Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Bee reports that developer Mark Friedman, a partner in Vivek's ownership group, reached an agreement to purchase the DTP arena site from JMA Ventures. Story is here Friedman said the transfer of ownership puts both the arena and its surrounding site into the hands of one entity, making it easier to move forward on building the sports and entertainment facility in coordination with a substantial amount of other development on the plaza site I'm not sure how Friedman can do this, given that they're tapped out. JMA did not disclose the purchase price, although JMA (who will remain a partner in the project, bought DTP from Westfield for $21.7 million last fall. Sacramento Bee reports that developer Mark Friedman, a partner in Vivek's ownership group, reached an agreement to purchase the DTP arena site from JMA Ventures. Story is here Friedman said the transfer of ownership puts both the arena and its surrounding site into the hands of one entity, making it easier to move forward on building the sports and entertainment facility in coordination with a substantial amount of other development on the plaza site I'm not sure how Friedman can do this, given that they're tapped out. JMA did not disclose the purchase price, although JMA (who will remain a partner in the project, bought DTP from Westfield for $21.7 million last fall.

The Sacramento Kings, who are staying in Sacramento, will find out on Tuesday what pick in the 2013 NBA Draft they have. Kings fans are well-versed in how the lottery works, but just in case you need a refresher: * The lottery is weighted with teams with worse records in 2012-13 having a better chance of winning. The worst team, the Orlando Magic, has a 25 percent chance of winning the derby. * Fourteen ping pong balls are used in the drawing. Four-ball combinations are drawn from the hopper. That means there are 1,001 potential combinations. One is thrown out because it is an imposter. * The master of the hopper (possibly Charles Oakley) draws four balls. Whichever team has that four-number combination as assigned via the weighted distribution wins the No. 1 pick. The balls are returned to hopper and another combo is drawn. Whichever team has that combo wins the No. 2 pick. (If the team that wins No. 1 has that combo, a RE-DO is called. David Stern and Adam Silver must do the hokey pokey, the balls are returned to the hopper and the master of the hopper does the Sign of the Cross.) The exercise is repeated for pick No. 3. Then picks No. 4-14 are assigned to the remaining teams by record (worst first). Here are the Kings' odds of getting each pick heading into the lottery. No. 1: 6.3%No. 2: 7.1%No. 3: 8.1%No. 4: ---No. 5: ---No. 6: 43.9%No. 7: 30.5%No. 8: 4.0%No. 9: 0.1%No. 10: ---No. 11: ---No. 12: ---No. 13: ---No. 14: --- The lottery begins at 5:30 p.m. Pacific on ESPN.

What follows is a slightly modified (and clarified) email I sent to my dad on Sunday explaining why a dude without a ton of extra cash and who lives in Indiana (for goodness' sake) is buying into his first ever season tickets. It was a raw stream of consciousness. But, especially to my family members and friends who think money could be spent better elsewhere, here's what I'm thinking. The vast majority of my family is in Sacramento. FWIW. Also, the italics below indicate notes to the StR community. Hi Dad (and a couple of people in the bcc), I'm hearing season tickets start at $15 x 43 games. That's $645 a piece. On Tuesday they start taking $200 deposits. You actually go to Arco in June to pick out the seats. Now let's be clear--what I'm hoping you'll do is help me bankroll this for a GROUP (and to StR readers I'm still assembling this group though we made a deposit today!). You'd be going to as many or as few games as you want. I'm sure mom will see the 43 and freak out thinking you guys will go to--who knows how many she'll think. She'll be wrong by at least a dozen. I'm betting you get to two or three games, frankly. Still, this isn't an easy thing. I know that. Heck, if it wasn't for the seminary (I'm starting a simple certification program in July--not trying to be a pastor, yet) I could probably do this easily. But the reality is I am starting school and it's not remotely cheap. I am sure my initial conversations with Monica (my wife) will be--uncomfortable. And I'm not sure of their outcome. And I haven't talked to her yet simply because I want as many facts as I can have when I do--how many others want to/can join us? How much are tickets? Etc (yes, I did talk to her first and we found a way to finance this). Also, something I'm hoping works itself out easily but I'm not sure about is location. I want to do this because I see it as a way to invest in the city (and yes because I love Arco Thunder)--I couldn't care less where the seats are. But I know there are reasons why you'd want seats that may need to be more expensive. I know Chris' friend Kevin is in the cheapest lower bowl seats and they are $5000 for a pair. I can't contribute much (as a percentage) to that. So maybe this is a non-starter this year. I do know this--ticket prices are SAID to be cheaper until mid-June: same as last year's. Will they raise prices? Maybe. Probably. But not definitely. Also, buying now gives priority to the buyer for the new arena. So there's that. But as I said, I want to do this because it's an investment in Sacramento. Because Vivek believed in us--whether he believed in us just as a cash cow or not I don't know, it really doesn't matter, he does believe. But read Marcos Breton's piece in the Bee today (http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/19/5431445/marcos-breton-kings-win-shows.html). The rhetoric about Sacramento is real, tangible, and I have been swatting at it since 1994 (when I started attending school near Seattle). I think, deep down, buying these tickets to me is a way of saying to an America that only wants to shit on our home town that they are wrong. I'm realizing that my passion for Sacramento is not unique to people there but it is unique outside of Sac. I think it's because it's a good city that NO ONE EVER gives credit to. We've all had to defend Sac. We all tire of NEVER hearing positive stories about the city nationally. But I've been all over the country now, know people from all over the country and world that have opinions about Sacramento. Not one of them is a) accurate or b) positive. I hear it never rains. It's small (3 of 4 NBA Conference Finals cities are substantially smaller--the remaining, Miami, is only slightly bigger). It's like LA only shittier. It doesn't produce food (what morons think this? Oh-professors!!!). I've never in my travels seen a city so familiar with its weaknesses (by contrast, Lafayette, Indiana--a glorified truck stop-- is the Garden of Eden to

