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.