Sactown Royalty: FanPosts

Rookie of the Year Rant

2010-03-21T15:10:16Z

There should absolutely be no way Curry or Jennings catch Evans in the rookie race. I think the rookie should pretty much be unanimous in terms that Evans should get all the first place votes. I don't understand why there is even a conversation about Curry or Jennings catching up to Tyreke. Tyreke could miss the rest of this season and be hands down rookie of the year.

Just needed to get this out. I never understood any of this rookie of the year chatter. THE ROOKIE RACE WAS OVER IN JANUARY.

THE MEDIA NEEDS TO SHUT THE CRAP UP.

Thank you.

An unnecessary post

2010-03-21T08:29:54Z

whats goin guys

Im a sixer fan but i just wanted to say somethin. i love your fanbase and ur franchise's selection of tyreke evans. i had no idea he would be this good this early, putting up numbers comparable to lebron/mj/O at a relatively similar age. after having the worst record, then getting the 4th pick i didnt know what yall were doing to the basketball gods, but it wasnt good. but now...blake missed a year and tyreke has been amazingly entertaining and very good.

i dont know if he'll ever be a big winner because he needs a lot more support (bosh apparently dissed u guys a little at the prospect of him signing there), but hes awesome to watch, cuttin up defenses for layups all the time.

i hope yall go with the major risk and draft Whiteside. everyone else doesnt really seem to make sense if u dont beat odds and move up. i dont think hawes has it (even tho that cartoon video was absolutely hilarious and i feel actually happened word for word) and whiteside has some big upside. hawes' nonrebounding is disturbing. so maybe u luck out in 2 years if whiteside is averagin 2.5 blocks and double digit boards. or maybe package the pick with thompson for Al Jefferson (i think yall are under the cap enough). i would say go for monroe but he said hes stayin.

i dont know but it should be interesting. thats all i got. have fun watchin tyreke.

SB Nation Survey + Chance to donate $500 to a charity of this community's choice

2010-03-20T00:48:02Z

>> Take SB Nation Survey

Hello sports fans! We're always striving to provide you with the best experience possible and it's been quite some time since we checked in with you.

So we're rolling out this survey to learn more about you and your sports world. It should only take about 10 minutes to complete.

We really appreciate your time and this is also going to help make a donation to a good cause.

By next Thursday (3/25) at 11:59pm PST the site that has the highest percentage of their community filling out the attached survey about their sports interests and consumption will win $500 to donate to a charity of their choice. We will leave it up to the discretion of the community manager(s) of the winning blog to decide how to choose the particular charity.

You can take the survey HERE

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WYR2WQT

Thanks for your support!

Let me calm everyone down...

2010-03-20T07:04:01Z

Let me be the first to calm everyone down. Tyreke Evans will still win ROY even if he is out for the season, as there are only 14 or so games left, and Jennings nor Curry can overtake the entire year's work of Tyreke Evans, period. It won't be even close in the vote. As Kobe has already stated: "Curry is a phenomenal player, but Tyreke is a grown ass man." A man among boys in the ROY race ladies and gentlemen. Man among boys. Thank you.

The classic non-scientific poll

2010-03-19T04:50:03Z

I want the best draft pick possible, I want this team to have the opportunity to find another stud in the draft. So I am ok with the current wins and I want as many ping pong balls as there can be, and just maybe we move up a couple of spots. The Kings have already proved to me that they are finally heading in the right direction. Thank you Mr Tyreke. What is your opinion?

But I am ok with the Kings crushing LA in LA.

Poll

What would you like to see happen in the final 14 Games?

Getting together for the Peachquel....in Seattle

2010-03-18T19:28:13Z

Let's make this simple. Tomorrow is the Peachquel, as we all know, but that doesn't mean we can't have a mini-party in our own right. 206 style you might say. So, if folks are up to it (and saying no is okay with me--just thought I'd ask in case people WANTED to meet up).

Oh and fair warning to V, you're not invited asshole.

(I'll admit I just put the last line for my own amusement. A day spent making fun of V is a day worth spending. Besides V will be at the actual Peachquel at Arco. But, I digress. Where was I? Oh yes, the 206 Peachquel version....)

So, back to the point, if folks want to meet up, it's gotta be at a bar that has league pass. I can think of several places that I know have TV's (Sport on 4th and Broad near the Space Needle and Jillians on Westlake to name 2--I prefer Jillians if asked) and several other places if people prefer that. Suggestions are, of course, welcome.

There's only 1 rule I ask. Where your Peachquel shirt if you happen to have one. (Or at least possess it with you tomorrow night.) In case you want to make plans and don't wish to discuss them here, feel free sending me an email at pookeyguru@gmail (it's also in my SBN profile in case you forget).

Aldrich vs Monroe vs Udoh vs Whiteside

2010-03-18T17:21:05Z

It'd be great to have Wall, Turner, Cousins, or Favors but we only have an outside chance of getting in to the top five. These player's will be available from 5-10 most likely. For those of you who are with me in drafting the BPA who is a big, here's some stat comparisons to chew on. These are the names that seem to be popping up the most. 40min stats to try and make the comparisons as equal as possible.

