Sacramento Kings

For the past few years, the biggest issues facing the Kings were largely off the court. There wasn't time to focus on fixing the actual on court product. It just didn't matter without knowing whether or not the team would be staying. But now the team IS staying and so we must look at fixing the on court product. Vivek and co. bought a fixer-upper at top price and this summer will see the bulk of the remodeling. Nobody is expecting this team to be good overnight, but there needs to be a plan in place so that sometime in the next few years they will be. This week I'll be taking a look at some of the main basketball priorities (no off the court stuff) that need to be addressed this summer. We start with the Front Office. *** By far the most important priority for the Kings will need to be a complete overhaul of the front office. Geoff Petrie's contract expires after this season (which I believe ends on June 30th, I obviously don't have contract specifics). Petrie is the longest tenured General Manager in the entire NBA, having run the Kings franchise since 1994. He was responsible for crafting the greatest Kings teams ever and won the Executive of the Year twice over a three year span. There's no doubt that the last two drafts were complete disasters. It is however time for a change. Regardless of the fact that he had one hand tied behind his back because of the Maloofs, many of the moves he has made during this rebuilding process have not panned out, particularly when you look at the last two Drafts. Petrie has always had a reputation as an excellent drafter but there's no doubt that the last two drafts were complete disasters. Last year, his selection of Thomas Robinson was viewed as a coup at the time as Robinson had been projected by most to go in the Top 3. He ended up falling to the fifth pick, where Sacramento eagerly snatched him up. Robinson proved to be not nearly as NBA ready as many made him out to be, and he fell out of the team's rotation as the season wound down. Meanwhile, players picked immediately after him (Damian Lillard, Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond) had great rookie seasons for their respective teams. The Kings gave up on Robinson midway through the season for a package that included Cole Aldrich, Toney Douglas and Patrick Patterson. The move saved the Kings some cash in the short term, but also ostensibly improved the team's bench. However, the improvement wasn't as dramatic as it appeared. Prior to the trade the Kings had a record of 19-37, or a .339 winning percentage. Afterwards, the team went 9-17 or a .346 winning percentage. Robinson hasn't exactly excelled with the Rockets, but as only a rookie it's unclear just what his future holds. The Kings meanwhile face an uncertain future of their own in terms of what they got in return. Aldrich and Douglas are both unrestricted free agents. Patterson is entering the final season of his rookie contract and then can be made a restricted free agent. Opinions on who won this trade have varied since it happened, but I maintain that it is much too early to tell. More egregious however was the 2011 draft. The Kings were slated to pick 7th and needed two things: a Point Guard and a Small Forward. On draft day, the Kings traded down to the 10th pick for Jimmer Fredette but also traded Beno Udrih for John Salmons. Salmons had a bigger and longer contract than Udrih and would be forced to play out of position in an role that he wasn't comfortable in (playing off-the-ball). Yes the Kings also got the steal of the draft in Isaiah Thomas at 60, but that doesn't make up for how big of a mistake the Salmons re-acquisition was. In the two years since the trade, Salmons has seen his numbers drop considerably, not something that should have been unforeseen given his age (He'll be 34 at the start of next season). The selection of Jimmer Fredette hasn't panned out either, as he's had trouble finding consistent playing time. He did imp

Hey i was in the shower and i was thinking that if D12 is really considering leaving the Lakers (finally they get screwed) and is trying to contact the Rockets, They would want to dump contracts. Well why not let us step in and help them out?? Asik is one of the best rebounding and defensive centers in the league, (and we need some rebounds) and DMC is clearly is better suited to be playing PF. Well, Asik is making 8.37 million, well why not trade for him? Maybe have them throw in a Parsons or Delfino? I know we're going to be come the SacTown Rockets soon, BUT. by clearing out this cap space, they can get D12. IT22/Tyreke/Parsons(Delfino)/DMC/Asik -----with Jimmer/PPAT/JT off the bench, that is a pretty strong line up, and this really opens things up for the draft, so we don't have to draft for need but rather just the best player on the board, Which is always nice in a horrible, roll player filled draft. http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine Of course we throw in a 2nd round pick, and a top 20 protected first round pick, just so we don't trade rape them too much. Let me know what you think!!! Hey i was in the shower and i was thinking that if D12 is really considering leaving the Lakers (finally they get screwed) and is trying to contact the Rockets, They would want to dump contracts. Well why not let us step in and help them out?? Asik is one of the best rebounding and defensive centers in the league, (and we need some rebounds) and DMC is clearly is better suited to be playing PF. Well, Asik is making 8.37 million, well why not trade for him? Maybe have them throw in a Parsons or Delfino? I know we're going to be come the SacTown Rockets soon, BUT. by clearing out this cap space, they can get D12. IT22/Tyreke/Parsons(Delfino)/DMC/Asik -----with Jimmer/PPAT/JT off the bench, that is a pretty strong line up, and this really opens things up for the draft, so we don't have to draft for need but rather just the best player on the board, Which is always nice in a horrible, roll player filled draft. http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine Of course we throw in a 2nd round pick, and a top 20 protected first round pick, just so we don't trade rape them too much. Let me know what you think!!!

