SB Nation User Blog: PhutureKings

In Which I Threaten to Steal Shock's Woman

PhutureKings — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:35:20 -0000

I recently moved back to the Sacramento area after what was about a six-year hiatus, which involved me going away to school in So Cal for undergrad and then out-of-state for my professional degree. Thus, I am still in a mindset that whenever I see Kings apparel, fans or memorabilia, my initial reaction is, “Oh, sweet! Kings baby!” After a few moments, I realize I’m back in Sac and it all clicks and makes sense.

But, I haven’t seen/or met a Kings player whilst being out-and-about in a number of years now, so I was pleasantly surprised to encounter JT at the Park Lounge on Saturday. I don’t know if StR approves of posting every mundane chance encounter with a Kings player, but I’m sharing this story, because a) I kinda looked like an ass and that’s always funny, and b) it shows how good-natured our beloved Shock can be.

Setting the scene: I’m already pretty well buzzed but not drunk, which for me is doing well, given that our familiarity with the Park Lounge bar tenders usually results in pretty strong drinks (and me being drunk by 1130 – luckily, I’m not a stupid drunk…er, well, not violent, anyway). This gorgeous dime is walking right toward me, and I’m eye-humping the Hell out of her. She continues my way wearing a bright smile and tight dress. She gets close and I give her my best “Hi, there” with my smoothest smile. She smiles nicely back at me, but then I suddenly get the feeling that I am standing between her and something that she actually wants.

I turn around and am staring at a thick, muscular chest. I have to raise my eyes from their position in my 5’8” frame to see a suave, tall, bald, good-looking guy and immediately it makes sense…she is trying to talk to the gentleman behind me. Obviously, I feel like an ass, but at times like these I find it best to joke about the situation.

“Oh…” I say in a flood of understanding, “…Ok.” The dude laughs heartily and I say, “Man, I was thinking, ‘hey, best night of my life, right?’” \

He laughs again and says, “Actually she’s with him,” and flashes his eye to my right. I turn to look, and and my gaze is met by an even thicker, muscle-ier chest. My eyes have to go WAAAYYY up this time.

BAM!

“Oh, shit!!! What up, JT!?!”

“Hey, what’s up, man?”

I’m elated and feeling buzzed, which usually results in obnoxious sarcasm, based on an inflated sense of confidence and the false impression that everyone in the world must certainly REALLY like me when I say funny shit. Thus, I threaten to steal JT’s woman.

“You better watch girl, bro. I’ll take her, ‘cause I got game like that!” He laughs, obviously feeling unthreatened (it’s nice to be in a secure relationship, isn’t it?).

“I mean, what do you got that I don’t got?” He smiles and shrugs. In an uncharacteristic fit of smitteness, I ask if I can get a picture with him, because I’m one of the diehard fans.

“Yeah, Ok. Make it quick, though.”

I hand my iPhone to my budy and tell him to snap a pic. He agrees, but because he is a cop (not known for their tech-savvy ways or ability to figure things out), I already know it’s not going to turn out. Still, I pose with a wide smile and then fist-bump Shock as my friend hands my iPhone back to me with a confused look on his face.

“Thanks, Shock.”

“Yeah.”

I purposefully avoid looking at how the pic turned out and place my phone in my pocket. I checked it the next day.

Completely black with a fuzzy blue thing in the extreme right side of the frame. I think it was a disco light…not really sure.

Just Say Noc

PhutureKings — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:29:06 -0000

I get it. The excitement. The rush. The...high.

I understand where you're coming from. Much like Ailene Voisin, you yearn -- nay, ACHE -- for a sexier version of the Kings.

You look up and down the roster, trying fill out the positions. Everything looks alright, or at least appears to have the potential to be alright, except for one spot. The same spot that we're supposedly over-stacked with players at -- small forward.

