kingofthejungle
G-League
By all accounts this season has been pretty dismal. The Kings are .300 at the moment and have one of the worst records in the league. There have been a few bright spots along the way, however--enough that I haven't lost all hope of a successful rebuild. In my eyes the Kings have hit a speed bump (Outlaw), pot hole (Salmons), and bumper to bumper traffic (Westphal). But it's still early in the trip as the Kings have the youngest roster in the league, so why not visualize that road conditions improve and the weather clears?
My hopes:
Trade Travis Outlaw for a Bag of Chips (or less) at the Deadline: I don't care what the Kings get back, just as long as it's not too toxic. An expiring is probably the very best the Kings could hope for, but they may need to add sweetener for that to happen.
Amnesty John Salmons: Maloofs pony up and let Petrie wash his hands of this mess. I know this is probably an unlikely scenario, but it's the right one.
Focus on Developing Youth: Give as many minutes as possible to the young core with the following depth chart.
Jimmer Fredette/Isiah Thomas
Marcus Thornton
Tyreke Evans/Donte Greene/Tyler Honeycutt
Jason Thompson/Chuck Hayes
Demarcus Cousins/J.J. Hickson/Hassan Whiteside
As others have suggested, starting Tyreke at the 3 this year probably makes the most sense since there's no other player avaiable that can fill that spot. I move Donte to backup SF to give him one last chance to earn his keep.
Focus on Re-Signing Our Own Free Agents: The Kings have struggled to attract meaningful free agents to Sacramento for some time now and there's no reason they shouldn't expect this to continue next offseason. A team that is so heavily invested in building through the draft must demonstrate that they can re-sign its own players. J.T. and J.J. are priorities, while Greene is secondary (depending on his performance as a primary backup with knowledge that he's going to get consistent minutes). All three are "restricted," so there's no excuse for a team with the league's lowest payroll not to take care of business.
As an aside, I know that J.J.'s play has been frustrating, but he has a great work ethic, elite athleticism, and is still very young. J.J. and J.T. both need a point guard to break down defenses for them and get them the ball in spots where they can finish. I think the Kings are asking both players to create their own shots way too much. If that issue is resolved next offseason, by acquiring a veteran point (see below), I think it would be a real mistake to let either front court piece go.
Gamble on the Lottery (Again): It's very hard to pin hopes on the lottery/draft, but any slight chances the Kings had of making the playoffs have surely expired. Why venture into no man's land when the Kings can make a last run at a rebuilding piece in a very strong draft? There will probably be one of two small forwards available: Harrison Barnes or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Either could work.
Be Careful in Free Agency: Having signed a premier rookie small forward, the Kings FO carefully considers what kind of complentary pieces to acquire. It's tempting to add veteran players because the Kings are so young, but they need to be the right pieces. Guys like Salmons and Outlaw are clearly not the answer and similar mistakes next year shouldn't be tolerated. Consider intelligence, leadership, fit, and style of play--a la Chuck Hayes--and I'm all for adding a veteran point guard. Some unrestricted FA's to throw out there, although some are clearly more realistic than others:
Kirk Hinrich
Andre Miller
Goran Dragic
Mo Williams
Beno Udrih
Jordan Farmar
Chauncy Billups
Steve Nash
Jameer Nelson
Raymond Felton
Retain Keith Smart: I have been very impressed with Smart's knowledge, energy, enthusiasm, and ability to communicate with his players. The Kings' record doesn't reflect what he has contributed thus far. If anything I probably consider beefing up the coaching staff and finally hiring a new trainer.
2012-2013 Kings' Roster:
Jimmer Fredette/Free Agent/Isiah Thomas
Tyreke Evans/Marcus Thornton/Francisco Garcia (team option)
Harrison Barnes/Donte Greene/Tyler Honeycutt
Jason Thompson/Chuck Hayes
Demarcus Cousins/J.J. Hickson/Hassan Whiteside
Jimmer is coming into his own (finally) and compliments the starting lineup better than Thornton, so I have him in lead at point. He's backed up by a veteran free agent point guard who can control tempo and penetrate defenses effectively. Isiah is your fifth guard but with the intent of moving him up in the rotation, eventually.
Thornton becomes the first guard off the bench, providing that offensive spark, and Tyreke moves back to shooting guard. Harrison Barnes is acquired via draft and provides outside shooting and defense, basically becomming the anti-Salmons. Greene is ultimately retained on the cheap and splits minutes with a more physically developed Tyler Honeycutt. J.T. and J.J. are also re-signed. J.T. continues to start since he matches up better with bigger power forwards. Hayes and Hickson split minutes off the bench. All the big guys, including Demarcus, enjoy improvements in field goal percentage since our guards are more seasoned and a veteran PG has been added.
ALTERNATIVE PLAN
If the Kings Finally Luck Out and Get the First Pick in the Draft: Select Anthony Davis and work a sign-and-trade with Portland--J.J. Hickson and filler to Portland for Nicolas Batum.
