2015 Offseason To-Dos

[randymoss1881]

If someone like Houston outbids us for Lawson, they were rumored to trade for him and Josh Smiths play makes there young bigs expandable.
(Jones/Papanikolaou/ 18th pick/ future 1st).

I'd offer Ben/6/Landry for faried/chandler. A backcourt of chandler/Collison is very good defensively and we develop Nik over Ben. Actually Chandler is an elite 3D guy at SG/SF he averaged 5.5 catch and shoot 3s shooting 39% on them. He held opposing SF to 15.3PER.
Cousins/Faried/JT front court is very good also.

 

[KingsFanGER]

Sorry, but "2-3 NBA games a day via League Pass" is like 3-4 hours watching basketball every day. Really?

Good thing is that in re-live all timeouts, halftime and major pauses are cut out, so watching a game takes way less time, than watching it live.
So yes - watching NBA is my main hobby during free time and since my wife is a huge NBA fan too, it's not much of a problem ;-)
Right now I'm watching every playoff game. But because I am quite busy at the moment, I only watch 2 games a day. So I can't follow the playoff series live. But the NBA is not in the news in Germany, so it's no problem, cause I won't hear or read the score by accident.

 

[ockingsfan]

I love this trade but it think they'ed make us switch JT for Landry. Also with the bucks success i don't see him leaving them for id I'd go for Wes Johnson though for 3million.

Even if we need to switch Landry for JT, it is still a potential deal.

The Kings would need to sign a big in Free agency, like Cole Aldrich or Aleix Ajencia, or Kostas Koufas.

Landry would slide into back up the PF position.

 

[Gilles]

I think, Kings should avoid the situation, where they have to choose between Dudley, Landry and Cole Aldrich as their second-best big man.

Also checking Cowbell Kingdom articles they are now suggesting, that DC is likely a starting PG next season, while they were talking about Lawson in every off-season piece just two weeks ago.

EDIT: Listening further to Cowbell Kingdom podcast (http://cowbellkingdom.com/ck-podcas...es/#st_refDomain=t.co&st_refQuery=/C2yVq4zcqc), they believe, that
a) Derrick Williams will only be returned as a last resort,
b) Landry was a 100% Vivek signing,
c) "My" idea of waive-and-stretch Landry should be a way to go, but might not be realized because of point b),
d) no FA wants to sign in Sacramento, until they clean up their image, so PDA being back is not 100%,
e) Vlade is the sole decision-maker at this point,
f) Kings like WCS, but apparently Bargnani clone is discussed as well

 

[ockingsfan]

Even if we need to switch Landry for JT, it is still a potential deal.

The Kings would need to sign a big in Free agency, like Cole Aldrich or Aleix Ajencia, or Kostas Koufas.

Landry would slide into back up the PF position.

Another option, if we keep Landry is to try to trade him to the Lakers for Nick Young.

Nick Young would give us a swingman 6th Man type (similar to a Jamal Crawford) to replace Nik off the bench.

The Lakers would get a competent low post scorer and they move Young, who is rumored to be in coach Byron Scott's doghouse. Landry also has one less year on his contract than Young.

 

[randymoss1881]

Even if we need to switch Landry for JT, it is still a potential deal.

The Kings would need to sign a big in Free agency, like Cole Aldrich or Aleix Ajencia, or Kostas Koufas.

Landry would slide into back up the PF position.

If we get a front court of Cousins/ Faried/ JT. We won't need to sign any of them JT would eat all the back up C minuets and 18mpg left off of Faried would probably be when we go small. Also is just resign Hollins to vet minimum he and Morehead would be insurence.

Nuggets fans seem to like a landry/ Ben/6 for Faried and Chandler. We get veteran players, shooting, and Karl system players in 1 trade.

 

[ockingsfan]

If we get a front court of Cousins/ Faried/ JT. We won't need to sign any of them JT would eat all the back up C minuets and 18mpg left off of Faried would probably be when we go small. Also is just resign Hollins to vet minimum he and Morehead would be insurence.

Nuggets fans seem to like a landry/ Ben/6 for Faried and Chandler. We get veteran players, shooting, and Karl system players in 1 trade.

Ben and the #6 is way too much to give up for Faried and Chandler. I would want Lawson and Faried for that package.

