Maloof family – voodooDr's Blog

2012/2013 Sacramento Kings Season and the NBA

November 9, 2012 by voodoodr06 Leave a Comment

Special logo marking the Kings’ 20th anniversary in Sacramento (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This post will cover the 2012/2013 season of the Sacramento Kings, and the rest of the NBA and maybe even some league issues.

The post covering the summer and the Pre-season of the Sacramento Kings can be found HERE.

The Kings opened their season with a three game road trip and lost every game, looking bad in one of those games.

They returned to Sacramento and won their home opener. They won their 2nd game at home and are now 2-3 and are now sitting in the middle of their conference while early on the Los Angeles Lakers are shocking their fans by being firmly in last place with only five games played.

In the meantime, the Kings are in the rumor section once again about a possible move.

The rumor? Well, it is a warmed over one from this summer when the Kings were said to be moving to Virginia Beach. Everyone denied it and the city held their public meeting about the proposed Virginia Beach Arena without mentioning Sacramento or the Kings.

Since then there have been more rumors including yesterday and todays rumors that the ownership of the Sacramento Kings , the Maloof family, did indeed have meetings with the Virginia Governor about moving their team, the current Sacramento Kings, to Virginia Beach.

“Citing anonymous sources, the Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported Thursday that a representative of the Sacramento Kings met recently with the Virginia governor about the possibility of moving the team to Virginia Beach“

If true, not only were the fans in both cities lied to, but meetings between the Maloofs and Virginia’s Governor not only occurred but occurred around the time that the Maloof’s pulled the plug on a new Arena in Sacramento. The Maloof’s pulled out of their quasi-agreement with Sacramento saying the financials “didn’t pencil out” but did not make any offer to work things out with the City that has supported them for so many years.

Anyway…check out the article here.

November 11th:
Happy Veteran’s Day!! The Kings play without DeMarcus Cousins (Center) and Rookie Thomas Robinson (Forward) and the Lakers run right over them!

Both players were out because of league imposed suspensions.

The Players Association is appealing the Cousins’ suspension, saying the 2 game penalty is too severe. “The immediate goal is to get the suspension lifted” prior to the Kings game on November 14th. Check the story out HERE.

They have Tyreke Evans on the floor but Evans just has not found his groove on Offense. He has played very good defense, but like most of the Kings has suffered on the offensive side.

The Kings want Evans to shoot the frigging ball, but too often he is passing, the opposite problem from his first few years in the league. The team needs him to contribute more baskets and get to the Free Throw line more often as well.

So now the Lakers with one win move up to a tie for 3rd in the Conference and the Kings drop back down to a spot they know much too well…..last.

Robinson returns for the next game while Cousins is out for one more.

November 20th:

The Kings cannot win a game or attract fans to watch them during their worst start in 20 years.. The Kings are struggling on offense and their new defensive focus.

The fun of a 5-1 pre-season seems long past as the Kings lost heir 4th game in a row early in this 2012/13 season. They don’t seem like a “family” that most people would want to spend Thanksgiving with, and this holiday dinner could get contentious.

The Kings play the Los Angeles Lakers in their next game so things won’t get easier fas for them. Gobble Gobble.

DeMarcus Cousins—-December 31st:

I was going to await the New Year, but I just couldn’t…

DeMarcus. Suspended again, this time by his own Coach for whatever was said to/about Coach in the locker room at halftime.

Fist Coach left him in the locker room after the outburst. Then Coach suspended him and sent him home. No one would say exactly what prompted the suspension, except DeMarcus saying he needs o learn to “keep (his) mouth shut”. I have never seen the Kings so quiet.

But I have rarely seen the social media world so active. Everyone wants to hate on DeMarcus. It is so easy. He makes it even easier. Big. Rich. Young. Sometimes foolish. Yes, DMC…sometimes.

The suspension lasted what…..two games? And then he was back. No one would say why and no one would say who made the decision except it seemed as if it was definitely not the Coach. Petrie? Owners? He was back with a new Agent….Fegan. The agen who has helped many NBA players secure a trade when they wanted ou of a current situation. Was it the agent?.

And today Ailene Voisin’s article in the Bee. I rarely agree with Voisin. But sometimes she provides significant depths of insight that most male writers cannot plumb. Sometimes she surprises me. rarely does DeMarcus surprise me. It would surprise me if he learns to keep his mouth shut as he says he wants to do.

“Now that he’s back, what do you do with DeMarcus Cousins? Coddle him? Ignore him? Trade him?

You don’t trade him. You monitor his behavior, maintain certain standards and keep a velvet hammer within reach, but you don’t trade him. The Kings’ front office folks – regardless of whether Geoff Petrie re-signs or retires – need to do their jobs and let Cousins learn how to do his.”

After you read that article and understand the importance of teaching and not trading Cousins understand this: last night Cousins scored the first triple-double of his career helping the Kings to defeat the Boston Celtics with 12 points, 10 rebounds and ten assists while receiving the game ball from his teammates. Cousins assisted two of his teammates to reach season highs in points and another (Salmons) to score 23 which seems like it should be a season high (!!!).

Understand this: the last time a Kings center scored a triple double was 2007 and the last time any Kings player hit those numbers was a Kings guard in 2010.

Cousins has the talent, the body, the ability, the desire and the youth to achieve triple doubles often and for a few more years. He expects rebounds and wants assists and baskets come, even on a poo shooting night.

January 5th:

Why do I say don’t trade cousins? Games like last night show that he is learning. This would be his senior year in college. 31 points and 20 rebounds against the Raptors.

Yes, the Raptors are a bad team, but the Kings were just as bad and the game was in Toronto.

He added some steals, only 4 fouls and 4 turnovers it was a MONSTER game forr Cousins and the Kings. Cousins helped to lead the Kings to a victoy that pulled them out of the Pacific Division basement.

Kings reportedly talked with Virginia governor about move (sacbee.com)
Kings Fans Come Out For Another Season Of NBA Basketball In Sacramento (sacramento.cbslocal.com)
Sacramento Kings Losing Major Sponsors Weeks Before Season Opener (sacramento.cbslocal.com)
Sacramento Kings Have A New Arena Name (ksfm.cbslocal.com)
Kings F Robinson Suspended By NBA For Elbow On Jerebko (detroit.cbslocal.com)
Sacramento Kings to Run the Triangle Offense (slamonline.com)

Filed Under: Kings, NBA, Sacramento Tagged With: Kings, Maloof, Maloof family, sacramento, Sacramento Kings, Virginia, Virginia Beach, Virginian-Pilot

Can Sacramento’s Railyard Arena Become A Baseball Stadium?

July 8, 2012 by voodoodr06 Leave a Comment

Sacramento was all set to build a NBA basketball arena in their empty railyard for the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings owners, the Maloof family AKA the MaGoofs, said yes with a bit TV event and all the smiles possible. Just months later they said “No” leaving Sacramento upset, fans unhappy and a very pissed off NBA Commissioner , David Stern!

Now, with a push from the Sacramento Mayor former NBA Point Guard Kevin Johnson, the question is can Sacramento build a Major League Baseball stadium and attract a team?

A lot of people believe the answer to that question is yes.

Aside from the owner of the Sacramento Bee, who also owns the Pittsburg Pirates and the MLB team just down the road looking for a place to play other than the Oakland area and unable to go South of San Francisco because the Giants say “no”….

“Sacramento must seize control of its own future,” Johnson said. “We cannot rely on others, or wait for something to come along….”

One sports business consultant, when contacted by The Bee, suggested Johnson would be making a mistake if he dropped his focus now on keeping the Kings. … “Possession is nine-tenths of the law,” said Andy Dolich, a former Oakland A’s executive. “The Kings are Sacramento’s. The River Cats are Sacramento’s, and a shining light nationally as to how a well-run franchise can be extremely successful. “Wouldn’t you counsel him to keep his eye on the prize of the team that he has?”

It is definitely complicated, but Sacramento could keep the Kings and attract a baseball team down the road. I believe that having a stadium here could make the Maloofs change their mind about leaving town…if that is what they want to do.

Read more here

The negatives: a stadium costs more to build than an arena. Significantly more like close to twice as much as an arena and when you are talking about an arena that would have cost $400 Million to construct….that is a lot of money.

The positives: From the city’s Point of View the season is longer meaning the stadium is in use more meaning more money. The seating would be larger, stadiums seat more people. It could be significantly larger, even in an “intimate” stadium. The railyard is the perfect place for a stadium, maybe even more perfect than an arena. You can do more things with a stadium. Concerts, events…you can attract groups & people that might bypass an arena.

