teams ever?
Bill Ingram:
The Kings and the Knicks are fighting for that distinction, I think.

Hey Bill. 107-100. Eat it.

Player of the Week:

Beno Udrih

18.0 PPG, .575 FG%, .400 3P%, 4.3 APG, 3.3 RPG

Beno had a great week in Kevin's absence, but the real reason he's player of the week over JT and Tyreke (the other contenders), is that he's running the team very well, and hitting big shots during crunch time. He's definitely earning that contract at this moment and turning me into a believer (that his poor performance last year was due to poor "coaching", if you could call it coaching). Hopefully this can be sustained for the season.

Comment of the Week:

Most double-doubles in a season?
Sean May, at the Natomas In ’N Out.

by andy sims on Nov 13, 2009 7:43 PM PST reply actions 7 recs

Highlight of the Week:

Donte to JT lob at the end of 3rd quarter.

And Nostradumbass's predictions for next week:

v. Chicago 11/17 W

@ Dallas 11/20 L

@ Houston 11/21 W (I'm going against my better judgment here because I want Bill Ingram to cry some more)

Nostradumbass for the season (3-3)

What about Trading for Roy Hibbert?

2009-11-16T05:26:16Z

This is my first time bringing up a new subject, so be easy :). But because of all the tadre talk involving the Hornets I was asking myself the question, "Since it seems most people are against a trade for the Hornet's center because of his expensive contract, who would be someone I would want at center, over Spence, that does not come with all the money attatched?"

My answer was Roy Hibbert.

My reasons are:

1) He is a defensive presence at 7 foot 2 inches and averages 2.4 blocks a game.

2) All of his stats are better than Hawes (11.7pts, 9reb, 2.3ast to 10.4pts, 7.2reb, 1.8ast).

3) Roy's eff is 18.14 at 26.7 minutes played compared to Hawes 13.0 eff at 29.6 minutes played.

4) He is a wide body and has taken only 2 3's in the season and pre season (no more center shooting 3's)

5) In my opinion, he will be a major force in a couple of years if he stays healthy, of course.

So who would the Kings have to give up?

I would trade Spence and K9 for Roy and another player.

So why would the Pacers trade him?

1) Salary dump, Cap relief.

2) They get an up and coming center in return

Maybe it's not even something they would consider but I like his game and think he would be a major anchor in the middle for this team for a long time. The only draw back I can think of is that he is as slow as a turtle. So what do you think?

Woah, We can get Chris Paul.

2009-11-15T23:41:05Z

I was looking at the trade machine, for the Omeka trade.

Kevin Martin, Kenny Thomas and Sergio Rodriguez for Chris Paul and Omeka Okafor,

Chris Paul isn't happy with New Orleans System, and with the firing of Scott,

and this way, New Orleans would be way under the financial debt, and the kings would be a playoff team, look at the starting five

1. Chris Paul - Beno Udrih

2. Tyreke Evans- Francisco Garcia/Ime Udoka

3. Nocioni- Omri Caspi/Donte Greene

4.Jason Thompson-Donte Greene/Jon BrockMan

5.Spencer Hawes/Omeka Okafor/Sean May

and by the end of year, Sean May would be gone, and Udoka might be gone, saving us a couple of millions, and we could move Tyreke to his natural position of shooting Guard, and who wouldn't want to play with Chris Paul.

Pookeyguru's Salary Cap FAQ

2009-11-15T15:52:41Z

I've been noticing a lot of people with questions about the salary cap, I was hoping to clear up some questions with a FAQ with the help of the always fabulous Larry Coon Salary Cap FAQ. (I would suggest book marking this if you don't have it bookmarked already. I know a lot of people at StR already do, but there seem to be new people coming around every day.)

I always suggest using ShamSports as your salary source simply because Sham has contacts in the NBA office and verifies some tricky detail's that need to be fact checked whenever you're talking salaries. If you use the ESPN or Real GM trade checker, that's fine. It won't hurt you in the process of figuring out whether a trade works. (I don't usually use it, but sometimes when I'm tired and don't feel like calculating monetary stuff I will use it. Especially when a player is BYC. Anywayz...) If you use hoopshype or hoopsworld to verify salary info I understand, but don't expect me to read it. I won't tell you to not use it in August or something; I'll just roll my eyes and move on. I don't have the time to fight with people about those little details. Let's rock this joint after the jump.....

What kind of Salary Cap does the NBA use?

