Just Another Kings Fan

Unless I’ve completely missed something, there hasn’t been much talk about the Kings as contenders. Rightfully so to some extent, then again, this team looks pretty good. Could we compare the Kings from 2001-2002 to the current team, I think so? That team was great; minus a great team in Los Angeles we would have a championship, fair?

Let’s take a quick look at both teams and contrast the two. The team from 2001-2002 won sixty-one games and put up an astounding 36-5 records at Arco. They outscored teams 104 to 97 for the season and we grew accustom to watching blowouts. Some may recall this season, when the Kings attempted to outscore the Suns and lost both shootouts, 98-100 at home and 111-127 away. Could the 2001-2002 Kings run with the Suns, an emphatic yes should surely be your only response! Think about that for a moment, are the Kings of new not 7-3 when scoring over 100 points? Not to mention, the Kings may very well go 10-4 in the month of December without, both, Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby. Look at the schedule, we could be rolling along and get the two stars back for the New Year. A year fit for kings?

Let’s compare the core group from both teams. Remember these guys, Webber, Stojakovich, Bibby, Christie, Divac, Jackson, Turloglu, and Pollard? How do they then compare to what we have now? Surely Martin, Artest, Udrih, Salmons, Garcia, Moore and Bibby can play, right? I hope to throw you back a paragraph with that emphatic yes again. Can we please not forget the Kings are 7-3 at home in the absence of Mike Bibby, who has at least proven to me, given a close game in the fourth he can beat you himself, or, beat you behind in the forth by his lonesome. The man hit a game-winning shot jumping backwards and out of bounds! That’s just Bibby.

Refreshing at least my memory, the 2001-2002 team had Bibby running the offense through Webber and Divac, who, could the kick the ball out the Stojakovic, Jackson, Bibby and Turkoglu. Withholding Divac, the team would run you out of any building, and could at any time. Christie could shoot and play defense, Pollard would do the dirty work and surprisingly score. Cold shooting at times, outrebounded and defended occasionally, but those Kings were the cream of the crop.

Comparisons please, here we go, I’ll begin with Chris Webber and end right there. Webber averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, almost 2 steals and about a block and a half that year. We were chanting MVP then, if it weren’t for knee surgeries people would be talking about Webber as the best power forward of all-time, or is that a stretch? Once again, think it over.

To play this comparison out I think it would be safe to say there is no comparison for Webber, not on any team in the NBA, given what he did. When was the last time someone could say the Kings have a superstar caliber shooting guard? Mr. Christie not you, although I do thank you for all you did, solid with all capitals. Who was that guy again, you know that guy Michael Jordan use to not want to guard? I think he was the second best shooting guard in the league, behind his air-ness. Mitch Richmond! Remember him? Well we have another one in Kevin Martin, except the new one has friends, young, talented friends!

Richmond in his best year, as a King, averaged 25 points, about 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.4 steals a game and shot a blistering forty-two percent from 3-point range. Martin, not only can he jump out of the building, is shooting thirty-nine percent from three point range. Did I mention that Martin dropped 43 on the Knicks November 16? In addition, Martin has nine games with over 2 steals, seven games over 20 points and another nine games with over 7 attempts at the free-throw line. Kevin Martin isn’t our replacement for Chris Webber, but he is our 24 year-old Mitch Richmond that can jump out of the roof.

As for a Doug Christie comparison, there is a guy named John Salmons on the team who just happens to be in his 5th year in the league putting up numbers better then Christie did. Christie averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and almost two steals a game. He could shoot and play ridiculous defense, but please don’t compare his defensive presence to that of Artest. Salmons, on the other hand, is averaging 14 points a game, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and almost 1 block a game. Not to mention, with Artest out he was scoring over 20 points a game.

This year, Salmons has ten games with over 5 rebounds, eight games over 2 steals, seven games over 20 points and most importantly nine games with over 7 attempts at the free-throw line. With Martin out, Salmons will again be called on to do the same. Edge, Christie or Salmons? For now, even.

This is where things get interesting; we will then take a look at Turkoglu versus Garcia and Divac versus Miller. To be perfectly honest, I’m banking on Garcia and Miller, but, only time will tell. Let the sleigh bells ring and maybe Santa Claus will be fortunate to the Kings.

Here is why, no one can doubt what Vlade could do with and without the ball, not to mention his leadership was golden. Averaging 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, almost a steal, and about 2 blocks a game. Is this not Miller’s time to show leadership, does he not give Spencer Hawes a mentor? Spencer Hawes proved this summer that he could score, then, he showed the Rockets he could block shots and rebound on December 1st. That game he had 10 rebounds and two blocked shots in 14 minutes.

Brad Miller is averaging the most blocks in his career and is shooting, by far, better at the free-throw line than ever before in his career. Add these statistics to his 11 points and eight rebounds. Without a winning record, the Kings still lead the league in free-throw attempts. Without further debate, Divac and Pollard versus Miller, Moore, Hawes? Edge current Kings. Mikki Moore is shooting 52% from the floor which is down from his career average and his 84% from the free-throw line is a career best.

Turkoglu and Garcia are fairly even statistically speaking, but I think if the Kings are to make a playoff run, then one better bank on Garcia being a part of it. Garcia has already put 31 points on Phoenix this year, scored over 16 points eight times this year and can play defense! Right now, I would rather have Garcia because he is only 25 years old, but, to play it safe I will call these two even.

If I haven’t caught your ear yet, maybe I’ll catch it here. Bibby and Bobby or Bibby and Beno? Beno who? I apologize to those who may have missed him, especially to Beno himself. He had the luxury of sitting behind Tony Parker, the same point guard that could start on any team in the NBA. As a basketball fan, we all know what Bobby Jackson did here and elsewhere. Consistent offense and defense, not to mention he could light up the score board from three-point land.

It would be ludicrous to compare Bibby against himself, so, take a look at this. Beno has better numbers; then again he is running the show right now. With Udrih running the point, the Kings are 4-3 against Utah, Houston, Golden State, Phoenix and Detroit this season. We can’t possibly forget that Udrih is only in his 3rd NBA season, 25 years old. All playoff caliber teams right? But 4-3, what does that mean? It could very well mean a playoff series in a slightly different context. In those games he averaged roughly 16 points and 4 assists, shooting 48% from the floor.

If Bibby and Martin can return approximately the same time, you would be adding about 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists on average per game. If the rumors are true and the Kings deal Bibby to Miami for Haslem, then things may look a bit different. We’ve already lost one game because we lost our point guard during the game, why risk losing anymore? What would Haslem bring that Mikki Moore doesn’t already do, unless you plan on not playing Hawes the entire season. The Kings could look scary at home, get health and we could win in anyone’s building, in the playoffs!

Can anyone name another player in the NBA that can do what Ron Artest can do? The man is averaging 22 points, 7 rebounds, almost 4 assists, 2 and a half steals and almost a block a game. Not to mention he is shooting lights out from three point land at 45%. More media coverage is given to his person life then to his game, his personal life is just that, personal!

Last year the Kings were 20-21 at home, the same year that the Warriors and Lakers got into the playoffs at 42-40. This year only Boston, Utah, Denver and San Antonio have more wins at home. Who are those teams though, only championship contenders. If we can hold home court we have a chance, if we steal some games on the road we are in the playoffs, most importantly, if we stay together and healthy we may have destiny. Whatever Reggie Theus is doing, it’s working! From top down, if you question Geoff Petrie’s genius, I must then question your knowledge of basketball. Go Kings!

Just another Kings fan