PMOTT3 and Chuck Texas Early Off-Season Review: Sacramento Kings

[Kings2013]

Why would they worry if Koufos/Bellinelli deals aren't available over the next two years? One of those guys plays the same positions as the team's franchise player (and the kid they just drafted) and the other is simply mediocre. Sacrificing major assets for guys who don't move the needle isn't "taking a gamble." It's just poor management.

Koufos and Bellinelli aren't convincing Cousins to stay and if he leaves they'll still be getting paid.

To understand the answer to this I guess is to be a Kings fan. We had a very good starting unit for a lot of last year while in tact http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/2/4/7976569/sacramento-kings-lineup-starters-ty-corbin-demarcus-cousins and a garbage bench. So why would adding a good back up big who played well for Memphis and a solid floor stretching guard help us when we had nothing as far as back up guards last year?

We believe, and WCS believes he can play a PF in the league (or is a PF). That's why a lot of mocks had us taking him, because he plays differently from Cuz and is believed to compliment him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i89E4DyhVU0

[benchmobbin02]

Voted an F.

Amazing that they could have drafted Mudiay, and had the cap room for their only decent FA signing of Koufos without any trade. He didn't work out for us being stated as a draft reason is terrible, and I think WCS was a reach.

Collison/Mudiay
McLemore/Stauskas
Gay / Cassipi
Cousins / Landry
Koufos/ Thompson

is a better long term core ignoring the draft picks and the swaps.

Rondo best case helps then needs a big raise, and isn't matching up in terms of core ages. It is a bandaid instead of a real treatment. Bellini is meh.

Compare NOP and Sac's win now pushes around their stars.

NOP -- Gets a 23 year old pg in Jrue, 24 year old in Tyreke, and a mid aged stabilizer (28) in Asik.
SAC -- Gets an 29 year old malcontent Rondo, a 29 year old Belinelli, and a 26 year old Koufos.

So, basically Sac said, lets do what NOP did. But get worse players who are older. I have trouble seeing this play out well long term. And the short term gain isn't all that great.

Add in the continued front office instability, and it is a train wreck. F feels friendly for what their offseason was.

If you are going to compare the win-now moves sac and NO made, at least include all the details.

Sac traded parts deemed around here as useless (stauskus, JT, Landry), the right to swap picks with a franchise dedicated to tanking and one future pick. They used the cap space to sign rondo, koufos, belinelli and butler (total cost around 60m the next few years)

NO traded better spare parts (robin Lopez, Vasquez) plus draft picks that became needles Noel, Elfrid Payton (who became saric and another first) and sam decker. They used their space to sign holiday, Evans and asik for over 140m the next few years.

So yes, sac got worse players for winning now but they did it at less than half the cost, sent out less valuable players and likely sacrificed far less in terms if draft picks.

I know it's the thing to pick on the kings and as a long time suffering fan, they deserve most of it. And the cousins karl thing could still blow up in their faces. But the moves they made this offseason, which is what is supposed to be graded here are far from a d or f.

They needed vets. They needed defense. They needed shooting. They needed another passer. They got those things are really good deals and what they sacrificed is likely to turn into nothing more than a pick in 2-3 years. If you swapped the name on the front of the jersey for almost any other team, most fans would rate this offseason much differently.

Lopez wasn't really needed to get Tyreke, and that was massively boneheaded.

But NOP sent out 3 picks, the highest being 6th in what people at the time thought was a weak draft.
Sac just sent out Stauskas (1 year removed from picked 8th), 2 unprotected pick swaps -- which has a 20% chance of being used next year based upon the pre-Vegas lines even with Philly 30th in the league, a position they have yet to be able to get with trying), and a pick that could be unprotected in the year Cousins is no longer under contract.

I think the sent out was pretty close to equal. Especially when looking at the chance of those pick swaps. But NOP went for pieces that, even if they haven't fully worked out, made sense. I cannot say the same about Sac.

In terms of what Sac's needs were, I think it was to get a core that could grow with Cousins so it would be peaking when Cousins is nearing free agency in a few years, and doesn't suck. I'm not sure they hit any of that.
Rondo is on a rental deal, looked horrible in Dallas, and is already 29. Belinelli is non-spectacular and 29. WCS has a reach. I think they blew it even ignoring the trade that was horrific. And then you do have the Cousins - Karl; Vlade - Oliver; Randive - definitely not at fault for anything; and Levien being an unofficial advisor is massive trouble (look at his last two stints and the ensuing power struggles, which in both cases he lost).

