SI.com: In or out?

[Warhawk]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/kelly_dwyer/03/07/playoff.outsiders/1.html

Sacramento Kings

Status: As expected, the Kings have taken off with Ron Artest on board. The all-around wonder has averaged more than 17 points in Sacramento purple, and added almost 10 assists and rebounds combined and about three steals per game. Yes, Mike Bibby is dominating the ball too much, but he's starting to find guys, handing out 8.8 assists a game in March, up from 5.6 for the year. The team will take a hit without Francisco Garcia, who contributes at three positions for the Kings. His absence hasn't seemed to stop their flow, though, as they strolled into the Meadowlands Monday night and won by 25. Worries? As it's been all year, Rick Adelman's coaching. The guy has a rotation that includes, like, 6.5 players. That's not helping.
Record needed to make the 8th spot: 14-8.
Projected record: 14-8.

 

[Troy]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/kelly_dwyer/03/07/playoff.outsiders/1.html

Sacramento Kings

Status: As expected, the Kings have taken off with Ron Artest on board. The all-around wonder has averaged more than 17 points in Sacramento purple, and added almost 10 assists and rebounds combined and about three steals per game. Yes, Mike Bibby is dominating the ball too much, but he's starting to find guys, handing out 8.8 assists a game in March, up from 5.6 for the year. The team will take a hit without Francisco Garcia, who contributes at three positions for the Kings. His absence hasn't seemed to stop their flow, though, as they strolled into the Meadowlands Monday night and won by 25. Worries? As it's been all year, Rick Adelman's coaching. The guy has a rotation that includes, like, 6.5 players. That's not helping.
Record needed to make the 8th spot: 14-8.
Projected record: 14-8.

Yeah, RA doesn't trust that many players on the bench to come in other than garbage time. This is going to hurt us down the stretch as our starters need to be on the floor more.

Projected record the rest of the season: 22-0

 

[tradepeja]

Projected record the rest of the season: 22-0

Yes another 50 win season! Hey, it could still happen....theoretically of course.

 

[KingKong]

]Yeah, RA doesn't trust that many players on the bench to come in other than garbage time. [/B]This is going to hurt us down the stretch as our starters need to be on the floor more.

Projected record the rest of the season: 22-0

Who else could he trust?

Hart- Hell no
Corliss- perhaps, but we have plenty of swingmen much better than Corliss.
Price- would go with him over Hart, but still too young and turnover prone at this stage of the season, especially when we're in a dogfight.
Sampson- Can block shots and rebound, but has no offensive game whatesoever, very raw.
Monia & Potapenko- Monia is still young and both are very new to the system.

If I were Adelman, even I'd keep a 7-8 man rotation (once Garcia comes back it will actually be an 8 man rotation). More importantly we've been winning with this rotation.

Bibby-----Garcia
Martin----Bonzi
Artest----Garcia
KT-------SAR
Miller-----SAR (might actually go with Potapenko here instedad of SAR for obvious size puposes).

 

[Sacto=Slappo]

Who else could he trust?

Hart- Hell no
Corliss- perhaps, but we have plenty of swingmen much better than Corliss.
Price- would go with him over Hart, but still too young and turnover prone at this stage of the season, especially when we're in a dogfight.
Sampson- Can block shots and rebound, but has no offensive game whatesoever, very raw.
Monia & Potapenko- Monia is still young and both are very new to the system.

If I were Adelman, even I'd keep a 7-8 man rotation (once Garcia comes back it will actually be an 8 man rotation). More importantly we've been winning with this rotation.

Bibby-----Garcia
Martin----Bonzi
Artest----Garcia
KT-------SAR
Miller-----SAR (might actually go with Potapenko here instedad of SAR for obvious size puposes).

Winning with an eight man rotation should even give us an edge going into the playoffs (Knock on wood) since most coaches usually cut back their normal rotations to eight for the PO's and we're already winning with it. C'mon + .500!

 

[LA King Fan II]

I believe:

43-39 = In
42-40 = Lottery

In or out, at least they are fun to watch again.

 

[Warhawk]

From ESPN.com chat this morning:

Noah (Tucson, AZ): Hey Chad, who do you see making those last couple of playoff-spots in the West? I think it's too late for Houston, but Sacramento could go... Lakers should be in too.

SportsNation Chad Ford: (12:16 PM ET ) I think Sacramento is going to get a spot ... probably at the Lakers expense. If the Hornets keep stumbling, then I think the Rockets still have an outside shot. Utah is just too unpredictable to call at this point.