Sacramento Kings 2012 Off-Season

For the Kings the 2012 Off-Season started early, meaning as soon as the regular season ended.  Not even a first-round and out Playoff appearance to what used to be a perennial playoff bound team.However, I was tired of adding material to the 2011/2012 Post….so here we go before a new Champion is crowned.

May 24, 2012

Remember back when Maloofs went on a streak of mistreating Sacramento just as the Arena deal was feeling like a deal?  Just remember let’s not dwell on it.

And we remember that five of the signatures on that great letter to the NBA from 25 “Sacramento Businessmen” who called for an ownership change for the team did not actually sign the letter.

Only one of those five guys seems to have been truly upset, or disagreed with having his name on the document.  Restaurateur Patrick Mulvaney it seems was in the midst of calling the Kings about working out details of a big party he was doing for them.  And the Kings cancelled that party just like they cancelled the Arena.  They refused to deal with Mulvaney just like they refused to deal with anything called an “Arena”.

The people who wrote the letter in the final few minutes before the big meeting between the Commissioner and the Maloofs, and then between the Maloofs and the other owners—well, they have apologized to Mulvaney and to the Maloofs for the misunderstanding.  What is the Maloofs response?  They hired a Private Investigator to look into who signed the letter.

Who gets named to the All-Rookie team?  The last guy selected in the 2011 NBA Draft, the hardest working man in the league Isaiah Thomas named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team by NBA head coaches.

The Kings should celebrate this selection but I haven’t heard a word.

Congratulations also to Assistant GM Abdur-Rahim for receiving his degree from UC Berkeley and teaching us his quiet lesson about the iportance of completeing a task and continuing your education.  “If I was still 21, maybe we would celebrate,” Abdur-Rahim said with a deep-throated laugh as he navigated Interstate 80shortly after the two-hour ceremony. “But I’ll probably just go into the office and get back to work.”

And congratulations to Assistant Coach Bobby Jackson for being named Coach of the summer league team.

May 29th:

It is Lotery time NBA style!

On Wednesday May 30th the Ping-Pong balls will fly and we will see where the Sacramento Kings will land.  Will the Kings get lucky and have a chance to grab the top spot?

If they do then Kentucky’s PF Antonio Davis is clearly he talented kid to grab at the #1 spot.

After that things are murky all the way tthru the fifth spot which may be where tthe Kings draft.

“Since moving to Sacramento from Kansas City, the Kings have been in the lottery 16 times in 27 years. They’ve won just once, in 1989 when they selected Louisville’s Pervis Ellison, one of the worst No. 1 picks in league history.       If the Kings overcome very long odds – they have just a 7.6 percent chance of winning – they won’t make a similar mistake.Kentucky’s Anthony Davis – a 19-year-old, 6-foot-10, 220-pound power forward – is the consensus top player in this year’s draft.”

What about Centers this year??  And the rest?

Well, here is a good analysis of team needs and draft prospects from Hoops Hype.  Always one of the bes to help you sort things out as you look at the places your team might land and ry to figure out who may be drafted and when.

May 30th:

Sacramento Kings get the 5th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Well, at least they did not drop back to 8th but they Kings really needed and deserved a break.  Instead the Hornets get that top pick, the Consensus Anthony Davis unless they make a trade.

Maybe the Kings can trade one of their All-Stars for that pick??

Hoops Hype predicts SF Harrison Barnes, from North Carolina, to Sacramento for that #5 selection.  There is a lot of time and Petrie does different kinda things with his picks, plus Sacramento has a few (mediocre) SFs….so I dunno.  They predict Barnes to be similar to Glen Rice.

I’m not sure who I would want this year.  There were players (especially PGs) I thought would be great at this spot back at the start of the season….now??

Guys like Kendall Marshall, who I still like a lot.  But he doesn’t seem to be the next coming of Jason Kidd anymore.

And Damien Lillard who scores well (watch out!  He’s the kind of player & PG that Petrie likes.) but really isn’t a PG, and we had one of those the last few years that we finally moved to SF (although he would really be a better SG).

I don’t see any of the PFs dropping to the Kings.    Or Gilchrist.  I think the Top 4 are pretty much set, although after #1 no one has a lock here position-wise.  Each will go high, probably Top 5, but…..

But what the team needs out of this draft is for one of the guys predicted in the Top 4 in most of these Mocks to slip a bit..  A good, strong PF/C who can rebound and learn the plays.  Someone who can play and contribute from Day 1.  Someone who shows that they are ready after Summer League and Camp.  Someone who can help this team improve next year.