As I said on this Blog back in March:

“Does Sacramento still dream of being the future home of the MLB Oakland A’s?

It was true when I was in my 20s and is true now.

I still have my T-shirts.

The Sacramento Raiders and The Sacramento A’s.

Back in that old-time capsule I really believed it would happen. I’m not a big baseball fan. Haven’t been since the old Dodger days of the late 1950s thru late 1960s. Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Especially Sandy Koufax.

When the A’s farm team the Sacramento River Cats, opened the stadium in West Sacramento and has continued to win big almost every single year that they have been here that dream rekindled.”

Sometimes a whole city has the same dreams.

You can bet there is a lot more to come on this story.

July 9th:

The Oakland A’s go public and advise everyone that they have already told Mayor Johnson they “have no interest” in moving to Sacramento. They do have a big interest in moving to San Jose. But San Francisco has already told the entire world they “will not” allow that to happen. So the A’s want to move South but will not be able to. They don’t want to say in their current Oakland stadium which frankly has been falling apart for twenty years.

I don’t know what will happen. I just know I want my city to have a professional Major League baseball team. I also want my city to have a National Football League team and I know the Raiders need a place to play other than the crumbling stadium in Oakland. And they have told everyone that they have no interest in staying in Oakland. They want to return to Los Angeles.

And I have always believed in that phrase “If you build it they will come!”

Filed Under: Kings, NBA, Sacramento, Sports Tagged With: Andy Dolich, David Stern, Maloof family, National Basketball Association, NBA, sacramento, Sacramento Bee, Sacramento California, Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings 2012 Off-Season

May 24, 2012 by voodoodr06 1 Comment

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 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

Public Workshop For New Sacramento Arena

April 6, 2012 by voodoodr06 Leave a Comment

The City of Sacramento is planning a workshop for the public focused on the new Sacramento Arena .

“City staffers plan to discuss the proposed arena site in the downtown railyard,integrating the arena with the planned intermodal transit hub and linking the project to historic features of the railyard.”

When: Thursday, April 12th

Time: 5:30 to 8 pm

Where: First Floor of the Sacramento City Hall

915 I Street, downtown Sacramento

I haven’t called it the Kings arena because the Kings owners seem so unwilling to be part of the process. I believe the Kings will be, but the owners will either be replaced (sell) or go into a lease agreement kicking, screaming and crying like little babies.

Question:

So what about the Maloof‘s?? Will they be at the workshop?

Answer:

No. The Maloof’s have been called to the NBA Board of Governors meeting where one of the topics of discussion will be the Maloofs refusal to pay their fair share of the arena pre-development costs. David Stern came up with the money out of his own pocket.

Note: Stern’s pocket contains money that all the other owners have given as their ‘Governor’ or owner dues, so it isn’t really Stern’s money. It is the owners money.

So…to review: The Sacramento owners refused to pay the pre-development costs. Stern used money from the other owners to pay the bill. The Maloof’s now have to meet with Stern and all the other owners to “discuss” this issue.

The City “public” (the fans, the non-fans and folks that just like City workshops) will be at a workshop about te arena tat the Maloof’s are trying to hide from.

Filed Under: Kings, NBA, Sacramento Tagged With: David Stern, Kings Arena, Maloof, Maloof family, National Basketball Association, sacramento, Sacramento California, Sacramento Kings, Stern

The Sacramento Kings, the NBA, the Shortened 2011/2012 Season & The New Arena

December 26, 2011 by voodoodr06

I will keep this post focused on the Kings, the league, the 2011/2012 NBA season, as shortened as it is and all of the work to build a new arena.

This post WILL NOT cover

day-to-day wins & losses
staff or coaching rumors, except the really good ones
the College Basketball Association

There are a number of Kings blogs & websites out there that cover the season, games & injuries, rumors, draft choices, etc better than I can.

So what will this post be about?

I will cover some games. Games that I decide to cover because of their importance to the season or the team or the arena chances etc. Or just something funny, weird, good, or important happened in or at the game.

I will cover actions related to the new Arena.

I will cover some rumors. Rumors that I decide are interesting. Or funny.

Probably other things as the season unfolds.

So, Day 1 was interesting. Good games to unpack on Christmas Day, especially that Bulls v Lakers game. Luol Deng is just so consistently good.

It is hard to guess which Laker team we may get for today’s game. They will be embarrassed and have the pride bruised, that is never a good thing. On the other hand, the young Kings watched a very good & young Bulls team come back and play a very good game against the Lakers.

I am looking forward to seeing how the Kings team develops and matures. The team has some very good pieces and the group of youngsters could grow & mature together. Or not at all.

I like that the Kings players decided to look at Chuck Hayes and accept him as a team leader. Captain Hayes!!

Whoa…the Kings hold on against a strong push by the Lakers and win their first game of the season.

And with a win against the Laker sand a loss in their 2nd game of the season: WHEW!

Nice article about the 5 Things We Learned from our victory over the Lakers. Well, maybe we didn’t learn these things.

Heck, maybe we didn’t even read these Five Things.

But we should read them and we should learn them if the Kings want a decent shortened season.

January 1st:

Happy New Year Kings fans?? We get some sort of notice that DeMarcus Cousins went to Coach Westphal sometime before tonights game with the Hornets and demanded to be traded.

What did Paul Westphal say? Watch it here. I’m not sure what happened, if you read this morning’s Bee recap of the last game (loss) you can tell Cousins is unhappy. But appaently it was not a public “trade me or else” pronouncement. The Coach benched him tonight because he says Cousins won’t play in Sacramento.

Want to read the dead-secret first draft of Coach Westphal’s statement on the cousins’ situation? It’s sarcastic and even a bit funny. Portions of this version even seem to be at least partly true (??)

Click here for that version of the Coach’s statement.

So in the midst of a losing streak, the Arena mess, a short season…what else? Oh yeh, you told your best player to sit on the bench somewhere else because You don’t want him near “your team”.

This is not good. Long term speaking this is not good. DeMarcus is a good player with a huge upside who is apparently unhappy enough to start something like this a week into the new season. And we have seen this before. Now who will offer a quality trade for this player?

Or even a good, fair trade now?

For me if the choice is Westphal or Cousins…easy choice.

Anybody got a mediocre basketball coach?

A little difference of opinion??

You can catch up on the “grumblings” from players that were growing after the loss to the Knicks.

“Grumbling over coach Paul Westphal’s new offense was heard, as were concerns over a lack of effort. “Everybody keeps blaming the coach, about the plays, the plays not (being) good, but, hey, it be like that sometime,” guard Tyreke Evans said. “You’ve just got to play.”

…”I don’t know what that was,” center DeMarcus Cousins said. “Running the offense coach tells us to run. Just doing what coach say. Got to do what your coach say.”
Read more at the link above.

“Cousins’ agent, John Greig, told The Bee earlier today that it is “absolutely not true that DeMarcus or I demanded a trade. We need to find out what the position of the organization is. Nobody has talked to me and I would look forward to talking to the Maloofs.”

…”Westphal said he “considered all possibilities” about how to handle Cousins’ request, but decided that telling Cousins to stay home from tonight’s game was “by far the best solution.”

“I think it’s time for this solution,” Westphal said.”

In the meantime the Kings are playing much better tonight and beat the N.O. Hornets by a score of 96-80.

SacTown Royalty talks about some of the disturbing aspects of Westphal’s “public” revelation of Counsins’ suspension and the reasons (??) I like the statement that Cousins was “suspended for actions detrimental to Westphal’s ego”. It certainly wouldn’t be the first coach & player earthquake over what is really very little.

Check it: Half of Westphal’s statement about the mess was that Counsins “continually, aggressively, lets it be known that he is unwilling/unable to embrace traveling in the same direction as his team” and as the SacTown folks asked, what direction did the Kings seem to be heading after losing 3 of the first 4 games of the season? After stinking up the Arena so early in the 2011/2012 basketball season?

And just why wasn’t Evan’s suspended for his public questions/statements about the direction of the team after the last loss?

And when Jason Jones from the Bee “asked Geoff Petrie if the Kings intend to trade Cousins. His answer: “No.” (Petrie) Plans to meet with Cousins tomorrow.”