People aren't picking on the Kings because it is a thing. People are picking on what the Kings did because of what the Kings did. It is so frustrating hearing the same tired refrain that somehow it is some bias against the team...

It is 2018 top 10 protected 1st rd pick and the right to swap 2016 and 2017 1st rd picks and the right to swap 2019 2nd rd pick per realgm trade details.

http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed

So follow me here, for the 2016 pick to go to CHI it has to be pick 11-30. We will most likely be sending our 2016 1st to CHI. So, NO swap with Philly next year. EXPIRES

Now the 2017 pick swap. We have DMC (his contract yr), WCS, Rudy (player option), Koufos and Beli (his contract yr) under contract and Ben and Moreland RFA. If we were winning the past 2 yrs we look to reup DMC and if not look to trade DMC for assets and rebuild. 50/50 shot Philly hasn't built anything, so 50/50 shot we have a better record. 50% chance we swap. Both team still get there 1st picks.

Now to 2018. Everyone on our team is a FA except Koufos unless we were winning and resigned the main guys and filled in with other talent to keep chasing the playoffs. Then they would get the pick. If not, we are rebuilding and it's a better shot that we keep the top ten protected pick.

So they got JT and Landry for two yrs at 6mil a piece, Staukas for 3yrs, no swap in 2016, 50% chance swap 2017 and 40% chance they get our 1st pick in 2018 and a 2nd rd pick swap in 2019.
We got the ability to sign Koufos, Beli, Casspi, cap room to sign one more vet min player and 2 overseas players. Not to bad IMO.

[HartfordWhalers]

If you are going to compare the win-now moves sac and NO made, at least include all the details.

Sac traded parts deemed around here as useless (stauskus, JT, Landry), the right to swap picks with a franchise dedicated to tanking and one future pick. They used the cap space to sign rondo, koufos, belinelli and butler (total cost around 60m the next few years)

NO traded better spare parts (robin Lopez, Vasquez) plus draft picks that became needles Noel, Elfrid Payton (who became saric and another first) and sam decker. They used their space to sign holiday, Evans and asik for over 140m the next few years.

So yes, sac got worse players for winning now but they did it at less than half the cost, sent out less valuable players and likely sacrificed far less in terms if draft picks.

I know it's the thing to pick on the kings and as a long time suffering fan, they deserve most of it. And the cousins karl thing could still blow up in their faces. But the moves they made this offseason, which is what is supposed to be graded here are far from a d or f.

They needed vets. They needed defense. They needed shooting. They needed another passer. They got those things are really good deals and what they sacrificed is likely to turn into nothing more than a pick in 2-3 years. If you swapped the name on the front of the jersey for almost any other team, most fans would rate this offseason much differently.

Lopez wasn't really needed to get Tyreke, and that was massively boneheaded.

But NOP sent out 3 picks, the highest being 6th in what people at the time thought was a weak draft.
Sac just sent out Stauskas (1 year removed from picked 8th), 2 unprotected pick swaps -- which has a 20% chance of being used next year based upon the pre-Vegas lines even with Philly 30th in the league, a position they have yet to be able to get with trying), and a pick that could be unprotected in the year Cousins is no longer under contract.

I think the sent out was pretty close to equal. Especially when looking at the chance of those pick swaps. But NOP went for pieces that, even if they haven't fully worked out, made sense. I cannot say the same about Sac.

In terms of what Sac's needs were, I think it was to get a core that could grow with Cousins so it would be peaking when Cousins is nearing free agency in a few years, and doesn't suck. I'm not sure they hit any of that.
Rondo is on a rental deal, looked horrible in Dallas, and is already 29. Belinelli is non-spectacular and 29. WCS has a reach. I think they blew it even ignoring the trade that was horrific. And then you do have the Cousins - Karl; Vlade - Oliver; Randive - definitely not at fault for anything; and Levien being an unofficial advisor is massive trouble (look at his last two stints and the ensuing power struggles, which in both cases he lost).

People aren't picking on the Kings because it is a thing. People are picking on what the Kings did because of what the Kings did. It is so frustrating hearing the same tired refrain that somehow it is some bias against the team...

