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Authored by Jason M. Williams - 8th June, 2008 - 9:19 pm
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2007-2008 Finish: 38-44
2008 Draft Picks: 12th, 42nd, 43rd
Pre-Draft 2008-09 Projected Starters:
PG John Salmons
SG Kevin Martin
SF Ron Artest
PF Mikki Moore
C Brad Miller
Key Reserves:
SG Quincy Douby
SF Francisco Garcia
PF Shelden Williams
C Spencer Hawes
What the Kings Do Well:
Employ power forwards. While Brad Miller and his little brother Spencer Hawes are technically listed as centers, they can also be mistaken for power forwards in the league. Couple them with depth chart mainstays Mikki Moore and Shelden Williams, and you have four options at the 4 position. Add in Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas, and the Kings are trying to break records for The Most Power Forwards on One Roster Award.
However, Brad Miller had a strong bounce-back season. He led the team with 9.5 rebounds and 1.03 blocks while adding 13.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. On the outside, Kevin Martin continued his growth as a capable scorer in the league. He led the team with a career-high 23.7 points per game and proved to be a reliable threat from downtown, hitting on 40.2% from deep – the first time in his career he shot over 40%.
Ron Artest continued to battle through trade rumors and continued his dominance on D. He was a major force all over the court in his 57 games played this year, contributing 20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.33 steals per game. Had he played in enough games to be qualified for the league lead, he would have been tied with Chris Paul for the most steals in the NBA this season.
Castaway Beno Udrih found a home this season in Sacramento and made the most of his opportunity. Early injuries and a trade deadline deal that saw Mike Bibby jettisoned to Atlanta gave Udrih the first opportunity of his career to start on a regular basis. He shattered his previous career highs in scoring (12.8, up from 5.9), assists (4.3, up from 1.9), rebounding (3.3, up from 1.2,) and minutes per game (32.0, up from 14.4).
And finally, John Salmons busted out of the gate in the first half of the season with Bibby, Artest, and Martin on the shelf. He averaged a solid 12.5 points on the season but was on fire early on, scoring 17.9 points per game in the month of December, including a career-high 32 in a January win in Madison Square Garden over the Knicks.
Greatest Areas of Improvement:
Upgrade at Point Guard
With Udrih and Anthony Johnson both looking at free agency this summer, the point guard position may be vacant come tip-off in November. The Kings need to decide whether they want to bring back the Yugoslavian Assist Machine or find a new future point guard in this Draft.
Scoring in the Paint
As mentioned earlier, the Kings have a logjam at the power forward position. However, none of them really provide much scoring or intimidation down low. Mikki Moore provides the most toughness, but he stands in at a less-than frightening 7-0, 220 lbs. The Kings need an extra plate of beef, and this Draft has plenty of that to dish out.
Who’s Gone Number 12 Recently?
Over the past five years, the twelfth pick has been used to take a chance on a project. Nick Collison is finally paying dividends in Seattle while Robert Swift, Yaroslav Korolev, and Hilton Armstrong are meddling in mediocrity and virtually on the way out of the league. Thaddeus Young, however, appears to be a steal with this pick last year for the Sixers.
2007
Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers
2006
Hilton Armstrong, New Orleans Hornets
2005
Yaroslav Korolev, L.A. Clippers
2004
Robert Swift, Seattle Supersonics
2003
Nick Collison, Seattle Supersonics
Who Should the Kings Target?
For more in-depth analysis and background regarding the players that the Kings should target in this year’s Draft, click on each player name to be redirected to Christopher Reina’s Prospect Report piece.
- Danilo Gallinari of Italy
With Ron Artest in the final year of his contract, why not take a gamble on another big European long-distance shooting wingman as they did a decade ago with Peja Stojakovic and Hedo Turkoglu? Despite having Francisco Garcia primed to fill in the 3-spot, the Kings could figure this to be a high-risk, high-reward pick that has already paid off for them in the past.
- Javale McGee of Nevada
While Javale McGee doesn’t offer much beef in the paint, he does possess quality moves that can get points on the board for the Kings. Most of the Royal Big Men rely on their mid-range jumper whereas McGee has the ability to use multiple moves to score in a variety of ways from the low block. McGee also added 2.8 blocked shots per game, which would be a big-time upgrade for Sacramento since Brad Miller led the team with only 1.03 blocks per game.
- Joe Alexander of West Virginia
Alexander is an elite athlete who many believe will become one of the biggest steals in the Draft. With Artest potentially on the way out, what better way to fill the void at small forward than with a proven collegiate scoring machine with unmatched athleticism and strength from the position. He led the pre-Draft camp in bench press reps and ¾ court sprint time while also finishing in the top 5 in vertical jump. He is a freakish athlete who could battle with John Salmons and Francisco Garcia for a starting spot especially if the Kings choose to trade Artest for a veteran point guard.
- Russell Westbrook of UCLA
The Kings would be the happiest team in history of Westbrook fell to them at this slot. It is very unlikely that any of the top four ‘point guard’ options – Rose, Mayo, Augustin, Westbrook – will be available this late in the Draft, but if Westbrook falls, the pick would be a no-brainer for Sacto. Or, they could reach on a guy like Ty Lawson of UNC.
Who Do the Fans Want?
According to Andrew Perna’s Sacramento Kings Lottery Summit, an interactive column featuring the responses of true RealGM hoops fans hoping to add their two cents to the Kings Draft discussion, the fans of Sactown have made it known that they would an upgrade at the point guard position. The consensus of the Sacramento faithful was unable to choose from their top two favorites. They have suggested whom they want the twelfth overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft:
D.J. Augustin, PG – Texas
or
Russell Westbrook, PG - UCLA
Picks Over the Past Five Years
The Kings have done very well with their picks over the past four years. They snagged Kevin Martin with the 26th pick, Francisco Garcia with the 23rd, and Quincy Douby with the 19th selection. These are all high value picks in the second half of the first round, and Spencer Hawes looked solid in his limited minutes in his rookie season.
2007
Spencer Hawes, 10th
2006
Quincy Douby, 19th
2005
Francisco Garcia, 23rd
2004
Kevin Martin, 26th
Ricky Minard, 47th
2003
No Picks
Previous Editions of the 30 Teams, 30 Days Series
30 Teams, 30 Days: Chicago Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Miami Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Minnesota Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Seattle Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Memphis Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: New York Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: LA Clippers Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Milwaukee Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Charlotte Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: New Jersey Draft Preview
30 Teams, 30 Days: Indiana Draft Preview
Who do you want the Kings to draft at number 12? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments and questions. |