Sacramento Kings fans Sean Roth and Karen Roth hold up a sign. Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports I remember a time when many of us were discussing Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ five stages of grief, when we believed the Sacramento Kings were relocating to Anaheim. The first stage is denial, followed by anger, and then bargaining, followed by depression, and then finally acceptance. Thankfully, we did not have to go through those stages. Following the news the NBA blocked the relocation of the Sacramento Kings to Seattle, I felt an enormous sense of relief rush over me. At the same time, I noticed my Twitter timeline filled with many fans expressing their relief over the news. I observed other feelings and gestures, some expected, others unexpected. From these observations I put together my own list of the stages we were experiencing emotionally. Here is my list of the Five Stages of Happiness, a volte-face to the five stages of grief: Stage I: Relief Most people seemed to express a profound sense of relief after news the NBA owners voted to block relocation of the team. Considering this ordeal has gone on for two years, I guess it shouldn’t come as any surprise. The time, effort and intensity to pull everything together by so many parties is nothing short of phenomenal. So many starts, stops,and turn of events. Just when it seemed everything was going Sacramento’s way, the Seattle group would find a way to upset the applecart. Stage II: Disbelief Once I got past sheer relief, then there was a sense of disbelief, “Wait – Is this really happening?” I felt as though I could not exhale until the contract was signed by the team’s owners. There was this nagging concern it could all vaporize. I heard others voice worry and concern. Could our fear be due to the fact the Maloofs pulled out of the deal last year after celebrating center court with Mayor Kevin Johnson? That would explain it. Stage III: Forgiveness The odd thing, after months of back and forth dialogue with Seattle fans hoping to regain a team, some of it dissolving into mud-slinging; after years of verbally bashing the former team’s owners, the Maloofs, all of that seemed to disappear. Suddenly, people are “making nice” to the so-called “Sea Trolls” and the Maloof family. It is almost as though none of it ever happened. Strange. Stage IV: Celebration Once relief over the sale becomes a fait accompli, we can trust this is actually happening, and having made amends to anyone we may have disparaged in the heat of saving our team, we are free to embrace the team’s new ownership group headed by Vivek Ranadive and unabashedly celebrate keeping our team in Sacramento. Time to party! Stage V: Happiness Merrian-Webster provides one definition of the word happiness, which seems especially apropos: The feeling experienced when one’s wishes are met. Yes, that satisfies. So, for us Sacramento Kings fans, we finally get to experience what it feels like to be happy once again and the promise this will lead to more happiness in the years to come. The end.

