Kings & Eric Moreland Reach Deal

[rainmaker]

He hopefully can help and provide a defensive/shotblocking presence as a rotation player, but he's still not the defensive presence we need next to Boogie.

Maybe he'll show down the road he is, but he's unproven thus far and while I get the excitement, some are putting the cart before the horse. Let's see if he can break into a regular 8 man rotation and handle the speed of the NBA.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

He hopefully can help and provide a defensive/shotblocking presence as a rotation player, but he's still not the defensive presence we need next to Boogie.

Maybe he'll show down the road he is, but he's unproven thus far and while I get the excitement, some are putting the cart before the horse. Let's see if he can break into a regular 8 man rotation and handle the speed of the NBA.

He looks like he can definitely handle the speed of the NBA. Im more worried about him being able to handle the physicality and size of NBA big men

 

[VF21]

He looks like he can definitely handle the speed of the NBA. Im more worried about him being able to handle the physicality and size of NBA big men

And that's likely one of the reasons he went undrafted. We're taking a chance on a kid with heart who already loves us and the Kings and is willing to give it his all to prove his worth. Kinda like IT but without the chip.

Watching him in Vegas, I'm pretty confident he's gonna work his posterior off to be competitive at the NBA level.

AND HE LIVES TO PLAY DEFENSE. You don't find that very often.

 

[SacTownKid]

This guy earned it for sure. Congrats Eric, so glad to have him on the Kings!

 

[ockingsfan]

I think in 2-3 years he maybe starting next to DMC. He reminds me of a young larry sanders without all the baggage.
I really like this signing!

 

[Bosnian Diehard]

Obviously a very good move by PDA. Could possibly go down as the best "under-the radar" move of the summer.

 

[Prince_XY]

Moreland, don't forget that tough look after every block and you'll be okay.

 

[hrdboild]

The A's come back and score 6 runs in the 9th inning, Eric Moreland signs with the Kings -- everything is coming up roses for me today

It looks like a small signing on the surface perhaps, but I like the vibe that the organization is putting out this year. First they acted quickly and decisively on the Thomas/Collison situation. Then Tyrone Corbin came aboard and our coaching staff and young players made the Kings squad the class of Vegas. Cousins is getting good press out of USA basketball workouts, Casspi got a second chance with his original NBA team. There's a lot of feel good stories circulating around the team this year which is a pleasant surprise. I do get cranky sometimes, but I think I'm pretty easy to please. I just want something to feel good about. Maybe the big moves aren't really happening yet, but we're building positive momentum.

Also, I just wanted to say I'm really happy for Eric Moreland. This kid went undrafted and he came out of that experience with the right attitude, looking to work hard and the make the most of his opportunities. One month later he's got a three year contract with an NBA club. Good for him. I think he'll be a good influence in the locker room and on the practice floor and he'll force his way into the rotation at some point this season if he keeps playing with the same intensity and effort he showed us in summer league. It won't hurt that familiar faces Ray, Ben, Nik, Derrick, and maybe Quincy will all be on the team as well.

 

[Webber131]

Glad to see him get a shot and glad to see that the kings have 3 yrs to try and develop him.

Step 1: get his butt in the weight room and set him up with a nutritionist to get meat on those bones.

Step 2: get him working with the best defensive minds/former ballers and shot blockers Ranadive can afford. Oh wait...Shaq is a minority owner who should star working with both Cousins and Moreland. PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT SHAQ!

 

[ParniValjak]

To me this is probably the best personnel move we have made this off-season. This signing was a no brainer for us...or at least should have been. An energizer bunny who hustles every second he is on the court, blocks shots and rebounds at a high level.

I love the fact that it is a 3 year deal!

It likely implies that there is dumping of salary along the way somewhere in the next few weeks.

 

[Bricklayer]

Ah, its so nice to get a shotblocker back in here. Something has just been missing:

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

It also gives us full Bird Rights, so if he turns into something we can re-sign him regardless of our cap situation.

This is the biggest key for me in the signing.

If you think about it, in an absolute dreamlike scenario, Moreland blows up and he's easily a $10+ million per year player. As unlikely as it is, every now and then there are undrafted players (e.g. Ben Wallace, Brad Miller) who have proven they can be key cogs to a team. The two year "early" Bird Rights are a bit too constraining for comfort; there's always the risk that a team could come in and twist their way around the Arenas provision and make matching Moreland absolute hell. But the three year full Bird Rights cover that scenario well enough so we have an edge to retain our talent.

And of course, any Moreland scenario not reaching the ceiling is covered as well. Nice job by PDA to lock Moreland into a three year contract.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Nice job by PDA to lock Moreland into a three year contract.

And nice foresight to make sure the offer to Collison wasn't the full MLE, leaving the precise amount of room for a rookie minimum contract.

 

[Hallama]

Sounds like the Kings had competition to sign him. GSW and NYK also tried to sign him, according to RealGM:
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/234466/Kings-Sign-Eric-Moreland-To-Three-Year-Deal

 

[pshn80]

If PDA did this- read kingsfans.com and the rest of the local sites that do our kind of thing - he would have to double the size of his staff. I know this is deflating but the upside is he can't blame us if anything goes wrong.

 

[VF21]

And nice foresight to make sure the offer to Collison wasn't the full MLE, leaving the precise amount of room for a rookie minimum contract.

Wait. That almost sounds like PDA had a plan and actually knew what he was doing.

