Creating a Winning Culture: The Sacramento Kings, A New Era of Discipline, Defense and Royalty By David Greenblatt

Table of Contents

1. New Leadership 2. Coaching Options 3. Draft Lottery Pick #7 4. Overall Draft Analysis 5. Key Players

Pages 3-5 Pages 5-6 Pages 6-9 Pages 9-10 Pages 10-18

6. Summing up Evans and Cousins Page 18 7. Role Players 8. Outsider Information 9. Player Ratings 10. The Purpose Pages 18-23 Pages 23-24 Page 25 Pages 25-27

1. Keith Smart; Time for new Leadership? The Kings are entering a new era in the legacy of its franchise, and this is an exciting time for NBA fans everywhere. The new ownership group has an opportunity to revolutionize the NBA, and in many ways they could represent the new school of NBA franchises. This is a franchise that is trending upwards in the world of sports and entertainment, and the fans are all excited about the new ownership. The team has tremendous potential to expand its market, and, moreover, they are a team who appears to be building its team the right way-- by means of the draft. After being robbed by the Lakers nearly a decade ago in the conference finals by a few freak occurrences, the Kings are poised to make their way back into contention. As an era of domination by the Los Angeles Lakers appears to be waning, the Kings have an opportunity to build the next great dynasty in the Western Conference. It all starts with the new ownership, and the upcoming NBA Draft this June. In spite of so much young talent the team performed poorly last season. The results were chiefly the responsibility of head coach Keith Smart. The Kings could benefit greatly from a fast-paced-defense-first mentality. To his credit, Smart seems to be a players coach, but where he shows weakness is managing the rotation and overall team defense. The teams two best players, Demarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, each have question marks surrounding their future status with the organization this offseason. Tyreke and Demarcus only averaged 31 and 30 minutes respectively.

This clearly shows that Smart is using too deep of a rotation. Keeping his best players on the bench for almost 2/5 of the game isnt a winning formula, especially when these are young players with fresh legs. Smart also relied too heavily on sophomore point guard Isaiah Thomas. Thomas improved drastically in the second half of the season, and is a good role player, but some arent convinced he has sufficient talent to be the starting point guard on an elite NBA team. Furthermore, at only 5 9 Thomas is too small to defend against the bigger point guards in the league. On a positive note, if the rest of the team displayed the same heart and desire to win as Thomas, there would be far fewer issues for the team to sort through. Although Thomas played his heart out, he was out-sized by every point guard on a nightly basis in a very competitive Western Conference. The great rapport between Thomas and Keith Smart is undeniable, but this relationship cannot stand as an obstacle to the progression of this team. The Kings would be wiser to go with other options on the coaching market. Mark Jackson is a much better coach then Keith Smart, and for the Kings to dominate the NBA, first they have to be the best-coached team in Northern California. The great news for the Kings is they are well under the salary cap and have a ton of flexibility this offseason. If the team chooses to re-sign Tyreke Evans they should still have plenty of room to sign an elite free agent. The 7th pick in the upcoming lottery will also bring an exciting player to add to the mix. After finishing 26th in the NBA in total defense last season, one would think the organizations main focus this offseason will be to create a culture founded on

defense, hustle and discipline. The team should aim to out-hustle and out-class its opponents. This could all start with choosing a coach who has a proven track record for building teams on those strong principals. Jerry Sloan would be a great choice for this team, but he is not an easy man to get. Jeff Van Gundy would also be an ideal coach for this team, as he was one of the best defensive coaches in the recent NBA era. Van Gundy is certainly the kind of guy to provide better defense and discipline. Whomever the choice, the ideal coaching candidate should employ a strategy of creating as many turnovers as possible and forcing his players to run teams out of the gym every night, which can only be achieved with superior training, work ethic, and demonstrated leadership.

