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2009-10 Record: 25-57
Additions: DeMarcus Cousins (Draft), Hassan Whiteside (Draft), Samuel Dalembert (Trade), Darnell Jackson (Trade), Pooh Jeter (FA), Antoine Wright (FA), Donald Sloan (FA)
Subtractions: Spencer Hawes, Andres Nocioni, Sean May, Ime Udoka, Dominic McGuire, Jon Brockman
The Kings have had one of the better offseasons in the NBA despite not really making any big FA signings. The fact that they didn't go out and splurge is probably a plus, as it leaves them as the team with the most cap space in the NBA and the most financially flexible going forward.
The biggest area of need for Sacramento was getting tougher inside, and they did that in a big way. From one of the weakest (in terms of depth) frontcourts in the NBA at the beginning of last year, the Kings have now acquired one of the deepest. In February they traded star guard Kevin Martin for Carl Landry, and then before the draft they traded away young center Spencer Hawes (who plays more outside than inside), and expensive veteran Andres Nocioni for Samuel Dalembert, a defensive presence the likes the Kings have never seen before. Seriously, the last guy we had that could block shots at a decent rate was Keon Clark.
The draft was another coup for Sacramento, as the Kings had Kentucky big man DeMarcus Cousins fall to them at 5 over concerns about conditioning and attitude, and then Marshall freshman Hassan Whiteside at 33. Both players are full of potential, and while Whiteside will need to grow quite a bit to realize that potential, Cousins showed exactly how talented he already is, winning the Summer League Rookie of the Month.
Most importantly for Sacramento's future is Tyreke Evans, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and probable franchise cornerstone. After leading the league in attempts and makes at the rim last year, Evans has spent much of the summer working on his jump shot, by far the biggest weakness in his game. It remains to be seen how much he has improved, but if it becomes reliable, he'll be extremely tough to guard.
The other guard position has becoming the position the Kings have the least depth at. Beno Udrih had a career year last year working next to Evans, but it remains to be seen if he can maintain his consistency. Francisco Garcia missed most of the year with a freak wrist injury, so he didn't get much of a chance to prove himself. The Kings also added defensive specialist Antoine Wright and Summer Leaguer Pooh Jeter to bolster the guard depth.
The position of the most uncertainty for Sacramento is definitely the starting Small Forward, which both 3rd year man Donté Greene and sophomore Omri Casspi are competing for. Both players showed promise last year, and either one could win the job. If I had to guess, I'd say that Casspi is leading in the minds of the coaching staff now after a great performance for Israel overseas this summer.
Another thing to keep in mind for the upcoming season is coach Paul Westphal. He rubbed a few players the wrong way last year with inconsistent rotations, but in his defense, the Kings didn't have much depth. This year they do, so we'll see if that means more consistency or not.
Consistency has come up a bit in this preview, and that's what its going to take to vault this young team to an eventual playoff spot in the Western Conference. I still think they're a year of more losing away, but they're getting there. The plan is starting to come together, and if DeMarcus Cousins can make an impact like Tyreke Evans did, the glory days will be revisited sooner rather than later.
Predicted Win Range: 30-40
I guess this is a bigger question, but what does it take for a developing team to make the Western playoffs right now? I think the at least one year to go assessment is certainly correct, but it's funny how that timeframe is really determined by when the older teams/superstars begin to drop off as much as it is by Sac's development. At this moment, there are really no opportunities for a developing team to make the playoffs with under 50 win. For some uneasy franchises, this might mean constant changes when in fact the smart thing would be to let the ingredients cook for a bit before claiming it's a meal.
ReplyDeleteOn the flipside, the East at least allows some unfinished projects smell a little bit of glory once in awhile. With that said, making the playoffs too easily might allow management and teams to rest on their laurels a little too much - as was the case in especially Toronto and Philly lately. A tale of two conferences, I guess, and two sets of problems for disciplined yet developing teams that are trying to be more than flashes in the pan.
That's a lot of work homez! Nothing really to disagree with the exception that a range of 30-40 wins is a bit to broad to be called a prediction. Last year I thought they would win 23 games which proved to be slightly pessimistic. I think the range this year is 34-37 wins and am guessing 35. I don't know which of the Maloof brothers pissed in Hollinger's beer but his preseason write up was so biased and spiteful that I can't buy in to his prediction of 28 wins.
ReplyDeleteBluejohn