Its good to be a Kings Fan!

[sactownfan]

Although the year is not yet over, i do think its safe to say that there is a lot to be excited about moving forward to next year and the future.

First off Tyreke Evans ! ! ! what a great guy to build a franchise around! Not only did we hit the jackpot as far as potential talent is concerned but we hit the jackpot as far as character as well. Tyreke has displayed all the qualities a team needs and wants from the star player.
His willingness to learn, work hard, and play hard is not easy to find at such a young age with the type of fame and money he's getting...

As it stands now i believe this teams future is in good hands with Evans behind the wheel. He cares more about winning than his own personal awards and accomplishments, and I think he will push others to do the same. This trait reminds me of Lebron James, whos not a bad player himself as far as building a franchise around... lol!

BUT THE BEST PART BY FAR... I get absolutely giddy knowing that Evans is one consistent jump shot away from being one of the best, most unstoppable players in this league... and its clear Evans has already set that as his goal going into this offseason! I am not worried at all that Evans wont be able to add that to his game.

I think we have the most important piece to the puzzle in building a championship caliber team, and all it comes down to now is finding that #2 and #3 guys and the right role players.

Which brings me to the rest of the team...

although they havent been as either as consistent or impressive as Evans... (obviously)... there has been a lot of growth and some important break outs...

Beno is back! he has shown he can stay pretty healthy and play at a level that makes his salary worth every penny. He has found his game and place on this team!

Greene- has taken some big steps forward and is possibly set to be the breakout player for next year? this guy is the true wild card to our building a top team. He has all the tools and physical gifts plus some needed to be a awesome player... he has shown the face up game with 3pt range along with the ability to slash and take it to the rim. If he put it all together with his defense on a consist basis he could be an all-star level player? he could be the next lamar odem aka, a match up from hell for most teams...

Casspi- is also primed to be a solid player NBA player for years to come. When hes not burned out his shot was pretty dang good. Although I dont expect him to shoot 3's like he did in the beginning of the year he isn't as bad as hes looked the 2nd half of the year... with some added weight and muscle he looks like he could be like a NOC during his prime... a ultra tough and scrappy player that brings a variety of skills, but most importantly the type of fight, energy and attitude that is contagious to a team. Casspi like greene could find himself being a great player in this league.

Garcia- well the good news is he cant be any worse... coming back from the injury he was dealt was in itself a big win for him and this team... he clearly isn't 100% yet either physically or mentally but should be a million times better next year. He should provide us with that 3pt shooting, attitude, heart, hustle, and leadership we missed from him most of the year.

Hawes....................... lol! alright everybody roll your eyes... well hes the guy you wanna be watching the closest all the way to the end of the year... i'll start it off with his jump shot is REALLY looking good! and his passing is by far the best at the 5 i've seen since Brad Miller and Vlade in their prime... so while he was able to provide a couple really good efforts this year and some, were even grouped together... it was completely overshadowed by his soft play, unwillingness to bang in the paint, EVER... and his knack for being absolutely destroyed on defense and the glass by other centers or PF's around the league. It was a rough year for Spence in that he found himself starting, then benched, then starting, then benched for Jon Brockman!!! lol! now that was funny and a pretty straight forward message being sent to Hawes... that wasn't immediately received by Hawes... it hit a boiling point when Hawes called out the coach so publicly, then arrived to play a game but there was no uniform in his locker to wear. lol!!! since then Hawes has played a little... little tougher and has looked better (i guess) at doing those things we need like rebounding, blocking shots and defense. Although he's got a long way to go till im sold he's changed his ways and is going to get serious on a nightly basis... he is still very young and i think should understand what he needs to work on this offseason and that he needs to actually put in some work this offseason... So with all that said i think and hope Hawes comes back stronger and able to finally display some of those crafty post skills he was touted as having when he was drafted, but has been too afraid to try... I think Hawes is possibly a huge key to this team and could be a really great player. if he could ever avg 10 or more boards a game that would really go so far in this teams growth. NOT TO MENTION TOTALLY SHUT ME UP.

Landry- could be the best 6th man in the league... maybe not the future starting PF we need to be a contender but who knows... it seems like if Landry starts he needs to be paired with a tough rebounding and shot blocking specialist.(not Hawes) because hes not a huge threat on the glass or against the real big, bigs in this league on defense...

