Should Bonzi Wells Be a Sacramento King in 06-07

[Purple Reign]

Seeing what this team looks like with Bonzi Wells, do you think that the Kings should make every attempt to keep #42. The question is not do you want him to, because I believe a majority of Kings fans want Bonzi back next season.

But should the Kings organization value Wells enough to keep him, in light of the Kevin Martin/Francisco Garcia growth and maturity.

 

[VF21]

Okay, I think he'll be a King but I don't know if he'll start or not. So I'm stuck. I'd like it much better if it was a simple "Yes" or "No" answer selection for the question in the title.



I'm voting YES - starter, but with a proviso. Your question in the title says "SHOULD". The responses say "WILL". Those are really two separate things.

Sorry, I guess I'm just out picking nits today.

 

[Warhawk]

I voted starter, but like VF21, I just hope he's back in some capacity. I like what he brings, and I'm anxious to see how the rest of the season plays out with him back. Does he fit in with the starters or better off the bench? What about when Garcia comes back? Too many questions to answer and too small a sample size right now....

 

[BMiller52]

I said yes/coming off the bench. He's a great spark that we've needed all season IMO. I honestly think Kevin will be as good next season and I want him to get a lot of PT(I also think he plays best as a starter). I'd like Bonzi to get 25-30 minutes though playing SG/SF.


Edit: I would also rather have him be here as a starter than have him not here so I am fine with him as a starter or a 6th man, just rather have him as the 6th man.

 

[Kings113]

I'd rather him start, give kevin a bunch of minutes though. Garcia will abd does have plenty of positions to play.

 

[MrBiggs]

Kevin Martin won't be demanding starter minutes until '08 and he's much more efficient off the bench than Bonzi Wells.

With Bibby, Miller, Shareef, and Artest (Assuming that they're still around) being most of the offensive firepower of the starting unit, it's good to have Bonzi be that rebounding roleplayer that who's value is best when the ball isn't in his hands.

You then have Kevin Martin off of the bench as the primary scoring option and being able to burn most 2nd unit guards.

Eventually, they'll trade away Bonzi so they have the money to re-sign Martin. Hopefully, by that time Martin can be an automatic scorer.

 

[parker]

Bozni has only played a few games with this current group. He's fitting in well, but I think it'll take at least the rest of the season to figure out whether they should keep him or not.

 

[nbrans]

I think Bonzi has been great this year, I like his toughness I like his rebounding I like everything he's done this year. I like how he plays with Artest, and I think he's been a positive influence.

However, I'd say no. Here are my reasons:

1. Bonzi is 30 and will command a five or six year deal during which time his body will start breaking down and his trade value will diminish.
2. This is a contract year and while I'd like to give Bonzi the benefit of the doubt it's in his best financial interest to be a modern citizen this year. How is he going to respond to five years of either Kevin Martin breathing down his neck or coming off the bench?
3. Assuming the Kings actually get a backup point guard, there is really only room for three swingmen plus garbage time for a fourth. So unless the Kings plan on trading Kevin Martin or Francisco Garcia, Bonzi's presence is severely going to stunt one or both of their growth, let alone Sergei Monia's.
4. The Kings are already playing a dangerous game by having one player with baggage signed for the next few years. They are compounding that risk with Bonzi -- even if we all believe he's reformed it's still a risk.
5. I think the Kings need more out of the 2 spot than Bonzi is able to give them. The Kings are pretty well set at three positions, and Bibby, Artest and Miller are really working well together. Assuming the Kings build around those three, the most glaring needs are some sort of primary scoring option and a dirty work guy. Bonzi has been that dirty work/rebounding guy, but ultimately it makes most sense if that position is filled by a power forward. That leaves the scorer in the two spot, and Bonzi's just not that guy.

So I'll say no.

 

[Yoda]

sign and trade

 

[VF21]

I've been giving these types of threads a lot of thought recently.

Bottom line, I've gone back to putting my faith in Geoff Petrie. If he keeps Bonzi, it's because he thinks it's the right thing to do to get to where HE wants this team to go. And, after everything that's happened, I simply don't have the inclination to second guess him any longer. Besides, I never seem to guess right anyway...

