Who do we target in FA this summer?

[SacTownKings4Life]

If I were you guys I'd be trying to draft Cousins (even if it means having to give up some pieces to move up) while using your cap space on Rudy Gay. Gay and Cousins would give you excellent, young, offensive talents who don't need the ball to score, and both can become solid defensive players and rebounders as well. Evans/Gay/Cousins would be a great big 3 on both ends of the court.

PG - Udrih, ??
SG - Tyreke, Cisco
SF - Gay, Casspi, Greene
PF - Landry, Thompson
C - Cousins, Hawes

(might have to move guys like Casspi or Thompson to move up to get Cousins, who will likely go 3rd overall, if you don't end up with a top 3 pick)

How exactly do you score without the ball??? Or did you mean they dont need the ball to be effective?

Meaning that you don't need to DOMINATE the ball to score.

[sacking101]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... may_l.html

Talking about if bosh does not resign in toronto they would look for sign and trade deals. The only reason Bosh would do this is to get a max contract if someone else does not offer it. You guys think that we could put together a package that includes JT for him. I would trade anyone but evans and landry and that would be a pretty good big 3.

[longfellow44]

I have to say that Im sick of our team running the small forward spot by commity. I'm thinking that maybe we should consider making a big splash in free agency and mAking sure we get one of the better small forwards even if we have to overpay by a decent amount to make sure it happens. If we do get one of those top sf's and we draft a big that will leave is one of Thompson and hawes and one of Greene and casspi to use as trade bait.

I would be happy making some big moves to really pump up this team.
Sign gay to a big contract to make sure we get him.
Draft whiteside or cousins.
Trade hawes and Greene for an upgrade at pg to go next to Evans.

Udrih/
Evans/Garcia
gay/casspi
landry/brockman
cousins/Thompson

that team just looks so much more explosive than our current roster.

[Krimzen]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2010/03/06/2010-03-06_chris_bosh_has_chance_to_leave_toronto_raptors_this_summer_new_york_knicks_may_l.html

Talking about if bosh does not resign in toronto they would look for sign and trade deals. The only reason Bosh would do this is to get a max contract if someone else does not offer it. You guys think that we could put together a package that includes JT for him. I would trade anyone but evans and landry and that would be a pretty good big 3.

As much as I don't want to say it, Bosh isn't coming here. Neither is any other all-star free agent. If we were one of the only teams with cap space, I would say it is a distinct possibility. There are just too many other teams with cap space that play in a bigger market or are much closer to a deep playoff run than we are. Finally having a player like Tyreke who can make the rest of the NBA take some notice helps, but it won't be enough this offseason. It could help in future years if he continues to develop and we are able to add more talent, but right now it just isn't enough.

I have to say that Im sick of our team running the small forward spot by commity. I'm thinking that maybe we should consider making a big splash in free agency and mAking sure we get one of the better small forwards even if we have to overpay by a decent amount to make sure it happens.

I think people are getting too impatient. We have two young forwards in Greene and Casspi right now that need more time to be evaluated. It makes much more sense to do everything possible this offseason to rid ourselves of Nocioni and to continue to play them through next season. That gives you a whole season to continue to oversee how Greene develops, and to evaluate Casspi after he works on his game some and learns how to better prepare himself for an NBA season.

It is understandably easy to get sucked in by the idea of throwing a lot of money at someone like Gay and getting an instant upgrade, but with a new CBA coming up it makes it an even worse idea that it might otherwise be.

[longfellow44]

^^in general I agree with you but I really don't see Donte here long term and I think casspi will be best coming off the bench he may prove me wrong but I think his skill set would be best taking advantage of other teams 2nd units ala ginobli.

[darkadun]

Honestly, I think Donte has more potential than Casspi. Key word: potential. I love Casspi, but Donte has the tools to be a outstanding player. He has already shown the ability to make plays on defense and play great D, and he has very interesting potential as a offensive player. But he is still pretty raw and young. As far as "star" potental goes, he has the most aside from Reke, IMO

But I would still sign Gay regardless, he is only 23, would fit into a nice 3 man tandem with Reke and Landry.

[RoyalCourtJestr]

No to Gay. He's a ball hog, plays no defense and would demand overpayment.

[KF10]

I wouldn't have a problem with Gay if he can able to pass the ball and defend at least above-average rate but he does not.

I'm leaning no to Gay.

[longfellow44]

I've never thought that Gay was a poor defender. He always shows effort in that area and is an above average shot blocker for a wing. He's a fantastic finisher and I'm assuming that is the way we would use him, He plays above the rim and is a solid 3pt shooter. He doesn't pass a ton but is atleast solid in that area.

My issue with Greene is that he's still so in consistent. He's had the opportunity to grow a lot this year and to develop some consistency but he just doesn't produce at times. I think he does have that all star ability and potential but I just don't see him doing it consistently.

I'm fine with overpaying a free agent if it can help us to improve.