It is 2018 top 10 protected 1st rd pick and the right to swap 2016 and 2017 1st rd picks and the right to swap 2019 2nd rd pick per realgm trade details.

http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed

So follow me here, for the 2016 pick to go to CHI it has to be pick 11-30. We will most likely be sending our 2016 1st to CHI. So, NO swap with Philly next year. EXPIRES

Now the 2017 pick swap. We have DMC (his contract yr), WCS, Rudy (player option), Koufos and Beli (his contract yr) under contract and Ben and Moreland RFA. If we were winning the past 2 yrs we look to reup DMC and if not look to trade DMC for assets and rebuild. 50/50 shot Philly hasn't built anything, so 50/50 shot we have a better record. 50% chance we swap. Both team still get there 1st picks.

Now to 2018. Everyone on our team is a FA except Koufos unless we were winning and resigned the main guys and filled in with other talent to keep chasing the playoffs. Then they would get the pick. If not, we are rebuilding and it's a better shot that we keep the top ten protected pick.

So they got JT and Landry for two yrs at 6mil a piece, Staukas for 3yrs, no swap in 2016, 50% chance swap 2017 and 40% chance they get our 1st pick in 2018 and a 2nd rd pick swap in 2019.
We got the ability to sign Koufos, Beli, Casspi, cap room to sign one more vet min player and 2 overseas players. Not to bad IMO.

Any scenario that starts with the Kings jumping 5 teams in the standings and staying there post lottery as a given seems optimistic to me.

But more than that, you see to have some basic facts wrong. If the Kings keep their 2018 1st, Philly gets the Kings 2019 1st unprotected. So, by your numbers there is a 60% chance Philly gets an unprotected pick outright from the Kings.

That 2nd round swap is unrelated, and with Milwaukee. Philly then snuck in and grabbed dibs on the better of the two picks, but neither team gets a pick from Philly.

[City of Trees]

.................

Sent from my Z970 using Tapatalk

[Kings2013]

Lopez wasn't really needed to get Tyreke, and that was massively boneheaded.

But NOP sent out 3 picks, the highest being 6th in what people at the time thought was a weak draft.
Sac just sent out Stauskas (1 year removed from picked 8th), 2 unprotected pick swaps -- which has a 20% chance of being used next year based upon the pre-Vegas lines even with Philly 30th in the league, a position they have yet to be able to get with trying), and a pick that could be unprotected in the year Cousins is no longer under contract.

I think the sent out was pretty close to equal. Especially when looking at the chance of those pick swaps. But NOP went for pieces that, even if they haven't fully worked out, made sense. I cannot say the same about Sac.

In terms of what Sac's needs were, I think it was to get a core that could grow with Cousins so it would be peaking when Cousins is nearing free agency in a few years, and doesn't suck. I'm not sure they hit any of that.
Rondo is on a rental deal, looked horrible in Dallas, and is already 29. Belinelli is non-spectacular and 29. WCS has a reach. I think they blew it even ignoring the trade that was horrific. And then you do have the Cousins - Karl; Vlade - Oliver; Randive - definitely not at fault for anything; and Levien being an unofficial advisor is massive trouble (look at his last two stints and the ensuing power struggles, which in both cases he lost).

People aren't picking on the Kings because it is a thing. People are picking on what the Kings did because of what the Kings did. It is so frustrating hearing the same tired refrain that somehow it is some bias against the team...

It is 2018 top 10 protected 1st rd pick and the right to swap 2016 and 2017 1st rd picks and the right to swap 2019 2nd rd pick per realgm trade details.

http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed

So follow me here, for the 2016 pick to go to CHI it has to be pick 11-30. We will most likely be sending our 2016 1st to CHI. So, NO swap with Philly next year. EXPIRES

Now the 2017 pick swap. We have DMC (his contract yr), WCS, Rudy (player option), Koufos and Beli (his contract yr) under contract and Ben and Moreland RFA. If we were winning the past 2 yrs we look to reup DMC and if not look to trade DMC for assets and rebuild. 50/50 shot Philly hasn't built anything, so 50/50 shot we have a better record. 50% chance we swap. Both team still get there 1st picks.

Now to 2018. Everyone on our team is a FA except Koufos unless we were winning and resigned the main guys and filled in with other talent to keep chasing the playoffs. Then they would get the pick. If not, we are rebuilding and it's a better shot that we keep the top ten protected pick.