Lawson is the key to any Denver trade, especially if we give up a top 6 pick. Ben should not be traded, Nik should be moved instead.

 

[KingsFanGER]

Ben and the #6 is way too much to give up for Faried and Chandler. I would want Lawson and Faried for that package.

Lawson is the key to any Denver trade, especially if we give up a top 6 pick. Ben should not be traded, Nik should be moved instead.

What bothers me about Lawson is his size. With big, powerful and/or athletic freaks at the PG position like Westbrook, Wall, MCW (if he continues to develop), Smart, Payton, Dragic a slender and small PG seems to be even more of a liability than before. If we give up Ben in the process, we have no defender, who has the size and footspeed to mess with these guys.

 

[randymoss1881]

What bothers me about Lawson is his size. With big, powerful and/or athletic freaks at the PG position like Westbrook, Wall, MCW (if he continues to develop), Smart, Payton, Dragic a slender and small PG seems to be even more of a liability than before. If we give up Ben in the process, we have no defender, who has the size and footspeed to mess with these guys.

Ben and the #6 is way too much to give up for Faried and Chandler. I would want Lawson and Faried for that package.

Lawson is the key to any Denver trade, especially if we give up a top 6 pick. Ben should not be traded, Nik should be moved instead.

I agree with kingsfanger about Lawson's defense that's why I'd want chandler. He is basically a season Ben who is consistent and we wouldn't have to worry about. He is an elite defender and shooter both what we want from Ben. He can guard the SF/SG while Bend not big enough to do. This would let Gay take the lesser offensive player every night. With the 6 pick your basically choosing Faried over WCS. Again I'm taking the proven guy who will make teams pay if they double off him, dudes an excellent passer.

 

[KingMilz]

I just don't see why we would want Faried....I mean Rudy Gay is a better defender and offensive player playing PF than Faried, he's bigger and actually more physically equipped to play that position. . Dude is making 11+ million a year and I don't even know if I can say he's overall a better player than JT, this is similar to the debate earlier int he season with Williams and Plumelee (who many argued was worth getting and is now not playing since the real games have started). We don't need energy guys to start for us who have zero playmaking/shooting/good man to man D/shot blocking.

 

[KingsFanGER]

I agree with kingsfanger about Lawson's defense that's why I'd want chandler. He is basically a season Ben who is consistent and we wouldn't have to worry about. He is an elite defender and shooter both what we want from Ben. He can guard the SF/SG while Bend not big enough to do. This would let Gay take the lesser offensive player every night. With the 6 pick your basically choosing Faried over WCS. Again I'm taking the proven guy who will make teams pay if they double off him, dudes an excellent passer.

I don't follow the Nuggets at all. Is Chandler quick enough to guard the likes of Westbrook? Last time I saw him the guy looked more of a SF/stretch 4.

I just don't see why we would want Faried....I mean Rudy Gay is a better defender and offensive player playing PF than Faried, he's bigger and actually more physically equipped to play that position. . Dude is making 11+ million a year and I don't even know if I can say he's overall a better player than JT, this is similar to the debate earlier int he season with Williams and Plumelee (who many argued was worth getting and is now not playing since the real games have started). We don't need energy guys to start for us who have zero playmaking/shooting/good man to man D/shot blocking.

I tend to agree, but Faried is not just some energy guy, he is THE energy guy. If you pair him with a PG, who knows how to set him up, I would assume, that he is a pretty good player and his hustle and willingness to go after every 50/50 Ball should make him more valuable than Dwill.

 

[KingMilz]

I don't follow the Nuggets at all. Is Chandler quick enough to guard the likes of Westbrook? Last time I saw him the guy looked more of a SF/stretch 4.



I tend to agree, but Faried is not just some energy guy, he is THE energy guy. If you pair him with a PG, who knows how to set him up, I would assume, that he is a pretty good player and his hustle and willingness to go after every 50/50 Ball should make him more valuable than Dwill.

I agree with you but if Faried was making what D-will just made than hell yeah get him on the Kings but at like 12million per season for what he brings imo is ridicilous. I just can't justifty any way despite Faried being a freak hustle guy who can finish to pay someone that when they are lacking skills in defense (he's awful)/playmaking (his IQ is fairly low) and being super undersized and not terrible strong (a lot of the bigger SF's are physically stronger) for the position either.

