By show of hands, who else is sick of this lockout? Normally around this time of year we'd be getting jazzed up about training camp, preseason, and the new big name free agent acquisitions that the Maloofs brought into town (or maybe not), but instead we're subjected to following national reporters on Twitter in hopes of catching some scrap of optimism from board meetings that have thusfar been anything but positive. To this point on StR, I have been limited to commenting on the work of others rather than putting out any entries myself, so with this post I'd like to join those of you who have been bold enough to share more than just a brief snippet of your opinions.

As any follower of the Sacramento Kings can attest, the last few years haven't been all that pretty. Certainly there have been some high points: The awarding of the ROY to Tyreke Evans, the selection and subsequent brilliance of DeMarcus Cousins, a certain game-winning shot against the Memphis Grizzlies, and (my personal favorite) the sweep of Jimmermania all across Northern California. But we've had more than our fair share of challenges. A 17-win season, followed by a 25-win season over the last couple of years, and the unspeakable idea of moving to Anaheim. But through it all, we have persevered and remained one of the most loyal and dedicated fanbases in all of professional sports. This year, I believe we will reap our rewards.

There are a number of reasons for that premise, but I will limit them to 4: Tyreke, DeMarcus, Thornton, and Jimmer.

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