.....

It has been a few weeks now since any whispers have been made about next year's roster. Though I know there is plenty of time for moves to be made, time is ticking away and I am getting slightly concerned about the lineup next season.

Jeff Petrie has consistently said he thinks patience is the key, so this could be just me becoming too wary too soon. But what if my concern is real and no more changes are made? Is Reggie Theus a well-rounded enough coach to turn the dysfunctional group of last season into a positive winner?

I know that if I see Mike Bibby and Brad Miller both in the starting line up next season my hopes and dreams for a second round playoff birth will be shattered before the ball is tipped into play. Both have offensive talent yes, and are the two Kings players with the longest tenure, but come on someone has to play defense. I'm still waiting for Petrie to fulfill this dire need.

In all likelihood, Ron Artest will be back for lack of decent trade value. His defense is a need, but if Theus can't keep him under control we could be in for it again. There is always Kevin Martin to brunt the burden of the lack of offense. Martin will more than likely return as the team's leading scorer and could quite possibly be in all-star contention if a trade happens to put a few more pieces around him.

Let's hope something is done sooner than later so we can get pumped up again.

Until then all I have to say is ..........

Back In Black

If there is one thing that isn’t devastating to remember about that 2002 season when Robert Horry ruined our parade downtown, it must be the black.

Yes the black jerseys the Kings sported when they were on the road. They were sleek and solid and represented Sacramento well to other cities. These days the team is either draped in a light purple that isn’t far from Barney’s skin tone or those hideous gold things that look like a Vegas cocktail waitress’s outfit on a Wednesday night.

Maybe it was the idea that forgetting that shot by Horry and the shot they had at the title would be an easier accomplishment if the same uniforms were forever put to rest. I’m here to say, bring them back! They looked like champion jerseys and are far better than the options we have today.

Those gold jerseys are the second worst in the league behind the gold and black ones the Washington Wizards bring to the court every now and then. At least in their case, they get to have Gilbert Arenas putting up close to 50 a night. If the Kings had a player like that and a team that was capable of winning on a nightly basis, there would be no complaints from me about their attire. But here we are coming off a draft-worthy season and it just reminded me of how much I miss the black.

This isn’t to say I’m one of those fans I have often commented on. The ones who relish in the “golden years,” excuse the pun, and aren't willing to support the team unless Vlade comes back from retirement to slow up the center position even more. I just want our team to look sharp when we take the floor in LA and New York. If those gold uniforms are blinding the crowd it gives them one more reason to stick up their nose to our cow country.

I know the team is low on cash; the Maloofs are facing some hard economic times right now obviously (joke). If the team is trying to turn the corner and look to the future why not get a new identity? You don’t have to bring the exact same jerseys back from 2002 but something close would be cool. Put black jerseys with purple lettering on the troops, at least on the road. The home jerseys of white and purple aren’t all that bad but could use a few tweaks.

Just no more flashy gold, the team isn’t flashy…..yet.

Mikki Moore

Mikki Moore was signed on Friday. The forward/center played with the New Jersey Nets last season and has been in the NBA for nine years. Last year, Moore averaged around 10 points and five rebounds.

Not sure what to think of this move yet. I checked out some footage of Moore on Youtube.com today and he looks like he has a decent jump shot and can finish hard. Suddenly the Kings are full of big men. Looks as though there will be a ton of different lineups until head coach Reggie Theus figures out what works.

Some are saying that this signing means that talks between the Kings and Cavs have stalled in regards to Mike Bibby. To me, it's nothing to get excited about (another Shareef/Thomas). What will that do Petrie? Let's cross our fingers and hope there is more activity this off-season. I thought the team was looking to get younger but this is sort of baffling.

Here is the site to some of Moore's footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gVJYwV5B4g

Trade Winds

As expected, it's become difficult to figure out what exactly Jeff Petrie is planning to do with his two stars Mike Bibby and Ron Artest. Artest was originally at the top of the list to be let go, but now talks between the Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers have resurfaced in regards to Bibby.

The deal would involve forward Drew Gooden and San Antonio center Jackie Butler. Leading up to the trade deadline last season Bibby was reportedly sought out by the Cavs, but a deal could not be hashed out because Petrie felt the Kings would not be receiving enough talent in return.

Based on the Cavs performance in the playoffs, there is a way the Kings would get enough in return should another player be added to the mix. Point guard Daniel Gibson was a beast in the playoffs making clutch after clutch shot and was even being considered Lebron’s wingman. Some may say this is exactly why the Cavs would not want to part ways with Gibson. On the contrary, with both respective teams currently moving in two different directions it would be perfect.

The Kings are in rebuilding mode looking to gather young talent to build around Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia. Gibson is entering only his second year and has shown a tremendous amount of heart and knowledge of the game, something Bibby is often complimented for. Gibson, Martin, Garcia, Gooden (25) and Ron Artest would be a lineup full of spunk. Artest, while he is not considered the greatest leader would provide the toughness and determination the team would need and if Brad Miller continues to slump, draft pick Spencer Hawes could get an opportunity to run with a young squad (Hawes has had two solid games so far in summer league scoring 19 and 22 with one bad performance scoring only eight).

