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| Friday, September 8 Users: Webber can carry team to more success ESPN.com |
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The Kings made huge strides last season in finishing with 45 wins and pushing the Lakers to a Game 5 in the first round of the playoffs. But with high expectations and a few new players, will the Kings be any better this season? ESPN.com users seem to think that the Kings will win more games this season, with Jason Williams finding maturity, Predrag Stojakovic adding offense and Doug Christie strong defense.
Here are some of the better e-mails we received on the Kings and our Team Offseason Spotlight. Enjoy, and check out our spotlight index page to see when your favorite team will be broken down.
The Kings do have some problems. Jason Williams shooting too many bad shots, not playing defense, etc. But, when you add Doug Christie and the new Turkish sensation to the lineup, you get two skilled players that will help this club remain more consistent. Just watch, the Kings will win 60 games this year. Barrett Benson Chico, Calif.
Even with Doug Christie, the Kings still need to get someone to play the two-guard, and they need a backup center. Pollard works hard, but just doesn't have the size. The Kings will probably be the exact same as they were last year with Webber's numbers going up and Williams' bad shots still flying through the air (the only way to stop Williams from doing so is to bench him and let him know you're serious). This team just needs to grow up, Anderson, Webber and Divac have to start smacking people around and force them to play defense and play hard for every minute they're on the court, and they all need the heart of Jon Barry. Eric M Byrne Santa Maria, Calif.
Hey, the Kings the my favorite team and I love watching them play because they make the game exciting. I think that the Kings will win 5-10 more games in this upcoming season. Many people thought when the Kings made the playoffs two years ago, it was a fluke because it was a strike-shortened season. Last season, they proved that they are a playoff team in a full season. This year, they will build on that and people will step out. The person who I think will step up the most is my favorite player, Jason Williams. Missing the first five games of the season will actually help him mature. He will either mature on his own or Webber is going to talk a little sense into Williams. Williams and Webber are going to be one of not only the most exciting duos to watch, but they will be one of the best duos. If Jason can pick up his game, so can everyone else. I see the Kings as a sixth or seventh playoff seed and finally getting into the second round. Christopher McLean Montgomery, N.Y.
Originally from Sacramento (now off at school in Santa Barbara), I have been a Kings fan since way back in the days of Wayman Tisdale, Rodney McCray and Mitch Richmond. Those teams were bad, very bad, so these new, fast tempo, exciting Kings are a whole lot better than the ones of the past. Looking at the roster, aside from Portland, the Lakers and San Antonio, the Kings are right there with the rest of the Western conference teams, and I believe that they have the potential to be an upper echelon team if they can improve their defense. Chris Webber is one of the top five to 10 players in this league, while Jason Williams and Peja Stojakovic have the potential to be stars if they can improve their defense and decision making. Vlade Divac has shown the potential to be a dominant center, but he too must be more consistent and improve his defense. The Kings have a deep bench, and have shown that they can hang around with the top teams in the league, especially at home. While it is probable that the Kings will not improve much this season, if everything goes well they can. The keys to this season hinge on four things -- Jason Williams turning into the All-Star he is capable of being, Stojakovic turning into the star he is slowly becoming, improving the overall team defense, and rebounding. If these things all fall into place then the sky's the limit for this team. Otherwise the seventh or eighth playoff seed is more realistic, and that is a spot we don't want to be in because improved teams like Dallas, Houston, Denver and Golden State will be breathing down our necks. Andy Santa Barbara, Calif.
The Kings need Jason Williams to make a commitment to being a simple point guard. With him running the show, he can be either a circus act or a big help to this organization. Webber is a great all-around talent. He is the heart and soul of this team. Nick Anderson will have to shoot a heck of a lot better than he did last year. The position that really hurts them is the small forward. I'm sorry, but Stojakovic is not NBA starting material. He can shoot the lights out, but that's about it. Mike Arlington, Mass.
I am a big Sacramento Kings fan and the one thing I know is this team desperately needs help in defending their opponents. If Jason Williams would just focus on defense as much as he does with his fancy Magic Johnson-like moves, he'd be like Gary Payton or John Stockton. Chris Webber has major potential to be a great defender, because he already isn't that bad on defense. He can block and rebound and he should be able to help the rest of his team develop better defensively. Acquiring Bobby Jackson from the Timberwolves should give them some extra steals each night. Trading Corliss Williamson to get Doug Christie is a bold move, but Christie did play excellent near the end of last season when he switched to point guard for the Raptors. Nick Anderson needs to improve his shooting because he wasn't hitting the threes last year like he did in his Orlando Magic days.