Aldrich (21 y/o): banger, wide body, rebounds well, likely a low ceiling but can contribute now

17.0 pts, 55%fg, 68%ft, 14.1 rbs, 1.3 ast, 5.2blks, 2.0 to

Monroe (19 y/o): avg rebounder, worst shot blocker here, best passing big here but also the most turnovers,

18.6 pts, 51%fg, 65%ft, 11.0rbs, 4.2 asts, 1.8blks, 4.0 to

Udoh (22 y/o): lowest FG%, avg rebounder, good shot blocker, oldest player

15.5 pts, 48.7%fg, 68.7% ft, 11.3 rbs, 2.8 asts, 4.8blks, 2.8 to

Whiteside (20 y/o): hard to project from a small conference, elite shot blocker

19.5 pts, 52%fg, 60.4 ft%, 13.3 rbs, 0.4 asts, 8.0 blks, 2.8 to

My Pre-workout rank...

1. Aldrich: good idea of what you're getting here, solid value, I see a White Okafor w/ a better FT stroke

2. Whiteside: High Risk High Reward, could be a bust, but if he's good, Kings have their franchise center and the whole complexion of the defense changes.

3(tie). Monroe: Looks like Weber-lite w/ less hops, only 19 y/o, doesn't block many shoots...is he soft?

3.(tie) Udoh: Less offense than JT, already 22y/o, better shot blocking...may not be an upgrade over JT...

Favorite player of all time.....

2010-03-18T12:58:18Z

So I was sitting here on a normal Thursday night, and my wife starts to conversate with me about basketball, topics like what's going to happen with Lebron, and so I start to give her my thoughts on the whole thing.(I'm pretty lucky to have a wife that talks to me about basketball, I KNOW). Then she fire's off a question.

"Who's your favorite player of all time?"

It really got me thinking, Do I even have one? I lived in Arizona for 7 years and when Charles Barkley got traded to the Suns. I was a huge fan. I said to her that I liked Kevin Johnson and the whole suns team growing up (including Richard Dumas, Ainge, Majerle, etc, and I even admitted to crying in game 6 of the Finals in 1993 when John Paxon nailed the 3 to put the series away in the closing seconds. (I was only 11 years old).

Its kinda funny that Paul Westphal is the coach of the Kings now. I feel like maybe I have some bias to him as a coach too because of all those years ago. I also told her that I really liked white chocolate when he was with the Kings. The flash that guy played with turned so many heads and gave me some real pride, being a Kings fan.

So she asked me again, and my answer for right now was... "Tyreke Evans".

I know its pretty premature, but this guy is amazing, and maybe the fact that it feels like he is going to do some remarkable things for this franchise boosts my opinion of him.

I thought it would be interesting to find out what the STR viewpoint was on this subject.

So....

"Who's your favorite player of all time?" and/or

"Do you feel like Tyreke is becoming that player for you?"

via photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net

Wesley Johnson?

2010-03-18T03:40:20Z

With the Kings' recent wins - and don't get me wrong, I'm overjoyed to see our boys enjoying some success on the court- it seems we might be playing ourselves out of the top-5 picks. I checked DraftExpress, who as of today has us picking eighth.

DX has us picking Wesley Johnson, who I admit I know very little about, not having watched many Syracuse games. Looking over his review there, it seems that he's got some good qualities that we'd be looking for in a 2/3 swingman, namely the ability to catch and shoot, decent range, and good defensive chops.

Would you be satisfied with this pick, or would you prefer a second-tier big such as Greg Monroe or Patrick Patterson?

Truth in Advertising (AKA a look at the rookies)

2010-03-18T03:00:58Z

In last's edition of Rookie Watch on ESPN, Jemele Hill (as we found out in this week's edition) listed Golden State PG Stephen Curry as the #1 ROY candidate--ahead of Tyreke Evans. NBA.com writer Drew Packham followed suit. Since the beginning of the new year, there have been whispers that Curry was overtaking the Kings' rookie. And since the beginning of February, there have been whispers that New Orleans guard Darren Collison was having a bigger impact than Evans. And of course there's Brandon Jennings who has been talked about since his 55-point outburst on November 14 (against Curry's Warriors)

Is the race really that close? Has Evans simply been skating by on the good numbers of his first 2 months? Has he fallen off the horse? Are Curry and Collison really outplaying the Kings' rookie?

A look at the numbers after the jump.

Let's take a look at the January stats from the prominent PGs

(keep in mind that each Player is not guaranteed to be the labeled the same month-to-month. Vote for each player by the month)

via img.photobucket.com

So who would you take out of these 2 PGs? Player A has a better shooting percentage and more rebounds. Meanwhile Player B has fewer minutes, 1.6 points more than Player A, fewer rebounds and a better A/TO ratio.

Who do you vote as a better rookie? A or B?

Let's take a look at February.

via img.photobucket.com

Player C has more minutes, but also averages a full assist per game more than the other two. He also has averages more points and has the 2nd highest FG%. Yet he also has far more TOs than the other 2, sporting the worst A/TO ratio of the three despite having the high assist statistics.

Player B logged significantly fewer minutes than either of the other two players yet leads in rebounds. He is competitive with Player A for 2nd in assists, sports the best FG% and the best A/TO ratio (by a fair margin). However he has the fewest points of the bunch.

Player A seems has something that neither of the other two have--consistency. In only one category is he ranked last (FG%). He doesn't lead the pack in any statistical category, but he is 2nd among the group in every other category--averaging the envied 20/5/5 with ease (especially with the 7.3 assists per game).

So who do you think is most impressive as a rookie for the month of February? A, B or C?

Finally, let's look at the month of March--halfway through.

via img.photobucket.com

What do we notice here?

Player C sports a very high average on points per game with some incredible assist numbers to go along with a solid FG%. He doesn't have incredible rebound numbers, but they aren't bad and his A/TO ratio is fair.