JT - looks like he isnt the starter we hoped for... he could be a good role player.

and our frontline in general... our front line is the key right now... we got wings and backcourt... but we need someone to really step up and be the man at the 4 or 5... is Landry the guy? maybe... maybe not... but we need someone else... Hawes could one day be that guy... but really things could get really interesting come draft day... well see what happens...

FINALLY GEOFF PETRIE!!! WE AGAIN ARE GOING TO HIS STRENGTH !!! THE DRAFT!!! IN PETRIE I TRUST !!! i feel like we have a good chance to land that #2 guy in this draft. were in that position in the draft where teams luck out with the ping pong balls and move up... ITS ABOUT TIME FOR SOME GOOD LUCK!!! either way Petrie has a good eye and will pick us a winner...

this team is really young and like we saw early this year can be very exciting to watch and completive.. especially with some extra work this offseason...

but seriously Tyreke Evans with a jump shot!!! that would be amazing!

 

[Bart-Poland]

Although the year is not yet over, i do think its safe to say that there is a lot to be excited about moving forward to next year and the future.

First off Tyreke Evans ! ! ! what a great guy to build a franchise around! Not only did we hit the jackpot as far as potential talent is concerned but we hit the jackpot as far as character as well. Tyreke has displayed all the qualities a team needs and wants from the star player.
His willingness to learn, work hard, and play hard is not easy to find at such a young age with the type of fame and money he's getting...

As it stands now i believe this teams future is in good hands with Evans behind the wheel. He cares more about winning than his own personal awards and accomplishments, and I think he will push others to do the same. This trait reminds me of Lebron James, whos not a bad player himself as far as building a franchise around... lol!

BUT THE BEST PART BY FAR... I get absolutely giddy knowing that Evans is one consistent jump shot away from being one of the best, most unstoppable players in this league... and its clear Evans has already set that as his goal going into this offseason! I am not worried at all that Evans wont be able to add that to his game.

I think we have the most important piece to the puzzle in building a championship caliber team, and all it comes down to now is finding that #2 and #3 guys and the right role players.

Which brings me to the rest of the team...

although they havent been as either as consistent or impressive as Evans... (obviously)... there has been a lot of growth and some important break outs...

Beno is back! he has shown he can stay pretty healthy and play at a level that makes his salary worth every penny. He has found his game and place on this team!

Greene- has taken some big steps forward and is possibly set to be the breakout player for next year? this guy is the true wild card to our building a top team. He has all the tools and physical gifts plus some needed to be a awesome player... he has shown the face up game with 3pt range along with the ability to slash and take it to the rim. If he put it all together with his defense on a consist basis he could be an all-star level player? he could be the next lamar odem aka, a match up from hell for most teams...

Casspi- is also primed to be a solid player NBA player for years to come. When hes not burned out his shot was pretty dang good. Although I dont expect him to shoot 3's like he did in the beginning of the year he isn't as bad as hes looked the 2nd half of the year... with some added weight and muscle he looks like he could be like a NOC during his prime... a ultra tough and scrappy player that brings a variety of skills, but most importantly the type of fight, energy and attitude that is contagious to a team. Casspi like greene could find himself being a great player in this league.

Garcia- well the good news is he cant be any worse... coming back from the injury he was dealt was in itself a big win for him and this team... he clearly isn't 100% yet either physically or mentally but should be a million times better next year. He should provide us with that 3pt shooting, attitude, heart, hustle, and leadership we missed from him most of the year.

Hawes....................... lol! alright everybody roll your eyes... well hes the guy you wanna be watching the closest all the way to the end of the year... i'll start it off with his jump shot is REALLY looking good! and his passing is by far the best at the 5 i've seen since Brad Miller and Vlade in their prime... so while he was able to provide a couple really good efforts this year and some, were even grouped together... it was completely overshadowed by his soft play, unwillingness to bang in the paint, EVER... and his knack for being absolutely destroyed on defense and the glass by other centers or PF's around the league. It was a rough year for Spence in that he found himself starting, then benched, then starting, then benched for Jon Brockman!!! lol! now that was funny and a pretty straight forward message being sent to Hawes... that wasn't immediately received by Hawes... it hit a boiling point when Hawes called out the coach so publicly, then arrived to play a game but there was no uniform in his locker to wear. lol!!! since then Hawes has played a little... little tougher and has looked better (i guess) at doing those things we need like rebounding, blocking shots and defense. Although he's got a long way to go till im sold he's changed his ways and is going to get serious on a nightly basis... he is still very young and i think should understand what he needs to work on this offseason and that he needs to actually put in some work this offseason... So with all that said i think and hope Hawes comes back stronger and able to finally display some of those crafty post skills he was touted as having when he was drafted, but has been too afraid to try... I think Hawes is possibly a huge key to this team and could be a really great player. if he could ever avg 10 or more boards a game that would really go so far in this teams growth. NOT TO MENTION TOTALLY SHUT ME UP.