The Kings' top priority is to re-sign Webber. He is the focal point of their team. If they watch him go to the Knicks or Pistons, they will watch the rest of their franchise fall apart and then it will take another 15 years or so to get this team back in playoff mode. The Kings need to improve defensively and stop making so many mistakes on offense. If the Kings stay focused on their weaknesses, they can win 50 games this year.
The Kings' hopes of improving rest on the shoulders of Jason Williams. If Williams is able to decrease turnovers and become only an average defender, that will add five wins alone to the team. Christie will earn the starting shooting guard position and Hidayet Turkoglu will surprise everyone in the league and could be in the running for sixth man of the year. Justin Buettner Los Angeles, Calif.
First of all, I believe that Webber will not only improve on his numbers last year but also challenge Shaq, Duncan and Carter for league MVP. Secondly, I think that the key to this year's team will be Christie, which was a great trade for Sacramento, and Nick Anderson. Christie will immediately boost their defense and ball-handling and I think he will have a career year. I also think that if Anderson could simply find the defensive intensity that he had in Orlando (he was their best defender and was always asked to guard the opposing team's top perimeter player) he should start at small forward. And the other obvious key is Jason "we're down by five with 30 seconds to go so let me throw a ridiculous alley oop pass" Williams gaining some sort of ball-handling maturity. The kid has unbelievable potential and it will be mind-boggling to me if he doesn't come around. As far as his defense I honestly don't think it's as bad as you stated and it will come around with the rest of his game. I truly believe that the Kings will be a much-improved team and will challenge the Lakers and the Blazers to represent the West for the title. Gregory Burke New York, N.Y.
Last season the Kings came into the season as the NBA's darling's. David Stern -- possibly inflating Kings players and management's ego's -- proclaimed the Kings as the prototypical team of the new millennium. How quickly the public view changes. This season, every article, power rankings, etc. have predicted the Kings to lose more games than last season, possibly spiraling out of the playoff race altogether. All I have to say to that is, well, HUH? The Kings have added two solid veterans in Christie and Bobby Jackson. Both play hard nosed defense, are athletic, and fit nicely into the Kings' up and down, run and gun philosophy. Through the draft the Kings picked a wild card in Turkish sensation Hidayet Turkoglu, who Geoff Petrie and Rick Adelman wanted all along. While Webber may or may not leave next season, that point is moot until it actually happens, barring any team chemistry problems, which I really don't think is going to happen. The real key to this team is the progress of Jason Williams. Typically, NBA point guards take three to four seasons to mature into stable players, and JWill is in a make or break season for himself. The addition of Bobby Jackson and Christie -- who is a capable PG -- will add pressure for him to lead the Kings to a promising future. He must adjust his shot selection and learn to at least make a few defensive stops, to keep opposing PG's from turning him into a turnstile. His passing and ball handling skills are second to none.
Thinking the Kings may recess and win fewer games is hopeful thinking on the lower echelon teams like Dallas and Houston. The more likely result will be the Kings inching their way closer to 50 wins than 40 or less.
All this talk about Webber leaving is nauseating. Any team with cap money won't be a contender this year, because they will wait for Webber next year. Webber has made it clear he wants a ring and he will stay if the team goes deep into the second round. The Kings' biggest concern is rebounding on the road. How do you expect to win if you can't rebound? Yes, the Kings can win at home. Add 10 wins on the road and you will be in the fourth playoff spot. Petrie needs find a rebounding big man (like Dale Davis, gone to Portland) to back up Divac. Nick Anderson needs to go back to what made him a All-Star guard. As for Williams, he needs to grow up! Randy Wofford Sacramento, Calif.
I completely agree with your statement of the Kings' lack of rebounding. But on the defensive and outside shooting theme, I believe there's nowhere to go but up. Bobby Jackson is a very capable point guard with excellent on-ball defensive abilities. Nick Anderson is a good rebounder and defender, plus his shooting percentage is bound to go up (I don't think it can get any lower). Doug Christie brings terrific defensive abilities and has a knack to score. Jason Williams' shooting percentage was so low because of his wild 3-point shots, which should be corrected. While I don't expect the Kings to match up with the Lakers, they have certainly taken the steps to improve their squad. Alex Lloyd Folsom, Calif.
