realistically speaking, this kings team is a 6 in my book, with lots of room to improve, and lots of time to do it. we're 4-2, a very respectable record through 6 games, all things considered. eventually, though, we're gonna have to play some of the teams who will be real contenders this season, rather than fakers with potential like the bulls. the mavericks are 2-4 and the suns are 2-5, but we all know those teams are gonna catapult their way to the top of their divisions by the end of the season. whereas the lakers, who are 5-3, also a respectable record, all things considered, will probably come down outta the clouds relatively soon. things will even out, eventually, and i imagine the kings will even out in the shuffle as well. that's not necessarily a bad thing, because it means we'll be gauging the talent and potential of our team on a realistic scale. looking at the standings all across the nba, its clear that through 6 or 7 games there are no assurances of anything. give it another 15-20 and then ask this question again.
as of right now, the kings look good. they look better than i thought they would, especially without brad miller. but an 82 game grind is gonna wear on our starters eventually unless we show some signs of true depth. ronnie price and francisco garcia have looked great in their spot utility roles, but will they be able to rise to the occasion when they're called to do more? will quincy douby crack the rotation anytime soon, or will it become clear that it would have been more pertinent to draft rajon rondo or marcus williams, who both appear to be top 10 ranked rookies? does corliss still have enough stride in his step to be an effective reserve? is mike gonna be able to play 80+ games again this season, or is he gonna start wearing down as well? how serious is his wrist injury? how serious is brad's plantar fascitis? is it something that will linger all season long for him? is kevin martin gonna be able to keep up his excellent level of play? how about ron ron? is he gonna be able to keep a cool head for an entire season? all signs point in a positive direction for him, but he's just about as predictable as his shot selection. will musselman be able to keep the favor of all his players? will they continue to buy into his system? will they play such hard-nosed defense for the full 82, all the way into the playoffs? there are a lot of questions regarding what will happen with this team, and murphy's law has always been the law of kingsland, as well, so i still have trouble picturing this team as better than a 6th-8th seed, but who knows? maybe all of the above questions are answered with W's. maybe not. regardless, its gonna be a fun season with lots of potential.
