Anatomy of a rebuild:

#31
No, there really is not.

When you rebuild, TRULY rebuild, you are goign to have a few of these seasons. In fact you NEED and WANT to have a few of these seasons. Why? The draft. Ther draft is the single bigest talent restocker not only in the NBA, but quite possibly in all professional sports. In no other sport is scoring a high draft pick as absolutely criticla as it is in the NBA. Its where you get Duncan, or KG, or Shaq or A.I, or CP3, LeBron, Wade, Pierce, Dirk et. All Top 10s. Most are Top 5s. So you actually NEED these years 90% of the time to find your foundation players. And even if that's not how you rebuild, even if you pull off the Boston miracle, tat team was just as absoutely terrible as we are this season the year before the massive turnarounds, and they were that terrible with veteran resident stars (Pierce) already on the team. The reason: They needed to clear cap space, just as we have done. They needed high draft picks, young talent to trade, just as we have stocked up. This is how its done, and really at some point its just up to the fans to "get it", to understand and accept the process as the established path back to glory. From a rebuilding standpoint, everything is going swimmingly.
That's exactly my point. We've had more than a couple losing seasons, including some terrible ones. The next couple years from now will most likely be losing seasons as well. at some point you must bring in some talent and spend some money.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#32
That's exactly my point. We've had more than a couple losing seasons, including some terrible ones. The next couple years from now will most likely be losing seasons as well. at some point you must bring in some talent and spend some money.
Err. When did the example teams "bring in talent and spend some money" (presumably free agents)?
 

Spike

Subsidiary Intermediary
Staff member
#33
That's exactly my point. We've had more than a couple losing seasons, including some terrible ones. The next couple years from now will most likely be losing seasons as well. at some point you must bring in some talent and spend some money.
Dude, the talent's here. It needs to mature, then we can surround it with role players that fit. Bringing in vets would stunt growth and shorten the heights that can be achieved.
 
#34
That's exactly my point. We've had more than a couple losing seasons, including some terrible ones. The next couple years from now will most likely be losing seasons as well. at some point you must bring in some talent and spend some money.
And you have to do at a correct point in rebuild. In other words if you blow your cash too soon, you get nowhere. Now this is one of those cases where its better to do it later than sooner.

When you spend that cash on recruiting new players then its better to do it when you are on the verge of being a perennial contender as opposed to just get to the play-offs. Of course there are exceptions, like the Heat during summer but we have been in no position to sign players without compromising the rebuild.

What we need to do is ensure that we have enough young talent to for a core for years to come and once thats settled, you go out and spend big to bring in a player or 2 to take you over the hump. With another good early lottery pick on the way, we are in a position where we can pick another all-star level player and still have enough cap room to sign 2 max contracts (or close to it). Thats how you do it the right way and not blow your cash and assets to become a mediocre play off team or borderline play off team. You do it to set you up for years of contending.

Unless we were going to get a LeBeron and/or Wade, last summer was the wrong time to make the move because we still haven't set up our foundations. If we manage to draft another stud this year and sign a couple of nice FAs to help round out the roster we will be set for years to come.
 
#35
What the hell are you doing?
Why did you plagiarize what I said word for word? This is my exact post from earlier in this thread.
I have never seen someone pass of someone elses post as their own on a forum, ever. What are you thinking?
lmao dude look at his sig, hes promoting his affiliate marketing. surprised none of the mods haven't banned him yet.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#36
What the hell are you doing?
Why did you plagiarize what I said word for word? This is my exact post from earlier in this thread.
I have never seen someone pass of someone elses post as their own on a forum, ever. What are you thinking?
Ah, its a bot -- it was doing that in multiple threads, but I did not catch it was copying posts.
 
#37
we need a solid fanbase i know it sucks to watch a team lose on a nightly basis but the team needs more fans, so the city can actually see this team means a lot to us.
You are not going to see a solid fanbase until the Kings start winning. No one wants to spend money on a team that isn't winning.