2. Coaching Options Without knowing exactly what type of coaching changes new the front office may be contemplating, one can only speculate and comment on some of the different options that may be on the market. In no particular order Nate McMillan, Vinnie Del Negro, Stan Van Gundy, Jeff Van Gundy, Jerry Sloan, Avery Johnson and Maurice Cheeks are all better options for the Kings than current head coach Keith Smart. In an ideal world Jeff Van Gundy or Jerry Sloan are the best available candidates. Their defensive-minded approach would be a breath of fresh air to the new ownership and to the players. Further, they both have winning track records and have made it deep into the playoffs. Both of these coaches provide just the type of style that is imperative to a young franchise such as the Kings:

discipline, defensive toughness, and, of course, high energy and effort. Jeff Van Gundy in particular has a track record for coaching unselfish teamsforcing the unit to play as one. Worth noting on Van Gundy-- seldom, if ever, has one of his players averaged more than 20 points per game in a season.

3. Draft Lottery Pick #7 Ranking the top players in the upcoming Rookie Class 1. Nerlens Noel 2. Ben McLemore 3. Otto Porter 4. Victor Oladipo (Great Fit) 5. Shabazz Muhammad (Great Fit) 6. Trey Burke (Great Fit) 7. Cody Zeller (Great Fit) 8. CJ McCollum 9. Anthony Bennett 10. Alex Len 11. Dennis Schroeder 12. Michael Carter-Williams

With several elite, amateur/college players who will be available to Sacramento at pick # 7 in the upcoming lottery, the Kings have an opportunity to add yet another talented player to the roster. The Kings should be able to get exactly

what its looking for at #7, and target a player whose repertoire represents the overall direction in which the team wants to go, as this will be their first draft pick in the legacy of the new ownership. The only players who are almost certain to go ahead of pick #7 as of now are Nerlens Noel of Kentucky, and Ben McLemore of Kansas. Arguably the teams biggest need is another swingman, but there could also be a case made for selecting a point guard or center. Because the team has a lot of flexibility in the way it is currently assembled; a lot of guys who can play multiple positions, the team could employ the strategy of taking the best defensive player available, regardless of what position he plays. Although Smart tends to use a deep rotation, the fact is Cousins, Thompson and Patterson make an ideal three-man rotation at the PF/C positions. That being said, there is still room for another guy in this group, especially since Patterson is really too small to guard other Centers, and, some have criticized Thompsons ability on defense as well. Going with a post player in the draft also depends on whether or not the team envisions Cole Aldrich being a big part of its formula, and, of course, how confident it feels about its current frontcourt group as a whole. Also included in this frontcourt group is the wily veteran Chuck Hayes. To grade this group as a whole they undoubtedly get an A+ in potential. If the team has a weakness, it probably isnt in this area. However, there are so many intriguing frontcourt players in the draft, the team may end up wanting to add to this group regardless

If Cody Zeller slips to #7, he would present a formidable option to complete the Kings frontcourt. His 35 inch vertical leap at 610 is unprecedented, and he could provide just the kind of character intangibles that can glue a team together. There is an abundance of talent in this draft, and at this stage its hard to speculate whether or not Zeller is the best choice should he fall to #7. He comes across as very teachable, and with that incredible vertical leap, he could block a ton of shots if he learns to play defense at an elite level. Compared to its frontcourt the Kings guard situation is a bit thinner, especially defensively. Most of the players in this group are offensive specialists, first and foremost. The Kings could benefit tremendously by adding a defensive anchor to their backcourt, such as G/F Victor Oladipo. Scouts compare Oladipo to veteran guard Tony Allen, who shuts down perimeter players as well as almost anyone in the NBA. If Oladipo somehow falls to #7, Id imagine the front office would select Oladipo with the 7th pick. Thomas, Thornton, Freddette and Toney Douglas are all legitimate role players, but this group could definitely be improved defensively. If Oladipo is already taken, I think the team would benefit most from drafting either a small forward or another point guard who can provide toughness and leadership on the defensive side of the floor. Trey Burke (should he fall) could be one option for the team to slate in as its point guard and he would give Isaiah Thomas a heck of a challenge in practice every day. In some ways Thomas seems like more of a scorer off the bench, perhaps a hybrid of Nate Robinson and Jason Terry (although Thomas will never win any dunk contests). The Kings were forced to run a lot of its plays

through Demarcus Cousins and swingman Tyreke Evans because of Thomas lack of ability to penetrate opposing defenses. Only until later in the year did Thomas learn to facilitate the offense, and he really took over as the teams leader through sheer willpower, and for better or worse this took a lot of pressure off of Evans. Thomas development late in the year was a great story given that he was a former last pick in the 2nd round a few years ago. Small in stature, but giant in heart, is the young Isaiah Thomas. Even his name is a natural advantage in the sports market, given the legacy of the original Detroit Pistons icon.