So they got JT and Landry for two yrs at 6mil a piece, Staukas for 3yrs, no swap in 2016, 50% chance swap 2017 and 40% chance they get our 1st pick in 2018 and a 2nd rd pick swap in 2019.
We got the ability to sign Koufos, Beli, Casspi, cap room to sign one more vet min player and 2 overseas players. Not to bad IMO.

Any scenario that starts with the Kings jumping 5 teams in the standings and staying there post lottery as a given seems optimistic to me.

But more than that, you see to have some basic facts wrong. If the Kings keep their 2018 1st, Philly gets the Kings 2019 1st unprotected. So, by your numbers there is a 60% chance Philly gets an unprotected pick outright from the Kings.

That 2nd round swap is unrelated, and with Milwaukee. Philly then snuck in and grabbed dibs on the better of the two picks, but neither team gets a pick from Philly.

All of that is subjective.

First of all, a lot of Kings fans believe in our future enough, and not Philly's future, to take Koufos for that unprotected pick in the future. We have a competitive core now, just need better periphery players

I didn't understand the equivalence with Jrue, Tyreke, Asik and our three players? Are those supposed to be the three best supporting players? Cousins decision will be made two years from now, that is the only "peak" in terms of age, its a little different from the Unibrow situation. Concerning who will match up with his late 20's when he might not be here might be counter productive

I didn't really understand the Rondo thing but intelligent minds believe he will work with our core, that needs to play out

No one is sad to see Stauskas go, he was garbage here. I hope the best for him, but Beli is the better bet now.

Mudiay just needs to show more than 12 pts/38.5% and a near 1/1 assist to turn is summer league for anyone to care at this point. That isn't known

But I don't want any bad will from this trade. You'll see on this thread your one of the most cynical voices to what we've been doing. I have sensed that personally before. I'll assume it's objectivity

[benchmobbin02]

Kings2013

[HartfordWhalers]

It is 2018 top 10 protected 1st rd pick and the right to swap 2016 and 2017 1st rd picks and the right to swap 2019 2nd rd pick per realgm trade details.

http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed

So follow me here, for the 2016 pick to go to CHI it has to be pick 11-30. We will most likely be sending our 2016 1st to CHI. So, NO swap with Philly next year. EXPIRES

Now the 2017 pick swap. We have DMC (his contract yr), WCS, Rudy (player option), Koufos and Beli (his contract yr) under contract and Ben and Moreland RFA. If we were winning the past 2 yrs we look to reup DMC and if not look to trade DMC for assets and rebuild. 50/50 shot Philly hasn't built anything, so 50/50 shot we have a better record. 50% chance we swap. Both team still get there 1st picks.

Now to 2018. Everyone on our team is a FA except Koufos unless we were winning and resigned the main guys and filled in with other talent to keep chasing the playoffs. Then they would get the pick. If not, we are rebuilding and it's a better shot that we keep the top ten protected pick.

So they got JT and Landry for two yrs at 6mil a piece, Staukas for 3yrs, no swap in 2016, 50% chance swap 2017 and 40% chance they get our 1st pick in 2018 and a 2nd rd pick swap in 2019.
We got the ability to sign Koufos, Beli, Casspi, cap room to sign one more vet min player and 2 overseas players. Not to bad IMO.

Any scenario that starts with the Kings jumping 5 teams in the standings and staying there post lottery as a given seems optimistic to me.

But more than that, you see to have some basic facts wrong. If the Kings keep their 2018 1st, Philly gets the Kings 2019 1st unprotected. So, by your numbers there is a 60% chance Philly gets an unprotected pick outright from the Kings.

That 2nd round swap is unrelated, and with Milwaukee. Philly then snuck in and grabbed dibs on the better of the two picks, but neither team gets a pick from Philly.

All of that is subjective.

First of all, a lot of Kings fans believe in our future enough, and not Philly's future, to take Koufos for that unprotected pick in the future. We have a competitive core now, just need better periphery players

I didn't understand the equivalence with Jrue, Tyreke, Asik and our three players? Are those supposed to be the three best supporting players? Cousins decision will be made two years from now, that is the only "peak" in terms of age, its a little different from the Unibrow situation. Concerning who will match up with his late 20's when he might not be here might be counter productive

I didn't really understand the Rondo thing but intelligent minds believe he will work with our core, that needs to play out

No one is sad to see Stauskas go, he was garbage here. I hope the best for him, but Beli is the better bet now.