Player B can flex his muscles over a double-double average with 11.8 APG to go along with his 16.4 points. He also has the best FG%. However, he does not have very many rebounds at all and he leads the pack with 3.8 TOs--a full 1.1 per game more than Player A. Even so, he has the best A/TO ratio to go along with the most minutes per game.

Player A shows of a very impressive all-around game with the fewest TOs, the most rebounds (2.9 per game more than the next contender) and very good assist, point and A/TO numbers. The glaring hole in his game is the 42.2% FG% which is less than stellar. Player A has logged the fewest minutes in March to this point.

Who would you say is the most dominant in this month? A? B? C?

Here are the results. I hope the players were not too transparent.

January:

Player A = Stephen Curry

Player B = Tyreke Evans

February:

Player A = Stephen Curry

Player B = Tyreke Evans

Player C = Darren Collison

March:

Player A = Tyreke Evans

Player B = Darren Collison

Player C = Stephen Curry

**Notes: I know that this is purely statistically based and it does not even have any pace-adjusted stats. I know that pace/system is a big part of the context in the argument. This also does not even mention October-December, but that is because we all know who was most dominant statistically in those months. This is what it is--a fairly two-dimensional way of looking at the statistics in order to give just some little bit of empirical point of view on the debate. A debate in which sensationalists will try to make claims that Player A has now gained the #1 spot after a 20-assist game or Player B has now gained the #1 spot due to a triple-double in which he hit seven 3-pointers.

Finally, I know that the award is called "Rookie of the YEAR". I know that this is only looking at a portion of the year. This post is simply meant to address the debate of Collison/Curry/Evans from January-March. It is also meant to address the idea that Evans is simply riding on the coattails of a hot November and the argument he is not nearly as hot as Curry/Collison are right now.

Poll

All things considered, who has performed best since January (or February in Collison's case)?

Who should replace Sam Amick?

2010-03-18T03:00:04Z

Sam was the only good writer for the Sacbee, now that he's gone it leaves all the Kings articles to Jason Jones and Ailene Vision. I can't stand either one of those writers, I mean every now and then they come up with a decent article, but somebody good has to replace Amick. Sactownroalty is filled with guys who can write better articles than Jones or Vision. I like all of these writers, but I gotta go with High Tops (he's basically Doug Collins). I know it's a meaningless post, but whatever it's for fun.

Poll

Who from Sactownroalty should replace Sam Amick?

Tiago Splitter

2010-03-17T18:11:31Z

Tiago Splitter is considered to be the top center in Europe. San Antonio Express-News noted that Spurs drafted him in 2007 but won't be able to bring him over since they can only offer him the mid-level exception.

Perhaps we could get some help from our very own Jason Levien who is knowledgeable about all things related with foreign contracts, etc to help make this deal happen.

The only way this might be able to work is that spurs trade us his draft rights then we can offer what free cap space we have.

What do you guys think?

(Update shooting %s) Tyreke's stats - Monthly averages

2010-03-17T08:25:37Z

Hi All,

I was kind of wondering what Tyreke's numbers have been and how they have changed since the season began. It seems like he has seriously stepped up his game. I decided to look at his numbers by the month. Just a straight forward look at averages for each month from October through the game against LA, March 16th.

I found it interesting and thought you might as well.

Here is an update with the shooting percentages by month. There isn't too much to note except that there was an improvement on FT shooting that seemed to regress. That is until the last five games.

Something happened in the last five games that has significantly changed Evans game for the better. I averaged out the last five games and he is shooting FT% of 83%. So, whatever was going on seems to be resolved and his improvement there may be continuing.

	October	November	December	January	February	March
FGM-A	44%	42%	49%	44%	50%	43%
3PM-A	15%	47%	20%	24%	16%	22%
FTM-A	57%	75%	76%	81%	63%	66%

A lot of this is what you would expect. His minutes have stayed the same as have a lot of his other stats. What I was most interested in seeing is if his Assist to Turnover rate improved and it really has gotten better, the bottom row.

Does that mean he is a PG? I don't know you tell me. It tells me he is a playmaker and that is all I care about, really. This may add fuel to the fire of the NaPG debate which is fine, but I am not so sure all that is meaningful. He is playing the PG spot on the roster. Good enough for PW, good enough for me.

Another nice thing to note is that even though his assists have gone up and yet he is still scoring about the same average which is nice to see.

It would be great if this Assist to Turnover rate keeps improving and interesting to see where he ends up consistently averaging. His last four games have been at 3.4... I know small sample size and all, but his huge improvement in that last few games makes, IMO, this noteworthy.

Way to go Tyreke! Keep up the good work!

(Side note: Shooting percentages weren't working given how they were annotated. I may fix this later. Also, I included October and all the preseason games just to have it all, against my better judgment, but I don't know how much this should be considered.)

Lottery Watch

2010-03-17T07:46:41Z

Unfortunately the Kings won't be making the playoffs this year.... bummer, I know. But hey, we always have the lottery and then the draft to look forward to, right? With about 15 more games to go for most teams, it may be a good time to start looking at the race that actually matters to us: "the ping-pong ball race." Now, this post has nothing to do with tanking; it's all about being informed about the other teams we're 'competing' with for those damn balls.

After the jump, I'm listing the teams we're close to record wise and their upcoming schedule. I also hope to update this post after games to get a better picture of where we stand as the end of the season draws near.

First we have 2 teams that are pretty much set with their lottery postioning. The Nets are 7-60 and WILL finish with the league's worst record. After them we have the Minnesota Timberwolves that barring a miracle (or a GS collapse) will finish with the second worst record in the L. They are at 14-54 right now and will probably not win that many more games.