It's known as a soft cap. I'll excerpt Larry Coon to explain the rest:

The NBA has a soft cap. A hard cap doesn't allow the cap to be exceeded for any reason. A soft cap, which the NBA has, contains exceptions which allow teams to exceed the cap under certain conditions. In fact, historically very few teams are ever under the cap during a season.

Basically, that's all of it. (The beginning of the Coon FAQ contains interesting historical information.)

What's the purpose of the salary cap?

Again, Coon to the rescue:

It's the legal contract between the league and the Players Association that sets up the rules by which they all operate. (It's commonly abbreviated as "CBA," which is not to be confused with the Continental Basketball Association. The abbreviation CBA will be used in the remainder of this document.)

The CBA defines the salary cap, the procedures for determining how it is set, the minimum and maximum salaries, the rules for trades, the procedures for the NBA draft, and hundreds of other things that need to be defined in order for a league like the NBA to function.

Incidentally, the CBA is also what prevents the NBA from being in violation of antitrust laws. Many of the NBA's practices (salary cap, draft, etc.) would violate the Sherman act were the CBA not arrived at through collective bargaining.

You legal beagles can explain the Sherman Act. I'm not in the mood, but the NBA is not anti-trust exempt like MLB is. This is why the potential of the NFL's lawsuit to become anti-trust exempt will be very important to the NBA's long term health in terms of the balance the league currently seeks. TZ had 2 high quality articles at Fanhouse and at StR. I suggest reading them both if you haven't already. This is a good article by David Aldridge on how the current CBA could change after 2011.

What is the difference between the salary cap limit and luxury tax?

Again, Mr. Coon should be quite useful here:

A salary cap is a limit on the amount teams can spend on player contracts, which helps to maintain competitive balance in the league. Without a salary cap, teams with deeper pockets can simply outspend the remaining teams for the better free agents. The basic idea is that a team can only sign a free agent if the total payroll for the team will not exceed the salary cap. So a team with deep pockets is playing on a level playing field with every other team.

The evidence bears this out: For the 2001-02 NBA season, the correlation between team payroll and regular season wins was about 0.13. In other words, there is nearly no correlation between salary and wins. By comparison, MLB (with no salary cap) had a much stronger correlation of 0.43 for its 2002 season.

All a salary cap is a limit that you can spend on the players. As Coon points out, a salary cap is meant to give every team a fair and equal chance at competition. This season, that limit is 57.7 million.

As far as luxury tax, it's a monetary threshold that is pre-set before the season starts based on projected revenue over the course of the year. For this season, that threshold is 69.92 million. Most teams operate between the salary cap and luxury tax.

So why do the Lakers have all the advantages?

Because God is a Lakers fan. He also enjoys how many stupid LA people get to masquerade on TV pretending they're important. He rewards these folks with a Lakers championship. Fortunately God is also a Knicks fan and this is preeminent proof of a twisted sense of humor.

What teams are under the salary cap? Why aren't the Kings?

Depending on whom you ask, the Kings are under the salary cap. However, by the way the NBA judges whether a team has space under the salary cap the Kings do not. Therefore the only team in the NBA operating under the salary cap at the moment is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Memphis Grizzlies were also under the cap, but they have since gotten so close to the actual salary cap line that they are no longer in danger of using their cap room.

Sacramento also has money under the cap, but monetarily wise it's only 4 million or so under the cap. However, as termed by the CBA, the Kings are technically NOT UNDER the salary cap.

What the NBA does is add the salaries of all the players, the cap holds of contracts on the roster from the previous season (those happen to include Calvin Booth, Corliss Williamson and Bobby Jackson), plus draft pick cap holds, and then exceptions such as the Mid Level and Bi-Annual are also added into the salary. This is why the Kings are not under the salary cap.

There is one more wrinkle to this. The Kings had the choice to renounce the exceptions, but did not. The reason for this is pretty simple. If you have cap room (which the Kings would have about 4.3 million right now), you could make all the deals you would want up until you reach the salary cap limit.

The one mistake fans may make, and avoid this trap, is that you can't be over and under the cap in the same season. For instance, you can't have cap room to pay a player a 10 million salary AND use the Mid Level/Bi-Annual exception in the same season.

I thought the salary cap was going to drop in 2010. Does that mean contracts signed in previous years are going to be a burden?

It depends on what you believe where the current salary may end up. The NBA has sent memo's to teams that the salary cap may be set next year at 50-53 million depending on where revenue ends up. At the moment, the current contract structure is built around the current revenue that the NBA has. So, in a way, it makes no sense to change much about the current CBA from the players perspective because they are the league so to speak.