Long Live the Kings Rally Announced for Thursday at Cesar Chavez Park

So with all the excitement i nearly forgot my last of 5..Here we go! Ok so we have been talking more about free agency lately and I figured now would be a good time to roll out a series of posts regarding the free agents at each position. Utilizing HoopsWorld.com free agent list I put this in a little bit more of a readable format. And so with this final Fanpost i hope you guys enjoyed this series, and cannot wait to see what Randive is willing to do with this team. This should be an exciting season! Lastly we talk about Centers, Currently on the Sacramento Kings we are looking at the following players coming back next year assuredly (Notwithstanding trade notions) Demarcus Cousins- Talk amongst yourselves..Now, I'm getting faklempt Hayes: IMO its been about the worst year for Hayes of his career as his minutes were completely spotty. I think a lot of us had high hopes for this defensive big (even with his stature), which are not panning out as much as a lot of us had hoped. In his advanced stat categories just about everyone is down. He only started 1 game this year and played in 74 total games for a whopping 16 minutes a game. He did get some extended run through all of the Suspensions of he above. Is he worth close to 6 million a year? Something to talk about Cole Aldrich - Came on strong at the end of the year, and would be my ideal 5th big on any team. He has some speed to his big body, decent lateral quickness, and just enough game that I think we should bring him back for around 2-3 million a year would be beneficial to us, especially with being uncertain of which moods DMC will be in this year. You can see he doesn't get pushed around easily and would love to see how he develops under Clifford Ray for another year So where do we go from here? s. Take a look at the list and tell me, would you sign any of these guys for Next years Kings or stick with what we got?? Is there a way to move Hayes and Thorntons contract together for a decent, even overpriced SF? This would leave us with JT, Patterson, Cousins as bigs. From there not many in the way of UFA that would really be a huge upgrade (Dalembert would be cool but he is starting to decline and my understanding wants to get on with the Heat) Name Team Previous Next Salary Type Andris Biedrins Golden State Warriors $9,000,000 $9,000,000 Early Term Offer Emeka Okafor Washington Wizards $13,490,000 $14,487,500 Early Term Offer Bernard James Dallas Mavericks $473,604 $788,872 Non Guaranteed Hamed Haddadi Phoenix Suns $1,300,000 $1,397,500 Non Guaranteed Greg Smith Houston Rockets $762,195 $884,293 Non Guaranteed Greg Stiemsma Minnesota Timberwolves $2,575,000 $2,690,875 Non Guaranteed Robin Lopez New Orleans Pelicans $4,899,293 $5,119,761 Non Guaranteed Hasheem Thabeet Oklahoma City Thunder $1,200,000 $1,200,000 Non Guaranteed Daniel Orton Oklahoma City Thunder $854,389 $916,099 Non Guaranteed Kyle O'Quinn Orlando Magic $788,872 $788,872 Non Guaranteed Tim Ohlbrecht Houston Rockets $144,867 $788,872 Non Guaranteed Marreese Speights Cleveland Cavaliers $4,200,000 $4,515,000 Player Option Aaron Gray Toronto Raptors $2,575,000 $2,690,875 Player Option Byron Mullens Charlotte Bobcats $2,253,062 $3,293,977 Qualifying Offer Jon Leuer Memphis Grizzlies $762,195 $1,084,293 Qualifying Offer Timofey Mozgov Denver Nuggets $3,140,429 $3,925,536 Qualifying Offer Dexter Pittman Memphis Grizzlies $854,389 $1,116,099 Qualifying Offer Robert Sacre Los Angeles Laker

We’re early in the process of securing our next pseudo savior, until he logs 0/2 and 4 fouls in 6 minutes in LSVL game against the Charlotte Bobcats Hornets, and completes the trilogy of disappointment with Jimmer and T-Rob starring in the first two installments. We are still reveling in franchise saving, new owner having, new league approving, new arena pending bliss. We are over a month away from the 2013 NBA draft, but this team needs help. Hey, at least we’re invited to the party. Sorry, Sonics Rising. #not #poachersdontwin Anyone for the next Joaquim Noah? Interviewer: How do you see yourself succeeding in the NBA? Player: Transition. Running up and down. Working on my post game….When that comes around, I think I am going to dominate…I am not going go in straight away…but I will dominate certain tasks that they put me up to…. On this topic, there’s nothing more endearing than to hear a player not hesitant to unequivocally express his own self-belief and intention to succeed. There is plenty of time for delusions of grandeur to come crashing down, for proclamations of being the next Kevin Durant to be refuted by reality and post footwork reminiscent of a DUI sobriety test video. Until then, I like players who make no apologies for being bad-ass. There is quiet confidence, and there is effusive