Oops! My bad, Sacto! on ESPN Insiders

[NBAGURU]

Can someone please post the rest of the article on ESPN Insiders, Thanks!

Here's the link:
http://insider.espn.go.com/proxy/proxy.dll/insider/magazine/magBlog?id=2080176&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fproxy%2fproxy.dll%2finsider%2fmagazine%2fmagBlog%3fid%3d2080176

Sub Topic: Awhile back, Chris Broussard wrote that the Kings might not make the playoffs. But now he's taking that back.

Topic:

Oops! My bad, Sacto

As I do every so often, I'll take time out to respond to some of my readers. You guys are great, keep the heat coming. I get some love and some hate, but it's all good.





There are a few of you that need a hug, though -- cursing, calling me names and capping on everything from my teeth to my yellow skin. Lucky for me that skin is thick.

 

[KINGS16]

Here is the rest guru



Oops! My bad, Sacto

As I do every so often, I'll take time out to respond to some of my readers. You guys are great, keep the heat coming. I get some love and some hate, but it's all good.

There are a few of you that need a hug, though -- cursing, calling me names and capping on everything from my teeth to my yellow skin. Lucky for me that skin is thick.

By the way, my crooked teeth are just proof that a brotha' was ruff back in the day -- got chipped fronts and all, man. Didn't back up for nothin'.

Anyway, I'm not taking back my claim that the Heat will take the East, despite the surprising number of Shaq-haters out there. But I will do an about-face out West. I'm man enough to admit when I've erred.

Some of my readers from Sac-town had some good points about the Kings, and I'll give up the props. Awhile back I wrote that they might not make the playoffs. But the more I look at their roster, the more I like it.

Nice first five of Mike Bibby, Bonzi Wells, Peja Stojakovic, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Brad Miller. Nice tough bench with Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson and Brian Skinner. I even think Francisco Garcia might give them something as a rookie.

The Kings should make the playoffs, possibly even as a second seed. I say that not because I think they're the second-best team in the West, but because with Phoenix slipping a bit (in my opinion), they could actually win the Pacific Division crown.

L.A.'s two squads and Golden State are bottom-rung playoff qualifiers at best -- most likely, only the Lakers will make it -- so the division could belong to the Kings.

Wow, from possibly out of the playoffs to second! What can I say? I was off.

Sacramento isn't a real threat to win the West, though, and there's no shame in that. I can't see anyone challenging San Antonio. No one.

Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Sac, Denver -- they'll all battle for runner-up honors.

While the Kings will win lots of regular-season games, there will be hard issues facing them come playoff time. Like will Peja bring it when it counts most? He did average 22 on 47 percent shooting last season against Seattle, but he's always had good games here and there in the postseason. He needs to do it in the clutch if the Kings are to edge out Dallas, Houston and the rest.

We'll also finally see what Abdur-Rahim is made of. I'm not claiming to know, but league honchos have always wondered if he was just a guy who put up big numbers on losing squads. Let's see if he can put up 18 and 9 while helping lead a crew to the playoffs.

I love Bibby. Dude gets busy and he's clutch. We'll have to see about Bonzi, though. Can he keep his head on straight and not become a distraction?

Of course, the Kings' major flaw is the same as always -- No D. Who's stopping somebody when it's gut-check time? No one.

So as usual in Sac-town, enjoy the first 82, because the postseason probably won't go beyond two rounds.

 

[KINGS16]

I'm glad Chris B. redeemed himself but I didn't like what he said in his last sentence though..."So as usual in Sac-town, enjoy the first 82, because the postseason probably won't go beyond two rounds". I seriously doubt that. He'll eat his words this season. GOOOO KINGSSSSSS!!!!

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I'll believe it when I see it; if we play more than eight games in the post-season, I'll be genuinely surprised.

 

[Kings113]

I think we get to WCSF, WCF? Maybe.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

I dont know what we're going to do...all I know is that I want the season to start already!!

 

[sono]

can't wait what Shareef and Bonzi can bring on the table... I'm taking the postseason for granted, PO is questionable as always.

 

[16to93]

I can't beleive that he didn't even mention Kevin Martin when he was talking about the bench~!!

 

[Bricklayer]

After wondering why we were even bothering to post this, by the end there this guy had worked his way into being spot on.

 

[Kings113]

I can't beleive that he didn't even mention Kevin Martin when he was talking about the bench~!!

Probably going by Garcia's proven versatility, in general. It's not like he's gonna lose or not show that.

Going by the last sentence there from him, that can be said for many other teams that aren't located in Indiana/San Antonio/Detroit/Miami.

I still look at the West though, as quite open aside from the Spurs.

 

[Warhawk]

And an injury or two to the Spurs could make it wide open for everyone else. The season is long and unpredictable. Some teams may gel more than others.

I'm not saying "Spurs suck", just don't hand the WCF championship to them until they actually make it to the Finals.

