Building the King's all-time Dream Team

[Darth Divac]

The Kings are the oldest existing professional basketball franchise, tracing their origins to the Rochester Seagrams who existed in the 1920s. Although not the most recognizable team, they have had some of the all time great players of this league come through. Big and small, from the long-gone days of the '50s to the revolutionary 2000's, here is the King's all-time dream team.

Starting Point Guard: Oscar Robertson, Number 14

Years with the Royals: 10

Awards and honors: 1X NBA champion, 1X NBA MVP, 12X All-Star, 3X All-Star game MVP, 9X All-NBA first team, 2X All-NBA second team, 7X assists leader, 10th all-time in scoring, Kings all-time leader in scoring, Kings all-time leader in assists, Kings all-time leader in minutes played, 3rd all-time in rebounds for Kings, 6th in all-time in assists, league all-time leader in triple doubles, only player to average a triple double for a full 82 game season

Career stats: 25.7 ppg, 9.5 apg, 7.5 rpg

Undoubtedly the greatest player in franchise history, The Big O has a case as the greatest NBA player of all time. Their was literally nothing he couldn't do on the basketball court. That he only ever got one NBA MVP award is among the greatest mysteries in NBA history. With a ridiculously overqualified resume, anyone else here would be a sin worthy of Maloof.

Starting Shooting Guard: Mitch Richmond, Number 2

Years with the Kings: 7

Awards and Honors: 6X All-Star, 1X All-Star game MVP, 3X All-NBA Second team, 2X All-NBA Third team

Career Stats: 21.0 PPG, 1.2 SPG

The greatest player of the Sacramento Era, Richmond never got the attention he deserved. He could have gotten the heck out of here, gone somewhere that had newspapers. But he didn't, he stayed and wallowed in small-market, non-playoff Sacramento Kings misery, and that is what makes him one of the most beloved players in franchise history.

Starting Small Forward: Jack Twyman, Number 27

Years with the Royals: 11

Awards and Honors: 6X All-Star, 2X All-NBA second team

Career Stats: 19.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG

He wasn't the flashiest player, and his stats won't pop out at you. But whenever the Cincinnati Royals really needed a bucket, whenever they had to get that rebound, whenever it was clear that they MUST to get this stop, Jack Twyman was there. A teammate with unswerving loyalty, the NBA's award for leadership takes it's name from him. He passed away on May 30, 2012.

Starting Power Forward: Jerry Lucas, Number 16

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Staring Center: Chris Webber, Number 4

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Sixth Man: Nate "Tiny" Archibald, Number 10

Backup G: Bobby Wanzer

Backup F: Peja Stojakovic, Number 16

Backup F: Maurice Stokes, Number 12

Backup C: Sam Lacey, Number 44

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[The_Jamal]

Jerry Lucas over C-webb? Not so sure about that one

 

[Cold]

Webber is the most talented player to ever don a Kings jersey. Tim Donaghy robbed him of that title.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Webber is the most talented player to ever don a Kings jersey.

This manages to not be incredibly offensive only due to the fact that Oscar Robertson technically never donned a "Kings" jersey.

 

[Cold]

I'm sorry I'm well aware of the Big O's resume, but when I think of the Kings, I think of the Sacramento Kings. I don't think of Cincinati or Kansas City.

 

[Kingsfan23]

I'm sorry I'm well aware of the Big O's resume, but when I think of the Kings, I think of the Sacramento Kings. I don't think of Cincinati or Kansas City.

+1. I don't even think of anything pre-Sacramento. Pre-1985 just comes along with getting a relocated team as opposed to being awarded expansion

 

[Tetsujin]

Staring Center: Chris Webber, Number 4

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[VF21]

To follow up on Tetsujin's comment...

Chris Webber was NOT a center. Ask Vlade Divac.

 

[Darth Divac]

To follow up on Tetsujin's comment...

Chris Webber was NOT a center. Ask Vlade Divac.

I know, I know. But the Kings have never exactly had any great centers, and Webber played it to good effect in Washington next to Juwan Howard...My point is that this is easily the most talented lineup the Kings could field. Also, if you want Sac-Era only players, I'll fix it for you.

 

[Cold]

Webber was actually really good at center, although he despised playing center. The Warriors with CWeb at center full time in CWeb's rookie year won 52 games I believe. He was hands down the best passing center in the NBA, as a rookie.

 

[Glenn]

Why not make two teams? I would make a franchise team which is the way you started and force people who don't want to know the heritage of this franchise. Sam Lacey's number is retired and he was a center. Just because people are so young that their response is "Sam who" doesn't mean he wasn't a great center and was part of our history. Then I want to see you squirm deciding who was better, Webber or Lucas. It's not so easy. Lucas was great and belonged to a different era.

People need to look up guys like Oscar and Tiny. They had remarkable accomplishments.

 

[VF21]

I know, I know. But the Kings have never exactly had any great centers, and Webber played it to good effect in Washington next to Juwan Howard...My point is that this is easily the most talented lineup the Kings could field. Also, if you want Sac-Era only players, I'll fix it for you.

Um, what? For someone who has "Darth Divac" as their username, I find that statement pretty tough to believe.

But, bottom line, is you're creating a fantasy lineup for whatever reason and I'm more interested in talking about what's happening right now.

Carry on.

 

[Bricklayer]

I don't want to hijack Darth's thread here, but back a couple of months ago I think it was hoopshype or somebody doing a really terrible series of Top 50 players for each franchise. I had thought of preemptively beginning my own thread on the topic before they screwed ours up. And I had also thought of a different more inclusive method that unfortunately was going to run precisely into the most people don't know much about the pre-Sacto kings problem. I was thinking of a longrunning "+1/-1" thread to get rankings of kings players. but like I said, the issue I could see is that nobody would be +1ing Sam Lacey over Vlade for instance because they just don't know much about him.

 

[Darth Divac]

I don't want to hijack Darth's thread here, but back a couple of months ago I think it was hoopshype or somebody doing a really terrible series of Top 50 players for each franchise. I had thought of preemptively beginning my own thread on the topic before they screwed ours up. And I had also thought of a different more inclusive method that unfortunately was going to run precisely into the most people don't know much about the pre-Sacto kings problem. I was thinking of a longrunning "+1/-1" thread to get rankings of kings players. but like I said, the issue I could see is that nobody would be +1ing Sam Lacey over Vlade for instance because they just don't know much about him.

I suppose being the franchise leader in blocks, rebounds, and defensive win shares means nothing for Lacey.

 

[VF21]

I suppose being the franchise leader in blocks, rebounds, and defensive win shares means nothing for Lacey.

If you're aware of all that, then WHY isn't Lacey listed as the starting C, a position he actually played while part of our team?

 

[Darth Divac]

If you're aware of all that, then WHY isn't Lacey listed as the starting C, a position he actually played while part of our team?

Because I felt that both Jerry Lucas and Chris Webber were too talented to leave off my all-time starting lineup.

*Sigh* Might as well close the thread. This did NOT go the way I expected it to.

 

[Hoovtrain]

To follow up on Tetsujin's comment...

Chris Webber was NOT a center. Ask Vlade Divac.

Chris Webber was a Center. Ask Billy Owens
But yes I agree, he should not be a C.