Sacramento Kings

[Lipoli390]

I'm watching the Kings on my League Pass again. They're playing the Mavs tonight. The Kings are only three games behind the the Wolves for 13th place out of 15 in the Western Conference. Records aside, the Kings roster is filled a lot of terrific young talent -- including Cousins, Thompson, Thomas, McLemore, Thornton, Jimmer and now Rudy Gay who isn't playing tonight. Oh, and they also have Derrick Williams who has 12 points and 4 boards at halftime.

But Cousins plays like an idiot, the players seem lacking in any notion of team basketball, and the team seems poorly coached. The Kings organization is clearly in a dealing mode. With all their young talent and current proclivity to deal, I'd like to believe the Wolves could have done better than a straight up Williams for Luc deal. I can see why the Kings were looking to part with Luc. By Wolves standards, Luc is an athletic elite defender. By Kings standards, Luc is a borderline plodder with absolutely no offensive game at all.

If the Kings can get their act together as a team, then the Wolves could eventually find themselves one team away from the bottom of the West. I'm not predicting it; just acknowledging that as a possibility. For now, theWolves need to focus on climbing over Memphis, New Orleans, Phoenix and the Lakers after which they need to climb over the Warriors, Mavs or Denver for the 8th playoff seed. But the Wolves should LSAT h their back because the Kings may be coming.

[Lipoli390]

Wow, Williams looks really good tonight. He's playing with confidence and freedom he never showed here. McLemore looks like he'll end up being a very good pick. He really gets after it on the boards p, so he's not just a shooter.

[Coolbreeze44]

Absolutely loving the success DWill is having with the Kings. Last I checked he had 25 tonight. I guess I've finally learned to laugh at the Wolves instead of with them. From day 1 of this franchise, the wrong people have always made the critical decisions. Until that changes, what's the point?

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Who are these guys dressed in the Kings' uniforms tonight???? These are not the guys I have been watching this year. Before tonight, they were 3-9 at home. Williams doesn't look like himself...has a career high 31 (I was there at Staples for his 28, but they were almost all threes), and he's making shots I didn't think he had and has 4 steals. And gunner Isaiah Thomas has a career high 12 assists.

They look good tonight, and Gay will play in the next game. But after they beat Utah on Wednesday, they play 7 of their next ten on the road. I see them imploding by the end of the year.

[WildWolf2813]

But will Glen, Flip, and Rick reevaluate how they develop players? Nope.

Why do that when you can just not develop anyone?

[Lipoli390]

Cool - You expressed my thinking perfectly.

It ultimately ties back to ownership. Taylor hired a guy named Kahn who no other team would have hired to head the Team's basketball operations. Then he followed that folly by hiring the affable local boy who has no track record of success as a front office executive other than agreeing with McHale that the Wolves should take KG at #5 in the 1995 draft. But Flip is loved by the local media and has mastered the art of manipulating Glen. Flip has been fired three times as head coach -- first by the Wolves, then by the Pistons and finally by the Wizards. Even worse, he was fired in favor of hiring Randy Wittman. He refused to trade Williams during the summer, then traded him after nearly 20 games during which his value diminished even further. He drafted two guys in the first round who can barely get off the bench while Tim Hardaway Jr. shoots the lights out in New York. I'll admit the jury is still out on Flip. Maybe Flip will turn out better than I suspect he will, but I've seen no evidence that he'll be anything better than mediocre. As for Adelman -- it sure looks like the League has passed him by.

So it goes. Such is the reality of this disappointing franchise.

[Lipoli390]

By the way -- Williams ended up with 31 points and 5 steals. Sure glad we picked up that great defensive specialist with absolutely no offense in his game. Not that Williams can be counted on for consistency. But Adelman and Flip should be held accountable if Williams does pan out in Sacramento.

[thedoper]

By the way -- Williams ended up with 31 points and 5 steals. Sure glad we picked up that great defensive specialist with absolutely no offense in his game. Not that Williams can be counted on for consistency. But Adelman and Flip should be held accountable if Williams does pan out in Sacramento.

How could he have been consistent without trust from the coaches? The way they handled Williams this year was my biggest disappointment so far. I hope and pray it is my only disappointment but somehow I think there may be one or two more coming. They could make it up to me by giving Shabazz some playing time.

[markkbu [enjin:6588958]]

You guys were all Beasley fans, weren't you?

[thedoper]

You guys were all Beasley fans, weren't you?

I am a fan of all Wolves players and want them to succeed. I just don't think the opportunity was there for Williams. Tough situation, but I don't think the current Wolves brass are gifted in player development.