I survived a 17-win season as a Kings fan...I will survive this close loses too

[KingsCitizen]

I think a lot of people including me at times have become too overconfident on our team to win games. Thus I feel damn frustrated in games just like our loss today.

But we should try to look at the bright side of life:

-be realistic that we used to cellar dwellers until we got Reke, Casspi, Brock, and Sergio.
- be realistic enough that our new coach has only implemented his system with 20 actual games.
- No matter how good our coach and system maybe, we are playing kids out there compared to those vets who can easily get on their heads to make stupid fouls and silly defense.
- We have a lot of learning to do.
- It is in close loses like this that lingers a lot on the players mind. And we can only hope that it will inspire them rather than destroy their confidence.


- and I know we should also be honest that Hawes should really take a good look and his game and grow some balls. But it'll take time. Either time to wait for him to mature or a time to wait until we ship him for someone more worth than him.
- but we should also be honest that without Martin and Garcia, we can't just ship somebody and expect to win games as easy as eating peanuts.

Just keep the patience folks, were committing silly mistakes....But there is certainly a good sign of improvement and a lot of good things to look forward to.

-One is the 2010 draft which has a truckload of big men where there is a good chance to fill that hole and be better next season.
- We can have a lot of payroll off the table with KT's, SAR, and Mikki to get a better player worth that $$$
- Nobody can guard Reke, and its only a matter of months or weeks, with the good draft coming, salary space next season, or Martin and Garcia return as legit SGs and we can give a lot of teams headaches.

anyway, let's just drink a few more beers and we'll forgot this lose in Portland. Tomorrow is another day to cheer and support our team

 

[Dreadnought]

I'll drink to that. It's only a matter of time until Sacramento gets that championship trophy. In Petrie I trust.

 

[Bricklayer]

I will not. I will die.

 

[dvirc218]

Martin is coming back in a month +-
Garcia out for the season

But that doesn't change anything about hawes, he is no good
we need to write a big fat check for a real center

 

[NoBonus]

I look at that close loss to Portland and I think, the Kings, given a little time, will be as good as and potentially better than that Blazers team... I smell a new rivalry... Young Kings vs. Young Blazers!

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

I prefer close losses to being blown out, but maybe that's just me.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I don't mind these at all, unlike the last two seasons where tanking seemed the only option to save the team this year we are still going to get a nice draft pick but we're playing the future of the team and they are learning how to win. Baby steps.

The Blazers announcers during the pre-game talked about how we are where they were a few years back. They righted their ship the year they drafted Roy and Aldridge but they still struggled for another year or two and wound up with another top pick in the process. Hopefully we'll be so lucky.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

Martin is coming back in a month +-
Garcia out for the season

But that doesn't change anything about hawes, he is no good
we need to write a big fat check for a real center

We won't be writing any big fat checks any time soon I don't think, as long as the Maloofs are in cost cutting mode like they are bow.

 

[arwen undomiel]

Last year, the Kings would likely have rolled over and given up after the run Portland went on to open the 3rd. This year's Kings scrapped and fought - I think this is the biggest improvement since last year. It might not translate to wins right now, but it definitely displays a new attitude and perhaps even a new culture emerging. I'll take that any day.

We're only a little past the quarter season mark, and the Kings already have more than half of last years win total. It begins with baby steps, and I think we're seeing that right now.

 

[KINGSonFIRE]

Imagine what our record would be if we won all of these close games. HAHA! I'm just happy to see these enthusiastic & hard-working Kings playing their butts off every night. It's all part of the learning experience and, one day, they'll LEARN how to win these close games. Remain optimistic Kings fans... I'm feeling good the next couple of seasons!

 

[TheFifthMookie]

it feels to me like we are exactly where Portland was a few years back.

We just got some real talent on the team
We just got a coach who has more than air in his head
We just got rid of the old/dead weight and will be shedding more soon

The team has turned a corner and is fun to watch again, and win or lose, they're genuinely competing and genuinely in nearly all the games now. But the team's young and newly formed, so consistency isn't something I expect right now

We're gonna lose close games in the last 3 minutes
We're gonna have stupid mistakes, bad drives, and miscues
We're gonna have players who look like they might not make it

And its going to take some time for all that to shake out. I'm happy to watch it happen.

I was there when the new kings started to emerge, and anybody reading this before xmas, you're there too.

