DeMarcus Cousins has won. Coach Paul Westphal has been terminated, and Golden State Warriors castaway Keith Smart has taken over the reigns as interim head coach.

Cousins has been a mercurial and unstable quantity to any team since his high school days. His lone season at Kentucky was the same. He slipped from potential #1 overall pick to 5th based on his head case reputation. In his brief time in the NBA, Cousins’ immaturity and easily-roughed-feathers has caused him to be a serious distraction. Luckily for Cousins, he is extremely talented, and a massive individual, which usually prevails over all other logic by NBA management decision makers.

What’s sad to me is that instead of supporting your system, and backing the disciplinary actions of your coach in order to teach Cousins there are serious consequences, the Sacramento Kings opted to fire Westphal. In doing so, they made Westphal the sacrificial lamb. Kings management decided to please Cousins, instead of thinking of the long term consequences their actions might bring.

And it makes you wonder why the Kings have not been heading in the right direction.

Sure, Paul Westphal did erroneously take it out on Cousins publicly, and we will never truly know who really said what. Agents will always side by their client, but which person do you truly believe tried more than the other to make things work?

The thing I am concerned with is that this opens the door for more athletes to think that they can get away with this type of behavior. Sadly, if an individual is talented enough, they can. In a league that should remain professional, where acting “adult” should be paramount, these young men are being taught that if you keep whining or acting like a baby, you eventually get what you want.

In any other profession, acting how Cousins has would make him impossible to hire, and quite easy to fire. Imagine if Cousins was in your office, acting the way he did, saying something (allegedly) “if you don’t like it, send me to another company.” Job recommendation? Yeah right.

Sure it’s not fair. It’s the NBA, where everyone gets a a pass, and everyone is extremely valuable if they are talented at putting a ball into a basket. People give these players passes because they are celebrities in most social circles, and adored by the public. They are the heroes of the teams we support and love. Even judges rule against them using a lighter gavel because they believe that famous people are exposed to a different life than us common, ticket-buying folks.

If you are team management, you must think about developing your talent, and the long term goals of you franchise.

The Sacramento Kings shot themselves in the foot by siding with an immature 21-year-old-man-child. Instead of taking a hard line with Cousins and teaching him to grow up, potentially increasing the value of his long term abilities, they have instead giving Cousins the throne, and made him the King of Sacramento.

Upon discovering that former All Star center Yao Ming will miss the rest of the season with yet another injury, the Houston Rockets have officially closed the book on the Yao Ming Era and have begun shopping his expiring contract around the league.

This move all comes in light of the fact that the Rockets have played well without Yao. With Yao and Aaron Brooks both sidelined, the Rockets still managed to succeed and win with a surprise breakout year from Kyle Lowry, whom played nothing less than brilliant as the starting point guard, leading Houston to a respectable 15-15 record.

It seems like the Rockets’ roster is packed with players whom can step it up on any given night. Shane Battier is always good for back breaking threes, but on certain nights you will get a gem performance from the likes of Chuck Hayes, Chase Budinger, or old man Brad Miller will put his savvy veteran game on display.

If the Rockets can dispose of Yao’s contract and get something, say another center, or better yet someone young and talented, in return the Rockets should dump Yao as soon as possible.

In Houston it is clearly time to end the old, and replenish the roster with more young talent.

At this point, Yao is on the outside looking in, looking for some hope.

The Rockets have been rumored to be in discussions with Sacramento, but that is bunk because Daryl Morey asked for DeMarcus Cousins in the swap, which has proven to be an automatic deal breaker.

Perhaps if Houston includes Aaron Brooks in the deal they could sway Sacramento into a deal. Brooks is undersized but  a valued shooter who can put up huge offensive lines in addition to provide deep threat scoring.

Kyle Lowry has proven to Houston he can indeed shoot during games and is a stronger defender than Brooks. Lowry has more size than Brooks, and he strengthens the Rockets defensive presence because he can defend the leagues bigger point guards,whereas Brooks clearly weakens the team. Selling Brooks high is not a bad idea since Lowry has proven his worth.

