'07 Sacramento Kings Preview
Ron Artest, Mike Bibby on the Trade Block
2007 Sacramento Kings NBA Season Preview
There's no denying that the Sacramento Kings are knee-deep in the rebuilding process, despite veterans like Mike Bibby, Ron Artest and Brad Miller lingering. The fact of the matter is that Brad Miller is on his last legs, Ron Artest seems hardly welcome in Sacto and Mike Bibby's contract seems destined for another area code. The Kings are holding their future in the hands of sharp-shooting guard Kevin Martin who nearly doubled his scoring average last season from 10.8 ppg to 20.2 ppg. They re-signed him this summer to a 5-year, $55 million deal.
The Kings also hope newly drafted center Spencer Hawes develops quickly and stays healthy. At seven feet tall, Hawes is a legitimate low-post threat, but he does need to work on rebuilding, defense and strength. Still, he has drawn comparisons to Jack Sikma and even Brad Miller.
Other youngsters who could contribute more this season as they continue to develop are guard Quincy Douby, forward John Salmons, forward-center Justin Williams and forward-guard Francisco Garcia.
Of course, the Kings are also dealing with dilemmas surrounding a new stadium. Team owners want one and the tax payers don't want to pay for it. That could be an issue that continues to develop in the next year. City officials should be taking notes on the Seattle Supersonics' situation right now.
Statistics Projections/Depth Chart
- Center: Brad Miller 9.6 ppg, 6.7 rbpg, 3.5 apg (back up: Spencer Hawes)
- Power Forward: Shareef Abdur-Rahim 10.1 ppg, 5.0 rbpg (back up: Mikki Moore)
- Small Forward: Ron Artest 19.2 ppg, 5.9 rbpg, 2.3 spg (back up: Francisco Garcia)
- Point Guard: Mike Bibby 18.2 ppg, 5.1 apg (back up: Mustafa Shakur)
- Shooting Guard: Kevin Martin 21.4 ppg, 4.4 rbpg (back up: John Salmons)
Key Losses
The Kings lost numerous players, but none who should make that much of a difference. The list includes: Corliss Williamson, Maurice Taylor, Jason Hart and Vitaly Potapenko.
Key Additions
Mikki Moore was the biggest free agent signing, other than the re-signing of Kevin Martin. Yet, it was a waste of money, as Moore's stats were over-inflated in New Jersey by Jason Kidd's pin-point passing. The Kings also drafted Spencer Hawes with the tenth pick of the 2007 NBA Draft.
Team Rumors
There have been many rumors surrounding Ron Artest and Mike Bibby. The New York Knicks and Miami Heat are apparently interested in Artest, but a deal at this point seems unlikely. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Heat are interested in Bibby, but there haven't been any recent murmurings about who might be offered as trade bait.
Prediction
The Kings will win four fewer games than last season, giving them a record of 29-53, which will send them back to the lottery. If Bibby isn't traded by the All-Star break, he'll be dealt before the 2008 NBA Draft. It will be harder to move Ron Artest and expect to get sufficient value in return given Artest's past.
Fantasy Spin
Ron Artest is not a bad guy to grab between picks 35-50. Many might shy away from him; afraid of his sketchy past and bad attitude. Yet, he's great in fantasy basketball, because he contributes decent points and rebounds, while producing a whole lot of steals.
Mike Bibby isn't a bad gamble either past the fiftieth pick, but his inconsistency and health in the past few years suggests that age might be catching up to him. Don't rely on him as your prime point guard and expect an influx of assists.
Kevin Martin is a great pickup after the fortieth pick. There's still the possibility that last season was a fluke, but it's not likely. He'll have plenty of opportunities to score again this season. Moreover, he takes a lot of trips to the foul line (7.1 per game) and hits a high percentage of them (84.4%). That's a big factor.
Stay away from Brad Miller. He's old and it's showing. Also, stay far away from Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
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