No, not that one! This one involved the future Mrs. Shelden Williams, Lisa Leslie, and Cheryl Ford. All of whom seem to be without fault based on the video. So, are the women raising their game, or lowering themselves to the men's game? Yeah, don't respond to the question. Sorry for the crappy quality of the video, I pulled it off of YouTube. I didn't see the game. It's sad that I don't support the WNBA, I used to play in HS and warmed a juco bench, but while the skill level is increasing, it's just not that interesting to me as an observer. Fun to play? Yes. Fun to watch? Not in my opinion. -But- when I was done playing my only options for watching basketball on television were men's games, so maybe younger women feel differently.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=25~556~1977~3249&teams=28~28~23~23&te=&cash=

Copy and paste into the address bar

 

It worked on the trade machine, but wouldnt you think that having a big like Chris Bosh and a seasoned soph Moon lay the foundation for a contender?  I know Toronto drafted  Barnyarney number one not too long ago, and just acquired Jermaine O'Neal.  Artest reunited with O'Neal, plus the high post presence of Miller should give Toronto a good chance of making it deep into the Eastern conference playoffs.  Now after Dwight Howard hit the East Coast, and T.J. Ford hit the brakes, I really havent heard much from Bosh in a minute.  A change could potential be what he needs and a shot at starting the all star game in Sac.  The onl y real competition out here as far as bigs would be Amare.  Moon would compete for a backup role.  Miller would be a good passing center and also probably the best douby passer.  Go Douby!

Poll

Artest/Miller for Bosh/Moon

• Fair trade
• Kings get over
• Raptors get over
• Miller rejoices for the lax medicinal herb laws in Canada

  69 votes | Results

From Sam Amick's Blog 7/21

Detroit: Could this be why Artest was so interested in interviewing brawl instigator John Green a while back? It would be a brilliant PR move if the Pistons were looking to put a package together for Artest.

And from what I was told from one source close to the Pistons, they are. I've yet to get this info from more than one person, so stay tuned. But much like the Mavs' situation, this could be one of those where the player the Kings want (perhaps Tayshaun Prince) would be different than the one offered (Jason Maxiell, anyone?). Pure speculation on my part in terms of the potential pieces.

 

Tell me that wouldn't be the ultimate irony. Back where it all started. It's just crazy enough to work!

I've seen a vision of my life...And I wanna be delivered...In the city was a sinner...I've done a lot of things wrong...But I swear I'm a believer...Like the prodigal son I was out on my own...Now I'm trying to find my way back home...Baptized in the river...I'm delivered I'm delivered

That could be one way of looking at the Summer League. After all it's the first glimpse of young talent for the masses to say: "Yeah, that guy I always knew was gonna be great." So step up. Own it. Whether it's Jason Thompson's two Game Winning shots in Summer League, or Douby's 36 he dropped on the Summer League Dubs (they don't have much success guarding him do they?), or perhaps disappointment in the Spencer Hawes (Experience?) showing. Maybe Mike Singletary was worth noting, and perhaps Patrick Ewing Jr confirmed your suspicions on why he was drafted in the first place. To be honest, and this is the way I feel after a day to gather my thoughts, I think none of those things.

Where do I think Summer League stands? The same way Mini-Camp does in the NFL. It's a building block for the player, and the team, but it means nothing without the real games. The real games are where the real talent is. The real games are where the real challenges are. You can simulate that all you want, but the best players in the world don't play during July. They're still recovering from the longest, and most physically brutal, basketball league in the world. The best basketball players play during November to June, and that's where the real knowledge drops. That being said my ears perked up. I enjoyed the experience, and I am glad I partaked the first 4 games, and unfortunately missed the 5th.

Spencer Hawes seems to be the biggest universal disapointment. But as Section pointed out, Spencer perhaps will block more shots than anyone for the Kings has since Vlade Divac swatted over 100 shots in 2003. (Keon Clark blocked 150 shots that year, but he was a one year wonder. Does he really count?) So, while he shot like crap, and generally showed poor offensive judgment, and needed to add bulk, and is showing signs of taking Brad Baby and Vlade's demeanor toward the Zebra's, and that is alot to be disappointed in I suppose, but personally I find the failure enlightening. We knew it would take time, and did you think one magic summer would cure that? Please, I don't think anyone was expecting that. I do think that the 2 most important things Spencer did was: Move and shoot alot, if not well, and play alot of minutes without any real side effects in his conditioning or hint of past injuries. That's what I suspect the Kings were most interested in, and they'll let the other stuff work itself out as he gets more comfortable, older, and stronger. That's where I'm at with Spencer.