Mudiay just needs to show more than 12 pts/38.5% and a near 1/1 assist to turn is summer league for anyone to care at this point. That isn't known

But I don't want any bad will from this trade. You'll see on this thread your one of the most cynical voices to what we've been doing. I have sensed that personally before. I'll assume it's objectivity

All of that is subjective? You mean, there is a chance it is just my opinion and that he is right the 2018 1st becomes a 2019 2nd round pick swap? Or does subjective mean something different.

[Dukenukem23]

Just learned what sac gave up for cap.space and that is absurd. That alone makes their offseason a giant F. I'm sorry Kings fans but its true.

I came in to say that the Kings did a good job acquiring talent this offseason, but then saw how they got said cap space and it made me ill. Regret will start kicking in around trade deadline time in Cali.

[Worm122]

C+

[benchmobbin02]

Any scenario that starts with the Kings jumping 5 teams in the standings and staying there post lottery as a given seems optimistic to me.

But more than that, you see to have some basic facts wrong. If the Kings keep their 2018 1st, Philly gets the Kings 2019 1st unprotected. So, by your numbers there is a 60% chance Philly gets an unprotected pick outright from the Kings.

That 2nd round swap is unrelated, and with Milwaukee. Philly then snuck in and grabbed dibs on the better of the two picks, but neither team gets a pick from Philly.

All of that is subjective.

First of all, a lot of Kings fans believe in our future enough, and not Philly's future, to take Koufos for that unprotected pick in the future. We have a competitive core now, just need better periphery players

I didn't understand the equivalence with Jrue, Tyreke, Asik and our three players? Are those supposed to be the three best supporting players? Cousins decision will be made two years from now, that is the only "peak" in terms of age, its a little different from the Unibrow situation. Concerning who will match up with his late 20's when he might not be here might be counter productive

I didn't really understand the Rondo thing but intelligent minds believe he will work with our core, that needs to play out

No one is sad to see Stauskas go, he was garbage here. I hope the best for him, but Beli is the better bet now.

Mudiay just needs to show more than 12 pts/38.5% and a near 1/1 assist to turn is summer league for anyone to care at this point. That isn't known

But I don't want any bad will from this trade. You'll see on this thread your one of the most cynical voices to what we've been doing. I have sensed that personally before. I'll assume it's objectivity

All of that is subjective? You mean, there is a chance it is just my opinion and that he is right the 2018 1st becomes a 2019 2nd round pick swap? Or does subjective mean something different.

He was talking subjective in the sense of your feelings or opinion on the the team, FO, future results and media. Not things that can be verified as fact. I missed the 2018 turning into 2019 1st rd pick if it wasn't conveyed. I seen the 2nd rder and thought that was all that was sent.

[lakerhater]

I went with an F as well. Overpay to the Sixers while acquiring a mish mash of average non future core parts who don't necessarily fit together and aren't difference makers in terms of making the playoffs next season.

WCS was an ok pick but I believe he'll struggle quite a bit offensively which will keep him benched more than Kings fans want while Karl leans on Koufos. I'd have gone Mudiay, Johnson or Winslow with that pick.

Only way it could have been worse is if Wes Matthews said yes to their offer. I can't imagine handing out that kind of money to a guy coming off such a bad injury.

[sfballa13]

What the Kings should have done:

1. Fire George Karl

2. Bring in Cousins and let him have a direct role in personnel moves to make up for the Karl garbage

3. Trade Stauskas/Thompson to the Pistons for Anthony Tolliver --- get a back up PF and shed $

4. Stretched Landry

5. Signed the same free agents

[Kings2013]

What the Kings should have done:

1. Fire George Karl

2. Bring in Cousins and let him have a direct role in personnel moves to make up for the Karl garbage

3. Trade Stauskas/Thompson to the Pistons for Anthony Tolliver --- get a back up PF and shed $

4. Stretched Landry

5. Signed the same free agents

PMOTT3 also brought up the Karl stuff in his review, and while I'm no Karl apologist the extent to all this hasn't really been verified. If it truly got to Karl in any way trying to move him I believe Karl would have never made it to now personally. I think Karl made the coach speak comment that no one was untradeable which offended Cousins. Then Cousins/Cousins agent returned the drama on a couple occasions.