 

[Kings113]

Bozni has only played a few games with this current group. He's fitting in well, but I think it'll take at least the rest of the season to figure out whether they should keep him or not.

4 to be exact, and I think it'll be just fine.

I loved him vs. Denver (http://www.nba.com/games/20060131/DENSAC/boxscore.html) excluding his offense (which hasn't been rusty). As well as before 12/19/05.

 

[VF21]

You know you've been spending too much time on Kingsfans.com when you see 12/19/05 and the first thing you think of is 12 points, 19 rebounds and 5 assists.

 

[anafree]

I was really expected that we will try to trade Bonzi until deadline for somebody like Crowford or Q-Rich. Now , even we want to keep him, we have no tools to do it. Only possibility is sign and trade. Preferably for back up for PG spot.

 

[D-Mass]

I'd love to keep him, but I don't think it's in the cards.

 

[tradepeja]

i voted yes...but if we can sign and trade him for a solid back-up point im for it...we are really stacked at his position

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I say keep him unless you can ship him off with Thomas for a dominant 4/5.

 

[thesanityannex]

. Only possibility is sign and trade. Preferably for back up for PG spot.

Bonzi for a backup PG.

 

[Venom]

I think Bonzi has been great this year, I like his toughness I like his rebounding I like everything he's done this year. I like how he plays with Artest, and I think he's been a positive influence.

However, I'd say no. Here are my reasons:

1. Bonzi is 30 and will command a five or six year deal during which time his body will start breaking down and his trade value will diminish.
2. This is a contract year and while I'd like to give Bonzi the benefit of the doubt it's in his best financial interest to be a modern citizen this year. How is he going to respond to five years of either Kevin Martin breathing down his neck or coming off the bench?
3. Assuming the Kings actually get a backup point guard, there is really only room for three swingmen plus garbage time for a fourth. So unless the Kings plan on trading Kevin Martin or Francisco Garcia, Bonzi's presence is severely going to stunt one or both of their growth, let alone Sergei Monia's.
4. The Kings are already playing a dangerous game by having one player with baggage signed for the next few years. They are compounding that risk with Bonzi -- even if we all believe he's reformed it's still a risk.
5. I think the Kings need more out of the 2 spot than Bonzi is able to give them. The Kings are pretty well set at three positions, and Bibby, Artest and Miller are really working well together. Assuming the Kings build around those three, the most glaring needs are some sort of primary scoring option and a dirty work guy. Bonzi has been that dirty work/rebounding guy, but ultimately it makes most sense if that position is filled by a power forward. That leaves the scorer in the two spot, and Bonzi's just not that guy.

So I'll say no.

Dead on analysis. I just can't see the benefit of signing Bonzi outright. Folks will claim trade value, but Bonzi has shown before that he'll sabotage his team and his trade value if he is not getting the minutes he likes. Martin is good enough now, so try to S&T Bonzi, or just let him walk.

 

[Gary]

I don't feel he will be on the team next year. Someone will pay him more than the Kings offer. Than the Kings will turn around and offer a guy like Jason Hart more money and never play him =/

Personally I would like Bonzi to stay, but I want K-Mart to start.

 

[SacTownKid]

Yes, Bonzi will be a King and most likely the starter next year. To me the Skinner trade makes the most sense when looking for a reason as to why/how he will be back. The salary for next season gives about 7 million dollars leeway to pay Bonzi and still be at or under the lux tax. I am pretty sure that was one of the reasons the Skinner trade happened.

When you look at what Geoff Petrie has done in the last year and a half you can really see how good of a manager, from a money standpoint he is. This team has a whole bunch of talented players, isn't over the luxury tax, and all of the main players are wrapped up for the next couple of seasons. That and we have 2-3 expiring contracts this offseason to play with. Not bad Geoff. Not bad at all.

 

[AriesMar27]

i doubt that he'll be with the kings next season.... i could see him in denver.... i love his game but with the way martin and garcia had been playin while he was out makes him expendable..... i cant wait to see how far theytake their games by the start of next season...

this team needs a back up point guard and center not another sg.....

i hope that thomas can be traded maybe bonzi as well for players that this team can use....

house will be a free agent and he would be a much better back up than hart....