January 2nd:

Turmoil & trouble continue to swirl around the Kings, Cousins & Westphal. Todays articles include:

Aileen Voisin asks if this is the “tip of the iceberg” where is the rest??

The Bee’s current reporting of the Cousins’ situation and the win over the Hornets.

But by the afternoon there is a report that Mr Cousins, the best Center on the team, is on the team plane and headed to Memphis with the team. Good news!! The report comes from comcast Sports Net so is reliable.

But how happy can he possibly be? Assume he did not demand a trade, or said something about a trade in the heat of the moment after losing at home to the Knicks. Now your coach called you out. Basically went public and said he does not want you anymore. What happens now peeps?

This article calls it all the “latest blowup”

January 3rd:

Cousins Rejoins Kings Roadtrip:

“The Kings maintain that DeMarcus Cousins demanded to be traded. Cousins maintains that didn’t happen.Neither side is budging on its claim following a meeting Monday involving Cousins, his agent, John Greig, and Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie.”

…Cousins issued a statement Monday: “I want to address my missing the New Orleans game Sunday. I have not demanded or requested a trade. I don’t agree with the actions taken but will give my sincere effort to put it behind me and compete the best I can for my team.”

Read more in the Bee article at the link above.

January 5th:

Westphal fired!! Keith Smart is the new Head Coach, NOT the Interim Head Coach. So what do you think??

And did the team management/ownership know what Westphal was going to say about the Cousins’ dust-up?? Or did the Coach seal his own fate by saying a few things that surprised and baffled the Maloofs and Petrie?

Add your comment below.

I think giving Smart the position is a good decision. He’s a smart guy, did an OK job at Golden State for one season, and may turn out to be a good Head Coach. And the poor guys that wind up being Interim. What kinda job title is that?

I’ve been Interim. I’ve been Acting. And I have bbeen given the title.

Believe me, it makes a big big difference in how you approach the job. Congratulations Keith Smart.

Here is the big Press Conference:

I would call the Westphal firing the best off-season move the Kings made. But it’s a bit past the season starter. Or, given the lockout, maybe we can still call it an off-season move.

Kings seem to be playing some of their best ball this season against the Bucks. I do think most of the players expected the firing and are glad to have it done so the team can move forward.

The Kings won a very difficult game over the Bucks, 103-100 and probably improved their emotional health, more than they improved their W-L statistics.

And (probably) the final article on the Westphal firing is here and makes some good points.

December 7th:

Update on Chuck Hayes, dislocated shoulder has him out 3-4 weeks. The Kings could use his veteran leadership right now. More at the link.

December 8th:

Smart blames the Kings troubles on “poor spacing”. An issue for most losing teams. The question seems to be which came first? Poor spacing or an “I am the team” attitude? Was it the lack of good spacing on the floor that caused me to dribble out without looking for a teammate to pass to? Or have I become a selfish baller that wants to take every shot?

Dunno…

Today, we also have a reporter indicating (again) that the real problem behind the Kings difficulties is the Maloof family’s dwindling fortunes. When you lose a billion here and a Billion there suddenly there’s the real chance you can fall below the “Billionaire” tag.

The Maloof’s lost control of their Las Vegas casino, The Palms and have seen their giant beer distributorship sold. The distributorship was their father’s road to millionaire status for the family, and since then they have added pieces that, during good times, grew considerably.

Since it is a family owned group of businesses, they don’t have to share with the public how things are going. And NBA owners aren’t required to open their books to fans (or even non-fans), so it is hard to figure out the team fortunes.

But it makes sense that over the last 4-5 years, as many people struggled financially, the Maloof family may have found it difficult to spend giant money on the Kings. Which then becomes a bit of an avalanche. It makes sense that this could be the reason we don’t hear the word “Sacramento” attached to FA rumors or signings and to high-profile names when it comes to Head Coaches.

But bad choices for Head Coaches, whether because of money or poor choices or pig-headedness results in the same 5 year slide we have seen in Sacramento.

So, the Maloof family may believe their basketball fortunes may improve if they are in Los Angeles or New York or (??), but if they cannot compete against other “small market” cities what will they do in L.A.? Sink!!

Read about here.

December 9th:

Talking bout Small Markets the new documentary Small Market, Big Heart premiers tonight at the Crest Theater downtown.

The film is about Sacramento’s struggle to keep the Kings here (where they belong) and the heart of the City—the fans. “Small Market” is a term developed by the NBA and billionaire owners. The cities they drop the term on don’t view themselves as small anything.

Sacramento has been in the Top 50 TV markets in the country since like 1970. We may be smaller than NYC or L.A., but what city isn’t?

Check out the link above and the Twitter feed @SMBHdocumentary

December 12th:

Last night the “new” Cousins scored 21 points and added 19 boards in a road win over the Raptors. This was an important win for the Kings and aan important confidence booster for Cousins. Sometimes I think we forget he is just 19 and in only his 2nd season as a pro as we push him to mature “now”.

The Kings also had Rookie Isaiah Thomas who scored 20 and also had 6 assists.

The Kings are a very young team and getting some wins like this where they stay in the game and close it down when the opportunity is there is just so important to the guys. The fans want to win every game, but really what they must see is a group of guys who stay in the game, play their best for the full 48 minutes and at least win the ones that belong to them.

Check out the photos from last nights road win.

December 12th:

Someone is feeling sorry for Paul Westphal.

And we have an article about how much trouble DeMarcus Cousins is. Is he the first immature 19 year old to enter the NBA? Even the folks that wrote this article admit he is less immature this year and even less after the coaching change. I ain’t saying he has grown up and will never cause another problem but he is not the monster some folks want to mke him out to be.

And we have this: an excellent look at Small Forwards in the league and in college. The author evaluates whether or not each player would be an upgrade at the 3 for the Kings and what the chance is for actually grabbing the player.

Very good article on the most important component for the Kings. John Salmons is not the answer and whoever made the decision to take on his contract AND move down a couple of spots in the draft just to take Fredette (who we would have drafted anyway), should be fired. Or maybe he was fired?

Anyway, check out the article. It is a good one.

January (Friday the) 13th:

A Sacrmento County politician suggests renovating and upgrading the current Kings (Power Balance) Arena rather than building a new one.

The current facility is 23 years old and if you do a facelift, you will still need a new arena in a short number of years. Then the public will ask “Didn’t we just pay for that?” And, they would be right to balk at any public money again. Kind of like some are asking now as Sacramento is still owed money for the current facility.

Never put all of your eggs in one basket, but renovation would be a poor option.

The Bee has an article today showing a record response to the recent poll about the Kings new Arena. Read the article HERE

4,116 responses to this poll. Of those, 2,251 supported leasing parking operations to help fund an arena. City officials said that such an agreement could generate up to $200 million toward the $387 million project.

This poll is not scientific and does not reflect the “will of the people” but it is a good response to a newspaper poll and shows a majority in favor of the plan.

Rookie Point Guard Isaiah Thomas is just 5’9″ tall but as fans have seen during pre-season and the last game (20 points, 6 assists) he can play in the NBA.

Thomas was the last player selected in the 2011 draft. Just like you can’t teach height, you can’t teach heart and Coach Smart knows that Thomas brings a big heart. He is not intimidated and just jumps in the middle of things and takes charge.

Should Thomas start at PG? Not yet say these guys. In fact, they say he is not the “true” PG the ‘net says he is and they back that up with data.

The best of this article is how they explain the fact that Petrie has always loaded the team with “impure” PGs via trades and draft. Check out the list

December 14th

Had to change the channel. Dallas 52-23 at half. Kings set record. For team franchise fewest points EVER in a half. Previous was 25. That was in 1957.

Also just set a record for fewest field goals in a half. 8.

My god.

The chances for a new Arena and keeping the Kings here may have dropped another notch.

December 15th:

What’s Next for the Sacramento Kings? This ESPN article drops 5 sports writers into a conversation about Westphal, cousins, Evans, Keith Smart (or coach TBA) and the future of the club.

December 16th:

Rubio & Fredette are both rookie Point Gurds. Both came in the league with a level of anticipation from fans. That is where the similarities end.

Tonight Ricky Rubio will school Jimmer Fredette and take another step toward Rookie of the Year (ROY) honors. The Kings should have drafted him when they had the chance and waited out his time in Europe. Imagine where they would be now and the future they would have.

December 18th:

As bad as the truth of it is I like this statement for the truth of it:

“There is not a word in the English Dictionary to properly describe just how awful Travis Outlaw has been offensively.”

