http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14222903p-15048182c.html
Mark Kreidler: Groin injury, Martin's play put Petrie in a tight spot
By Mark Kreidler -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 26, 2006
Got it: Vitaly Potapenko is large and Sergei Monia has promise.
So, anyway, about Bonzi Wells ...
That's it, isn't it? That's the rest of this season, one giant referendum on what Wells is and what he's worth. How much would you pay this man to stay around for a few years?
The Kings are angling for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference, and there's a certain amount of oomph that accompanies any group snapping awake after spending weeks sleepwalking through a schedule. It's a better team than the one that began the season, and, boy, is that a relative term.
But whatever happens here, this stretch run is still almost pure prelude. The Kings - as a court product, as a front office - are all about the future. Every little thing, from Kevin Martin's progress to whether Shareef Abdur-Rahim can come off the bench and be a significant producer, is being studied in the context of what comes next.
And that brings us back to Wells, because he is far and away the most interesting question that is guaranteed to come before Petrie, Maloofs and Friends once this current seasonal swamp drains.
Wells has managed to become an enigma for Sacramento without a single "personal" incident. In fact, the two things you can say about him almost without reservation are that he has been a solid citizen since arriving here and that, before his injury, he was often the best guy on the roster.
But he makes $8 million, and he's a free agent after this season. Geoff Petrie knew those two things when he acquired Wells, which is why the deal stacked up as a good risk in the first place. If Wells was off his nut or just not the right player for the Kings' system, he cost them only a year's worth of salary.
Well, that and Bobby Jackson. But we'll get to that in a minute.
Instead, the Wells question is suddenly the biggest one. His groin injury, fast on its way to becoming a Kings classic in its resistance to recovery, is blurring the vision of him as a player. Now he's a risk of another sort.
It's what the Kings don't know about Wells that is the problem. They don't know if this injury, which has kept Wells out of all but two of the past 30 games, is the first of ongoing problems (the Doug Christie effect, albeit in a different part of the body). They don't know if Wells, once he returns, can play effectively in the Ron Artest-altered lineup.
And, if they're honest, they also don't know whether it is time to let Martin take over the two-guard spot. Martin isn't consistent enough yet to deserve that, but assuming a continuation of the progress he has made this season, he's going to demand minutes on the floor and force the issue.
That's a great debate, because it goes back to the heart of the Wells deal. Part of his flameout with Memphis coach Mike Fratello was over playing time, and nobody in his right mind would figure Wells as a happy camper sitting behind Martin.
It's too easy now to forget how good Wells was over the first third of the season. Granted, "best guy on a bad team" is no badge of honor, but Wells was pure effort and hustle. He got to the basket. He yanked rebounds, nearly eight a game. He had to be watched by the other team most of the time he was out there.
But Martin, when he's on, stretches the floor in a way the Kings can't currently do otherwise. What they gave up in the Artest deal was perimeter shooting, and part of the Wells question swings on what Petrie now wants the two-guard position to produce. If it's some part of what Peja Stojakovic used to provide, that plays to Martin's strength and makes the Wells question more urgent.
There's no way Wells goes out on the open market and gets $8 million again, but what's a reasonable number for what he brings? That's unknown (I'd start at $4.5 million and go from there), but this much is clear: Every game he misses drives the number down at least a bit.
When the trade was made last summer, Wells was at $8 million and Bobby Jackson at $3.375 million, and Jackson had the injury history. Now Jackson has played in 47 games and produced for Memphis, although he's shooting only 36 percent from the floor.
Jackson also becomes a free agent at the end of the season. Depending on how the Wells situation goes, Petrie could very well find himself in the market for a backup two-guard who can also play some at the point. It's funny, the conversations you wind up having when the future comes down to figuring out what you really want.
About the writer: Reach Mark Kreidler at (916) 321-1149 or mkreidler@sacbee.com.
Mark Kreidler: Groin injury, Martin's play put Petrie in a tight spot
By Mark Kreidler -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 26, 2006
Got it: Vitaly Potapenko is large and Sergei Monia has promise.
So, anyway, about Bonzi Wells ...
That's it, isn't it? That's the rest of this season, one giant referendum on what Wells is and what he's worth. How much would you pay this man to stay around for a few years?
The Kings are angling for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference, and there's a certain amount of oomph that accompanies any group snapping awake after spending weeks sleepwalking through a schedule. It's a better team than the one that began the season, and, boy, is that a relative term.
But whatever happens here, this stretch run is still almost pure prelude. The Kings - as a court product, as a front office - are all about the future. Every little thing, from Kevin Martin's progress to whether Shareef Abdur-Rahim can come off the bench and be a significant producer, is being studied in the context of what comes next.
And that brings us back to Wells, because he is far and away the most interesting question that is guaranteed to come before Petrie, Maloofs and Friends once this current seasonal swamp drains.
Wells has managed to become an enigma for Sacramento without a single "personal" incident. In fact, the two things you can say about him almost without reservation are that he has been a solid citizen since arriving here and that, before his injury, he was often the best guy on the roster.
But he makes $8 million, and he's a free agent after this season. Geoff Petrie knew those two things when he acquired Wells, which is why the deal stacked up as a good risk in the first place. If Wells was off his nut or just not the right player for the Kings' system, he cost them only a year's worth of salary.
Well, that and Bobby Jackson. But we'll get to that in a minute.
Instead, the Wells question is suddenly the biggest one. His groin injury, fast on its way to becoming a Kings classic in its resistance to recovery, is blurring the vision of him as a player. Now he's a risk of another sort.
It's what the Kings don't know about Wells that is the problem. They don't know if this injury, which has kept Wells out of all but two of the past 30 games, is the first of ongoing problems (the Doug Christie effect, albeit in a different part of the body). They don't know if Wells, once he returns, can play effectively in the Ron Artest-altered lineup.
And, if they're honest, they also don't know whether it is time to let Martin take over the two-guard spot. Martin isn't consistent enough yet to deserve that, but assuming a continuation of the progress he has made this season, he's going to demand minutes on the floor and force the issue.
That's a great debate, because it goes back to the heart of the Wells deal. Part of his flameout with Memphis coach Mike Fratello was over playing time, and nobody in his right mind would figure Wells as a happy camper sitting behind Martin.
It's too easy now to forget how good Wells was over the first third of the season. Granted, "best guy on a bad team" is no badge of honor, but Wells was pure effort and hustle. He got to the basket. He yanked rebounds, nearly eight a game. He had to be watched by the other team most of the time he was out there.
But Martin, when he's on, stretches the floor in a way the Kings can't currently do otherwise. What they gave up in the Artest deal was perimeter shooting, and part of the Wells question swings on what Petrie now wants the two-guard position to produce. If it's some part of what Peja Stojakovic used to provide, that plays to Martin's strength and makes the Wells question more urgent.
There's no way Wells goes out on the open market and gets $8 million again, but what's a reasonable number for what he brings? That's unknown (I'd start at $4.5 million and go from there), but this much is clear: Every game he misses drives the number down at least a bit.
When the trade was made last summer, Wells was at $8 million and Bobby Jackson at $3.375 million, and Jackson had the injury history. Now Jackson has played in 47 games and produced for Memphis, although he's shooting only 36 percent from the floor.
Jackson also becomes a free agent at the end of the season. Depending on how the Wells situation goes, Petrie could very well find himself in the market for a backup two-guard who can also play some at the point. It's funny, the conversations you wind up having when the future comes down to figuring out what you really want.
About the writer: Reach Mark Kreidler at (916) 321-1149 or mkreidler@sacbee.com.
