The Kings don’t have a great record at just 10-21, additionally, they don’t have a long term coach in Keith Smart, and they don’t have great veterans (sorry Chuck Hayes, you just aren’t cutting it as a sole veteran for the team). But those are pretty much the only bad things for the team, and all of those things are going to get better.
Pretty much, the importance of wins is to get fan excitement. Generally you don’t want to have a bad season because your fans won’t enjoy it and therefore won’t watch; and you want to have a good season so fans will be excited about their teams. For this reason, the kings pretty much have a free pass this season. By signing their deal to stay in Sacramento, the Kings have made their fans excited about their team, and they are just glad to be having a team. Therefore those fans are going to worship their team regardless of how they play.
Since they aren’t in the championship, I’d say their record is even helpful. In a year where there are a lot of exciting bigs, having a high lottery pick is good. Right now the kings have the seventh worst record in the league. Pretty much anyone they could get with that pick would instantly jump into the starting lineup. Let’s examine a specific case, say they get Jared Sullinger with the pick; They would instantly have a frontcourt that would be unique and at least borderline elite.
Demarcus Cousins is averaging 16.4 points and 11 rebounds this season (which is outstanding for a third scoring option who only averages 29 minutes a game; Andrew Bynum, the second scoring option on his team, averages 16.4 points and 12.3 rebounds in 34 minutes.) he’s also not a normal big man stylistically; he’s quick (for a big man), he can handle the ball (for a big man), he passes well from the post, he runs the floor surprisingly well, and although he doesn’t get as many blocks as you’d like a big man to get, he gets steals using his quickness. Jared Sullinger Is a big man very much like Greg Monroe; he’s got a great post game, he rebounds well, and he’s slow, but he actually has advantages on Monroe because he’s bigger (280 pounds), he scores better, and he gets steals. Their frontcourt would be two bulky (550 combined pounds) low post scorers who rebound well and run the floor well and can run heavy minutes. That would be the biggest front court in the NBA, and these are both guys who genuinely do use their weight.
Everyone has been playing well lately. Keith Smart may not be a championship coach, but he certainly is making championship players. Before he came Tyreke Evans was having a terrible season, Demarcus Cousins was about to be labeled a bust, and Isiah Thomas was the most irrelevant name imaginable. Over the last 10 games Evans has averaged 17 points 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Thomas is averaging 13 points and 4 assist (19.5 points and 6.3 assists over the 5 games he has started), and Cousins has averaged 19.6 Points and 11.3 Rebounds, and Marcus Thornton, who was already playing well, has been averaging 20 points. Pretty much every player on the team has been playing better under Smart. The only reason they lose is because their defense sucks, but really it’s their defensive strategy that sucks. That’s one of the things you don’t get with Keith Smart is wins but he will help another coach get some soon.
They really have the players you need to succeed, a wing scorer (Thornton), a post scorer (Cousins) a versatile, athletic, defender (Evans), and a point guard who you can trust with your offense (Thomas)… wait did I just list Isiah Thomas as a trustable point guard? Scratch that, I’ll admit, they can’t yet consider their void at the point guard position filled yet. Thomas isn’t big, not a great shooter, and not a great passer. He’s not the next Linsanity he’s just having a spike. That being said, he does have a permanent place in this league perhaps even as a starter on a contender, but he’s just can’t be a core part of a championship team. If the Kings want a championship, they’ll need a frontcourt partner for Cousins and a starting point guard.
So really, assuming they get that (not that hard to do when you have a good first round pick coming up in a draft class loaded with big men. And they needed a veteran or two (veterans on expiring contracts over the next two years are: Kirk Hinrich, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal, Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion, Ben Wallace, Samuel Dalambert, David West, Chauncey Billups, Juwan Howard, Brad Miller, Mehmet Okur, Chris Kaman, Emeka Okafor, Mike Bibby, Baron Davis, Tony Battie, Elton Brand, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Kurt Thomas, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Raja Bell, and Maurice Evans.) Obviously they are going to have to show improvement (or just fork up a lot of cash) to sign any of these guys. (genuinely, they should just fork up some cash and get rid of salmons.) But really, isn’t it scary to think that the team that’s 7th to last could be in contention for a championship within 3 years?
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