Yesterday SacTown Royalty looked at the King’s Guard, today it is a look at the Wings. If you have watched their games early in the season, you know how bad it is.

Read it with your eyes closed at the above link.

January 19th:

Councilmember Sandy Sheedy, An Arena opponent will attempt to get an Arena measure on the June ballot.

Per Bee article today “Sheedy has been beating the popular vote drum since it became apparent she was in a clear minority on the council in opposition of the arena. She will almost assuredly demonize as undemocratic any councilmembers who do not vote with her in this naked ploy to politicize the ESC push. Sheedy has a well-documented feud with Johnson over endorsements in council races, and is using the arena push as a political prop.”

p.s. nice comback to the Kings last night and nice play (again) by the bench and DeMarcus Cousins with 19 REB.

December 20th

Todays Bee article indicates that a “bigger role” for the bench has resulted in wins. Heck, the team has won only 3 games in the season.

Anyway, I would say defined roles and some consistency in the rotation has resulted in a better bench and the bench hs contributed significantly to the wins.

But it’s not like you just flip-flop, put the bench in as starters and win 60 games. Coach Smart says “Your stars close games out, but your bench keeps the game manageable until your stars can get in there and close a game out.”

December 21st:

Nice game last night as the Kings handed the Spurs their first home loss. This is the first back-to-back win for the Kings this season and they have John Salmons to thank for the win. Tyreke Evans contributed his best shooting game of the year as he hit 10 of 19 shots.

Chuck Hayes walked thru a practice on Friday and was happy to be there, but is not ready to be in a game just yet. Read the Bee article about Hayes’ progress at the link above.

Tonight is the second half of a back-to-back road game, and second on a three game road trips: Kings invade the Memphis Grizzlies tonight. The Grizz won the first game between these teams back on January 3rd.

Some guy on Twitter said “You mean, the Grizz had four players with 20+?”. I don’t even need to see the score.

January 24th:

Early-Bird Extensions? Uhm…NO. the Kings have 3 players eligible to an Early-Bird Extension (4th year players approaching free Agency). JJ Hickson, Jason Thompson, and Donte Green. All are good/interesting but no where near great players. Hickson is the most interesting case as the Kings gave up a restricted First Round pick and Casspi. of course we need get the perennial not-an-All Star SF Salmons, so no fear there.

The Kings will not offer an extension to Hickson or any of the others it seems.

They have invested the most in Greene hoping he would have a break-out year at some point. They have also had great expectations for Thompson.

I’m glad to see they are not wasting extension mmoney on any of them including JJ.

Read the details at the link above.

Chuck Hayes is cleared for contact. The Kings will be glad to get him back in the lineup. Hayes went at it full-contact today. We’ll see how long before Hayes is in the lineup.

Marcus Thornton did not practice (deep thigh bruise) and will not be available for Wednesday’s game.

Cousins and Evans are both sporting ankle injuries. They did not practice and we will see if they play tomorrow.

And Comcast reports that Kings game rating are up 33% over last season. No comment.

Tyler Honeycutt was sent down to the D-League earlier in the season for “development” that he could not get in Sacramento because he was given limited minutes. The Kings recalled him to the NBA roster because he “was getting limited minutes” down in the D-League Reno.

January 26th:

Smarts interview after the loss to the Nuggets January 25th. Listen carefully to Coach Smart.

Is it too early to think about the draft???

January 28th:

Tonight we enter….the State of Jimmer and it seems he will get the start in Utah.

If we are lucky we will get Chuck Hayes back tonight. He is like a real Floor General out there on the defensive end, always barking orders. And his teammates listen.

January 29th:

No Jimmer heroics against the Jazz last night? I did not watch but I know the outcome. Jimmer missed the final shot with an opportunity to tie the game with a 3 pointer. He hoped to get a foul call but got neither the shot or the call.

Like many fans I questioned the decision to drop down in the last Draft, take Jimmer when it seemed better players were available plus get John Salmons and his contract as well.

So far it hasn’t worked out for the Kings. But the team has a lot more problems than Jimmer or even Salmons.

The team seemed to play better last night than most of the season, and Evans had an excellent game with 9 assists and 31 points. If Evans could play like that every night (I’m not asking for those stats, but that kind of game) I would annoint him as the PG for many years. That is what Petrie and others see in Evans. Unfortunately, it is not what they usually get from their coveted Guard.

Jason Thompson had a good game early on.

The worst thing about last night?

Chuck Hayes left the game holding his left arm…again. I am thinking about him and hoping Hayes is ok.

January 30th:

Coach says Hayes is fine and will play the next game at Golden State.

I wonder if Coach Smart has any desire to beat the Warriors?? Hmmmmm…

Three positives since the coaching change:

I have seen three things that I like since Smart replaced Westphal:

DeMarcus Cousins seems more comfortable
Tyreke Evans has had some “PG” moments in games where he seems to be learning how to play the NBA point, rather than pushing himself to score 20. The NBA always has a lot of Guards who can score 20. Most play SG, but the league has always had its’ share of 20 ppg PGs. Evans is now having games like the last one with 31 points and 9 assists. That is an impressive effort. That is All-Star work. And he followed that game with another against Golden State. Against those Warriors Evans had this line: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists. You cannot ask more from your young guard. Those are impressive games. Those are All-Star numbers.
Perhaps because of the first two, the Kings have stayed in more games and even won a couple. This is not a 50-50 team, but seeing them stay in games during the second half (heck, during the 1st Quarter) gives fans hope. The link takes you to an article about Smart’s advice to Evans on how to play the point in the NBA.

Coming out of Indiana Smart was a revered PG who scored first. He scored at will, was the Final Four hero. and people expected that kind of career for him. But he had to learn to play the point and that means distributing the ball, running the team on the floor, and “seeing” the defense so that you can maximize the opportunities on each possession. His NBA career was short, but he learned to be a better PG.

You want a new Arena? Fans need to see an effort and a road leading to a better team.

And, while we are at it…

,,,Kevin Johnson doesn’t play PG anymore, he is just the Mayor of Sacramento. I didn’t vote for him and probably won’t the next time. But KJ was one of the best PGs in the game and I remember screaming at my TV as I watched the Kings miss the chance to draft the hometown boy.

Follow the link above and read about Johnson’s career plus 4 other top NBA PGs.

February 3rd:

Like many fans I did not expect a lot from Isaiah Thomas.

But check this video:

The game? Kings vs Trailblazers February 2nd. Kings win. How?

The play of the game by 5’9″ Thomas against the Blazers Wesley Matthews. Yes, Matthews is a Guard. But he is 6’5″ and 220 lbs. Check it out.

That is a HUGE block by Thomas. Thomas has given us a number of highlight plays this season but this a the best one.

February 4th:

“When he’s on the floor, you don’t worry about him being posted up, because he’s going to fight to keep a guy from posting him up,” Kings coach Keith Smart said.

Thomas has received more playing time because of his confidence, leadership and performance on the court, Smart said.”

More about Thomas at the link starting the quote above.

February 5th:

Nice win over the Warriors last night in OT. Of course, that was after the team’s familiar 4th Quarter fade dropping a 1 point 3rd quarter lead. But they fought and came back, got in to OT and won.

Today the newspaper has an article about the owners, asking if they can (will afford to put a top flight team on the NBA floor. I don’t know. I know these guys are still hecka rich, but apparently not necessarilly billionaires.

More important to me they just have not seemed interested in the team or in the future of the team for the last 3 or 4 years.

“But, in the long run, how can they? The Kings have been a relative bargain basement operation for years. Team payroll is roughly $48 million, just above the league minimum and dwarfed even by small market teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies,who have a $71 million payroll.

That the Kings are the youngest team in the NBA – and therefore likely to have lower salaries for inexperienced talent – is beside the point.

The key question is: Will Maloof Sports and Entertainment ever again have the financial resources to field a competitive team?”

Also, an article is about Jimmer Fredette. Fredette has had a poor rookie year even by “poor rookie year” standards.

For a #1 pick with a lot of hype coming out of BYU, Fredette does not appear to be adjusting the way some fans and Kings management (or owners? wanted. I’m not so sure he will ever be All-Star material even in a good year, but Fredette is smart and someday will learn someone’s system. He will contribute to a winning team. Be nice if it was here before he gets traded or moves on (the roads that appear for almost every player at some point).