4. Overall Draft Analysis The Kings should look to draft a high character player with leadership ability that, again, knows how to play gritty defense. That sounds like a daunting task, but there are a lot of players out there who portray those qualities, and it may even be worth sacrificing a little bit of talent to get a player with more of the intangibles since the Kings are less short on raw talent, but rather chemistry and cohesive identity. Obvious great options available for the team include: Otto Porter, Victor Oladipo, Trey Burke, Cody Zeller, CJ McCollum or perhaps the second coming of Rodney Rogers-- Anthony Bennett. In this writers opinion, Shabazz Muhammad represents a tremendous marketing opportunity for the Kings, and also has a very good chance of being available at #7. This UCLA product possesses the type of moxie and personality that the fans will adore. If the team were to go with Shabazz, he would undoubtedly learn a lot from Tyreke Evans, and perhaps the

two could play the SF and SG together in what would be a very flashy tandem when on the court together. Shabazz, although somewhat of a project player, is a great name to represent the new legacy in Sactown. Muhammad probably would not be able to fill the void of Tyreke Evans if the team is unable or unwilling to re-sign him. If the Kings DO re-sign Tyreke, Mr. Muhammad would be his perfect protg. He has a legitimate NBA body, with ample size and strength to play sound defense under the right guidance. Some might say Shabazz would just be another headache for the Kings to deal with, but I disagree with this notion and believe that he is a guy who can be molded into a player who does everything well on the court, including play 3 positions much like Tyreke. Although, at this stage in his development, it is bit of a stretch to use him at point guard.

5. Key Players (Demarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans) Demarcus Cousins Strengths: Inside Scoring, Mid-Range Shot, Rebounding, Passing Weaknesses: Arrogance, Lack of Explosiveness, Hustle Overall Rating: 84 Offense: 90 Defense: 79

As the NBA becomes more of a guard-driven league, an elite natural center is becoming somewhat of a scarce commodity. Its no secret that Cousins is one of the better young centers in the world-- certainly he has the talent to lead an NBA team to the playoffs. Pretty much every night out, with maybe two or three

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exceptions, he has an overall advantage over his opponent. What makes him unique at his size is that he has passing ability to go along with his physical prowess in the low post. His relatively decent passing ability allows the team to put him in the high-post as well as the low-post, which subsequently improves the teams spacing on the floor, giving them a lot of open looks at the 3-point line. Essentially the half-court offense is sometimes run through Demarcus because of these unique qualities. This ability to step outside cannot be emphasized enough, as it is a rarity for a player of his size and strength to have these duel attributes. Andrew Bogut can do it, but hes always injured, and isnt nearly as talented as Demarcus. Demarcus real dominance comes in the low post where the team will rely heavily on him to score and rebound on both ends of the floor. To put up 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists on a nightly basis are the kind of stats (based on his skill set) that the coaching staff should demand from him. In order for Cousins to take it to the next level, he needs to deal with maturity and consistency issues. Demarcus is a legitimate franchise leading talent, and was once considered one of the top 10-15 young players around which to build a franchise, but he needs to be more disciplined, and needs to gain more respect universally. While Demarcus talent surpasses 90% of the league, his attitude and professiona lism is lacking, and at times has been a PR disaster. His name has come up in the news time and time again for acting out towards his players and coaches. This in part led to the eventual firing of head coach Paul Westphal.

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Demarcus could benefit from a veteran center, or a former star center to show him how to be a true professional. Patrick Ewing helped Dwight Howard in Orlando, Kareem helped Andrew Bynum in Los Angeles, and Demarcus needs a guy like that who will take him under his wing, and instill the proper discipline to be that dominating force the Kings envisioned he would be. The positive side to this dilemma is that Demarcus isnt really missing the fundamentals. He doesnt need anyone to teach him footwork, or how to improve his hook-shot etc. He truly comes off as a player that needs extra mental guidance, someone that will pound the idea into his head that when he acts out, he is nothing more than an immature, overpaid, waste of talent. That may be a little harsh, but with his talent, and the amount the team has invested in him both monetarily and in every other way, he needs to be taught the lesson that nothing less than 100% effort and commitment will be tolerated from this organization going forward. His occasional bouts of bad behavior can get the better of his game. At times he doesnt seem to want to win badly enough; instead settling instead for the bad boy image as if it were a badge of superiority over his teammates. This kind of thing has a negative rippling effect on the entire organization. Next to Tyreke Evans, Demarcus Cousins is by the far the most important piece to the future of this franchise. If management doesnt believe he is, then he ought to be traded at the most opportune time for the franchise. There are 28 or so teams in the NBA who would happily take this man, many of them likely to put together a package of players and or draft picks just to acquire him. Coming from the prestigious college basketball program at Kentucky, Cousins certainly

