A Kings model for building a team:

[bajaden]

I thought this was an interesting article. Not sure if it belongs in the Kingsfan column or the NBA column. But since I think it pertains to what the Kings are trying to do, I put it here. If I'm wrong, feel free to move it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/sports/basketball/25thunder.html

 

[vikinginferno]

Yeah, I wonder what it would take to get another top 4-5 pick. Landry? Would we even be willing to trade Landry for another top 4-5 pick? Sometimes I just wonder if trading Landry would be in the best interest as by the time we get good he will already be around 30. But I guess we will have to see.

 

[Uncia03]

Yeah, I wonder what it would take to get another top 4-5 pick. Landry? Would we even be willing to trade Landry for another top 4-5 pick? Sometimes I just wonder if trading Landry would be in the best interest as by the time we get good he will already be around 30. But I guess we will have to see.

If we landed the #1-2 picks I'd trade any combination of Landry/JT/Hawes/Beno/Future picks to pick up another top 4 pick. It would never happen, but coming out of the draft with a big and a small of Wall/Turner/Cousins/Favors would be a complete game-changer.

Once the lottery order is set, we can start looking at the teams and see if there are any potential deals to be made.

Also, if we somehow end up with Cousins, I would also look to trade Landry for another top pick. Cousins has low post scoring but in addition has the rebounding which Landry lacks. Landry's contract is so small that in many cases it could allow him to be traded for a player on a rookie contract.

If we drafted Cousins and were to trade Landry for a high draft pick outside the top 8 or so, I'd definitely look to target Udoh. A Cousins/Udoh front-line with an energized and hustling JT off the bench sounds good to me.

 

[Bricklayer]

I agree wiht the theory/article obviously, an think its been proven out time and again. But realistically guys we aren't trading Landry, and that's probably a good thing. Good player, and just as importantly a good guy and hard worker. And realistically nobody is trading us a Top 4 pick for Landry either, and by the time you start to pile up multiple young assets to get that pick it has the potential to go south on you -- you aim for the stars, but if the pick does not turn out you severely damage your future instead.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Yeah, no one is trading a top 4 pick for a bunch of complimentary pieces and future picks.

 

[bajaden]

I agree wiht the theory/article obviously, an think its been proven out time and again. But realistically guys we aren't trading Landry, and that's probably a good thing. Good player, and just as importantly a good guy and hard worker. And realistically nobody is trading us a Top 4 pick for Landry either, and by the time you start to pile up multiple young assets to get that pick it has the potential to go south on you -- you aim for the stars, but if the pick does not turn out you severely damage your future instead.

If were going to be realistic here and quit dreaming up crazy scenario's, then I think the most likely player to be traded, and I think the possiblilty is slim, is Hawes. Because as posted in another thread, he doesn't fit the theme of the team anymore. When we drafted him we hadn't started the rebuild. We were a different kind of team. Since then we've gone in a different direction, and I don't think Hawes fits as well as he did before. We haven't been running the Princeton offense much, and he fit that offense well. Now were leaning toward toughness and defense. Doesn't sound like Hawes to me.

Hey, maybe a reformation will take place. It could happen! You think?

 

[fnordius]

We haven't been running the Princeton offense much, and he fit that offense well. Now were leaning toward toughness and defense. Doesn't sound like Hawes to me.

Well, we could have gone more in the direction of the Princeton, but look at our pieces. In the old days, our PG had light duty, because he was being helped by Vlade, Webber and Doug Christie, who were all great at sharing the ball wherever it needed to go. So far, Hawes < Brad Miller, and you can't really build a Princeton around that. JT showed his PG background a few times, but only a few.

We got Evans, and obviously he's someone we're building around. PW responded to this with the dual-guard approach, and it's been working well. But it has nothing to do with the Princeton, it's an entirely separate creature.

I get the feeling that what we saw this year was the basic form of things to come, with adjustments made as the roster changes. Westphal seems like a coach who coaxes what he can out of his players, rather than trying to make his players fit into some generic, preconceived plan. If we got Turner, for example, maybe we would shift to using a point FG some. But I think it'll be adjustment rather than radical change.

This summer is Geoff's chance to regain the confidence of the fans. It's probably the last great chance he'll get. I hope he pulls it off.

 

[bajaden]

Well, we could have gone more in the direction of the Princeton, but look at our pieces. In the old days, our PG had light duty, because he was being helped by Vlade, Webber and Doug Christie, who were all great at sharing the ball wherever it needed to go. So far, Hawes < Brad Miller, and you can't really build a Princeton around that. JT showed his PG background a few times, but only a few.

We got Evans, and obviously he's someone we're building around. PW responded to this with the dual-guard approach, and it's been working well. But it has nothing to do with the Princeton, it's an entirely separate creature.

I get the feeling that what we saw this year was the basic form of things to come, with adjustments made as the roster changes. Westphal seems like a coach who coaxes what he can out of his players, rather than trying to make his players fit into some generic, preconceived plan. If we got Turner, for example, maybe we would shift to using a point FG some. But I think it'll be adjustment rather than radical change.

This summer is Geoff's chance to regain the confidence of the fans. It's probably the last great chance he'll get. I hope he pulls it off.

I think were in agreement. You've made my point for me. To run the Princeton offense properly, you need a certain type of skilled player. The Kings haven't drafted that type of player of late. I suspose you could still try and play it, but the best thing to do is always play to the strengths of your players. Hawes is the perfect type of center for the Princeton. But Tyreke isn't the perfect type of guard.

Plus I think its easier to run the Princeton with more experienced players than it is with young players. Especially young players like a Donte, who is still behind the curve in knowledge of the game.