Regardless of where Yao is traded, the odds are he will never play again in the NBA. Yao is a proud man and will do everything to prepare himself for a comeback, wherever that might be, but in reality he possesses peanut brittle for bones and there’s just no way he can come back without being another year slower and removed from the game.

Mark Stein of ESPN and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports have both mentioned breaking news via their twitter feeds that a deal has been made involving Tracy McGrady and Kevin Martin.

According to the twitter reports, the three-team deal has Kevin Martin, Jared Jeffries, Hilton Armstrong, and Jordan Hill heading to Houston. Additionally, New York agrees to swap first-round picks in 2011 and gives Houston their first-round pick in 2012. The 2011 pick is Top-1 protected and 2012 is Top-5 protected.

Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodrigez will be sent to New York.

Carl Landry, and Joey Dorsey, and Larry Hughes end up heading to the Sacramento Kings.

McGrady will likely seek a buyout. (Credit: picapp.com)

A important question remaining unanswered is the level to which T Mac can play at. For the season McGrady was limited to 6 games with averages of 7:35 minutes and 3.2 points. The Knicks better hope T Mac has gotten remarkably improved during his time off.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey is legendary for crafting this deal. Obtaining Kevin Martin is huge for the Rockets, almost more so than the dumping of McGrady’s insanely large contract.

In addition,  Houston acquires New York’s draft picks, which project to vital lottery picks.

One door closes, a much nicer door opens. (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Martin has the opportunity to revamp the Rockets offense, and will no longer compete with Tyreke Evans for the ball. He must be extremely happy.

He gives a tough defensive team a scorer capable of 20 or more points a night. With the Rockets currently ranked 9th in the Western Conference, Martin is the type of player that can create separation from Memphis and New Orleans and into the 8th playoff spot.

Kevin Martin had this to say to Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears:

• “I’m definitely excited for a new opportunity with my old coach. That’s the funny part.”
• “Sacramento gave me an opportunity. I was a late first round pick. I could have been playing overseas.”
• Let the young guys develop. I appreciate them letting me go to a playoff caliber team at this time of my career.”

Martin will likely go ballistic offensively in Houston with his old coach, Rich Adelman, who is fully knowledgeable on how to utilize his talents.

I wrote prior the start of this season that I believe Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors will win the NBA Rookie of the Year award this season.

Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks gave my prediction the first threat of the year as I watched him drop in 55 points against the Warriors as I was reviewing Curry. At that point, I knew this was not going to be easy for my prediction to come to fruition.

Without question, Tyreke Evans has been the leader in the race for the first 42 games of the season. He is averaging numbers that few do in their first year.

Evans has declined in January, and still continues to hoist threes when it is clear he is not suited to. The return of Kevin Martin is going to grate even further against his numbers, so his productivity will have to take a hit. If not, expect major term oil between the rookie and the veteran.

Curry is a triple double threat lately. (Credit: picapp.com)

If Curry continues capitalizing on Monta Ellis’ absence (due to an ankle injury), he can put himself in contention to eventually take the prize.

With the Warriors scrambling around the NBA Development League in order to dress enough player to qualify to play, there is going to be no shortage of minutes or shots for Curry now.

Evidence of this was on display tonight in Sacramento, where Curry put up 27 points with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals against Tyreke’s Sacramento Kings tonight. Curry had only 1 turnover playing the point guard for 44:42. That is impressive stuff from the kid nobody believed could transition to the point after a career at shooting guard at Davidson College.

Evans, on the other hand, had 23 points on 8-21 shooting, going 0-2 from 3 point range. Compared to Curry, Evans underperformed Curry in every statical category except turnovers. Evans finished with 3 to Curry’s 1.

Stephen Curry seems to have caught up to speed with the pace of the NBA game during January and is averaging 19 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a contest. He is averaging 15 shots per game.

Tyrekes Evans is dropping in 21.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in January.  He is averaging 16.6 shots a game. These are good numbers, but they are on the decline. Again, I reiterate Kevin Martin will be dipping into these numbers as the season progresses.

Curry is clearly the superior shooter to Evans.  Evans has had the green light all year, and manages to continue to shoot the 3 even though he has a 25% success rate for the season.