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knows what it means to be expected to win. With such a dominant force in the middle, the Kings should clearly be winning more games. So this begs the question: Should the team look to trade Cousins for a high lottery pick? If they do so they have the option of potentially drafting Alex Len, Cody Zeller or Anthony Bennett to replace him, and letting Jason Thompson (more on him later) step in as the starting Center. All three of those players being drafted (Len, Zeller, or Bennett) would create entirely different scenarios respectively. If the team were able to land Zeller in particular, or perhaps if it traded Demarcus for the draft rights to Nerlens Noel, it wouldnt be in bad shape at all. In a sense, trading him might be setting the team back a couple of years, which I dont think is necessary. This seems to be a hot topic amongst reporters (trading Cousins). Give Cousins a chance to gel with the new leadership while he is only costing the team $4 or $5 million this upcoming season. If he doesnt work out this year, then it may be time to go in a new direction.

Random thought: Trading Cousins because he doesnt get along with Keith Smart or say Isaiah Thomas would be the wrong reason to do it, as he alone represents a bigger investment, and brings more value then the teams current head coach and point guard, (which says a lot about Smart and Thomas collectively).

In this era many teams in the NBA are succeeding through the draft and by making wise free agent acquisitions. Considered by almost everybody in the

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world of sports to be the classiest organization, the San Antonio Spurs, have won championships using this strategy. Not once, has a team traded its best player and then gone on to win the NBA championship in the next calendar season. Since the team traded Thomas Robinson, I believe they should hold onto Demarcus. All things considered, trading Cousins now may not be the best way to go if the goal is to win immediately. A better alternative might be to rehabilitate his attitude, dislodge his sense of self-proclaimed royalty, address the character issues, instill the requisite sense of respect necessary for greatnessget him to understand that a failure to change his attitude towards his coaches, teammates and managers will slam the door shut. At just 22 years of age, the verdict is still out on his ability to mature, and in my humble opinion unless there was a package that simply couldnt be turned down, Cousins is the guy to build the team around for now.

Tyreke Evans

Strengths: Perimeter Defense, Finishing at the Rim, Explosiveness Weaknesses: 3 point shot, Perimeter Shot, Shot selection Overall Rating: 84 Offense: 80 Defense: 88

From the time he was drafted Tyreke became the face of the franchise and to this day as Tyreke goes, so go the Kings. From a player personnel standpoint, deciding on whether or not to re-sign Tyreke Evans is perhaps the most crucial

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decision for the new front office this upcoming offseason. He is a very impactful player on the outcome of games, perhaps the most impactful. Not only is he the most influential player on the Kings, but also he is the type of player who most nights is the single biggest influencing factor on the outcome for either team. This was especially true his rookie season. Tyreke has a strong will and do it all mentality that causes him to do anything the game demands of him. He plays 3 positions, routinely guards the other teams best player, and leads the team in minutes. Tyreke has an outstanding ability to get to the rim at 6 6 220 pounds, is really tough to guard off the dribble, and is too fast and strong for opposing guards. Although smaller in stature, and not nearly as hyped as Lebron was, he has a lot of similarities to current NBA MVP Lebron James. Tyreke does everything in the game of basketball exceptionally well except for shoot the perimeter jumper (much like a younger Lebron). To his credit though, he is showing a steady improvement in this category. Even Dwayne Wade was a lot like Tyreke early in his career, in the respect that he too was a swingman forced to play point guard in a lot of situations, and he too had issues with the perimeter jumper, which today is of course is no longer an issue for him. Being mentioned in the same sentence as those two players is a great honor, and Tyreke truly deserves those comparisons, so far. If the team is to keep Tyreke, clearly he should be playing 5-6 more minutes a game because his durability and stamina are excellent. The question is: What role will Tyreke take on for the team if they keep him? A lot of teams in the NBA