 

[VF21]

If PDA did this- read kingsfans.com and the rest of the local sites that do our kind of thing - he would have to double the size of his staff. I know this is deflating but the upside is he can't blame us if anything goes wrong.

Don't be so sure. While I'm not saying that PDA - or any other GM - bases his decisions on what fan boards say, I can guarantee that people in the front office read fan boards and point out certain things to the bosses.

Certain boards have a reputation for having articulate, intelligent posters with an excellent grasp of the game and our team. KF is one of those boards.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Sounds like the Kings had competition to sign him. GSW and NYK also tried to sign him, according to RealGM:
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/234466/Kings-Sign-Eric-Moreland-To-Three-Year-Deal

If that is indeed true, it could mean that the respect and genuine interest that they shared with him before Summer League started, may have been enough to help him choose the Kings

 

[TyFreak Evans]

I expect to see a lot of Top 10 lists with Eric Moreland swats on a regular basis.

 

[chasen4r1]

Sounds like the Kings had competition to sign him. GSW and NYK also tried to sign him, according to RealGM:
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/234466/Kings-Sign-Eric-Moreland-To-Three-Year-Deal

The part of that article I enjoyed was "After summer league play, DeMarcus Cousins expressed a desire for Sacramento to sign Moreland." Keep makin the big man happy

 

[Gary]

And that's likely one of the reasons he went undrafted. We're taking a chance on a kid with heart who already loves us and the Kings and is willing to give it his all to prove his worth. Kinda like IT but without the chip.

Watching him in Vegas, I'm pretty confident he's gonna work his posterior off to be competitive at the NBA level.

AND HE LIVES TO PLAY DEFENSE. You don't find that very often.

That last sentence is what I like to see. Everyone is trying to be "the man" it seems whether it comes to bench play or being in the starting lineup. Very rarely you find a player who will commit to something that doesn't show up in the box score. Reggie Evans is another guy that I like for that reason. Too bad we got him when he is about to retire.

 

[ockingsfan]

I think Moreland will be a fan favorite right from the start!

He brings the defensive energy like Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie used too.

I think Kings fans appreciates a guy that gets after it on defense.

To be honest, I don't think I have ever seen such excitement before for a free agent rookie and I think this excitement is because we see Moreland's desire to contest every shot around him.

I don't think I ever saw him just stand around once when someone was shooting near him. He got in their face and challenged every shot near him.

His work ethic and motor will make him an instant fan favorite!

 

[ockingsfan]

Don't be so sure. While I'm not saying that PDA - or any other GM - bases his decisions on what fan boards say, I can guarantee that people in the front office read fan boards and point out certain things to the bosses.

Certain boards have a reputation for having articulate, intelligent posters with an excellent grasp of the game and our team. KF is one of those boards.

Agreed.

With NBA 3.0 I think PDA and Vivek has a pulse on what Kings fans want and they want to put a product on the floor the fans want to see.

I have no doubt the FO has someone keeping an eye on what the fans want to see on the internet.

Personally, I think KF.com is one of the most NBA knowledgeable fan bases around.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

I think Moreland will be a fan favorite right from the start!

He brings the defensive energy like Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie used too.

I think Kings fans appreciates a guy that gets after it on defense.

To be honest, I don't think I have ever seen such excitement before for a free agent rookie and I think this excitement is because we see Moreland's desire to contest every shot around him.

I don't think I ever saw him just stand around once when someone was shooting near him. He got in their face and challenged every shot near him.

His work ethic and motor will make him an instant fan favorite!

Yep. He's a guy who will make spectacular block attempts, after a whistle,...just to prevent a possible "continuation" and 3 point play

 

[Glenn]

In the past I am sure this site was reviewed in the past as something that came from the Kings was verbatim of some note I had written. They would be lazy and as much as I hate the word, a little stupid not to review this site for the reasons VF21 has already stated.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

The best part is he genuinely enjoys playing defense. There was multiple times during summer league where he was mad because he missed a block. One of them was even after a whistle lol

 

[jdbraver]

Now we need to clear up the pf logjam so he can get minutes. Gotta move jt, Evans and prob let Acy go

 

[VF21]

Now we need to clear up the pf logjam so he can get minutes. Gotta move jt, Evans and prob let Acy go

We've got a whole separate thread discussing exactly that.

 

[bajaden]

If PDA did this- read kingsfans.com and the rest of the local sites that do our kind of thing - he would have to double the size of his staff. I know this is deflating but the upside is he can't blame us if anything goes wrong.

Moreland was one of the players the Kings brought in for a workout prior to the draft. Then they brought him back for a second workout. Then they signed him to our summer league team. So lets give credit where its due. This wasn't just and accident, they've had their eye on Moreland for some time.

 

[bajaden]

As much as I love this signing, I think it would be prudent to temper our excitement a bit. He is still a rookie, and personally I think he's going to be fine. But he will have his bumps in the road along the way. He has very little in the way of offense, at least that I know about. And as pointed out, he does need to get stronger, which I don't think will be a problem. One of the first things I noticed up close and personal, is that he has wide shoulders and looks like he could add 15 pounds of muscle without much noticable physical change. As for as the speed of the game, I doubt that will be a problem. Speed and athleticism are his strengths. The dude can jump out of the building, and is very quick end to end and laterally. What amazed me the most was his ability to rebound in a crowd, which I can only attribute to his determination and his huge hands and wingspan.

Bottom line is, he could end up being something special, and if so, a huge steal for us. And its about time. Just don't expect it to happen overnight.