I've read the argument (StR & elsewhere) that as revenue continues to drop teams can't afford to pay salaries based off a former salary structure. Currently, that is not true. Teams can afford it for this season and next. The question is 2011 and beyond. Because the 2011 CBA will be different (how different is anybody's real guess) I suppose I should hold off in any assumptions.

I won't assume, but I'll offer my opinion. I don't like a hard cap in the NBA for a number of reason's. The biggest reason is that the current system allows teams to re-sign all their players. For better of for worse, that allows teams to make decisions that would, in theory, allow teams to maximize their competitiveness.

By making a hard cap, you would in turn cap spending for all teams. Doing that would make players vulnerable to better endorsement deals in bigger markets or whatever revenue streams would be available. While the current system is not perfect, there isn't going to be a salary cap system that will suit every team in every situation. My feeling is that any hard cap in the NBA will not necessarily pertain to local market spending, and that will give the largest market teams (Nets, Knicks, Bulls, Lakers) the biggest advantage in the long haul. As it is during this decade, the Bulls have had the largest operating level of income. The Knicks, no thanks to Isiah Thomas, have spent 125 million in luxury tax by themselves. I personally feel, not only in the NBA, but in all sports, is that you must spend wisely consistently to make your investments in players work for you. A hard cap would paralyze many NBA teams once they made a heavy salary commitment to an All-Star level player, and going to a non-guaranteed contract system like the NFL has may end up turning away potential NBA talent in the long run.

The NBA is the only league where you can give Chris Webber 30% of your salary cap, and make it work in a salary cap environment. Why? Because a top 10 player in the NBA means more than it does in the NFL or MLB or even the Premier League in England (soccer). As such, there is a delicate balancing act that is required when compensating players of the highest caliber (and unfortunately players who are not of that caliber). I don't care how many players of Ime Udoka's caliber the Kings sign; there isn't a number you can name that would be able to match Tyreke Evans capability as a potential franchise player. As such, there is no way 100 Ime Udoka's would be worth as much as Evans to a franchise. (Bad example I realize, but I hope I'm making my point.) Here's a better example: How many Michael Cooper's would it take to equal the effect of a Magic Johnson?

The Kings should be like the A's and play the Moneyball game.

A great idea in theory. (Or not.) It doesn't work for the NBA, unfortunately. There aren't many ways to exploit untapped resources in the NBA. The main commodities are the same one's all teams value. Therefore, it's very difficult to find a player who is more valuable to one team than another. This is especially true because a player like Kobe Bryant means far more to the Lakers than Derek Jeter ever will to the Yankee's.

What is BYC?

The actual term is Base Year Compensation better known as BYC. What it really means is trade value for a player is half of the actual salary. A good example of that this season for the Kings is Francisco Garcia. Garcia has a salary of 5.8 million this season, but for trade purposes the Kings can only take back 2.9 million in salary. Thus, you need to find a team with cap room (OKC is the only one capable of making such a trade at the moment). This is done to close several loopholes teams used to use by signing players to big contracts and then trading that player within a year.

A good example of this is Marcin Gortat. Gortat is difficult to trade for. The first is because he has a right to turn down any trade because the Magic matched an offer made to him by Dallas. The second, Gortat is also BYC. Since this is a hypothetical situation (as in I know it won't happen), I'm going to suggest that the Kings could trade Garcia for Gortat. One, even though both are BYC, their trade values fit within each other's trade value range. (Their salary is about 45K apart.) Two, because the trade values fall within range, so does the money each team absorbs.

What is a trade(d) player exception? Do the Kings have any right now?

A "Traded Player Exception" is actually 2 things. I'll let Mr. Coon explain what the "traded exception" is:

The Traded Player exception is the primary means used by teams over the cap for completing trades. It allows teams to make trades that leave them over the cap, but it places several restrictions on those trades. Trades using the Traded Player exception are classified into two categories: simultaneous and non-simultaneous. As its name suggests, a simultaneous trade takes place all at once. Teams can acquire up to 125% plus $100,000 of the salaries they are trading in a simultaneous trade. For example, a team trading a $5 million player in a simultaneous trade can receive one or more players whose salary is no more than 125% of $5 million, plus $100,000, or $6.35 million in return.

This is important because a lot of people assume the 125% rule actually is how you make all trades. As I've mentioned above in the cap space portion, you can make all the trades you want until you've reached the cap space for a particular season. OR, you can make a trade while your over the cap provided it's done within the 125% + 100K rule.

