So, to review - there will be no DeAaron Fox. There will be no Marvin Bagley. But, there will be a game with the likes of Harry Giles and Justin Jackson. If watching those two come into their own, one as a rookie big and one as the only real SF we have right now, doesn't excite you as a Kings fan, you probably shouldn't waste your time watching this SUMMER LEAGUE game.
Remember back not so long ago when summer league wasn't even televised? Maybe that's because summer league isn't real NBA basketball. It's intramural scrimmages played large, because of the opportunity for the NBA to make some more $$$ during the off-season. People tend to forget that and allow themselves to get all too worked up about what happens in Vegas. The "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" advertising slogan should definitely apply to summer league. It's about kids who are desperately trying to prove their worth to their potential teams. It's about rookies getting a first step onto the NBA court. It's about coaches experimenting to see who will fit and who won't. It's not about wins and losses or personal statistics - or at least it shouldn't be. In today's social media-ruled world, however, that sometimes goes out the window.
I'll watch today not because I want the Kings to win, but because I am mesmerized by Harry Giles and very hopeful that Justin Jackson will continue to build confidence in himself and his teammates (although the majority of guys he's playing with today may never come within spitting distance of G1C). I'll also be watching because I'm hoping to spot that diamond in the rough that we so desperately need to find to play behind DeAaron Fox. It's clear to me that Frank Mason just isn't our backup PG of the future. He reminds me a lot of Francisco Garcia. He plays with heart and passion and desire, but he's got the basketball IQ of a box of rocks. (And I say that in the kindest possible way.)
It's a great time to be a Kings fan - but only if you can get past the need to see the summer league team win. Nobody cares about their wins and losses in the final assessment. In fact, celebrating that your team won summer league can and does get you ridiculed (remember?). Let's just back and enjoy the process. Look for the bright spots and you'll see them; look for the weaknesses and you'll find them. It's all a matter of perspective. I'm just happy we have something/anything to smile about and Giles and Jackson (and a couple of the hopefuls) are doing that for me.
GO KINGS!
Remember back not so long ago when summer league wasn't even televised? Maybe that's because summer league isn't real NBA basketball. It's intramural scrimmages played large, because of the opportunity for the NBA to make some more $$$ during the off-season. People tend to forget that and allow themselves to get all too worked up about what happens in Vegas. The "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" advertising slogan should definitely apply to summer league. It's about kids who are desperately trying to prove their worth to their potential teams. It's about rookies getting a first step onto the NBA court. It's about coaches experimenting to see who will fit and who won't. It's not about wins and losses or personal statistics - or at least it shouldn't be. In today's social media-ruled world, however, that sometimes goes out the window.
I'll watch today not because I want the Kings to win, but because I am mesmerized by Harry Giles and very hopeful that Justin Jackson will continue to build confidence in himself and his teammates (although the majority of guys he's playing with today may never come within spitting distance of G1C). I'll also be watching because I'm hoping to spot that diamond in the rough that we so desperately need to find to play behind DeAaron Fox. It's clear to me that Frank Mason just isn't our backup PG of the future. He reminds me a lot of Francisco Garcia. He plays with heart and passion and desire, but he's got the basketball IQ of a box of rocks. (And I say that in the kindest possible way.)
It's a great time to be a Kings fan - but only if you can get past the need to see the summer league team win. Nobody cares about their wins and losses in the final assessment. In fact, celebrating that your team won summer league can and does get you ridiculed (remember?). Let's just back and enjoy the process. Look for the bright spots and you'll see them; look for the weaknesses and you'll find them. It's all a matter of perspective. I'm just happy we have something/anything to smile about and Giles and Jackson (and a couple of the hopefuls) are doing that for me.
GO KINGS!