He has spent two games on the bench and the other rookie, 2nd round pick Isiaah Thomas, starred in a win. Twitter has exploded with peeps unhappy that Jimmer hasn’t played, and even some suggesting that if he was a starter the Kings would be guaranteed playoff material. WTF?

As I said, even in a good year that ain’t happening. Always hard to know if people actually believe the garbage they write or if they are just having fun stirring things up.

“Six weeks into the season, the Kings are convinced of this much: They regard the 6-2 Fredette as a shotmaker and superb deep shooter who will benefit immensely from a traditional offseason devoted to adding one-handed floaters and runners to his repertoire.

One of his biggest problems is a tendency to overpenetrate and jump-stop in the lane, attracting clusters of defenders like teenagers to free cellphones. His conflict is partly attributable to the fact that he wants to be perceived as more than a one-dimensional gunner.

Having been a floor leader throughout his career, he also is learning the nuances of moving without the ball, of understanding angles and how to utilize screens and ball/head fakes that freeze defenders.”

What about that privatizing City parking to raise money that would be used to partially fund construction of a new Arena?? The article looks at similar efforts in other cities and countries. Some have been successful and others not. In Chicago it was apparently successful. But it has been a “public relations nightmare”. For politicians the public relations problems are more important than success and more important than a new Arena to keep the Kings.

And, to end this busy day—yes. Seattle does want the Kings to replace their beloved Supersonics. If Seattle taught other cities how fragile their relationship can be with their team, now they hope to teach other cities how they can do two tough tasks. Build a new arena. Attract an established team.

Twitterland blew up a week ago on this subject. Now it just does not seem to be dying down.

“Seattle officials have been in talks for eight months on plans to build a new arena, and have had their eye on the Sacramento Kings,according to news reports this weekend in Seattle.

The Seattle Times reported it obtained documents Friday indicating that city’s mayors office has been working behind the scenes with a San Francisco businessman who hopes to buy a team and bring it to Seattle if an arena can be financed. The documents include an email updating Seattle officials on Sacramento’s efforts to build a new arena to keep the Kings here, the Times reported.”

Be careful. Seattle isn’t Anaheim. The fans are still pissed off that they lost the Supersonics. They want a team and they want it bad. And the league wants a team in the area long before they want a 3rd team in Los Angeles. Maybe even before they want a team in Sacramento. We shall see.

But in the end, it does not matter what city wants the Kings. Anaheim, Seattle? Someone else? What does matter is what the people of Sacramento want. And how well officials can explain to the people why it is important to keep the Kings. It’s about jobs and income, yet I don’t see anyone stressing that.

Jobs and income. Jobs and income. Should be a constant mantra.

“David Stern feels as if he has given Sacramento one last chance, and he made no secret of that last May. The Maloofs’ damned press release announced they’d keep our team in Sacramento for 2011-12 even quoted one of the brothers saying that Stern had assured them that they’d receive a green light to move our team if a funding plan didn’t come together by March.”

If the good folks in Sacramento don’t understand that (or don’t believe it) the Kings will be playing in some other city next season or the following season for sure. And then it doesn’t matter much which city that is. Except I guess to the Maloofs. And some of the residents in the Kings new home.

We stole them. We can lose them. And it happens that fast.

February 6th:

Another good game for the Kings, winning their 3rd in a row. The Kings came back digging out of an 18 point hole and beating the Hornets in New Orleans 100-92.

DeMarcus Cousins had another massive game. Cus scored 28 points with 19 rebounds. Isaiah Thomas had 17 points with 7 assists and continued to play the best man defense on the team.

February 9th:

The Arena vote last night allows the basis for possibly privatizing parking spaces in order to raise money to partially fund the new Arena to move forward. It was a close 5-4 vote to reject a plan by one conservative councilmember to put the issue on the ballot in June. That allows the City time to work thu the challenges to put a proposal together for the council to review by the NBA deadline.

Putting together the council proposal and satisfying the needs of all of the other partners (County Board of Supervisors, other Cities and Counties in the Sacramento area, the NBA and the Kings and everyone else PLUS a ballot measure just would never happen. It is not real clear that the team can put together everrything the NBA and City will require without asking for a delay.

The vote could have easily gone the other way, with a 5-4 vote to support the ballot measure request, which would have derailed the entire Arena effort. Certainly what many Arena opponents would have liked to see happen.

On Monday only one member supported the ballot measure proposal. On Tuesday two more joined.

“A June vote on Sheedy’s ballot measure would have come after a March 1 deadline imposed by the NBA for Sacramentoto devise a plan for a new arena, or risk losing the Kings. Arena supporters said it also would have shown the league there is limited support for the project at City Hall.

“It would have, I think, sent a very negative message to the NBA and the people who have been working with us trying to make this happen,” Councilman Rob Fong said Wednesday. “It would have been a vote of no confidence.”

Read the full article at the link above.

Home game, national TV, top-tier opponent, team playing well. What more could Kings fans want? Oh, well yeh. New Arena & new owners. A couple of upgrades at position. But this should be good!

@SacramentoKings tweet: FINAL: Kings defeat Thunder 106-101 on National TV!

DMC 19pts 9rebs

Evans 22pts 5 assists

Thornton 15pts #KingsAllDay #BlackThursday

Great game defeating the best team in the West, the OKC Thunder. Durant & Westbrook played and played well, but in the end the Kings took the victory. Their 4th win in the last 5 games, and they “shoulda” won all 5 games.

But–the Kings had 17 of their shots blocked, 10 (TEN!!) by Serge Ibaka. Ibaka blocked 6 shots in the 3rd quarter.

“Oklahoma City looked as if it was about to put the Kings away midway through the final period. The Kings trailed 95-87 with 5:56 left in the game after a three-pointer by Daequan Cook. But Sacramento’s Marcus Thornton hit back-to-back three-pointers as part of a 10-2 run to tie the score 97-97 with 2:07 to play.”

The Kings did not make a basket in the last 2 minutes. They won this game on free throws during those crucial minutes.

“The Kings took a 98-97 lead on a free throw by DeMarcus Cousins with 1:37 to play. Russell Westbrook answered with an 18-foot jumper with 1:19 to go, but the Kings scored seven unanswered points to build enough of a gap to win.”

The crowd chants “Sacramento Here We Stay“…hell yeh!!

Bee’s in game Blog is here

Arena: Mayor Johnson believesthat Sacramento will meet the NBA deadline of March 1st to submit their financing plan.

“Johnson made his comments at a ceremony in the downtown railyard, where he and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento hosted federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

LaHood lauded Sacramento officials for their efforts to develop the railyard. He did not comment on the arena issue. His California visit, he said, was focused on promoting high-speed rail. City officials want high-speed rail to connect with the arena, a transit center and other development in the railyard….

…We get a chance to control our own destiny here,” (Johnson) said, “and if we just laser focus on our business, this will be the final resting place of the Sacramento Kings.”

Meet Isaiah Thomas tonight at Baskin-Robbins in Davis and pick up your favorite double scoop (and a Chocolate/vanilla for me!!). 6-7 pm. 236 E Street downtown. Thomas will take photos & sign autographs for the first 200 fans.

February 11th:

The Seattle Times almost seems to be complaining that Mayor Johnson is trying to keep the Kings in Sacramento. And Jonson (pretended?? Had to be) that he “forgot” that the Sonics no longer play in Seattle.

“This is his signature issue,” said Marcos Breton, a columnist for The Sacramento Bee. “The only reason the Kings are still in Sacramento is Kevin Johnson. I’m convinced if the previous mayor were in place now, they’d be in Anaheim already, or going up (to Seattle). He has a personal relationship with (NBA commissioner) David Stern that he is able to trade on.”

Are you a Kings fan? Go to the link above and vote “NO” the Kings will NOT move to Seattle. In fact, vote “Hell NO”.

February 12th:

Bad game last night. Nuff said.

But….Time to crank up the heat on the Arena plan as the March 1st deadline looms.

“When we ask the question 10 years from now – “How do you like me now?” – will we hear favorable comparisons to Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis and Charlotte, among others, or be regarded as an underperforming community co-opted by petty politicians and others who couldn’t get things done.”

The Mayor doesn’t read this blog. Neither do the Maloofs or the NBA. That is obvious since they don’t take my advice!!

But I believe I am on the side of the majority.

We want the Kings to stay in Sacramento. We understand that the team needs a new Arena and that the team provides jobs and money to the community. We want an Arena that can be used for other things: music, circus, ice shows all of those crowd pleasing activities.