The other thing that concerned me about him the last two years he's only played well at the end of the year when the season is completely over and was benched a number of times in both season's for very average players when the season still meant something. I just think there are so many better options who might not have stats like his that impact the game more (e.g Brandon Wright/John Henson).

 

[KingsFanGER]

The other thing that concerned me about him the last two years he's only played well at the end of the year when the season is completely over and was benched a number of times in both season's for very average players when the season still meant something. I just think there are so many better options who might not have stats like his that impact the game more (e.g Brandon Wright/John Henson).

Of course. But are the better options available? Regarding Henson, who started for the Bucks in their playoff series, I doubt it.
What I like about Faried is that when he goes to the rim, he goes hard! He seems to be very quick and very mobile for a PF and like I mentioned a few times before, being quick and mobile seems to be more important to me, than having size.
But I didn't watch the Nuggets, so I can't judge his defense. He seems to have all the tools though - quick, great lateral speed, quick jumper, great vertical, hustle.
If he is bad on D I don't understand why.

 

[dude12]

I wouldn't mind Faried at his salary if we could acquire him by moving salary back...Landry and then Stauskas would work for me.

 

[randymoss1881]

If Toronto decides they have to split there backcourt which there fans think they will do PDA vista his old buddy.
Collison/6pick/JT

Why for Toronto:
Saves them 4million in cap giving them 24mill in space while getting a serviceable starting pg and a lottery pick.

Why for Kings:
Although Lowry struggled in the playoffs as a number 1 when Lowey is your 3rd option as he would be here than you have a championship team. As long as your role players are good but we would have a true # 1 option in Cousins and Lowry would be one of the best #3 options in the league. I can only think of Love who would be better. We all know what PPat would bring as a stretch 4 and a solid role player. With 6million left we could sign a back up C in Kofus. If he cost too much we can go after Ed Davis/ Baynes/ Levoy Allen/ D.Aurthur.

Lowry/ray
Ben/Nik
Gay/cassipi
PPat/Landry
Cousins/Kofus

 

[Gilles]

Hell, no!
EDIT:I was a bit short with my previous answer, so here's the reason: http://www.thestar.com/sports/rapto...ldnt-have-say-in-future-of-coach-feschuk.html

That last part could be a problem for the Raptors — and not because Ujiri isn’t resourceful enough to swing the deals to get it. It’s a problem because on the day Ujiri lands a player whose gifts are comparable or superior to Lowry’s, history suggests it will plunge Lowry into another sulk.

Insiders will tell you the point guard takes great satisfaction that the Raptors are “his” team. Surely that’s got to be a consideration when Ujiri charts the coming three seasons with Lowry under contract. Surely it wasn’t a coincidence that on Monday, after Lowry’s icy remarks about Casey, Casey attempted to empower the locker-room rise of DeMar DeRozan.

“This is his team,” Casey said of DeRozan. “He and Amir (Johnson) have been here the longest. If something’s going wrong in the locker room, speak up, say something, don’t just complain about it. And (DeRozan) is at that stage of his career now that he can speak up and be a leader, not depend on someone else to be a leader or listen to someone else. If you don’t agree with something, say something.”

In other words, if Lowry’s bringing down the squad with his latest grouse-fest, tell him to keep it to himself, keep in shape and play better. There are select players in the NBA who can make a case that they should have a say in who coaches their team. Half-season all-stars who don’t show up for the playoffs aren’t among them.

 

[Gilles]

In first 4 games of SAS-LAC series Danny Green is 6-10 from 3 in wins and 1-13 in losses. Is he inconsistent enough to be dumped?

 

[Amit149]

I think first order of business should be getting those, who stays, healthy:
.964PPP 1748 poss. - Curry-Thompson-Barnes-Green-Bogut
.962PPP 583poss. - Parker-Green-Leonard-Splitter-Duncan
.992PPP 777poss. - MCW-Middleton-Antetokounmpo-Ilyasova-Pachulia
1.046PPP 967poss. - Conley-Allen-Lee-Randolph-Gasol
1.026PPP 1267poss. - Wall-Beal-Pierce-Hilario-Gortat
1.034PPP 1881poss. - Teague-Carroll-Korver-Millsap-Horford
.931PPP 842poss. - Collison-Mclemore-Gay-JT-DMC

That's, how starting lineups of 6 best NBA defenses and one unidentified team did in PPP against.
Which brings my point: leaving aside offense (and this lineup was scoring at 112PPP rate), maybe we ease up on suggesting Darren's or JT's replacements.
Edit: remember post-ASG Utah with devastating defense?
.934PPP 273poss. - Exum-Hood-Hayward-Favors-Gobert
I'm sure, everybody believes Jazz will return with the same level of defense, but Kings starting lineup was a fluke (small sample size and all), especially since it was against elite SOS.