So let's look at the lottery race for the other teams and let's start with our beloved Kings

Record: 23-46

Upcoming schedule:

6 home, 7 road (strenght of schedule .508)

@ Clippers

vs. Memphis

@ New Jersey

@ Boston

@ Cleveland

@ Indiana

@ Minny

vs. Portland

vs. San Antonio

vs. Clippers

vs. Dallas

vs. Houston

@ Lakers

Prediction: I see us winning 5-6 more games taking us to a record of 29-53 (progress FTW!)

Now, lets look at our ping-pong balls competitors

Golden State

Warriors

Record: 19-50

Upcoming schedule:

6 home, 7 away (strength of schedule = .511)

vs. Phoenix

vs. Memphis

vs. Dallas

@ Clippers

@ Utah

vs. Knicks

@ Toronto

@ Washington

@ Minny

@ Clippers

vs. OKC

vs. Utah

@ Portland

Prediction: 22-60

Washington

Wizards

Record: 21 - 46

Upcoming schedule:

7 home, 8 away (strength of schedule = .495)

@ Lakers

vs. Charlotte

@ Indana

@ Charlotte

vs. Utah

@ Houston

@ New Orleans

vs. Chicago

vs. New Jersey

vs. Golden State

@ Orlando

@ Boston

vs. Atlanta

@ Knicks

vs Indiana

Predicton: 25 - 57

Indiana

Pacers

Record: 23-46

Upcoming schedule:

9 home, 4 road (strength of schedule = .495)

vs. OKC

@ Detroit

vs. Washington

vs. Utah

@ Atlanta

vs. Sacramento

vs. Miami

vs. Houston

vs. Knicks

@ Cleveland

vs. New Jersey

vs. Orlando

@ Washington

Prediction: 29-53

Detroit

Pistons

Record: 23-46

Upcoming schedule:

6 home, 7 road (strength of schedule = .499)

@ Cleveland

vs. Indiana

@ New Jersey

vs. Chicago

vs. Miami

vs. Phoenix

@ Atlanta

@ Philly

vs Atlanta

@ Miami

@ Charlotte

vs. Toronto

@ Minny

Prediction: 29-53

Philadelphia

76ers

Record: 24-46

Upcoming schedule:

7 home, 5 road (strength of schedule = .486)

vs. Orlando

@ Milwaukee

vs. Atlanta

vs. OKC

@ Charlotte

vs. Toronto

vs. Detroit

@ Miami

vs. Milwaukee

@ Memphis

vs. Miami

@ Orlando

Prediction: 28-54

New York

Knicks

Record: 25-44

Upcoming schedule:

5 home, 8 road (strength of schedule = .486)

vs. Houston

vs. Denver

@ Phoenix

@ Utah

@ Portland

@ Golden State

@ Clippers

vs. Boston

@ Indiana

@ Orlando

vs. Miami

vs. Washington

@ Toronto

Prediction: 28-54

and last but certainly not least

Los Angeles

Clippers

Record: 26-43

Upcoming schedule:

7 home, 6 road (strength of schedule = .504)

vs. Sacramento

@ Dallas

@ Houston

vs. Golden State

@ Milwaukee

@ Toronto

@ Denver

vs. Knicks

vs. Portland

@ Sacramento

vs. Golden State

vs. Dallas

vs. Lakers

Prediction: 30-52

So there it is. These are the teams we may want to follow closely and start rooting for in the coming weeks. Let's hope they win as much as possible so that 'lottery-wise' the Kings can get a better seed and hopefully a higher pick. (Let's also hope my predictions are off because that would mean a 8th-10th in the lottery). I'll try updating this as time permits. If we want to keep the post up until the end of the season let's get some rec's and move it to the top of the page.

Note: If anyone finds an error anywhere in the record or in the upcoming schedule part, please let me know so that I can adjust accordingly.

Grading the Kings and Addressing their Needs...

2010-03-16T06:17:23Z

Although the body of work is not complete on the 2009-2010 version of the Kings, there are some conclusions that can be drawn based on what we have witnessed so far.

In advance of the NCAA tournament where we will all start evaluating our top prospects play this weekend on National TV and before the upcoming NBA Draft, I wanted to take a closer look at where the Kings are and what needs remain in order to bring the franchise back in contention for a title.

Ownership: C The Maloofs are financially leveraged to the hilt, lacking the wealth, portfolio and network to control the Kings' destiny without outside intervention. We don't know if the Kings will remain in Sacramento since all our hope seem to be tied to the Convergence Project recently endorsed by the NBA and Mayor Johnson' task force.

With that said, the fan experience has improved at Arco, Attendance is up, the product has gotten more competitive, The Maloofs have reinvested in Petrie and seem to be allowing the GM and Coaching staff to do their jobs without undue influence. They need to be working the Developer scene, getting someone with deep pockets excited about the project off Business 80 and Exposition Blvd.

General Management: B Geoff continues in his role as our very own Moneyball Maestro delivering us talent via the draft consistently despite our Five Stages of a Geoff Petrie Draft reaction that typically ends with contentment or his trade machine that leaves us half the time scratching our heads with HOW did he do that and WHY did he do that? In my mind, if he would have drafted Rubio and traded him for Tyreke + something else or was able to trade Kevin Martin and one of our young bigs for a legit center then I would have given him a glowing A.