I went to the games when the Kings only won 17 games in a season and the arena was pretty empty. I went to the games last year and the arena was pretty empty. I am going to the games this season and the arena is pretty much empty. You see my point???
 
K

Kingsguy881

Guest
#38
But the first trades kept the Kings in win now mode and slowly continued to bleed talent and middle first round picks. If they had kept C-Webb and let him expire, traded Bibby 2 years earlier and started the rebuild in 06 then we would be further along now.

And look at the "Thunder". It took 2 years of under 30 win seasons before they got something to build on in the draft in Durant. Took Blazers also 2 years to get Roy. It's been 4 years for the Wolves.
Thats because Kahn is an idiot. He wasted a pick on Rubio when he shoulda gotten Curry and then wasted another pick on Flynn when he should have gotten someone else.
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#39
And you have to do at a correct point in rebuild. In other words if you blow your cash too soon, you get nowhere. Now this is one of those cases where its better to do it later than sooner.

When you spend that cash on recruiting new players then its better to do it when you are on the verge of being a perennial contender as opposed to just get to the play-offs. Of course there are exceptions, like the Heat during summer but we have been in no position to sign players without compromising the rebuild.

What we need to do is ensure that we have enough young talent to for a core for years to come and once thats settled, you go out and spend big to bring in a player or 2 to take you over the hump. With another good early lottery pick on the way, we are in a position where we can pick another all-star level player and still have enough cap room to sign 2 max contracts (or close to it). Thats how you do it the right way and not blow your cash and assets to become a mediocre play off team or borderline play off team. You do it to set you up for years of contending.

Unless we were going to get a LeBeron and/or Wade, last summer was the wrong time to make the move because we still haven't set up our foundations. If we manage to draft another stud this year and sign a couple of nice FAs to help round out the roster we will be set for years to come.
I generally agree with what you are saying. Depending on what happens with trades, this might not be the year to guarantee to the fans that you will spend the cap money. If you figure it takes a few more years for Cousins and Reke to polish their game well enough, even another year of waiting might be worth it. In any case, there are so many variables (including a new CBA, a walk out, trades, a major injury, etc.) that can't be controlled that the team will be thinking on the fly.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#40
I generally agree with what you are saying. Depending on what happens with trades, this might not be the year to guarantee to the fans that you will spend the cap money. If you figure it takes a few more years for Cousins and Reke to polish their game well enough, even another year of waiting might be worth it. In any case, there are so many variables (including a new CBA, a walk out, trades, a major injury, etc.) that can't be controlled that the team will be thinking on the fly.
I didn't touch on some of these things because I didn't want to muddle up the points I was trying to make, But obviously you can't have tunnel vision when your rebuilding a team. You have to take everything into consideration. That would include a new CBA and what the outcome of that will be. To spend money before knowing the outcome is to be extremely shortsighted. The Kings are at the fragile part of the rebuild, and can't afford to make any big mistakes.

As everyone knows, they'll have more money to spend than anyone else this coming offseason. But it has to be spent wisely, and with highest needs of the team in mind. And what are the highest needs of the team? Well thats the process were going through right now. At least thats what should be happening, and in my opinion, is. Chemistry is a very fragile thing, so you want pieces that are going to fit properly, and you can't do that until you know what you have first. In order to find out what you have, your have to play what you have, and then try and make good decisions on what you need to fill in the blanks.

I expect the last part to happen in the next offseason. Which, if there's a lockout, could give us plenty of time to speculate. So the point is that you have to look at the entire picture, and not just the separate pieces. Evans and Cousins are far from finished products. But even so, the two of them are better than 70% of the players in the NBA, some of whom are finished products. That bodes well for the future. With the right moves made during the coming offseason and addition of another high draft pick, I doubt the Kings will be looking at another 20 something win season. They still need to be lucky to some extent. Look whats happened to Portland. Two years ago they looked like future championship contenders. Now, their future is very uncertain.