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nowadays are playing a small-ball, fast-paced, frenetic style of basketball and this favors Tyrekes skillset. He symbolizes the new breed of NBA players who play multiple positions. If Tyreke continues to improve his jump shot, even if its just slightly, he should settle in as the teams shooting guard and should be able to put up around 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists which are near his career averages. The Kings former All-Star phenom Chris Webber once said, Most fans dont understand that players dont always play any particular position such as the 1-2-3-4 or 5. This is especially true for a player like Tyreke. As a point forward type of player, Tyreke should look to rebound and pass more, and be a playmaker for his teammates. Should the team elect not to re-sign Tyreke, another player in free agency worth considering at his position and near his skill level is former bay area player Monta Ellis. Signing both Evans and Ellis due to the fact that they have a lot of cap space to work with would be quite the accomplishment for the team and is still a possibility whether its Ellis or not, they have room to sign more than one eli te level player and this includes Tyreke. The biggest question in analyzing Tyreke Evans is whether or not he has the makeup of a champion. Separating Cousins from his only other truly elite player would be a setback. There are opinions out there (whether valid or not) that Tyreke simply isnt a winner by nature, and unlike Demarcus character issues, this may not be fixable. There are numerous players in the NBA who stuff the stat sheet, and have exceptional talent (the type of players who impose their will on the game to such a degree that their individual performance makes or breaks the outcome of the

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game). Tyreke is such a player, and the degree to which this is already true will only become more and more amplified as he comes into his prime. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant won several championships doing this, but, unlike Tyreke, they knew that by imposing their will they would inevitably win due to their competitive superiority. Can Tyreke lead the team by imposing his will to the upmost degree? Sounds simple but its not the easiest thing in the world to gauge; it goes beyond the numbers, beyond the character, and into a whole new realm of analysis as explained below. In thinking about Tyreke Evans impact on games, especially what he showed in his rookie season, what I like to call the Steve Nash factor comes to mind. Nobody can say Steve Nash doesnt bring a lot to the table, or that he isnt a great player, but what can be said is that he won the MVP twice and never touched the floor of an NBA Finals game. Often superstar players (which Tyreke borders on being) are misjudged by their ability to lead a team in a 7 game playoff series. When Steve played for Phoenix, he had the ball in his hands all the time, he controlled the pace of the game, and he has a couple of MVP trophies to show for it (everyone knows he wishes those were NBA Titles, rather than MVP trophies). Nash undoubtedly made his teammates better, but the level to which he imposed his own personal will on the game was never enough to take the team to the title, let alone the title series. His style of play became far too easy to plan against in a 7 game series. He was great, but he wasnt the greatest player on the floor, even though he and the voters thought he was. Once the opposing teams figured out how to stop Nash, the Suns were dead in

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the water, and this is a perfect example of how a championship team cannot rely on one player to have so much control unless they truly are the best player on the court. If Tyreke is to stay with the Kings, I believe his role needs to be better defined. Since the Kings have so much blooming talent in the post, the team has every reason to play an organized style of basketball, in which they focus on defense, rebounding and toughness. If the team can focus on building that foundation, they will eventually be able to turn up the pace on teams and subsequently outrun them.

6. Summing up the Evans and Cousins Situation If the Kings get another athletic swingman at #7, or through free agency, they will have solid athleticism on defense, especially if they can hold onto Evans. Deciding how to handle Evans and Cousins will not be an easy decision for the front office, and it should be one of the bigger stories in the NBAs offseason. The team needs to decide whether or not it can build around Tyreke and Demarcus together; and, if so, whom will they take with the #7 pick in the draft. Zeller, Burke, Oladipo, and Shabazz all come to mind as potential options. The way the team handles these three decisions should largely define the direction this team is going. Regardless of whether or not the Kings decide to keep Cousins, Evans or head coach Keith Smart, there is a strong likelihood the new ownership will create a first class organization. 7. Role Players