Unless there is serious improvement with Evans and Cousins, along with a good Rookie contributing well and a trade and/or Free Agent pick-up adding athleticism and muscle in a Veteran, this team will miss the playoffs again.

That is a lot to ask in one off-season.  Especially from a tteam who has a front office and ownership group in such turmoil.  And after the turmoil settles the Kings still have an ownership family and management group loaded with mediocrity.  And that is why they have gone six straight years in basically the same spot.

Or Draft Express here

Lots guys to follow but those are three that I like, for what it’s worth…

Looks like the combine tryouts and interviews will determine Spots 2 thru 5 this year.

June 1st:

SacBee says compare your Draft picks with theirs!  OK, let’s do that shall we?  Of course all they have posted is their #1 pick.  Who is that guy?  They out on a limb here or what?  Jason Jones 1-14 picks are here

Campaign to force public vote on a new Sacramento Arena is officially dead.

So, of course you figure it’s dead cause the Arena is dead.  Wrong.  It’s dead cause they could not get the required signatures.  The effort only needed 21,000 people to support it but they could not reach that number.

Still, they try o take credit for pushing the Maloof’s in stopping their involvement in the Arena.  Even though the Maloof’s were never really supporters anyway.

The entire thing is just so stupid and such a shame.  Sacramento needs the Arena and the downtown railyard is the perfect spot for it.  Kings or no Kings.  You tell me that if the Arena was built the Maloof’s would not be a tenant?  They would stay in their beat up falling apart arena that they don’t even clean anymore?

June 2nd:

SacBee reporter suggests that the Kings use the San Antonio Spurs as their blueprint.

Well, no shit?  You mean they can learn a thing or two from perhaps the most successful franchise in modern NBA history?  Really??  You mean get a coach like Popovich?  And keep him during tough times?  Give him reins over the basketball stuff?  Draft and keep quality players?  Invest in your team?  Get and keep good veterans?  Things like that would help the Kings?

“The Spurs remind me a lot of us,” Doug Christie said before the San Antonio-Oklahoma City series began. “The backdoor plays, the extra passes. France, Argentina. We had players from Serbia, Turkey. You don’t say, ‘They’re loaded with superstars,’ but they’re deep and everybody can play. And it works because Pop (coach Gregg Popovich) has a system and sticks with it. They can beat you inside or outside. They can run. They all pass the ball. They defend better than we did, which is one difference. But the continuity puts the Spurs ahead of the curve, because the old guys teach the new guys.”

It’s not new for the Spurs.  What happened to those Kings Doug Christie?  Ask your Maloofs.

June 4th:

It’s summer.  The lottery ping-pong balls have bounced.  What next?

Ah!!  Summer league basketball of course…

Under the direction of area strength and conditioning coach Guss Armstead since 1990, the Sacramento Pro Developmental League tips off tonight at Capital Christian High School.Games are Monday through Thursday (7:15 p.m.) through June 28. General admission is $7, and kids are free.

Armstead said players expected to play this summer include second-year Kings Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Honeycutt, local high school stars Dakarai Allen of Sheldon and Malik Pope of Laguna Creek, and Zach Andrews, an NBA Development League All-Star from Cordova High.Local NBA players such as Orlando’s Ryan Anderson (Oak Ridge), selected as the NBA’s Most Improved Player, and the Lakers’ Matt Barnes (Del Campo) also could play this summer.Now if only next seasons rookies and some veteran FA’s were signed and playing….maybe in a few more months, huh?

Read more here

“Small market” teams OKC and San Antonio are making BIG noise this NBA season both threatening to take the crown as the playoffs progress.

Unfortunaely, they are playing against each other, and just one will move deeper in the playoffs.

These two teams are small market even when placed alongside Sacramento which is the #20 media market in the U.S. far ahead of both of these markets.  Both teams even rank below Greenville, S.C. in market share.

It is a healthy thing for the NBA to have markets like these two as well as others, `like Indianapolis and New Orleans or Sacramento and Memphis.  This year these two teams are proving that mid-market and small-market teams can not only survive, but when they have quality management and coaching they can thrive in this league.

June 7th:

Now considering the prospects begins.  Just three weeks are left until the actual 2012 NBA Draft.  3 weeks to decide your future.  Not much time to get it right but hella lotta time to screw it up.