Landry- could be the best 6th man in the league... maybe not the future starting PF we need to be a contender but who knows... it seems like if Landry starts he needs to be paired with a tough rebounding and shot blocking specialist.(not Hawes) because hes not a huge threat on the glass or against the real big, bigs in this league on defense...

JT - looks like he isnt the starter we hoped for... he could be a good role player.

and our frontline in general... our front line is the key right now... we got wings and backcourt... but we need someone to really step up and be the man at the 4 or 5... is Landry the guy? maybe... maybe not... but we need someone else... Hawes could one day be that guy... but really things could get really interesting come draft day... well see what happens...

FINALLY GEOFF PETRIE!!! WE AGAIN ARE GOING TO HIS STRENGTH !!! THE DRAFT!!! IN PETRIE I TRUST !!! i feel like we have a good chance to land that #2 guy in this draft. were in that position in the draft where teams luck out with the ping pong balls and move up... ITS ABOUT TIME FOR SOME GOOD LUCK!!! either way Petrie has a good eye and will pick us a winner...

this team is really young and like we saw early this year can be very exciting to watch and completive.. especially with some extra work this offseason...

but seriously Tyreke Evans with a jump shot!!! that would be amazing!

I agree man, I'm really excited about future, I hope also that we select in NBA draft Cousin, or whiteside and I will be happy
GO KINGS!!!!
GOOD OR BAD I'M PROUD BE A KINGS FAN
BARTEK FROM
COUNTRYOLAND
CITY:
WROCLAW

 

[VF21]

Question for the OP...

Who are you and what in the hell have you done with sactownfan?



Seriously, nice post. In fact, I think it's the best post - including the comments about what we have and what we (meaning the Kings) need - I think I've seen you post...ever.

See, you can do it.

 

[Amory]

Question for the OP...

Who are you and what in the hell have you done with sactownfan?



Seriously, nice post. In fact, I think it's the best post - including the comments about what we have and what we (meaning the Kings) need - I think I've seen you post...ever.

See, you can do it.

signed!

 

[sactownfan]

one thing that i wanted to add to my post but had to take off was... that i really like the tough and scrappy direction Petrie has gone with building this team... from Casspi, to brockman even NOC...toughness ! ! ! minus Hawes he could be a little tougher...lol! but i do believe he can do it...hopefully i can look forward to seeing a new and improved Hawes next year...

WHEN SACTOWN OFFICIALLY PUTS THE REST OF THE LEAGUE ON NOTICE!

 

[FaStRmAn]

Really LOVE this post because it is SO positive! There are far more positives than negatives right now for the Kings Organization! We DO have a budding Super Star in Tyreke Evans! He IS going to get that Jump shot down PAT this summer, I just KNOW he will. Tyreke Evans is JUST the Guy we needed. Petrie has DONE IT AGAIN ! Even though there was a collective MOAN when the Kings ended up with the 4th selection, I remember Petrie being interviewed on the radio and he said that there was Very good value in the draft that year and that the Kings would get a very good player. When Tyreke Evans fell to us, it was like the Basketball GODS were shining down on us with Basketball Blessings! And the MOANS about dropping from one to four turned into CHEERS for getting the BEST PLAYER IN THAT DRAFT NO MATTER WHAT BLAKE GRIFFIN DOES! I truly believe that Tyreke Evans will end up being the Best player of the 2009 draft in 5 years when we look back on that draft! Griffin might turn out to be a good Power Forward, but I dont think he is going to be a game changing All Star that Tyreke Evans appears to be headed for. He is clearly better than Thabeet and Hardin, and I believe he always will be. So really Griffin is the only other player that could be considered. Griffin would have to be the second coming of Tim Duncan to surpass what I believe Evans is going to become in just a few short years! Building a team around Evans is going to be awesome! I don't see Griffin being anything as good as "The Big Fundamental".