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Jason Thompson Jason Thompson is a very consistent player for the Sacramento franchise and runs the court almost like a guard at 611 250 pounds. Jason is a wonderfully conditioned athlete. Thompsons ability to get out and run is something the new ownership will be fond of. Going forward, the Kings can use Thompson at the PF/C position for 25- 30 minutes every night, and will probably get double-double production out of him 50% of the time. This past season he even started to improve his jump shot and it is foreseeable that he could soon develop a 3-point shot. He is your typical lunch-pail player that every team needs, and the kind of player who delivers on a consistent basis. You know what you are going to get from Mr. Thompson. What he delivers is high energy, high effort-- but nothing overly special just yet. In his mid 20s he is one of the more consistent players for the franchise, and seemingly has been there for years. When the team decided to trade Thomas Robinson this appeared to be a big endorsement for Thompson going forward, for clearly he was out-performing the teams lottery pick. No reason to trade Jason, as he will either start at power forward or come off the bench at C/PF in a fairly sizeable role. He will get you 12 and 8 or so on a nightly basis, but like many other players on the team, he has not developed much of a defensive prowess, though I believe he has the potential to be very solid on that end, he just needs to develop that mentality and it will take time and effort as these things dont just happen overnight.

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Patrick Patterson Along with Demarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson comes from the polished program at the University of Kentucky, but, unlike Cousins, Patterson played three full seasons of college ball and had more of a chance to mature. This upcoming season should tell us a lot about what kind of professional Patterson will be. Originally a lottery pick by Houston, Patrick has reasonably high expectations and has all the makings to be part of a winning team. Another guy with good character and high intelligence, he will compete with Jason Thompson for playing time and minutes and it should be fun to watch them go at it in practice and also when they play together. I think Patterson has 15 and 10 potential, but he may be a few years away from realizing those numbers. He is an efficient player who knows his role and wont create any ripples in the lockerroom. For an NBA GM he is just the kind of young player I would recommend.

Marcus Thornton Some nights Thornton is an elite-level scorer capable of putting up 30 plus points per night. At other times he goes 0-9. He is one of those streaky shooters who sometimes tries to do too much rather than let the game come to him. Perhaps the best pure scorer on the team after Cousins on a minute-per-minute basis, Thornton can make a lot of defenders look bad, but a lot of defenders can do the same to him. Hes one of the better players in the NBA with respect to scoring, and an integral part of this young franchise. Under the right leadership Thornton could blossom into a starter, and certainly he is capable of being the 6th man. He

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can create his own shot, and shoot from basically anywhere on the floor. Hes an all offense type of player, and very similar to the Clippers veteran Jamal Crawford (except hes a bit more of an off-the-ball player). After Tyreke Evans, Thornton is arguably the second most talented guard on the team.

Isaiah Thomas Coach Keith Smarts favorite player and the teams starting point guard, Isaiah is a bit of a mixed bag. The coach elected to start him and he did a below average job the first half of the season (albeit showing flashes of brilliance). The second half of the season he turned his game up a notch as he got comfortable in the league and did a more respectable job. I believe Coach Smart had a lot to do with Thomas being such a big part of the team, and frankly speaking, I think it cost the team a lot of games as the team watched its point guard go through growing pains. Being a former player I know that when a coach has confidence in you, and endorses you as the teams leader, your confidence skyrockets, and this is what I observed with Isaiah Thomas last season. The team has about a 50% chance of staying with Thomas as its starter because they may eventually lose patience with him if he cant get the team to win. As the team is currently assembled I think Thomas role is more appropriate as a backup point guard, even though he has learned what it means to run a starting 5 in the NBA. Look for Thomas to be a steady backup point guard, or even perhaps he will continue to start as a steady eddy type of player. In some ways he reminds me of former Spurs point-guard Avery Johnson, which is not a bad

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person to be compared to at all. If the team decides to hire Avery as its coach, then Isaiah will have truly hit the lotto.