The combines and interviews in Chicago and individual tryouts and interviews at home.  It will be a busy 3 weeks if you are a coach or a team Executive.  Or a meddlesome owner.

“The primary goal in Chicago will be to interview top prospects and set up workouts in Sacramento later this month. There’s no way to tell exactly who those players will be since there’s no consensus as to who the best player is after (Anthony) Davis.”

Will the Kings draft one of the guys who pop up at #5 on all of these lists which sometimes seem so similar?

Or will Petrie pick a surprise  player who turns out to be the ROY (Rookie of the Year)?

Or will the MaGoofs make their GM and  trade the pick away so they can choose someone down the list, like they did in 2011 with Jimmer?   (still not the move I would have made with Kawhi Leonard on the board)

“… trading down remains a realistic option. The Kings met with Jimmer Fredette at last year’s combine and liked him enough to know he was the player they wanted.”

Read more from SacBee here:

CBS’ Mock Draft and Player Rankings.

Mock Draft # Team Updated: May 31, 2012 1 Anthony Davis, PF/C Kentucky 2 Bradley Beal, SG Florida 3 Andre Drummond, C Connecticut 4 Harrison Barnes, SF North Carolina 5 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF Kentucky Mock Draft Home

Prospect Rankings # Player Updated: May 31, 2012 1 Anthony Davis, PF/C Kentucky 2 Bradley Beal, SG Florida 3 Harrison Barnes, SF North Carolina 4 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF Kentucky 5 Andre Drummond, C Connecticut Prospect Rankings

CBS says Cleveland won’t let Harrison Barnes slip out of their grasp.  Good player, but at #3 to get solid this early??  Of course you never know who is saying what or why.

Bradley Beal said Kings questoins included things about his basketball IQ and how he thinks the game. — Jason  Jones (@mr_jasonjones)

Now that the Mayoral election is over two of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s top aides are leaving his office to head up the Arena Task Force.

“Chief of Staff Kunal Merchant … and Special Assistant R.E. Graswich are leaving to focus on the mayor’s “Plan B” for an arena. That plan is exploring whether the city could build a downtown arena without the involvement of the Sacramento Kings.”

June 9th;

Andre Drummond, Center from Connecticut

Drummond is a very big, strong and very young player who will probably be available when the Kings select at #5.  He is also unpolished and immature.  Sounds a little like Cousins when he was drafted.  At #5.

He may be “the best available player” when the Kings pick unless someone drops in their lap or someone really shows something special during the combines and/or individual tryouts  interviews.

“Drummond left the University of Connecticut after his freshman season. He averaged 10 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots.

During that time, the 6-foot-11, 278-pound Drummond developed a reputation for being inconsistent yet foul-prone. His effort was also questioned.

Blake said Drummond is “a true center without true experience,” which is why he’d need time to develop. His size, strength and wingspan (7-61/4 and longest at the combine) has scouts believing he can be a dominant defender, shot blocker and rebounder.”  A big, strong, youngg shot blocker and rebounder will be very tempting for the Kings.

Draft Combine Notes: Likely No.1 pick Anthony Davis rides celebrity whirlwind.

“Davis also has been doing some of his own interviewing. He may be the top prospect in this year’s NBA draft, but he still hasn’t hired an agent.

Davis expects to decide on an agent in the next couple of days. Meantime, he is getting to know the staff of the New Orleans Hornets,who own the first pick in the draft.”

June 10th:

The Kings “Las Vegas Casino”—The Palms is shutting down their Playboy Club, opened by the Maloof brothers in 2006.  Incidentally the same year the Maloof boys started their 6 straight years of losing in the NBA.

The Maloofs though turned their 98% ownership of the Palms into a 2% ownership.

They went from a hundreds of millions deal, potentially finally turning them into billionaires (??) and trashed it, losing it all.

If we make the math easy (the numbers were much larger) and say their 98% was $100 million, then they lost and now have just $2 million.  George Maloof was in charge of the Palms, the same guy who recently trashed the entire idea of a brand new Arena for the Maloof boys NBA team, the Kings.

Enough about the Maloof boys.  The story was the Playboy Club was closed by the new oners of the Palms who don’t want to be associated ith the name or the reference apparently.

Next up for NBA Draft prospects are workouts:  either individual or group workouts depending on how “special” they are.  Read the SacBee article about workouts at the link.  We will hear a lot about draft prospects and their workouts the next week or so.