This could derail Evans later in the season if he cannot learn to control his 3 point shot urges. If he cannot hit the 3 consistently, game plans designed back off of him outside will hurt his chances of driving inside. Hence, less shots, less scoring.

Curry has a lower scoring average than Evans because (1) rookies get treated terribly by Don Nelson and (2) Monta Ellis has trouble giving the ball up once it is in his hands.

No, seriously, watch Ellis when he gets the ball. Of the 5 assists he averages, a lot of them are on bailout passes as he realizes he has taken a team 1 on 5.

Now that Ellis is out, Curry is playing serious ball. If he continues this pace without Ellis, or if one of the many trade rumors surrounding the Warriors lands him or Ellis elsewhere before February 18th, look for Curry to rise right to the top, and breath down Evans’ neck for the Rookie of the Year award.

Evans has been a beast all year, but will he sustain his numbers as the season progresses and teams begin picking him apart with their defensive strategies? Will Kevin Martin start demanding the ball more?

We are now only weeks away from the NBA trade deadline. Rumors are circulating, and the buzzing trade chatter is heavily amassing.

Some teams will be mortgaging young talent in order to take on expiring contracts in hopes of clearing cap space for the free agency fiasco in 2010.

Other teams will be looking to capitalize, and claim talent while dumping salaries. Other teams, realizing that their season is all but lost, will break up rosters that have not been able to achieve what management had originally envisioned.

Here are the teams with the most to lose/gain from the fiasco.

Portland Trail Blazers

Who can fill in for Oden/Pryzbilla for Portland? (Credit:picapp.com)

The Trail Blazers obviously need help in the paint. They have had the fortune of Brandon Roy willing his team to wins, but it is unlikely he can carry them all year. Juwan Howard’s body, at age 37, will likely not be able to secure the center position for the rest of the year before wear and tear takes its toll. The saying “You can’t teach height” must be racing through Kevin Pritchard’s head as he diligently investigates potential acquisitions to help the Blazers in the middle.

The Blazers have a wealth of depth in the backcourt, and a plethora of athletic, defensive-minded young forwards. The issue is Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden have contracts running past next season, so the Blazers brass must consider the adverse effects of another long term contract vs. salary cap space.

Sacramento Kings

Will Martin mesh with Tyreke? (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Martin might return to the floor as early as Friday after missing the last 32 games after suffering a fractured left wrist. He has been practicing, and now coach Paul Westphal has a blessing of a dilemma in discovering if Martin and super rookie Tyreke Evans will be able to coexist in the backcourt.

There is zero chance Tyreke Evans is dealt anywhere. If there are any hiccups between the two stars having any negative impact upon team chemistry, look for Martin to be shipped out immediately. Look for Martin to be sought after by teams with inadequacies at the shooting guard position. Phoenix and Dallas immediately come to mind. Both teams are looking for a chance at contention this season, and would be willing to trade prospects and draft picks in order to land Martin’s scoring skills.

Toronto Raptors

I hear the weather is always nice in Los Angeles. (Credit:picapp.com)

Chris Bosh rumors are surfacing aplenty, with recent chatter mentioning Bosh heading to Los Angeles in exchange for Andrew Bynum. This deal would be a huge gamble for the Lakers, but Bosh puts L.A. over the top in the Western Conference.

It is hard to imagine Bosh signing elsewhere after winning an NBA Championship and tasting the Los Angeles lifestyle. He might even put his All Star promotional video production skills to use and land himself work during the off season.

Bynum would find himself in Toronto as a focal point of a rebuilding franchise with Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani, and Jose Calderon. Bosh is a weak interior defender, so adding Bynum would give the Raptors a long-term defensive solution. Bynum tends to disappear when Pau Gasol is playing, so in terms of his career thriving, this could be a dream come true.

Chicago Bulls

Does anyone want Hinrich? (Credit: picapp.com)

You would have to be living under a rock to not know the Bulls are trying to unload Kirk Hinrich. Everyone and anyone knows this, to the point of detriment to his trade value. Hinrich is a solid defender, outside shooter, and an all around decent NBA player. The problem is Hinrich has 2 years remaining on his contract after this season, worth $17 million.

