Reality can raise its ugly head at any time. We KingsFans have been afraid that we may be looking it straight in the eye right now. What if both Bibbs and Ron Ron are here for training camp? If they are they are the starters at PG and SF.
But where in the East could or should Bibby go? Who needs him to get to the next level? Who among the playoff group could our Bibbs take to the conference or NBA finals? The one name that continually pops up is the Cavs. The Heat are a 2nd possibility here as Bibbs, Wade and Shaq would be a scary situation in the weak east. But what do the Cavs have to offset the $13.5M salary this year and $14.5M next year that Bibbs gets? Or the Heat for that matter? Not much so third team deals are needed.
Gooden has always been the main trade piece for a Cavs-Kings deal but he only makes $6.5M. And since both teams are over the salary cap the 125% CBA rule is invoked for any trade between them. There is Damon Jones or ..... or ...... hmmmm.... ahhh. Arghh! See what I mean? Third team city for sure. But who? And Why would Petrie want them? Gotta look at this from the other teams perspective. If the Cavs get Bibby they go to NBA finals again IMHO. But who in addition to Gooden? And doesn't he play the same position as SAR, KT, Williams and Watkins?
The reality is Bibbs will make $13.5M/$14.5M the next two years. Another reality is that Ron Ron is our best defender, the only one who can take out or restrict the other teams major player-scorer.
With the increase in scoring potential the Kings now have in two new bigs, Hawes and Moore, someone has to get them the ball and KMart will be 20+ pts/gm as well. If Bibbs is gone, whose gonna set him up with dish outs? or pick and rolls with the scoring bigs?
Pooh Bear, Shakur and Price have done that role the last couple of years in the summer league and Price got much better playing time last year backing up Bibbs. Cisco played PG for 2 games this summer and Douby was given a shot as well. They aren't the solution. But who among that lot is ready to be an NBA starting PG? Ouch. If forced to make a choice I'd say Shakur. He has a full 4 years of college ball under his belt and it was for the Dean of PG University, Lute Olsen.
Like it or not, reality for the moment sucks. Can the Kings get back into the middle of the playoff mix this year with Bibbs/KMart/RonRon/SAR/Miller? Big NO there. Is Watkins for SAR and Mikki for Brad any better? Hard to say but at least they can run a bit better as can Hawes who will be hard pressed to get any significant minutes this year. What Kings really need is rebounding. Thats where Watkins-Moore-Williams can help. But do they translate the Kings to playoff bound vs. playoff bubble? Not likely without a major ball handler-distributor.
That then leads to the next question. Is Bibby what the Kings really need now that they are in a rebuilding mode? I don't think so. They need new blood and a new leader and a new attitude. The old guard may not play that tune very well. And if Coach Theus gets them into a run and gun mode, they need really good ball handlers and passers. That old group really doesn't have any of those Miller notwithstanding.
So dam if we do and dam if we don't when it comes to Bibbs. But the Kings have to try a new direction for the 4 and 5 spot for sure and need some scoring from those positions. Like I said, reality is ugly and right now it sucks.
But where in the East could or should Bibby go? Who needs him to get to the next level? Who among the playoff group could our Bibbs take to the conference or NBA finals? The one name that continually pops up is the Cavs. The Heat are a 2nd possibility here as Bibbs, Wade and Shaq would be a scary situation in the weak east. But what do the Cavs have to offset the $13.5M salary this year and $14.5M next year that Bibbs gets? Or the Heat for that matter? Not much so third team deals are needed.
Gooden has always been the main trade piece for a Cavs-Kings deal but he only makes $6.5M. And since both teams are over the salary cap the 125% CBA rule is invoked for any trade between them. There is Damon Jones or ..... or ...... hmmmm.... ahhh. Arghh! See what I mean? Third team city for sure. But who? And Why would Petrie want them? Gotta look at this from the other teams perspective. If the Cavs get Bibby they go to NBA finals again IMHO. But who in addition to Gooden? And doesn't he play the same position as SAR, KT, Williams and Watkins?
The reality is Bibbs will make $13.5M/$14.5M the next two years. Another reality is that Ron Ron is our best defender, the only one who can take out or restrict the other teams major player-scorer.
With the increase in scoring potential the Kings now have in two new bigs, Hawes and Moore, someone has to get them the ball and KMart will be 20+ pts/gm as well. If Bibbs is gone, whose gonna set him up with dish outs? or pick and rolls with the scoring bigs?
Pooh Bear, Shakur and Price have done that role the last couple of years in the summer league and Price got much better playing time last year backing up Bibbs. Cisco played PG for 2 games this summer and Douby was given a shot as well. They aren't the solution. But who among that lot is ready to be an NBA starting PG? Ouch. If forced to make a choice I'd say Shakur. He has a full 4 years of college ball under his belt and it was for the Dean of PG University, Lute Olsen.
Like it or not, reality for the moment sucks. Can the Kings get back into the middle of the playoff mix this year with Bibbs/KMart/RonRon/SAR/Miller? Big NO there. Is Watkins for SAR and Mikki for Brad any better? Hard to say but at least they can run a bit better as can Hawes who will be hard pressed to get any significant minutes this year. What Kings really need is rebounding. Thats where Watkins-Moore-Williams can help. But do they translate the Kings to playoff bound vs. playoff bubble? Not likely without a major ball handler-distributor.
That then leads to the next question. Is Bibby what the Kings really need now that they are in a rebuilding mode? I don't think so. They need new blood and a new leader and a new attitude. The old guard may not play that tune very well. And if Coach Theus gets them into a run and gun mode, they need really good ball handlers and passers. That old group really doesn't have any of those Miller notwithstanding.
So dam if we do and dam if we don't when it comes to Bibbs. But the Kings have to try a new direction for the 4 and 5 spot for sure and need some scoring from those positions. Like I said, reality is ugly and right now it sucks.