The Kings have some of the league’s best fans who have suffered through one of the worst half-decades in team history
For the last 5 years, I’ve asked Santa for three things: a date with Selena Gomez, the ability to apparate, and a NBA team to run. This year like the last 4, Santa didn’t come through. I’m sure the big man has his doubts about my qualifications to GM a franchise so I’m going to prove to him that I got what it takes. One-by-one, I’m going to create a plan for each NBA team in distress. The plans are for the next calendar year and hopefully put the team in the best position for long term success. As for the other two wishes, I got no excuse for Santa Claus. He’s gotta make it happen at some point.
The Kings of Sacramento have been anything but royal this last half-decade. They haven’t played a postseason game since 2006. They haven’t finished above .500 since that season and the team won 35 games or more just once in that span(a 38-44 campaign in 2007). Since firing Rick Adelman before the 2006-07 season, the Kings employed six head coaches including the immortal Kenny Natt who went 11-47 in 2008. But, things are looking up in a few ways for Kings fans. After almost moving to Seattle last season, the NBA owners voted to keep the team in Sacramento. Following the vote, the Maloof brothers finally sold the team to Vivek Ranadive.
Vivek Ranadive saved the Kings from moving to Seattle, now he’s working on building a winning franchise
Vivek already has plans in place for a new stadium and is trying to change the culture in SacTown. He brought in Pete D’Alessandro, a former disciple of the Masai-ah from Denver, as the Kings GM. Mike Malone took over the head coaching position. In 2012, NBA GMs voted Malone as the league’s best head coach. D’Alessandro promised moves and delivered almost immediately by getting Greivis Vasquez in a sign-and-trade for Tyreke Evans. He then picked up Luc Mbah a Moute for two second round picks before the season. He then turned those two into Derrick Williams, an elite player in college struggling to find a spot in the NBA. D’Alessandro dealt with his former boss in Denver and brought Rudy Gay over from Toronto in a seven player deal. Despite all the changes and new faces, the Kings look pretty much the same. They’re second-to-last in the West at 8-19, have the league’s second worst defense(thank God for the Knicks), and team chemistry is at an all time low. In fact, the only stat they lead the league in is calling each other out. I expect even more big changes this year for Sacramento, so without futher ado here’s the plan for the Kings to have long term potential by next Christmas.
Step 1: Be terrible in 2013. The only thing the Kings have succeeded in this season is losing. So just keep on, keeping on Sacramento. Realistically, the Kings have no shot at a playoff spot in the incredibly strong Western Conference. As much as the league wants to get rid of tanking, it’s a great strategy to get superstars and the Kings don’t need to do anything to implement it. Also, the Kings need to be truly awful to ensure they get their pick. Back in 2011, Sacramento traded a first round pick in one of the best drafts in recent memory for JJ Hickson. The pick is top 12 protected, which means the Kings need to finish in the league’s bottom 10 to ensure the pick.
Step 2: Figure out if you can build around Boogie. If you’re going to be awful for a season, don’t waste the entire year. The Kings need to experiment with this roster and find out who they’re keeping for the long term. Demarcus Cousins is the most secure King as he just signed a 4-year, $62 million extension. He’s posting career highs in shooting percentage(49.5%), assists(3.1), and points(22.5). The 23-year old is developing into an offensive load in the post and could be turn into the league’s best offensive center by year’s end.
Is this really the Kings’ franchise cornerstone? In short, yes.
But, Boogie doesn’t seem very interested in protecting the rim or playing defense in general. He allows opponents to shoot 53% at the rim, which puts him in the bottom 20 of that category according to NBA.com. He leads the league in both personal fouls per game and technical fouls. Cousins’s reputation as a headcase is probably contributing to the tech numbers and will only worsen if he doesn’t turn it around. He also seems like an awful person to play with. So is this a guy you want to build your franchise around? Honestly, Boogie is the Kings’ best option right now so the answer is yes. As for everyone else, The Kings probably only want to keep Isaiah Thomas(depending on how much he’ll cost this summer) and Ben McLemore. Derrick Williams is an interesting prospect, but outside of one 31-point performance, he’s been uninspiring.
Step 3: Solve the Rudy Gay problem. The Kings are stuck with Rudy Gay, whether they want him or not. He’s under contract for the next two years, raking in $37.1 million in that time or just a shade under the entire GDP of Tuvalu. Gay has suffered a rough couple of years. The explosion of advanced stats and his overall decline have landed him on his third team in two seasons. Gay bottomed out in Toronto this season and his efficiency dropped to an all time low. But as Tom Ziller pointed out when the trade happened, Gay’s efficiency fell as his usage rate went up in Memphis and Toronto. The Kings, already loaded with high usage players, might provide the right situation for Gay. They need to use Gay’s isolation talents later in possessions, rather than relying on him to initiate the offense. He should get the ball as a second option if the first offensive set breaks down. So far with the Kings, Gay has taken five less shots a game and is shooting 46%, up from 39% in Toronto. Maybe, Rudy Gay will finally become an efficient player in Sacramento. No really, stop laughing.
Step 4: Preach patience and shed salary. The Kings have just over $7 million coming off the books this summer. But, Boogie’s raise pretty much wipes that out. Rudy Gay is still under contract through next season. Carl Landry and Jason Thompson come back at the same price for the next four years. Travis Outlaw enters the last year of his deal as does Marcus Thornton. Isaiah Thomas will get a huge pay raise this summer, whether in Sacramento or not. All-in-all, the Kings won’t have much cap flexibility until next summer. So, they have to do what bad teams have done since the dawn of time: tell their fans to be patience. Success doesn’t happen overnight, unless you’re the Heat or Kim Kardashian. They can look at trade possibilities for Thomas if they want as much cap room as possible. But, I don’t think they can get the right value for him.
Boogie and Kings may not be happy now, but the future could be bright in SacTown
The Kings are a mess right now. But, D’Alessandro and Malone can sort through the rubble of offensive wing players to create a functional NBA team. This summer, they need to find a rim-protecting big man to pair with Boogie and a veteran presence in the locker room. Emeka Okafor and Jordan Hill are the two free agents that most fit that description. This time next year, I expect the Kings will still be struggling to win games. The contracts they’re under just make a one-year rebuild impossible. But if they get improvements from Rudy Gay, the Kings can flip Gay’s expiring contract for assets or picks. Overall, the Kings need two more years to reach their goals. Drafting a star this June and finding help defensively this summer can move them forward. With this management group in place and the salary cap space coming in 2015, make sure you use up all your Kings jokes now.
Gabe Ibrahim 