So while I'm suffering the same pain that the rest of you are, and curse my TV on a regular basis. I take comfort in knowing that the future looks bright, and barring a lockout, the offseason may be more exciting than the regualr season.
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#41
Bajaden, my point was mainly that the Maloofs said they would spend a lot of money this summer. I hope that doesn't lock them in as it might not be the right time. All in all, if the brain is used and not the heart and a whole bunch of wishful thinking, I agree we should be in very good shape. I wouldn't be here posting notes if I didn't feel that way.

Posters who know me well, know that.
 
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#42
You may note the two highest profile #1 picks of the last decade went to Cleveland (LeBron) and Portland (Oden). Orlando got Dwight #1 (and Shaq before him #1). Milwaulkee got Bogut #1 (and Glenn Robinson before him #1). San Antonio got Duncan #1 (and David Robinson before him). We ourselves got #1 and wasted it on Pervis Ellison. The lottery conspiracy theories have never held much water.
Just seems to me that when ever there is a clear cut #1 pick, they end up going to a big market. If the #1 pick is unclear, there is a chance for smaller market teams. The reason we ended up with Ellison other than poor coaching/ownership is the fact that there was no one else in the draft that excited anyone. If there ain't crap in the draft = Small market team wins #1 overall. Stud in draft = Big Market team drafts first.
 

Spike

Subsidiary Intermediary
Staff member
#43
Just seems to me that when ever there is a clear cut #1 pick, they end up going to a big market. If the #1 pick is unclear, there is a chance for smaller market teams. The reason we ended up with Ellison other than poor coaching/ownership is the fact that there was no one else in the draft that excited anyone. If there ain't crap in the draft = Small market team wins #1 overall. Stud in draft = Big Market team drafts first.
Portland and OKC (was it Seattle? Point still stands.) are big markets? Cleveland is a big market? In the infamous (more than famous) draft of '89, it seems like 2-19 were more than adequate players, with some pretty good players, and some stars. That one is on us.
 
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Kingster

Hall of Famer
#44
I didn't touch on some of these things because I didn't want to muddle up the points I was trying to make, But obviously you can't have tunnel vision when your rebuilding a team. You have to take everything into consideration. That would include a new CBA and what the outcome of that will be. To spend money before knowing the outcome is to be extremely shortsighted. The Kings are at the fragile part of the rebuild, and can't afford to make any big mistakes.

As everyone knows, they'll have more money to spend than anyone else this coming offseason. But it has to be spent wisely, and with highest needs of the team in mind. And what are the highest needs of the team? Well thats the process were going through right now. At least thats what should be happening, and in my opinion, is. Chemistry is a very fragile thing, so you want pieces that are going to fit properly, and you can't do that until you know what you have first. In order to find out what you have, your have to play what you have, and then try and make good decisions on what you need to fill in the blanks.

I expect the last part to happen in the next offseason. Which, if there's a lockout, could give us plenty of time to speculate. So the point is that you have to look at the entire picture, and not just the separate pieces. Evans and Cousins are far from finished products. But even so, the two of them are better than 70% of the players in the NBA, some of whom are finished products. That bodes well for the future. With the right moves made during the coming offseason and addition of another high draft pick, I doubt the Kings will be looking at another 20 something win season. They still need to be lucky to some extent. Look whats happened to Portland. Two years ago they looked like future championship contenders. Now, their future is very uncertain.

So while I'm suffering the same pain that the rest of you are, and curse my TV on a regular basis. I take comfort in knowing that the future looks bright, and barring a lockout, the offseason may be more exciting than the regualr season.
Yep. Nobody knows the future, but my best guess is this team will have lift-off next year (see signature) with a high #1, FAs and possible trade(s). That said, this year I reserve the right to ***** about all the stupid things this team does.:D I also keep in mind that there is nothing predestined here. Portland is a classic example. The world was their oyster and people were forecasting championships down the line. Now Portland is a disaster. Dallas way back when with the Big 3 (Kidd in his early years) was also thought to be a big up and comer. They imploded because of poor chemistry. In sum, I want to be hopeful, but I don't want to have any expectations either. :)