# Sacramento: Championship Contender?



## Pejavlade (Jul 10, 2004)

Do you guys think we have a shot at the title this year. No homer answers, just give me your real opinion. If not, what do we have to do to get to the big dance?


----------



## maKINGSofgreatness (Aug 17, 2003)

As presently constructed, no. If we can do something smart/lucky with our expiring contracts before the deadline and get hot like Detroit did with Rasheed a few years ago, then maybe we would have an outside chance.


----------



## Legend_33 (Jul 8, 2006)

As of right now, we are not even _close_ to being championship contenders. We still have no legit interior defensive presence, Woods is a scrub and Williams is an unproven rookie. Also our depth is terrible, which is another reason why losing Bonzi sucks for this team. Kevin Martin could have been a great sixth man but now we have no go-to guy off the bench. Salmons, Hart, Garcia, and Woods are not really scorers, KT is useless off the bench, Douby is unproven, and the rest of them are scrubs.


----------



## Roscoe Sheed (Jun 19, 2006)

No

Especially after losing Bonzi


----------



## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

The Kings have a very good team, but they are lacking several elements of a championship contender.

The Kings do not have a superstar player, and the only way for a team without a superstar player to win the championship is if they have a TERRIFIC defense (a la Detroit). Ron Artest is a great defender...but Sacramento's defense will be nothing like Detroit's in '04. They are a very deep team, but for the Kings to have a legitimate shot at contending for the title, they would have to acquire a player like Kevin Garnett, or Mike Bibby and Ron Artest would have to take their offensive games to the next level. By that, I mean that both of them would have to average 22+ppg and shoot 45+% from the field.


----------



## Pejavlade (Jul 10, 2004)

Bibby, Artest, and Miller are very solid though. Most teams don't have a threesome that can provide that type of scoring with defensive presense...discluding Miller I guess. If players like Martin and Saloms can play to their ability, which in my opinion would be similiar to a Tayshaun Prince, then this team reminds me of a bit weaker Detroit squad. The only trouble would be interior offense and defensem but Miller and Thomas are no scrubs.

I think are squad is underrated.


----------



## Pejavlade (Jul 10, 2004)

Legend_33 said:


> As of right now, we are not even _close_ to being championship contenders. We still have no legit interior defensive presence, Woods is a scrub and Williams is an unproven rookie. Also our depth is terrible, which is another reason why losing Bonzi sucks for this team. Kevin Martin could have been a great sixth man but now we have no go-to guy off the bench. Salmons, Hart, Garcia, and Woods are not really scorers, KT is useless off the bench, Douby is unproven, and the rest of them are scrubs.



I thin dpeth is overrated top an extent, just look at the Suns who played 8 deep ion the playoffs, often 7 deep. If you look at are squad we are atleast 8 deep. Artest, Bibby, Miller, Kmart, Salmons, Hart, Garcia and Thomas. That is a very solid top 8. Add that to alot of variables with upside like Douby then who knows? This team could be the sleeper in the west.


----------



## KingByDefault (Dec 6, 2005)

Superstar? If Muss can turn the Warriors into a near playoff team maybe he can put this team over the edge. A lot of it hinges on how the players fit into the gameplan whatever it is. 

We have a top 5 team in the West talent wise but who knows what they'll do under Muss. I could see good things happening this year.


----------



## KingByDefault (Dec 6, 2005)

Legend_33 said:


> As of right now, we are not even _close_ to being championship contenders. *We still have no legit interior defensive presence, Woods is a scrub and Williams is an unproven rookie.* Also our depth is terrible, which is another reason why losing Bonzi sucks for this team. Kevin Martin could have been a great sixth man but now we have no go-to guy off the bench. Salmons, Hart, Garcia, and Woods are not really scorers, KT is useless off the bench, Douby is unproven, and the rest of them are scrubs.



How can your shoblocker be a scrub when all you need him to do is block shots? The Raptors needed Loren to be a 10/10/3 center to even show his impact a tad bit. We just need him to come in and block a few shots while he is in. We don't need him to do anything else.


----------



## Legend_33 (Jul 8, 2006)

KingByDefault said:


> How can your shoblocker be a scrub when all you need him to do is block shots? The Raptors needed Loren to be a 10/10/3 center to even show his impact a tad bit. We just need him to come in and block a few shots while he is in. We don't need him to do anything else.


How do you know he will even be able to come off the bench here. The guy could barely come off the bench in Toronto and they had worse defensive problems than us.

I've seen around 20-30 Raptors games on League Pass last year. Even though he is a good shotblocker, he is still a mediocre man-to-man defender and he does make a lot of defensive lapses.


----------



## Legend_33 (Jul 8, 2006)

Pejavlade said:


> I thin dpeth is overrated top an extent, just look at the Suns who played 8 deep ion the playoffs, often 7 deep. If you look at are squad we are atleast 8 deep. Artest, Bibby, Miller, Kmart, Salmons, Hart, Garcia and Thomas. That is a very solid top 8. Add that to alot of variables with upside like Douby then who knows? This team could be the sleeper in the west.