Sean Singletary had a tough job. First he had to show he could distribute, and then when he started to do that, he had to show he could still score at the same time. Tough task for the kid, and Summer League is a place to start the learning curve if any. What I did learn about Summer League is that it's the first time the Kings get to work with their players on what they see in each individual. The Kings were unique in that they had half a roster who could be among the 15 that end up on the final roster come November. With Singletary asked to do so many things (defend bigger guards like Bayless), run a team, and score, it was hard to see how he would totally succeed. Given his limitations, and that Theus kept stacking the deck against him, he did fairly well. He made his mistakes, and he made some great and good plays, and he was pretty much a mixed bag. He proved he had quickness in a league full of quick guards. That impressed me as much as anything. He worked hard and competed. That impressed me too. Especially when you factor in that every guard he went up against had anywhere from 3-7 inches of height on him. Summer League is less about stats and how much a team wins, than it is about how a team works to achieve the goals it had. I think. It's hard to be exactly sure what the goals of Summer League are. I do think that Singletary showed the Kings enough that he can be the backup PG to Udrih consistently to perform for the Kings next season in that role. Beyond that, and who knows, we all will see. It wlll depend on factors that few of us don't know yet. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

Patrick Ewing Jr I thought had a decent Summer League considering. The ball moved better when he was on the court (particularly out of the gate), and he played good enough individual defense to show that he was focused on contributing to the team without being a detriment to everything else on the court. Whether that means anything who knows. Patience is required in the Ewing Jr puzzle. Worrying about how it turns out is fairly pointless. But that being said, which isn't much admittedly, he could be a valuable role player in limited versions if the Kings allow him to develop slowly over the next season or two. If Bruce Bowen is his high end of talent, there are worse players to be aren't there?

Shelden Williams came into Summer League with a goal I assume. To provide niche value that the Kings don't have elsewhere. He did that pretty well in my humble opinion. He banged inside for offensive and defensive rebounds, and he banged on guys on the block defensively. He played hard, didn't demand the ball, stayed where he should be on both ends, and in general, proved to be a banging big man the Kings need in spots to help them win games. If Williams can translate this Summer League to training camp and beyond, perhaps the Kings have a piece they don't have to look in free agency or another draft to address. That is a physical banger type of big man who doesn't demand the ball, but can at the same time not be a defensive liability. That would be the best case scenario for Shelden isn't it?

Quincy Douby can score. Did it at Rutgers, did it on Coney Island, and, hell, probably did it in the womb too. Quincy Douby proved his long arms and instincts work in the passing lanes, and used the big Kings front line to his advantage by gambling. I also thought he and Singletary provided solid 1 on 1 defense when it counted against both Belinelli and Bayless. That's not an easy task when you're giving up size and length. But Quincy showed up well, and if nothing else, showed he still wants a spot in the league. Where that is I do not know. I do know that he has a spot in the league as a guy who can score and defend backup shooting G's. That's a valuable thing to have in this league. Depth with stars is one thing that alot of teams don't have. The Kings potentially, in my view, have both if things work out right. Either way Douby did what he needed to do this summer. He needed to play his ass off on both ends carrying the team offensively, and help set a tone defensively. Bayless didn't do that, and wasn't asked to. Douby was, and did. Maybe Bayless is the MVP, but Douby had a difficult task this summer. I'm not saying this guarantee's him a spot in the rotation this summer, but Theus shouldn't think twice about writing him off.