We are willing to make an investment of some public monies. We are not willing to finance the whole thing. We believe that other communities (Roseville, West Sacramento, Stockton, etc have an obligation to join us and bear some of the burden.

We believe the railroad area is and always was the best place for a new Arena.

Some of us even believe that Sacramento should attract other sports teams. The NFL, MLB, or???

Yes—none of those things happen overnight. But NONE of those things happen unless Sacramento gets it together and builds a new Arena.

It is time to get the plan together, quit dicking around at City Council meetings and approve the plan. Get the NBA backing, have the Maloof’s support the idea publicly…what else?

February 13th:

The Arena faces its next test on Valentine’s Day evening at the City Council.

“The Sacramento City Council is expected to vote on whether to move forward with talks on a potential lease of the city’s parking garages and meters to a private operator. Mayor Kevin Johnson and other arena supporters are counting on the parking to fetch an upfront payment of as much as $200 million – about half the money they say is needed to build an arena.”

The team working on the issue has cut the list of potential companies down to 10 out of 13 who had initially responded to the Request for Qualifications.

If the council approves city staff will work with the 10 companies to craft a lease plan. “Simultaneously, city officials hope to negotiate a term sheet by March 1 with the NBAand AEG, a private entertainment giant, saying who will pay how much.

When and if that’s done, staff plans to return to the council asking to formally solicit parking bids.”

February 14th:

Tonights City Council vote should be close. Perhaps 5-4. But the proposal should pass and then city staff will be authorized to work with bidders on putting together the final parking proposal that will come back to the board for the real vote.

Valentine’s Day is a time for DeMarcus Cousins—He is an interesting guy.

A six-game road trip is not good even when you are above the .500 mark. For the Kings it is…well, it just is. And it starts—with the Bulls right in the Windy City. Fortunately for the Kings, Derrick Rose will sit out tonights road trip opener with lower back spasms and Richard Hamilton continues to be sidelined with a right thigh injury. The Kings have a cvhance in game #1.

And the Kings lose as their defense disappears, the Bulls score 121 points. DMC, Thornton and Evans score more than 20 points each.

And tomorrow the Kings face the legend that IS Jeremy Lin against the Knicks in New York.

The Sacramento City Council votes to enter talks with 10 firms that are seeking to lease downtown parking rights.

I was right about the outcome … but wrong about the vote!! Unanimous.

“By a unanimous vote, the City Council voted Tuesday night to allow staff to enter into detailed talks with 11 firms seeking to lease downtown parking. An agreement with one of those companies is being counted on to provide up to half of the $387 million bill for a new downtown sports arena.”

That was the right vote Council members. Good job.

However, as Sacramento News & Review @SNR says the Arena deal is just all “high drama and slow motion“.

“It was not—despite what you might have picked up from some breathless Sacramento Bee columnists—a do-or-die moment for a new Sacramento Kings arena. It wasn’t make or break. It wasn’t even put up or shut up.

It was just one more in a seemingly endless series of incremental baby steps. The Sacramento City Council was expected on Tuesday night (after press time) to approve a list of 10 “most qualified” companies bidding to take over the city’s public-parking system. The lucky company would get the city’s parking revenue for the next 20, 30, maybe 50 years, in exchange for a large upfront payment to help build an arena.”

February 15th:

Linsanity whipped the Kings tonight in NYC. No defense again tonight. Lin only scored 10 points but he dropped a career high 13 assists. But no offense either as they lost 100-85.

The Knicks are on a great streak with Lin at the helm. Like every fan in the NBA I am asking “Why didn’t (insert your team name here) draft/pick up/steal that Lin guy???”

Best thing about today? Check out this photo of the Kings posing with Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.

February 16th:

The Arna proposal has two recent positive votes from the City of Sacramento and the City (and fans) are looking for a positive move from the owners, the Maloofs.

According to the Bee the proposal for th Arena expects the owners to kick in some $85 Million.

“The city seeks a contribution of about $85 million from the Maloof family, which owns the Kings, multiple sources said. But it’s not clear if the NBA – which is negotiating on the team’s behalf – will agree, and negotiations are far from complete.

“I’m encouraged by all the things I’m hearing, out of all directions,” said Sacramento developer David Taylor, who is part of the arena team. But he added, “There are lots of business points that need to be agreed to.” More on this at the link above.

And, are Sacramento fans getting anxious about Seattle?

The article at the abov link suggests we should not worry—too much. It would simply be too expensive to buy the team and move it to Seattle. Assuming the Maoofs want to sell, which they don’t. Or that they get forced to sell, which is probably not in the cards.

“We are talking at least $400 million for the Maloofs, since the Hornets sold for $310 million when revenue sharing didn’t exist. Throw in another $400 million – the price tag of new Seattle arena. And I’m sure owners around the league will charge a relocation fee (it cost Clay Bennett $30 million to move from Seattle to Oklahoma City), so tally that in. Also the Kings owe the city of Sacramento a $75-million loan.

And there’s more.

The Maloofs also owe the NBA close to $100 million.

Is your calculator out?

The sum of those five parts add up to roughly $1 billion to relocate the Kings to the Emerald City.”

The plans for a new Seattle Arena will be revealed tomorrow. Does it mean Sacramento should worry? No, it means if other cities can plan and build arenas Sacramento certainly can.

Read the NBC article at the link above.

February 17th:

DeMarcus Cousins this morning was announced as out for today’s game against the Pistons.

Cousins back-spasmed his way to 26 points and 15 rebounds tonight. Player of the Game. Nice job. But Kings lose.

This article explains that the Kings forgot about Cousins down low as he was having one of his best games and the best of the players on the court.

Cousins has the ability to dominate the middle, the rebounding and the scoring in many games th Kings play. But to really dominate the game he needs his teammates to acknowledge that. They have to want that. Otherwise it breaks down to one-on-one.

I am not going to pretend I am smarter than any player or coach on the floor. Or even than the other fans. But I am smart enough to know that in basketball you need to hav a teammate that can take over the game in the 4th quarter, especially lat. Cousins is that guy in most games.

Sure there are other guys. Evans. Even Thornton in some games. But not Salmons or Fredette or some of these other guys who suddenly decide “I’m the man”. You’re not. You’re a cog in the wheel. But when the cog decides to become the wheel? The machine breaks down.

Kings should have won that road game against the Pistons who are the Eastern Conference version of the Kings.

February 18th:

This makes no sense to me: Sacramento considers a surcharge fee for out-of-towners who park in downtown lots on event night?

This writer is from Yolo County and says he would not mind paying extra. What makes no sense to me is how they intend on determining who is or isn’t from Sacramento. And why shouldn’t Sacramentans kick in some extra pennies? Or is that what is really being considered? $3 extra for everyone to park. So parking fees (which may go up when it is privatized) plus penalty fee plus the highest ticket in the NBA plus food plus trinket plus a beer. What else?

There comes a point when the cost affects your attendance even if you have a new Arena. Especially when you have indifferent owners. And a team that doesn’t win.

But, these polls aree being circulated this weekend asking folks if they would support a $1-$3 surcharge for out-of-towners who park in downtown lots.

I dislike Cuban eve more today with him suggesting he wants to see an existing team “relocate” to Seattle. He is “against any expansion team” being placed there. He did vote against allowing the SuperSonics to move if that matters. He seems to think that it does.

February 20th:

Tycoons line up for a shot at the Kings as they lose another road game. This time a one-point loss in Cleveland. The Kings lost on a reach-in foul called on Evans as the Kings led with 0.4 seconds left in the game.

0 point fucking 4 seconds and the refs call a reach-in ticky-tacky foul. A hard loss.

The little train Isaiah Thomas started at PG, scored 23 points and dished 11 assists. This kid amazes me.

The Kings have mostly played well in this road stretch and shold have (shoulda) won these last two games.

Cleveland has a lot of connections for Sacramento. Keith Smart started his coaching career in Cleveland. Sacramento acquired JJ Hickson from Cleveland and expected big things. Hickson has yet to pan out and got 16 minutes of court time Sunday, scored zero points. The player Cleveland received for Hickson was Omri Casspi who grabbed a career high 12 rebounds last night.

February 21st:

No, Evans has not been demoted. But for the past few games he has been starting at SF with Isaiah Thomas starting at Point Guard. This is a good change, though I think Evans fitsbetter at SG. Smart thinks he can use Evans as a “Point Forward” a term I have never appreciated. Read about it at the link above.

