http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13142885p-13986878c.html
The Kings could go big or for a shooter
by Martin McNeal, Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The Kings have put in untold hours over the past 57 days or so attempting to prepare themselves to make the correct choice when the 23rd selection of the 2005 NBA draft arrives tonight.
And that discounts the hours and dollars spent and miles traveled around the globe throughout the past year by scouts. After all that, the Kings still must await the unknown. Before they make their only pick of the night, 22 other players will go by the boards.
It wouldn't be surprising if the Kings took a forward such as Kansas' Wayne Simien, Gonzaga's Ronny Turiaf or Arizona State's Ike Diogu, if available. The Kings need players who will bang and compete physically around the basket. Connecticut's Charlie Villanueva certainly has the physical skills and talent that project as an NBA contributor, but his dedication and work ethic have been questioned.
The Kings were pounded mercilessly around the basket throughout the season and during the first-round playoff loss to the Seattle SuperSonics. However, the Kings know they might have a hole in their starting lineup at shooting guard with Cuttino Mobley's impending free agency.
So, instead of taking a physical presence, the Kings could look toward guards such as Louisville's Francisco Garcia, North Carolina's Rashad McCants, North Carolina State's Julius Hodge and Arizona's Salim Stoudamire as possible support for Mobley's potential departure.
Moreover, the Kings also are faced with the loss of swingman Maurice Evans, who will be a free agent, albeit one to whom the team could match an offer within salary-cap limits.
Should Mobley and Evans depart, the Kings would be faced only with second-year guard Kevin Martin as a natural shooting guard on their roster, although Bobby Jackson could play minutes there.
Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie and his staff spent 10 hours at the team's practice facility watching tape, making and taking calls and talking about players.
"After a while," Petrie said, "you end up talking about the same things, and you can only can watch the tape so many times. Right now, we're still locked into the pick. So you identify the pool of players you expect to be taken.
"Then you talk about what you would do if a player you like but don't expect to be there shows up. And that's what we'll probably still do a good part of (today)."
Petrie and Kings coach Rick Adelman spent Saturday in Las Vegas with the Maloof ownership group assessing where the team is and how it hopes to improve during the offseason.
Petrie said the Las Vegas summit was no different than it has been during the previous seven years.
"It's always a good exchange of ideas," he said. "Those meetings are obviously for the benefit of all of us, and basically, all I can tell you is it was a very good meeting."
Presumably, Petrie and Adelman identified the aforementioned players they expect to be gone when No. 23 arrives. Then they described the players they have decided will best help their team and why.
Even Petrie admits it's an educated guess as to which players will be available.
"How could those doing mock drafts know who we are taking when we don't even know?" he asked. "We don't even know which players are going to be there."
Petrie said the team received a termination notice from Mobley that will make him an unrestricted free agent July 1. He said the team hasn't yet issued qualifying offers to Evans and power forward Darius Songaila but intends to do so.
Evans' agent, Roger Montgomery, said his client is looking for a multi-year deal.
The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com
The Kings could go big or for a shooter
by Martin McNeal, Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The Kings have put in untold hours over the past 57 days or so attempting to prepare themselves to make the correct choice when the 23rd selection of the 2005 NBA draft arrives tonight.
And that discounts the hours and dollars spent and miles traveled around the globe throughout the past year by scouts. After all that, the Kings still must await the unknown. Before they make their only pick of the night, 22 other players will go by the boards.
It wouldn't be surprising if the Kings took a forward such as Kansas' Wayne Simien, Gonzaga's Ronny Turiaf or Arizona State's Ike Diogu, if available. The Kings need players who will bang and compete physically around the basket. Connecticut's Charlie Villanueva certainly has the physical skills and talent that project as an NBA contributor, but his dedication and work ethic have been questioned.
The Kings were pounded mercilessly around the basket throughout the season and during the first-round playoff loss to the Seattle SuperSonics. However, the Kings know they might have a hole in their starting lineup at shooting guard with Cuttino Mobley's impending free agency.
So, instead of taking a physical presence, the Kings could look toward guards such as Louisville's Francisco Garcia, North Carolina's Rashad McCants, North Carolina State's Julius Hodge and Arizona's Salim Stoudamire as possible support for Mobley's potential departure.
Moreover, the Kings also are faced with the loss of swingman Maurice Evans, who will be a free agent, albeit one to whom the team could match an offer within salary-cap limits.
Should Mobley and Evans depart, the Kings would be faced only with second-year guard Kevin Martin as a natural shooting guard on their roster, although Bobby Jackson could play minutes there.
Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie and his staff spent 10 hours at the team's practice facility watching tape, making and taking calls and talking about players.
"After a while," Petrie said, "you end up talking about the same things, and you can only can watch the tape so many times. Right now, we're still locked into the pick. So you identify the pool of players you expect to be taken.
"Then you talk about what you would do if a player you like but don't expect to be there shows up. And that's what we'll probably still do a good part of (today)."
Petrie and Kings coach Rick Adelman spent Saturday in Las Vegas with the Maloof ownership group assessing where the team is and how it hopes to improve during the offseason.
Petrie said the Las Vegas summit was no different than it has been during the previous seven years.
"It's always a good exchange of ideas," he said. "Those meetings are obviously for the benefit of all of us, and basically, all I can tell you is it was a very good meeting."
Presumably, Petrie and Adelman identified the aforementioned players they expect to be gone when No. 23 arrives. Then they described the players they have decided will best help their team and why.
Even Petrie admits it's an educated guess as to which players will be available.
"How could those doing mock drafts know who we are taking when we don't even know?" he asked. "We don't even know which players are going to be there."
Petrie said the team received a termination notice from Mobley that will make him an unrestricted free agent July 1. He said the team hasn't yet issued qualifying offers to Evans and power forward Darius Songaila but intends to do so.
Evans' agent, Roger Montgomery, said his client is looking for a multi-year deal.
The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com