confidence. Either works, as long as its genuine, and not manufactured through an ear piece with a management team supplying the polished bullshit. True confidence, reflective of transferable skill to the highest levels of competition, checks off one box of must-have requirements to be an NBA lottery pick, and your newest Sacramento King. There is no doubt Steven Adams believes in himself. Interviewer: Who do you model your game after? Player: …..Serge Ibaka…Marc Gasol….He’s the man, right? OMG…. Other guys who qualify as credible comparison to the 19 year old Australian with 18 impoverished brothers and sisters to whom he may choose to pattern his game after, and aspire to achieve similar levels of acclaim include : Joaquim Noah Omer Asik A sleeker version of Nikola Pekovic An athletic Brad Miller An increasingly valuable skill in the NBA is finding front court players who can defend away from the hoop, particularly show on the pick and roll, and then rotate back into the paint to defend in the key. The mission of 6’9" player or taller should he chose to accept: (1) Flash out on the high screen to stop penetration of the guard. Subsequently, react to the path of the ball and opponents movement, and (2) retreat back to the paint to provide credible resistance at the hoop. That's a lot of ground to cover (20 to 25 feet), a lot of balance, footwork and instincts mandated, a lot of dirty work desire dictated, a lot of winning effort not quantified in a box score. JT would fall down if he tried to do this. (Then he'd yell at the ref for the dashed line that tripped him.) Chuck Hayes would pop a vertebrae if he tried to do this. DeMarcus Cousins could do this, but he was suspended. Cole Aldrich will try wholeheartedly, but he’d be a step slow and a half second late. Pattrick Patterson can do the first half of the job, then fail miserably. Darn, we are running low on options. No worries, Kings fans, and slayers of attempted thiefs to the north, the Dunker from Down Under will "dominate certain tasks" he is put up to, like KJ in BoG board meeting, like Kate Upton on a swimsuit shoot, like Vivek two seconds from now.... And from now... And from now... Steven Adams is 19 years old, a legit 7'0", with a 250 pound chiseled build, with a nice shooting touch. He’s tough and smart. He has athletic ability and defensive instincts. The polish is not there. But the confidence, skill and framework to be a high quality starting NBA center for 10 ye

At the end of the season I was working on a recap post, but it never really came to fruition. This was my segment onDeMarcus Cousins: DeMarcus Cousins - I had the privilege of attending the late season Kings/Lakers game with Aykis16. And when I tell you that Aykis is both a gracious host and a learned scholar of basketball, I say that without an ounce of sucking up in the hope of securing future invitations. But I digress. Before the game started, I asked Aykis whether or not Cousins would make it to the end of the game. Aykis laughed, but could not assure me that DeMarcus would indeed be around for the end of the game. And when Cousins picked up his technical foul, there was plenty a conversation from fans all around us that had not been privy to our conversation. "Oh boy, here we go," said one fan. "Commence countdown," I heard from over my shoulder. "Bye-bye Cuz," came from the side. And I'm sure that if you were at or watching the game, the same thought at least crossed your mind. And that's where we are with DeMarcus Cousins. We actually wonder if he's going to finish the game, and many of us wonder it long before the game ever begins. I'm not sure what that is, but it sure is something. After an abysmal start to the season, Cousins improved his game in those moments where he is able to stay on the floor. For the season, he was still among the most inefficient offensive big men in the game, but he played at a middle-of-the-pack level from January through the end of the season. He had moments of elite level play, though those moments were rarely sustained for a prolonged period of time before he regressed and/or got suspended. To his credit, he ranked 9th in PER among centers and 14th among bigs overall, benefitting greatly from his rebounding ability (10th in the league in rate) and his assist ability (7th among bigs, though he is #1 in turnovers among that same group). Among players logging at least 30 minutes a night, Cousins ranked 1st in fouls per minute. His 17 technical fouls led the league (Russell Westbrook was 2nd with 15), and his 4 ejections trailed only Larry Sanders (5). He missed 7 games this past season, and I believe that all of those games were due to suspension (I could be wrong here). There are times where DeMarcus Cousins is the best player on the Sacramento Kings. But over the course of the 2012-13 season, he