[KF10]

I've never thought that Gay was a poor defender. He always shows effort in that area and is an above average shot blocker for a wing. He's a fantastic finisher and I'm assuming that is the way we would use him, He plays above the rim and is a solid 3pt shooter. He doesn't pass a ton but is atleast solid in that area.

Wow. Where to start?

Gay may have tools to be a very good defender but as of right now, he isn't showing it. His mentality on defense is not simply not there on a consistent basis. He does not show effort on this side of the ball as much we want him to do.

He averages 0.8 block per game. That is not "above average". With his huge wingspan and athleticism alone, he should average more than that. Guys like Granger and Deng is averaging more blocks than Gay! And both those guys are not high leapers nor have freakish wingspan as Gay.

He is not a fantastic finisher either. Sure, 59.1% rate conversion at rim maybe good but that's below average for small forwards. In a league wide average, the significant SFs (at least 25+ minutes-type of player) averages 62.1% rate conversion. Considering Gay's athleticism and skill, it's very underwhelming. If you look at a similar build player and athleticism as Rudy Gay, a guy like Wilson Chandler is converting at 68.3% at rim range. That's 9.2% difference! That's insane.

And that passing blurb "at least he is solid". It's almost laughable. I can't believe you actually say that.

Gay is averaging less than 2 assist per game! (1.9 apg). Gay has the 2nd lowest assist rate out of significant SFs (that plays 25+ minutes). He has a 8.48 Assist Rate. If you take that into perspective, a guy like Kevin Martin has a higher assist rate than Gay! And most people say Martin isn't a passer/playmaker at all. Gay has a Turnover Rate of 8.83. That's higher than his assist rate! So, he does not have even 1:1 assist:turnover ratio.

....

Your assessment of Gay's passing and defense is not accurate at all. Those attributes are not at a "solid" rate. They are not at an average rate! Well, can Gay improve in those categories? Of course he can, he is only 23 years old. But it does not look promising though.

[SacKingZZZ]

Honestly, I think Donte has more potential than Casspi. Key word: potential. I love Casspi, but Donte has the tools to be a outstanding player. He has already shown the ability to make plays on defense and play great D, and he has very interesting potential as a offensive player. But he is still pretty raw and young. As far as "star" potental goes, he has the most aside from Reke, IMO

But I would still sign Gay regardless, he is only 23, would fit into a nice 3 man tandem with Reke and Landry.

I agree, I think Donte has a ton of potential, but the question is whether or not he can realize that potential with the Kings. I think a team with the ability to use him at PF for a good chunk of his minutes is the best place for him. I don't know if that's here having just picked up a player in Landry that clearly fills that PF spot better than anyone we've had since Webber.

[longfellow44]

I've never thought that Gay was a poor defender. He always shows effort in that area and is an above average shot blocker for a wing. He's a fantastic finisher and I'm assuming that is the way we would use him, He plays above the rim and is a solid 3pt shooter. He doesn't pass a ton but is atleast solid in that area.

Wow. Where to start?

Gay may have tools to be a very good defender but as of right now, he isn't showing it. His mentality on defense is not simply not there on a consistent basis. He does not show effort on this side of the ball as much we want him to do.

He averages 0.8 block per game. That is not "above average". With his huge wingspan and athleticism alone, he should average more than that. Guys like Granger and Deng is averaging more blocks than Gay! And both those guys are not high leapers nor have freakish wingspan as Gay.

He is not a fantastic finisher either. Sure, 59.1% rate conversion at rim maybe good but that's below average for small forwards. In a league wide average, the significant SFs (at least 25+ minutes-type of player) averages 62.1% rate conversion. Considering Gay's athleticism and skill, it's very underwhelming. If you look at a similar build player and athleticism as Rudy Gay, a guy like Wilson Chandler is converting at 68.3% at rim range. That's 9.2% difference! That's insane.

And that passing blurb "at least he is solid". It's almost laughable. I can't believe you actually say that.

Gay is averaging less than 2 assist per game! (1.9 apg). Gay has the 2nd lowest assist rate out of significant SFs (that plays 25+ minutes). He has a 8.48 Assist Rate. If you take that into perspective, a guy like Kevin Martin has a higher assist rate than Gay! And most people say Martin isn't a passer/playmaker at all. Gay has a Turnover Rate of 8.83. That's higher than his assist rate! So, he does not have even 1:1 assist:turnover ratio.

....

Your assessment of Gay's passing and defense is not accurate at all. Those attributes are not at a "solid" rate. They are not at an average rate! Well, can Gay improve in those categories? Of course he can, he is only 23 years old. But it does not look promising though.

Ok you don't like Gay. I think he's good and would be worth pursuing for us. And I do think your underrating him a bit. But would you rather give Joe Johnson a Max contract. I can see a deal around 13mil per year but I'm not sure I would do a Max deal. JJ is obviously the best possible fit for our team but would you really want to pay him what he will be seeking, because I think that If NY doesn't land one of the big 3 they will offer JJ a max deal.