In a panicked attempt to plug this roster spot with something more, um, well, sexy -- you race to ESPN's trade machine and immediately engage in trades that give Nocioni away for something, ANYTHING, resembling a roster upgrade. Whether it's at PF, C, SG, SF, who cares!?! Upon distraction, you begin to entertain the idea of pawning Beno off on the last GM in the NBA who, for whatever reason, has no idea that Beno is not a starting-quality PG in this league. Ha-ha! Take that sucker!

Next, K9 (Woof!) is thrown in the mix, and before you know it, we're unloading KTEC to CHI for Noah and Hinrich (a minor coup no doubt), Noc is going to wherever, with Beno tagging along, and we're in cap space heaven.

The Kings are sexy, baby, yeah!

But it's only a quick fix. Soon, you'll be chasing the dragon again, my friend.

Time for an intervention. As a trade machine addict, I know about that which I am speaking about (purposely redundantly written sentence).

Look, I want to get rid of Beno as bad as the next guy or girl (or Jamie Lee Curtis). And I want to parlay KTEC into Bosh or D-Wade (or Jamie Lee Curtis), too. But, before we start log-jamming the trade machine website and bemoaning the contract of Nocioni, while declaring Casspi or Greene the starter at SF, we need to examine what we're really looking at; a young Kings roster with some potential, but also in need of a lot of leadership and veteran presence. Thus, if you're going to party all night with the Trade Machine and wake up with a "GM hat" hangover, please consider the following when adding Noc's name into the equation.

I've seen much made of Noc's "bad" contract as of late and a strong push to, well, push the guy out of town. However, very few of those trades bring back anything resembling an upgrade at SF, with the assumption being that we can just roll Greene, Casspi or even Garcia out at the 3 spot.

Well, first of all, none of those guys would be better at the SF than Noc right now. Noc is a 5-year vet w/ a career average of 12 points and 5 boards. His best year resulted in a PER of over 16. Last year was substantially worse than that, at just over 12. Still, I don't see (especially after summer league) Greene doing particularly better, and Casspi is unproven as of yet.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see one of those guys earn the starting job by being better than Noc and becoming a more complete player. I'm just not convinced it's remotely close to being ready to happen yet. And I'm not advocating that we keep Noc no matter what. If the right trade comes up, pull the trigger. It could be the best thing for all parties involved (especially if rumblings about Noc not wanting to be around for a rebuild are true). But, we need a player to take his place. One who will (hopefully) be better, and also one who can provide some experience.

Which leads me to my second point. Noc better addresses the needs surrounding leadership and veteran presence than the other guys currently on our roster at SF. Not that Noc is notorious for commanding his teammates, but the guy displays hustle. He's been in the league five years and is still diving on the court for loose balls. He's still a physical player. It seems Casspi might follow in that mold, but we simply don' know yet. Regardless, neither Greene nor Casspi can bring that veteran presence or the "been-there-done-that" calming influence that is sometimes needed throughout the season. Especially on a young squad that is bound to run into growing pains. One need only look at Portland's desperate attempt to bring in anything resembling a veteran presence to confirm my point. POR is very talented, but they also recognize that to get over the hump, a veteran's presence is necessary.

Lastly, while Noc's contract is bigger than most of our other guys, it's still not that bad. I don't understand the rationale that his contract is grossly out of proportion to what he brings to the floor. Maybe he's a little overpaid, but compared to the rest of the league's bad contracts, it's not too difficult to stomach. Besides, while he'll make about $7.5M this season, his contract declines each remaining season, and the last year is a team option. It's not bad at all, really.

Would I love to get a stud SF on the roster? Duh. But, my point is reading some of these trade suggestions (in which Dalembert is curiously the flavor of the month -- at $25M over 2 years -- um, no thanks), it seems a lot of fans are disgruntled with the notion of Noc and his contract.

Until we can work a sensible trade for a better SF or Greene/Casspi demonstrate that they're ready to explode into a legit, consistent player, Noc represents our best option to serve as the anchor at a "stacked" small forward position, and to be a guy that can talk from an experienced viewpoint when needed.

Like it or not, for now we're married to the situation.