Beno has been nothing short of AWESOME! I was down on Beno like a lot of people last season, thinking he was suffering from "Big $$$" Disease, but that couldn't be farther from the TRUTH! He was hurt, and played through the pain anyway. That shows guts and team spirit! Unlike a lot of other people, I think Beno is a very good starter at the Point and I think we can win playoff games with Beno at the point as long as we add more talent to the team for Beno to dish out assists to. Beno is our Starting PG for the near future and I am totally OK with that!

Donte Greene wasn't even on anybodies mind when we made that deal with Houston with Artest for Bobby J and a unknown draft pick that was Donte Greene. For someone the Kings didn't draft, he has turned out to be an athletic, long, and competitive player. His range makes him a good "Stretch Forward" that the league is moving toward, and his height gives him the ability to play the 4 spot! He is versatile and quick. He has even played some 2 guard for us. How many players can play 3 positions well? I see Donte becoming a Rashard Lewis type of player but a much better defender. That is the most awesome thing about Greene. He is a defender that PW has used on players like Kobe and Lebron and Greene has done very well. I am excited to see how Greene matures into his role on the team!

Casspi is going to be a surprise success for the Kings! He ran out of gas this year because all his off the court obligations and the fact that he has never played so many games in so long a season as the NBA has. I fully expect Casspi to come back next season with more stamina and a refined game to really take the NBA by storm! I see Casspi as a Peja type player with better defense and better slasher!

Garcia is important to this team. Evans might be the leader, but Garcia is the Heart and Soul! He is the biggest cheerleader for our team, and even when he was hurt, he was helping Casspi and others every way he could to help the TEAM. Garcia is team first, and every team needs a Garcia in the locker room. He has game too! He can run point, shoot the deep 3, and set up others for easy scores! I think Garcia is the "GLUE" guy on this team that will help the team win.

A lot of people give Hawes a lot of grief (including me). But the truth is he would only be a senior in college this year. He is still SO YOUNG. He hasn't grown into his body yet. He is finding out that the NBA is a stronger faster league than college. I think our success as a team is predicated on how Hawes trains this summer and if he finally bulks up and becomes the inside force we all know he can become. 20 lbs of muscle in his legs and upper body would open up the wide variety of post moves he has with both hands. He needs to be strong enough to take a bump and still finish, foul or no foul. If Spencer dedicates himself to just working out and bulking up this summer, and not even worry about shooting, he can do it. He can be our Center of the future if he bulks up and can play in the paint with strength. I still think he can be that guy!

Landry is everything he was advertised to be. He has inside and outside game down pat. If he were 4 inches taller, he'd be a perennial allstar! But at 6'9", he is one of the most tenacious players for his size at the PF position. He just outworks bigger players by getting in low and making space to score. Love Landry and I hope they sign him long term!

I know a lot of people are down on JT, and he does seem to make a lot of dumb mistakes, but he doesn't suffer from a lack of effort. I think if he keeps working in the same system for a year or 2, and gets famaliar with the system, he will not make as many mistakes and will get comfortable on the court.Next season is year 3, the "LightBulb" year that NBA people say that players have breakout years. I really thing JT is going to have that kind of year next season!

Sactownfan, I totally agree with your enthusiasm and expectations for a brighter future for the Kings! As fans, we should be upbeat because the future is looking pretty good. Cap room, another good draft pick coming, and our core players getting better! In Petrie we TRUST! I know that no matter what pick we get, Petrie will bring us a productive player who will help our team get better. I hope that others start seeing the positives this team has going on and slow down on the negatives. No playoffs this year but not a 17 win dog of a season either. The players obviously respect the coach because they play hard for him even though the season's outcome has been determined. Let Petrie improve our talent level and build around Tyreke ! Next season will be great I am sure!

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Donte Greene wasn't even on anybodies mind when we made that deal with Houston with Artest for Bobby J and a unknown draft pick that was Donte Greene. For someone the Kings didn't draft, he has turned out to be an athletic, long, and competitive player.

Well, that's not really true. Greene was one of the top high school players coming into the college season, and he was projected as a one-and-done lotto pick. Most draft sites thought he was top-ten, and he might have snuck into a few top-fives. He didn't have a great season with Syracuse and his stock fell, but I think most people were surprised when he dropped to 28th. I certainly was. I spent the entire latter half of the draft (say, after Speights and Hibbert went off the board) thinking that he was bound to be the next guy picked.