Coaching: B- I am impressed with Westphal's polish in front of the media and on the sideline. He remains composed even when the team doesn't execute. He seems to have the ear and confidence of the front office and the roster competes every night. His minutes and substiutions don't seem to always make sense but he does seem to have enough patience to let the guys work it out on the floor versus yanking them every time they make a mistake. I expected the assistant coaches to have a greater impact. Mario and Truck were brought in to improve our defensive which has made some progress going from 30th to 24th in overall defensive rating and from 29th to 25th in points allowed.

The staff needs to continue to improve the basketball IQ of the team, defensive positioning, rebounding, pick n roll, and movement away from the basketball.

PG/SG: B+ Tyreke deserves an A and will likely win ROY. He has played or defended up to 3 positions and typically is our only option when the game is on the line. Beno has played fairly consistently this year and seems to be fine with or without the ball in his hands. He is also providing more value than Mike Bibby (our former PG of note) this year in most statistical categories.

Since Tyreke has been playing along side Beno, we are thin at PG and I don't think Greene nor Garcia are real starting SGs in this league if Tyreke is playing the point. Ideally we either need another solid defender/distributor at point guard to support Tyreke when he plays the 2 and use Donte/Garcia has solid 6th men candidates at SG or we draft a future star SG and have Tyreke play PG assuming we have zero chance in hell landing Wall.

SF: C+ We have too many players that are just fillers at this position. It doesn't help that we have been spoiled at this position historically (Peja, Hedo, Gerald, Ron). I believe Omri can be a jack of all trades but he will never defend like Ron, Shoot like Peja, have the handles of Hedo and flat out score like Gerald. I think he can average 18 points and 5 rebounds a game, which is solid. But I don't see how he ever evolves to lock down the likes of Grainger, Durant, Pierce, Anthony or James. We get schooled by half the league at that position and Greene who has other versatility can score, Noce can defend, yet neither are solid enough to start at SF in this league on a playoff caliber team.

PF/C: C- I am not sure how many times (if ever) the Shawes Shock Redemption aka Jawes project has ever resulted in both having double doubles in the same game. It seems when one plays well the other is on the bench. I envisioned Hawes developing a Brad Miller/Vlade kind of game after a progressive year last season. He should be able to initiate the offensive, find the backside cutter (making yoda due flips in his courtside seats) and set solid picks in the pick n roll game while nailing the needed three that stretches the defense out. Instead he has developed a Brad/Vlade kind of game that complains about too many calls while getting pushed around on the low block.

Thompson also has stagnated with poorer shooting percentages, more fouls and only marginal improvements to points and rebound averages. He is still turnover prone and fumbles passes even when he is open on the low block. He is poor on the pick n roll and and can't make a jump shot to save his life. He shows promise on defense with the occasional block but sometimes just makes bad decisions.

Both guys would look a lot better if there was stud big to complement them. Together their combined flaws are just too exploitable by most of the League. I do like the additions of Brockman and Landry, but both of these guys should be coming off the bench dominating the other team's bench.

I would now like to shift the discussion on the two ways we sure up the roster's gaps.

Free Agent Market - Here are the projected Free Agents for your review. Here is the expected Cap Space for the teams vying to land a maximum contract free agent. The Kings likely are not primed to land a top tier free agent this Summer for three basic reasons: available cash, market size/appeal, and players involved. With under $17M in probably money to sign someone next season, they trail bigger market teams like DC, NY, NJ, Chicago, LA with more cash and/or not having an all star to go over the cap to re-sign like Dwayne, LeBron, Kobe, Dirk, etc.

I would look at the restricted Luis Scola, first and foremost for helping our post. He is young enough and certainly a multi-faceted player that won't command top 5 money but is possibly a solid next tier big that we could afford. If Yao were re-signed then Houston probably cannot afford to keep Scola.

After Luis, Kenyon Martin, Brendan Haywood, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer as possible aging bigs that can help further push our developing bigs along for a couple of years. I don't see us nabbing Chris Bosh or Yao Ming as the marquee bigs.

For our other need areas, I think it is very doubtful the Kings would try to land either Kobe, Dwayne, Manu or Joe Johnson (Tyreke answers the bell). Also, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki or Paul Pierce as BPAs would not likely step down to join the Kings.

We may be able to land a SF like a Rudy Gay who might see Sacramento as a step up who gives unparalleled athleticism, a stronger defender/scorer complementing the better shooting and rebounding skills of Casspi.

Draft - Since we don't know what our draft position will be given the lottery system, I will assume for now that we draft 4th or 5th this year. I think that safely rules out the likes of John Wall. I think it is a crap shoot as to where DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Favors and Evan Turner fall. The first two potentially supplant either Thompson or Hawes with no real guarantee that they are ultimately better. Turner on the other hand could provide us a very versatile SF and unlike Donte can defend multiple positions with a higher basketball IQ and better defensive focus.

I hope the kings don't put too much stock in solving all their problems through the draft this season even though the model has worked somewhat for the Blazers. Everyone else in the league that has won a title in the last several years required a combination of free agents/trades and luck in the draft.

I think our best shot is to pick up a veteran big via a free agent signing and draft a SF that can compete right away for a starting spot.

I doubt it would happen, and assuming they picked up a big via free agency, perhaps the Kings could trade up by offering either Hawes or Thompson with Donte to land John Wall.

Then our Starting 5 might look like:

PG - John Wall/Beno Udrih

SG - Tyreke Evans/Francisco Garcia

SF - Omni Casspi/Andres Nocioni

PF - Luis Scola or Brendan Haywood or Carlos Boozer/Carl Landry

C - Jason Thompson or Spencer Hawes/Jon Brockman

Curious to get the collective feedback from our knowledgeable STR contingency.