Maybe it's not the sexiest option, but that's marriage sometimes...or so I've heard. I've also heard, "if you can't be with the one you love, then love the one you're with." Either way, (and this is stating the obvious, but I feel it's worth stating given what I've seen lately) a trade involving Noc has to bring back something that does more than increase the amount of sex appeal the Kings have.

This is a basketball team. Not a late night movie on Cinemax.

Boozer to CHI in 3-team trade?

PhutureKings — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:42:43 -0000

Boozer to CHI in 3-team trade?

I linked this, because it appears UTA's goal is to clear cap space. Why not make it a four-team trade? I'd do this:

Boozer, Rodriguez to Bulls
Hinrich to POR
Fesenko, Ty Thomas, Bayless to SAC

I don't know if Utah has actual interest in TT, or his expiring k. Also, I'm sure POR likes Bayless, but if they're getting Hinrich...you never know.

Get Your K9 Expiring Contract Jersey Now!!! -- Shameless Promotion

PhutureKings — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:42:38 -0000

What's going to be hot this fall? How about the Kenny Thomas Expiring Contract Jersey? Show your, uh, pride for one of the Kings most valuable expiring contracts/trade chips, er, players, by wearing this gimmicky, I mean, awesome unofficial piece of sports attire.

A real steal at less than $35 (because, had it not been made in a sweatshop, it'd likely cost twice as much!). Also, it is noticeably cheaper than those "official" jerseys selling at the team store! Order yours today!

Poll

What are your plans for ordering the K9 (Woof!) commemorative contract jersey?

Am I gonna order this jersey!?! Fer sure-zee!

18 votes

I gotta make a few more dollars by mugging elderly people...but at least I'll get faster shipping!

10 votes

I have to see if the team store will let me return my regular K9 jersey first.

9 votes

Why is there no option that involves NOT ordering the jersey?

52 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed

Gordon AND Charlie V to Motown

PhutureKings — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:12:10 -0000

Gordon AND Charlie V to Motown

Not like we were in the running for either guy anyhow, but I thought this was worth posting. I liked Gordon and wouldnt have minded seeing him on our team.

Why the Hell Would You Trade Kevin Martin!?!

PhutureKings — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:40:09 -0000

As a response to a posting on ECT,inc., I began seriously considering, for the first time, the idea of trading our most talented, reasonably-salaried, silky-smoove-shooting, very own, beloved Kevin Martin.

Why the Hell would we do that? Well, we probably won't. But the following proposals make some sense on some level for both teams. Maybe not complete sense, but I think each GM would at least give pause upon initially hearing the proposal.

Martin/K9 for Bosh: Leaves us shallow at SG, but Bosh's dynamic play might make a backcourt of Sergio/Evans/Garcia work with Noc/Greene/Casspi and JT/Hawes still in the mix, too. Admittedly, this severly sets back the growth of most likely Hawes and maybe JT. But, the idea of Bosh in the middle with JT is a fantasy-scenario for the Kings. If Evans can become a D-Wade-esque player, Sergio at PG is good enough.

Martin/Udrih for Mike Miller/Rubio: MIN definitely gets the greater proven talent, but we get out of Udrih's contract (hereinafter "k") and get our pure PG. I mean, I'd hate to lose Martin, and granted, Rubio is unproven at the next level, but I think we all believe there is something special there. Rubio making sweet-ass no-look 'oops up to JT for the finish is enough to entice me. Seeing Evans slash to the hoop, dish out to Hawes, who then passes to Rubio, who takes one dribble and delivers some kind of crazy assist to JT for a 180 dunk while the other team is still trying to figure out who has the ball would make me buy a ticket for a game...and be able to wait the few years it'll take for RR to "develop."

Martin/K9/Udrih for T-Mac/Aaron Brooks (maybe a 2nd rnd pick?): While T-Mac is talented, his days appear to be close to done. Thus, HOU actually is getting the better end of the deal as far as talent is concerned, IMO. But, this deal makes sense for the Kings, because they get out of Udrih's k and get T-Mac's monstrous expiring k ($21M). Again, we acquiring a helluva young PG in this trade, and I think a backcourt that involves the speed and passing of Brooks with the strength and slashing of Evans is bound to be good. Then, we get to go b-a-n-a-n-a-s in free agency 2010. And by nuts, I mean we could sign Kenny Thomas, Brian Cardinal AND Darko!!! How sweet would tha--ok, bad joke.