So here's my question: do you think that if we go with the same starting five (Collison-Mclemore-Gay-JT-DMC) and bring back a better bench we can be a playoff team?

 

[Spike]

So here's my question: do you think that if we go with the same starting five (Collison-Mclemore-Gay-JT-DMC) and bring back a better bench we can be a playoff team?

Short answer: yes.

Our starting 5 built many big leads against elite teams only to have the bench pee it away in hilariously rapid fashion.

My phone is dying, else I'd elaborate.

 

[Amit149]

Short answer: yes.

Our starting 5 built many big leads against elite teams only to have the bench pee it away in hilariously rapid fashion.

My phone is dying, else I'd elaborate.

So basically we don't need much.
If all we need is a better bench and our starting five really is that strong a summer in which we stretch Landry, draft a guy like WCS, bring in an ok PF FA like let's say Jerebko and another guard like Stuckey should be very doable. bring back Miller, Casspi and Evans and our roster looks like this:

DC/Miller/RayMac
Ben/Stuckey/Nik
Gay/Casspi
JT/Jerebko/Moreland
DMC/WCS/Evans

Would you think this roster is enough to compete for a playoff spot? cause I'm not sure.

 

[Gilles]

Defensive scheme changed as Malone main preference was hedging, while Iske is leaning towards switching heavily, so there might be problems.
Still Mclemore is clearly benefited from defensive play calling of Darren, so with another off-season of working on shooting Ben might look like a solid SG, if Collison plays most of the season. That's why I think Stuckey with his finally developed shooting fits well off the bench: defense is a bit suspect, but offensively he now works both with and w/o the ball, so he becomes a good 6th man. Get Amir (role player with good shooting, solid defense) or Taj (role player with passable shooting, very good defense), draft WCS to be a backup PF/4th big, keep Casspi and 'Dre and Kings are good to go. Everyone else will have to be on vet mins: not sure, if Ray will have to be waived for this to work. Obviously prefer to keep him. Moreland apparently had the same shoulder injury before, so not exactly a 100% keeper, given that with Gay playing 3-5 mpg at PF, Kings are now 5 deep at bigs' rotation and 6, if Reggie returns for 1 more year as an insurance.
Starting lineup with JT's replacment should still be very strong on both ends, and 'Dre would be running a very athletic unit, that should be able to cover for his defensive problems, while also benefiting from his playmaking. Bench will be a bit dependent on Casspi providing some consistent shooting, which is certainly not a given. Besides solid big man rotation team would have good versatility with Stuckey capable to slide to PG and one of Rudy/Omri capable of covering SG in a pinch. SF looks thin, and could use shooting, so if someone like Budinger was waived, he would become a good hire for a minimum. Otherwise comb through D-League, 40-year olds or other high risk groups to put a shooting SF at the end of the bench.
P.S Might be impossible to work out, but would be great to get RHJ. If he's drafted outside the lottery, will likely be an excellent value pick. Gives the team a stopper, who can work on shooting/expanding his offensive game in D-League without much pressure to deliver immediately.

 

[Sac.Kings]

I know the chances are slim to none (99.9% none), but what of Manu Ginobili? He could teach Nik quite a bit, seeing as Nik has a similar skillset and he could certainly add stability, championship pedigree, and be a good locker room guy. He is obviously older, but he could continue to come off the bench, but play significant minutes.

 

[randymoss1881]

I know the chances are slim to none (99.9% none), but what of Manu Ginobili? He could teach Nik quite a bit, seeing as Nik has a similar skillset and he could certainly add stability, championship pedigree, and be a good locker room guy. He is obviously older, but he could continue to come off the bench, but play significant minutes.

Manu is retiring or staying a spur

 

[IfAt1st]

Otherwise comb through D-League, 40-year olds or other high risk groups to put a shooting SF at the end of the bench.