NCAA March Madness Brackets!

2010-03-16T03:01:25Z

For those interested, I made a group on ESPN's Tournament Challenge, Details after the jump.

I dont know about you guys, but the Tournament is where you realize who you want to draft.

Try to beat Jerry Reynolds and the SK Dance Team person

And please beat Peaches

I dont know about prizes yet, but the winner will definitely get bragging rights

Group Name- SacTown Royalty

Password- rekeroy

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/group?groupID=90133&entryID=1984025

Good luck to all!

If not Peaches, then who?

2010-03-15T09:39:31Z

It's no secret that very few of us are big Peaches fans. But I ask a question, " If not Peaches, then who?" Who would you choose to replace him and why? It would be interesting to see Jerry's style paired with a Mike Breen perhaps. Or keep Napear and give him a different color-guy like Doug Collins. I myself love Jerry sitting shotgun and wouldn't mind another guy calling the games. What are your thoughts Anti-Peaches people?

Quick Question For Everyone..

2010-03-15T07:58:41Z

Hello everyone,

I'm a recent victim of a heavy dose of nostalgia, and I'm currently on YouTube watching videos of the old Kings. Now I wanted everyone's opinion (quick comment, not a poll or anything) about the point guard situation back then.

Who did you prefer? White Chocolate or Bibby? Was Bibby ever a true King? Was anyone sad when White Chocolate was traded?

I became a fan when Bibby was at the reigns, so I never experienced White Chocolate, but to me he seemed to really know the guys well, and seemed to really be a true point guard.

Thanks for your time,

Jumowbray

Tyreke's Ideal Back Court Teammate

2010-03-15T00:56:41Z

With the draft coming, and all this hullabaloo over Evan Turner, I started to think about what type of player would be Tyreke's ideal back court teammate.

His back court mate would have to be a great catch and shooter from long distance. He would have to be a terrific defender, solidifying our lock down perimeter defense for years to come. He would have to be an intangibles guy who would play with great energy, enthusiasm, and contagious focus on both sides of the court. He should also be able to create his own shot when things get hairy, but should not need the ball in his hands in order to be effective.

With these thoughts in mind, I came to the conclusion that Tyreke's ideal back court mate would be a young Shane Battier (shocking, I know). But because Geoff Petrie doesn't have a time machine - that we know of - who are some current players in this mold?

My list of potential puzzle pieces in order of ideal fit:

1. Courtney Lee -- He does everything I described, is a young gun only in his sophomore year, and plays with that wonderful intensity I mentioned.

2. Trevor Ariza -- Is a fantastic defender, an extremely capable catch and shoot player, and has a decent contract.

3. Eric Gordon -- I know this is getting a little too ideal now. Unquestionably the best player mentioned so far, but he doesn't have a big enough body to defend all those strong guards throughout the league (Kobe, Wade, Iggy, etc.)

As you can see, this is a rather short list as I'm having trouble finding the prototypical young Shane Battier type players. Which is why I want your help! Who are your choices for an ideal (but realistic) back court mate for our studly Tyreke Evans?

Why the recent Grant Napear-Sam Amick nonsense is just that: Nonsense

2010-03-13T21:59:34Z

I know, I know. Greek already talked about this. (Quite well too.) The problem I have is that this is A) too long and B) you can't embed youtube clips in comments. So, there it is.

There are a couple of things that I'd like to touch on before really delving into this topic wholesale. We do not sell this shit in nice small pieces of bullshit 8oz packages for proper consumption. No Peaches here.

Reading Greek's fanpost again, I realized how much I missed about what the original point was: That Grant Napear is a stupid cockroach of a peach. He is simply lower than your toejam, commute and vegemite combined.

But, like most things, do we really recognize what something is worth until we have an idea of what something's not worth?

Needless to say, the Doors clip was something I posted for a reason. For those who remember the godawful radio version where they cut most of the solo out of the middle of the song (which is, ironically, the entire worth of the song), is the reason I thought of the analogy between a radio edit and an original version of a song. Usually, a radio edit that doesn't make a difference to a song generally means (IMO) that the song is popular, but not very good in terms of musical quality. When people find ways to denounce or censor parts of a song (and the lyrics--which are usually what "outrages" people about Light My Fire--are not typically censored in the radio version: It's just the harmony of tremendous musicians plying their trade which doesn't really include Jim Morrison, but I digress), it's usually because that song is something they are afraid of. Light My Fire is a simple song, and the message is clear. Yet, what gets censored out is not anything anyone should be ashamed of. The part that is the most controversial is what always get played on the radio. Human beings like our drama. It makes us, uh, go.

(I admit this has nothing to do with the piece. Just one of my favorite early 80's songs. And, it might explain the vegemite reference.)

*******

To this end, I'd like to address what Greek said: Sacramento has a small market. Yes, this is no doubt true. It isn't even worth arguing about at this point. But, what's changed? Sac had a small media market in 2003 too, and this kinda crap wasn't going on. Was it? So, what changed? A competent media member of the Bee who had the ability to rationally, and with a sense of adult maturity you could go for the rest of your life and not see from Napear, emerged as the most powerful media voice regarding the Kings. We all know this is Sam Amick. This is why Napear screams so loud: He sees his pointless media fiefdom being subtlety attacked by not being important. When the loud obtuse redhead Long Island twit lovingly better known as Peaches screams about Amick rest assured, if nothing else, it's not about professional competency. It's about that Napear has never violated something he sees as a true imperative: You never talk about anything important regarding the Kings. Ever. Under any circumstance.

