For years in Sacramento the question was, "Is Chris Webber going to be traded?" When it finally happened last year, they performed better without him. However Cuttino Mobley left, and the offense doesn't seem as lethal as it used to be. At 8-12 is this the year the Kings finally collapse?.
The offense is balanced between Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. In years passed it was Chris Webber who was the outright star, where in Sacramento today it's leader by committee. Peja hasn't looked right in awhile. He used to be automatic from 3, yet he isn't getting his shots off right. So much of a jump shot is the jump itself, and he hasn't been able to lead the team because of it.
One thing that hasn't changed is the offense, where they're 2nd in the NBA in Assists Per Game. Bonzi Wells fits in well with the transition offense. Abdur-Rahim doesn't though; his low-post game requires some standing around and little movement, which doesn't sound like a Kings player at all.
Brad Miller has to improve on the glass since the Kings are 29th in the NBA in rebounding. Kenny Thomas needs to earn more playing to help out.They haven't adapted their roster to better improve their defense. They're 23rd in Points Allowed and are actually being outscored this year.
They don't have a single defensive stopper on their team, where in the past they at least had Doug Christie. Bobby Jackson was an invaluable member, but management got fed up with his nagging injury problem. Jackson was a good defender who leads the team far better than new backup Jason Hart does.Anything defensive is overlooked on Sacramento whether it's rebounding or stopping the opponent from scoring.
This isn't the same team as it was in the Webber days; so going in a different direction wouldn't hurt. The Kings are 7-7 at home, a record none of us would ever see in the old days. It's unlikely whether the Kings can compete this year, since beyond their starting lineup they don't provide much. Their downfall could be trading away to many first round draft picks in the end.
.See our other articles on sports handicapping for tips and tricks into beating the bookie in any sport.By: David Pincus