 

[Warhawk]

Yeah, can we please get House back? That was a poor decision....

 

[Bricklayer]

Should and will are different questions.

Should? Absolutely. Tough, scrappy, competitive..laundry list of things you can never have enough of on a basketball team.

Will...er...maybe not. The rapid development of Kevin and Cisco, and then the Artest trade, have all of a sudden created a minutes crunch. Bonzi might be willing to play the good soldier for the rest of the season, but convincing him to resign as a backup would take a LOT of doing with others offering him starting bids. And while you could start him -- in fact at this point he is still better than Kevin, Kevin looks to be somebody's starter as well. And so in a couple of years maybe he is looking for that starting spot as a free agent if Bonzi is ahead of him here.

Of course I can construct a very nice ideal scenario where we resign Bonzi, start him, have his minutes however at about 30 (which is where they have always been as a starter), and then gradually over time shift them to Kevin with the promise that the starting role his his in the future to bring him back during his free agency year in a couple of years (will be Cisco's too under the new CBA). COULD work. But it would be tight. There are just enough minutes to pull it off, but those 5 guys (Mike, Ron, Cisco, Bonzi, Kevin) would have to eat every available PG/OG/SF minute:

SF
Ron 38, Bonzi 5, Cisco 5
OG
Bonzi 25
Kevin 23
PG
Bibby 38
Garcia 10

+ inflation due to injuries and you get Ron 38, Mike 38, Bonzi 32, Kevin 25, Cisco 18-20 or thereabouts.

But I have my doubts we go that route. And my doubts Bonzi returns with that sort of fight for minutes again.

 

[DocHolliday]

I will be very disappointed if we don't resign Bonzi in the offseason. I think if you give him a 3 or 4 year deal at a fair price, If/when Kevin becomes fully ready to be a long term starte Bonzi becomes a moveable piece.

 

[BawLa]

I really agree with Doc as usual. I would try and sign him to a 2-3 year although he will probably try to command a larger contract. If he walks, no biggie, we have plenty to fill that spot. But seeing him and Ron together has been a tasty appetizer for the last game or two. And until we actually find that magical PF/C that we need, Bonzi is a key roleplayer. If you take him off for Cisco/Kevin to get minutes, then you need more rebounding/steals/tough play from someone else. And until we get that piece I think we should try and keep him. Heck, like some people have eluded to, Bonzi might even be a piece that could get us the PF/C that we want. And I trust that Geoff will try to do his magic to get us what we need. This is a win-win no matter how you look at it.

 

[playmaker0017]

"Should" the Kings resign Bonzi? Probably, yes. Of course, Kevin is bringing a lot that Bonzi doesn't.

"Will" the Kings resign Bonzi? My take is that it is doubtful.

 

[DocHolliday]

I really agree with Doc as usual. I would try and sign him to a 2-3 year although he will probably try to command a larger contract. If he walks, no biggie, we have plenty to fill that spot. But seeing him and Ron together has been a tasty appetizer for the last game or two. And until we actually find that magical PF/C that we need, Bonzi is a key roleplayer. If you take him off for Cisco/Kevin to get minutes, then you need more rebounding/steals/tough play from someone else. And until we get that piece I think we should try and keep him. Heck, like some people have eluded to, Bonzi might even be a piece that could get us the PF/C that we want. And I trust that Geoff will try to do his magic to get us what we need. This is a win-win no matter how you look at it.

That's why I suggested a 3 or 4 year deal. He may go for a 4 year deal. That would make until he's about 33. Not a bad deal. Let me throw in that I would like to see Kevin and Bonzi share the spot though. Not 40 minutes for Bonzi and 8 for kevin. More like 24 and 24.

 

[AleksandarN]

I would like to have him as a back up but I do not think it is possible given the mentality he has shown with the Grizzlies, Also he will be for a starting job some where and I think alot of team will be interested in his serves but I am bias because I am a big Kevin fan.