It's no secret that I widely copy the phrase TZ once used about Geoff Petrie: He operates under a strict omerta level of silence. If you do not operate under what Petrie values, you get frozen out and you do not get the story. The problem? The Kings can't just freeze the beat writer, 1 of 3 print journalists regularly covering the team, and you can't freeze them out because Amick and Jones have no interest in hiding what they discover from their sources (among other things). They are after all in the business of reporting what they know to the public. That is not a trait that Geoff Petrie admires or desires in a media outlet. He prefers obnoxious, obtuse, mouthy, pointless redheads running his mouth about nothing that matters and everything that doesn't.

It's the terror of knowing What this world is about Watching some good friends Screaming let me out! Pray tomorrow takes me higher higher higher Pressure on people People on streets Turned away from it all Like a blind man Sat on a fence but it don't work Keep coming up with love But it's so slashed and torn Why why why? Love love love love

That's pretty much the gist of it right there. I don't know if I could explain it better if I wanted to, but I'll try anyway.

We already know that Grant Napear, aka the Almighty Peachilcious, is silly and pointless. This is nothing new, but it aggravates us. So, let me suggest something else. Without Napear, you wouldn't be appreciate to what Sam Amick does for the Bee and Kings fans worldwide. Without Peaches obtuse inane ratty meanness, you wouldn't be able to define real information if you stumbled across it. (If nothing else, it makes you appreciate what Amick does do.) In order, these are generally the people whom I hold the amount of trust when it comes to Kings info:

Sam Amick
Jerry Reynolds
Tom Ziller

Can anyone really argue with the point that you've learned more about basketball and the Kings since Amick has become the beat writer? I surely can't. With regards to TZ, I'm not sure what it says about the media in the Sac market that TZ would rank 3rd in importance of coverage of the team when he doesn't work a beat in the traditional sense, and ultimately doesn't even reap anywhere near the monetary value in comparison to his contribution. I would side with the argument of both, but that's me.

Why JR 2? He works for the team, but he does an interesting job in highlighting important points about players that can't be overlooked. Amick, though, will always be King of information simply because Amick strives for accuracy. Even if Kings fans around the Central Valley and beyond can't appreciate the accuracy Amick has made a hallmark, one of the reason's that I read StR, still, is that I know the fans here can. That is as important as anything else. It's one thing to have information and report, but it's quite another to read, analyze and comprehend the information that has been gathered.

That having said, a rare group of words that Amick wrote emerged in his blog post should be repeated and fully analyzed:

The larger point is this: questioning anything relating to Evans results in these kinds of reactions in Kings Land. There has been frustration all season long from the Kings that the local paper wouldn't put the cart in front of the horse and wanted to - imagine this? - actually do our jobs and analyze the team. You always got the strong sense that they wanted us to be sure and always call him a point guard, to not talk so much about how he often struggles to keep the ball moving or why his teammates get benched for saying things similiar to what he publicly said or how his jumper has a long ways to go.

It's a silly exercise, really, because he has earned a good amount of hype in our pages while already showing with his play that he is a unique and dynamic talent in just six short months as a pro. And as Kings director of player personnel/TV color man Jerry Reynolds constantly and accurately reminds me, let's remember that he's without question one of the best 20 year olds to ever play this game at the NBA level. The scary part? There's plenty of room for improvement.

He is, as I've already mentioned, the leading-by-a-longshot Rookie of the Year and a young man who is on the verge of becoming just the fourth player in league history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game as a rookie. For those of you who somehow haven't seen that stat yet, that's a club that only Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and LeBron James have access cards to.

Maybe it's just a matter of taste, but I would much rather take the measured and healthy approach to handling a young player as opposed to calling him great before he can legally go to a bar and waiting for him to live up to that unfair billing. I don't see that happening, though, and I suppose anyone who doesn't play that game will be treated accordingly. - Sam Amick

Yes. Very much this. But I digress.... (Also the apology on the long blockquote to Sam. I never like ripping any scribes words to that extent, but in this case I felt it was necessary. Again, many apologies to Sam.)

Amick touches on a touchy point: The Kings organization (starting with Geoff Petrie) does not like real talk about the team. For whatever reason, and I'm not sure if any of this has to do with the older parts of the front office or not, but I think essentially this is why Sam Amick has my respect. It's not the response to Napear (which this is, but it's done so well I can respect the art with the way the words are written) that I like; I don't think giving Napear any power is worth it. But, there comes a point where a low level chucklehead like Napear can ruin your job if you're Amick, and this was one of those times. Amick CLEARLY states why he lets it known that Tyreke Triple-Double was not likely one of the pure degree. And, in the post, Amick states where others do the same thing. It's really not that big of a deal to someone like me (I don't think Triple Doubles are that big of a deal because I think assists are a stupid stat), but to others who place importance in that kind of crap, I suppose it matters. How are Amick crap on that bit of ignorance? I mean, how dare Sam do his job! (Btw, I love the line about how keeping a response measured about a kid who can't even legally walk into a bar is wonderful. Sam, for lack of a better word, gets it.) The fact that Tyreke is mature for his age isn't necessarily about why other 20 year olds aren't as mature so much as it's amazing that any 20 year old could be as mature as Tyreke. Some of that is Reke's doing, and some of that is his brothers doing. (If that's part of the Blueprint, it's working well I might add.) Maturity is a major part of success in the NBA, and it's impossible to be successful in the NBA without said maturity when you're 20. Let me bring you back to a point that I really want to highlight with Sam's piece:

The larger point is this: questioning anything relating to Evans results in these kinds of reactions in Kings Land. There has been frustration all season long from the Kings that the local paper wouldn't put the cart in front of the horse and wanted to - imagine this? - actually do our jobs and analyze the team. You always got the strong sense that they wanted us to be sure and always call him a point guard, to not talk so much about how he often struggles to keep the ball moving or why his teammates get benched for saying things similiar to what he publicly said or how his jumper has a long ways to go.

