Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Sacramento Kings Put the Fun in Dysfunctional: The Most Interesting Trainwreck in the NBA

The Kings were looking up after last season. Yes, they missed the playoffs again, but they had a good team. They had NBA rookie of the year Tyreke Evans, and a lottery pick in a pretty deep NBA draft. They went ahead and grabbed DeMarcus Cousins. Though they still had a lot to go before becoming a contender, they were expected to play with some resiliency. Instead, they are on a trainwreck and last place in the Western Conference.

They have had success as a team, and some very exciting plays. The first, and really only, play that comes to mind is Tyreke Evans' halftime buzzer-beater. But this play also accentuates a lot of problems with the Kings. First, they have a bad defense. The shot that O.J. Mayo took on this play was a high-difficulty shot, but there wasn't a hand in his face. Then you have to rely on a prayer to win a game. Yes, it was beautiful and magical, but you should never have to rely on a play like that to win a game. It will end up on a lot of highlight reels, but after the initial shock, you gotta admit that the Kings were thinking that they got away with a win right there.

It isn't like the Kings are completely void of talent. Jason Thompson is a young power forward with potential. Samuel Dalembert is a strong starter for many teams. Of course, you have Tyreke Evans who is a very explosive point guard and DeMarcus Cousins, undoubtedly Rookie First-Team this year. But they just never got it together. They don't exactly have chemistry problems. It is more that they never improved from the last season. Evans still hasn't developed a steady jump shot, his shot selection is still iffy at best, and he does not make the best passes all the time. And by giving up Kevin Martin last season, they lost a very dependable scorer, and though they have sort of replaced him with Marcus Thornton, they did not make a play for a great perimeter scorer until late in the season. For all of the strength defensively inside, they really only have Cousins producing from inside offensively. The opposite problem occurs on the outside. They have some decent outside options, but defensively, they aren't that strong on the outside.

The Kings coach Paul Westphal also has trouble with his team. This is nothing like the situation in Detroit, but there are some clear problems, especially with DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins is arguably the most talented player on the team, but he has the biggest problems with Westphal. Cousins is a deserving starter in my opinion, but he has an attitude. He gets into other people's faces, and that was one of the big asterisks by his name in the draft. Those character problems really showed when he was benched. Westphal had every reason to do so, but he handled the situation very badly. Fortunately they seemed to have passed this early struggle. But now another problems has risen for this team.

The Sacramento Kings may no longer be the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento could be moving to Anaheim. Though fans tried to convince the team that it is better off in Sacramento, but considering the markets in Anaheim and Sacramento, it seems more financially wise to move to Anaheim. But it does destroy a great history that the Kings had in Sacramento. There once was a time when Sacramento was feared. There once was a time that Sacramento competed with the West's elite. But that time has come and gone. Maybe Evans, Cousins, and the rest of the Kings are better off starting their new history. But there is no doubt that the Kings have collapsed. Maybe the only way to stop a trainwreck is to change rails. Here's hoping for the future of the Anaheim Kings is as great as the past of the Sacramento Kings.

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