June 11th:

“Sacramento needs help“ to land Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (MKG) in the 2012 NBA Draft.  Probably the 2nd most polished player available in the draft, the Kings ould probably rather land a skilled & polished big man at the PF spot.  MKG is a top tier SF and the Kings could certainly use help there.  The team has a handful of players but no potential All-Star right?  But is MKG?

“Kidd-Gilchrist knows two Kings, DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, and would join them as the third player in four years coached by John Caliparidrafted by the team“

MKG is the SF the Kings let get away a few years ago, Gerald Wallace.  High flying athlete with a never say stop motor.  He also has serious kinks in his jump shot.

Jared Sullinger brushes aside his many criticisms “Everybody is overanalyzing my game,” he said. “I’m always the bad guy in every gym. Everybody says I can’t do this or that, everybody points out all the negative things I do. There’s a lot of positives I think I do, but that’s not for me to discuss.”

He is projected to go somewhere from 7th to the middle of the First Round.  Sullinger was Freshman of the Year and this season followed that prestigious award up being named as a first team All-America selection.  He has soft hands and a good shot.

Sullinger is 6’9″ with a 7’1″ wingspan.

June 12th:

NC’s Henson works out for the Kings.

Hensons role at NC and his primary skilset was on the defensive side.  A high energy kid, rebounder and shotblockin Forward.  He understands what he can provide to the team who eventually drafts him later this month.

Henson is 6’10″ 216 and will need to be “best friends” with the strength coach as he put it.  Henson believes he can add 15 pounds by time for the 2012/13 season..

He will definitely need to add body mass to survive the rigors of the NBA PF or even SF role.  He would certainly get banged a bit as a backup Center.

Henson is doubtful at the #5 pick.    Today Center Tyler Zeller, Henson’s NC teammate will be in Sacramento to try out.

June 16th:

Kentucky prospect Terrance Jones stresses versatility.  Stressing his ability to play both the SF & the PF positions.

“Listed in college at 6-foot-9 and 252 pounds, Jones looks ready to go shoulder-to-shoulder with NBA players, and he’s also considered to have impressive athleticism for his build.Jones said he’s been compared to Marvin Williams and Lamar Odom,players who have played both forward positions in the NBA.”Jones averaged 12.3 points and over 7 rebounds as an important part of the Kentucky Wildcats Championship team.  He was often overshadowed by Anthony Davis  andJones also stresses that he learned how to fit his skills into game situations  game by game, suggesting he had to learn to fit his production into the needs the team had in an individual game and what his coach wanted from him.

Read more here

June 25th:

Decent choices at the 5th pick?  That’s what Kings officials are saying as we get close to the June 28th Draft Day.  Read what they are saying HERE.

June 27th:

Tomorrow is the NBA Draft and today’s Bee article says that “the Kings have options at #5″ but really the options that are laid out are “trade the pick” or “keep the pick”.  What other options are there at this point?  Either you have decided to trade and move up in the draft (the Kings don’t have the horses for that) or trade down in the draft (the Kings made a bad decision to do this last year.  Do they want to risk a tenuous connection to Sacramento fans and dump the pick again?) or keep the pick (knowing there just isn’t much there unless someone falls into their lap).

My suggestion?  Keep it and hope for that perfect storm that would allow the best player (well 2nd ) to fall their way like Cousins did two years ago.  That means Harrison Barnes or even Michael Kidd-Gilchrist would slip and for that to happen the Bee is right that the Bobcats need to take Robinson.  If that one thing happens Thursday then we better hope the Kings kept #5—-or made an amazing trade.

The trades talked about in the Bee don’t seem amazing.  The trades seem like Jimmer Fredette “pull your hair out” trades.  I just don’t see trading #5 so someone else can trade for Dwight Howard.

Where will you be on Draft Day June 28th?  How about one of the Neighborhood Draft Day Parties??  There will be Draft parties at five locations hosted by the Kings from 4pm to 7:30pm.

Where are the parties?

All five parties are free to the public, with doors opening at 4 p.m. at the following locations:

• MIX Downtown (corner of 16th and L Streets).

• Dave and Buster’s: Roseville (1174 Roseville Parkway).

• Pins n’ Strikes: Elk Grove (3443 Laguna Blvd).

• Buffalo Wild Wings: Folsom (2759 E. Bidwell St.).

• Oshima Sushi Fugu Lounge: Natomas (2071 Natomas Crossing Drive).