 

[Arco Thunder]

I have to admit that this is hard to experience. I just want them to get over the hump... soon!! I don't want it to take several years to get to where Portland is now. I'm just being honest.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

I think we are doing great this season. we have our superstar. we have ALOT of tradeable assets, we have great coaches and most importantly we have an extremely young team that likes each other. They are becoming a family.
Im just grateful for the Kings situation, we have went thru 4-5 years of hell. And us fans have stuck it out .. we deserve this team, and I can confidently say that we are on the rise in this league just as much as any other team if not more.

 

[NME]

After the disaster of last season, and with so many bright spots emerging this year, the lack of patience among many fans is disappointing. The turnaround is on a much faster course than could have been reasonably expected, but you don't go from 17 wins to respectable without a lot of growing pains.

 

[Arco Thunder]

After the disaster of last season, and with so many bright spots emerging this year, the lack of patience among many fans is disappointing. The turnaround is on a much faster course than could have been reasonably expected, but you don't go from 17 wins to respectable without a lot of growing pains.

Sorry but it has been a lot longer than one year of suffering. I'll be the first one to say that we are definitely looking up this year, but I'm not ready to put in another three years to "finally" be on Portland's level as some have quoted out there. Personally, I don't believe it is going to take that long, so we shall see...

 

[FaStRmAn]

Love your post KingsCitizen. How soon we forget! We were a 17 win team last season with no direction, little talent, and a terrible coach. After ONE draft and the hiring of a REAL NBA COACH, the Kings now have Evans who has future allstar written all over him, Casspi, a solid player who can score and play decent defense, Brockman a good rebounding specialist, and lets not forget Sergio in the draft day trade.

Donte Green is starting to play better. Beno has started to play better. JT has started to play a LOT better. Pretty much the whole team except for Hawes is playing better. The team has a direction. They have a coach who has shown he can motivate these young men and put together game plans that succeed. We have 2 very important veterans on the IR. Martin is a 20+ PPG scorer. Garcia is a leader. We have a favorable cap position and cap room to make moves this off season. We have a stable full of Wing players that are potential trade assets.

The 2010 Draft looks like it is full of good bigs, and you never know about drafts but that is a plus. Of coarse they said the 2009 draft was weak, and look at all the players that are achieving as rookies out of this draft class !?! Makes you wonder who is assessing the talent quality of these drafts. Petrie is an amazing GM who has an eye for young talent. He picked Evans even though he was not the popular choice. Who would change that draft pick now? We thought when we slipped to #4 that our chances of landing a difference maker was gone, but it turned out perfect for us. What a wonderful LUCKY bounce of the ping pong balls for us!

It seems to me that the Luck of the Kings has changed for the better. Who would have thought that Omri Casspi would be this good this soon in his career ?!? I think there are going to be 22 GM's scratching their heads wondering why they didn't see how good Casspi is and is going to be. I KNOW there are at least 2 teams that wish they had taken Evans at this point. I dont think Thabeet or Harden will ever be as good as Evans is NOW. That may change but SO FAR Evans looks like the best player of the draft. Blake Griffin hasn't played yet but he will have to play pretty good to overshadow what Tyreke Evans has done. Evans is a legit ROY Candidate and is the leader at the 1/4 season mark. I believe Evans is going to WIN the ROY and I think Casspi will be in the discussion. Pretty good draft by Petrie huh?

The Kings are looking great for the future! Anyone that questions Geoff Petrie's abilities as a GM need not look any further than this last draft to see what a great eye he has for young talent. Look at Donte Green and Jason Thompson! Free agents and trades may not be his strong suit, but you can not question his young talent evaluation skills. Quincy Douby being his only real miss in the draft as of late. Love what the Kings are doing!

GO KINGS!! Evans for ROY!

 

[Big Cuz 15]

i'll be happy with a 18 win season.

 

[Kingsguy881]

I think that if we can't get a good/great big out of trading KT before the deadline.........we should look at resigning him to a 2 year contract around 2-3 mill......

 

[Big Cuz 15]

I think that if we can't get a good/great big out of trading KT before the deadline.........we should look at resigning him to a 2 year contract around 2-3 mill......

thats a great joke. theres tea all over my keyboard now

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Sorry but it has been a lot longer than one year of suffering. I'll be the first one to say that we are definitely looking up this year, but I'm not ready to put in another three years to "finally" be on Portland's level as some have quoted out there. Personally, I don't believe it is going to take that long, so we shall see...

