Sinking Sacramento Send Sixers Skyward
By Bret Stuter
The Sacramento Kings Are In Trouble. Rumors have the team parting ways with head coach George Karl and shopping players days before the NBA trade deadline. Those usually indicate a team on a decline. But with the Sixers having the right to swap picks with the Kings, this is sending the Sixers hopes of a good NBA draft skyward.
As time draws closer to a major event in virtually any professional sport, the harbinger of that deadline is the frequency of rumors. Some are based in leaks, some are based in misinformation, while others are forged from the fires of pure speculation. Put it out there and see what sticks. What is true or isn’t true can only be sorted out with the lapse of the same time that seems to be running so quickly away from NBA teams seeking an opportunity for one last trade to set their teams aright as they aim at post season play, or at the upcoming NBA draft.
We talked about teams whose trajectory appeared to be falling behind that of the quickly improving Philadelphia 76ers. In fact, we identified a number of teams who began the 2015-2016 NBA season with a belief they might have an improved year, but who have fallen by the wayside and are at risk of being overtaken by the once 1 win 30 loss Philadelphia 76ers.
One such team is the Sacramento Kings. In that previous article, I assert that the demise of the Kings this season is both surprising and ironic: surprising in that the five starters on the team of center DeMarcus Cousins, power forward Rudy Gay, point guard Rajon Rondo, shooting guard Ben McLemore, and small forward Omri Casspri are actually a very solid group of players.
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But the Kings have a bench that gives little help. That situation has crippled the team’s season this year. Funny, but this is a team who began by shedding player contracts to bid for the high cost of available free agents. The Philadelphia 76ers benefited from that “Win NOW!” mentality, absorbing high cost contracts in exchange for coveted former first round selection Nik Stauskas, power forward Carl Landry, Jason Thompson (who was subsequently dealt for draft picks) and the rights to swap draft position with the Kings in both 2016 and 2017 NBA drafts.
Ironic in that the strategy of a perennially sub-.500 team must embrace player development at some point.
Next: Karl Klobbers