Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
I thought Kingsfans should have one of these, in particular for non-local area fans who do not get the benefit of the Bee's big pullout section or whatever and need a season primer.
Center
Brad Miller returns for yet another season as the presumed starter (his 6th with the Kings), although his debut is going to have to wait 5 games after he got himself suspended over the summer for smoking a funny smelling weed. He had himself a bounceback season last year, getting in shape and largely returning to form after several years of decline. That of course means a sweet passing and shooting center who struggles to play in the post and cannot defend. With the suspension looming his preseason minutes were limited, but he looks to be in shape again and could have another strong season. Age is creeping up on him however (he is 32), he is injury prone, and he has no athleticism to spare. Backing him up, and starting the first 5 games in his stead will be young Spencer Hawes, who when not running screaming across the parking lot at the sight of Greg Oden had himself an impressive preseason. He has the post game that Miller lacks, if he can be convinced to actually use it instead of drifting outside for jumpshots. If he continues coming into his own during his 5 game audition while Miller is out, look for him to steal minutes not only from Miller, but also from the shaky PFs as Coach Theus experimented with playing Hawes and Miller together during the preseason. It is also possible that strong play by Hawes may also make Miller expendable as midseason trade bait in furtherance of the teamwide youth movement. PFs Mikki Moore and Jason Thompson (both tall enough but not strong enough) and Shelden Williams (strong enough but not tall enough) can also fill in as needed.
Power Forward
Mikki Moore returns for his second season as the presumed starter at PF, although whether his starting role, or even place on the team, will last the whole season remains to be seen. Moore defines the word journeyman in the NBA, having played for 8 different teams in his 10 years in the league. While lacking in individual talent and physical strength, he keeps finding work by knowing his role and being active while playing off the ball. With an affordable contract with a partial buyout clause for next season, he is another older player who could end up with a new address by the end of the season if a contending team comes looking for frontcourt reinforcements. First round pick Jason Thompson will presumably be the main backup at PF. He is an extremely mobile player for his size (6'11" 250lbs) that looked a little lost in his preseason appearances. It was hoped that as a 4 year college player he might be able to step right in and be ready for major minutes from day one, but its apparent that the jump from small college (Rider University) to the NBA is going to take some time. In the short term his main value seems to be as a hustler and rebounder. Former #5 overall pick Shelden Williams returns for a second season with the Kings, and may also be able to steal some minutes against certain matchups (those involving brute strength). Its apparent at this point that a lack of quickness, jumping ability, and fluidity will likely prevent him from ever justifying the high draft position, and in fact the Kings declined to pick up the fourth option year on his contract. He remains the team's strongest player, however, and during preseason showed flashes of strong post defense against bigger players who rely on strength rather than speed. Kenny Thomas also returns as the gift that keeps on giving, and the less said about that the better. He was seeing some rotation minutes during the preseason, and its possible there may be a danger of him stealing minutes from the younger players. As always the thing he has always been able to do is rebound and excel at his role as the least flexible "flexible piece" in league history. Shareef Abdur-Rahim mercifully retired during the offseason after missing almost the entire season last year with deteriorating knees.
Small Forward
With Ron Artest traded during the offseason, John Salmons steps in as the Day 1 starter, a change that should be much to his liking. The book on Salmons has long been that he plays much MUCH better as a starter than off the bench, and last year he averaged over 17 points a game in his half season starting. With Artest gone he is also now the team's best (only?) perimeter defender. The questions about Salmons center around perceived selfishness, whether it be his tendency to pound the ball endlesslessly and force tough shots in traffic rather than pass to teammates, or his seeming tendency to sulk when sent to the bench. His having a strong season duplicating his success as a starter last year is vital to any hopes the Kings may have. If focused and playing team ball, he is likely to be the #2 offensive option behind Kevin Martin. Francisco Garcia figures to be the main backup at both the SF and OG positions after signing a long term extension in the offseason. A very passionate player who does a bit of everything, and can be a lights out shooter from downtown, Garcia's weaknesses are inconsistency and bouts of wildness and poor decisionmaking. He can be the most exciting player on the floor...for both teams. Equally capable as a starter or reserve, if Salmons is moved during the season Garcia figures to be able to shift smoothly into the starting lineup. Young project player Donte Greene, acquired in the Artest deal, may be the future of the Kings at this position. But if he is, that future is still some way off, and Greene may have a hard time staying on the 12 man active roster until he works the kinks out of his game. If he ever does, he projects out as tall athletic player with effortless three point range. It should be noted that late in the preseason Coach Theus was experimenting with Jason Thompson at the SF position, so against certain matchups its possible that the team might go with a very big lineup.