Since Big Cuz and his future as a King seem to be the topic of discussion right now, I figured they'd be fitting as the content of my first post here on STR. Let me start out by saying that I don't choose to ignore Demarcus's attitude towards basketball and the officials. I don't condone his actions and I sure as hell believe they need to be dealt with in order for him to develop into an elite player in this league. A couple seasons ago, I had a theory going with my fellow Kings fans that when DMC removed his headband (out of frustration) he would change form into an over-weight, snappy, melodramatic girl known as "Shaniqua". A girl who would did not need no man, and wasn't takin' no shit from nobody. With that being said, I do believe Mr. Cousins is terribly misunderstood. Having a bad reputation in the NBA is one thing, but having a bad reputation while playing on a small market team is much worse. Especially when it comes to officiating! Cousins' frustration is a vicious cycle with the referees. It only takes one or two bad calls (he falls victim to many more than this every night solely due to his bad rep) to get him frustrated. At that point, he's already feeling/hearing the "here we go again" and the "oh he's such a cry baby" coming from the audience and players around him. NBA players should be used to this, and able to continue playing without thinking much of it, but you have to imagine what feelings these situations would provoke in a player that already feels targeted by the media, the officials, and possibly even his teammates (we don't really know what happens in the locker room). I believe Cousins needs guidance and nothing more. You can mention the technicals and fouls, but unless you watched those fouls get called, you'd have no business to. We know the officials are quicker to drop the T-hammer on Cousins than most other players. I've never seen Chris Paul get a technical foul called on him without having screamed obscenities into the face of the referee prior. I've seen multiple technical fouls called on Demarcus Cousins for nothing but a hand gesture (never out of threat or involving the middle finger). I'm not saying he's an angel. He deserved a good 80% of the T's he's been given. But if nobody competent helps the kid out, and really gives him something to believe in, it won't get any better for him. There's no doubting DMC has the potential to be the best big man in the NBA. He's shown us he can score like Marc Gasol, rebound like Kevin Love, and dribble the ball and pass; frankly better than Jimmer if you ask me. He's one of the best in the NBA at taking charges, which is an entirely mental skill, not physical mind you, and best of all, HE'S NOT A F#&(@%1 TWIG.. Sure, guys like Anthony Davis and Nerlenes Noel have plenty of time to fill out, but cousins didn't come into the league needing to. AND HE'S ONLY 22 YEARS OLD. How great were you at dealing with frustration when you were 22? And without all the pressure, cameras, and people in the world watching you, waiting for you to screw up so they have something to write about that night. Yeah, I thought so... My opinion is that trading away Boogie would be one of the biggest mistakes this franchise could possibly make, both right now and for the future. He's essentially irreplaceable with his unique skill set, and he also has the body to match. Cousins is an extremely talented player, and needs nothing but some guidance, and a team he can believe in to develop and excel in this league. He's also the last good decision Geoff Petrie made, with or without the Magoofs twisting his arm, so that should count for something, right? Most of the guys who believe in him, who see what I see, have some pretty damned good judgement when it comes to basketball. So be patient. Do you really think you could trade for anything near as special? You want to trade Demarcus for two or three more submissive role players? Since when is submissiveness a sign of greatness?