Well with a little luck we'll be better than Portland in 3 years. But right now we are almost precisely where they were about 3 years ago. That year they brought Aldridge and Roy in, they struggled mightily and wound up with the 6th worst record in the league but won the lottery.

This isn't the same as 1999 where we traded for established players, our likely superstar is very much a work in progress. You can see them turning the corner. They fight hard every night. They are entertaining even in losing and you can see them grow. Getting an extra lottery pick or two while the team grows could be the difference between a 5 year run and a 10 year run.

 

[Kingsguy881]

thats a great joke. theres tea all over my keyboard now

I'm serious. Tell me KT under PW isn't playing like a quality 3rd or 4th big. He has actually been teaching Brockman a lot of his tricks, I hear. I think for the next 2 years he can mentor Brock into being a helluva backup pf as long as KT doens't try to coach him on how to shoot.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

I'm serious. Tell me KT under PW isn't playing like a quality 3rd or 4th big. He has actually been teaching Brockman a lot of his tricks, I hear. I think for the next 2 years he can mentor Brock into being a helluva backup pf as long as KT doens't try to coach him on how to shoot.

KT has had his moments but i don't see the kings and him in any long term scenario. we've been waiting for this moment where his contract is in the final year. the caproom used in that scenario can be spent more productively than paying him that kind of $$$ to mentor another 6'7 rebound machine.


if we are paying anybody that kind of money to mentor how about getting a real legit big man coach? someone that could work with all the big men on their games. what boggles my mind is your suggesting sign him to a contract that i believe our head coach is getting paid to mentor.

 

[Kingsguy881]

KT still has some usefulness. 1 mill a year is not a lot of money to give someone who has been loyal and a true professional to finish his career here while still giving us spot productivity as well as sharing his experience to the youngsta's. And even if you resign him to that small contract, keep in mind his other, big contract, still comes off the books. Don't see what the big fuss is.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

KT still has some usefulness. 1 mill a year is not a lot of money to give someone who has been loyal and a true professional to finish his career here while still giving us spot productivity as well as sharing his experience to the youngsta's. And even if you resign him to that small contract, keep in mind his other, big contract, still comes off the books. Don't see what the big fuss is.

Obviously I don't think that resigning KT should be any kind of priority, but if we were to get to the "end" of our postseason moves and be in position to need to add a player or two at minimum contracts to fill out the roster...given what he has showed this year we could definitely do worse than KT at the minimum. I wouldn't be heartbroken to "lose out" on him, but there's a big difference between an overpaid player with 5 years left on his contract and a min-contract backup bench guy, even if it's the same player and it's only the contract that has changed.

 

[Kingsguy881]

Obviously I don't think that resigning KT should be any kind of priority, but if we were to get to the "end" of our postseason moves and be in position to need to add a player or two at minimum contracts to fill out the roster...given what he has showed this year we could definitely do worse than KT at the minimum. I wouldn't be heartbroken to "lose out" on him, but there's a big difference between an overpaid player with 5 years left on his contract and a min-contract backup bench guy, even if it's the same player and it's only the contract that has changed.

Thats what I was thinking....I wouldn't want to make it a priority because if we can get someone better or younger or both for a reasonable price I'd say do it. But the vet minimum to let KT know we appreciate him for being the professional he has been and the fact that he still has some usefulness left in him as long as he continues to know his role, we could do much worse.

 

[NME]

I think that if we can't get a good/great big out of trading KT before the deadline.........we should look at resigning him to a 2 year contract around 2-3 mill......

Just when we're out, you want to pull us back in!

 

[Kingsguy881]

Just when we're out, you want to pull us back in!

Lol....not ALL the way back in....like, dipping a toe or finger back in.....

 

[Rookie]

we need to write a big fat check for a real center

Hope the we doesn't include me, I don't have money for a real center.

 

[Bricklayer]

Thats what I was thinking....I wouldn't want to make it a priority because if we can get someone better or younger or both for a reasonable price I'd say do it. But the vet minimum to let KT know we appreciate him for being the professional he has been and the fact that he still has some usefulness left in him as long as he continues to know his role, we could do much worse.

Uh no.

 

[Kingsguy881]

Uh no.

Uh, no we could do worse? Or you don't want to have anything to do with KT after this season. Because as much as I have dogged him in the past, he CAN come in and get you some rebounds and foul somebody for a 3-4 minute stretch, and if there isn't anything better out there at least we know what we are getting......