WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THAT OTHER TEAM IN NORTHERN

CALIFORNIA?
Here we are. Another season in the NBA has just gotten underway.
Some teams are going to surprise us. Some teams are going to
disappoint us. Some teams are going to perform exactly how we
thought they would. Such is the way these things work. But lets
examine one team in particular, the other guys who play ball in
Northern California in the shadow of the defending NBA champion
Golden State Warriors.
The Sacramento Kings at first glance are an almost hilarious
combination of uncertainty. Their star player and their coach had an
interesting offseason. They made the head-scratching trade with the
Philadelphia Trust The Processes in order to free up cap room to sign a
starting point guard that no one wanted to sign and a 30 year old
shooting guard coming off of a major Achilles injury (who they ended
up not signing despite offering MORE money than Mark Cuban). Also in
that trade they gave up their 1st round pick (how great of a nickname is
SAUCE CASTILLO?) from the year before which, unbelievably, is the
SECOND fastest (in recent memory) they have given up on a lottery
pick (the Thomas Robinson fiasco). We still do not know if their owner
is trying to start his 4 on 5 cherry-picking offensive revolution. The
front office looks like it was a handpicked by a fan still stuck in 2002.
The Kings also unfortunately play in the West, which is a suicide
mission to have to get through for 82 games plus the playoffs. The
Warriors, Thunder, Spurs, Rockets, and Clippers are all locks for the
promised land. A very well-coached Jazz team, the Grit N Grind Grizz,
All-World Anthony Davis and his Pelicans, and an underrated Phoenix
Suns squad are all going to be competing for the other three spots.
So, after all of that, why do I believe the Kings have a real shot at
making the playoffs?
Lets start with the most important piece of the puzzle, DeMarcus
Cousins.
Cousins is no doubt a full-fledged superstar, and while I think his
reputation as immature is over-blown and outdated, he hasnt shown
he can last a full season without doing things like this. But when
engaged, he has no real weaknesses. Hes got a great post game, a
nice touch from the outside, now extending to behind the arc, and he is
a talented passer who can read a defense and react to find an open
teammate. This video articulates that ability perfectly. And while I
reiterate the words, when engaged, he can surely be a factor on the
defensive end as he was early on last season during the Kings

surprising start before his unfortunate bout with meningitis. Cousins is

a passionate player who brings back some of that old-school, nonbuddy buddy mentality and I love it.
Rudy Gays story from UConn to his, now, 11th NBA season is a funny
one in terms of how he was perceived back then vs. what he is now.
And as for Gay, what he is now is essentially a one-dimensional scorer
on offense who might genuinely harbor disdain for watching the ball
the leave his hands unless it is in the form of a contested jump shot.
But on the flip side, there is definitely value in being able to create
shots out of nowhere. Offensive sets dont work one hundred percent
of the time and having the ability to give the basketball to Gay in the
waning seconds of a possession and letting him work to get a shot off
is an asset that George Karl can keep in his back pocket. Hes got a
beautiful-looking shot, the ability to post up smaller guys, and can
finish in traffic through contact. But hes a ball-stopper in a half-court
offense, which makes him something of an antagonist with George
Karls coaching style emphasizing a fast pace and ball movement. Im
on the side of a coach adjusting his style to fit his personnel, but an
offense in todays NBA cannot be molded to fit an isolation scorer. And
even if you were so inclined to buck that philosophy, Rudy Gay isnt
nearly transcendent enough of a player to do so. Not to mention his
defense fluctuates between inconsistent and nonexistent.
Speaking of Rajon Rondo (TRANSITIONS amitrite!!!??), I am not too
sure why this signing could be perceived as a bad one. The opportunity
cost for the Kings to make the signing in the form of that weird trade
with Philly is another issue but isolated by itself, I like the move. Yes, I
know Rondo hasnt been Rondo in quite a few seasons. He actively
mails it in on defense, still has no consistent jump shot, wants all of the
control, and is generally a moody personality. On paper, Rondo and
Karl seems like a worse fit than just about anything you can think of in
the universe.
But Rondo knows what his reputation around the league is like these
days. He knows he is playing for one last major long-term deal and
while hes probably no longer the player he used to be, it does not
signal the end of the road for him being an effective point guard. First
of all, the Kings have multiple guys who like to score (Cousins, Gay,
McLemore, etc.). Rondo is not a threat to steal shots and hes going to
feed his scorers. Hes still a smart player that sees the floor, how plays
develop, and understands the concept of getting the ball to his scorers
in their comfort areas. That will help simplify things for young guys like
Ben McLemore and Willie Cauley-Stein as they work to gain confidence
within the offense and develop their repertoires. And as long as Rondo
tries on defense (no sure bet with him), that should help matters

greatly because he is instinctual on that end with great physical tools

(69 wingspan and 9.5 inch hands). Defense, after all, was his calling
card at Kentucky and early on in Boston.
And if Rondo struggles, Darren Collison is a more than capable backup
that can soak up minutes. Hes a jitterbug who can share point guard
duties and play off of the ball with Rondo, a look the Kings have gone
to in stretches early on this season.
The bottom line is its a prove it, one-year deal. Sure, the Kings run the
risk of losing Rondo to another higher profile team if he plays well this
season, but the franchise clearly want out of the cellar and this move
has potential to move the needle a bit if his play stays rejuvenated
throughout the season.
The great thing about the Kings is that they can play a number of
different styles. They can go big with Cousins and Cauley-Stein without
sacrificing much on either end given WCSs ridiculous athleticism,
defensive instincts, and his awesome ability to defend guards in
pinches. Then they can also slide Rudy Gay into a small-ball power
forward role with WCS in stretches when Cousins needs a breather with
floor spacers like McLemore and Marco Belinelli (Gay just has to
abandon his tunnel vision and be a willing passer in this scenario, and
if youre reading this Rudy, itll help you get buckets too, man). Offense
will be where the Kings hang their hat this year because of the talent
they have on that end and combined with George Karls mind, they
have a few templates to success. Karl has been around the block and
though he has underachieved at times, there is no denying that he can
install a successful game plan that takes advantages of the teams
strengths. Defense will be a tougher sell on anyone trying to predict
the Western Conference playoff picture as that end is a little unclear,
but there is potential there with WCS possibly leading the way as early
as this season. The bench is solid with more than capable role players
like Kosta Koufos, Collison, Quincy Acy, Belinelli, and Omri Casspi.
Im going to be bold and predict that the Sacramento Kings narrowly
grab the 8th seed this season and a date in hell with the winner of the
Western Conference. DeMarcus Cousins is a superstar approaching his
prime with a competent coach and some nice pieces around him. A few
things go right and we could see these guys playing meaningful games
in the spring. I mean, so much has gone wrong for the franchise,
something has to give... right?