Rain man said:
Just to throw my two cents into the SAR debate...I agree with Brick that SAR is more naturally a small forward who uses his size and post skills to abuse smaller forwards and put up gaudy numbers. His best days were clearly at SF, and we have all become a little to obsessed with thinking that an SF has to be a deadeye shooter. Some of the very good SFs in the games were never thought of as much of an outside shooter (Pippen and Grant Hill come to mind as the ultimate example that the 3 doesn't have to shoot, but some very servicable 3s also had/have little outside shot: Bowen, Prince, Marion- when he plays 3, Artest, SAR, Anthony Mason, Antawn Jamison, etc...)
However, I do not think SAR is a bad pickup, in fact he is a very good pickup, and at this point and time, is the best possible pickup that the Kings could REASONABLY acquire. In fact, just a few weeks ago there was a lot of talk on this board about how the Kings were bleeding talent and they were not getting anything back for the players who departed (Mobley, worry that Evans would sign elsewhere without compensation, loss of Jim Jackson and Vlade for nothing, Webber for next to nothing etc...). Well, getting SAR is the anti-talent bleed. The Kings would pick up a 19/9 SF/PF without losing a single player. This is a MAJOR TALENT UPGRADE for a team that has lost a ton of talent from its glory days a few years back.
Essentially, SAR gives the Kings a very desirable piece (reportedly pursued by about a dozen teams this summer) with a low contract that can be moved if Petrie desires down the road, and THAT is the point. I don't think anyone can make the argument that SAR joining this team makes the Kings a contender- he is more a stopgap acquisition (stopping the talent bleed and giving the Kings more moveable quality pieces for the future- whether that be later this summer, during the season, or next offseason).
I also think this might be some realization by Geoff that he vastly overestimated the flexibility and desire of NBA teams to acquire Thomas, Skinner, and Corliss. I think he clearly planned to move these guys, and may still, but they are just as unmoveable as Webber for various reasons. I think Geoff greatly overestimated the fact that he could move them, and trying to pickup SAR is both a realization that KT is not a starting PF, and that the Kings need badly to acquire more talent and more moveable pieces to build a championship squad.
However, I do not think SAR is a bad pickup, in fact he is a very good pickup, and at this point and time, is the best possible pickup that the Kings could REASONABLY acquire. In fact, just a few weeks ago there was a lot of talk on this board about how the Kings were bleeding talent and they were not getting anything back for the players who departed (Mobley, worry that Evans would sign elsewhere without compensation, loss of Jim Jackson and Vlade for nothing, Webber for next to nothing etc...). Well, getting SAR is the anti-talent bleed. The Kings would pick up a 19/9 SF/PF without losing a single player. This is a MAJOR TALENT UPGRADE for a team that has lost a ton of talent from its glory days a few years back.
Essentially, SAR gives the Kings a very desirable piece (reportedly pursued by about a dozen teams this summer) with a low contract that can be moved if Petrie desires down the road, and THAT is the point. I don't think anyone can make the argument that SAR joining this team makes the Kings a contender- he is more a stopgap acquisition (stopping the talent bleed and giving the Kings more moveable quality pieces for the future- whether that be later this summer, during the season, or next offseason).
I also think this might be some realization by Geoff that he vastly overestimated the flexibility and desire of NBA teams to acquire Thomas, Skinner, and Corliss. I think he clearly planned to move these guys, and may still, but they are just as unmoveable as Webber for various reasons. I think Geoff greatly overestimated the fact that he could move them, and trying to pickup SAR is both a realization that KT is not a starting PF, and that the Kings need badly to acquire more talent and more moveable pieces to build a championship squad.