Free Agency

We don't. Memphis blueprint from last year, lots of role players scrapping and playing team defense and team ball and hope to win in the process.
Easy to say, but our team was just put together, Memphis has had years to get that formula down pat. We can't just waltz into games expecting to play Memphis level defense right off the bat.
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
In 2 days, we have suddenly gotten quite a bit older and tougher as a team. There's more defense on this squad than we have had in the last 10 years combined. However.... if Rudy is traded, how the hell do we score when Cuz sits?
Depends on who Rudy is traded for. I'm still hoping it's Gay/Koufos/McLemore heading out and Bledsoe coming back. Sign Curry or Bodanovic and then Acy (or maybe Moreland) and let's start the season.

Bledsoe/Collison/Temple
Afflalo/Bogdanovic/Richardson
Casspi/Barnes/Butler
Cauley-Stein/Tolliver/Labissiere
Cousins/Papagiannis/Moreland

Seems like a really balanced roster to me with plenty of veterans as well as rookies to learn from those veterans.
 
Why do people assume if Gay is traded, it's going to be for a scrub and not a player of quality. I don't see the Kings trading him to just dump salary or future draft pick.
right. that would have been done months ago, if so. people are getting bent outta shape over their own personal scenarios lol
 
Depends on who Rudy is traded for. I'm still hoping it's Gay/Koufos/McLemore heading out and Bledsoe coming back. Sign Curry or Bodanovic and then Acy (or maybe Moreland) and let's start the season.

Bledsoe/Collison/Temple
Afflalo/Bogdanovic/Richardson
Casspi/Barnes/Butler
Cauley-Stein/Tolliver/Labissiere
Cousins/Papagiannis/Moreland

Seems like a really balanced roster to me with plenty of veterans as well as rookies to learn from those veterans.
What happened to DC?
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
Depends on who Rudy is traded for. I'm still hoping it's Gay/Koufos/McLemore heading out and Bledsoe coming back. Sign Curry or Bodanovic and then Acy (or maybe Moreland) and let's start the season.

Bledsoe/Collison/Temple
Afflalo/Bogdanovic/Richardson
Casspi/Barnes/Butler
Cauley-Stein/Tolliver/Labissiere
Cousins/Papagiannis/Moreland

Seems like a really balanced roster to me with plenty of veterans as well as rookies to learn from those veterans.
This would turn my present state of anxious bummed outed-ness to happiness. I am expecting something similar and would definitely like to see Bledsoe reunited with his buddy, Boogie. Maybe we'll even use Butler.
 
Depends on who Rudy is traded for. I'm still hoping it's Gay/Koufos/McLemore heading out and Bledsoe coming back. Sign Curry or Bodanovic and then Acy (or maybe Moreland) and let's start the season.

Bledsoe/Collison/Temple
Afflalo/Bogdanovic/Richardson
Casspi/Barnes/Butler
Cauley-Stein/Tolliver/Labissiere
Cousins/Papagiannis/Moreland

Seems like a really balanced roster to me with plenty of veterans as well as rookies to learn from those veterans.
I'd like that. Bledsoe fits right in with what we are trying to do with the roster, but the injury concerns are legit. Can he play most of the season? I'd love for Bogdanovic to come over this season (financially, it would be stupid for him to do that, but hey if he wants to, I won't be the one bringing that up!), he would give our bench a tremendous dynamic on offense. He's Manu Ginobili lite.

There has to be a trade for a PG. If we are trading Rudy, it better be for a starting PG. Bledsoe works for me or Goran Dragic.
 
Last year in free agency we got Marco, Rondo and Koufos, This year we got Affalo, Tolliver, Matt Barnes and Garret Temple??...Ugggggggh.
Marco and Koufos did what for us exactly? where was the production? we're overly concerned with "name" guys IMO


maybe you aren't, but most of the comments feel that way so far from a lot of members
 
Thank you Vlade! You can actually see a team forming here that is made to help your best player be great. I don't see any home runs here, but I do see a foundation where you can upgrade a player here and there over the next few seasons and continue to improve. My favorite part of all the additions is the variance in play we see from night to night should be greatly reduced. The feast or famine type of team we have had in the recent past is finally going away! HURRAH!
and THAT'S what is important for me here. EFFORT >> "names" with a sometimey approach to the game

Portland didn't get to the 5th seed because they have a bunch of all stars. their team is not all that on paper
 
K

KingsFan80

Guest
and THAT'S what is important for me here. EFFORT >> "names" with a sometimey approach to the game

Portland didn't get to the 5th seed because they have a bunch of all stars. their team is not all that on paper
They got there with young, energetic players like Lillard McCollum, Crabbe etc. not over the hill guys
 
Easy to say, but our team was just put together, Memphis has had years to get that formula down pat. We can't just waltz into games expecting to play Memphis level defense right off the bat.
we dont need that to be a good team anyway. We need to play like a team with an identity, play GOOD defense and move the basketball/get Cousins butt in the paint. Its really not that difficult, but
people like Karl sure made it feel that way

This team has already shown that its capable, especially when we had Malone.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
In 2 days, we have suddenly gotten quite a bit older and tougher as a team. There's more defense on this squad than we have had in the last 10 years combined. However.... if Rudy is traded, how the hell do we score when Cuz sits?
Well the nice thing is Rudy completely refused to score when Cuz sat THIS year, thus hastening his departure. So shouldn't notice much change. Except hopefully this time we'll scrap and hustle and hold the score to something like 8-5 while Cuz is out so he only has a few points to make up rather than getting waxed with one of those defenseless 20-6 runs that were always killing us these last, oh 10 years or so.
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
Doug Christie was 30 when he played his first season with the Kings.