Martin/K9/Noc/Udrih for Nash/Ben Wallace: In what would likely amount to a salary dump and one-year Nash rental, the Kings lose their most talented player. So, why consider this one any further? Well, first of all, Nash. His influence and ability to teach our young guys alone would be a great addition, even if for only a year. Perhaps we talk him into staying longer...who knows? But a backcourt of Nash and Evans gives us the same excitement as alluded to in the Rubio scenario, except there is no waiting for development to occur. Plus, we get rid of Udrih and Noc's k's (not a benefit to be overlooked). At the end of the year, we get a massive ticket to the 2010 raffle. PHX probably covets that expiring salary as much or more than we do, though. So, they'd have to be convinced that Noc has a place on the team and Martin is THE guy to pair with Amare (if they keep him). Honestly, you could do a lot worse than a team that rolls out Amare, Martin, J-Rich, Noc, etc. on a nightly basis. Speaking of Amare...

Martin/K-9/Udrih/Noc for Amare/J-Rich/Pavlovic: This one makes less sense for the Kings, unless they want to give up on JT or Hawes. I think at that point you try to package JT and something else for a deal that brings back a baller at the 3 or in the backcourt to go with Evans. But, basically, Kings get rid of Noc and Udrih's k's, Acquire Amare, the high-flying J-Rich and Pavlovic's expiring k. The team would be Sergio, Evans, J-Rich, Amare and JT/Hawes. A little on the small, yet somehow still kinda beastly side, I suppose. In the end, probably not the best deal for either team.

Martin/K9 for Ty Thomas/Tim Thomas/Noah/Sign-and-Trade Ben Gordon: BG is likely gone from CHI-town this summer anyway, so if they can make something out of nothing with him, they're loving it. Basically, for them, this would amount to giving up Ty Thomas and Noah for Martin. The salary-conscious Bulls (who hope to land Bosh this summer) still get K9's expiring contract and one of the league's most reasonable salaries-for-production in Martin. Not to mention, Rose and Martin in the backcourt would just be sick, and at that point, how does Bosh say "no thanks" to signing with that team? Granted they lose out on Ty Thomas, but by drafting 2 PF's on Thursday, I don't think he is in their long-term plans anyhow. The Kings, on the other hand, would have Ben Gordon and Evans in the backcourt along with a ridiculous frontline of JT/Ty T/Hawes and Noah. Umm...while I realize that neither Evans or Gordon are pure PG's, I think that dynamic-duo would just give opposing guards shit-fits. And if P-Dubb could institute some kind of open-offensive scheme, in which traditional play-calling is disposed of in favor of a crazy-ass up-tempo, all-out blitz, this could possibly be one of the most entertaining teams in the league. BG reigning 3's, Evans slashing and dishing (or finishing), JT and Noah giving ridiculous energy and TT and Hawes bringing finesse and shot-blocking to the frontcourt is my idea of entertaining hoops. Add Garcia, Noc, Casspi and Greene to the mix, and to say the least, opposing teams would know they're in for a long night of running the floor against the Kings.

Martin/Noc/Udrih for Gerald Wallace/Diaw/Raja Bell: Kings again get rid of Noc & Udrih's k's, while picking up the expiring k of Bell. Granted, we inherit Diaw's over-priced k, but in the end, we save money versus keeping Udrih and Noc. Plus, I think we could do worse than having Diaw as a back-up to JT. Thus, the Kings would be Sergio, Evans, Wallace, JT and Hawes, with Diaw, Bell, Garcia, Greene, Casspi and Barakman off the bench. I think Sergio is an upgrade from Udrih, Evans is a (temporary?) downgrade from Martin, Wallace is a huge upgrade at the 3-spot, and JT and Hawes stay put. I think the team could definitely compete, and Evans/JT/Wallace offers some pretty troublesome athleticism and size for opposing teams. CHA does this because, well, Martin, obviously, and to get rid of Diaw's k, if they think Noc is a good fit for their team, which, I think he could be.

