The Cavs won their third straight game. Here's what some people had to say about this one.

Winning is a lot more fun than losing. I believe the ancient Greeks came to this conclusion many years ago (don't Google that) and I find it hard to argue with them. The Cleveland Cavaliers have done a lot of losing over the past few years. But every time that they actually win a game like this, it's way more fun to write about them and I'm sure it's way more fun to read about them. As the Cavs won their third straight game last night by beating the Sacramento Kings, I just knew that there would be some good quotes for me to blog about. Here they are.

Mike Brown

The Cavs played a great game as a team. They had 30 assists on 41 made baskets. The ball was moving and everybody got in on the action. Five Cavaliers scored in double figures on Tuesday night. But let's admit it, this game was all about Anthony Bennett.

"Anthony Bennett getting 19 (points) and 10 (rebounds). I keep talking to you guys about him. You're starting to see a little bit of what we see in practice and the reason why we drafted him. He's a talented young man and he's starting to come to life for a little bit here. He's even better than what you saw tonight, but you'll see in time."

You hear that? He's even better than what we saw tonight. Get excited, Cavs fans.

Want some more wonderfulness about Bennett? Here you go.

"He can play. It's unfortunate that he was hurt. It's unfortunate that he didn't play in Summer League. Just part of being a young, young rookie and experiencing some things. He got himself right. He's just now starting to be who you guys are going to see a lot of in the future. It's not anything that all of a sudden happened overnight nor is it one or two things. He's a good basketball player. He can pass it. He can shoot it. He can shoot it short range. He can shoot it long range. He can run the floor. He can finish in traffic. He can rebound."

Woohoo!

Anthony Bennett

Bennett didn't have very many fun quotes, but it sure is great for him to have some success and get rewarded for working hard.

"It feels great. All the hard work I've put in with the coaching staff and the players is paying off."

He credits his teammates and support system for helping him stay focused and not get too down. That's also great to see.

"I just have great teammates, great coaching staff and friends from back home telling me to stay with it. (Saying) ‘Once you get back to Cleveland, just go back to the gym and work on your game.'"

Kyrie Irving

Again, this game wasn't all about Bennett. But it's a lot more fun to read what everybody had to say about the first really good game for the #1 overall pick. Based on these quotes from everybody, it seems like the Cavs have actually done a pretty good job getting Bennett ready. People were killing the Cavs on Twitter and everywhere else for not sending Bennett down to the D-League (I was doing this to a certain degree too). It's too early to tell, but maybe Cleveland knew what they were doing with the kid.

Here's what Kyrie had to say about Bennett:

"I think it's great. It's great for the young fella to get some attention. It's great; he played a heck of a game tonight. It was awesome, I was a fan."

It was tremendous to see everybody on the Cavs having fun playing basketball. Up to this point, it's been clear that there have been problems in the locker room. There are surely still some problems, but they seem to be getting better. Guys look like they're communicating better on the floor, supporting each other, and having fun playing. Dare I say that the Cavs are...fun?

"He's just playing basketball. I said it a few days ago, I just feel like everybody was just putting too much pressure on themselves. When you go out there, you just have to play for one another, play the right way and just have some fun doing it. I think that's what we're doing and (Anthony) is just playing the game. We're all supporting him and we're all behind him 100 percent."

Mike Malone, head coach of Sacramento Kings

So far we've had a lot of awesome quotes about Bennett and the Cavs. But here's the best one:

"Anthony Bennett kicked our ass. I'm sure Chris Grant is smiling at home, and deservedly so. His number one guy came in and gets his career high in points and rebounds."

I'm not sure how Chris Grant was reacting to last night's game. Would he be smiling smugly? Would he be crying himself to sleep, yelling "I DID MY BEST!" into a pillow? Either way, this is super fun. An NBA coach said that Anthony Bennett kicked his team's ass.

This isn't the first time that an opposing coach has said something cool about the Cavs' players recently. I didn't post a quotes article after the Cavs' win against the Memphis, but Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger was extremely complimentary of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.

#Grizzlies' Dave Joerger: "(#Cavs) had the 2 best players on the floor (Kyrie, Waiters). I definitely think they're gonna turn the corner."

— Sam Amico (@SamAmicoFSO) February 10, 2014

Excitement!

You can read all of the quotes following the Cavs win against the Sacramento Kings over at Cavs.com.

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Rebuilding a team is hard, and even though the Kings have been losing for years, we're really just starting to rebuild from the ashes of the Maloofs.

Losing sucks.  It really, really does.  Losses like last night against the Cavaliers, and the previous two against the Wizards and Celtics hurt even more because those are teams that we as fans feel like the Kings can beat and even should beat.  We've seen this team play better, we know they can play better, so when they lay eggs like they have on this road trip, frustrations boil over.

Now before I go into my spiel about patience, I just want to say that there is extra cause to be pissed at the Kings over these last three games.  The effort and execution hasn't been there.  Whatever we want from our team, we want to see them try hard on a consistent basis, and these last few games I don't think we've gotten that.  That is unacceptable, especially from a guy like DeMarcus Cousins who is supposed to be our franchise player.

We as fans have suffered through a painful rebuilding process for what feels like a decade, and that's not far off.  The Kings essentially tried to rebuild on the fly in 2005 when they shipped Chris Webber to Philadelphia and focus on building around Mike Bibby, Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic.  We all know how that's worked out.  By the time the Kings truly tried to start fresh and rebuild in 2008, the Maloofs were already looking elsewhere.

The Kings have failed to make the playoffs or even seriously contend for 7 seasons now (going on 8, barring the spontaneous combustion of at least 7 teams in the West).  Kings fans desperately want to become good again, and its why after games like yesterday's , I get comments, tweets and e-mails about what the Kings should do up to and including blowing up the team.

The thing is, despite all those years of losing and rebuilding, the Kings essentially started over this past year when Vivek Ranadivé took over.  Before he did, the Kings were a mess on and off the court.  Now they're just a mess on the court, and that's an improvement!