If the Sacramento Kings relocated to Seattle, Phil Jackson says he would have been part of a new Sonics organization. Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show this morning, the former Bulls and Lakers head coach said he had an agreement with prospective Sonics owner Chris Hansen to head to the Pacific Northwest.  Jackson told Patrick that Hansen’s vision for the franchise was something he could “buy into.” “I thought he was dynamic,” Jackson said.  ”I thought he had great ideas.  He went through the whole process of getting an arena. “He did everything right except win the franchise.” Jackson said that Hansen offered him whatever role he wanted with the Sonics.  Anything from consultant, part-ownership and even a return to the sidelines was up for grabs for the winningest coach in NBA history if he decided to join the Sonics. “I thought he had the right vision for a team and he made basically the offer of take what you want to take as a job,” Jackson said.  ”I mean, it didn’t matter to him.” Hansen had a deal to purchase controlling interest of the Kings from the Maloof family for approximately $406 million.  That deal died last week after the NBA’s relocation committee voted 22-8 to block the franchise’s move to Seattle.  The Maloofs then agreed to sell the Kings to the ownership group led by TIBCO founder Vivek Ranadivé at a $535-million valuation of the franchise. Now that the Kings are staying in Sacramento, Jackson suggested that he doesn’t have interest in coming to the capital city.  In an appearance on the Tonight Show on NBC last Thursday, Jackson told Jay Leno that he wouldn’t “be doing the job in Sacramento”. “I like Sacramento,” Jackson said. “Well, not that much.” You can see Jackson’s comments to Dan Patrick in the video below at the 11:55 mark.

2013 Draft Early Entrants

Working on the assumption that the new ownership group will bring in a new Front Office to our beloved Samcramento Kings, I compiled this list (however deficient it may be) of people that I think are 4 decentcandidates for the job. These are in no particular order: Stu Lash - Memphis Grizzlies Director of Player Personnel and Basketball Development Focuses on draft analysis, scouting and game preparation. This seems like a good choice, simply because he has been part of a transition to a winning organization. And, with his scouting and game prep background, will have an idea of what he likes to see from his scouting department. Having worked (even for a year) with Hollinger, he must have had some introduction and access to some advanced metrics. Troy Weaver - OKC Thunder Vice President / Assistant General Manager I have written this before. Has been with Presti for 5 years, 3 in his current position. He assists General Manager Sam Presti with roster development and day-to-day basketball operations. In addition, he coordinates the team’s player personnel matters including NBA Draft preparation, player free agency and summer league roster. He was also a scout for the Jazz from 2004 - 2007 before being made the Director of Player Personnel in 2007-2008. I like his pedigree and he has also been part of a transition to a winning organization. Brian Hagen - Chicago Bulls Assistant General Manager Brian is somewhat an unlikely choice, having only been with the Bulls for a year. But his experience is pretty nice. 9 years with the Hornets as a director of scouting, director of basketball operations, and finally the director of player personnel before joining the Bulls. As with the others, he has seen some of the transition to a winning club. David Griffin – Cleveland Cavaliers Vice President of Basketball Operations David is the assistant to GM Chris Grant and oversees the team’s scouting and player personnel areas as well as the team’s draft process. Prior to joining the Cavaliers, Griffin spent 17 seasons with the Suns, the last three as the club’s senior vice president of basketball operations after being named to the position in June 2007. With the Suns, he was tasked with draft and free agency information, video preparation, scouting reports and statistical analysis. I like this choice, plenty of experience with Front Office duties, scouting and statistical analysis. In my opinion, one of the better choices, if he is willing to leave his current position with Cleveland. If I were asked to rank my choices (which, admittedly, I have not been), the list would go thusly: 1. Weaver2. Griffin3. Lash4. Hagen Working on the assumption that the new ownership group will bring in a new Front Office to our beloved Samcramento Kings, I compiled this list (however deficient it may be) of people that I think are 4 decentcandidates for the job. These are in no particular order: Stu Lash - Memphis Grizzlies Director of Player Personnel and Basketball Development Focuses on draft analysis, scouting and game preparation. This seems like a good choice, simply because he has been part of a transition to a winning organization. And, with his scouting and game prep background, will have an idea of what he likes to see from his scouting department. Having worked (even for a year) with Hollinger, he must have had some introduction and access to some advanced metrics. Troy Weaver - OKC Thunder Vice President / Assistant General Manager I have written this before. Has been with Presti for 5 years, 3 in his current position. He assists General Manager Sam Presti with roster development and day-to-day basketball operations. In addition, he coordinates the team’s player personnel matters including NBA Draft preparation, player free agency and summer league roster. He was also a scout for the Jazz from 2004 - 2007 before being made the Director of Player Per