Last year the Kings showed that they can play well against the league's best. The problem that the Kings have is consistency. Losing on the road to bad teams was a big problem. All of the Kings' offseason moves seem to be positive. Williamson wasn't very happy in Sacramento after a reduced role the past couple of seasons, and Christie provides a more stable outside presence. The Kings' biggest problem is the poor showing by Nick Anderson. If the Kings could go back two years and not bring him to Sactown they undoubtedly would. Unless Anderson improves his game, they won't get past the first round. Williams may calm down, but even if he doesn't he's not being relied upon to carry the team. The final big key is for the Kings to avoid playing L.A. or Portland in the first round, so they need to finish anywhere but sixth or eighth. Jeremy Moffitt Sacramento , Calif.
This analysis is WAY off. The Kings will improve dramatically this year for a few reasons. First, Jason Williams is past his sophomore year jinx, and will get yanked in favor of the capable Bobby Jackson if he doesn't improve his defense, shot selection and turnover ratio. Second, Doug Christie will be a big improvement over Nick Anderson, both defensively (he can at least keep Kobe in front of him) and from the free-throw line. Third, Peja Stojakovic's defense was improving at the end of last year, and inserting him into the starting lineup will easily add 5-7 pts to his 12 ppg average. Next, Scot Pollard will slowly begin to take over Vlade's minutes, which will dramatically improve the team's defense. And, lastly it's Webber's contract year, and if you think last year was good, just wait. Spencer San Diego, Calif.
As a Kings fan, I'm disappointed in your less-than-enthusiastic opinion of the team's future. This team is headed in the right direction, as the acquisition of the defensive-minded Christie shows. With him and Stojakovic, their shooting will be fine. Plus Peja is getting better on D, and unlike Williams, is trying to get better. He'll average 18 points a game this year, too. His offense is that good. Webber is a legit MVP candidate, and there's a good chance he'll come back, too. Jon Miles Sacramento, Calif.
Your spotlight doesn't paint a pretty picture for the Kings. It's hard to disagree too much, but it's all going to come down to their attitude and willingness to defend better. In big games last year they showed flashes of playing good defense, so they can do it. Near the end of the season, Jason Williams showed a little more patience and the ability to nail his jumpers when he squared up, but was still inconsistent. Maturity is the key with him to overcome the problems of playing the toughest position on the court, point guard. So I say attitude to play consistent defense and be a little more patient on offense and the Kings can improve from last year. The tough part is the Western Conference is just as tough or tougher than last season.
As far as Webber's contract situation, hopefully it doesn't become a distraction. Thing is, the teams with projected cap room next season aren't contenders. So if he walks, and he said he wouldn't, he'd have to take an exception and I doubt he'd do that at this stage of his career. He'd have to force a sign and trade, so the Kings should be able to get some value out of that. It's going to be an interesting season.
If CWebb leaves, the Kings are back to 30 wins. It also means that the poor fans of Sacramento have nothing to show for all the loyalty they have shown this franchise. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about Webber leaving. He owes Sacramento, and I'm calling out his manhood on this one! Aaron Heisler West Lafayette, Ind.
I believe the Kings have improved this offseason by losing players who don't fit into the system and gaining players who will fill a need. However, while they have gotten better, they haven't filled their greatest need, which is rebounding and defense. In a division where it seems every team has gotten better by the mile, the Kings seem to be content with improving by inches. Perhaps the greatest chance of improvement the Kings can hope for will be the maturation of Jason Williams, who, if consistent and stronger, may prove to be better than landing an upper-tier free agent. Without a doubt, Webber will look at Williams' development and the team's ability to move to the second round as reasons to stay in Sacramento. Duc Truong Sacramento, Calif.
If the Kings do not do more to improve, Webber is definitely going to go elsewhere. The Kings should look to get as much as they can in a trade now, before they get nothing when Webber leaves Sacramento next year. The Kings could get two name players for Webber, maybe Allan Houston and Marcus Camby from New York, or some similar deal, but we all know that Webber would love to play with Sprewell, and New York is ripe for the deal given their failure to get Vin Baker from Seattle. Alan Seim San Jose, Calif.
This was a good preview of Sacramento, but you failed to mention a few things. I disagree with your comment about how Bobby Jackson had "little luck backing up Terrell Brandon" last year. Jackson actually filled in admirably while Brandon was hurt, and because of his contract status, had many teams thinking they would sign him to start. I love Tony Delk, but Bobby Jackson can replace him adequately. Also, I think you should have mentioned the draft blunder of Hidayet Turkoglu and all the players they passed up for somebody who is unproven and injury prone. The fact that Desmond Mason, Quentin Richardson, and Chris Carrawell were still on the board as wing players is astounding. Otherwise, nice work. Justin Gaithersburg, Md.
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