 The Suns at least had some scorers off the bench like Barbosa and House. We don't have anyone who can come off the bench and provide a scoring punch like those guys. Thomas, Hart, and Salmons are not really scorers. Remember when we tried to bring Thomas off the bench last year? He was terrible because he only makes an effort when he is in the starting lineup. If I'm wrong, I will gladly eat crow but as of right now I'm very skeptical of our bench. Aside from that, though, we are defenitely a solid team.


----------



## Legend_33 (Jul 8, 2006)

KingByDefault said:


> Superstar? If Muss can turn the Warriors into a near playoff team maybe he can put this team over the edge. A lot of it hinges on how the players fit into the gameplan whatever it is.
> 
> We have a top 5 team in the West talent wise but who knows what they'll do under Muss. I could see good things happening this year.


I agree with you about us being a top 5 team. A 4th or 5th seed sounds about right to me. Having Artest automatically makes us a _decent_ defensive team and we have plenty of offense with Bibby, Miller, Martin, SAR and Artest.


----------



## Pejavlade (Jul 10, 2004)

Legend_33 said:


> The Suns at least had some scorers off the bench like Barbosa and House. We don't have anyone who can come off the bench and provide a scoring punch like those guys. Thomas, Hart, and Salmons are not really scorers. Remember when we tried to bring Thomas off the bench last year? He was terrible because he only makes an effort when he is in the starting lineup. If I'm wrong, I will gladly eat crow but as of right now I'm very skeptical of our bench. Aside from that, though, we are defenitely a solid team.


I like Shareef off the bench. And I truly believe Salmons has more offensive upside then he showed in Philly. I think being behind AI so to speak didn't give him to show off his game. I would like to see those two come off the bench. And as you said, if Kenny comes off the bench and is all un-motivated, like he was last year, then he really isn't playing the role of 6th man as it should be played. It will be interesting.


----------



## Roscoe Sheed (Jun 19, 2006)

Raheem should start and play 30-35 mins every game. he is very productive offensively


----------



## Pejavlade (Jul 10, 2004)

Nothing wrong with him coming off the bench and playing 25-30 minutes. He'll still get his time and will provide an offensive spark off the bench.


----------



## KingByDefault (Dec 6, 2005)

Legend_33 said:


> How do you know he will even be able to come off the bench here. The guy could barely come off the bench in Toronto and they had worse defensive problems than us.
> 
> I've seen around 20-30 Raptors games on League Pass last year. Even though he is a good shotblocker, he is still a mediocre man-to-man defender and he does make a lot of defensive lapses.


Speedy Claxton, Brian Cardinal, Earl Boykins. etc. That's how I know.


----------



## maKINGSofgreatness (Aug 17, 2003)

KingByDefault said:


> Speedy Claxton, Brian Cardinal, Earl Boykins. etc. That's how I know.


Claxton, Cardinal, and Boykins have all been at least servicable players while not being coach by Muss, but Woods hasn't; he has always had trouble getting on the court, even on other center starved teams. And the others are all hustle players, and Woods isn't. 

I don't know what's more likely, Woods getting decent minutes despte himself because we have no other size or Muss refusing to play Woods even though he is the only size on the team and going with no backup center like Adelman did last year because Woods doesn't perform. 

Am I hopeful that Woods can have his best season this year? Yes, we sure need him too, and this is probably the best situation of his career, but he's 28, and will not suddenly turn into a different player. 10, 10, and 3 would be a miracle.


----------



## KingByDefault (Dec 6, 2005)

maKINGSofgreatness said:


> Claxton, Cardinal, and Boykins have all been at least servicable players while not being coach by Muss, but Woods hasn't; he has always had trouble getting on the court, even on other center starved teams. And the others are all hustle players, and Woods isn't.
> 
> I don't know what's more likely, Woods getting decent minutes despte himself because we have no other size or Muss refusing to play Woods even though he is the only size on the team and going with no backup center like Adelman did last year because Woods doesn't perform.
> 
> Am I hopeful that Woods can have his best season this year? Yes, we sure need him too, and this is probably the best situation of his career, but he's 28, and will not suddenly turn into a different player. 10, 10, and 3 would be a miracle.


The correlation man! They all got their opprotunity while being coached by Muss. In order for Loren to show anything he has to be given that kind of opprotunity. Hopefully he will. If he fails no biggie.


----------



## ToddMacCulloch11 (May 31, 2003)

Make the playoffs: Yes.
Championship Contenders: No.


----------



## PaCeRhOLiC (May 22, 2005)

ToddMacCulloch11 said:


> Make the playoffs: Yes.
> Championship Contenders: No.



Exactly my thought....Maybe in a couple of years, but as of right now I would say no.


----------



## Hibachi! (Sep 18, 2003)

I think the Kings will make the playoffs, and have an outside chance of making it to the second round. That's pretty much it.


----------



## Pejavlade (Jul 10, 2004)

Zero Hero said:


> I think the Kings will make the playoffs, and have an outside chance of making it to the second round. That's pretty much it.


Where do you see us placing?


----------