To the man of the hour. Justin Thompson impressed us. He impressed me. That being said the kid isn't going to be an all-star when he steps on the court for the first time in November. He's too raw as a player, and he's got some ways to go. One of the beauty's for a player like Thompson is that he can play. He works hard and wants to prove how good he really is. He doesn't consider being selected 12th a criticism of him, but an opinion of others. He plays hard, and plays like he cares. But that type of praise is usually reserved for Eddie Najera role players, not potential All-Stars. Unless that All-Star is Karl Malone. That's who JT reminds me of, but it's way too early to make the comparison. For one thing JT's footwork needs improvement in how he sets up his shots, and for another, he rely's on savvy basketball IQ to get off shots. If he started jumping off the right foot his shots in the lane will be easier to get off, and the rate of success will increase. He will also need to learn how to get shots off in traffic if he wants to be an all-star at the next level. Double teams won't always be beaten off the dribble, and one criticism of him at Rider was that he didn't receive them, and Double Teams require spacing on his teammates part. In otherwords he can't do it all himself. In Summer League it's pretty much every developing kid for himself. But in the real L, that shit gets exposed, and quicker than George W Bush's intelligence. (Unfair Joke. It's not that's he's stupid. It's just that he isn't worth much. Dick Cheney is evil. Bush is worthless. Very big difference.) Being exposed is part of what a rookie's learning curve, and I have a feeling we will dampen some of our enthusiasm for JT in some of his failures. Well, maybe some of you will. I personally think that the kid will fail early, but will rebound as quickly as he is capable. How quickly, and to what level, I suspect will determine what kind of impact he has. Summer League, though, didn't show me any of that. Which brings me to the final point.

Anyone who has ever seen Formula 51 gets the joke I've been hinting at. It's a placebo, and it doesn't really exist. I watched Summer League, and for a week and a half wondered what it meant. But after watching the Dark Knight, and I kinda wonder why 2 1/2 hours were devoted to define the title, I kinda figured out what Summer League meant. It gave teams a chance to coach their players. To see what players work with them, and who won't. To see how diligent players are at working on their games, and the one's who just play. It's a chance to see combo guards shoot too many shots, and a chance to see pure points in action. It gives a chance for young bigs to shine, and for guys trying to lock up a spot in training camp down the line, or in other leagues as John Thompson so aptly pointed out, and for NBA teams to talk to each other. It gives a chance to go to Vegas for a week and half during the Summer Time, and it gives a chance to gamble. No One will ever care Kevin Love led the Summer League in rebounding, or that Bayless averaged nearly 28 in the scoring column during his 4 games played. Mostly what I learned is that teams get to evaluate talent over a 10 day span, and get a chance to work with them, and get a chance to see where they stand and how they interact. As a fan I'm glad I got a chance to see the games, but they didn't tell me anything other than alot of stuff I would have eventually figured out. (Like JT jumping off the wrong foot in the lane for instance. However, instead of taking Sam Amick's word for it, I got to see this for myself. That was particularly awesome.) Seriously, and I mean this, I enjoyed watching the games. I enjoyed Jt jumping off the wrong foot, and Spencer taking aggravating 3's, and Patrick Ewing Jr looking like he was invisible, and Shelden banging guys to the extent he does. I enjoyed Quincy Douby lighting it up like it mattered. I enjoyed the stupid interview with Reggie Theus. (Not Rick Kamla though. He really sucks.) I enjoyed listening to Patrick Ewing Sr not say anything. I enjoyed Jason Thompson hitting the game winning shot, and Jerryd Bayless getting the interview afterwords. I liked it because it was silly, interesting, useful, and ultimately means as much as greasing the monkey to a Sophia Lauren poster.

I liked it because, if nothing else, we get to balance the cynicism that balances with the optimism we get from the visual aspect. In the end I have found this particular Summer League experience to be neither enlightening or filled with distraught either. I don't find Summer League to be anything other than the pure Formula 51 placebo that is. Every negative has a positive and vice versa. Every good deed has an accompanying poor deed along with it. But rather than using the College season as a baseline, or ground zero, Summer League is better suited for it. Summer League has more NBA like rules, and is played with more NBA caliber players. Stats and victories/losses don't matter as they normally do, and in the end players get to play without being yanked like they do during the real games. The actual effect may be zero, but like some things, Summer League is not about the actual sum of each individual, but the sum of the total lot. And the total lot says that a player can gain confidence or trust within the organization they play by performing up to a standard the team was hoping for. That, is not a placebo. That is a value that just hasn't had a name with the appropriate definition yet. I'm good with that. Are you?