Off Guard
The good news is that Kevin Martin returns as the undisputed #1 option and best player on the team. The bad news is that Kevin Martin returns as the undisputed #1 option and best player on the team. With a game that more resembles that of a sidekick than a superhero, Martin nonetheless will enter this season as the face of the franchise for the Kings. Already a potent scorer, he might very well break 25 points a game this year as the focal point of the offense and figures to be amongst the league scoring leaders. Efficiency may suffer however, and how far Martin can carry the Kings is likely to depend on how well he is able to do the other things with which he is less adept -- setting up teammates, defending, and making everybody else better. Quincy Douby gets second billing here, but in truth is likely no more than 3rd or even 4th on the depth chart at the position, and could be one of the players sometimes left off the 12 man roster. Like Shelden Williams, the Kings declined to pick up the option year on Douby's contract as well, and his future role on the team is uncertain. The problem remains that while occassionally offensively explosive, he is basically a very small (6'3" 175lb) OG and has never been able to really learn the PG position which his size suggests. Ahead of him Francisco Garcia (as the main OG backup) and John Salmons from the SF positon, as well as Beno Udrih, Bobby Jackson, and Bobby Brown from the PG position, all have the ability to swing over for OG minutes.
Point Guard
Beno Udrih signed a longterm deal during the offseason to be the Kings starting PG and looks to have no serious challengers for the spot. More solid than spectacular, Udrih nonetheless can get on hot streaks where he will dominate a game for a quarter or more. His leadership will be critical to any success the Kings might have, and while he has a nicely rounded offensive game he has to concentrate on getting others involved as there is precious little passing on this Kings team. His problems include quickness issues when trying to guard the league's darts at PG, and a career long battle against injuries that the Kings can ill afford. Bobby Jackson is back! Bobby Jackson is back! In what qualifies as exciting news in a season where there may not be much success in the win column, beloved fan favorite Bobby Jackson was reaquired during the offseason as part of the Ron Artest deal. A fearless attack dog on the court back in his (and the team's) prime, Jackson also was one of the truly nice guys around the league off of it. At 35 he is not the player he once was on the court, and may contribute more to the team with his veteran leadership than actual play. As always with Jackson, staying healthy for a full season will be part of the challenge. A new Bobby -- rookie Bobby Brown -- will compete with Jackson for the backup minutes. Lightning quick, he is another shoot first type of PG who needs to find ways to get others involved if he wants to secure himself consistent minutes.
Coaching
Reggie Theus returns to the sidelines after a tumultuous first season that saw flashes of real coaching ability intermixed with disputes with nearly every member of the Kings, player or front office. Trapped in a win now, play the veterans mentality, he often seemed to be out of step with a front office finally creaking into a true rebuilding mode. Theus had the team playing hard though, at least for part of the season, and his focus on defense and post play sounds good on paper. During the preseason he announced that the Kings would be trying to integrate the triangle offense (of Phil Jackson/Tex Winters fame) into the attack, but there was little evidence of it on court. Key for Theus this year will be checking his ego at the door and getting his team to want to play for him. Another long season filled with disputes and drama could have him exiting stage left at the end of the year (his contract expires at season's end, and the front office chose not to extend him during the offseason).