Also not boding well on his value is the fact that he is shooting a career-low 37% from the field and 71% from the line this season. When your specialty is shooting, and you are not shooting well, it is hard to retain trade value. The Bulls have indicated that everyone on the roster except Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to be available, as long as Hinrich’s name is included potential deals.

Houston Rockets

Iggy could do this for the Rockets, instead of against them. (Credit: picapp.com)

The Tracy McGrady saga is difficult as he has the largest contract in the league ($23,239,561). This is the ultimate situation for teams looking to dump contracts and create salary cap space for the free agency fiasco of July 2010.

The teams falling into this category are: the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Chicago Bulls. Of these teams, Philadelphia has the best package to offer Houston in terms of immediate roster help.

Philadelphia could package Andre Iguodala with Samuel Dalembert in exchange for McGrady. This is the most logical deal for the Rockets who are without Yao Ming for the season (if not longer) and in need of a center who can rebound and block shots.

Iguodala is an immediate impact player for the Rockets. This deal could put the Rockets into contention this season. The Rockets can assign Ariza, Battier, or Iggy on any teams top offensive threat. Adding Iggy to the offensive attack of Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry will make life hell for opponents during the 4^th quarter.

]]> http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/13/nba-trade-talk-chris-bosh-andrew-bynum-tracy-mcgrady-and-more/feed/ 0 http://protectthepaint.com/2009/08/05/seans-knee-may-or-may-not-hold-up/ http://protectthepaint.com/2009/08/05/seans-knee-may-or-may-not-hold-up/#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:25:03 +0000 Adam Sedie http://protectthepaint.com/?p=2053

Sean May is hefty. He needs to lose weight. The tough, intimidating force whom we witnessed dominate on his way to becoming an NCAA champion is somewhere beneath his exterior.

May has had 3 surgeries on his right knee. His career games played amass to only one full season at 82 over 4 years in the NBA.

He sat out the entire 2007-08 campaign.

Two all beef patties special sauce letuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame bun. (Credit: picapp.com)

He played only 24 games last year.

Greg Oden is the best thing since sliced bread when compared to Sean May.

He discusses the microfracture surgery in his interview with the Sacramento Bee:

“I feel great, the best I have felt in a long time, All of the doctors I have talked to and players that went through microfracture like me, like Amare Stoudemire, told me that the thing I have on my side is youth.”

May is sort of young at 25, 2 years away from what is considered to be entering one’s prime. In today’s NBA, young is considered to be 19-22, not 25.

He needs to lose some weight. Make that a lot of weight. We are not talking about the traditional 5 pounds anyone could afford to lose on any given day. The man lists at 266. He has a troubled, documented past with his weight.

In a world where NBA players lie to add inches to their height, Sean May lies down about his weight.

Standing 6’9” and weighing 266 pounds is a BMI level of 28.5. That places May in the overweight region of BMI, almost flirting with obese.

And we are all scratching our heads as to why this kids knee keeps blowing out? Hmmm?

Ask any professional athlete what is the most important thing to staying fit, and odds are the first thing you will hear is “diet”.

There have been reports he has done so. If he stays on course he could be a contributor for the uber-young Kings.

Sean MAY end up proving his fat detractors wrong, or he could be Robert “Tractor” Traylor 2.0.

The 2009 NBA Draft is in the books begging the question: What teams added the piece that will help them out of the lottery and into the playoffs next year? The Bulls, Heat, and Blazers—lottery teams from 2008—made the playoffs, replaced this year by Phoenix, Toronto, and Washington (who traded their pick to Minnesota). Below is Protect the Paint’s grades for what this year’s lottery teams did with their lottery pick and a prediction of their lottery-status for next season.

Blake Griffin should start immediately (Credit: ESPN)

#1     Los Angeles Clippers        Blake Griffin            Grade: A

No surprise here. Look for the Clippers to make some roster moves to insure Griffin a starting spot and get rid of some locker room headaches. NEXT YEAR: they’ll be better, but the Western Conference is stacked, so back to the lottery.

