Nene Opting Out

[Capt. Factorial]

It appears that Nene is going to be opting out of his $12M option this summer to become a free agent. I didn't quite expect this due to the size of the contract and the uncertainty surrounding the provisions of the new CBA, but here it is: Link

Nene seems to be an obvious target for us in free agency, but how does he stack up against Sammy D? Well, how's about a look (all stats career per-36)?

Nene: 15.0 pts, 8.4 reb, 1.1 blk, 2.2 ast, 1.5 stl, .563 FG%, .678 FT% (5.6 FTA)
Dally: 11.2 pts, 11.5 reb, 2.6 blk, 0.7 ast, 0.7 stl, .520 FG%, .696 FT% (2.8 FTA)

So, just as expected Nene beats out Dalembert in scoring and shooting percentage while Dalembert beats Nene out in rebounding and blocks. Nene's advantage in passing and steals wasn't as obvious without looking it up, but it's there. Both kind of stink at free throws, but Nene gets twice as many, which is probably a leading factor in Nene's .605 to .553 True Shooting% advantage.

Still, Dalembert's 3 rebound and 1.5 block per-36 advantage makes me wonder if he's the better option, if possible. Nene will probably ask for a max contract (at least, max under the new CBA) while Dalembert might be had for less, and with Cousins able to provide the offense, I'd be inclined to pursue Dalembert first (unless through some pipe dream we were able to sign Dalembert, Thornton, AND Nene, in which case, hello second round of the playoffs!)

Any thoughts?

 

[mr. moustache]

It appears that Nene is going to be opting out of his $12M option this summer to become a free agent. I didn't quite expect this due to the size of the contract and the uncertainty surrounding the provisions of the new CBA, but here it is: Link

Nene seems to be an obvious target for us in free agency, but how does he stack up against Sammy D? Well, how's about a look (all stats career per-36)?

Nene: 15.0 pts, 8.4 reb, 1.1 blk, 2.2 ast, 1.5 stl, .563 FG%, .678 FT% (5.6 FTA)
Dally: 11.2 pts, 11.5 reb, 2.6 blk, 0.7 ast, 0.7 stl, .520 FG%, .696 FT% (2.8 FTA)

So, just as expected Nene beats out Dalembert in scoring and shooting percentage while Dalembert beats Nene out in rebounding and blocks. Nene's advantage in passing and steals wasn't as obvious without looking it up, but it's there. Both kind of stink at free throws, but Nene gets twice as many, which is probably a leading factor in Nene's .605 to .553 True Shooting% advantage.

Still, Dalembert's 3 rebound and 1.5 block per-36 advantage makes me wonder if he's the better option, if possible. Nene will probably ask for a max contract (at least, max under the new CBA) while Dalembert might be had for less, and with Cousins able to provide the offense, I'd be inclined to pursue Dalembert first (unless through some pipe dream we were able to sign Dalembert, Thornton, AND Nene, in which case, hello second round of the playoffs!)

Any thoughts?

Nene sure seems like a slightly worse rebounding version of Cousins. If we're hitching our cart to Cousins, keeping Sammy or someone with similar skills is a good idea.

 

[cuad]

Dalembert.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

I don't quite get the logic behind the thinking that one offensive big man is better than two, so I'd rather have Nene than Dalembert anyways.

 

[Return To Glory]

I hope the FO considers Nene if Dally and Gasol are not available.

 

[sdballer]

I don't quite get the logic behind the thinking that one offensive big man is better than two, so I'd rather have Nene than Dalembert anyways.

The issue isn't that one offensive big man is better than two but rather that you need at least one defensive big to be a great team. That isn't cousins and since it's unlikely we are going to find a great offensive AND defensive big, we need a defensive one.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

The issue isn't that one offensive big man is better than two but rather that you need at least one defensive big to be a great team. That isn't cousins and since it's unlikely we are going to find a great offensive AND defensive big, we need a defensive one.

But it's not as if Marc Gasol and Nene don't play defense. They may not be the defensive presences that Dalembert is but they're above average defenders and they have great offensive games too.

 

[ParniValjak]

I would like both and would love to roll out Dally-Cousins-Nene beastly frontcourt!

But for what this team needs, I go Dally all day, every day!

 

[The Basketball Kings]

I'd rather have Sammy D on our team.

 

[rainmaker]

But it's not as if Marc Gasol and Nene don't play defense. They may not be the defensive presences that Dalembert is but they're above average defenders and they have great offensive games too.