In the last game though Evans pushed out 9 assists while playing the SF spot most of the game. I think this change is what has allowed the King to be in the games at the end with a chance to win. Now they just have to figure out how to finish the game when they have it in their hand in the last minute or two.

Thomas does certainly provide the Kings with a different spark at the PG spot and the team csn appreciate the ignificant upgrade Evan provide at the SF spot. Salmons can sit. If only the team could trade him and his contract.

This has been Salmons’ worst year. Chuck Hayes was a bit out of shape at the start of the season (who wasn’t this year?) and got worse after his injury when he was not even able to work out for awhile due to the injury to his shoulder. Since the injury he has not played well. Jimmer has not been the spark the owner expected (mot analysts are not surprised) and Evans has not been able to get back to his Rookie year level. The coaching change maybe? Or the lockout? And others have not played well.

Mostly the team as a whole has not played as if they understand the word “team” and constantly revert to one-on-one play often (too often) against Star level opponents.

Thomas has played as a teammate. He understands hi role (her hsd only been part of the team for a few months and yet he understands his role. Seemed to understand from day one. And he is the last player selected in the draft. Not what you expect from that draft slot. Imagine if he was 6’4″ or 6’6″? Heck imagine if he was really 5’10”. I love thi little sparkplug.

A four-part look at Sacramento’s work toward building a replaement Arena including today’s Part IV.

February 22nd:

Commissioner Stern: Kings will make substantial financial contribution to arena deal.

“The team has agreed to a substantial contribution, both directly from itself, but also by catalyzing AEG to be interested. In effect, whatever money AEG puts in is because of give-backs by the team … so we see that as a team contribution,” Stern said. “Whether it ultimately closes all the gaps, we’ll know as we negotiate continuously and I fully expect that we will be negotiating in Orlando (this weekend when team and city representatives meet for the All-Star game)”

Read more here.

“Even for those with no interest in the Kings, let alone an arena, the Maloofs’ long history of duplicity, excess baggage and business bungling is common grist. I asked last week: If these people are as odious and perfidious as their past behavior has demonstrated, as countless fans have decried for years, why would anyone want to bargain with them based solely on trust?

April 17th:

The Mayor believes Sacramento should continue on the road to a new arena without the Maloofs and even without the Kings.

“With the Sacramento Kings out of the city’s arena equation, Mayor Kevin Johnson wants the city to spend the next two to three weeks exploring building a new downtown sports arena, “with or without an anchor tenant.”At a morning press briefing at City Hall, the mayor said that facility might be a scaled-down version of the $391 million facility initially proposed for the Sacramento Kings. He said it could be designed to accommodate expansions.

“This is bigger than basketball,” he said. “I still believe that….

…The mayor said he still considers AEG a partner in its arena effort, even after the collapse of a deal that would have made the firm the operator of a downtown facility.

Johnson acknowledged that without the $73 million the Kings would have contributed to the arena, another facility might have to be smaller than the one originally proposed.

It is likely to be a challenge. David Taylor,the developer signed on to construct the downtown arena, said last year that the project would be a long shot without an anchor tenant, such as the Kings.”

Read more here.

After the Arena debacle orchestrated by the Kins owners, the Maloof family (AKA: the “MaGoofs”) those same owners areg giving away “free tickets” for the Kings home game on Wednesday, April 18th.

Team management insists that the Kings have done this type of give-away “many times” before. I haven’t heard of it.

They say only six fans have cancelled season tickets while 10 new season ticket packages have been sold since the Maloofs blew up the arena deal. That’s not what I hear on Twitter or in the blogs or even in the news.

Read all aout the free tickets and the Kings ticket issues here.

Marcos Breton says the the deal for the new arena. Even though they would only contribute $73million of the total nearly $400million cost. And of the $73 million $67 million would come from the NBA. Heck, even I could afford that. It’s $7 Mil for a $400 Mil NBA arena. What’s not to like? Unless you cannot manage your business affirs. Unless you had to sell the amily beer distributorship and pretty much sell the hottest casino in the world.And have mismanaged one of the top NBA products in the leaue into oblivion.

“It’s all a smoke screen to cover up the fact that they can’t make a deal because they don’t have the money.That’s why the Maloof brothers, owners of the Kings, are paying an economist, lawyers, media flacks and other hangers-on to trash Sacramento.They are saying Sacramentocan’t afford a downtown arena, when in truth the Maloofs can’t afford it.”

Read more here.

And, so the City Manager for Sacramento says vital work for the arena will go on even though the Maloofs have backed out at the 11th hour.

“On the railyard, where the arena would have been built, John Shirey said “this setback does not mean we’re giving up on” that site. He called it the “largest and maybe the best infill (development) opportunity anywhere in the country.”

“That still has great potential for us,” he said.

City staff will also look at how they can “capitalize on the potential of the Natomas property” near Power Balance, he said.”

Read more here

But the important Kings thing today, in fact for the entire week is that finally the Kings will retire the number of the Big “O” and hang the jersey of Oscar Robertson where it belongs. From the rafters of Arco arena aka…..

The giant sports arena operator AEG, so famous and just a money making machine was to operate the new Sacramento arena. AEG believed, and still believes, that everyone involved would make millions. The Maloofs, those great shakes o’ business fellows that they are, don’t ” trust the AEG numbers“. Read about it here. They don’t like Sacramento. They don’t like AEG. They are such frigging idiots.

During halftime of the OKC game, honoring the Big “O” (my favorite King) KJ and the MaGoofs smile as Johnson comes on the floor with handshakes all around.

Mayor Johnson & George Maloof break the ice in Vegas Plan to talk again

“I can’t look at the Maloofs and their family as part of the problem; they have to be viewed as part of the solution,” Johnson said during a courtside news conference at halftime of the Kings game Fridayevening at Power Balance Pavilion. “I think we both walked away feeling very good.”

The challenge is that the Maloof’s ARE part of the problem. In fact, the Maloofs are THE problem. But the Maloof’s must be part of the solution. Whether the solution is a new agreement, or new owners, or a move out of Sacramento. It starts with the Maloofs.

“While stopping short of saying the sides would reopen arena negotiations, Johnson’s office said the mayor and George Maloof agreed to have a follow-up conversation early next week.

Johnson said he received important insight from George Maloof as to why the family pulled out of the deal.

“I always felt we had a deal,” the mayor said. “They felt they had a different scenario. They felt the (revenue) numbers were aggressive for AEG (the planned arena operator) and the NBA,and those were all things he told me to my face.”..

Remember Mayor. There is no deal with the Maloofs until they sign the papers.

Read more here.

April 22nd:

It’s almost funny. The Johnson & Maloof soap opera titled “As The Ball Spins“.

“THE PALMS

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is meeting with George Maloof, the other Maloof brother, in Las Vegas.

KJ: I’ve said some very bad things in public about you and your brothers over this arena thing. Can you ever forgive me?

GEORGE: Maybe … let me think … how about going to tonight’s game, sit with my brothers, shake their hands and smile for the fans?”

Read more here

April 23rd:

This Blog doesn’t contain much basketball info about the Kings lately. Why?

Well, (1) they have played so very poorly. And DMC gets his 1th Technical Foul on Sunday. Cousins wasn’t sure why (he went face to face with Bismack Biyombbo who was also called for a Tech.

That was nothing compared to Tech #12 when Cousins had been ejected from the game and then said to the ref “Stop being a fan”. A fan? And that’s a foul? A technical?

and (2) there is so much off the court drama like:

A former Sacramento City Councilman files a very large Public Records Act (PRA) request seeking any and all information about communications between the City and the Kings, and the company that runs Anaheim’s Honda Center, the economist hired by the Maloof’s who has been the lead for them on rejecting the Arena agreement and several other parties.

The councilman, a former police officer and a businessman, Robbbie Waters, seems to be trying to determine relationships between Anaheim and everyone else (??) Hard to tell with Waters. This could get interesting. I’m not sure who he has to read all the paper he eventually gets.

This comes after the Kings recently filed multiple PRA requests on the city of Sacramento and 53 other parties.

April 26th:

Kings season ticket holders are torn, many are unure what they will do. Unhappy with the owners, unsure about the teams future, but loving their Kings—they do not know what they will do.

Renew their season tickets? Or let them go??