The other half of the Traded Player Exception is the little things used to acquire players without actually sending a player to another team. The Kings have actually used these exceptions 4 times since February. The first was to acquire to Sam Cassell, the second was to acquire Ike Diogu from Portland (that went down a bit tricky and I would rather not explain that), the third went in acquiring Will Solomon, and the fourth went to acquiring Sergio Rodriguez on draft day. What a traded player exception is (there's a lot of mis-conception on how they are used--I was listening to David Steele and Matt Goukas--the Orlando Magic TV broadcasters--incorrectly state the use of these exceptions the other night when a fan asked so it's not exactly widespread knowledge) an amount of money a team can use to acquire another player and his ENTIRE salary. What CANNOT be done, I repeat CANNOT BE DONE, is use a TPE with another player on a roster to acquire on another player on another team's roster.

For example, let's say the Kings had an 8 million TPE, and they wanted to acquire LeBron James. They could not use the 8 million TPE, and Kenny Thomas to accomplish this task. (I'm well aware of all the issue's with this scenario. It's precisely why I chose it. It's meant to be hypothetical.)

As far as the Kings having a TPE, the ESPN trade checker (as good a source as any) says the Kings have 1 TPE for the value of Bobby Brown's contract (442K). Because the value is very small, you can bet your WAMU Stock that the Kings won't use it before it expires in February 2010.

What does back-loading a contract mean? What does Front-loading a contract mean?

Back-Loading a contract means you're paying a player more money at the end of the contract than at the beginning. Front loading a contract means you pay players more at the beginning of the contract than towards the end. A good example of this is Andres Nocioni whose contract will decline by a million in half of dollars in value by the time his contract reaches his option year in 2012-13.

Can players be traded during draft day when they have player options and/or free agents for the upcoming season?

No. Under any circumstances, they cannot. It is occasionally reported as such, but unless Larry Coon is wrong (which I doubt) I think it's an unusual occurrence that most media doesn't care to report accurately. Additionally, most fans wouldn't be pleased to learn to hear of a trade that worked like this:

Randy Foye for Darius Songalia & Wizards 1st round pick (5th overall) on June 24th.

Then Mike Miller for Olekisy Pecherov and Etan Thomas on July 9th.

That's why most teams won't bother to clarify in those situations. Because teams don't usually tell this stuff to the media (and I'm only telling you this for reason's I can't fathom), it seems strange. It happens all the time though with regards to ETO's and Player Options.

Here's why it's important. When Richard Jefferson was traded for Fabricio Oberto, Bruce Bowen, and Kurt Thomas that was done in part because of the partial guarantee's on Oberto and Bowen's contracts. Largely because Milwaukee was after cap relief in the deal, the partial guarantee on Oberto and Bowen's contracts were important. In regards to Oberto, his contract had a partial guarantee until July 1st which meant that the Spurs had until June 30th to trade Oberto before waiving him.

What is BRI? What percentage of revenue is the salary cap derived from? What about Luxury Tax?

BRI is Basketball Revenue Income. Here is a list of income stream's that feed into BRI. The Salary Cap is set at 51% of BRI, and the Luxury Tax is set at 61% of BRI. Additionally, guaranteed players are guaranteed 57% of revenue, or else the owners have to cut the players a check. (This hasn't happened)Last season, the Players paid the Owners just under 205 million in Escrow. This is designed so that when players get too much of the pie it gets re-distributed back to teams. This economic disbursal is the single biggest reason why I'm against the hard salary cap that owners would like.

Is there ways to gain revenue without selling tickets, TV time, etc. etc.?

Last season, the Kings got 9.37 million in escrow and luxury taxes back from the NBA. Additionally, the franchise also received a million dollars from the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics at the trade deadline that netted, if you believe TZ, 700K for both trades of Will Solomon and Sam Cassell. Plus, there was a million dollars from the Sonics moving to the Oklahoma City expansion fee. The Kings also saved 2 million on Drew Gooden's buyout, were able to take all of Shareef Abdur-Rahim's salary due to medical retirement, and Ike Diogu's remaining salary was paid by Portland. Whatever the argument is that the franchise lost gob's of money last season is simply not true. The exact amount cannot be verified because I don't know every revenue stream that existed. But if I had to guess, I would estimate the Kings lost somewhere between 5-10 million (and that's being generous).

Can Cash be included in a trade?

Up to 3 million per transaction.

Can Sean May and Ime Udoka be traded as part of a bigger trade anytime?

