Kings Had a Great Draft and Then Blew It? By Jason Last week, I wrote about the Sacramento Kings for 2010 as their turnaround season. I have to admit I was all positive vibes after the Kings got DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside in the 2010 NBA Draft. This coming on the heels of getting 76ers starting center Samuel Dalembert, getting rid of Kings’ malcontents and freeing up some cap space. On top of this, Kings fans knew they will have rookie of the year (ROY) Tyreke Evans to build around. But then free agency came and Geoff Petrie got Antoine Wright and Eugue "Pooh" Jeter to add to the bench. I have to admit I had not seen Antoine Wright in a while and thought is he still playing in the NBA after he left Dallas? However, the word on Wright is that he is a solid perimeter defender and good percentage shooter. I saw a good game from Pooh Jeter in summer league and looked promising, but after doing a little research he’s not the 3-point shooter the Kings needed. He may be the third string backup point guard. I can see if the Kings signed Anthony Morrow, JR Redick or Mike Miller, then that would be something for Kings fans to be excited about, but they didn’t. NBA fans are a tough crowd and the Kings fans are no different. It may take more to continue the excitement and get fans back into the Arco again. Winning definitely helps, but is what Geoff Petrie did enough? No, says the tough fans! Sure the owner Maloofs are selling more season tickets at this point than last year, but can they sell Arco out like in the days of routine Kings playoffs? The answer is a resounding -- NO! But that’s not to say the Kings won’t be better this year and don’t have a chance for the playoffs. They probably don’t at this point, but all the signs point upward. I would not rule out a trade since the Kings decided against being big players in free agency. I can see Geoff Petrie’s thinking. They’re not ready to spend the big bucks on a free agent just to ensure getting back to the playoffs. They want to see how the teams meshes first. They still need to see how Omri Casspi and Donte Greene will shake out at SF and whether Casspi will be strong enough to take the pounding of an 82-game season and the playoffs if the Kings can get there. Casspi sounded positive he’ll be stronger this year after increasing his workout regimen. What about Francisco Garcia at the 2-spot? Can he pick up where he left off without getting hurt again? What about Jason Thompson? Where is he going to play and how many minutes is he going to get? Last year wasn’t a great year for Jason after his great rookie year because fans and coaches including Jason himself expected more. Still, Thompson improved his game. Here’s the thing. The positives are the Kings have the youth and upside with some veterans now to contend in a few years with the likes of Tyreke, Omri, Jason, Donte and DeMarcus. Of course, they will have to develop a couple of all-stars and see who they can add to complement the nucleus. It is different from having a couple of stars already like a Chris Paul on the team. The key is patience and I think Geoff Petrie did the right thing in not making a play for an expensive player like a Rudy Gay. Jeez, he got $81.6 million over five years. So be patient Kings fans. The important part is knowing what a team has and then doing something about it if it is not enough. Petrie has gotten the big men the Kings didn’t have last year and freeing up some cap are some great results up to this point.