The extent of Karl's actions haven't been verified. It's media perception now that Karl acted shifty and tried to trade Cousins behind management's back, true or not. And there has been a lot of things put out that haven't been true about this franchise. If things have been taken out of context then he will probably remain, if that is the case.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer/ken-berger/25242101/karl-says-cousins-rift-exaggerated-excited-about-kings-potential

The origin of Karl's rift with Cousins was a statement the coach made in the spring that everyone on the roster was tradable, followed by rumblings that Karl himself was shopping Cousins to other teams.

"All that stuff is so out there," said Karl, who nonetheless admitted that hypothetical conversations about trading Cousins occurred "behind closed doors."

"As a coach, in meetings every year and maybe four or five times a year, you talk about what-ifs," Karl said. "And 99 percent of what-ifs never happen. But isn't it our job to talk about what-ifs? Does this make us better? Does this get us in a better place? That's our job.

"There was never a discussion in that area even close to happening, in my opinion," he said. "... Never in the whole time of this experience did I ever think that I wasn't going to coach Cuz."

[Curmudgeon]

I gave them a C-.

In my view WCS is a bust waiting to happen. Terrible pick, when they could have had Mudiay or Stanley Johnson.

The Rondo signing was terrible basketball-wise (he is not even a top 25 point guard at this stage of his career), but it was pure genius if Vlade's real goal was to drive George Karl out of town.

I thought their other moves were ok, though. Koufos is underrated and gives them the flexibility to use Cousins at pf.

Let me add that if Vlade had gotten a team option for a second year of Rondo, which he could have threatened to exercise unless Karl accepted a discounted buyout, he would have deserved a higher grade.

[benchmobbin02]

What the Kings should have done:

1. Fire George Karl

2. Bring in Cousins and let him have a direct role in personnel moves to make up for the Karl garbage

3. Trade Stauskas/Thompson to the Pistons for Anthony Tolliver --- get a back up PF and shed $

4. Stretched Landry

5. Signed the same free agents

PMOTT3 also brought up the Karl stuff in his review, and while I'm no Karl apologist the extent to all this hasn't really been verified. If it truly got to Karl in any way trying to move him I believe Karl would have never made it to now personally. I think Karl made the coach speak comment that no one was untradeable which offended Cousins. Then Cousins/Cousins agent returned the drama on a couple occasions.

The extent of Karl's actions haven't been verified. It's media perception now that Karl acted shifty and tried to trade Cousins behind management's back, true or not. And there has been a lot of things put out that haven't been true about this franchise. If things have been taken out of context then he will probably remain, if that is the case.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer/ken-berger/25242101/karl-says-cousins-rift-exaggerated-excited-about-kings-potential

The origin of Karl's rift with Cousins was a statement the coach made in the spring that everyone on the roster was tradable, followed by rumblings that Karl himself was shopping Cousins to other teams.

"All that stuff is so out there," said Karl, who nonetheless admitted that hypothetical conversations about trading Cousins occurred "behind closed doors."

"As a coach, in meetings every year and maybe four or five times a year, you talk about what-ifs," Karl said. "And 99 percent of what-ifs never happen. But isn't it our job to talk about what-ifs? Does this make us better? Does this get us in a better place? That's our job.

"There was never a discussion in that area even close to happening, in my opinion," he said. "... Never in the whole time of this experience did I ever think that I wasn't going to coach Cuz."

Tell'em Kings2013!!!

That's the clearest any Kings poster can be on the Karl stuff but posters will still blindly push ahead with the 'get rid of Karl' rhetoric. Vlade, unequivocally, has been put in charge of basketball operations and has vouched for, supported and has called Karl "his coach" every time he is in front of a mic or in an interview.

I think Karl's basketball mind, integrity, experience, sincerity and reputation of holding players accountable will mesh well with those same qualities in Nancy Lieberman to really get a lot out of DMC, not to mention Rondo. All the players have to do is buy in, which is up to them. I think the ball is in their court as to whether this season will be successful or not IMO. I'm tired of ALL the blame and pressure being put on Karl and the FO. These are men, not fragile boys. These are guys expected to lead others. These guys with All-star talent. That is power. And with power comes responsibility as we all have been reminded ad nauseam.