“The curtain closes tonight on a tumultuous season with drama still unfolding. Upset by the team’s unwillingness to sign an arena deal to secure its future in Sacramento,some vocal season ticket holders are talking about canceling purchases for next season, some sponsors are rethinking contracts, and civic leaders are calling for the Maloofs to sell…“

…Mayor Johnson continues toi try to reach agreement with the Maloofs. Tonight in a 13th hour meeting he will once again try to find common ground on an arena deal that he and the city and the NBA thought was already agreed to.

“That effort could pivot on events today. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnsonwill meet with team owners in a 13th-hour push to keep his downtown arena dream alive. The meeting is expected to last for several hours. The mayor said he wants to keep communication open, but expressed more hope than confidence.“I don’t think a whole lot has changed, other than us agreeing to have one more conversation,” he said Tuesday.Team co-owner George Maloofsaid little as well. “We’re going to do the best we can, try to get something done.”

God this season has been short. It ends tonight? The last game?

God this season has been long. The Maloofs? No Arena? Team can’t win in April, the final month of the season? Mostly at home? All of this drama.

And mostly the unending arena screw. Not ust this one.

The last six years of arena screws for the fans and the residents of Sacramento.

If I had season tickets I am not sure what I would do.

I would want to rip them up and throw them in the Maloof’s face. I would want to piss on the tickets because that is what the maloof’s have done to me.

I would not want to give up on the team. This team has a good young core. This team will have a good chance at a quality draft. This team has a good oung coach. This team has the opportunity to become good again. This team has salar space to sign a big-time Free Agent. Or two!!

After six ears of mismanagement by the MaGoofs.

What do I do? Can somebody help me??

…the Kings face a backlash from long-time fans such as Mark Drobny, an attorney who estimates he has spent $600,000 on Kings tickets over the past 26 years. He is canceling his season ticket purchase, saying the Kings persuaded him to re-up just days before the Maloofs announced in New Yorkthey were backing out of the arena deal.

“I don’t believe they have money to put a quality team on the floor,” he said. “I don’t believe they are going to sign a big free agent. They are stuck here for one more year, trying to put a happy face on the thing.

“They can’t do it with my money.”

Read more here

Maor Johnson calls his meetings with the Maloof’s “productive”.

Johnson sas that the group will meet again on Frida morning continuing their attempt to work out a new deal on a Kings arena in Sacramento.

“I would categorize the meeting as productive,” the mayor said afterward. He said he believes the Maloof family felt the same way.

Johnson gave out very few details, other than to say the city is still holding fast to the “term sheet” that was negotiated in late February in Orlando. The Maloofs have objected to several key points in the term sheet – points they say they never agreed to.

“We’ve heard their perspective,” Johnson told reporters at City Hall. “Our understanding…was enhanced by the meetings.”

He said the Maloofs still “want a deal downtown.”

I say: I am glad everone is meeting rather than just cancelling any & all attemptss, but do not trust them Mr Maor. Do not trust them.

Personally I think it is the Maloof’s way to tell the NBA “Gee…..we tried guys. We tried.”

Read more here

NBA Commissioner says that the Maloofs are “making a mistake” by backing out of the Arena deal. I assume he means every arena deal.

“We had come up with a scenario where the Kings could move into the building without putting a dollar of cash down,” Commissioner David Sternsaid in a phone interview with The Bee. “We were not attempting to induce them to make a deal that would be unprofitable for them.”

What can the Maloofs be thinking when the whole world knows the are making the wrong decision. The very broke family would not have to “put a dollar down”. How much clearer can Stern be?

And the league in’t giving the maloofs any money to rehab Power Balance Pavilion (Arco Arena) as they keep saying they want to do.

“Everything now is back to square one,” Stern said. “There is no building downtown. There is no league subsidy. There is no league loan.”

Again, how much clearer can Stern be? He is unhappy. If you are a NBA owner you do not want to make Stern so unhappy in public. Maybe if you are a union official, but not if you are a NBA owner.

Stern also warned the Maloofs that they are making a mistake sayin g the will use revenue-sharing money from the NBA under the new contract to rehab the old arena or any of their other plans for that money.

“I think that is a mistaken calculation by them,” Stern said. “I don’t think that is what the revenue sharing is meant for.”

Stern just took the Maloofs out to the woodshed and pulled their pants down. In public. Let everyone watch. I just don’t know what effect it will have. As a fan we are too far removed from what is actually going on here.

Read more here

My quess? Poor luck in the ping-pong world. Petrie will do his homework and pick the best possible player (what he is given to work with and what orders he is given are a different issue) the Maloofs will not pay for any quality Free Agents, the kings cannot attract any quality Free Agents, this year they may not even be able or willing to hang on to their own guys. Is that a miserable outlook?? Yep. It is the owners. It has been the owners each year for the last six losing years with no important, quality.

Kings mired in a Maloofs-vs.-Sacramento stalemate. Sacramento and its Kings are locked in a stalemate that could take months – or years – to resolve.

Bottom line: The city and the team are stuck in an unhappy marriage.

And the other NBA ” is disenchanted with the Kings’ owners, the Maloofs.

Read more here

“I think impasse is where you’re at,” said Andy Dolich, a Bay Area sports consultant and former executive with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.

Read more here

May 6th:

So I have been waiting to see if this rumor is true but nothing has happened……yet.

Geoff Petrie is still with the Sacramento Kings. He may wish that he wasn’t, but he remains a King.

Imagine being a player on this team with the year it has had. On Twitter I recently called it torturous.

Who the hell would they get to replace Petrie? Besides the question who is better than Petrie. Who the hell would fall off that cliff?

So will Petrie become the GM for Portland? Will Sacramento be without a GM just as the 2012 Lottery period heats up?

“Joe Maloof told SI (Sports Illustrated).com Portland had not requested permission to speak to Petrie (which would be required because he is under contract through next season) but added the team would not “hold”Petrie back if there was another offer job he chose to pursue.”

Read more here

Petrie is also doing Sacramento Kings Q & A here As always, Petrie is extremely honest although he doesn’t give much up does he??

Here is Part 2 of the Q & A with Petrie.

May 15th:

Can’t this Kings intrigue just cease?

First, some of the signatures of businessmen on letter to the NBA were “proxy” signatures? And now the Sacramentans have some level of “misgiving” about seeing their naes on the letter??

And what’s worse is that “Chris Lehane, head of the mayor’s Think Big Sacramento arena advocacy group, responded Monday evening with a letter to the U.S. Attorney General asking it to investigate whether the Kings are violating any laws by harassing and intimidating “citizens of the region who have expressed concerns about the Maloof family’s stewardship of the Kings.”

MaGoofs and U.S. Attorney General investigations just seem to fit though huh??

Only a couple of people had “misgivings”.

Stan Lukowicz, one of the businessman whose name was signed for him, told the Bee Monday he has no problem with what happened.

“I feel they had my blessing to do that,” said Lukowicz of Capital City Loan & Jewelry.

Read more here.

Coach Smart intends to bring his entire staff back for the 2012/2013 NBA season. Really??

“Coach Keith Smart plans to bring back assistants Jim Eyen, Alex English and Bobby Jackson.Only English was hired after Smart replaced Paul Westphal, who was fired Jan(uary) 5(, 2012).”Nice decision Coach. These guys did as well as possible last season, they are good staff and with one year under their collective belt, things should ggo better.

May 21st:

Mayor Johnson plans a big fundraiser in Los Angeles as he runs for re-election in Sacramento. Why in L.A.? Well. because it will be held at one of the entertainment jewels of A.E.G., the company that had agreed to operate the new Sacramento Arena (until the Maloofs tripped over their tongues) AND A.E.G. will be one of the big-time co-hosts of the event.

Still, it is more than just a bit strange to me that a Mayor in the state’s capitol city will have his big fundraiser in another city. Of course I wouldn’t be attending here. Or there. Or anywhere.

DeMarcus Cousins is named to the USA Select Team “Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is among 13 players named to the USA Select Team that will train against at will train against the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s National Team during its July 6-12 training camp in Las Vegas.

2012/2013 Sacramento Kings Season and the NBA

Can Sacramento’s Railyard Arena Become A Baseball Stadium?

Sacramento Kings 2012 Off-Season

Public Workshop For New Sacramento Arena

The Sacramento Kings, the NBA, the Shortened 2011/2012 Season & The New Arena

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Can Sacramento’s Railyard Arena Become A Baseball Stadium?

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Public Workshop For New Sacramento Arena

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The Sacramento Kings, the NBA, the Shortened 2011/2012 Season & The New Arena

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Our Ranking Fom Google

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