I've already told you my opinion on Gasol playing with Cousins, and we disagree. But please tell me, who do you want guarding opposing pf's between Cousins and Gasol? Last year Dally and JT guarded them, Cousins didn't have the quickness. This year Randolph and Arther guarded opposing pf's, not Gasol.

So if we were to trot out Cousins and Gasol, who do you want to guard Dirk/Aldridge/Griffin/Amare/Love/J Smith/Bosh, or any other pf who can either score from beyond 15 ft, or take you off the dribble? Daly did it for us lasy year. Neither Cousins or Gasol have ever successfuly guarded that type of player.

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

I've already told you my opinion on Gasol playing with Cousins, and we disagree. But please tell me, who do you want guarding opposing pf's between Cousins and Gasol? Last year Dally and JT guarded them, Cousins didn't have the quickness. This year Randolph and Arther guarded opposing pf's, not Gasol.

So if we were to trot out Cousins and Gasol, who do you want to guard Dirk/Aldridge/Griffin/Amare/Love/J Smith/Bosh, or any other pf who can either score from beyond 15 ft, or take you off the dribble? Daly did it for us lasy year. Neither Cousins or Gasol have ever successfuly guarded that type of player.

Ideally I'd want to have Cousins and Gasol and have Dalembert just play the Perkins role, taking maybe 3 shots a game and defending. If you couldn't have them both, then I'd say try and groom someone like Whiteside to fill that defensive role.

 

[Bricklayer]

Daly is the better fit, the guy you need to win with Cousins out there. But if we are chased off of defensive bigs by Daly leaving and no other replacements being available, then I think Nene is the best "skill" PF you could acquire. We liked him in the past, am sure we still do. But we would erode our rebounding edge, lose our interior defense, and in general be setting ourselves up to be one of those cute empty offensive teams which fans love for a seaosn or tow before realizing they aren't ever going to win more than 45 games and be out in the first round.

 

[SacTownKid]

But it's not as if Marc Gasol and Nene don't play defense. They may not be the defensive presences that Dalembert is but they're above average defenders and they have great offensive games too.

Another plus is they can actually catch the ball. Very underrated skill.

Nene at one time was considered one of the best post defenders in the game. He's better defending star bigs one on one than Dalembert. The rebounding and shot blocking don't lie though, he's weak, always has been. I've always seen him as a PF and next to Cousins that rebounding shouldn't be a huge issue. Even with that said the Nuggets managed to finish within the top half of teams in rebounding and that's with them not having anything close to a legit rebounder on that team.

 

[SacTownKid]

Daly is the better fit, the guy you need to win with Cousins out there. But if we are chased off of defensive bigs by Daly leaving and no other replacements being available, then I think Nene is the best "skill" PF you could acquire. We liked him in the past, am sure we still do. But we would erode our rebounding edge, lose our interior defense, and in general be setting ourselves up to be one of those cute empty offensive teams which fans love for a seaosn or tow before realizing they aren't ever going to win more than 45 games and be out in the first round.

If a bottom 3 defensive team loses their interior defense and there's nobody around to hear it, does it really matter?

Still have Whiteside and could go after someone else to help fill the role. Hey, you and I've battled about Nene in the past, I never thought the guy was the type of big you build your team around, but with Cousins you're talking about one dynamic duo.

 

[Sluggah]

Also prefer dally, but nene is a great consolation prize. Additionally, I think dally would come cheaper. Hopefully.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

Nene's durability really scares me. He's a much better fit then the other major bigs out there (Gasol)... But the Kings can't afford to spend there low amount of money on a guy with bad wheels. A major injury to Nene, which isn't all that unlikely would just crush us.

But with the new CBA... There could be fixes for that. Hard to really tell anything at this point.

 

[CPR]

Did Dalembert ever say anything on the record about not wanting to come back to Sacramento before the lockout started? Has Sammy or anyone from the team said anything on the record about the likelihood of him coming back to Sacramento if the money is right?

I remember him being spotted at a Heat playoff game and there were reports in the Bee that he wasn't happy with his playing time toward the end of the season.

 

[bajaden]

First, if we can't convince Dalembert to come back, then I would go after Chandler before Nene. But that aside, Nene is much better at guarding PF's than Dalembert. I know this is a shock to some, but everything about defense doesn't come down to blocking shots at the basket. It is in fact, the last liine of defense, and valuable only because the defense has broken down somewhere else. Thats not a criticism, and its a very nice addition to have. But unfortunately, there aren't that many players that fit the description, and to think that you can't be successful without one is pure nonsense. Last I checked, we had one last season and won 24 games.

I'm all for reaquiring Dalembert, but if we can't, then Chandler or Nene are good alternatives. While Nene isn't a top rebounder, he's not a bad rebounder, and with Cousins, who averaged 9.7 rebounds in his last 36 games despite having three games in which he totaled 4, 3, and 1 rebound, I don't think rebounding will be a problem. Especially with Thompson and Hickson on the team. I'd also like to point out that Cousins was a rookie, and his rebounding and defense is very likely to improve.

Its been reported that Dalembert wasn't happy at the end of last season. Its common knowledge on the Philly fourm that he see's himself as more of an offensive player. And while I admit that his offense was a pleasant surprise, I think we can all agree that he'll never be a go to guy. The question is, can he agree to that. He could be one of those players thats not able to accept who he is, and will always be on a quest for the holy grail. In the end, having a great shotblocker can be huge. But only if the rest of the team is talented enough to take advantage of the second and third chances that he gives you.

When you look at most of the playoff teams last season, how many had great shotblockers? The Heat didn't! Yeah, I know they had two superstars that are great defenders. But this is about having a shotblocker. And they didn't have one. How about Dallas? They had Chandler, but while he's a very good defensive player and decent shotblocker, at 1.1 blocks per game, he's not great. How about Memphis? Actually Gasol averaged 1.7 blocks per game. Thats a better average than Dalembert. Of course if you break it down to blocks per minute, Dalembert wins that battle with 1 block every 16.7 minutes to Gasol's 1 block every 19.0 minutes. But the bottom line is that Gasol is a better shotblocker than he gets credit for. Perception isn't always reality.

Ironicly one of the best shotblocking rebounders in the league at 37 years of age is Marcus Camby. He averaged 1.6 blocks and 10.3 rebounds per game in just 26 minutes a game. If his salary wasn't as large as it is, I'd try and trade for him. He has two years left, and would be an excellent short term answer off the bench, and possible mentor to Whiteside. But at nearly 12 mil a year, I have to take a pass. Camby also averages 2.1 assists per game. He's a very smart player. Too bad!

The Bulls had Noah, but only for 48 games last season. Much has been made of Nene's propensity to injury, but for the last four years, Nene and Noah have averaged close to the same amount of games per year, and for the last three years, Nene's is the leader by a large amount in games played per year. Noah is a pretty good shotblocker, but its his overall defense that stands out. He's extremely quick for a big man and is a very good team defender.

So my first choice is still Dalembert. He's familar with the system and the team, and all in all, he fits the team need. After him, I'd persue Chandler, who in many ways I like better than Dalembert. I put Dalembert first, purely on familarity. After Chandler, its a toss up between Nene and Gasol. Nene would be better at guarding PF's, and while not a great shotblocker, his overall defense is very good. Gasol, at 26 years of age is younger and he's improved every year. He's proved to be a pretty good shotblocker, and his biggest weakness, while not terrible, is his rebounding. One of his biggest assets is his passing ability. He averaged 2.5 assists last season. I think I'll give the nod to Gasol, mostly because of his yearly improvement, and his youth.

 

[gunks]

Dalembert.

Chandler as a plan B.

I guess we could go NeNe as a plan C, but I'm not a huge fan of him on this team for reasons stated above.

 

[SacTownKid]

If it comes down to what ever system Westphal ran last year I'd want Nene number one and the others aren't even close. Westphal likes posting both the PF and C and Nene would be an excellent pick up if he wishes for that to continue. Another thing about Nene I like and why I think he is such a good fit is because he scores without needing a ton of touches. He scores within the flow of the game and will get you 13 or 14 ppg off of less than 9 or 10 shots. That means he shouldn't get in the way of either Cousins or Evans and he would be an excellent option playing off of them.

 

[cuad]

I remember the Lakers game when Samuel Dalembert and Demarcus Cousins took turns abusing Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. All that stuff about Dalembert wanting to leave is fabricated.

 

[bajaden]

I remember the Lakers game when Samuel Dalembert and Demarcus Cousins took turns abusing Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. All that stuff about Dalembert wanting to leave is fabricated.

Thats what a rumor is! Could be true. Could be false..

 

[Kingster]

First, if we can't convince Dalembert to come back, then I would go after Chandler before Nene. But that aside, Nene is much better at guarding PF's than Dalembert. I know this is a shock to some, but everything about defense doesn't come down to blocking shots at the basket. It is in fact, the last liine of defense, and valuable only because the defense has broken down somewhere else. Thats not a criticism, and its a very nice addition to have. But unfortunately, there aren't that many players that fit the description, and to think that you can't be successful without one is pure nonsense. Last I checked, we had one last season and won 24 games.

I'm all for reaquiring Dalembert, but if we can't, then Chandler or Nene are good alternatives. While Nene isn't a top rebounder, he's not a bad rebounder, and with Cousins, who averaged 9.7 rebounds in his last 36 games despite having three games in which he totaled 4, 3, and 1 rebound, I don't think rebounding will be a problem. Especially with Thompson and Hickson on the team. I'd also like to point out that Cousins was a rookie, and his rebounding and defense is very likely to improve.

Its been reported that Dalembert wasn't happy at the end of last season. Its common knowledge on the Philly fourm that he see's himself as more of an offensive player. And while I admit that his offense was a pleasant surprise, I think we can all agree that he'll never be a go to guy. The question is, can he agree to that. He could be one of those players thats not able to accept who he is, and will always be on a quest for the holy grail. In the end, having a great shotblocker can be huge. But only if the rest of the team is talented enough to take advantage of the second and third chances that he gives you.

When you look at most of the playoff teams last season, how many had great shotblockers? The Heat didn't! Yeah, I know they had two superstars that are great defenders. But this is about having a shotblocker. And they didn't have one. How about Dallas? They had Chandler, but while he's a very good defensive player and decent shotblocker, at 1.1 blocks per game, he's not great. How about Memphis? Actually Gasol averaged 1.7 blocks per game. Thats a better average than Dalembert. Of course if you break it down to blocks per minute, Dalembert wins that battle with 1 block every 16.7 minutes to Gasol's 1 block every 19.0 minutes. But the bottom line is that Gasol is a better shotblocker than he gets credit for. Perception isn't always reality.

Ironicly one of the best shotblocking rebounders in the league at 37 years of age is Marcus Camby. He averaged 1.6 blocks and 10.3 rebounds per game in just 26 minutes a game. If his salary wasn't as large as it is, I'd try and trade for him. He has two years left, and would be an excellent short term answer off the bench, and possible mentor to Whiteside. But at nearly 12 mil a year, I have to take a pass. Camby also averages 2.1 assists per game. He's a very smart player. Too bad!

The Bulls had Noah, but only for 48 games last season. Much has been made of Nene's propensity to injury, but for the last four years, Nene and Noah have averaged close to the same amount of games per year, and for the last three years, Nene's is the leader by a large amount in games played per year. Noah is a pretty good shotblocker, but its his overall defense that stands out. He's extremely quick for a big man and is a very good team defender.

So my first choice is still Dalembert. He's familar with the system and the team, and all in all, he fits the team need. After him, I'd persue Chandler, who in many ways I like better than Dalembert. I put Dalembert first, purely on familarity. After Chandler, its a toss up between Nene and Gasol. Nene would be better at guarding PF's, and while not a great shotblocker, his overall defense is very good. Gasol, at 26 years of age is younger and he's improved every year. He's proved to be a pretty good shotblocker, and his biggest weakness, while not terrible, is his rebounding. One of his biggest assets is his passing ability. He averaged 2.5 assists last season. I think I'll give the nod to Gasol, mostly because of his yearly improvement, and his youth.

And that is the rub. This team added Salmons and Jimmer, two guys that need/want the ball. Absolutely no way Dalembert gets as many shots next year as he did last year. He's the fifth option. He's a guy who is going to have to get every single shot attempt from an offensive rebound. So if he wasn't happy last year, I can see him being positively miserable next year.

 

[Bricklayer]

I don't quite get the logic behind the thinking that one offensive big man is better than two, so I'd rather have Nene than Dalembert anyways.

There's only one ball and only so many shots. Offensive players eventually steal shots from each other if you have too many, that's why all great teams are loaded with roleplayers who don't need them.

Meanwhile here's the complimentary logic: one defensive big man is better than none.

 

[bajaden]

There's only one ball and only so many shots. Offensive players eventually steal shots from each other if you have too many, that's why all great teams are loaded with roleplayers who don't need them.

Meanwhile here's the complimentary logic: one defensive big man is better than none.

And two are better than one! I catch on to this stuff pretty quick, huh?