Apr 17, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings fans hold up a sign during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Sleep Train Arena. The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Sacramento Kings 112-108. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports There has been this stigma (an incorrect stigma, mind you) outside of Sacramento that the natives don’t support their team. Where that ever originated, I’m not sure. Maybe outsiders saw a somewhat empty arena and decided to run with the idea that Sacramento doesn’t support their team, clearly ignoring the fact that Sacramento holds two of the longest sellout streaks in NBA history. But why let facts get in the way of a good story, right? Make no mistake, the “reduced” fan support was nothing more than a direct result of the Maloof family, who had put a stranglehold on the King fan base with their continued relocation efforts and lack of desire to put a productive product on the court. No offense to the said players, but really, how many fan bases are going to throw down their hard earned money to watch an annual 25 win team where big player acquisitions are Toney Douglas and Travis Outlaw? But now with new ownership in place, Sacramento is back to where they once were. After averaging one season ticket renewal every 60 seconds this past weekend (credit: lesliempr), the Kings are currently averaging one new season ticket deposit every four seconds after opening sales this morning: One new season ticket deposit every 4 seconds. Damn Sacramento, you’re amazing.

Yesterday we took at look at what should be the top priority for the new ownership group this offseason: overhauling the front office. One step lower on the rung is making a decision regarding the Coaching Staff. Sacramento's Head Coaching job has been almost like a long drawn-out game of musical chairs since Rick Adelman left. In the last seven seasons the Kings have had five head coaches (Eric Musselman, Reggie Theus, Kenny Natt, Paul Westphal, and Keith Smart). Only Theus achieved some semblance of success in the 2007-08 season that saw the Kings win 38 games, but that was with a roster that featured a budding star in Kevin Martin, Ron Artest in his prime, and an aging but still good Brad Miller. In 2011, the Kings brought Keith Smart on board as an assistant to Paul Westphal. At the time it felt as if this decision put Westphal on the hot seat because Smart had shown some promise as Head Coach of the Warriors during the 2010-11 season. As it turns out, Westphal did end up getting fired after a 2-5 start and a public dust-up with DeMarcus Cousins. Smart took over in the midst of a lockout shortened season and despite having not much preparation or practice time, he did well enough to earn a chance as the Head Coach for a full, regular season. He seemed to develop a bond with his players, particularly DeMarcus Cousins. He recognized the potential of Isaiah Thomas and took a chance on him as the starting PG. On Keith Smart's Future Tom and Akis debate whether or not to keep Keith Smart as coach next season Last season we got to see what Keith Smart could do given a full season to prepare and a seemingly better roster. The Kings added veteran Aaron Brooks to the backcourt as well as intriguing young forward prospects James Johnson and Thomas Robinson. Smart spent the offseason developing a new offense and building team camaraderie. Nobody was expecting the team to make the playoffs, but there was some hope that the team would finally be able to make a significant leap. They didn't, unless you count a winning percentage increase from .333 to .341 as significant. Smart's new offense crashed and burned almost immediately as he a) wasn't able to get his players to buy into it and b) it wasn't suited for the roster he had in the first place. The chemistry Smart had developed with DeMarcus Cousins, which was one of the biggest points in the decision to bring him back as Head Coach, disappeared almost as quickly. I don't blame Smart for this however. DeMarcus Cousins would be a handful for any coach in the league and I think Smart handled that situation as best he could. More surprising however was the fact that by the end of the season, he had seemingly lost the respect of many of his other players, as we heard frustration expressed from guys like Isaiah Thomas, Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson. The main source of everyone's frustration, from players to fans, were the rotations. Smart justified his rotations by saying that the Kings didn't have All-Stars that should be guaranteed playing time, and that he expected everyone on the bench to be ready when their number was called. But it's really hard for a player and team to grow together when things change constantly game to game and week to week. There was a significant stretch of games where Aaron Brooks took over the starting spot from Isaiah Thomas and Thomas even got a few DNP-CDs during this stretch. This decision was made all the more laughable when Brooks was later released by the Kings in March. Jimmer Fredette improved noticeably from his rookie year, yet he saw less minutes in more games. There was also little sense in how the players on the court paired with each other, as we saw nonsensical lineups that featured no outside shooters, or four guards, or Travis Outlaw. No Kings player averaged more than 31 MPG No Kings player averaged more than 31 minutes a game and only three averaged more than 27.9. Every single other NBA team

The Kings' first-round pick will be determined by some ping pong balls Tuesday evening. The 2013 NBA Draft Lottery is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday on ESPN. We will all gather around televisions and/or transistor radios to find out what 14 ping pong balls have determined about the fate of 14 teams. The spot at which the Sacramento Kings will pick in the first round will be decided just before 6 p.m. Pacific. Following the lottery, ESPN will show Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. The Kings are most likely to pick No. 6 or No. 7, but have a substantial shot at moving into the top three. If the Kings don't move into the top three and no one with a better 2012-13 record than them also does not move into the top three, Sacramento will pick No. 6. If the Kings don't move up and one team with a better record than the Kings does move up, Sacramento will pick No. 7. We'll have an open thread at 5:30 and a reaction post shortly after the event.