probably ranked behind Tyreke Evans, and since the all-star break, even with his improved play, he was not as consistently good as Isaiah Thomas. Jason Thompson was better than Cousins over the first two months of the season. For this reason, I hold Cousins the most accountable among the players for this team's struggle to crack even the 30 win barrier. (For emphasis, I am only talking players here, not coaching, management or ownership) 2012-13 should have been at least a quasi-breakout season for Cousins. His play since January is how he should have started the season, and he should have elevated from there. And he should have done this while figuring out a way to keep himself in uniform and in the game. The inconsistency of his game and his availability torpedoed this team. The only thing that Cousins really has going for him at this point is potential. The potential to eventually grow up. The potential to begin to produce on a consistent and sustained level. But potential doesn't win ballgames. Production and consistency wins ballgames. We're three years in now, and Cousins is still more potential than production/consistency. And when you throw in the distraction that his histrionics and subsequent availability (or lack of same) creates among his teammates and the coaching staff, one could at least make an argument that the franchise would be better off without DeMarcus Cousins. One could also argue that the franchise has made its bed with Cousins at this point, and has little choice but to ride it out and hope that he becomes the player that we see in flashes. I'm

Mar 24, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings fans hold signs during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports It was nothing more than a formality, but NBA owners converged via conference call this weekend and approved the Sacramento Kings sale to the investor group headed by software tycoon Vivek Ranadive. The vote still needed to be completed per NBA bylaw, which would allow the transfer of ownership from the Maloof family to Vivek Ranadive and the rest of the Sacramento based investment group to complete. All paperwork and documents needed should be finalized by the end of the month or at the latest, the first week in June – though, the team is now fully under control of Ranadive. The approved sale effectively ends the fourteen season strangle hold the Maloof family held on the Kings franchise, a grip of two extremes. While the Maloof family did purchase a minority stake in the franchise in early 1998, the gained full control just a year later and the Kings then went on a run of eight consecutive winning seasons coupled with eight consecutive playoff appearances which turned the Kings into a global phenomenon thanks to their infusion of European talent and flash. But as the Maloof family finances crumbled, so did the Kings who felt the same penny pinch as their owners, resulting in seven consecutive losing seasons. So for one last and final time, goodbye Joe. Goodbye Gavin. Goodbye Adrienne. Goodbye Phil. Goodbye George and goodbye Mama Maloof. A new era is upon Sacramento.

This is a letter from Here We Stay. *** Dear Vivek Ranadivé, Jacobs family, Raj Bhathal, Arjun Gupta, Mark Mastrov, Andy Miller, Chris Kelly, Mark Friedman, Katrina Garnett, Ron Burkle and all of the other investors who believed in Sacramento: It is with great sincerity that we thank you for your commitment to Sacramento. Sacramentans take great pride in their city and in their region, and the fact that you have stepped forward to invest in downtown and put a winning product on the floor excites this entire community. Our region needs a shot in the arm, both from a jobs perspective and an economic development standpoint. A new downtown arena will facilitate these things and then some. Our team, the Sacramento Kings, has needed a group like yours to take it to the next level -- a global level. We want to stand with Kings fans in every corner of the world and celebrate this symbol of civic pride that we call our team. We also want our families and future generations to be able to enjoy professional sports and entertainment in a thriving downtown epicenter. We feel as though there is no greater fan base in all of sports. Kings fans scratch, claw, and punch. It's in our nature to take on the role of the underdog -- the community and fan base that is always counted out, only to storm back to fight with resilience and passion. This fan base will take that intensity to another level under your ownership. The fans of this team and the people of this city will fully support your group as we all strive for the same thing -- an NBA championship and a downtown that we can all champion as a beacon of light, shining bright. We're in this together as a family and we look forward to you leading us into a new era in Sacramento: a "Sacramento 3.0," filled with world-class entertainment in a world-class facility. From everyone affiliated with the Here We Stay campaign, we again say thank you. Thank you for believing in our fan base and our community. Sacramento is behind you. Sincerely, Here We Stay ### This is a wishlist from fans we've talked to in the last few weeks as we enter the new era. 1. Fans would be amenable to changes to logos/jerseys but the current color scheme and team name should stay. It's become part of our identity. 