 

[KINGS16]

Warhawk is right. SA does not have a guarantee that they will win it again this year. Nor will Miami because of their additions. This season will be a wide open season considering alot of teams made alot of changes this year.

 

[Bricklayer]

There are 4 elite teams that are proven winners and built for the postseason (tough, defensive, big post players etc.) -- San Antonio, Detroit, Miami, Indiana. The only team that might be able to claim admission to that list is Phoenix, who won 60+ last year and wised up in record time and tried to retool with size and defense. After that, everybody else in the West looks more or less equal (at least among the pretender class -- Dallas, Denver, Sacto, Houston) with each team having its own strengths and weaknesses.

The key sentence for us was the SECOND to the last -- we lack defense. Hence we are not built for the playoffs. Hence we will almost surely lose in the end. And to whatever degree that 7 years ago many Kings fans were novices at the whole winning team thing, never having had a chance to watch it up close and personal, at this point we should know better after all we've seen and experienced with our own team, let alone the steady parade of other teams to the Finals.

P.S. I forgot about Cleveland as a darkhorse, depending on how much better LeBron can still get.

 

[Padrino]

SA is a lock for the WCF. there is no doubt about that. and of course things are wide open for everybody else if the spurs suffer an injury or two. thats a given for ANY elite team in the nba. but no team can expect to pin their hopes on the thought that TD or manu might go down with an injury late in the season. thats just plain old wishful thinking.

 

[mr. moustache]

Frankly, Indiana has done less than we have. They're built to win, but they won't. I don't consider them a serious contender.

There are 4 elite teams that are proven winners and built for the postseason (tough, defensive, big post players etc.) -- San Antonio, Detroit, Miami, Indiana. The only team that might be able to claim admission to that list is Phoenix, who won 60+ last year and wised up in record time and tried to retool with size and defense. After that, everybody else in the West looks more or less equal (at least among the pretender class -- Dallas, Denver, Sacto, Houston) with each team having its own strengths and weaknesses.

The key sentence for us was the SECOND to the last -- we lack defense. Hence we are not built for the playoffs. Hence we will almost surely lose in the end. And to whatever degree that 7 years ago many Kings fans were novices at the whole winning team thing, never having had a chance to watch it up close and personal, at this point we should know better after all we've seen and experienced with our own team, let alone the steady parade of other teams to the Finals.

P.S. I forgot about Cleveland as a darkhorse, depending on how much better LeBron can still get.

 

[Warhawk]

SA is a lock for the WCF. there is no doubt about that. and of course things are wide open for everybody else if the spurs suffer an injury or two. thats a given for ANY elite team in the nba. but no team can expect to pin their hopes on the thought that TD or manu might go down with an injury late in the season. thats just plain old wishful thinking.

I bet teams like Allas thought the same thing about Webber going down. Timmy has had injury problems before, you know.

I'm not saying count on it, but it could happen. That is why we play the games, right?

SA, more than likely, will be the WCF winners and I think, barring injury, they will be. "More than likely" doesn't mean a whole lot in September though. Let's play the games and see what things look like at the All-Star Break. That is when, barring trades or late-season injury, you can really get a feel for how teams might do in the PO.

 

[Bricklayer]

Frankly, Indiana has done less than we have. They're built to win, but they won't. I don't consider them a serious contender.

I think a lot of people forget that they won 61 games and went to the ECF just two seasons ago. The ONLY thing that held them back for battling it out with Detroit and Miami last year was the disastrous brawl. I see no reason why they won't bounce right back up as a serious contender this season, and may even be strengthened by the experience last year as a lot of their younger players got a lot of development time they would not otherwise have had.Tinsely has improved a lot, an so have their bench guys. The one hole/difference I see is the lack of an established Al Harrington 6th man type. But they've got some good candidates there too, and got very lucky in the draft (Granger) to boot.

 

[ONEZERO]

Indiana not a contender? Man, what crack are you smoking? Without the "brawl" last year, the pacers, IMO, would've won the title without problem. Look how tough they played detroit despite the fact jermanine was nursering an ailing shoulder(which should be fine this season) and the fact they were without artest and the team never played together as a whole for a long period of time. They played detroit very tough, and IMO, and others opinions as well, felt that detroit had the title last year and let it slip. So what does that tell you about indiana? It better tell you that they are STRONG condenders this year. They play defense, they rebound, they score with an inside and an outside presense, and they play with heart and intensity and a will to win. The biggest let down/problem this year is the loss of miller. He played with soooo much heart and intensity that it fed off to his other teammates.

As for the article goes, what more can you expect? He's saying all the right things. We will win games in the regular season, we will be a legitimate pacific division winner, we will make it out of the first round and possibly the second, etc.... But in the end we play not enough defense in the end to beat teams like detroit, san antonio, miami, or indiana.

As far as handing the spurs the WCF, I think we should let all teams play first. They will make it to the WCF, but winning it is not gonna be a walk in the park.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

And I'll say it again...this should be the motto for this season:

US AGAINST THE WORLD!!

