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Five Kings-sized questions
Bee staff writer Sam Amick poses five questions facing the Kings as they enter training camp
Last Updated 1:06 am PDT Sunday, October 1, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C7
1. Will new coach Eric Musselman's motivation and moxie bring more victories?
To the simplest of fans, the number 44 is the most relevant. That's how many victories the Kings posted last season and a decent starting point to gauge progress. Truly, though, the magic number might be eight. In a Western Conference that already had parity and has only improved, securing the eighth and final playoff spot would mean there was plenty of success, extending the Kings' streak to nine consecutive playoff berths and allowing for the annual "Anything can happen in the postseason" mantra so many enjoy.
2. Can Brad Miller and Mike Bibby be reformed, or are they already?
Miller has been an All-Star, and Bibby should have been by now, so it's not as if the Kings' longest-tenured veterans lost their credentials because of a coaching change. But both could stand to improve significantly on defense and will need to if Musselman is going to be able to preach defense the way he would like. The offseason brought only positives from both. Bibby lost 18 pounds in an effort to gain quickness, and Miller spent the summer playing for Team USA in the world championships. Miller didn't play much but embraced coach Mike Krzyzewski's up-tempo approach, which might resemble Musselman's. The days of Rick Adelman's high-post passing offense, clearly, are over. The off-the-court rapport between Musselman and these guys will be key, too.
3. Power play: Who starts at power forward?
The coaching change raises the same questions about Kenny Thomas and Shareef Abdur-Rahim that existed last season, making one wonder if media day will be a déjà vu affair. At last year's session, it didn't take long for Thomas to pronounce his strong desire to start, never mind the Kings' recent signing of Abdur-Rahim to a five-year deal. Nothing has changed about the odd couple: Both want to start, both offer vastly different skill sets, and both must yield to Musselman's verdict.
4. Is the Ron Artest effect still in effect without Bonzi Wells?
When Artest came to Sacramento in late January, his energy was contagious. Artest sparked one of the more memorable turnarounds in recent league history, the Kings suddenly defending better, playing tougher and generally following his lead. But the newness is gone, and so is Bonzi Wells, the free-agent shooting guard Artest wanted back. Artest and Wells formed a bruising duo, and none of the remaining players performs in Artest's preferred style the way Wells did. In hindsight, Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof appeared to try hard to retain Wells, who turned down their initial offer for five years and $36 million and later rebuffed a five-year, $38.5 million deal.
The Kings signed guard John Salmons to a $25 million deal -- not as a replacement for Wells but because of his absence -- but the spotlight now is on Kevin Martin. By all accounts, the third-year shooting guard is on the rise as a talented scorer and improving defender. He has a prime opportunity to secure the starting job and elevate his game.
As for Artest, the NBA nation will be watching to see if he can go the next six months without too much controversy. The consensus last season was that, inevitably, he would implode, and the only question was when.
5. Will any rookies make a difference?
The Kings will have 17 players at the start of camp, and they seemingly would keep the league maximum of 15 for the regular season. But Musselman has said they'll keep just 12 players if that's all he and basketball president Geoff Petrie believe they need. The message: Prove you can contribute.
Among youngsters vying for a spot, UNLV product Louis Amundson (6-foot-9, 225 pounds) has made a good impression in workouts, as have Wyoming shot blocker Justin Williams (6-10, 225) and point guard Pooh Jeter (University of Portland). Top draft pick Quincy Douby clearly can shoot from all over the floor, but he is on a mission to become more versatile.
About the writer:
* The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Five Kings-sized questions
Bee staff writer Sam Amick poses five questions facing the Kings as they enter training camp
Last Updated 1:06 am PDT Sunday, October 1, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C7
1. Will new coach Eric Musselman's motivation and moxie bring more victories?
To the simplest of fans, the number 44 is the most relevant. That's how many victories the Kings posted last season and a decent starting point to gauge progress. Truly, though, the magic number might be eight. In a Western Conference that already had parity and has only improved, securing the eighth and final playoff spot would mean there was plenty of success, extending the Kings' streak to nine consecutive playoff berths and allowing for the annual "Anything can happen in the postseason" mantra so many enjoy.
2. Can Brad Miller and Mike Bibby be reformed, or are they already?
Miller has been an All-Star, and Bibby should have been by now, so it's not as if the Kings' longest-tenured veterans lost their credentials because of a coaching change. But both could stand to improve significantly on defense and will need to if Musselman is going to be able to preach defense the way he would like. The offseason brought only positives from both. Bibby lost 18 pounds in an effort to gain quickness, and Miller spent the summer playing for Team USA in the world championships. Miller didn't play much but embraced coach Mike Krzyzewski's up-tempo approach, which might resemble Musselman's. The days of Rick Adelman's high-post passing offense, clearly, are over. The off-the-court rapport between Musselman and these guys will be key, too.
3. Power play: Who starts at power forward?
The coaching change raises the same questions about Kenny Thomas and Shareef Abdur-Rahim that existed last season, making one wonder if media day will be a déjà vu affair. At last year's session, it didn't take long for Thomas to pronounce his strong desire to start, never mind the Kings' recent signing of Abdur-Rahim to a five-year deal. Nothing has changed about the odd couple: Both want to start, both offer vastly different skill sets, and both must yield to Musselman's verdict.
4. Is the Ron Artest effect still in effect without Bonzi Wells?
When Artest came to Sacramento in late January, his energy was contagious. Artest sparked one of the more memorable turnarounds in recent league history, the Kings suddenly defending better, playing tougher and generally following his lead. But the newness is gone, and so is Bonzi Wells, the free-agent shooting guard Artest wanted back. Artest and Wells formed a bruising duo, and none of the remaining players performs in Artest's preferred style the way Wells did. In hindsight, Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof appeared to try hard to retain Wells, who turned down their initial offer for five years and $36 million and later rebuffed a five-year, $38.5 million deal.
The Kings signed guard John Salmons to a $25 million deal -- not as a replacement for Wells but because of his absence -- but the spotlight now is on Kevin Martin. By all accounts, the third-year shooting guard is on the rise as a talented scorer and improving defender. He has a prime opportunity to secure the starting job and elevate his game.
As for Artest, the NBA nation will be watching to see if he can go the next six months without too much controversy. The consensus last season was that, inevitably, he would implode, and the only question was when.
5. Will any rookies make a difference?
The Kings will have 17 players at the start of camp, and they seemingly would keep the league maximum of 15 for the regular season. But Musselman has said they'll keep just 12 players if that's all he and basketball president Geoff Petrie believe they need. The message: Prove you can contribute.
Among youngsters vying for a spot, UNLV product Louis Amundson (6-foot-9, 225 pounds) has made a good impression in workouts, as have Wyoming shot blocker Justin Williams (6-10, 225) and point guard Pooh Jeter (University of Portland). Top draft pick Quincy Douby clearly can shoot from all over the floor, but he is on a mission to become more versatile.
About the writer:
* The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
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