For that matter, Rondo will start next season as a 30 year old. Barnes is a stopgap at the end of his career but he's a great stopgap to have. Temple, Afflalo & Tolliver will still be in their primes when their Kings contracts end.

And if Bogdonavic comes over that's four rookies (five if Cousins is sent to Reno to develop) so there's plenty of youth too.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
If that is the new Modus Operandi I wonder if the next target is Patrick Beverly as our point guard. Maybe Ben + Rudy for Ariza and Beverly?
Thought had occurred to me as Houston loaded up on expensive guards. As an uncreative defender, Beverley is kind of the anti-D'Antoni PG.
 
Matt Barnes: 38% FG 36 years old
Anthony Tolliver: 39% FG 31 years old
Affalo: 44% FGs 30 years old
Temple: 40% FGs 30 years old

Four players 30 years or older combined to shoot about 41%.....PATHETIC. If more than two of them are in the 10 man rotation we are going nowhere. Could have had an exciting two way player in Crabbe coming into his prime for less than the costs of these over-the-hill journeymen. And Barnes is a dirty player with a rap sheet. This team might be a decent team that wins 90-85 but it is going to heck of boring. I hope KD goes to BOS with Isaiah so I can have a second favorite team that doesn't put me to sleep.

Improving the defense is fine, but when you get stops you go down to the other end of the floor with 40% shooters you miss too. Like I contended before start of last year, adding Rondo was concerning because Boogie's usage did NOT need to go up. It needed to go DOWN so his efficiency could go up. With DC back as the starter that will help and having a SG with a clue, but this is not a team that is going to light up the scoreboard. Surround Big Cuz with more guy who struggle to score, his usage stays at astronomical rate with poor assist to turnover rate and the team with be lucky to win 35 games no matter how much defense they play.

The Kings need home run of a trade to add scoring if they choose to move Rudy. I like McDermott and Mirotic for Rudy but doubt we could get them, and even adding those guys leaves you without a legit #2 scorer. I kind of wonder if the Kings are not just setting themselves up for when the day comes it is time to trade Boogie, not wanting to restrain cap flexibility until then....the reset button comes when he is shipped, until then make some of the nickel and dime moves until inevitability occurs.

Then again two destination spots, BOS and ORL got their new big, Horford and Dwight. Cousins will be on this team next year shooting it just as much, probably complaining as much too. My hope is Papa, Trill and maybe another player step forward as fan favorites, but a domestic violence case, and trading one of the most UNLIKABLE players in the league (Barnes) for one of the most LIKABLE players in the league (Seth) adds insult to injury. Not only is the team unlikely to improve much, they are going to harder to root for.

I give Vlade a B+ for the draft. I give him a D for free agency. I look forward to being proven wrong and will be first to admit so if these free agents become reputable contributors. The only justifiable basis for such an underwhelming haul is other players (Crabbe, Lee, Anderson) just didn't want to come here...and so we were left to add guys 25 teams out of 30 teams would have NO interest in, even with unlimited space. When you adding players of this ilk, the ceiling is bumping against your head before you get out of your chair.
 
And that roster led us to 30 wins. I don't believe a simple substitution of Joerger for Karl is +10 wins.
Even if it was a 5+ game improvement, I'd be happy. That would mean we are 38-44, close to .500 ball. Then once we establish some stability and change our league wide perception of dysfunction, we can go after better free agents.
 
None of those players beside maybe Barnes in small spurts are two way players..not sure what you are seeing.
I think you're pessimist glass is damn thick mi amigo. Temple had a good run as a two way wing player in DC, Affalo is reliable contributor except when he moved to NY. Tolliver was decent in Minny as well as was even challenging playing against to young bigs. These players bring in their heart every night. I would say solid 2 way players because these guys bring in the defense but knows their role on offense.

I am not comparing these to Lebron, which I believe what makes your nerves irk. Lebron is a super star 2 way player.
 
Ehhhh.. Not excited about these moves at all. We have no offense right now. Guarantee we will go right back to the worst shooting team, and 3pt shooting in the NBA and I wouldn't be surprised if we were the lowest assist team either. I assume McLemore, and Gay are on the block though so lets hope they bring in a decent SG.
 
So let's say we trade KK for Beverley there would still be a lot of work ahead of Vlade to balance this roster.
  1. Collison / Beverley / I. Cousins
  2. Afflalo / Mclemore / Richardson
  3. Gay / Casspi / Temple / Barnes / Butler
  4. WCS / Tolliver / Labissiere
  5. Dmc / Papa
Now something has to give.