No. May can't be traded until December 15th, and Ime Udoka can't be traded until February 4th. Assuming Udoka's contract becomes guaranteed that is. Udoka's contract is unguaranteed, and if he is still on the Kings roster past January 10th, his contract will become guaranteed for the rest of the season.

It is very unlikely either player will be part of a deal between now & the trade deadline.

When a player is traded (like Stephen Jackson), can a team turn around and trade them tomorrow?

Well, there is a limit to what the Bobcats could do with S-Jax. Acie Law, the other player sent to Charlotte, cannot be packaged with Jackson for 60 days. (This same rule also applies to Acie Law, Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovich as well. I chose to mention Jackson specifically because he's more likely than the other 3 players to be traded again.) Additionally, no other Bobcats player on the roster can be packaged in a trade.

However, the Bobcats can trade Jackson anytime before the trade deadline. Here is Larry Coon on the issue:

For two months after receiving the player in trade or claiming him off waivers, if the player is being traded in combination with other players. However, the team is free to trade the player by himself (not packaged with other players) immediately. This restriction applies only to teams over the salary cap. (Also see question number 72 for a special case where players can be traded together in less than two months.)

There is an exception to this rule, and I'll briefly explain it the way I understand it. Let's say the Bobcats want to trade Jackson and DJ Augustin. (Hypothetically speaking of course.) In the next 60 days, the Bobcats would have to execute TWO trades and trade Augustin/Jackson separately to get any deal done. Otherwise, Jackson cannot be packaged with another player in the same deal.

Could the Kings trade 4 players for Kenny Thomas right now if they wanted?

No. The CBA stipulates that you have a max of 15 players on your roster, and that you can't have anymore. If you were to trade Kenny Thomas for 4 players, you'd have to waive 2 players before making the trade. (The Kings currently have 14 players on the roster.) A nearly identical scenario happened when the Kings traded Mike Bibby to Atlanta. To make room for the new players, the Kings had to waive Justin Williams to meet roster requirements.

Does waived players count as roster spots?

No. The salary owed a player is still paid to any player waived, but waiving a player by definition means that you are no longer paying that player to occupy a roster spot.

If the Kings make a big multi-player deal, like a 4 for 1 swap, can the Kings trade 2 of those players to another team immediately?

No. Players when they're traded to another team have to wait until 60 days passes until you trade them together again. However, you can trade players individually to another teams without having to wait any time at all.

How do Sign and Trades work?

Read this. I don't feel like explaining it.

What is a trade kicker?

A trade kicker is an amount of money assumed by a team trading for a player. Click on the link to see a monetary breakdown.

What happens when you have a restricted FA on your roster but he no longer plays for your team?

Well, there are 2 probably well known instances of this scenario playing out. The best known, of course, is Josh Childress who currently plays for the Greek team Olympiacos. The other, lesser known situation is Ersan Ilyasova, a current (and former) Bucks forward. In the case of Ilyssova he signed a contract with the Bucks (as their restricted FA he was under different rules than when he signed as a 2nd round pick in 2005) that allowed Illyasova to receive a higher salary. By offering Ilyasova the Qualifying Offer (knowing he wouldn't take it) the last 2 summers, the Bucks avoided losing the Free Agent rights to Ilyasova. But, the flip side to this is the Bucks could also pay Ilyasova without having to use an exception like the Mid-Level or Bi-Annual to accomplish the task.

Josh Childress is a bit different. The Hawks have retained Childress' rights the last 2 seasons by offering the QO to Childress (who of course went to Olympiacos instead). Next summer though Childress probably won't return to Olympiacos as he most likely would be looking to procure a contract with so many teams being able to offer money.

Do the Kings have any player they can tender a Qualifying Offer to next summer?

Yes, the Kings have the rights to tender a QO to both Sergio Rodriguez and Jon Brockman. Of the two players, it's more likely that Brockman would be retained at this point.

What are Larry Bird rights? Why are they important?

Bird rights are what allow a team to re-sign their own Free Agents and sign them to more money. There are 2 different kinds of bird rights. There are Early Bird rights (which the Kings used to sign Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia), and there are Full Bird rights (which the Kings most recently used to sign Mike Bibby, Doug Christie and Chris Webber).

In case you're wondering, it's the Bird Rights that allow Miami to offer Dwyane Wade more money, and LeBron James in Cleveland, and so on & so forth. Contracts can run for up to 6 years, or 5 years if another team offers the contract.

How important is this FAQ?

It's not. I just ripped off Larry Coon for all I know about the subject matter so just simply read his FAQ and don't bother me anymore. Thanks.