Martin/Noc/Udrih for Rondo/Allen/Scalabrine: Rondo and Evans? Good luck to any opposing guards. Seriously, even Kobe may not score at that point. Ok, I know better than that, but you get the point. Kings get (in addition to the toughest backcourt ever) Allen and Scalabrine's expiring k's, which add up to quite a bit (especially when combined w/ K9's expiring k). BOS does this because of the following well-known formula: Martin+KG+Pierce = Ridiculous scoring. Honestly, even Udrih looks good in that lineup (if he doesn't KG and Pierce take turns punching him in the stomach during time-outs). Udrih, Martin, Pierce, Noc and KG should be able to get it done.

Martin/Noc/Udrih for Mo Evans/Claxton/Joe Johnson/Teague: ATL would do this because Martin is younger, cheaper and brings a better PER over Johnson. Not to mention they could probably use a scrappy guy like Noc on the squad. I think Noc next to Josh Smith and Horford makes ATL difficult to deal with in the front court. Add the backcourt of Martin and Law, and it's a pretty solid squad. Kings do this for the usual salary dumping/cap space-creating reasons and to get Teague, who could be a nice fit next to Evans in the back court. At the end of the year, Johnson, Mo Evans and Claxton all expire at about $24M (now combine that with K9's expiring k and we got a crap load of cap space). In the meantime, our squad starters would be Evans, Johnson, (Mo Evans or Greene or Casspi?), JT and Hawes. Garcia, Sergio, Teague, Barakman, etc. off the bench. The real benefit is obviously dumping the salaries and getting the space. With the boatload of cash, we can resign all our keepers and still have more than enough to entice someone worth having in free agency.

Last Considerations - - These deals I think would be good, and we DO NOT give up Martin:

K9/2nd Rnd Pick for Ariza (sign and trade)/Morrison: Morrison's k expires at the end of the season, but the real deal here is Ariza. I think Evans, Martin, Ariza, JT and Hawes makes a pretty decent line up. Sergio, Garcia, Greene, Casspi, Noc and Brock Landers off the bench. Again, we're a little small at this point, but still scrappy. The alternative is the same deal, but with Odom.

K9 for Hedo (sign and trade): After acquiring VC, the Magic would probably enjoy some expiring salary. Really we give up nothing, except for K9's expiring k, but who else are we gonna get in a trade or free agency that's much better than Turk-o-glue?

Udrih/Noc for Camby/Collins: Blah, blah, blah get rid of expiring salary, blah, blah...The Clips were interested in Udrih before we "stole" him away from them last summer. Plus, Noc fills in nicely on that squad. The Clips have a ridiculous overstock of dudes in the front court, as we all know. One problem here is, the Clips may decide that Camby's expiring k is more valuable than an underperforming back-up PG and Noc. And sadly, they may be right. But it would be nice to have Camby on the squad, not just for his expiring k, but because he is tough and boards the ball. Evans, Martin, Casspi or Greene, JT, Hawes or Camby.

K9 for Ty Chandler: This would be a minor coup. I say "minor" because I really believe that right now, expiring salary is worth a lot and I am somewhat concerned about Chandler's foot or toe or whatever is bothering him. Still, I gotta think that getting a tough guy like Chandler in the paint is a really good thing for us.

Well, this turned out to be waaaayyyy longer than I had anticipated. If you've hung with me this far, tell your significant spouse I'm sorry! I tried to write a thought-stimulating piece that centers on one of our biggest talents in order to get a feel for what directions the team could ultimately go in, and to at least allow us to explore what we might be able to get in exchange for our dearest King. I also tried to keep it somewhat within the realm of realism. If you disagree, please explain your points. I'm curious to know what you all think. It's a little scary thinking about giving up Martin, but depending on what we get back. you never know...in order to get, you have to give.

