With the semi-announcement that it looks like the Kings will go into the season with only 13 players under contract, I’ve decided to unveil a weekly piece that will run every Monday morning (I know, it’s currently Tuesday).
http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.jsIt’s the 2009-2010 season’s Kings Power Rankings!
Has your excitement finally subsided? Good. The Kings Power Rankings will rank the performance of every player on the roster and give you an idea of who is rising, falling, hot, or not with everybody on the team (yes, even YOU, Kenny Thomas). The rankings will be based on statistical analysis, intangibles, and my own opinion of how players are looking. This should give you plenty of chances to disagree with me and tell me what an idiot I am.
Heck, you can even play at home and check every Monday to see if our rankings match up. The possibilities are endless!
So without further ado, here is the first edition of the Kings Power Rankings:
* – Stats are taken from last season with the Kings or their respective teams
1. Kevin Martin | 24.6 ppg | 42.0% FG | 41.5% 3p | 10.3 FTA | 60.1% TS
Reason: With Michael Jordan semi-dubbing Martin as a future Hall of Famer, it seems only right that the team’s best scorer would start at the top of the ranks. If he’s healthy, he’s a threat to score over 2,000 points this year.
2. Spencer Hawes | 11.4 ppg | 7.1 rpg | 1.5 bpg | 46.6% FG | 34.8% 3p
Reason: Spencer gets the nod because he won’t have to adjust to the NBA like Evans will but Spencer will have to adjust to being the most important big man on the team for an entire season. Rebounding and blocking shots will keep him up here.
3. Tyreke Evans | No Stats From Last Season
Reason: I seem to be the only one convinced that Tyreke will be the Rookie of the Year. After watching him closely in Summer League, I think he has the instincts and the motor to dominate all of the small point guards. But will he be able to knock down shots?
4. Jason Thompson | 11.1 ppg | 7.4 rpg | 49.7% FG | 69.2% FT | 82 games
Reason: Jason Thompson could very easily be in the second slot here but I was a little worried with the effort he put forth in Summer League. He has all of the tools to be a bigger version of David West but the defense has to be consistent.
5. Andres Nocioni | 13.7 ppg | 6.0 rpg | 44.8% FG | 44.1% 3p | 76.3% FT
Reason: Probably the default starter at small forward because someone has to play defense and someone has to set the tone for toughness. Nocioni will frustrate teams with his physical play and perhaps start a ruckus with whomever he’s guarding.
6. Francisco Garcia | 12.7 ppg | 44.4% FG | 34.8% 3p | 1.2 spg | 1.0 bpg
Reason: The broken finger keeps him a little bit lower than I’d like him to be. It’s time for Cisco to make a leap to the next level and become a consistent difference maker every night. He has the skills to be a top sixth man in the league but can he put it together every night?
7. Donte Greene | 3.8 ppg | 1.6 rpg | 13.2 mpg | 32.6% FG | 85.3% FT
Reason: I have no idea how good Donte is going to end up being. He could be on the cusp of All-Star play for a dozen years or he could be out of the league in five years. He has to figure out how to make shots and defend well enough to put him alongside Hawes and JT.
8. Sergio Rodriguez | 4.5 ppg | 3.6 apg | 15.3 mpg | 39.2% FG | 32.5% 3p
Reason: A much needed pure point guard on this roster who should be able to amaze the crowd with his passing and turn them off with some unnecessary turnovers. Hey, it’s like Jason Williams Lite!
9. Sean May | 3.9 ppg | 2.9 rpg | 39.8% FG | 12.5 mpg | 24 games
Reason: Health and weight are his two biggest concerns. If his health is there and his weight is down, he’ll easily be a 20-minute per game guy. But if the Kings can’t rely on him at all, where do they go for a backup? Small ball?
10. Omri Casspi | No Stats From Last Season
Reason: It’s hard to see where Omri will get his minutes this season but he will have every opportunity to either earn the minutes or work on his game (D-League?). Omri could be a future Hedo Turkoglu or bust like Skeeta. But he doesn’t seem to be over pressured by the Israeli national spotlight on him.
11. Jon Brockman | No Stats From Last Season
Reason: Brockman is a good enough rebounder to be in the rotation. But with his small stature for a power forward, will he be able to defend well enough to receive consistent minutes? He’s the Kings version of what Jamie Feick was for the Nets.
12. Kenny Thomas | 0.8 ppg | 1.9 rpg | 7.8 mpg | 37.5% FG | 8 games
Reason: Poor Kenny Thomas. He’s actually capable of being productive. But he’ll probably not get a chance to prove it unless Sean May gets hurt and Brockman shows he’s too small to play. How ‘bout that expiring contract!?!
13. Beno Udrih | 11.0 ppg | 4.7 apg | 46.1% FG | 31.0% 3pg | 2.2 topg
Reason: Beno might start the season. He might be the backup. He might never be seen from except for shots of him in street clothes. But whatever the case is, he needs to win back the hearts of Kings fans by earning the contract.
There are the first rankings for the season. Feel free to leave your comments below or send them to me via email ([email protected]).
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