In fact, I thought he was at least a candidate for our pick at #12, and according to one interview I saw with Greene around that time, he thought we had interest in him as well. Obviously we went with JT, but when we sent Artest to the Rockets and the deal couldn't be officially announced for a week or two, everybody pretty much figured out that the reason was Greene - the Rockets had signed him, and you have to wait something like 30 days to trade a drafted player that is signed (as opposed to unsigned rights, which can be traded immediately). And there was a bit of excitement over that. The general public may have seen it as a trade for BJax, but I think for the the folks who follow the team more closely (e.g. fans on various websites) it was pretty much acknowledged that the trade was for Greene and the pick that became Casspi, and that BJax was salary cap filler + nostalgia.

Now, it took Greene a while to start showing some promise (he airballed more threes last year than I could imagine possible) but as the major piece in the Artest trade, he was on our minds.

 

[sactownfan]

Well, that's not really true. Greene was one of the top high school players coming into the college season, and he was projected as a one-and-done lotto pick. Most draft sites thought he was top-ten, and he might have snuck into a few top-fives. He didn't have a great season with Syracuse and his stock fell, but I think most people were surprised when he dropped to 28th. I certainly was. I spent the entire latter half of the draft (say, after Speights and Hibbert went off the board) thinking that he was bound to be the next guy picked.

In fact, I thought he was at least a candidate for our pick at #12, and according to one interview I saw with Greene around that time, he thought we had interest in him as well.

He was considered to be a lottery pick (top 12) all the way up to about a month before the draft... because some other guys were having better workouts plus played better to finish up college...

He was the reason we traded Ron.... Petrie liked him... and probably would have picked him at #12 if we didn't so desperately need a PF at the time

 

[FaStRmAn]

Well, that's not really true. Greene was one of the top high school players coming into the college season, and he was projected as a one-and-done lotto pick. Most draft sites thought he was top-ten, and he might have snuck into a few top-fives. He didn't have a great season with Syracuse and his stock fell, but I think most people were surprised when he dropped to 28th. I certainly was. I spent the entire latter half of the draft (say, after Speights and Hibbert went off the board) thinking that he was bound to be the next guy picked.

In fact, I thought he was at least a candidate for our pick at #12, and according to one interview I saw with Greene around that time, he thought we had interest in him as well. Obviously we went with JT, but when we sent Artest to the Rockets and the deal couldn't be officially announced for a week or two, everybody pretty much figured out that the reason was Greene - the Rockets had signed him, and you have to wait something like 30 days to trade a drafted player that is signed (as opposed to unsigned rights, which can be traded immediately). And there was a bit of excitement over that. The general public may have seen it as a trade for BJax, but I think for the the folks who follow the team more closely (e.g. fans on various websites) it was pretty much acknowledged that the trade was for Greene and the pick that became Casspi, and that BJax was salary cap filler + nostalgia.

Now, it took Greene a while to start showing some promise (he airballed more threes last year than I could imagine possible) but as the major piece in the Artest trade, he was on our minds.

Since the Kings were selecting 12th in that draft, I admit that I was looking at players thought to be in the 10-20 range. I knew their next picks didn't come to like 43 and 44 so I didn't pay a lot of attention to picks 20-35. But it turns out that Greene is a good player, and probably would have been selected higher in the draft if they did that draft over again. More than likely top 20, and when you look at some of the busts in that draft possibly top 15. Greene isn't a proven NBA commodity yet but the tools are there and so experience will help Donte's game a lot over the next coupla years.

I'm not baggin on Donte, I think he could be a very important piece for the Kings. His defense has become very valuable to the team. But does he start at PF or SF? Does he START? He has the Defensive game we need, but his offense is very erratic and he often takes ill advised shots that are not part of the offense. I hope Donte gets it all together and becomes a team player for us. At 6'9" he really should be bringing down more boards. He is a total mismatch at the small forward position against most teams, and he can back up 3 positions (PF,SF, SG) which is very versatile. I see a future of a new center, Landry and Donte at the forwards, and Beno/'Reke at the guards. That would be a very potent offensive unit and a decent defensive group too. A Defensive minded Center that can get the rebounds and protect the paint would give us the ability to gamble on defense for more steals by Evans. Our bench would be deep with talent! JT, Hawes, Cisco, and Casspi would head up a 2nd unit that would have a lot of depth. I am stoked about the future of the Kings and hope they get the big man they need in this draft or we attract a free agent big to join this up and coming Kings team! Go KINGS!! Evans IS ROY!