Obvious Update - 6/12/09: We will Get One of Our Top-5 Choices (not named Griffin)

PhutureKings — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:49:45 -0000

Maybe I will make these "Obvious Updates" a more regular thing. Maybe I won't. Maybe I will be told to shut my goddamn useless mouth by you all. Maybe then, in a retaliatory act, I will go to a local birth ward and punch infants in the face. Maybe you should read on for an obvious, optimistic and somewhat shallowly-logical take on the number four pick in this year's draft.

The good news is we will get one of our top-5 preferred picks in this year's draft (not named Griffin). However, the "not named Griffin" thing hurts. It really does.

Sure, our biggest need is not in the frontcourt. But, our biggest need is an all-star to super-star level talent on the roster, and that, without a doubt would've been Griffin. The Clippers (who have had three overall number one picks in their history) get to take our date to the prom. We can only stand there and watch as they makeout to "Faithfully" by Journey, while we pull out our flask and take a huge, burning swig of the old man's liquor.

As an aside, I wish to point out that the Clippers' good fortune in receiving number picks is not an indication of good luck or karma or anything positive. It stems from the fact that they are a sloppily run, fiscally-frugal-to-the-point-of-being-frustrating, piece of shit franchise, who deserve no good fortune whatsoever, however, continue to be "rewarded" with lottery talent because of their own god damn incompetence. What I'm trying to say is: It's just not fair. Moving on.

Besides Griffin, I think based on reports and speculation and other media surrounding the draft (especially in the past few weeks), that we, as fans, would prefer to have (and will likely have a chance at acquiring) the following five players at the 4 spot (note - if you do not agree with my list, that's fine...but it is MY list, so...): Rubio, Evans, Thabeet, Holiday, and (Jennings or Flynn). I had to put Jennings and Flynn together in parenthesis, in order to count them as one player. Otherwise, my list would be a top-6 list, and that is just weird. Nobody does that.

Simple math tells us that one of these guys will be available when it is our turn to draft. That is good (and yes, OBVIOUS) news. So, what's the point?

Only this! - (now you have to picture Jim Carrey opening and closing a sliding glass door repeatedly whilst yelling for an extended period of time).

Sorry, that was a stall tactic.

The point is, I'm really warming on Evans and of course, I still like Rubio (despite Jennings' assessment of him). Jennings has swagger, obviously, but it concerns me that his ego could potentially limit his game (much like Starbury). Flynn, I think is Chris Paul-Lite, which is obviously not a bad thing, and Holiday seems like he could be a good playmaker/defender, which are very important skills desperately needed right now.

It's all gut feeling but, the way I see it, the upside of each guy is best expressed as follows:

Rubio could be better than Nash as the distributor, but seems to lack the shooting. However, I honestly believe that his shooting will improve. There is time for him to work on it. Plus, we have Martin/Garcia/Greene to shoot from range, and Hawes/Thompson to finish inside. All we really need Rubio to do is pick-and-roll, penetrate-and-dish, and make free throws. Plus I think Rubio is an underrated defender and is more quick to the loose balls than his "not-the-most-athletic-guy" label suggests.

Evans could be very similar to Agent Zero, whose game I love. I think Evans could be one of the true stars of this draft. Sure, we need a distribute-first PG, but I wouldn't feel too badly about having Martin/Evans as the back court. I think Evans can do enough to involve his teammates while being able to create on his own and be a threat to score from outside or beating the other guards off the dribble and finishing inside. Martin and Evans would instantly be one of the better backcourts around as far as scoring threats.

Jennings I think is the real mystery here. More so than Rubio. I really don't know what to make of this kid, except he is either going to be really special, or really disappointing. I don't see the Derek Rose comparisons that some have suggested, to be honest. I see Rondo. Maybe better than Rondo. But still, I see Rondo. Well, not quite Rondo per se. I see Rondo, without a good outside shot, better handles and a big knuckle where his brain should be. Having Rondo on the team would not be a bad thing, but I would rather have Evans or Rubio than Rondo, and thus, I'd rather have Evans or Rubio than Jennings.