Can Thabeet develop an offensive game? (Credit: ESPN)

#2     Memphis Grizzlies        Hasheem Thabeet        Grade: B

The next Dikembe Mutombo? Thabeet should be an immediate impact player on the defensive end. Luckily for him, Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo will be taking most of the shots. Lookout if he develops an offensive game. He should be in the league for his D alone for years to come. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

James Harden might be the best player of the draft class (Credit: ESPN)

#3    Oklahoma City Thunder    James Harden            Grade: B

The Thunder eliminated their biggest weakness and gave Russell Westbrook a running mate in the backcourt. The combination of Westbrook, Harden, Jeff Green, and Kevin Durant is downright frightening for what the future has in store for the Thunder. Look for this team to dramatically improve their win total (23) from last year. NEXT YEAR: much improved, but back to the lottery.

The Kings surprised everyone by selecting Evans over Rubio (Credit: ESPN)

#4    Sacramento Kings        Tyreke Evans            Grade: D

This was a shocker. It seemed every mock draft, rumor, or news report had Ricky Rubio coming to Sac-town. Evans has flaws in his overall game. He is raw, but there is an abundance of raw, young talent in Sacramento. In three years, one must question where Evans will be in comparison to Rubio. Low grade is for not selecting Rubio. The kid displayed abilities and poise years beyond his age in the Olympics against the redeem team. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Ricky Rubio will likely be dealt or play next season in Europe (Credit: ESPN)

#5    Minnesota Timberwolves    Ricky Rubio            Grade: B
The T-Wolves got their man with Rubio. Flynn (see 6th pick) is an athletic, charismatic type player whom will lift his teammates on and off the court. However, he is one of 5 guards selected by Minnesota. We here at Protect the Paint envision Rubio emerging as a superstar in this league. Look for multiple moves in the near future from Minnesota. A good question is if Rubio even plays in the NBA this year. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Jonny Flynn has the talent to star in Minnesota for years to come (Credit: ESPN)

#6    Minnesota Timberwolves    Johnny Flynn            Grade: B-
Guard #2 of 5 selected by Minnesota. It will be very interesting to see who is dealt and who is kept. With Minnesota’s luck, it is a safe bet the guy dealt experiences greater NBA prosperity. Right now, Rubio has far more trade value. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Stephen Curry: NBA Rookie of the Year? (Credit: ESPN)

#7    Golden State Warriors        Stephen Curry            Grade: A+
The Warriors high-octane offense just acquired a serious scoring threat. Scouting reports knocked his defense and decision-making. Sounds like a perfect fit for the Bay Area. The only disclaimer in Oakland: the brass told Monta Ellis they would not select a PG. If the two can get along, the Warriors could be quite dangerous when going small. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Hill is the Knicks consolation prize after Curry was taken at 7. (Credit: ESPN)

#8    New York Knicks        Jordan Hill            Grade: C+
The Knicks lost out big time by not being able to draft Stephen Curry but are satisfied with Hill. Hill provides immediate relief if David Lee leaves. Pundits believe he will thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun style of play. Will the Knicks ever be good again? NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Can DeRozen make Chris Bosh reconsider leaving Toronto? (Credit: ESPN)

#9    Toronto Raptors        DeMar DeRozan        Grade: A-
This is possibly the best pick the Raptors could have hoped for. DeRozen is freakishly athletic.  Will be a key piece in forcing Chris Bosh to consider staying, If Bosh leaves, Toronto has a solid component to build around for the future. NEXT YEAR: if they keep Chris Bosh, this should be a playoff team in 2010.

Brandon Jennings appears poised to excel for the Bucks (Credit: ESPN)

#10    Milwaukee Bucks        Brandon Jennings        Grade: B-
It will be interesting to listen, watch, and read about how coach Scott Skiles and his new point guard get along. It could be like dynamite and nitro glycerin. With Richard Jefferson gone, and rumors of Luke Ridnour being on the block, Jennings and Ramon Sessions will form the nucleus of a young Bucks backcourt. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Terrence Williams joins a crowded backcourt in New Jersey (Credit: ESPN)