Find out more about these parties HERE  from the press release.  You will be able to mingle with Kings players Marcus Thornton, Jason Thompson and Hassan Whiteside, Kings Dance Team members, Breakers and Slamson

Read the Bee article HERE

The Bleed Black and Purple blog had a very good post just a few days ago about that #5 spot the Kings find themselves holding, saying that it is

“…not hard to question the happenings in Sacramento over the last six-seven years. As owners, the Maloofs have repeatedly said they are going to spend to get better.”

Ain’t that the truth, so even in easier drafts anything from the mouths of Kings would be hard to decipher.  As today’s Bee article explained well, Draft Day in the NBA people say a lot of things.  And none of it is true.  So sometimes if you really want to confuse people….you tell the truth.

“…back to the basketball side of things. Petrie has been on the hot seat for some time now. And let face it, Mikki Moore signings will do that to a fellow. But let’s not kid ourselves; most of Petrie’s mishaps are a direct result of the Maloofs not opening the checkbook“  That fellas is the honest to gosh truth.

“We are entering a new era in the NBA. The Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Celtics and Mavs all look like they are headed for rebuild mode. The Grizzlies, Clippers and Timberwolves are on the rise. Will the Kings even be in the discussion? Does the same group that put together the Webber/Divac team have it in them to do it again? Do Kings fans even believe they can do it again.”

Read the Bleed Black and Purple blog HERE

Trade rumors?  The big one in the Bee (can any rumor be true if it is published in the Bee?) is Kyle Lowry of the Rockets for the Kings #5 plus Houston would add their #14 & #16 picks.  There must be something else in the mix (John Salmons anyone?) for it to make any sense.  But does it make sense at all?  Apparently that “other” is Tyreke Evans.  ‘Reke hasn’t lived up to his ROY expectations but he is still the 2nd best player on this team and has abilities that could make him an All-Star.

Not someone I would want to trade for 14 and 16 in a weak draft.  “The rumors will continue, but this deal seems highly unlikely unless the Rockets sweeten the offer. More to come in the days ahead“

3:58 pm it does not appear the Kings will be making that trade to the Rockets for their #14 & 16 plus Kyle Lowry as sources have confirmed(via Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated)  that the Rockets moved their #14 pick to Milwaukee along with Samuel Dalembert who will join his 3rd team in 2 years and 4th team in the last 3 seasons after his big year just 3 seasons ago.

Donte’ Green will not be resigned by the Kings according to Carmichael Dave who spoke to Green today.

Speaking of SI, here’s a Mock Draft at SI today “with movement in the top five, trade chatter and misdirections galore. “  I won’t ruin it for you but they show Robinson going #2 to Charlotte which means the Kings would really get some decent choice with #5.  Except of course it is the Kings 2012 version which means drama up the ying-yang.  Check it out at the link above.

Now the Kings drama swirls around “we want a Center” when it has all been “we want a SF” and “we want a PF”.

I guess it is easy to understand all of the dysfunction.  This is the Kings after all.  And, truth be told they need a Center to back up Cousins.  And a Small Forward.  And really a Power Forward.  Really.  So what do you do?  You don’t have a good enough team to select a back-up Center with #5.  Maybe they entertain trade offers and drop down to take a back-up IF they gget a quality PF in return.  Quality not crap.  And not a SF, you have a good one in Evans.  Treat him right, give him a spot and let him grow.  SF or SG but plus him the fuck in and leave him alone.  Smart seems to be able to coach the kid.

Maybe Drummond could learn to play PF/C, but as far as I can see he is a project.  And I don’t see a good player coming to the Kings to make this trade worthwhile.

The Lakers are so interested in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist that they are dangling Pau Gasol for a Top 5 pick and a player.  Gasol is not a bad player to have and is certainly an impovement over MKG at this point.  But what about in 3 years?  Do you make that trade now?  I would say yes depending on the “player to be  named”.  This from Lakers Beat Writer @Mike_Bresnahan of the LA Times.  A rumor from someone in the know.

And will the Lakers trade their 60th pick in the 2012 Draft?

And Chad Ford from ESPN Sports Nation during his internet chat today:

…Let’s put it this way. If the (Charlotte) Hornets wanted to trade the draft rights to Davis today … I think there is only three players they COULDN’T trade him for: LeBron, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul. Normally I’d add Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose to the mix. But with Dwight Howard threatening to bolt Orlando, of course the Magic would do the deal. And given the seriousness of Rose’s injury, I think the Bulls would seriously consider pulling the trigger too. Remember, Davis is from Chicago as well.