Paging Hedo Turkoglu...

 

[LPKingsFan]

Defensive scheme changed as Malone main preference was hedging, while Iske is leaning towards switching heavily, so there might be problems.

Do we know Iske would run a switching scheme here, or just that he employed one in Denver? Doing so in Denver made sense given the personnel there, less so here given the current makeup (although that seems likely to change).

Just curious, as I hadn't seen anything about his plans for the Kings anywhere.

 

[Gilles]

I don't think, Kings really switched much late in the season, and Karl himself acknowledged, that he mostly runs same defense as his predecessors. I think, he only asked guys to gamble more for steals, so we will likely have to wait for training camp or at least Summer league.

 

[randymoss1881]

Plan to a contender:

1. 6/Collison/landry for Lowry
2. Nik/JT for Taj Gibson

We would than have 13.5 mill available in cap space. Sign Danny Green to 10.5mill per year and Ed Davis to 3mill per year in FA.

Lowry/Ray
Green/Ben
Gay/Cassipi
Gibson
Cousins/Davis

In the other thread people swear you need a star PG. Lowry can get in the paint and be that guy for us as well as his 3pt shot putting him ahead of Lawson. Id take that lineup vs any in the nba we have a franchise big, scoring wing, and a very good pg who was an all star. I'm expecting Ben to make another jump as he did from year 1 to 2. Green/Ben are both very good defenders and can guard either guard spot. The shooting between Green/Lowry/Ben is elite and in Gibson and the space this gives Gay/Cousins would do wonders.

 

[KingMilz]

If (BIG IF) we want to go the Memphis Grizzlies route sign and trade Rudy Gay for Greg Monroe and than we can get really creative with Nik/6th pick and Landry to get maybe Lawson +Wilson Chandler or something else we got many options to get a half way decent SF (quiet a few on the market) or upgrade PG or simply do both.

Cousins and Monroe can be our Gasol/Z-Bo both are righty/lefty combos and our's imo would be much more talented and both Cuz/Moose can really pass the ball and rebound well and with Cousins improvement on D (in particular protecting the rim) having 2 very skilled massive men is a nice thing.

 

[KingsFanGER]

If (BIG IF) we want to go the Memphis Grizzlies route sign and trade Rudy Gay for Greg Monroe and than we can get really creative with Nik/6th pick and Landry to get maybe Lawson +Wilson Chandler or something else we got many options to get a half way decent SF (quiet a few on the market) or upgrade PG or simply do both.

Cousins and Monroe can be our Gasol/Z-Bo both are righty/lefty combos and our's imo would be much more talented and both Cuz/Moose can really pass the ball and rebound well and with Cousins improvement on D (in particular protecting the rim) having 2 very skilled massive men is a nice thing.

Zbo is mobile enough to stay with stretch-4 guys most of the time. I'm not sure, if Monroe could do this.
And we would still have to aquire 3 great perimeter defenders to resemble the Grizzlies. The defense of Allen, Lee and Conley against the Splash Brothers is stellar right now.
But you are right, that we need to upgrade our PF position, if we want to have a chance to play like Memphis.

 

[206Fan]

If (BIG IF) we want to go the Memphis Grizzlies route sign and trade Rudy Gay for Greg Monroe and than we can get really creative with Nik/6th pick and Landry to get maybe Lawson +Wilson Chandler or something else we got many options to get a half way decent SF (quiet a few on the market) or upgrade PG or simply do both.

Cousins and Monroe can be our Gasol/Z-Bo both are righty/lefty combos and our's imo would be much more talented and both Cuz/Moose can really pass the ball and rebound well and with Cousins improvement on D (in particular protecting the rim) having 2 very skilled massive men is a nice thing.

I don't oppose this, but if you're asking Cousins to play the role of Gasol, then you're asking way too much from him. Cousins is not a defensive anchor, and on top of scoring, passing, rebounding, and taking charges, you're asking him to do a lot more.
I'm not saying Cousins can't do it, but you're going to ask way too much out of him and it'll just feel like another 1 man show again. Not to mention if you have Lawson as your pg...a lot of guards will go at him and beat him to the rim.

Monroe is a nice player, but his defense is lacking some.

Right now, it sounds so much better to bring in a player that will protect the rim and guard the perimeter. WCS should be that guy.