 

[Netguy115]

SA is a lock for the WCF. there is no doubt about that. and of course things are wide open for everybody else if the spurs suffer an injury or two. thats a given for ANY elite team in the nba. but no team can expect to pin their hopes on the thought that TD or manu might go down with an injury late in the season. thats just plain old wishful thinking.

No team is a lock for anything. Bad things happen. Maybe the team won't gel together this year with all the new talent, a la 2004 Lakers and Mavericks, maybe they'll get a major injury they are long due for...let's hope The Spurs look awesome on paper, and so do the Miami Heat, but I wouldn't be putting either of them at the top of thier respective conferences yet until we see them play a game together. On paper, those teams are awesome...much like the Kings, yet not to as much of an extent.

 

[captain bill]

And an injury or two to the Spurs could make it wide open for everyone else. The season is long and unpredictable. Some teams may gel more than others.

I'm not saying "Spurs suck", just don't hand the WCF championship to them until they actually make it to the Finals.

You just explained the inherent flaw of any prediction- the games need to be played. But as predictions and pre-season analysis goes, this article is completely accurate. There is no reason to predict the Spurs will not make the finals, while there can simultaneously exist a thousand plausible scenarios by which they do not.

Does anyone else feel like the offseason should be over by now?

 

[SacTownKid]

If San Antonio is a lock then I guess I won't even waste my time watching basketball this year. I think I'll wait for the "dynasty" to be over with. Will our guys be too old by then?

 

[PixelPusher]

If San Antonio is a lock then I guess I won't even waste my time watching basketball this year. I think I'll wait for the "dynasty" to be over with. Will our guys be too old by then?

Just keep an eye on Tim Duncan's ankles.

 

[Bricklayer]

If San Antonio is a lock then I guess I won't even waste my time watching basketball this year. I think I'll wait for the "dynasty" to be over with. Will our guys be too old by then?

Could very well play out that way. The real problem is that San Antonio isn't the only team we'd need to run into some serious misfortune for us to come out on top.

 

[mr. moustache]

So they won a bunch of regular season games. That was when the east was terrible. Then they got knocked out in 6 by Detroit. Injuries, yeah.. but I'm starting to count on them for injuries.

I think a lot of people forget that they won 61 games and went to the ECF just two seasons ago. The ONLY thing that held them back for battling it out with Detroit and Miami last year was the disastrous brawl. I see no reason why they won't bounce right back up as a serious contender this season, and may even be strengthened by the experience last year as a lot of their younger players got a lot of development time they would not otherwise have had.Tinsely has improved a lot, an so have their bench guys. The one hole/difference I see is the lack of an established Al Harrington 6th man type. But they've got some good candidates there too, and got very lucky in the draft (Granger) to boot.

 

[6th]

So they won a bunch of regular season games. That was when the east was terrible. Then they got knocked out in 6 by Detroit. Injuries, yeah.. but I'm starting to count on them for injuries.

You make it sound like getting knocked out in 6 was a sweep. They held their own against a good team (while dealing with injuries). I think they are a better team today than that playoff showing. I really think they are a team to watch........

....but then, I always think they are a team to watch.

 

[Bricklayer]

So they won a bunch of regular season games. That was when the east was terrible. Then they got knocked out in 6 by Detroit. Injuries, yeah.. but I'm starting to count on them for injuries.

Yes, all they did was lead the league in wins, advance to the ECF, and then lose to the eventual champs amidst a wash of injuries and while still pushing them farther than the Lakers did. And that was as a very young team.

You're putting that contender bar awfully high if you're going to leave off the Pacers. There are only 5 teams in the league who have PROVEN they can play at that elite level with their current major players -- San Antonio, Indiana, Detroit, Miami, Phoenix. The only current teams to make it to the Conference Finals looking much as they do today. Been huge turnover since we, Minnesota, the Lakers, Dallas, New Jersey etc. did it. But those 5 have all shown they can play at that level now, today. Everybody else has to prove it.

 

[mr. moustache]

Sorry, but Indiana reminds me too much of the us. Rick is a great coach, but they will disappoint again.

I don't buy Indiana. That's all. Don't think they can get out of the east.

Yes, all they did was lead the league in wins, advance to the ECF, and then lose to the eventual champs amidst a wash of injuries and while still pushing them farther than the Lakers did. And that was as a very young team.

You're putting that contender bar awfully high if you're going to leave off the Pacers. There are only 5 teams in the league who have PROVEN they can play at that elite level with their current major players -- San Antonio, Indiana, Detroit, Miami, Phoenix. The only current teams to make it to the Conference Finals looking much as they do today. Been huge turnover since we, Minnesota, the Lakers, Dallas, New Jersey etc. did it. But those 5 have all shown they can play at that level now, today. Everybody else has to prove it.

 

[Kings113]

I think they'll be a better team than the heat. I fully expect them to be at the tops of the east/league all-year, and make it to the ECF. Who knows from there.

 

[kingsfan916]

I think we will play basketball




lol