Jimmer Fredette/Free Agent/Isiah Thomas
Tyreke Evans/Marcus Thornton/Francisco Garcia (team option)
Nicolas Batum/Donte Greene/Tyler Honeycutt
Anthony Davis/Chuck Hayes
Demarcus Cousins/Jason Thompson/Hassan Whiteside
My hopes:
Trade Travis Outlaw for a Bag of Chips (or less) at the Deadline: I don't care what the Kings get back, just as long as it's not too toxic. An expiring is probably the very best the Kings could hope for, but they may need to add sweetener for that to happen.
Amnesty John Salmons: Maloofs pony up and let Petrie wash his hands of this mess. I know this is probably an unlikely scenario, but it's the right one.
Focus on Developing Youth: Give as many minutes as possible to the young core with the following depth chart.
Jimmer Fredette/Isiah Thomas
Marcus Thornton
Tyreke Evans/Donte Greene/Tyler Honeycutt
Jason Thompson/Chuck Hayes
Demarcus Cousins/J.J. Hickson/Hassan Whiteside
As others have suggested, starting Tyreke at the 3 this year probably makes the most sense since there's no other player avaiable that can fill that spot. I move Donte to backup SF to give him one last chance to earn his keep.
Focus on Re-Signing Our Own Free Agents: The Kings have struggled to attract meaningful free agents to Sacramento for some time now and there's no reason they shouldn't expect this to continue next offseason. A team that is so heavily invested in building through the draft must demonstrate that they can re-sign its own players. J.T. and J.J. are priorities, while Greene is secondary (depending on his performance as a primary backup with knowledge that he's going to get consistent minutes). All three are "restricted," so there's no excuse for a team with the league's lowest payroll not to take care of business.
As an aside, I know that J.J.'s play has been frustrating, but he has a great work ethic, elite athleticism, and is still very young. J.J. and J.T. both need a point guard to break down defenses for them and get them the ball in spots where they can finish. I think the Kings are asking both players to create their own shots way too much. If that issue is resolved next offseason, by acquiring a veteran point (see below), I think it would be a real mistake to let either front court piece go.
Gamble on the Lottery (Again): It's very hard to pin hopes on the lottery/draft, but any slight chances the Kings had of making the playoffs have surely expired. Why venture into no man's land when the Kings can make a last run at a rebuilding piece in a very strong draft? There will probably be one of two small forwards available: Harrison Barnes or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Either could work.
Be Careful in Free Agency: Having signed a premier rookie small forward, the Kings FO carefully considers what kind of complentary pieces to acquire. It's tempting to add veteran players because the Kings are so young, but they need to be the right pieces. Guys like Salmons and Outlaw are clearly not the answer and similar mistakes next year shouldn't be tolerated. Consider intelligence, leadership, fit, and style of play--a la Chuck Hayes--and I'm all for adding a veteran point guard. Some unrestricted FA's to throw out there, although some are clearly more realistic than others:
Kirk Hinrich
Andre Miller
Goran Dragic
Mo Williams
Beno Udrih
Jordan Farmar
Chauncy Billups
Steve Nash
Jameer Nelson
Raymond Felton
Retain Keith Smart: I have been very impressed with Smart's knowledge, energy, enthusiasm, and ability to communicate with his players. The Kings' record doesn't reflect what he has contributed thus far. If anything I probably consider beefing up the coaching staff and finally hiring a new trainer.
2012-2013 Kings' Roster:
Jimmer Fredette/Free Agent/Isiah Thomas
Tyreke Evans/Marcus Thornton/Francisco Garcia (team option)
Harrison Barnes/Donte Greene/Tyler Honeycutt
Jason Thompson/Chuck Hayes
Demarcus Cousins/J.J. Hickson/Hassan Whiteside
Jimmer is coming into his own (finally) and compliments the starting lineup better than Thornton, so I have him in lead at point. He's backed up by a veteran free agent point guard who can control tempo and penetrate defenses effectively. Isiah is your fifth guard but with the intent of moving him up in the rotation, eventually.
Thornton becomes the first guard off the bench, providing that offensive spark, and Tyreke moves back to shooting guard. Harrison Barnes is acquired via draft and provides outside shooting and defense, basically becomming the anti-Salmons. Greene is ultimately retained on the cheap and splits minutes with a more physically developed Tyler Honeycutt. J.T. and J.J. are also re-signed. J.T. continues to start since he matches up better with bigger power forwards. Hayes and Hickson split minutes off the bench. All the big guys, including Demarcus, enjoy improvements in field goal percentage since our guards are more seasoned and a veteran PG has been added.
ALTERNATIVE PLAN
If the Kings Finally Luck Out and Get the First Pick in the Draft: Select Anthony Davis and work a sign-and-trade with Portland--J.J. Hickson and filler to Portland for Nicolas Batum.
Jimmer Fredette/Free Agent/Isiah Thomas
Tyreke Evans/Marcus Thornton/Francisco Garcia (team option)
Nicolas Batum/Donte Greene/Tyler Honeycutt
Anthony Davis/Chuck Hayes
Demarcus Cousins/Jason Thompson/Hassan Whiteside
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