Center
Brad Miller returns for yet another season as the presumed starter (his 6th with the Kings), although his debut is going to have to wait 5 games after he got himself suspended over the summer for smoking a funny smelling weed. He had himself a bounceback season last year, getting in shape and largely returning to form after several years of decline. That of course means a sweet passing and shooting center who struggles to play in the post and cannot defend. With the suspension looming his preseason minutes were limited, but he looks to be in shape again and could have another strong season. Age is creeping up on him however (he is 32), he is injury prone, and he has no athleticism to spare. Backing him up, and starting the first 5 games in his stead will be young Spencer Hawes, who when not running screaming across the parking lot at the sight of Greg Oden had himself an impressive preseason. He has the post game that Miller lacks, if he can be convinced to actually use it instead of drifting outside for jumpshots. If he continues coming into his own during his 5 game audition while Miller is out, look for him to steal minutes not only from Miller, but also from the shaky PFs as Coach Theus experimented with playing Hawes and Miller together during the preseason. It is also possible that strong play by Hawes may also make Miller expendable as midseason trade bait in furtherance of the teamwide youth movement. PFs Mikki Moore and Jason Thompson (both tall enough but not strong enough) and Shelden Williams (strong enough but not tall enough) can also fill in as needed.
Power Forward
Mikki Moore returns for his second season as the presumed starter at PF, although whether his starting role, or even place on the team, will last the whole season remains to be seen. Moore defines the word journeyman in the NBA, having played for 8 different teams in his 10 years in the league. While lacking in individual talent and physical strength, he keeps finding work by knowing his role and being active while playing off the ball. With an affordable contract with a partial buyout clause for next season, he is another older player who could end up with a new address by the end of the season if a contending team comes looking for frontcourt reinforcements. First round pick Jason Thompson will presumably be the main backup at PF. He is an extremely mobile player for his size (6'11" 250lbs) that looked a little lost in his preseason appearances. It was hoped that as a 4 year college player he might be able to step right in and be ready for major minutes from day one, but its apparent that the jump from small college (Rider University) to the NBA is going to take some time. In the short term his main value seems to be as a hustler and rebounder. Former #5 overall pick Shelden Williams returns for a second season with the Kings, and may also be able to steal some minutes against certain matchups (those involving brute strength). Its apparent at this point that a lack of quickness, jumping ability, and fluidity will likely prevent him from ever justifying the high draft position, and in fact the Kings declined to pick up the fourth option year on his contract. He remains the team's strongest player, however, and during preseason showed flashes of strong post defense against bigger players who rely on strength rather than speed. Kenny Thomas also returns as the gift that keeps on giving, and the less said about that the better. He was seeing some rotation minutes during the preseason, and its possible there may be a danger of him stealing minutes from the younger players. As always the thing he has always been able to do is rebound and excel at his role as the least flexible "flexible piece" in league history. Shareef Abdur-Rahim mercifully retired during the offseason after missing almost the entire season last year with deteriorating knees.
Small Forward
With Ron Artest traded during the offseason, John Salmons steps in as the Day 1 starter, a change that should be much to his liking. The book on Salmons has long been that he plays much MUCH better as a starter than off the bench, and last year he averaged over 17 points a game in his half season starting. With Artest gone he is also now the team's best (only?) perimeter defender. The questions about Salmons center around perceived selfishness, whether it be his tendency to pound the ball endlesslessly and force tough shots in traffic rather than pass to teammates, or his seeming tendency to sulk when sent to the bench. His having a strong season duplicating his success as a starter last year is vital to any hopes the Kings may have. If focused and playing team ball, he is likely to be the #2 offensive option behind Kevin Martin. Francisco Garcia figures to be the main backup at both the SF and OG positions after signing a long term extension in the offseason. A very passionate player who does a bit of everything, and can be a lights out shooter from downtown, Garcia's weaknesses are inconsistency and bouts of wildness and poor decisionmaking. He can be the most exciting player on the floor...for both teams. Equally capable as a starter or reserve, if Salmons is moved during the season Garcia figures to be able to shift smoothly into the starting lineup. Young project player Donte Greene, acquired in the Artest deal, may be the future of the Kings at this position. But if he is, that future is still some way off, and Greene may have a hard time staying on the 12 man active roster until he works the kinks out of his game. If he ever does, he projects out as tall athletic player with effortless three point range. It should be noted that late in the preseason Coach Theus was experimenting with Jason Thompson at the SF position, so against certain matchups its possible that the team might go with a very big lineup.