Jokes aside, whatever plans Geoff Petrie and co. had in store for this team went out the door this summer.  Pete D'Alessandro is trying to build this team his own way, and that's going to take time.  The Kings had some pieces to work with when they acquired the team, namely DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Tyreke Evans, Patrick Patterson and a lottery pick, but Pete's rebuilding project was just getting started.

So what have the Kings done so far?

1. Selected Ben McLemore with the 7th pick of the draft and Ray McCallum with the 36th pick.

2. Decided not to offer Tyreke Evans a contract but let the market dictate his value, something Petrie was infamous for not doing (see Marcus Thornton, Jason Thompson and Francisco Garcia's extensions).  When New Orleans offered Evans a 4 year, $44 million contract, Pete said thanks but no thanks and got Vasquez and a couple second rounders in return.

3. Traded one of those second rounders to Milwaukee for Luc Mbah a Moute.

4. Sign Carl Landry to a 4 year, $26 million deal.

5. Committed to DeMarcus Cousins as a franchise player by giving him a 4 year, $60 million extension.

6. Traded Luc Mbah a Moute to Minnesota for Derrick Williams.

7. Traded Greivis Vasquez, Chuck Hayes, Patrick Patterson and John Salmons to Toronto for Rudy Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy.

That's a lot of work to have done in just over half a year but it's abundantly clear that this team is still an unfinished product which is why patience is needed.

Here's what the Kings have going for them:

• DeMarcus Cousins has improved a lot this season, into one of the best big men in the league at just 23 years old.
• Michael Malone seems like a great coach, and he's locked in for a while which gives him more authority to work with.
• Acquiring Rudy Gay has made the Kings better, and they didn't give up much for him.
• Isaiah Thomas is having a career year as a starter, and will be a restricted free agent after the year.  Even if the Kings aren't sure of his status as their point guard of the future, his restricted status (and as Zach Lowe pointed out earlier, a lack of teams with cap room in need of a point guard) should allow the Kings to keep him on a relatively good contract, unless someone makes a truly ridiculous offer.
• Quincy Acy is a cheap, young roleplayer with some potential.
• The Kings will likely have a top 8 draft pick in a very good draft (they're currently in 4th, but I think they'll end up closer to 8th than 4th, unless they jump up, but ha! The Kings jump up, that's a good one)

New commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN that expansion is still not on the table, for Seattle or anyone

Adam Silver recently spoke on the topic of expansion and his answer was basically "sorry, Seattle, we just can't be with you... right now."

"Seattle is a wonderful market. It would be very additive to the league to have a team there," Silver said in an interview this week with ESPN. "But we're not planning on expanding right now so it's not a function of price."

The article goes on to say that the NBA is still concerned with the arena situation in Milwaukee, essentially giving it, like Sacramento, a deadline of 2017 to get something done (that's when the lease at the Bradley Center expires).  The NBA has deemed their arena not up to their standards, and owner Herb Kohl is selling off parts of the team in order to try and pay for a new one.  He has warned investors only to bid if they have no interest in moving the team.  "I and the owners will look at not only dilution of economic opportunities with one more partner to divide national and international money but also dilution of talent."

The ESPN article basically says that we will be used for leverage again, but that ultimately we will wind up with a team in Seattle.  Silver wants us to know that we are not forgotten, and that the Sacramento situation was not the NBA shutting us out.  "[The Kings decision] should not have been received as a no to Seattle," Silver said. "There's no doubt if we were prepared to expand to Seattle right now, we'd get an enormous price for the franchise."

So still we wait, and hope for a resolution in Milwaukee.  The upside is, more #GreenAndGoldMondays at Oskar's!

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The Kings very well could go winless on what seemed to be relatively easy 4-game road trip as they head into their final game tonight against the New York Knicks.

Sacramento only has one more chance at a win on this road trip as they face the Knicks in New York (4:30 pm on Comcast SportsNet California and KHTK 1140) in the last game of the All-Star break. The Kings have struggled on this road trip to put points on the board, something that hasn't been a problem for most of the season.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

Rudy Gay vs. Carmelo Anthony

Rudy has not been playing well in the couple games since he came back from the flu. His shots have been short, his aggressiveness has been lacking, and his defense hasn't been there. The Kings really need him to step up tonight because Carmelo Anthony is one of the best players in the league, especially offensively where he's averaging 27.1 points. If Rudy can make Melo expend some energy on the other end, that will be a nice bonus. Here's hoping the Rudy we've seen the last couple games is an aberration and not some kind of regression to the mean.

3 THINGS

1. The Kings offense has really struggled on this road trip, failing to hit the 100 mark all three games and the 90 point mark in two of the three. Part of the reason for this is that the pace of all three games has been incredibly slow, hovering right around the 90.5 possessions mark (which is about what the Bulls average). The Kings would prefer to push the pace a little bit, because the halfcourt offense is not that good, especially when DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay are having bad games like they have been.

2. The Knicks have definitely been disappointing this year and that's mainly because they don't have all that many weapons outside of Melo. J.R. Smith has regressed after securing a big contract and winning 6th man of the year last year, but he's still a guy you can't let get hot. Rookie Tim Hardaway, Jr. is probably their 3rd best player and he's been relatively impressive, scoring 9.2 points a game on 45.8% from the field and 39.2% from three.

3. Remember when we talked about pace earlier? Contrary to what you may think, the Knicks are not a team that likes to get up and down the court, playing at the 3rd slowest pace in the league. The Kings need to push the pace and wear out the older Knicks. The Kings in particular haven't been able to get on the fastbreak as much, and that needs to change.

PRE-GAME HAIKU

This road trip has sucked.
All-Star break is much needed.
Regroup and move on.

PREDICTION

Knicks 108, Kings 95 as the Kings play shorthanded without Ben McLemore who is out with "flu-like symptoms". Coincidentally, happy late birthday to Ben, who celebrated his 21st yesterday.

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Link to The Leaderboard

Below are a series of prediction questions for tonight's game. The first four questions will be asked every game, while the 5th will change each game.