Apparently Metta World Peace could be part of a Gasol package deal.  Does that entice the Kings??

So with 24 hours to go, what do I want to see happen as a Kings fan?  Who do I want assuming Davis is already signed and has his first All-Star birth lined up after his Rookie-Of-The-Year award ceremonies…

Hell I want Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.   Davis won’t be there.  Robinson goes second.  Of all the other guys on the board MKG is the guy.

Doesn’t play the position the Kings need to fill.  So start working on trades.  Decent trades cause you won’t get great ones.

MKG is tough as nails and everywhere he goes his teams just win.  And win.  Every level, every team.

Don’t get me wrong he has holes in his game.  Someone says he is like Scottie Pippen.  But today if you have or you can get a good shooter and then get the modern-day Scottie Pippen for the next 10 years do you take that player??  Hell yes.

So pray Charlotte takes the next big man with Thomas Robinson, and leaves MKG on the board.

And pray the Kings have just been misdirecting folks because Ford is 100% right:

“FORD: And don’t get me started on the Kings. They have five guys on their roster that care nothing for defense or chemistry and want to jack up 20 shots a night. They finally get a chance at a guy who can make a huge impact on the floor without the ball in his hands and their response is to trade the pick.”

Ok, just for the giggles…

SIMMONS: ”’…Moving on to Sacramento’s no. 5 pick, we might make some history here, Chad. Even though it would be foolish to overpay in a trade for someone like Andre Drummond (who has all the textbook Thabeet/Kwame/Darko red flags), but you know someone might … only Geoff Petrie is the one trading the pick, which means we might be headed for a double rainbow of dumbness. After all, Petrie was the guy who dumped a mildly annoying contract (Beno Udrih) for a mildly disastrous contract (John Salmons) so he could move back three spots and make the worst lottery pick of the 2011 draft (Jimmer Fredette). He’s capable of anything. That makes me wonder if we could see a trade like this: Detroit deals Tayshaun Prince (expires 2015) and the no. 9 pick to Sacramento for the no. 5 pick and Salmons’s contract (expires 2015). Sacramento stays in the top nine and adds an unselfish veteran swingman who won’t really help them because it’s not like they can compete for a title; Detroit sneaks into the top five and rolls the dice with a Drummond/Monroe tandem that will eventually fail. Everyone loses!

FORD: Agree that Petrie is doing the GM equivalent of impaired driving with this pick. Kings fans are watching, horrified, as he weaves back and forth across the road. The question isn’t whether he collides into the telephone pole … it’s when. And no, Joe Dumars already drafted Darko. He’s not going to move up to do it again. At no. 9? Maybe, but Drummond is much safer at 9 than at 5.

SIMMONS: You’re right, this is crazy … let’s just do something sane. With the fifth pick for Sacramento, I’m taking Thomas Robinson … a.k.a. the rich man’s Carl Landry. Stick him with DeMarcus Cousins and, at the very least, you’ll be pounding the boards and making opponents miserable every game. But if the Kings can get an offer like “Parsons and the 14th/18th picks” or “Rudy Gay straight up” or even “Andre Iguodala straight up” for this spot, they should grab it. You know, unless MKG is sitting there.

(Thinking.)

Oh, god. They’re going to screw this up, aren’t they?

ok I’m thru laughing.  Because I read the last sentence.

I’m taking my head out of the NBA Draft Day rumormill.  It is getting viscious

And Simmons & Ford agree in their dual mock drafts.  Robinson goes to Sacramento.  Great choice but I don’t think Robinson drops past the #2 hole.  He has been sitting there in nearly every draft I have seen or heard about.

Of course, maybe it’s all misinformation and MKG goes to Charlotte meaning that Robinson survives for the #5 pick.  Could be why Sacramento has turned down all of these crazy fantasy trades and lives to take their pick (???)

Donte’ Greene says good bye to Sacramento, the fans and all of his friends.  For the comedy alone, plus some games that were strangely very very good, I will miss Donte’ and some city will be glad to have him and probably at a good price.

This is such a strange sports league.

Nighttime rumors the night before the Draft.  What?  Like 18 hours to go?  And HoopsRumors are still boiling!!!

Plus the 5 Hottest rumors out there ZZZZZzzzzzzz…..

