CruzDude
Senior Member sharing a brew with bajaden
The collective wisdom (?) of a committee of 25 ESPN writers in an article datelined 29-August has ranked the Kings #12 in the West for the coming year, below even the dreadful Clips, wobbling Nuggets and the self-destructing Warriors. Their summary:
Ron Artest is gone, and this is Kevin Martin's team now. His uncanny talent for high-efficiency scoring will be enough on some nights, but to really make noise the Kings need extraordinary contributions from ordinary players like Udrih, Salmons, Garcia, Moore and Miller. Good luck.
Top 4
Lakers
Hornets
Rockets
Jazz
Next 4
Spurs
Suns
Mavs
Blazers
then the Warriors, Nuggets, Clips, Kings, Wolves, Griz and Thunder.
That folks, is nasty. I agree with the top 4 but really have trouble believing the Spurs and Mavs can hang in there. Without Ginobli (he will do surgery), the Spurs are missing their 2nd best player plus they are the oldest team in the NBA. The Mavs could really send Cuban into orbit (I hope) and the Suns, well, they are the Suns for better or for worse.
The Clips have too many unknown castoff pieces to do very good, the Warriors lost their best players along with Monta Ellis, now out for 3-4 months, and didn't get better much less as good, and the Nuggest lost Camby, their Artest like defender without getting anything in return.
Where do I see the Kings? Right on the bubble depending on how quickly the "kids" come around and contribute and on how few injuries they hafe.
Ron Artest is gone, and this is Kevin Martin's team now. His uncanny talent for high-efficiency scoring will be enough on some nights, but to really make noise the Kings need extraordinary contributions from ordinary players like Udrih, Salmons, Garcia, Moore and Miller. Good luck.
Top 4
Lakers
Hornets
Rockets
Jazz
Next 4
Spurs
Suns
Mavs
Blazers
then the Warriors, Nuggets, Clips, Kings, Wolves, Griz and Thunder.
That folks, is nasty. I agree with the top 4 but really have trouble believing the Spurs and Mavs can hang in there. Without Ginobli (he will do surgery), the Spurs are missing their 2nd best player plus they are the oldest team in the NBA. The Mavs could really send Cuban into orbit (I hope) and the Suns, well, they are the Suns for better or for worse.
The Clips have too many unknown castoff pieces to do very good, the Warriors lost their best players along with Monta Ellis, now out for 3-4 months, and didn't get better much less as good, and the Nuggest lost Camby, their Artest like defender without getting anything in return.
Where do I see the Kings? Right on the bubble depending on how quickly the "kids" come around and contribute and on how few injuries they hafe.
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