Anthony Bennett:

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I am that old. I am and always have been a fan of the Kings, one who felt no interest in following the NBA. Still true. Never heard of LaRue and I think I know why, not around long enough for a cup of coffee. Thanks.

I used to think like that, until I got wise. The way I see it, my love of the Kings demands that I know how best for the Kings to play against other teams. You simply can't do that by just looking at Kings games; there isn't enough data.

Not only that, but since the Kings are not a franchise where anyone ever plays out their careers for the team, and I am not the type of person who acts like players that I used to like cease to exist when they change jerseys, I find myself further compelled to follow other teams.

 

[pshn80]

I used to think like that, until I got wise. The way I see it, my love of the Kings demands that I know how best for the Kings to play against other teams. You simply can't do that by just looking at Kings games; there isn't enough data.

Not only that, but since the Kings are not a franchise where anyone ever plays out their careers for the team, and I am not the type of person who acts like players that I used to like cease to exist when they change jerseys, I find myself further compelled to follow other teams.

As I said I don't follow the other teams closely, like you I retain an interest in former Kingsas well as selected other leaguenterests. Seldom watch non-Kinggames. I did ha ve fun following our e-King bunch after our trade wi th Toronto.

Also differ with the pack in not hating the Lakers although I have found that some Lakers fans at Kings games can be truly obnoxious.

But
LaRue got by my radar without a blip.

 

[bajaden]

As I said I don't follow the other teams closely, like you I retain an interest in former Kingsas well as selected other leaguenterests. Seldom watch non-Kinggames. I did ha ve fun following our e-King bunch after our trade wi th Toronto.

Also differ with the pack in not hating the Lakers although I have found that some Lakers fans at Kings games can be truly obnoxious.

But
LaRue got by my radar without a blip.

LaRue was more of a tiny ping. Easy to miss....

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

As I said I don't follow the other teams closely, like you I retain an interest in former Kingsas well as selected other leaguenterests. Seldom watch non-Kinggames. I did ha ve fun following our e-King bunch after our trade wi th Toronto.

If you don't mind my asking, how many sports do you pay attention to, besides basketball? I feel as though that may be relevant.

To say nothing of the fact that I am not from Sacramento, and it would be kind of stupid for a non-local who likes basketball to only pay attention to the Kings.

 

[bajaden]

If you don't mind my asking, how many sports do you pay attention to, besides basketball? I feel as though that may be relevant.

To say nothing of the fact that I am not from Sacramento, and it would be kind of stupid for a non-local who likes basketball to only pay attention to the Kings.

I agree with your premise. I, like many others who are Kings fans, don't come originally from Sacramento, so some of us have imprinted loyalty to teams from our hometown. I still root for the St. Louis Cardinals. I went to too many games as a kid not to. But then I love sports in general and have my favorites around all the leagues. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Warriors who I rooted for before the Kings arrived on the scene. However in head to head competition, I'm on the Kings side. So for my part, which is a shock to no one, I watch a lot of other teams play. Especially college BB.

 

[The Hammer]

Except that McDermott has a track record of being a very good shooter.

Bennett DOES have more offensive potential than Acy. But he still shot 42% overall and 30% from three. He gives nothing defensively so he really NEEDS to be a major threat offensively. And he just isn't. Worse yet, I just don't see passion for the game from him.

As far as role players go I'd rather have Acy. And even if I leaned slightly the other way, Acy's already under contract and the two are redundant as undersized PFs with a bit of range.

This is the key. We're not getting Bennett to be a star or half star or for potential. We have all those spots locked in. What we need now are solid, reliable role players that play DEFENSE.

Bennett is the exact kind of player that we would have signed in desperation three years ago. He his the exact kind of player we need to stay away from now.

 

[pshn80]

If you don't mind my asking, how many sports do you pay attention to, besides basketball? I feel as though that may be relevant.

To say nothing of the fact that I am not from Sacramento, and it would be kind of stupid for a non-local who likes basketball to only pay attention to the Kings.

How many sports? I don't attend (except for Kings games), TV is another source - kings games, golf majors plus a few others, 49ers ocassioually, Giants once in a blue moon or in playoffs, that's about it. TV n the evening (non -sports) is a pleasure my wife and I share. I did more sports watching in earlier decades but now it's only the Kings. Reading on line or in the newspaper is limited by poor eyesight, so no more obits, funnies, misc. sports, limited op-ed and, political analysis, opinion or even hard news. That leaves kingsfans.com and Kings news in the Bee. Get the SF Chron daily but I hard look at it now. I'm sure the reader didn't want all this but ............ Go Kings!

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

The reason why I ask is because it's been my observation that sometimes fans can be very parochial when it comes to their local teams, and when there are other sports teams nearby, they can sometimes find it easier to disregard other teams in the same sport.

As someone who not only moved around so much as a kid that I don't have any concept of a "home town," but who also spent most of his adult life living somewhere that did not have a local pro team in any sport, I have not been burdened by that particular handicap.

 

[The_Jamal]

Yeah, it's clearly still TDOS. Bennett may not even clear waivers. The Sixers and Trailblazers are well below the team payroll floor and my claim him just to have a bit more say about keeping him beyond next season on the off chance he finally shows some promise.

But here's the big thing for me - Bennett is available (or will be if he clears waivers) because he looked at the Wolves frontcourt and thought there wouldn't be much opportunity for him and the Minnesota front office agreed to buy him out. The same Timberwolves that won what, 16 games last year? Sure, they added Towns and the ghost of KG is still floating around but who else is there at the PF spot? Dieng and Pekovic are really centers. Adreian Payne? Rookie Nemanja Bjelica? A guy who really believed in himself and his abilities would make it a point to come into camp like a ball of fire and force the coach to play him big minutes.

But again, that's my big issue with Bennett. Yeah, he is a tweener. Yeah, he hasn't gotten in great shape. But most of all he just doesn't show any fire. Unless this high energy pick and roll sequence floats anyone's boat:

The Kings have been so awful for so long that I've been on board with all sorts of gambles. But to me the Kings have a roster capable of being a huge surprise and having somebody that doesn't seem to care (which is why I was anti-Bargnani as well) just hurts the goal of a focused, hard nosed team.

This is the weird thing with Bennnet. Watching that year of college ball, what stood out to me WAS the passion that he played with. Those big dunks and him using his athleticism just to beast on people. It's what made people call him the Larry Johnson 2.0. The fact that he showed range was just the cherry on top and was one of the things that really made me and a lot of other people like him as a prospect.

But I think his injury his rookie year and just how much he struggled took all the wind out of him. Basketball players need that swag and confidence (something Bennett had a TON of in college,) and he's lost that completely. We saw that firsthand how that could destroy a player with the development of Jimmer

As for us, I wouldn't mind taking a flier on him, in the role that Seth Curry, Moreland, Stockton and Dukan are in. Basically he sits at the end of the bench and the only guaranteed playing time he'll get is down in Reno. I don't think he'd go for that though and there will be plenty of teams that will take a shot on his potential and give him a rotational spot.