Jimmer Freddette The stat that jumps out the most to me is Jimmers +/- per 48 is -5.6. That is pretty low when you consider he is largely playing junk minutes. On the positive side of things he is the nations former leading scorer at BYU, and was boldly taken quite early in the draft by the Kings. Jimmer does not have an NBA build, but he makes up for it with effort and pinpoint shooting accuracy. Hes a good third point guard who can provide scoring spurts by the bundle. Nobody is going to mistake him for John Stockton or Steve Nash, but Jimmer is a competitor who will always strive to quiet the critics. This sharpshooting little-man would be a fan favorite for most teams he plays for, and opposing teams will always dislike him; he is just that kind of player. Love him or hate him, there is nothing in between with Jimmer. He will always play with a chip on his shoulder because he is a guy who has defied the odds time and time again to get to where he is with a secure spot on an NBA roster. In the long run, I dont know if there is room for both Jimmer and Isaiah due to their lack of size and similar attributes.

John Salmons The highest paid player on the team, Salmons is a seasoned veteran who understands the game of basketball very well. He doesnt do anything exceptional, but he is capable of competing at a high level and serves as a good

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example to the younger players on what being a professional is all about. The Kings arent going to turn things around overnight with John Salmons as its highest paid player. There probably isnt a team in the NBA with a highest paid player who is as average as Salmons, I could be wrong there are a lot of bad contracts out there. I will be shocked if Salmons is still the teams highest paid player at the end of the offseason, as he is scheduled to make around $8 million this year.

Travis Outlaw, James Johnson, Cole Aldrich, Toney Douglas, Chuck Hayes All five of these players have started in the NBA before, and all have their place on an NBA roster. With a lottery pick and plenty of cap space, there isnt room for everyone. Johnson or Outlaw could potentially even start at SF for the team, although I dont see that happening. Worth noting is Outlaw and Hayes are both good veteran defenders, although Chuck is reaching a point in his career where age will be slowing him down a bit.

An Outsider, Stabbing at Insider Information Absent the benefit of having a direct relationship or opportunity to converse with anyone in the front office of this team or any other, the opinions expressed herein represent my best intuition-- derived from extensive studying of the game and athletes my entire life. So always there is a risk that some of these opinions may be incomplete, or less informed due to lack of inside information. Opinions that may have already been expressed and communicated by those in power in these

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different front offices as of late are a a complete mystery to me. Therefore I can only speculate who may have interest in acquiring guys like Tyreke Evans and especially Demarcus Cousins, who for all I know, the Kings could be chomping at the bit to trade for more appealing packages that have already been presented to them without my knowledge. There are some rumors that Lamarcus Aldridge of Portland is on the market. He is certainly a player worth looking at as a possible replacement for Cousins. Cousins has more potential for improvement than does Aldridge at this stage in his career, but Aldridge is undoubtedly the more accomplished player. Joakim Noah, Tyson Chandler, Marc Gasol, Tim Duncan, Andrew Bynum and of course Dwight Howard represent the best centers in the NBA, and although Cousins isnt nearly as mature as any of them, his talent level is on par with each of those names. It is also worth noting that he is the youngest on that list, and has the most room for growth. I get excited writing about Demarcus just because if I were his coach I would be absolutely thrilled to have him as my starting Center. A disciplinarian coach should be able to whip him right into shape, and he truly could burst onto the scene next year as a bonafide all-star. When I initially pondered the idea of whether or not the Kings should trade Demarcus my gut instinct was yes! Trade him! Now! But as I began to ponder how much he brings to the table, and thought of other examples around the league, I began to realize the power of his potential. Find Demarcus a mentor, force him to become more disciplined, tell Demarcus he one day will be the best Center in the NBA (even though he is

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already close) tell him hes dead last. This should be a wake up call for Demarcus. Until I see Demarcus on a team that has a great disciplinarian coach, a coach who will demand more of its players, I cannot recommend getting rid of him.

9. Rating Each Player on a scale of (1-100) for the Upcoming Season C- Demarcus Cousins- 84 overall (90 potential) G/F -Tyreke Evans- 83 overall (88 potential) PG-Isaiah Thomas- 77 overall (84 potential) PF-Patrick Patterson- 76 overall (85 potential) SG-Marcus Thornton- 76 overall (81 potential) PF/C-Jason Thompson- 76 overall (80 potential) PG/SG -Jimmer Freddette- 71 overall (73 potential) SF- John Salmons- 69 overall SF- Travis Outlaw 68 overall PG- Toney Douglas 67 overall SF- James Johnson 65 overall PF/C- Chuck Hayes 64 overall C- Cole Aldrich 64 overall (73 potential)

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