[LightTheBeam]

It's crazy how in fans eyes Kings can never do right. If we don't make the philly trade then everyone is talking about how bad our team is and how we should trade cousins. It's literally a lose lose situation. Rondo is one year from being a top 10 pg and one of the best playoff performers I've ever had the pleasure to watch, no injury, he isn't old, he had 5 bad months and now people are saying "he's not even a top 25 pg anymore" get real. There was nothing the kings could have done in anyone's eyes to be right.

We offer matthews 16 mil a year and realgm goes insane at how big of an overpay it was. Dallas signs him for even more than that and people are willing to look past it because it's dallas.

I get the narrative is to poke fun at the disfunction going on around the kings organization but man I can't wait for the season to come around and have this team prove everyone wrong.

[HartfordWhalers]

It's crazy how in fans eyes Kings can never do right. If we don't make the philly trade then everyone is talking about how bad our team is and how we should trade cousins. It's literally a lose lose situation. Rondo is one year from being a top 10 pg and one of the best playoff performers I've ever had the pleasure to watch, no injury, he isn't old, he had 5 bad months and now people are saying "he's not even a top 25 pg anymore" get real. There was nothing the kings could have done in anyone's eyes to be right.

We offer matthews 16 mil a year and realgm goes insane at how big of an overpay it was. Dallas signs him for even more than that and people are willing to look past it because it's dallas.

I get the narrative is to poke fun at the disfunction going on around the kings organization but man I can't wait for the season to come around and have this team prove everyone wrong.

Which board are you on?

Everyone (but a few Laker fans) was arguing that the Kings had 3 full years and plenty of time not to make a knee-jerk Cousins trade pre-July 1st. Instead, they made a knee-jerk keep Cousins trade.

Rondo was massively panned for what he did in Dallas, for 'not trying' at defense in Boston before that or whatever his exact quote was, and then Sac as the only team with rumored interest was panned for grabbing him.

It isn't picking on the Kings if it applies to every team and the Kings are just the latest to do the dumb thing.

Meanwhile, I haven't heard anyone complain about the Koufos signing and a lot of compliments about it.

Just maybe... and bear with me, cause things are about to take a sharp right turn... the Kings are being judged for the moves they are making, and not just made fun of for being the Kings.

[Knosh]

We offer matthews 16 mil a year and realgm goes insane at how big of an overpay it was. Dallas signs him for even more than that and people are willing to look past it because it's dallas.

worst contract in the league now

Matthews is probably mentioned the most in there and not one post defending his contract. Who are those people that are willing to look past it?

.

[Texas Chuck]

We offer matthews 16 mil a year and realgm goes insane at how big of an overpay it was. Dallas signs him for even more than that and people are willing to look past it because it's dallas.

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1402068#start_here

My guess is you haven't been reading all of these and just looked at this one because its the Kings and jumped to conclusions?

Here are our actual posts from teh Dallas thread(PMOTT3 in red, me in blue):

Most on here assumed Wes would do a 1+1 type of deal to re-up his value for the 2016 FA bonanza. I think it is incredibly stupid to give a player coming off one of if not the most serious injuries in basketball 70 million dollars. And ALL of it is guaranteed. No options. If Wes re-ruptures that achilies tendon this season then this deal could turn into one of the worst contracts in the league. Way too much risk for my liking.


Awful Awful Awful

The place we have to start is with a player I love: Wes Matthews. He agreed to come as part of a package with Jordan and the Mavs agreed to give him every penny Jordan didn't get. Which turned into a max when Jordan changed his mind. I thought the original contract was a huge risk for Dallas but one I understood as Jordan and Matthews would give Dirk a chance to play playoff basketball until he retired and it gave Dallas a more attractive core to add another big piece next year. But now its just a huge risk on a guy who has an injury that tends to derail careers.

[Kings2013]

I don't think RipPizzaGuy was necessarily speaking about Chuck and PMOTT's review, just national opinion, and he isn't wrong.

There has been a tendency to slam and not see our point of view when you read a lot of the national writers etc., and you genuinely have to ask if it was the Nuggets or any random team around our standings if the backlash for lack of a better word would be the same. Again, I'm speaking regardless of Chuck and PMOTT's reviews which seem to be thought out. It bothers me in the sense that I am an NBA fan and want to hear something other than the dumping on or mocking of my team when I listen to the podcasts etc. It doesn't mean they have to agree with the trade from our perspective, just be able to reasonably see how we may benefit and our motives

And RipPizzaGuy isn't wrong for wanting the season to start. We have a underrated roster and it should be fun.