Holiday I got good vibes about after his workout here and based on the chatter regarding his other appearances since the draft lottery. Still, I don't see him being better than Evans, but I do see him probably being better than Flynn, especially defensively. As far as Holiday versus Jennings, I think Jennings edges him out athletically. But overall, I think Holiday ends up making the team as a whole better. I'd love to hear more about the draft workout today and how each guy compared to the other.

Flynn, as I said could be as good as a "lite-version" of CP3, but I think that's a pretty lofty assessment. I have no doubt he could distribute fairly well to his teammates, and his speed will definitely be a big plus against opposing PG's. But I don't see the star-potential, and thus, probably not worth a fourth pick.

Thabeet I really had no interest in all year. Not until recently, when I've heard more about his workouts and the fact that he seems to be moving really well on the court. The problem is obviously his offense, which I think will actually improve to the point of being decent. But, you cannot ignore his defensive presence. He is really good. My concern, though, is his ability to maintain position in the paint. He smply will lose out to guys like Shaq, Yao, Howard, and even Big Baby Davis. That being said, he can provide the help defense, rebounding and shot-blocking that is sorely missing. Maybe individually, JT and Thabeet are not the best tandem on defense, but together, I gotta think they could get it done.

What we need (and maybe expect) at the fourth pick is a guy who at least has all-star potential. I think that disqualifies Thabeet, Flynn, and probably Holiday (although out of these three, he would have the best chance, IMO to make an all-star team). That leaves us with Rubio, Evans and Jennings.

And guess what? That's three guys to pick from, with Griffin going at number one. We're bound to get one of them.

Yeah, much of this was obvious (besides the parts I injected which were wholly my own gut feelings), but you were warned from the get-go.

Afterthought: Hmm...maybe I WOULD rather have Holiday than Jennings...

Viva la StR!

Maloofs Meddling in Coaching Search?

PhutureKings — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:49:41 -0000

Maloofs Meddling in Coaching Search?

HoopsWorld has the story.

Memphis & The Rubio Situation

PhutureKings — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:16:32 -0000

Memphis & The Rubio Situation

Important snippets:

- "The assumption is that Memphis will trade down a few spots, possibly to 4th, where Sacramento can offer either Jason Thompson or Spencer Hawes as added compensation."

- "There are some concerns that being selected fourth won’t cut it, and Rubio has already come out publicly in the Spanish media and stated that it’s not a foregone conclusion that he’ll be leaving Joventut this summer."

My take: I'd obviously really like to have Rubio, but Memphis better set its sights on something more like a trade of picks and Kenny Thomas' expiring contract.
I mean, Thompson or Hawes as "added compensation"!?! What the hell would be the point of that? In essence, we'd be trading one hole (at PG) for another (at 4 or 5). I think I'd prefer a package of Thompson and Holiday over a lone Rubio. Perhaps I would be willing to give up Hawes, but I really don't know. Tough call there, because the only remedy to that situation seems like a trade for Ty Chandler.
Now, if we could get Chandler to go w/ JT and Rubio, I'd give up Hawes, no problem...even if I prefer Hawes to Chandler straight-up.
I'm a crazy Kings fan, what the hell do I know?

If Mr. Rubio becomes a King, He Needs a Logo

PhutureKings — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:41:13 -0000

I drew these up a while back and didn't post them because flickr sucks and I didn't know how to get a url for my pics. However, the Griffin thread today included some good suggestions (including tinypic.com, which is what I used). So, thanks guys.

Anyway, I was thinking that if Rubio becomes a King, he'll need a cool logo. In one pic, I have the name RICKY written to look somewhat like a crown. In the other pic, I took the "R" from the Ricky Crown logo, and mirrored it. Putting the mirror images together, you get a logo that resembles a fox. I did this, because I think Rubio plays with a lot of smarts, trickery and craftiness, which are well-known traits of a fox.

via i41.tinypic.com

via i44.tinypic.com