Point value for predictions are listed next to the questions. If you believe that more than one player will lead a category, you can vote for multiple players, and this is worth double points if you are correct, but zero if you are wrong. Alternately, if you only guess one player when multiple players are tied, you get zero points.

All submissions must be input before tip-off. Any submissions after tip-off will not count. You are allowed only one submission and may not change unless specifically stated.

Questions:

1. Who do you think will win the game, and what will the final score be? (1 point for guessing winner. 2 points for guessing winner and correct score of one team. 5 points for guessing winner and exact score)

2. Who will be the game's leading scorer? (1 point for guessing scorer, 2 points for guessing exact points scored)

3. Who will be the game's leading rebounder? (1 point for guessing rebounder, 2 points for guessing exact rebounds)

4. Who will be the game's leading assist man? (1 point for guessing assist man, 2 points for guessing exact assists)

5. What will be Jason Thompson's playing time? (1 point for the nearest minute, 3 points for within 10 seconds, 5 points within 5 seconds, 10 points for exactly right)

Good game, you guys. I think I'll go to bed now.

Mike Woodson is not necessarily known for his inspirational speeches. Clearly, Raymond Felton needed one for the final 30 seconds of the Knicks overtime game against the Kings. It's a close game in overtime, but come on, Felton is really bored. He's going to go take a nap.

The much-ballyhooed Jimmer versus Carmelo fight went just about as expected.

The Sacramento Kings need the All-Star Break as much as Jimmer Fredette doesn't need it.  A Kings team that's lost 10 of their last 13 games barely snuck by a New York team that's been struggling to just squeak into the playoff picture in a lackadaisical Eastern Conference. Jimmer Fredette had perhaps his only consistently effective game of the season, breaking out for 24 points on 9-14 shooting.  Before the game there were rumblings about this (and every game from here on out) being a must-win for the Knicks, thus continuing the Kings 7 year tradition of playing playoff spoilers.

The Kings began the game implementing their very polarizing "no defense" defensive scheme, to little success.  They went into the second quarter down 33-22, with Carmelo Anthony pouring in 17 points on a variety of isolation mid-range jumpers against helpless Kings defenders.  The Kings offense succeeded at about the same rate as they had the previous three games, looking like a more miscast isolation outfit.

Things didn't start to pick up offensively until Jimmer Fredette came into the game at point guard.  The Kings turned a 33-22 deficit into a 41-37 lead, as Jimmer immediately burst into flames, pouring in 15 points amidst the chaos while turning off all sprinkler systems.

The Kings were able to stay in the game in the second half due in large part to a lousy Knicks 3rd quarter that saw them score just 20 points on 7/23 shooting.  DeMarcus Cousins started controlling the defensive boards and knocking in timely mid-range jumpers which kept the Kings close when it looked like New York was beginning to pull away.

The end of the fourth quarter, however, is where things got interesting.  Down 88-93 with two and a half minutes to go, Jimmer knocked down his sixth three pointer of the game, closing the deficit to two, which set up a Rudy Gay pull up jumper that tied the game with 20 seconds remaining.  Carmelo Anthony missed a step-back jumper as time expired, setting up an overtime that the Kings controlled from the outset, giving them their only win on this four game road trip.

The Knicks and Kings enter the All-Star break at 20-32 and 18-35, respectively, both breathing a deep sigh of relief.

For the opposing perspective, visit Posting and Toasting

Playing in a game that some of the Knicks called Must Win....Sacramento came to play. The impressive part of the game is that the Kings were lead by our favorite long ball shooter from BYU...Jimmer!

The Players

Just looking at the box score won't help tell you the keys of the game. The Keys even went beyond his own stats of 24 point, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover. He did all this in 27 minutes of playing time and shooting 9-14 and 6-8 from behind the arc. The only player that had more points was Carmelo Anthony who had 36 points, played 48 minutes and went 12-28 (5-11 from 3) and 7/7 at the line. He did add 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 fouls and 3 turnovers. For those that pay attention to the +/- because they must mean something if they are on ESPN! Well to those I give you Jimmer Fredette had a +14 while the Knicks reached +9 with their highest player Shumpert. Anthony ended with +6.

The Jimmer

For the local fans that were watching the game on NBATV, When Jimmer stepped on the court he looked like he was ready to play. BYU fans remember those eyes that could make someone back away and then he would shoot from anywhere. There was a little of that tonight. A couple time he took longer than necessary shots from the three point line, but we remember them as continuously going in. These were his normal shots and we just expect him to make them. It was nice to see some of his magic pay off in a big time arena, and a big time city. Getting this type of game a week before the trade deadline will at least catch some eyes. After another showing like today, teams will need to come out further on him, which will alter the shots but then the inside opens for the others.

A great night for a great fan favorite, hopefully it is the beginning of many more to come as we follow the path of THE JIMMER!

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The mayor delivered his State of the City address Wednesday night. He labeled 2014 the "Year of Groundbreakings." New arena renderings also were released.

Mayor Kevin Johnson highlighted the programs tied to the new downtown arena that will benefit the community and took a swipe at the group trying to put the brakes on the project Wednesday night during his State of the City address.

The mayor spoke for more than 40 minutes at the Memorial Auditorium, reminiscing on where Sacramento was just a year ago after it was announced that the Kings may relocate to Seattle.

"I remember looking out a year ago, the mood was a little somber," Johnson said. "But look at you now, you got a little pep in your step, looks like your mojo's back."

The mayor had his mojo going as he spelled out several benefits of the new downtown arena.

Specifically, he announced an "apprentice program" that would provide arena construction jobs to local individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds such as veterans and single parents as a "path to the middle class." He also said there will be a program in the new arena where unsold food after a game will be sent to the local food bank and homeless shelters. As far as art goes, Mayor Johnson said there will be a "public place program" where the arena will be used as a showcase for local artists.

He also reiterated that he wants to make sure at least 60 percent of the $300 million in work that is bid out on the new arena goes to local businesses.