#11    New Jersey Nets        Terrence Williams        Grade: B
Williams will fit into a young backcourt rotation of Devon Harris, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Courtney Lee now that Vince Carter is headed to Orlando. If he learns to be consistent as a pro he will be fun to watch. It is a safe bet New Jersey might hold a higher pick in next years draft with their youth movement officially set in motion. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Michael Jordan drafted archrival school Duke's Henderson (Credit: ESPN)

#12    Charlotte Bobcats        Gerald Henderson        Grade: C-
Wow, Michael Jordan drafted a Dukie. At least he didn’t draft fellow UNC alum Tyler Hansbrough (see next pick). Henderson is super-athletic a very good defensive player. Will need to develop more of an offensive game or he could become the next Bruce Bowen (minus the corner three). Weird pick with Earl Clark still on the board. NEXT YEAR: they’ll be a better team, but back to the lottery.

Indiana failed heinously selecting Tyler Hansbrough (Credit: ESPN)

#13    Indiana Pacers            Tyler Hansbrough        Grade: F*
Hansbrough might be a tough guy—a blue-collar worker whom Indiana fans will appreciate—but he appears to be a man without a position in the NBA. Lacks the foot speed and athleticism to succeed at this level. Indiana blew it. This organization already misses Donnie Walsh. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

*F grade due to who was selected at pick #14.

Brandon Jennings stepped in late on behalf the 14th pick Earl Clark (Credit: ESPN)

#14    Phoenix Suns            Earl Clarke            Grade:  A
The Suns are obviously in a rebuilding mode. Earl Clark is a shooting guard in a big man’s body and will give the team versatility. Good ball handler for his size (like a right-handed Lamar Odom). Needs to improve his range. If the rumors about his lack of work ethic prove unfounded, Phoenix could have the steal of the 2009 NBA Draft. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

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The division featuring the 2008-09 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers will have other teams in the division seeking out immediate help to contend during the 2009-10 season. Look out for a healthy Los Angeles Clippers roster with Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon leading the way to contend this season as the best in the west.

Yup, we said it. The Clippers.

Griffin will make an immediate impact in the NBA (Credit: northwesternwins.com)

Los Angeles Lakers (65-17)     The Lakers could lose Lamar Odom, and Trevor Ariza to free agency. Although highly unlikely, it is a possibility. The only real weakness the defending champs will have is depth at point guard.  Jordan Farmar has not proven his worth as a long-term solution. Look for LA to see what is left on the table with the 29th pick. Perhaps they will stay local and draft another UCLA alum in Darren Collison. If not, they would need to go for the best available player like Marcus Thornton.

Phoenix Suns (46-36)    With a team full of veterans and no room on the roster, we suggest you keep your eyes on the trade market as with only $7 Million of salary on Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley, Robin Lopez, Louis Amundson and Alando Tucker,  With Dragic expected to see an increase in tim t his year, It might be a stretch, but Chase Budinger would be a nice local fit after playing down at the road at Arizona last season.  If not Budinger, perhaps James Johnson is another suitable option at SF.

Jennings has 1 year of pro experience in Europe. (Credit: Rueters)

Golden State Warriors (29-53)    The Warriors are at a crossroads. Their most glaring need is a true point guard. Monta Ellis is supposed to be their 1, but he is absolutely a pure 2 in a 1’s body.  Even though Ellis was promised by management a PG would not be drafted, look for the Warriors to select either Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn or Stephen Curry. Curry would fit into Nelsons offense almost immediately. If the Warriors draft Curry, watch out for trades coming out of Oakland in the immediate future.

Los Angeles Clippers (19-63)    This is a no brain decision. Blake Griffin. Look forward to having two franchises in Los Angeles at the top of this division very soon. With Eric Gordon having starters minutes and a healthy roster from the start of the year, look out for Blake Griffin and the Clippers

RIcky Rubio is a hot NBA draft commodity (Credit: panaramio.com)

Sacramento Kings (17-65)    The Kings need one position desperately filled in the Sactramento: a solid PG. If  not available with the 4th overall pick, it is within reason to see the Kings making draft day moves to secure Ricky Rubio as their long term investment at PGs. If Rubio is not available,  look for Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings, and as a long shot we have Jeff Teague.