[KF10]

Ok you don't like Gay. I think he's good and would be worth pursuing for us. And I do think your underrating him a bit. But would you rather give Joe Johnson a Max contract. I can see a deal around 13mil per year but I'm not sure I would do a Max deal. JJ is obviously the best possible fit for our team but would you really want to pay him what he will be seeking, because I think that If NY doesn't land one of the big 3 they will offer JJ a max deal.

I never said I didn't like Gay.

I would definitely keep him on the "list" of potential FAs we can sign this summer but the problem I have with Gay is that he is another player that is regurgitating the deficiencies we have as a team.

-Limited ball movement.
-Defense in general.

Why add another ball dominant player in Gay while knowing that the offensive system we have here runs primarily on Tyreke? We are in the bottom 1/3 in total assist as a team in the NBA. The only successful (above .500+ team) in that category with us are the Thunder and the Bobcats. The Thunder may be an exception because they have a stud in Kevin Durant and great pieces in Westbrook and Green. So, it is understandable if their offensive system creates low assists opportunities while being successful at the same time IMO. And Charlotte plays one of the slowest pace in the NBA. That affects teams' assists. Plus both of these ball clubs are elite defensive teams. (#4 and #5 respectably in terms of defensive efficiency). Those are the only two teams that can bypass the "low assists" nights.

But the Kings?

Not even close. We are #23 in defensive efficiency and #21 in offensive efficiency. That's not good at all. We are wildly inconsistent on our offense. At times, we can score 110+ points with relative ease but there are nights we struggle to hit 100 points. And we all know our defense is pretty bad.

Adding Gay with this group wouldn't solve our main problems here.

....

I like Joe Johnson for a while. I would throw money at him but I wouldn't overpay him though. I think Johnson brings a lot of dimensions to this team.

-Another (legitimate) ball handler in the wings.
-Defense in the perimeter.
-Clutch factor.
-Veteran, savvy presence.
-And of course, his diverse offensive abilities.

I'm not sure if I'm willing to throw the max contract for Johnson but I wouldn't be shocked (or be pissed) if Petrie does it though. We really need a high caliber player paired up with Tyreke. I don't want to see Carl Landry being Tyreke's best player he has played so far. No disrespect to Landry, he is a very good player but not the player (caliber-wise) I seek for Tyreke IMO.

[longfellow44]

I would prefer Joe Johnson but I just struggle with the idea of paying him 16mil to start. But I have to admitt the potential lineup and team in general would be very nice after signing him and drafting a big.
Assuming Petrie stays true to form about his draft style and that we miss out on Cousins.

Kings lineup.
Udrih/2nd
Evans/Garcia
JJ/Casspi/Greene
Landry/Thompson
Monroe/Hawes

that lineup would be an extremely good passing team. That type of ball movement would be pretty amazing. I still prefer to get Whiteside or Aldrich or Cousins here but I think Petrie might pick Monroe if he doesn't measure out too short.

[KF10]

I like Monroe. He's definitely a Petrie pick. But I still can't get passed the fact if we draft Monroe (or any big man in general) what will happen to Hawes, Thompson and Landry's role of the team? I can't see minutes distributed equally for them.

This draft and this offseason will be huge for us. I think it will define the team's outlook for the next decade.

I just hope Evans is our main guy to build around with (even though, I know he IS the type of player you can build around with) and hope Petrie knows what he is doing.

This team needs another "Vlade Divac/year" situation to boost up our current team status to contention status.

[longfellow44]

^^^The situation with our bigs is why I want to get Cousins so badly. I think he will be good enough to justify pushing one of Thompson or Hawes out. Those 2 guys are good but we really need an upgrade because they don't seem to be growing as much as I hoped. JT is still making those silly fouls and Hawes is still got the split personality thing going with Good Hawes and bad hawes. A clear upgrade at C would make it much easier.

[KF10]

Well, Hawes and Thompson aren't bad players. I don't want to give them up just yet.

I firmly believe that this offseason for Hawes would be huge. If he gains another 10-15 pounds to his frame (just like the year before), we will see consistent awesomeness from Hawes. This would finally plant Hawes' ass in the post where he belongs. And not to mention all of his post moves that he wanted to do would be finally productive/effective now.

Thompson will be fine. I mean, he averaged 16/9 with high energy and activity in general. I think he simply ran out of energy, he was literally our "energizer bunny" for most of the year but now he is gassed out now. Can't blame him though. But it would be nice to see him improve is overall basketball IQ though. These ticky tack fouls, constant barking at the refs is too much.

Well, I wouldn't object of drafting a big. Hell, that is the position in need so far but I just don't want us to end the Thompson/Hawes experiment this early though. I believe there is potential of that duo.

Tough, tough decisions to make for Petrie and the Kings.

[longfellow44]

I've said it before this is the Summer that will decide so much for the kings for the next 5-10 years.

I hope we go with a big but I have hoped to see Thompson and Hawes grow together, I'm just not sure that both or either one of them will reach the potential that they have.