2. Let the crowd be the soundtrack to the game, not music. Less music in game, and more cowbell! 3. Bring back the Carl's Jr. player bobble-heads. 4. Buy-a-Brick program for the new downtown Entertainment and Sports Complex. 5. Sell food and beer that is being made right here in the Sacramento area in the arena. Incorporate local restaurants and food trucks for the food, similar to how the new airport terminal did. 6. Fan access to the team (think Cowboys Stadium). 7. A phone-charging kiosk. 8. An area for dancing during concerts. 9. Retire Mayor Johnson's Sacramento High jersey and build a statue for him. 10. A bigger team store. 11. Hire a knowledgeable, reputable, and qualified head coach. 12. No more Bill Walton calling games. 13. Partner with regional transit for a "Game Day Ticket = Transit Pass" program like they have in Phoenix. 14. Hire local contractors and engineers to build the arena. 15. Add a Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame in the arena so that people can see all the great athletes from this region. 16. Add a special section to commemorate the grassroots battle of the past few years. 17. No more Jim Gray. Hire a new sideline reporter. 18. Incorporate little items from Arco Arena in the new arena. Keep the "Hustle Board" and the "Noise Meter." 19. Put a large screen in the arena that projects tweets from fans at the game/watching from home about the game. 20. Include solar panels, green roof, and outdoor spaces. 21. Create a tailgate section outside of the arena. 22. Build a giant cowbell at the front entrance that can be rung to signal the beginning of the game. 22. Bring back the pre-game show for the Kings on TV. 23. Sign Lady and Mr. Sign Lady should get f

Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} The Here We Stay campaign has released an open thank you letter to the new owners of the Sacramento Kings. The letter is based on this week’s decision by the NBA Board of Governors to block relocation to Seattle and the announcement that the Kings have been purchased from the Maloofs by the investor group led by Vivek Ranadive. The letter is below. ### Dear Vivek Ranadive, Paul Jacobs, Raj Bhathal, Arjun Gupta, Mark Mastrov, Andy Miller, Chris Kelly Mark Friedman, Katrina Garnett, Ron Burkle, and all of the other investors who believed in Sacramento: It is with great sincerity that we thank you for your commitment to Sacramento. Sacramentans take great pride in their city and in their region, and the fact that you have stepped forward to invest in downtown and put a winning product on the floor excites this entire community. Our region needs a shot in the arm, both from a jobs perspective and an economic development standpoint. A new downtown arena will facilitate these things and then some. Our team, the Sacramento Kings, has needed a group like yours to take it to the next level – a global level. We want to stand with Kings fans in every corner of the world and celebrate this symbol of civic pride that we call our team. We also want our families and future generations to be able to enjoy professional sports and entertainment in a thriving downtown epicenter. We feel as though there is no greater fan base in all of sports. Kings fans scratch, claw, and punch. It’s in our nature to take on the role of the underdog – the community and fan base that is always counted out, only to storm back to fight with resilience and passion. This fan base will take that intensity to another level under your ownership. The fans of this team and the people of this city will fully support your group as we all strive for the same thing – an NBA championship and a downtown that we can all champion as a beacon of light, shining bright. We’re in this together as a family and we look forward to you leading us into a new era in Sacramento; a “Sacramento 3.0,” filled with world-class entertainment in a world-class facility. From everyone affiliated with the Here We Stay campaign, we again say thank you. Thank you for believing in our fan base and our community. Sacramento is behind you. Sincerely, Here We Stay ### In addition to the letter, the Here We Stay campaign has crowdsourced a list of “wishes” from Kings fans for the team and the arena under the new ownership group. Below is that list: 1. Fans would