To be fair to Sam, this is only true when you're the beat writer. If you're someone like, say, me, you don't get this kind of reaction. They might not like it (especially when you're right), or maybe one day attempt to argue your mis-steps as a way of discrediting you. (Of course, that's only assuming the Kings franchise has heard of me, which, I know they have, but don't care if they do or don't. Being noticed by a group of 50'ish-60'ish basketball men is not what this is about.) When Sam Amick says important stuff, though, it's important to note that the franchise cares. Why? I've long held the belief most Kings fans don't like to disapprove of anything whenever possible, or, for that matter, notice flaws in any players game. If Tyreke say, freezes out the best offensive player on the Kings against the Blazers when the Kings struggled to score points, then it's not going to be a popular sentiment. There will be people who scream: He's 20 give him a break. Yeah, thanks. I didn't know he was 20. I clearly need to remember that next time. < / sarcasm > What 20 has anything to do with freezing out a player is beyond me. Players who are older do it too, and part of the point is player fit.

The Kings desperately need other players to facillitate shots and offense for Tyreke until A) he improves at it (he will never be the ideal player to do this), and B) that players recognize that some games there will be times where he just doesn't do it. It's a 2 way street, and some of this just takes time and chemistry to work it's magic. As they say, time cures all ills. (Or, most of them anyway.) But, you say, old Kings teams didn't do that! And, to that end, I argue bullshit. Bobby Jackson and Chris Webber did it frequently. B-Jax & C-Webb froze out Peja Stojakovic often, and for no particular reason I could find. (Btw, I ain't arguing about this in the comments. I don't care if I've offended your opinion of your favorite player.) I don't think it was an issue of personalities: It was simply how both guys played. For Bobby to be most effective, he needed to jack up shots. (He got progressively worse during his Sacramento tenure. On both ends.) Webber and Stojakovic's game rarely fit together well, and when Doug Christie & Vlade Divac left the organization, Peja saw his game decline simply because he was less effective offensively without DC or Vlade finding him on a consistent basis. Peja was a guy who simply was what he was, and never could add that necessary post game to balance everything else he did well. Whether that was because his body wouldn't let him or the focus was not there (on either the coaching staff or Peja's) I do not know. Some things are destined to be mysteries I suppose. But, I digress.... Let me bring up another point in Sam's piece that's worth re-highlighting:

Maybe it's just a matter of taste, but I would much rather take the measured and healthy approach to handling a young player as opposed to calling him great before he can legally go to a bar and waiting for him to live up to that unfair billing. I don't see that happening, though, and I suppose anyone who doesn't play that game will be treated accordingly.

Yuh. If Sam doesn't say that the world revolves around Tyreke Evans (instead of Eric Maynor as anyone with a brain already knows), he's suddenly a sullen beat writer left out of the loop. (Yuh, that's what I think. Snicker, Snicker, Napear followers. Do us all a favor and piss on your head so we don't have to. For that matter, bash your brain in with a silver spoon.) Playing the game is not only expected, but mandatory. Again, because Sam doesn't have to play ball, he doesn't.

So my question to Sam: Why? You can't enjoy having the franchise consistently chide and deride your public credentials to do your job. You can't enjoy having the obtuse gnatty Peach attempt (key word: attempt) to obliterate your professional competency as often as possible. (And, for those that remember Reggie Theus gate, this is not the first time.)

Either way, consider this a 2000 word thank you for the professional, honest, competent and tremendous job that Sam Amick consistently does. Other than the pleasure of doing a good job, I'm always left to wonder why Amick carries on. Only a masochist would take this kind of crap.

Oh, and to wrap this up, I brought up the Doors, and Light My Fire, to highlight the song below. In my humble opinion (or not so humble) what made the Doors work was that Jim Morrison made the band famous because of his looks, singing, and charm. But what made the Doors the band was the harmony that Morrison, Robby Kreuger, Ray Manzarek and John Densmore had when playing. Rarely do you hear them not play together, or with a tune in mind. LA Woman may not be as famous as LA Woman with the general public, but the song remains the masterpiece of the quartet. Their opus if you will. It highlights exactly what they were, and weren't, as a group of 4 musicians. Even if it's not what the band is most famous for some 40 years after Morrison's death in Paris, it still remains the band's shining beacon of light.

For lack of a better description, this is exactly why I appreciate Sam Amick's contributions to the media as a whole, and to the Kings in this particular setting. Beat writers come & go, but Amick is the rarest of the rare. Few take it on all sides like Amick, and still manage to act gracious. (I doubt it's an act.) Amick has long epitomized what it takes to be a successful beat writer in a town that is often equally succulent and sullen in ways noone around the 916 will ever readily admit. In a media market that ran out the most successful writer (Mark Kreidler) the Bee had (whether it was only Bill Bradley's doing is something I question), Amick is the last of the mohicans. Maybe we should do something better than just appreciate his work: We should petition the US government to put Amick on the endangered species list. If for nothing else, it might stop Peaches character assassinations.