On a more serious note, this was written so that people would have references to questions when things came up. Such as "trading Sean May" for instance. There are plenty of people who simply don't know the correct rules in order to properly assess options. Hopefully, I've hit enough of the subject matter that you can feel your way around these topics. I didn't explain everything; if you want that explanation simply read all of Coon's FAQ. There isn't one order to reading this, so skip to the highlight's in bold that interest you. Feel free to drop suggestions on a detail I explained wrong or you feel I can explain better. I'll gladly tweak it so people will have a clearer understanding.

Four in a row without K-Mart Coincidence or not?

2009-11-14T11:39:20Z

Man I am impressed with the turnaround. I just didn't see it coming.

But how is it that losing a guy average about 30 points a game makes you a better team? Could it be the other guys actually get to touch the rock a litte and contribute at the offensive end? The Defense and Rebounding also look a lot better now too. Is it just me that is starting to think he is overrated?

When will caspri (sp.) replace Nocioni in the starting line-up.

Lakers Rant!

2009-11-13T05:24:13Z

I know...I know...I shouldn't even bring up the Lakers in this forum, let alone in the the headline but I do have a gripe to vent and my wife is unwilling to understand, let alone listen. As I am watching the Lakers game (er...the Suns game) on tv tonight I can't help but think, man....the Lakers are playing at home again. Again, I know...I know...every team plays the same amount of home and away games, but their schedule seems a bit absurd. Of their first 21 games only 4 are on the road!!! Talk about an incredible head start to begin the season! I always hold the belief that the first month of the season is critical to setting a tone for the remainder of the season. Therefore, I consider the Lakers schedule an unfair advantage on their behalf. I guess the real reason why it stings so much is the fact that the Kings have started, what seems like, every season in memory on a road trip. Does anyone else find this a little hard to swallow??

Help! I have delusions of Grandeur!

2009-11-11T23:04:05Z

I know, I know, just a rather sloppy win at home over a team that wasn't even close to playoff caliber last season - so why am I looking at the Kings schedule ahead under a new light? Why do I suddenly see Nov. ending with a winning record?

Two words: Determination and mental and physical toughness

(ok, that was like, five words)

Lets take the rest of this month, forget next month or January because who the hell knows what will be going on by then?

Start with Friday, a weekend night game that should attract a decent crowd against a modestly talented but scrappy team (sound familier?). I have moved the Rockets game into the 'This is a team we can beat' column. If the team plays the way they just did against Okl, that is tough, scappy - and more tough but execute our offense better - we will have matched what Houston brings and I think we just probably have more points at the end of the game.
5-4 and they start printing playoff tickets! (OK - no)

Then I think there's some losses that dim the lights a bit

Chicago here [We have a shot but call it a loss] 5-5

@ Dallas [forget it, it would be miraculous] 5-6

@ Houston [hopefully Houston will be looking for revenge, not confirmation - call it a good loss] 5-7

@Memphis [I'm calling this a win, they're a mess] 6-7

Then we have three HOME games, only one of those teams is any good and they are struggling.

NJ here: [better be a win baby] 7-7

NY here: [just stop the 3 ball and its a win] 8-7

NOrl here: [ we'll see, but I call a close defense of our homecourt] 9-7

Whats wrong with me? Am I just nuts? Should I seek clinical help? Should I get that haircut I've been putting off and shave more often?

YOU DECIDE!

Poll

What's wrong with Lttg?

Looking Ahead

2009-11-10T05:15:40Z

It might be a bit premature for this, but when K-Mart comes back I seems like our line up will have to look like this:

PG- Wabeno Udrih

SG- Martin

SF- Tyreke "the freak" Evans

PF- JT

C- Hawes

I like Hawes, but I think he is developing too slow, so I think he should be the first one to the bench with Casspi being the first to come in. I also think Nocioni, udoka, and green should split the rest of the minutes, beacuse they have been giving the most consistent energy thus far. I have already givin up an May. I do realize that this would be a lot of wings coming off the bench (althought Noc and Greene could be PF, and Udoka could be a SG). Perhaps a trade of some of our wings for an energetic early Bobby Jackson type would be in order, not sure who though.

I also can't believe what I'm seeing in Udrih. He's been way more of a suprise than Evans or Casspi. Last year I took the coaching staff view that he was underperforming, when it seems in fact that the coaching staff was underperfoming with him. Yeah... if he was an all-star he could have looked good last year with a below average coaching staff, but thats not Udrih. He is a smart versitile point guard when utilized correctly. I just hope he doesn't let us down.