Friday, October 07, 2005

The Not-so Secret 7 - Part 2

To recap yesterday's post regarding Part 1 of the top-7 questions that need answers for the Sacramento Kings: 1) Peja needs to stop being a woman, 2) Bonzi needs to not get arrested, 3) Shareef needs to prove something... anything. Now, on to part 2.

4) Can Brad Miller stay healthy for an entire season?

Miller has developed a reputation as a guy who is an all-NBA center through the first 50 games of the season, and a guy who usually is in street clothes by the last 20. It's one of the primary reasons Indiana let him walk as a free-agent three years ago. Early in the season, he's a serious banger. But, by the playoffs, he gets injured on drives by Earl Boykins. Now, with the retired Vlade Divac and the departed Chris Webber, it is critical that Miller stays healthy through the entire campaign, as he will be the focus of coach Rick Adelman's high-post offense.

5) How quickly can the bench gel?

On paper, the second unit could be one of the best in the league. Too bad they don't play the games on paper. Kenny Thomas, Brian Skinner, Corliss Williamson, Jason Hart, and Kevin Martin look to be the early favorites for reserve playing time. Thomas is a given. The undersized power forward is instant offense and provides a toughness that is sorely lacking throughout the rest of the roster. But, make no mistake, Thomas doesn't want to go to the bench. He wants to start. Adelman has not stated that SAR will start at this point, but it seems almost a given. Thomas' attitude will be a big question, but attitude is also something the Kings haven't had in years. If Skinner has been anything in his career, he has been terribly inconsistent. Adelman may not know what he's getting from him night in and night out. Williamson is a champion. For all the knocks on his game, he has an NCAA ring and an NBA ring as a rebuttal. Hart has the potential to be one of the best backup guards in the league. He won't be Bobby Jackson, but then again, he won't be injured every year either. Martin is the wild-card. His development will be critical.

Questions 6 & 7 coming soon...

1 comment:

OZ said...

Skinner jammed his thumbs you judgmental jerk! You’d be inconsistent as well if you couldn’t use thumbs while playing basketball. Skinner has had no support and been the redheaded stepchild everywhere he has gone. Here, he already has a solid fan base and will get the support and motivation he needs to be good enough to leave the King sand sign a big contract somewhere else.

Corliss sucks. I don’t think I’ve heard an interview since he came back to the kings that he hasn’t mentioned the Pistons and started crying. He is whinny and not a good fit at the swingman position he will be playing. Hopefully, being with this bench that won’t be running the high post offense will benefit his limited abilities. He belongs in the East.