Everythings so blurry...And everyones so fake...And everybodys so empty...And everything is so messed up...Pre-occupied without you..I cannot live at all...My whole world surrounds you I stumble then I crawl...You could be my someone..You could be my scene...You know that Ill protect you From all of the obscene...I wonder what your doing..Imagine where you are...Theres oceans in between us But thats not very far......

(From the FanPosts. - TZ)

I was thinking about playing time for some of our younger players, and came to a frightening realization. We're now too deep. As our roster currently stands our 5 starters are Beno, Martin, Artest, Moore and Miller. The first 4 off the bench would be Garcia, Salmons, Hawes and Williams. The last 3 on the active roster(end of the bench guys) are Douby, Thompson and Singletary.

Based partly on last season's minutes, and knowing that Theus will be trying to win every game(rightfully so), I would predict a breakdown something like this:

Martin - 35, Artest - 35(closer to 40 last year), Miller - 33, Beno - 32 and Moore - 30 = 165 minutes

Garcia - 25, Salmons - 20, Hawes - 15, Williams - 10, and Douby -5 = 75 minutes

= 240.

That would assume Garcia backing up at the point and SG to get him his minutes and a few minutes for Artest at the 4(same as last year).

The problem here is we really need to be getting Douby 10+ minutes a game, because we need to find out this year what he can do, and I'd like to see Thompson get similar minutes to what Hawes got last year(10-15), without taking minutes from Williams(who is in a similar situation to Douby).

We're getting to the point where we need to start seeing what we've got with some of these guys. Our team isn't contending, so we don't have the luxury of letting a Gerald Wallace waste away on the bench and then blossom elsewhere. If there are players on this team we know for sure are not a part of the future, it is time to look at moving them now(Mikki, Brad, Ron).

The trade/trades kind of need to be for young talent, picks and expiring crap, similar to the Bibby deal(but hopefully with better picks). If we did the Odom or Marion trade, it would free up some minutes at the 1-3, but take even more time away from the young bigs. Odom or Marion getting 35 minutes at the 4 and Mikki taking 15-20 off the bench doesn't leave much playing time for Spencer, Sheldon and JT.

I'd hate to see Douby, Williams and Thompson sitting on the end of the bench, not getting a chance to develop as fast as they might, just so we can win an extra 5 games.

Here's a quick rundown based on the games I watched:

Quincy Douby deserves more run. At this point, the only thing holding him back is he is a 2 and Kevin Martin get most of the minutes at that position. I think Douby should be play with Garcia more this year, using Cisco as the ball handler and Quincy playing off the ball (defensively, he is pretty good guarding the point). Sidebar: Jerryd Bayless is a nice player, but he and Quincy are very similar (i.e, they are undersized shooting guards that do a lot more scoring than assisting. That being said, Quincy uses his jumper to set up his drive whereas Bayless does the opposite. Had we the opportunity to draft Bayless, we would have even more problems with playing time at the 2).

Spencer Hawes--I was very disappointed. I felt Spencer played better last year in Vegas. To his credit, he looks much more athletic, which is the result of diet, weight training and the recovery from his knee problem; however, he still gets pushed around way too much. He needs to learn how to get deeper position down low in order to suceed (he absolutely drives me crazy when he sets up with his back to the basket 15 feet from the basket). He needs to develop two quick post moves (going either direction) rather than trying to put together a combination of 3-4 moves in succession. (Defenders at this level double too quick to get away with that very often.) What is so frustrating here is he has I nice little hook  and he can hit a turn around jumper, so it is simply a matter of getting close enough to use them effectively (which is too say neither is very effective from 15 feet).

Jason Thompson--I like what I see so far. He is athletic for a big, and he shows nice touch on his jumper and from the foul line. Also, he has good hands (this made me shed a tear after watching Mikki fumble passes all year). He needs to learn what he can and cannot do at this level (I felt like some of his drives bordered on being out of control), but I was very impressed with how little overall he forced things, and how effecient he was. Also, I liked that he rebounded in traffic. I think down the line he will be good, but I'm not sure he'll be great. Sidebar: I was also very impressed with Anthony Randolph, but it is pretty apparent that he is really a 3 at this point. Amazing first step and great agressiveness (he looks much more impressive than Brandon Wright). I would love to some how trade Ron-Ron for him, but I just can't see any deal that would work for the Warriors.