Now that Sacramento has kept the Kings, Mayor Johnson said the city needs to keep its end of the bargain and build the new arena, and in the process, he took a shot at Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork (STOP), the group trying to force a vote on the city's $258 million contribution to the $448 million project.

"If we're able to keep the Kings in Sacramento it will be largely because it's a promise that we made to build an arena. Now we have to stay true to our word and build it. But we have to finish what we started and we must ensure that nothing stops us," the mayor said. "I said nothing will stop us; pun intended."

He went on to highlight how there will not be any new taxes as a result of the arena deal, saying that the city turned parking facilities that were not being used at night and on the weekends into an asset to finance the arena plan.

"This $258 million that we are talking about? It's not a subsidy. We aren't talking about writing a check or giving a handout to someone else and hoping good things happen. No, this an investment," Johnson said. "This building will be publicly owned, it will be owned by you, the citizens of Sacramento."

Further bringing the point home, he highlighted the ways in which the deal protects the city from risk.

"We as a city have no obligation to pay predevelopment costs, we have no obligation to pay cost overruns and we have no obligation to pay any capital repairs or maintenance in that new arena for the next 35 years," Johnson said.

Going back to the fight against Seattle to keep the Kings, Johnson recalled his feelings as the price of the franchise kept going up.

"I was a little worried when the number went from $450 [million] to $525 [million] and then I got a call from Vivek [Ranadive] one day, he said ‘I will do whatever it takes to keep the Kings in Sacramento,'" Johnson said with Ranadive in the crowd.

The arena is expected to break ground in September.

New arena renderings were released at the event as well. One is pictured above and others of the street view are below.

Wednesday night, LeBron James buried the Warriors with a filthy step back three, Jimmer Fredette couldn’t miss as the Kings took down the Knicks in OT, and Raymond Felton felt a little bit tired as Mike Woodson drew up plays in the Knicks huddle.

As the Kings limp toward the All-Star break it's important to remember the things the team still has going in their favor.

The Kings were 5-13 when they made the Rudy Gay trade, and 6-14 before he suited up for the first time. Gay played in every single game until he and DeMarcus Cousins went down in Houston on January 22 with injuries. At this time the Kings were 15-25 and playing some of their better basketball of the season. Since then the team has gone 3-10, with inconsistent rotations and the disappointing but understandable "can vacation time just get here already" illness muddying their play.

For some fans, the team is an incomplete entity, bordering on mess. These fans are absolutely correct. We knew that going in, though. The last 13 games, and the season's first half to a larger degree, do nothing but further reaffirm an already known issue. The Gay trade brought the Kings much needed star power and consistency at a position of need, but it also robbed the team of some much needed depth.

Depth, however is a ruse. You know what this team would be if it had depth? It'd be good. If they still had their depth, they'd be without star power and production. This was a bad team at the beginning of the season, and the two moves they made weren't gonna do much in the short term to change that configuration. It's stated in the Law of Conservation of Mass of Building a Team or Something: mass can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can be rearranged. The Kings traded the mass (or dead weight, if you'd like) of John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, and Chuck Hayes for the mass of Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray. They weren't gonna create both star power and depth in one foul swoop, that's ludicrous my dear readers. And not because Pete D'Alessandro isn't a smart GM, but because he just isn't a warlock capable of reversing even the most fundamentally sound laws of physics (as far as we know).

With star power now in place, and financial flexibility forthcoming, the team is in position to add that much needed depth in the coming months. And we know that it's inherently easier to add depth and supporting players than it is to add star quality talent, especially because those supporting players need to be able to, well, support something. The rudderless state of the franchise to begin the season lies in stark contrast to what we have now, just four months removed.

It's almost ridiculous of us to look at the team's shortcomings and not be optimistic or content as we head into the All-Star break. This will be the eighth consecutive All-Star break the Kings have entered in need of making plans to be represented at the draft lottery rather than to host a playoff game. However for the first time in eight years, the path to reversing fortunes has never been more clear.

And in the long run, there's probably nothing wrong with this team losing these games. This team's been decimated by extraneous circumstances the last three weeks, most of the guys on this roster will likely be elsewhere when this team is ready to finally be competitive so there's no use in worrying about a "losing culture", and also the team will likely right the ship once more before the season ends. Let's rack up those ping-pong balls while we still can am i right!(?)

I find it evermore important to once again remind the people that this team is far closer to being good than they are to being bad again.

And that's why the game against the Knicks last night was so fun. To me it was nothing more than some much needed comic relief. Absolutely zero things will likely stand to be relevant lessons from that game in the team's more bright future.

Rudy Gay shot an inefficient 9-22 en route to 20 points. Eh, he's been far more efficient than that in his tenure as a Sacramento King. He hit a fun clutch jumper. What else?

The Kings had stretches of gouge-your-eyes-out defense? I see your point and raise you a "what else is new?"

But Jimmer Fredette had 24 points on 14 shots, guys! And he put in 6 threes. It's like we're back at BYU!

It's this kind of unsustainable fun that provides a break for the fan base right before the players enter theirs.

As hard as it to consume a season that will likely be important for reasons not related to the win-loss record, it has to be the primary way to view this team.

This might have been Jimmer Fredette's last game as a Sacramento King. I have zero idea how to properly react to that possibility but it's sad to me in the same way that it's sometimes sad when your favorite TV show gets rid of a supporting and oft-marginalized actor. Like, I'll still watch. Is the new guy good? Is the new guy cash or a protected second round pick?

Jimmermania aside, this game will likely be lost in the firmament of the long term grind, immortalized in basketball-reference pages rather than in our hearts and minds The same with this most recent stretch of lackadaisical Kings basketball. Barring a GM seeing this most recent game from Jimmer and throwing the whole farm at him in a trade offer, this team will most likely reach the same output they've already bought for themselves to this point.

As the team heads toward the All-Star break, and perhaps even more upheaval with Thursday's trade deadline approaching it's important to remember the bigger picture this team is trying to paint and to not get hung up on each individual brushstroke.

Ps. Tell me this season isn't funner now that we're viewing Pete D'Alessandro as a painter.

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When Tom Ziller asked me to take over the reins of Sactown Royalty as lead editor, it was with the understanding that I would keep up Tom's high standards.

On February 11th, 2014, Greg Wissinger wrote the recap of the Kings-Cavaliers game, which I approved. Unfortunately, it appears to have been riddled with errors as has been pointed out to us in an e-mail from a reader.

Hello Mr. Wissinger,

I'm a little confused about a couple of the things that were written in your article regarding the Cavaliers versus Kings matchup Tuesday night. While I do agree that Bennett has been playing well the last week, it is inaccurate to say he has played consistent this year let alone be led by him. It is also a stretch to say the Cavaliers have been clicking on all cylinders all season long with a 19-33 record and questions surrounding Kyrie Irving's attitude as a leader as recent as last week. Finally I would also disagree with the statement that Tyler Zeller resembles anything of a powerhouse center in the league. In no way was Demarcus Cousins threatened by a man he outweighs by 20 pounds at least and averages over 20 points and 10 boards a game. While I did not watch the game I can only speculate that last statement however the statement of Zeller being a powerhouse is unreal to assume or say out loud. With all this I do not wish for you to think of me as an asshole basketball fan I just came across your article and after reading the title and thinking it was going to be an interesting if not funny read was confused by these statements. While I am only 20 years old and have never been anywhere near writing an article I just felt compelled to let you know that some of these statements would lead to discrepancies amongst uneducated fans and those who know what they're talking about. I am not stating you do not know what your saying I just wanted to let you know that some of these things are inaccurate. I doubt I will get a response from you however I wish you best of luck in your endeavors.

(Name Withheld)

When I initially read this letter, I was shocked at the degree of the implications, so I did some research in order to verify our reader's claims.

1. "it is inaccurate to say [Bennett] has played consistent this year let alone be led by him" - At first I thought Greg had to be correct here, since my research indicated that Bennett was indeed the first overall pick of the entire NBA draft, but looking at his game logs brought me to the stunning conclusion that he had been playing terribly for most of the season and that his performance against the Kings was an aberration.

2. " It is also a stretch to say the Cavaliers have been clicking on all cylinders all season long with a 19-33 record and questions surrounding Kyrie Irving's attitude as a leader as recent as last week" - For this I went to Greg to get an explanation as I could indeed see where the reader was coming from. Greg's explanation was that he was operating on Dwight Howard's logic of seasons, in that they are arbitrary and can occur whenever a team starts to play well.

3. "Finally I would also disagree with the statement that Tyler Zeller resembles anything of a powerhouse center in the league." - This was another simple mix-up, as Greg had confused Tyler Zeller for his brother Cody, the rookie of the year frontrunner.

My research also indicates that there are errors in Greg's article aside from those pointed out by our eagle-eyed reader:

Ultimately, the Cavs are just too good

The Cavs are not too good, they are merely very good.

... the Cavs just have too many weapons

The Cavs do not currently employ Gilbert Arenas or Chris Kaman.

The Kings certainly face an uphill battle on this roadtrip that nobody had high expectations for.

StR user Jlv2012 always has high expectations.

As editor, I apologize for the errors in Greg's post. He has been fined 3,000 Zillerbucks.

Seth Rosenthal returns to the show for a quick chat about Kings/Knicks, Jimmermania, and more.

The Sactown Royalty Show is back! This week I'm joined by Seth Rosenthal of Posting and Toasting, SB Nation's wonderful Knicks blog. Seth and I talked about Wednesday's Kings/Knicks game, and just how bad the Knicks' season has gone.

We then, of course, talked about Jimmer Fredette. We're only human.

We capped it off with some discussion of what it means to be a dunk contest purist, and what will happen at the trade deadline.

Unfortunately, as I was talking about Andre Miller, my internet decided to crash. It was really neat. You'll hear my get garbled, followed by the episode abruptly ending around the 23 minute mark. Between that and my son trying to talk to me towards the end of the episode, we decided to roll with what we had recorded. Sorry about the technical issues, but I hope you enjoy this quick hit episode. We'll back with a full length episode next week.

As usual, I ask that you subscribe to us on iTunes or on Stitcher! Leave us ratings, leave comments, let us know how we're doing. Ratings and comments on iTunes really help us out with promoting the show. And of course, continue the discussion in the comments below.

As always, thanks for listening.

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With no playoffs to play for, what can the Kings hope to achieve in the next few months?

This season hasn't gone as well as some had hoped. At the break, this team currently is tied for last in the Western Conference (with the Lakers!) at 18-35, on pace to match last season's 28-54, or slightly surpass if you take into account the Kings record with a healthy Cousins/Gay/Thomas.

With 29 games left, there isn't much for this Kings team to prove. The playoffs are laughably out of reach, and any moves the Kings might make this week will likely be with the future in mind.

Still, that doesn't mean the Kings shouldn't have some goals that they try to achieve, both on a team and individual level. For this exercise, let's assume that nobody on the team is traded by the deadline on Thursday.

Team:

The biggest goal I can think of for this team to accomplish is to continue to get their defense in line. Establishing that defensive mindset will be key for the players that return for next year. The Kings are actually on the right path here as in February they held opponents to just 43.1% from the field. The Kings are currently 28th in the league in Defensive Rating, allowing 109 points per 100 possessions. The 20th ranked team is at 107.7 while the league average is 105.8. If Sacramento can bring down their Defensive Rating from 109 to say 107 by the season's end, I would say that's valuable progress, and a much better foundation to work with next year.

DeMarcus Cousins:

My goal for DeMarcus Cousins, aside from keeping up his incredible production, is to go the rest of the season without reaching his 16th technical foul. Currently, he has 12, which leads the league. Keep calm big guy, and let your play do the talking for you.

Rudy Gay:

Rudy's been great since coming to the Kings, although lately his shooting percentages have started to fall back to Earth just a little bit. He's now at 50.5% with the Kings. If he can end the season above 48%, I think that would be a good sign going forward.

Isaiah Thomas:

Thomas has had a fantastic season himself, and is set to get paid this summer because of it. Thomas is a natural scorer, and as such, questions about how well he can run an offense continue to surround him, despite him averaging nearly 7 assists as a starter and being 12th in the entire league in assist rate. Still, I would like to see him continue to make progress as a floor leader and getting guys their shots.

Jason Thompson:

Thompson has already done a good job of bouncing back after a terrible start to his season, but one area where he's still struggling a lot with is fouls. JT's fouls per 36 (4.7) are the highest they've been since his rookie year (4.9). Just a couple years ago he had it down to 3.2 and last year was 3.6. JT works better than any other option the Kings have next to Cousins, so it helps a lot when he can stay on the court.

Ben McLemore:

Ben has had a rough rookie campaign, shooting 36.6% from the field, and even less than that from three. Most of the things that he needs to work on (his handle, his shot) will take an offseason or more. The only thing I can ask of Ben is that he keeps trying and never gives up. By that I mean, continue to make every effort on both ends and take the shots that are given to him.

Derrick Williams:

Derrick's a unique talent, because he's good at a lot of things and consistent at none of them. I'd like to see him focus on attacking the basket more, where he's excellent both around the rim and drawing fouls. It's infuriating to see him start a drive and then opt to pull up for a contested jumper rather than continue on towards the rim.

Marcus Thornton:

There perhaps hasn't been a more disappointing player this season than Marcus Thornton. Thornton is averaging career lows in almost every category as he's struggled to adjust to a supporting role. He's had big games this year, including tying his career-high, but all those games have come with him being a big part of the offense. Of 46 games this year, Marcus has shot 10 or more shots just 14 times. In those 14 games, he's hit 50% or more of his shots eight times. In the other 32 games, he's shot 50% or more just six times, with five of those games coming on four attempts or fewer. Marcus needs to find a way to be able to contribute as a role player.

Jimmer Fredette:

For Jimmer, I think this is more of a personal goal. Even if Jimmer stays on the Kings past the deadline, I struggle to see a scenario in which he re-signs with the Kings. So for Jimmer, the best he can do is continue to play aggressive and confident, because that's going to be the best thing for both him and the Kings.

Travis Outlaw:

Travis had a great start to the season but has since fallen off. My goal for him is to get his shooting percentage back up above 40%.

Quincy Acy:

I love what Quincy has brought to the Kings so far with his hustle on both sides of the court. Acy's unique in that for a hustle guy, he's actually got a bit of an offensive game. In fact, I'd like to see him take more corner threes. He's got the range, and it would open things up for Sacramento's offense.

Carl Landry:

For Carl it's a simple goal. He just needs to use these final games to get back into game shape. It's clear from the minutes he's getting now that he's not at full strength yet, with his explosiveness especially noticeable in its absence. Carl can be a useful piece to this team, but he needs to be 100% first.

Ray McCallum:

Ray will probably see some more D-League action before the season's up. So far, he's proved to be an excellent scorer in Reno, but I think it's his defensive potential that will give him a spot in the league. Ray should make it a point to make sure the guys he goes up against don't get anything easy offensively.

Aaron Gray:

Aaron's goal should be to be bitten by a radioactive spider so that the ball sticks to his hands. Barring that, Aaron should just keep on keeping on.

***

Those are my goals for the Kings for the rest of this season. Leave yours in the comments below.

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It appears the Brooklyn Nets are not Jarrett Jack's only suitor.

The Sacramento Kings are talking to the Cleveland Cavaliers about point guard Jarrett Jack, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

This news comes a day after the Brooklyn Nets were reportedly discussing a deal with the Cavaliers involving Jack and Jason Terry, via ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk and Stein.

Jack is averaging 8.5 points and 3.7 assists this season as Kyrie Irving's backup, shooting 39.7 percent from the floor. It's been a disappointing downturn after his excellent season as the Golden State Warriors' sixth man last year, but a somewhat predictable one given the fact that he is sharing minutes with ball-dominant guards Irving and Dion Waiters. Cleveland signed Jack to a four-year, $25.2 million contract in July, but the last year is almost fully unguaranteed.

The Kings have been searching for a point guard to back up Isaiah Thomas for a while now, and were linked with the Denver Nuggets' Andre Miller earlier this season. Jimmer Fredette is currently playing that role, but is more of a natural scorer than a distributor.

The trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

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Want a deadeye three-point shooter on the cheap? Call New Orleans.

The New Orleans Pelicans have made shooting guard Anthony Morrow available for a draft pick, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger. The sharpshooter is making $1.03 million this season and he has a $1.15 million player option for next year.

It is unclear what sort of pick it would take to get a deal done, but there should surely be numerous teams interested in Morrow's services. The sixth-year veteran is making 48 percent of his three-point attempts this season, which is second in the league behind the Sacramento Kings' Jimmer Fredette.

While Morrow's presence provides the Pelicans floor spacing, he's had a hard time getting on the court for extended minutes in a crowded wing rotation. New Orleans has Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and Austin Rivers playing meaningful minutes, and even forward Luke Babbitt, who started the season in Russia, has played more than Morrow in some recent games.

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A lot is happening very quickly in regards to the Nets and what they will do at the Trade Deadline this year. This is a running story that will update itself as needed and provide quick summaries to the latest happenings.

The Nets have been the center of the trading front since yesterday by being involved in two potential deals an hour apart from each other.

Jarrett Jack to the Nets? What about the Kings? Wizards not going after Jack.

The fun began when Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN reported that the Nets were interested in Cleveland Cavaliers reserve guard Jarrett Jack. The Nets were possibly trying to get a deal done based upon Jack for Jason Terry. Youngmisuk also reports that a third team would likely have to be included for a deal to be done.

League sources say Nets have interest in Cavs' Jarrett Jack. One source says Jason Terry for Jack could be a possibility before deadline

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) February 17, 2014

Ken Berger later added that landing Jack could lead to the Nets getting draft picks.

One avenue Nets are examining to replenish draft-pick stock is a Jason Terry-for-Jarrett Jack swap with Cleveland, source says.

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) February 17, 2014

Jack has one more year than Terry plus a $500K guarantee in '16-'17. Nets like Jack for short-term help but also could get pick out of it.

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) February 17, 2014

Jack was a big part of the Golden State Warriors success last season before signing a 25.2-million dollar deal that spans over four years. As Berger tweeted, Jack's last year is only guaranteed for 500,000.

Jack is represented by agent Jeff Schwartz. Schwartz is the agent to other Nets' players such as Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, Mirza Teletovic, Shaun Livingston and Paul Pierce.

Net Income broke down how the luxury tax would effect the Nets if they got Jarrett Jack and/or Jordan Hillhere.

***

Marc Stein tweeted this morning that the Nets aren't the only team trying to acquire Jack, but the Kings are.

Sacramento, I'm told, is another team that has engaged in talks with Cleveland about Brooklyn backcourt target Jarrett Jack

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 18, 2014

The Kings reportedly had a deal for Rajon Rondo on the table recently, but that trade was rejected, so it seems that they are chasing after Jack as a consolation. The Kings do not have a first round pick this season, but do have one in 2015.

***

The Washington Wizards have been reportedly chasing after a reserve point guard as of late, but Sam Amick of USA Today says that they are not vying for Jack.

In Washington, Wizards in the market for backup point guard but I'm told they are not involved the talks for Cleveland's Jarrett Jack.

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 18, 2014

Jordan Hill being used with the DPE?

Adrian Wojnarowski then dropped his first true "Woj Bomb" of the season by reporting that the Nets and Lakers have been discussing a deal that would bring Hill to Brooklyn as apart of the team's available Disabled Player Exception.

Los Angeles, Brooklyn have discussed Jordan Hill deal into the Nets' Disabled Player Exception, league sources tell Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 17, 2014

We broke down what exactly the DPE is here.

There is no other details as to what the Nets would have to give up for Hill, but Woj documents just how much money the Nets would have to give up to sign the Lakers reserve big man.

Nets have until March 10 to use $5.25M DPE for Brook Lopez injury. With tax hit on Hill $3.5M deal, cost to Nets: $17M. Not an easy sell.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 17, 2014

Hill has had trouble fitting in in Los Angeles, but has been performing quite well despite playing only 20 minutes per game this season. Hill is averaging eight points and seven rebounds with a PER of 18.5. Mike Mazzeo reported that a scout said the Nets could use a post defender.

***

Medina says Hill isn't likely for the Nets

On Tuesday afternoon, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reported that a deal between the Nets and Lakers is not likely to happen. Medina cited the main reason as the Nets large luxury tax and that they would have to shell out 17-million dollars in fees to get Hill to Brooklyn, despite having his bird rights.

Source: Lakers-Brooklyn deal involving Jordan Hill unlikely to happen http://t.co/msLMcusOgf

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 18, 2014

Medina did add that Hill is still available, but he likely will not end up in Brooklyn.

***

Marcus Thornton?

Woj gave the Nets his second "bomb" in as many days when he reported that the Nets were discussing a deal with the Kings that would send Marcus Thornton to the Nets while Jason Terry and Reggie Evans would be shipped out to Sacramento.

Sacramento and Brooklyn discussing a deal centered on Marcus Thornton for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 18, 2014

***

A league source told NetsDaily last night that nothing is imminent regarding either trade. "The cart is before the horse here," the source added. If a deal is to get done, expect it to be closer to the 3 p.m deadline on Thursday, says another league source.

Sacramento has been more active than ever in trade talks this year and have already made a couple of big moves, but will any more come this week as the trade deadline approaches?

This Thursday at noon is the NBA's trade deadline. As we've discussed before, the Kings have plenty of holes to fill. The defense needs an upgrade, a secondary point guard would be nice, as would some consistent bench depth.

But despite those holes, and the desire of the Kings to rid themselves of one of their bigger contracts (Jason Thompson, Marcus Thornton and dare I say it Carl Landry), I could see this being a quiet deadline for the Sacramento Kings.

For one, the Kings have already given up a lot of their more valuable assets in trades to acquire Derrick Williams and Rudy Gay. The most valuable assets the Kings have left are DeMarcus Cousins (the closest thing to untradeable on this roster, since the only guys that the team would trade him for are likely untradeable themselves), Isaiah Thomas, and Ben McLemore, none of which I foresee the Kings wanting to trade unless the return is good.

Also, trading Thornton, Thompson or Landry will not be easy. In this new CBA, flexibility is paramount, and those players take that away with their own contracts. Thornton's is the easiest to move as it ends after next season, but even so, why would a team want to get rid of one of their own expirings for Thornton? Is there a team out there in desperate need of an inconsistent scorer who needs to be a focal point of the offense to be effective? Thornton's value has sunk to the point that I'm not sure the Kings could get rid of him unless they take on a contract with more money or years on. For example, I could see a Thornton for O.J. Mayo trade working for both teams if the Kings believe he could also double as that secondary ballhandler and bench scorer, while it cuts some salary for the Bucks and gives them a scorer on a team with none.

Thompson is a much move valuable player, in that he can play both PF and Center, rebounds well, scores efficiently enough, and isn't a complete disaster on defense. The problem with trading JT however is that his contract lasts for 3 more years, although the last year is just $2.65 million guaranteed. The team that trades for him would have to see him as a viable long term piece, which he could be in the right situation. One trade I've batted around for a few weeks now is Thompson to the Clippers for Jared Dudley and one of Ryan Hollins/Antawn Jamison/Byron Mullens. The Clippers need a reliable bench big and Thompson is much better than the Hollins/Jamison/Mullens hydra they're tossing out now, while Dudley, who has fallen out of favor with Doc Rivers, would be a solid 3 and D two guard for the Kings.

The one consistent thing we've heard from the Kings is that they want another ball handler aside from Isaiah Thomas. Andre Miller is the biggest name that's been mentioned, as has Luke Ridnour. But who would Sacramento give up to get one of those guys? Jimmer Fredette? In my personal opinion, the Kings shouldn't bother trading for an asset like Miller/Ridnour that would make them better now (and in the case of Ridnour, becoming better now is not assured) if it's not going to make them better in the long run.

Thunder searching for a shooter

The Thunder are exploring trade options. Could Sam Presti have something up his sleeve?

In the case of Jimmer Fredette, I'm not sure what kind of trade value he holds either. He's an expiring contract, meaning any team that trades for him now could simply go after him this summer when he's a free agent. The only teams that I could see trading for him now are those that believe he could help them in the playoffs. Oklahoma City perhaps? They're rumored to be looking for another shooter (Jimmer currently leads the league from three) and he'd be an upgrade over Derek Fisher's mummy at least, and could play next to Russell Westbrook when he came back. But what would they give us in return? Said mummy? No thanks. If they offered the 2014 1st rounder (top 20 protected for next 3 years) they have from Dallas too? That's another story.

Then there's Isaiah Thomas. It's kind of hard to get a read on how the Kings feel about Thomas. We've heard persistent rumors that the team would like a more pure distributor, and they did make sure to get Greivis Vasquez back. D'Alessandro's trade history (small sample size institute approved) has been of the buy low variety. There's two sides to that strategy though, with the other being sell high. Thomas' trade value has never been higher and likely never will be again since he's set to get a good sized contract this summer. Personally, I want to keep Thomas, and I don't think the Point Guards that would be an upgrade to him are attainable. I also think his restricted status, as well as the lack of potential suitors in need of a PG this summer, will allow the Kings to keep him at a reasonable price. But if the Kings were to trade him? There wouldn't be a better time to do it. Who would they go for? If the Kings would rather sacrifice some scoring for a more pure point guard, there's a couple potential candidates: Jeff Teague and Ricky Rubio.

Teague is the superior of the two options, with his excellent athleticism and ability to get to the rim. He excels playing with a big man that draws attention, as evidenced by his diminished production this year with Al Horford out. Rumor has it that Danny Ferry isn't all that enamored with his contract (4 years at $8 million each) which I personally find very reasonable. The Hawks also have rookie Dennis Schroeder waiting in the wings who they have high hopes for.

Rubio is someone I hadn't considered as available until someone tweeted an Isaiah for Ricky swap suggestion at me. The Wolves are a team that desperately wants to make the playoffs so that they can convince Kevin Love to stay, and right now they're on the outside looking in. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Thomas is the better player right now and probably for the near future, especially considering that Rubio is in his third year and shooting a career-high 36.1% from the field. But this would be a big "buy low and sell high" trade (and a big gamble that Rubio will fulfill his potential) for the Kings to make, and it would give them the type of PG that they're seemingly searching for.

Whatever the Kings do this trade deadline, it should be with the future in mind. There are good pieces, but not enough to complete the puzzle. Come Thursday, I'll be ready for anything, but I also won't be surprised to see nothing, given the difficulties in trading certain players as mentioned above. Rebuilding doesn't have to happen all at once, and the Kings shouldn't make moves for the sake of making moves. More opportunities will come, and the Kings are a team that can afford to be patient.

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The Kings search for another Point Guard continues as they have inquired about Cleveland's Jarrett Jack.

The Kings seem absolutely determined to add another Point Guard to the roster by this Thursday's trade deadline.

The latest rumor has the Kings involved in talks to acquire Cleveland's Jarrett Jack.  Jack signed a 4 year, $25.2 million contract this summer with the Cavs but has largely disappointed.

While Marc Stein was the first to confirm Sacramento's interest in Jack, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has provided some more specifics:

The Cavs have discussed acquiring Jason Terry from the Nets and Jason Thompson or Marcus Thornton from the Kings.

Both Thornton and Thompson could be traded straight up for Jack, although only Thornton gives the Cavaliers more savings.  Thompson is the better player, but the Cavaliers already have a bunch of frontcourt players trying to get playing time with Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Tyler Zeller and Anthony Bennett.

Jack has played for Michael Malone in both Golden State and New Orleans, two of his best years in the league (although it should be noted Malone was an assistant in both those spots).  Jack is 30 though, and has two more guaranteed years past this one (his final year is just $500,000 guaranteed).

In my personal opinion, if these reports are true, I don't think Thornton or Thompson alone make sense for Cleveland.  Trading for Jason Terry makes more sense than either of those guys since Terry offers Cleveland substantially more savings and another experienced veteran.  It will probably take a little more tweaking than just Thornton/Thompson for Jack to make a trade work.

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The rumors keep on coming, and Marcus Thornton is prevalent in all of them.

The rumors continue to come hard and fast, and it seems abundantly clear that the Kings are trying their hardest to trade shooting guard Marcus Thornton.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski:

Sacramento and Brooklyn discussing a deal centered on Marcus Thornton for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 18, 2014

For Sacramento and Brooklyn, this is one of several conversations officials are having with several teams.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 18, 2014

The Kings and Nets were also both reportedly in talks with the Cavaliers for Jarrett Jack.  Who knows if those talks somehow get worked into these talks.

From the Kings perspective, I like this trade, as while it's about the same salary and years (Terry has 1 more year at $5.85 million and Evans has 1 more year at $1.77 million per ShamSports)  coming back to the Kings, it chops it up into smaller, and thus more moveable pieces.  Terry is also much more equipped to play as a roleplayer than Thornton, and Evans provides the Kings with a defensive big man who is also a fantastic rebounder.  Terry's also got experience running the point even if it's not his primary role.

The Nets aren't averse to spending a lot of money for their team, and if they think Thornton can rediscover his offense on their bench, more power to them.

UPDATE 1:00 P.M.: As cerpy pointed out in the comments, Jason Terry had a 7.5% trade kicker activate when he was traded to Boston.  However the trade kicker can't activate again so it won't factor into this deal.

UPDATE 1:16 P.M.:Woj's story on the rumors is out now, and there's not much new other than that no deal is imminent and that the Nets don't want Jack's long term salary.

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