Off Guard
The good news is that Kevin Martin returns as the undisputed #1 option and best player on the team. The bad news is that Kevin Martin returns as the undisputed #1 option and best player on the team. With a game that more resembles that of a sidekick than a superhero, Martin nonetheless will enter this season as the face of the franchise for the Kings. Already a potent scorer, he might very well break 25 points a game this year as the focal point of the offense and figures to be amongst the league scoring leaders. Efficiency may suffer however, and how far Martin can carry the Kings is likely to depend on how well he is able to do the other things with which he is less adept -- setting up teammates, defending, and making everybody else better. Quincy Douby gets second billing here, but in truth is likely no more than 3rd or even 4th on the depth chart at the position, and could be one of the players sometimes left off the 12 man roster. Like Shelden Williams, the Kings declined to pick up the option year on Douby's contract as well, and his future role on the team is uncertain. The problem remains that while occassionally offensively explosive, he is basically a very small (6'3" 175lb) OG and has never been able to really learn the PG position which his size suggests. Ahead of him Francisco Garcia (as the main OG backup) and John Salmons from the SF positon, as well as Beno Udrih, Bobby Jackson, and Bobby Brown from the PG position, all have the ability to swing over for OG minutes.
Point Guard
Beno Udrih signed a longterm deal during the offseason to be the Kings starting PG and looks to have no serious challengers for the spot. More solid than spectacular, Udrih nonetheless can get on hot streaks where he will dominate a game for a quarter or more. His leadership will be critical to any success the Kings might have, and while he has a nicely rounded offensive game he has to concentrate on getting others involved as there is precious little passing on this Kings team. His problems include quickness issues when trying to guard the league's darts at PG, and a career long battle against injuries that the Kings can ill afford. Bobby Jackson is back! Bobby Jackson is back! In what qualifies as exciting news in a season where there may not be much success in the win column, beloved fan favorite Bobby Jackson was reaquired during the offseason as part of the Ron Artest deal. A fearless attack dog on the court back in his (and the team's) prime, Jackson also was one of the truly nice guys around the league off of it. At 35 he is not the player he once was on the court, and may contribute more to the team with his veteran leadership than actual play. As always with Jackson, staying healthy for a full season will be part of the challenge. A new Bobby -- rookie Bobby Brown -- will compete with Jackson for the backup minutes. Lightning quick, he is another shoot first type of PG who needs to find ways to get others involved if he wants to secure himself consistent minutes.
Coaching
Reggie Theus returns to the sidelines after a tumultuous first season that saw flashes of real coaching ability intermixed with disputes with nearly every member of the Kings, player or front office. Trapped in a win now, play the veterans mentality, he often seemed to be out of step with a front office finally creaking into a true rebuilding mode. Theus had the team playing hard though, at least for part of the season, and his focus on defense and post play sounds good on paper. During the preseason he announced that the Kings would be trying to integrate the triangle offense (of Phil Jackson/Tex Winters fame) into the attack, but there was little evidence of it on court. Key for Theus this year will be checking his ego at the door and getting his team to want to play for him. Another long season filled with disputes and drama could have him exiting stage left at the end of the year (his contract expires at season's end, and the front office chose not to extend him during the offseason).
Last edited:
