Offseason Primer: Sacramento Kings (Hoopsworld)

[KingKong]

Offseason Primer: Sacramento Kings By Basketball News Services Team
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Jun 12, 2006, 12:20

Various members of the Basketball News Services team give their opinions on just what the Sacramento Kings need to do in the NBA Draft and in the rest of the offseason to become a better team in 2006-07. Check it out!

1 - What should the team look for in the draft?

If Eric Musselman has his way, any picks the Kings own will be dealt away. E-Muss has a strong reluctance for playing rookies (just ask Mike Dunleavy Jr.). As such, if the Kings do hold onto their picks, they better take somebody who is ready to contribute right away, especially on defense. Cedric Simmons would be a huge boost to the Kings frontcourt, if he falls to #21, if not a big defensive-minded point guard like Mardy Collins could give the team a huge boost. - Garrett Wilson


With only a single draft pick, the most glaring need for the Kings is PG. Mike Bibby is getting killed with so much playing time and Jason Hart is not established enough as a legitimate backup for the team. The good news is at #19, the Kings are in a great position to grab several solid point guard prospects. Quincy Douby, Jordan Farmar from UCLA, Kyle Lowry from Villanova, Rajon Rondo from Kentucky, and Mardy Collins from Temple will be available in this position. Collins may go earlier as a late lottery pick, but almost the others should be available for the Kings to choose from. The best PG in the draft is Marcus Williams from UConn, but he will be drafted in the top 10.


Because the Kings play an uptempo style, Farmar may be the best option. His court vision is top-notch and he has a good quickness with his change of speed abilities. Also a very good shooter and defender, Farmar could get limited time behind Bibby and learn the ropes as an apprentice for a while before getting significant playing time.


With the changes in the state capital coaching situation, the draft may take a different shape depending on the coach the Maloofs decide to hire. If the wide-open offense is thrown away, perhaps Farmar isn't the best pick. Collins' defensive abilities may make him more attractive to a coach that thinks defense first.


In any case, though, Bibby simply played too much last season, and to maintain some sort of long-term plan to replace him, the Kings must get themselves a PG. A PG also adds significantly to the needed depth at the position if the Kings want to go to the next level. Adding Artest gave the team some grit and defense .. now with depth, at each position, the Kings may be on their way. - Preetom Bhattacharya


Both Mike Bibby and Ron Artest are guys who log huge minutes, so they need to avoid adding to the 1 or 3 spots but they potentially face the loss of Bonzi Wells. A lot depends on how they feel about last year's pick Francisco Garcia. If they can add a replacement to Wells then it would be a nice move, but otherwise they need to look to the frontcourt and focus on size and toughness. They have some blue collar players in Sac-Town but Vitaly Potapenko won't cut it as your backup center. Honestly they would be a great team to take a flyer on Saer Sene if he makes it that far. - Brian Robinson


The Kings have a new coach, a new star and more than likely a new outlook. Ron Artest and Eric Musselman should remake this team into a tough, defensive-minded squad. It remains to be seen whether they will trade away some of their mainstays (Bibby and Miller) who don't quite fit in with that mentality, but the draft should bring in someone who does. There may be a point guard or two they will take a look at, such as Jordan Farmar or Rajon Rondo, or they may look to add another big man, like Hilton Armstrong or Paul Davis. - Fraser MacKinlay


The Kings have a couple solid shooting guards in Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin, they have a center in Brad Miller, they have forwards with Kenny Thomas, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Ron Artest, but behind Mike Bibby they have very little depth at the point. At 19 it's a given they go for a one because there definitely won't be any centers worth picking. Spain's Sergio Rodriguez, Villanova's Kyle Lowry, and Rutgers' Quincy Douby are the most likely choices for the Kings - Douby might even top that list because of his scoring ability. Of course, the wild card is Eric Musselman: he likes players that play D, so that might be the deciding factor. - Jason Fleming

 

[KingKong]

....contd.

2 - Which players should they look to trade?

Don't let the stellar post-season fool you, Bonzi Wells is destined to return to mediocrity. If Geoff Petrie knows what he's doing (and history suggests he does), he will trade Wells while his value is at an all-time high. Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia seem more than capable of picking up the slack. - Garrett Wilson

Having both Corliss Williamson and Kenny Thomas on the roster has always seemed a bit redundant to me. If a team in need of a hard worker were to give a player with a different skill set up for either of those two players then I think it would be a nice move. - Brian Robinson

Mike Bibby and Brad Miller could be on the block. Bibby is coming off a career season, but maybe it's time for the Kings to move him. He is a great playmaker and shooter, but he gives up more on the defensive end then he should. If they can get a good package for him or Miller, who is on the downside of his career, they should take it. - Fraser MacKinlay

Mike Bibby is the only remaining King of yesteryear, and it remains to be seen whether or not he fits into Eric Musselman's plans in Sacramento. The Kings will probably send out some feelers around the league to see what they might be able to get in return for Bibby. Expect them to do the same with Brad Miller. In addition, the stock of Bonzi Wells is as high as it has ever been. The Kings should take advantage of this and look to complete a sign-and-trade this summer to get Wells off the roster as quickly as possible. Dude is nothing more than fool's gold. Rumor has it that Musselman has a good relationship with Wells, but that shouldn't stop the Kings from doing what's ultimately best for the organization -- which is to give Wells a one way ticket out of California's capitol city. - Travis Heath

They need to move Bibby and one of Thomas and Abdur-Rahim. Bibby needs the proverbial change of scenery, because it doesn't seem likely he can change much in one summer. He tuned out Coach Rick Adelman a long time ago, and under Musselman's system that definitely won't fly. It's not hard for players to make minor changes with a new coach, but this would be a complete 180 for Bibby - plus, a point guard that distributes more and plays defense would be better for Musselman and the Kings. As for the two power forwards, that just isn't fair. Both could start on a lot of teams and probably deserve the chance to do so. - Jason Fleming
3 - Which players should they look to acquire in trade or free agency?

Pretty much any big man that isn't useless on defense will do. Nazr Mohammed is a terrific rebounder and solid space-eater at center, and it just so happens he is an available free agent. Joel Przybilla should also be an attractive option, and since comes from Portland, he should be use to playing with people as crazy as Ron Artest. - Garrett Wilson

If they lose Bonzi Wells then maybe they take a look at Flip Murray as a replacement. Both guys are selfish and can score in bunches. - Brian Robinson
They could really use a backup center since Potapenko doesn't provide much. Nazr Mohammed is out there and maybe Michael Doleac could be had for the right price. - Fraser MacKinlay

Brevin Knight should be at the top of the list. If the Kings could get Knight from Charlotte for Thomas or Abdur-Rahim (Charlotte could be interested in a veteran presence that can rebound, just in case Emeka Okafor gets hurt again) they should do it. At minimum they need to make that phone call. - Jason Fleming
4 - Anything you would like to add?

With Eric Musselman running the show, it is going to be all about defense. Well, defense and Ron Artest's antics. As the Pacers recently found out, all the off-season maneuvering in the world won't make a difference if the "Tru Warier" doesn't play nice. - Garrett Wilson

Getting over 25 minutes per game, Kevin Martin showed what he was capable of in averaging 10.8 points and proving to be a smart player as the season progressed. For Martin to continue to contribute to the team and increase his role, he must work on his outside shooting, since most of his game has been limited to slashing to the basket. His defense must also improve and he must start looking to get to the foul line as much as he can, as he is an excellent free-throw shooter. With an added aggressiveness and work on shooting and defense, Martin could be a very solid starter for the Kings next season. - Preetom Bhattacharya

Have fun with Ron Artest coach Musselman, and remember to wear a chemical suit, because the dude could explode at any time. - Travis Heath

Artest and Musselman will be fine. Artest has never really not gotten along with a coach, and if he could be fine working with Rick Carlisle he'll probably be fine with Musselman. That's not the issue - the real issue is that Adelman's coaching style is completely different than Musselman's - not just for Artest but for the entire team. There won't be anymore coming late to practice and doing what you want; Musselman will have these guys well drilled. How will a team with veteran leaders react to that? Or will they rebel? - Jason Fleming

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_17696.shtml

 

[BMiller52]

These guys are all morons.

 

[Rome]

These guys are all morons.

i have to agree with you on that... Not only morons but they want us to trade Bibby while giving no info on who to get back.

 

[captain bill]

some of it is good, some not so much. idk, it was a good read at least, having different perspectives all at once is kinda nice

 

[kingkung]

These guys are all morons.

What makes you discredit them so quickly?

It's nice to have people with differing opinions who can see the forest from the trees (i.e. outside of Sacramento).

 

[BMiller52]

What makes you discredit them so quickly?

It's nice to have people with differing opinions who can see the forest from the trees (i.e. outside of Sacramento).

Because they're either wrong or pointing out the obvious on nearly everything. I mean honestly, yeah we know Kevin Martin is talented, yeah we know we need a back up PG, we know we need a back up C.


Then they go and say Kevin Martin needs to become a better shooter because he can't hit long range shots-he was one of our best 3 point shooters this year. If he needs to work on something it's ballhandling so he can use his athleticism to it's full effect.

They also go and say we need to trade Mike Bibby for a better passer. He's a good enough passer and he has great court vision. They just went and looked at his APG instead of watching the games. They just went on stereotypes instead of watching the games. We NEED Mike's outside shooting. If we trade him without getting a PG in return we are honestly screwed.

Apparently Kenny Thomas could start on many teams? No. He's not a good starter. I'd seriously love for someone to make a list of who he'd start for. He wouldn't start for many teams. He's not a QUALITY starter. He's a little whining midget with a big ego. He only got Reef's spot because Reef broke his jaw and he made sure everyone knew he'd play like crap if he didn't start the rest of the season. Seriously no team starting Kenny Thomas is ever winning a title unless he's surrounded by 4 all stars. Also it's pretty funny they say Corliss and Kenny are redundant. Corliss is old and doesn't even play anymore. He's here because he's a good lockerroom guy that has a championship ring and an expiring contract.


Apparently Miller is on the downside of his career. That's actually debatable but he played a ton of minutes this season and he was coming off a broken leg. IMO if we get a back up he'll be fine because Musselman is more demanding than Adelman and he HAS to work out for the olympic team this summer anyway.

Nazr Mohammed is going to sign with us for the MLE? No. He turned down a couple offers from the spurs that were above the MLE. If he wouldn't take the MLE to play on a contender why would he take that to come here?

They also said we should get rid of Bonzi? If we don't want him he can just go and sign with somebody who does. He'll go back to being mediocre and selfish? He's always been a good/unselfish player on the court. It's the off the court problems he had in portland and the problems he had with Fratello. He was our best player for the first half of the year. We need his rebounding and defense. Artest and Wells is simply an unstoppable combo in the post.


Basically I disagree with every thing they said when they weren't pointing out something obvious.

 

[Sptsjunkie]

What makes you discredit them so quickly?

It's nice to have people with differing opinions who can see the forest from the trees (i.e. outside of Sacramento).

Differing opinions is nice, but let's look at some of the comments:

"If Eric Musselman has his way, any picks the Kings own will be dealt away. E-Muss has a strong reluctance for playing rookies (just ask Mike Dunleavy Jr.)."

Simply a regurgitated myth. E-Muss played Arenas, Richardson, and Murphy a lot. Obviously, they weren't all rookies, but he gave a lot of time to young players. Muss never liked Dunleavy and his instincts turned out to be correct, Dunleavy is soft and a mediocre basketball player. Still, Muss gave Dunleavy more minutes than supposed "mentor" Montgomery, who barely played Petrius (until this season), Digou, Monta Ellis, or Biendres.


"Cedric Simmons would be a huge boost to the Kings frontcourt, if he falls to #21, if not a big defensive-minded point guard like Mardy Collins could give the team a huge boost"

Not bad, except for the fact that we have the 19th pick and not the 21st. Then again, maybe he knows about a trade with the Suns that no one else does.

"Quincy Douby, Jordan Farmar from UCLA, Kyle Lowry from Villanova, Rajon Rondo from Kentucky, and Mardy Collins from Temple will be available in this position."

You could give this to him on a stretch, but most projections have both Rondo and Lowry gone by the time the Kings pick. Some have Douby and Farmer too. Certainly two or three may be available, but to say they will all be available is a major stretch. Not the worst comment in here, but again questionable writing.

"Also a very good shooter and defender, Farmar could get limited time behind Bibby"

Funny, those are the two knocks on Farmar. Granted, UCLA's team defence was great last year, but people questions if Farmar has the quickness and athleticism to guard PGs in the NBA and as for his shooting, I'll let ESPN's player evaluation handle this one:

"His 3-point shooting has been a serious question mark. He was 1-for-8 from beyond the arc against Florida and shot just 34 percent from 3-point land [college threes] this season....Not a stellar perimeter shooter....Farmar's biggest problem is his shooting. He struggled from the college 3-point line, and NBA defenders will sag or double off him and go under most of his pick-and-rolls, making it even tougher for him to get into the lane."

"Having both Corliss Williamson and Kenny Thomas on the roster has always seemed a bit redundant to me."

Look, I agree with his next line that is for trading one of these two, but they really aren't redundant at all. Thomas is a scrappy power forward who rebounds well, has a nice jumper, can drive decently for a big man and can play scrappy post D against PFs. Corliss, is a post player who can abuse smaller forwards, hussles and is a good team player, but is a weak rebounder and can't hit a shot outside of 8 feet or put the ball on the floor. He also can't guard anyone anymore.

" As for the two power forwards, that just isn't fair. Both could start on a lot of teams and probably deserve the chance to do so."

I would love to move KT if we can get the type of big man we need and if he's not starting he will be a cancer. Those are two great reasons to move him. However, since when did we start making trades to be "fair." Even if we grant this writer that both would even start "on a lot of teams," by his logic, we should have traded Bobby Jackson and Scot Pollard (the healthy version) sooner cause they both could have started for a lot of teams during our elite years. Or we never should have acquired Miller to back up Vlade, cause he could have started for a lot of teams. Shoot, if we resign Bonzi, maybe we should trade Kevin Martin, you know, just to be fair.....

"They could really use a backup center since Potapenko doesn't provide much. Nazr Mohammed is out there and maybe Michael Doleac could be had for the right price"

I was with him at first, but then he suggested Doleac. So what the Kings need is a 28 year old center, who is a career 43.7% FG shooter and whose career highs (in different seasons) are 4.1 rebounds and .7 blocks. But maybe he "could be had for the right price."

"Artest and Musselman will be fine. Artest has never really not gotten along with a coach, and if he could be fine working with Rick Carlisle he'll probably be fine with Musselman."

Ok, even ignoring the fact that he said "never really not gotten along," since I'm not an English major either, did he even pay attention to last season. Did he really say, "if he could be fine working with Rick Carlisle he'll probably be fine with Musselman." I really don't think I need to explain this to anyone on this board. If there are any NBA newbies here, we can easily rehash the events that led to the Pacers trading Artest.

In conclusion, there are some good points in the article, although I wouldn't consider mcuh (if any) of it new insight for Kings fans, probably more helpful for someone catching up on the Kings. However, there are a lot of blatant errors and misstatements. I truly believe that this board could put together a better primer. At the very least Hoopsworld should double check it's articles before they are printed online. Even if they did a cursory fact check, they could look a lot more knowledgable eliminating the lines about the Kings having the 21st pick, the Kings might being able to acquire Doleac if they can't get Nazr, and Artest not having a problem with Carlisle.

 

[BawLa]

With only a single draft pick, the most glaring need for the Kings is PG. Mike Bibby is getting killed with so much playing time and Jason Hart is not established enough as a legitimate backup for the team. The good news is at #19, the Kings are in a great position to grab several solid point guard prospects. Quincy Douby, Jordan Farmar from UCLA, Kyle Lowry from Villanova, Rajon Rondo from Kentucky, and Mardy Collins from Temple will be available in this position. Collins may go earlier as a late lottery pick, but almost the others should be available for the Kings to choose from. The best PG in the draft is Marcus Williams from UConn, but he will be drafted in the top 10.


Because the Kings play an uptempo style, Farmar may be the best option. His court vision is top-notch and he has a good quickness with his change of speed abilities. Also a very good shooter and defender, Farmar could get limited time behind Bibby and learn the ropes as an apprentice for a while before getting significant playing time.

This is the only thing that really caught my attention. And the English is a bit suspect.

I think we need to address the PG backup issue through the draft and address the PF/C issue through free agency. We have better choices for PG's at our position in the draft. There are some decent PF/C's out there in FA not to mention some other strings Petrie could pull. If we get a young PG with physical ability and a good body we could teach him offense with Bibby and defense with Musselman. (and bench hardships through Hart )



I would T-Bag these guys too but in all reality, it is common knowledge that sports analysts hate covering our team.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

These are interesting perspectives, Kenny Thomas being not only "good enough" to start on half the teams in the league but also deserving of doing so? Our biggest weakness is backup PG (not our PF/C situation)? Bonzi "mediocre" until the playoffs - is this throughout his entire career? Acquire "any big man that isn't useless on defense" - wow, genius there. Throw in a few pot shots at Artest.

 

[DocHolliday]

The only thing about this article that scared me was the hint that Bonzi played for a contract, and after that may slack off. You just don't get that vibe from Wells though. He truly seems like he's a hard worker out of pride. I couldn't see him setting pride aside and just being around for money. I mean he wasn't mediocre by any means before the playoffs I don't think. He wasn't as good after his injury, but he needed time to get back into the flow of things.

 

[Sirius]

Throw in a few pot shots at Artest.

I guess it's something we should start getting used to.

 

[wow22]

docholliday, for a guy who is a shawn-marion type (but more muscle and less athleticism), bonzi mostly scores on hustle and effort... to say he is not giving 100% on effort is wrong..

The reason he put up such great numbers against SA, I think, is out of necessity and ease. Other players were not stepping up, and he was, and it's as simple as that.

 

[KINGS16]

The only idea i liked was getting Brevin Knight for KT. Brevin Knight would be a very good back for Bibby.

 

[walker60]

I agree we should move Bonzi...I know about his character issues and all and I don't think he would cause any major problems, but looking at it from a talent standpoint, I think we could get some good players for a package including Kenny Thomas and Bonzi Wells. Bonzi is good, but he averaged 13 ppg last year and in his career he has never really put up stellar numbers. Keeping him will stunt the growth of Garcia and Martin IMO as well. Rather than giving him an inflated contract due to his playoff performance, I'd just like to see us sell high and get a good big man...

 

[bibbinator]

Doesn't Bonzi have to approve any sign and trade?

 

[walker60]

Doesn't Bonzi have to approve any sign and trade?

If a team is going to give him more than the MLE, and the Kings want to do the deal, he could turn it down and sign somewhere else for the MLE. But I don't see why he would pass on more money to sign with some other team...

 

[JB_kings]

These guys are all morons.

I don't know if they are all morons, but Garret Wilson thinks the Kings have the #21 pick and not the #19 like the rest of the world freely accepts.

 

[VF21]

Ah, TDOS. When anyone with a website can pretend to be a real sports journalist...

Sorry, but hoopsworld has never impressed me much and this is one of the reasons why.

 

[Bricklayer]

Doesn't Bonzi have to approve any sign and trade?

Oh yes. In fact more than just approve, the "sign" part of a sign and trade is him actually signing a new contract before the trade goes through. Obviously you don't like the deal, you simply don't sign.

Sign and trades actually are rarely initiated by the former team without the player's permission -- normally the player's agent and the team who want him try to reach an agreement and then bring the former team in and try to dump junk on them in lieu of just losing the guy outright.

 

[VF21]

I don't know if they are all morons, but Garret Wilson thinks the Kings have the #21 pick and not the #19 like the rest of the world freely accepts.

Exactly. There is a lot of fluff but VERY LITTLE real substance to their analyses. More like regurgitated ESPN blathering.

 

[Evenstar]

i liked their idea of trying to sign nazi mohammand.

trading mike bibby, are those guys insane? while mike is a pee poor defender, that alone isn't reason to trade him, unless the kings can get a better PG, trading him is a bad idea.

 

[wow22]

try to dump junk on them in lieu of just losing the guy outright.

yea like 2 Atlanta first round picks, a 5 million trade exception, and a 20-10-5 24-year old Boris Diaw

 

[Arco Arena]

Well, it is TDOS, I'll read anything about the Kings.. =)

 

[KingKong]

Ah, TDOS. When anyone with a website can pretend to be a real sports journalist...

Sorry, but hoopsworld has never impressed me much and this is one of the reasons why.

I would love it if Mark Kriedler would come up with some in depth analyisis, or even Voison, but alas it seems that they are all on vacation lately.

 

[KingKong]

BTW, what do you think the most used word(s) during "TDOS," aside from articles or prepostions etc. I bet it's "TDOS."

 

[venom_7]

These guys are all morons.

my sentiments exactly

 

[DocHolliday]

docholliday, for a guy who is a shawn-marion type (but more muscle and less athleticism), bonzi mostly scores on hustle and effort... to say he is not giving 100% on effort is wrong..

The reason he put up such great numbers against SA, I think, is out of necessity and ease. Other players were not stepping up, and he was, and it's as simple as that.

I never said he wasn't giving 100%. The guys in the article are saying he won't after he gets his contract, but I'm saying Bonzi doesn't strike me as that kind of guy.

Oh, and Bonzi's jumpshot is way better than Marion's.

 

[SacTownKid]

Well, interesting comments. Read Sptsjunkies' post, its all that needs to be said on the issue. I do like the ideo of Przybilla on the team though!

Bonzi, hey, if you can get something great in a S&T from a team willing to pay him big bucks then go for it. But I see Bonzi Wells back in Sac next year. Fools gold? Besides the playoff numbers, the Bonzi Wells we saw this year is the same Bonzi Wells I wanted in a Kings uniform 2 years ago.

 

[wow22]

I never said he wasn't giving 100%. The guys in the article are saying he won't after he gets his contract, but I'm saying Bonzi doesn't strike me as that kind of guy.

Oh, and Bonzi's jumpshot is way better than Marion's.

yup.. i was building on your point
bonz, marion, antawn jamison... the 3 guys that come to mind that get their points by hustle and being in the right spot..
i dont know about bonz's shot.. marion is has an ugly shooting stroke, but bonzi was inconsistent all year