 

[SacTownKid]

There's only one ball and only so many shots. Offensive players eventually steal shots from each other if you have too many, that's why all great teams are loaded with roleplayers who don't need them.

Meanwhile here's the complimentary logic: one defensive big man is better than none.

But that's the good thing about Nene, he's never been one to gobble up shots left and right. He's a perfect complimentary offensive player. It's also the reason I wasn't on board with going after this guy to be the face of this team as some had been interested in before. He's not a star player, but he's a superstar role player. Solid in almost every aspect of the game. I think his ability to set screens, pass, post up, defend stronger and quicker players, etc. will be a huge addition. Not to mention that extra 4-6 points a game at the basket that are typically fumbled away.

 

[Return To Glory]

But that's the good thing about Nene, he's never been one to gobble up shots left and right. He's a perfect complimentary offensive player. It's also the reason I wasn't on board with going after this guy to be the face of this team as some had been interested in before. He's not a star player, but he's a superstar role player. Solid in almost every aspect of the game. I think his ability to set screens, pass, post up, defend stronger and quicker players, etc. will be a huge addition. Not to mention that extra 4-6 points a game at the basket that are typically fumbled away.

What I've liked about Nene and Gasol is that they can pass the ball pretty well. When I look at our current roster I see alot of scorers, but I'm not sure about who will be setting up who (especially consistently). I like that Evans, Fredette, Thornton, and etc. are solid to good passers. I just would like to have bigs that can pass the ball as well. Much like our glory years teams I would like to have lots of passing between all the players. Just imagining Nene (or Gasol) with Cousins has me intrigued.

 

[Bricklayer]

But that's the good thing about Nene, he's never been one to gobble up shots left and right. He's a perfect complimentary offensive player. It's also the reason I wasn't on board with going after this guy to be the face of this team as some had been interested in before. He's not a star player, but he's a superstar role player. Solid in almost every aspect of the game. I think his ability to set screens, pass, post up, defend stronger and quicker players, etc. will be a huge addition. Not to mention that extra 4-6 points a game at the basket that are typically fumbled away.

I like Nene, but what you have just listed is his biggest PROBLEM. He's not terribly good at the stuff (defense/rebounding) that you NEED to be terribly good at if you aren't going to dominate offensively. Saying that oh, I like this guy because he's willing to come in and not score many points...while he also doesn't grab many rebounds or play elite defense doesn't leave you anywhere. Its a lot like the Beno situation really -- talented offensive player and admirable willingness to get out of the way...but since he is constantly costing you on defense when he "gets out of the way" on offense you lose with him out there. If you're going to be a roleplayer you've got to do the dirty work. Just have to.

If Nene is anybody rolewise, he's Vlade. Which is not an insult really, but Vlade would never have got us anywhere withou Pollard, Christie etc. around (and Vlade BTW was a better rebounder and shotblocker than Nene by a lot in his youth). And there was room for Vlade to contribute offensively because Peja was the only big scorer at the 1/2/3 for us. Meanwhile today we have Reke/Thornton who both will be guning for 20ppg, and Fredette who is used to shooting everyime he touches the ball, and Salmons who DOES shoot every time he touches the ball...people arguing for more offense have never once offered a conclusive argument of how that can work or example of any team for whom it has worked. And that's before we get into how massively we would be overpaying for a guy to be a glue player for us.

 

[SacKings7]

I like Nene, but what you have just listed is his biggest PROBLEM. He's not terribly good at the stuff (defense/rebounding) that you NEED to be terribly good at if you aren't going to dominate offensively. Saying that oh, I like this guy because he's willing to come in and not score many points...while he also doesn't grab many rebounds or play elite defense doesn't leave you anywhere. Its a lot like the Beno situation really -- talented offensive player and admirable willingness to get out of the way...but since he is constantly costing you on defense when he "gets out of the way" on offense you lose with him out there. If you're going to be a roleplayer you've got to do the dirty work. Just have to.

If Nene is anybody rolewise, he's Vlade. Which is not an insult really, but Vlade would never have got us anywhere withou Pollard, Christie etc. around (and Vlade BTW was a better rebounder and shotblocker than Nene by a lot in his youth). And there was room for Vlade to contribute offensively because Peja was the only big scorer at the 1/2/3 for us. Meanwhile today we have Reke/Thornton who both will be guning for 20ppg, and Fredette who is used to shooting everyime he touches the ball, and Salmons who DOES shoot every time he touches the ball...people arguing for more offense have never once offered a conclusive argument of how that can work or example of any team for whom it has worked. And that's before we get into how massively we would be overpaying for a guy to be a glue player for us.