June 28th:

Kings could fill the need at SF    But if they do fill that need what do they do with Tyreke Evans??  Plus him in at SG where he should have been since Day 1 after he was drafted?  Or trade him?  Cause they do keep trying don’t they?

Aare they predicting MKG cuz otherwise I am tired of this crap.

and another last minute Mock-Draft, this one from Sacramento.  Who do you think the Kings get??  Anthony Davis?  oh WTF???

PF Thomas Robinson!  I cannot argue with this pick at all.  Not like last years’ debacle.  Yes there are question marks

..  But this kid should have gone second in this draft and could surprise everyone and turrn out to be ROY, you just never know.

17+ points and 11+ rebounds, leading the Kansas Jayhawks to the NCAA Championship game.  And the Kings get him filling a big big hold next to Cousins.  This could make the frontline of the team the best younr frontcourt in the league.

Who will want to rebound against Cousins and the new kid Robinson??  I would have been happy with MKG but Charlotte took him instead of Robinson and look who the hell Sacramento got??  Excellent!!

It seems like a steal to me.  And hear that sound?  Kings fans are finally celebrating.

The Kings traded their 2nd Round pick to the Indianapolis Pacers in order to fi,l a much needed hole.

The Kings traded their pick for…..Cash!  Cash?  These great business men of the Maloof family turned down an Arena the city was going to build for them ….. need cash?  I think they got $3

It really is a bit like Christmas in June.

“ I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen Geoff Petrie this happy. When he approached the gathering of media types in the practice facility late Thursday night, he was almost giddy. As coach Keith Smartnoted, Robinson was the “clear cut” choice within the organization if he was available. And, of course, no one thought he would be available

This is all started because Charlotte Bobcats owner/boss Michael Jordan decided to take Michael Kidd-Gilchrist instead of grabbing Robinson or moving the pick. MJ, of course, has never lacked guts. He drafted Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison- tough even for the game’s greatest player to live down – but that didn’t stop him from following his instincts again on Thursday.”

It’s like the one article in the Bee started today…”Thomas Robinson at #5?  You gotta be kidding me!”

Read more here:

June 30th;

Here are the basics on the Free Agency period which begins tonight.

Free AgencyThe Draft is over and the team and fans are about as happy as they could be given the spot the Kings drafted in.  Now the Free Agency period begins at Midnight Eastern time (9pm Sacramento time) tonight and players can be signed July 11thThe Kings first focus will be Jason Thompson, a restricted Free Agent whom the Kings want to resign.

Beyone that the team chose not to nake an offer to Donte’ Green freeing up his salary of $2 million  and will decide if they want to conpete for their own unrestricted Free Agents:

Terrance Williams

Williams played well in the 18 games he spent in Sacramento after he was signed last season.

Expiring Contracts

Francisco Garcia

I have not been impressed by Garcia for 3 or 4 years at least and would have traded him if given any chance at all.  Somehow he has become the veteran with the longest time in Sacramento and it’s time to end that relationship.  He is a good cheerleader on the bench but his jump shot is suspect and his paycheck is too large to retain him unless he wants to take a very significant pay cut.

The team is $15 million under the Salary Cap, but in piblic don’t seem willing to spend money on players like Guard Andre’ Miller.  They arre interested in Nicolas Batum from Portland but Batum is a restricted Free Agent and Portland has said they will do everything to keep him.  Batum could fill the hole at SF immediately.  I miss Gerald Wallace, but don’t see the team paying his salary of $9 million.

Everyone knows what the Kings need:  Defense, a quality SF, help at PG (although views on what kind of help are wide and varied), a player with a quality jump shot, a leader, and a shotblocker unless Hassan Whiteside is healthy and ready.

Robinson fills a need at PF and was the “best available” player, but he does not “fix” the Kings.

So let Free Agency begin and hope that the Kings can pick up someone decent and makes good decisions about their own guys, JT and Cisco.  Then with a decent trade the Kings will be improved over last season.  I hope.

So who are the 2012 NBA Free Agents?

From Hoops World here is the list of every free agent in the league.  They list restricted and unrestricted players, explain the requirements for both types of free agents and all of the options.  It ain’t easy folks.  Check out the list HERE.

June 3rd:

AEG drops out of effort to build a non-Kings arena in the Railyard callingg it “non-feasible”.  Mayor believes there are still options, but AEG does not see any significant arena possibilities without the Kings nvolved.  No word from the Kings about “I told you so”.

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