The Cavs on the other hand just went to the NBA Finals and are looking for a way to improve so they can not only make another appearance, but come out victorious as well. Aside from Lebron, the Cavs have no solid leadership or reliable scoring outlet. Bibby would automatically bring leadership and scoring to a team that was outmatched in the Finals by the overwhelmingly dominant Spurs. When Gilbert Arenas is healthy, the Wizards will be a threat to the Cavs along with the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and of course the Detroit Pistons. They are going to have to improve in the off-season if they want to repeat their success last year because Lebron can’t do it alone.

Another reason why the Cavs would have to throw more into the pot is because Gooden’s contract is about half that of Bibby’s. Though Gibson’s contract would likely not completely fill the void financially, it would make the talent field a little more even. Gooden is a solid forward that will give you 10 points and 10 rebounds a game, which is something Shareef and Kenny Thomas seem to have trouble doing on a consistent basis. With Gibson in the lineup it would allow the team to grow and mature under new coach Reggie Theus and possibly be exciting to watch in the process.

And let’s face it Kings fans, Bibby and Lebron would be a fun duo to watch on the east coast.

Rappin Ron

Ron Artest may be great at grabbing steals and guarding some of the league's best players, but something else he is good at is rapping.

No not rapping as in music, rapping off statements without thinking and then contradicting himself. In the time leading up to the forward coming to Sacramento, Artest continuously said he wanted nothing to do with the Kings and that trading him for Peja was a joke. Within the first week of him coming here however he announced how happy he was and how the team was on the verge of a championship.

Now Ron Ron is saying that he wants to retire a member of the Sacramento Kings. But also during those weeks leading up to him coming here, when he was still a member of the Indiana Pacers, he said it didn't matter which team he went to because he was going to retire as a New York Knick.

And I have still not yet commented on when he said that he was going to retire at the end of last season to spend more time with his family. Another rapping of empty statements.

So don't take his comments on him wanting to remain in a King's jersey until he is "really ready" to retire too seriously. Artest's history of feeding a load nonsense to the media and fans should attest to that. If anything it was a ploy either by Artest or Petrie or both of them to get the spotlight off the trade rumors for a bit.

With the lack of mid-level offers out there on the market for the rapper/rapper/NBA player, other than New York's David Lee, the Kings may be better off just keeping him on the roster. That is unless Petrie can bust out a rap of his own to lure something beneficial in return.

Hawes Update

Spencer Hawes scored 19 points and collected seven rebounds in the Kings' Summer League victory over Team China on Saturday.

Hawes, Francisco Garcia, Justin Williams and last years draft pick Quincy Douby are all members of the team.

Kings Loyalty

One thing I have noticed listening to talk radio and reading articles on the Kings this off season is that there is still a very strong interest in the team. This is very encouraging because you couldn't help but wonder when and if fans were going to accept the current rebuilding mode the team is in, or turn their backs.

The most notable example of this was the chatter over their first round draft pick Spencer Hawes. Around town people were asking questions about Petrie's decision and for the most part, hating it. Whether or not Hawes was a good decision isn't the purpose of this post but it does support the concept of it. Fans are still thirsting for wins and wanting the right moves to be made, which in turn means...they care.

Now this isn't to say the fans here have a reputation for being fair weather, they were loyal in 1985 and through the doomsdays that proceeded that. When the Kings made their consecutive streak of playoff appearances the fans became slightly spoiled though. As Webber, Vlade, Bobby Jackson and the rest of the group left, I constinuously heard everyone saying "I don't even recognize the team anymore." This always made my stomach turn as if they were just giving up with a "get back to me when you are dominant again" attitude. That's not what being a loyal fan is about and not how sports work. Every franchise must go through rebuilding, well at least if you aren't the San Antonio Spurs.

The trade talks have been flying off the walls lately. Personally, I think Ron Artest is a bargain for the salary he is making. I don't agree with his alleged off court "activity" but on the court, dude is a beast. Mike Bibby on the other hand has been the face of the franchise for a long time now, is a solid shooter and is the only remaining member of that old team that all the fans desperately try to hang on to. He is a veteran player that can anchor a team, but he hasn't proven himself as a leader on or off the court and his numbers are down. So it is hard to say where these two stand in my opinion, they both have upsides but also gaping holes in their personality and their ability to coexist.

The other major piece is Brad Miller....we all have an opinion on him. His salary of over $13 million next season will make it impossible to rid the center position of his jello-style of defense.

I still have the desire to see the team succeed and these trade talks along with the concern over the wellbeing of the future of the franchise assure me that maybe this fan base is as loyal as the NBA seems to think. And that is saying a lot for a franchise that is not guaranteed to be in Sacramento with the continued arena issue.