Do you think it's possible that Nene may not have been ASKED to do those things though? Because to be fair, he plays next to Kenyon Martin and Birdman, both of which are known primarily as defensive players (at least Martin should be known for it). My question was not meant to be sarcastic or anything else, I'm actually asking. George Karl is not really known to coach defensive juggernauts, so maybe he didn't stress defense to Nene as much as the aforementioned players? I know it sounds ridiculous, but it happens in college so who knows? Just thinking out loud here...

 

[SacTownKid]

I like Nene, but what you have just listed is his biggest PROBLEM. He's not terribly good at the stuff (defense/rebounding) that you NEED to be terribly good at if you aren't going to dominate offensively. Saying that oh, I like this guy because he's willing to come in and not score many points...while he also doesn't grab many rebounds or play elite defense doesn't leave you anywhere. Its a lot like the Beno situation really -- talented offensive player and admirable willingness to get out of the way...but since he is constantly costing you on defense when he "gets out of the way" on offense you lose with him out there. If you're going to be a roleplayer you've got to do the dirty work. Just have to.

If Nene is anybody rolewise, he's Vlade. Which is not an insult really, but Vlade would never have got us anywhere withou Pollard, Christie etc. around (and Vlade BTW was a better rebounder and shotblocker than Nene by a lot in his youth). And there was room for Vlade to contribute offensively because Peja was the only big scorer at the 1/2/3 for us. Meanwhile today we have Reke/Thornton who both will be guning for 20ppg, and Fredette who is used to shooting everyime he touches the ball, and Salmons who DOES shoot every time he touches the ball...people arguing for more offense have never once offered a conclusive argument of how that can work or example of any team for whom it has worked. And that's before we get into how massively we would be overpaying for a guy to be a glue player for us.

Actually Nene is noted for his solid defense. Is he Dalembert on the boards or as a shot blocker? No, but that doesn't mean he's not as a good or better a defender in some other areas. You shouldn't underrate the ability to do little things like understand team defense and team rebounding, catching the ball in the paint and finishing regularly, setting good screens, helping an offense flow, etc.

As for the rebounding he's puny, no argument from me, but being next to a guy like Cousins should help that not be such an issue. I think this team would probably drop back in the rebounding column every so slightly while making a major jump in the areas it needs to in order to be an even semi-good team: apg and field goal %.

The comparison to Vlade is exactly why I like Nene. Pollard was a backup, I agree the team needs a "Pollard" but it needs a Vlade even more. Cousins/Nene is pretty close to that Webber/Vlade combo on paper.

Salmons hopefully doesn't come in as anything close to a top option. I think he's the Doug Christie of the group, or at least should be. He should do like Doug did when he got to Sac, cut the volume scoring and stick to ball handling and defense. I see too many parallels between this new squad and that one, by design or coincidence, I don't know, but I think this team could work much in the same way. This team also doesn't seem to have a Webber type that's going to take the majority share of the offensive focus. Offensively you could realistically spread his role as "go to" guy amongst Evans, Cousins, and maybe even Thornton. Utilize Cousins more as a passer/facilitator to get Evans, Thornton, and others better looks. Westphal toyed with that towards the end of the season last year and it worked. Cousins looked terrific manning the high post and Nene would give the Kings another set of hands and eyes that could do the same, although not with the same pizzazz of Cousins of course.

I think that 2002-2003 team is a great model for this team to emulate. That year you had Webber taking over 21 shots per game, Peja at about 15, Bibby at 12-13, BoJax at 12-13, and Vlade at 8-9 (Nene averaged 8-9 attempts last year). Shave a few off of Webbers totals and spread it around and it's doable for sure. Last year the Kings averaged about the same amount of shots per game as that '02-'03 team and nobody came close to Webbers attempts. Marcus was the highest at 17 per game. It can work while also making the team less dependent on any one player and most assuredly making the team more efficient overall.

I've never heard about Nene costing a team on defense. One of his strong points is his defense and much like Vlade, he plays it based on solid positioning, timing, and strength. I think he and Cousins would be a very good combination that would play very well together on both ends. Finding a "Pollard" is much easier than finding a "Vlade", heck, maybe Whiteside could be that guy.

It's funny how things change with time. You and I were having this argument years ago but the tables have turned! hahaha.