I think the signing of Landry was awful. Please defend that for me, please
Landry was a questionable signing considering he got injured shortly. However, from the FO's perspective, they felt the locker room needed a veteran presence, something we all agree was needed. Landry was a guy who was familiar with Malone's system and had success in it, so in a way he was a player who could help other players be successful in the same system and teach them how to run it properly. While his contract may be exorbitant, this is Sacramento last time I checked. Not only is this a city where there isn't much to do, but the team was at least 2+ years away from competing for a playoff spot. I don't see many free agents jumping over each other for that kind of opportunity.
I think the failure of adding defensive players to a team with a coach who is great at defense is awful.
Let's look at the defensive players PDA has let go.
Toney Douglas - signed with the Warriors in the off season. Averaged 12 PTS, 3.5 RBS, 2.6 AST per 36 while only playing 11 minutes a game. Got traded to the Heat where he is averaging 5 minutes a game. Douglas plays defense, but there would have been no spot for him on the floor. The Kings went into the season with IT as their super sixth man who plays the same position as Douglas. He would have received 0 minutes playing behind Vasquez and IT. I don't think PDA is losing sleep over this, nor should anyone else.
Cole Aldrich - averaging 4 minutes for the Knicks.
Tyreke - Yes he was a good player but a definite risk considering his lack of ability to stay on the court. He's played less career games that Steph Curry. He's not exactly lighting the world on fire over their in New Orleans.
Luc Mbah a Moute - good defensive player who was received for only 2 secound round picks. Good trade for PDA as he acquired a talented asset for minimal cost.
Derrick Williams - everybody hated to see LMAM go because he represented everything that Kings fans have wanted in the past decade. Defense. At the time of the trade, the Kings were sorely lacking production at the SF position and needed to upgrade overall team talent. PDA saw Williams as a player with untapped potential, and we saw glimpses of it but it was derailed by the addition of Rudy Gay. Still a good trade as LMAM had not future with the team.
Rudy Gay - Good trade by PDA as he acquired a second scoring option in exchange for players who were considered a waste of roster space by this fan base.
I think the last trade was a trade that just made it appear that something was accomplished hence my use of the term "smoke and mirrors." I see no purpose but that may be my lack of acumen.
Thornton was never going to be productive on this team. PDA was able to break up his contract into smaller pieces which will be easier to trade in the off season.
The team is battling it out for the bottom of the Western Conference tonight. Don't use injuries as an excuse because every team has injuries.
The team is 14-15 when DMC, Gay and IT all play. I would say that it is a huge improvement over what we were seeing earlier in the year. To me, that looks like progress. Last time I checked, the Western Conference is tough. The 9th place Memphis Grizzlies would be 3rd best in the East. The Kings also have the highest SOS per ESPN.
We have no guards and are one injury away from disaster. We are dependent, and getting more dependent, on getting 40+ minutes out of a guy who can't pass out of a double team. What if he gets injured?
This team isn't making the playoffs, so if IT gets injured, big whoop. Why go trade for a backup PG and give up assets when you can just let McCallum gain experience? Instead of finishing 11th in the West, we might finish 12th. Devastating.
PDA was worked with an abbreviated off-season and has done a decent job with what he was left with. You get your star players and then build around them with role players. Not the other way around. Now that we have Cousins and hopefully Gay, PDA will make the finishing touches in the off season.
Patience is a virtue.