Sean Singletary--I liked the defense and the foot speed. I wasn't impressed with much else. He was able to penetrate against certain teams, but not against others. Needs to really improve the jumpshot. Quick little guys don't last very long without a decent jumper at this level. Looks to be a serviceable backup.

 

With a win tonight the Kings will tie for first place in the Vegas summer league.  I hope they get JT at least 15 shots tonight and have him finish on a high note to get ready for the season.  I realize summer league does not stand for much bit it would mean that the Kings young players are on par or better then the majority of the other teams young players.  Also I would like to publicly wish JT a happy 22nd birthday tomorrow.

Kings vs Rockets in Summer League action!  Game starts at 5:30PM PT  You can go to NBA.com to watch the game, or simply click here to open the link.  All you need to do is scroll down below the Sacramento vs Houston scoreboard and click on "watch" when the game is live. 

It's the Kings' last game of the Summer League, folks!  Get your last glimpses of NBA Summer League Basketball, before the full off-season comes into effect.

Continue reading this post »

A lot of people here want Ron Artest traded. For some of them, yesterday would be too soon. For some of them, what we get back in return is of little consequence.

 

While I would like to see Artest on the opening-day roster and see what this team as presently constructed can do, I am not naive enough to think there's no way Artest will be dealt before then.

 

In my opinion, a lot of energy has been expended here with Artest for garbage, play the kids, let's go into full-on rebuild mode thinking. While anything is possible, I think it's pretty clear that is not Geoff Petrie's general method of operation.

 

As a counterpoint, the Bibby trade was essentially that - a proven player for Shelden Williams, a draft pick and three guys who are no longer in the picture. It's worth noting, however, that the Kings had Beno Udrih in the picture and there was a general feeling that he was as good as Bibby overall, certainly more of pure point guard and definitely younger and cheaper.

 

The Webber trade was also that - a declining vet for three role players. I won't say much more, except to note it is at least possible Petrie will eventually take less than I think in an Artest trade.

 

Some have argued Salmons and Garcia are as good as Artest, or that there wouldn't be much of a dropoff, or that if we get someone who is better at the 4 then the tradeoff between a better 4 and a "slightly" worse 3 (aka Artest for Odom) would balance things out. Naturally, such musings tend to forget about the drafting of Jason Thompson and the still unknown development of Shelden Williams.

 

I think the most reasonable assessments leading to the likeliness of Artest being dealt comes from those who feel Petrie will deal Artest if he can get a star back. In other words, Petrie is open to star-for-star trades.

 

I think most, even those who want Artest dealt, concede he is one of the top two players on the team. So what we have going on are some chess matches.

 

Opposing teams are lowballing the Kings and often offering garbage, while Petrie is scouring their roster and saying, "Give me one of your top 2-3 players. Plus, give me a draft pick or a promising player. And, oh yeah, did I mention that you taking Kenny Thomas off my hands HAS to be part of the equation?"

 

It's all likely to add up to nothing soon, unless the other teams blink or REALLY want Artest.

 

Rather than look to trade Artest for a 4, I think the better idea is to trade him for another star 3. I also think getting a strong combo guard who can back up both Udrih and Martin as a sixth man - someone like Jason Terry or Barbosa, just to throw out a couple of names - would help the Kings. That may not happen in an Artest trade, but I think Petrie is spying that opportunity.

 

I think Garcia-Salmons, while both fairly versatile players who can help the Kings in several ways, are both better suited to backing up the 3 hole. One of them might need to be dealt. So maybe you have a potential deal somewhere down the road where Petrie packages some spare parts like Salmons, Williams, Douby, Moore (maybe even Miller) and comes up with a solid combo guard.

 

I am also not sold on our future at the center position. Miller is a solid mid-level center, and a nice high-post player passer with great passing skills, but he's probably on his way out. Hawes also is more of an outside shooting type who is not really well-suited for mixing it up with the big boys down low or defending monsters, although it's certainly too early to write him off.

 

Thompson might end up being the center-power forward type, and maybe we end up signing or trading for a decent 4 at some point to team up with him. I think it's too much to expect Williams to develop into much more than a decent backup.