The Kings seem to be testing the water on players that may fit after other moves are made.

The Sacramento Kings are definitely not done making moves this offseason, as evidenced by continued looks at players that seemingly don't fit on the roster as is.

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reported today that free agent guard Dahntay Jones held an open workout in Las Vegas today and the Kings were one of the teams that was in attendance.  Jones last played in the NBA in the 2012-13 season for the Atlanta Hawks.  Jones also spent 25 games with the Kings back in the 2007-08 season.  Jones is an athletic, defensive-minded guard who likes to attack the basket, although at 33 years old, he's lost a step on both ends of the floor.

This workout is coming after reports that the Kings are also working out Terrence Williams.  Currently Sacramento's roster is at 14 players after the signing of Eric Moreland, and will be at the maximum of 15 once the signing of Omri Casspi becomes official.

Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro spoke with Jon Santiago of Cowbell Kingdom in Vegas yesterday, and D'Alessandro had some interesting things to say.  One of the most notable quotes was in regard to a question asked by Santiago on MarShon Brooks:

We've had some conversations with his agent. We have a lot to do with our roster still in terms of balancing it and figuring things out. We'll continue to talk to them and see if something does make sense with them.

D'Alessandro also mentioned that he saw Jason Terry as a contributor on this team, and that there are no plans to buy him out of his contract.  That being said, it's hard to imagine Terry in a Kings uniform after his comments this summer about wanting to play for a contender.

It's clear that the Kings want to keep adding pieces to this team, but right now there doesn't seem to be any room without some major changes.  What those changes may be and when they may occur is still up in the air, but I'll be very surprised if this roster is the same as it is now by the time training camp comes around.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN sent a little shock through Twitter this afternoon when he posted this:

2 things from Team USA: post practice games between Durant/Harden/George are epic; Mason Plumlee likely to make team over DeMarcus Cousins

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 31, 2014

Naturally that got everybody talking, and not just Kings fans.  Cousins has widely been regarded as a virtual lock to make the roster considering the fact that big names like Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge are out for this summer.  Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated, who has been in Vegas this week following Team USA even just wrote a piece today where he ranked Cousins as 6th among candidates to be selected for the 12 man roster.

In that piece Golliver remarks:

...he just looks a cut above the rest of the bigs in camp, aside from Davis. Although personality and behavioral issues could always undo his roster candidacy in the blink of an eye, Cousins has regularly punished defenders around the basket this week, and he's easily the best-equipped to handle Spain's Marc Gasol, the USA's biggest individual threat, from a physical standpoint.

Cousins has been getting nothing but good reviews, so how could Plumlee, a rookie in the NBA last year, possibly make the roster over him?  It seems that it may come down to style of play.  News10's Sean Cunningham got this quote from Team USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"In DeMarcus' case, the style we play lends itself to what Anthony [Davis], or even what [Mason] Plumlee does and a little bit of [Andre] Drummond. DeMarcus' game is different, so he an adjustment to make and he's trying to make it. Also, as he grows, we have to look and see if there is something we can do to bring more out of his game. We're going to take a good look at our bigs."

"He's been attentive and [he's] tried - diving on the floor for loose balls. They all have to adapt and it's a different way of playing defense - ‘how do you play defense with all these athletes, and how do you help out?' We [will] have to see in games - these exhibition games - how that will wash out. We haven't made a decision and we won't for a while, but we will definitely take a long look at the bigs."

That being said, I feel like it would be a huge slight to include Plumlee over not just Cousins, but almost any of the other bigs at the camp who all provide more experience and outright talent.  Of course, there's the Duke connection, as Coach K knows Plumlee from their time at Duke together.

We'll see if anything comes of this, but I have a feeling that Mason Plumlee might not have the most fun time at the next Team USA vs. Select Team scrimmage.  Team USA is expected to narrow down its roster from 19 to 15 by the end of this week, and then pare down to 12 after exhibitions that last through August 22nd.

Our friend Matt Moore returns to the show to talk Boogie, USA Basketball, and more!

The Sactown Royalty Show is back!  This week I'm happy to welcome Matt Moore of CBS Sports back to the show.  He's always a great guest, and we've got a lot to cover this week.

We spent a lot of time discussing DeMarcus Cousins.  We talked about his fit with Team USA relative to Mason Plumlee, and we talked a lot about how he fits with the Kings and the NBA.  We also spent a good chunk of time discussing Isaiah Thomas and Darren Collison.  Matt is a Collison fan, and brought some interesting insight to the situation.

Overall, it was just a really fun conversation.  I love having Matt on the show, and I suggest giving it a listen.

Like the show? 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.

And a big thanks to Audible.com for supporting us. To get your free 30-day trial and a free audiobook, sign up here. Using that particular link gets you the special offer, and let's them know you heard about them through our show.

As always, thanks for listening.

Why would Coach K choose Mason Plumlee over DeMarcus Cousins for Team USA's World Cup roster? We'll try and find a reason, but there may not be a good one.

We knew that USA Basketball was going to enter the 2014 FIBA World Cup with a mostly depleted roster, but nobody could've guessed the team would pile on with self-inflicted wounds. However, that might be the only way to describe it if Team USA selects Mason Plumlee over DeMarcus Cousins, which is "likely" according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

With absences from elite American big men like Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin leaving the team without its usual stable of quality options, Cousins has seemed like a lock to make the team as a big, physical center and rising star in the NBA. After all, coping with the Gasol brothers and Spain won't be easy.

What could possibly be the reason for this decision? Let's do our best to make some sense of the situation.

The Duke connection

Given the vast gap in experience and talent between Cousins and Plumlee, it's hard not to consider the college angle here. Plumlee is less than two years removed from being a star for the Blue Devils, and they happen to be coached by the same man as Team USA, Mike Krzyzewski.

While nobody is suggesting that winning isn't the top priority for Coach K and his staff, this potential decision seems almost indefensible beyond the context mentioned above. Plumlee was always a coach's favorite during his days at Duke, and this feels an awful lot like that preference is coming into play with the construction of Team USA's World Cup roster.

The official group hasn't been announced yet, and the event doesn't start until Aug. 30, so we can temper our frustrations for now. But this is a pretty firm report from a genuinely plugged in reporter, and the implications are both substantial and intriguing.

Offensive usage

Even with several big names missing the World Cup, Team USA doesn't lack willing shooters. Guys like Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Paul George will be happy to shoulder the scoring load, making it important to balance the roster with players who don't need the ball to contribute.

That's why Kyle Korver and Klay Thompson will be so important to what the Americans do, and it's one reason Plumlee might be preferred over Cousins, who has developed into the one of the highest usage players in the NBA.

Plumlee certainly isn't a player who would command possessions, not on a roster with this kind of talent. That's not always a great thing, but under these unique circumstances, it's one reason with some possible basketball sense behind it.

The mental factor

We all love Cousins and his superlative combination of size and skill, but he's never had a reputation for being an asset in terms of temperament and leadership. At times in Sacramento, the big man's body language has wavered, and reports of his up-and-down relationships with coaches haven't helped things.

For a team like the U.S., which is bubbling with talent, maybe Coach K and company simply don't want to mess up a good thing with one bad apple. While it would be unfair to characterize Cousins as a legitimate problem, it's fair to wonder how he might react in a chippy, physical game while throwing elbows for 40 minutes against Marc Gasol.

Plumlee can't give opponents the kind of trouble that Cousins could, but he could limit it going in the other direction.

Defense

Despite all of the above reasons, defense seems to be the most common argument for Plumlee over Cousins. This quote from Coach K, via USA Today, pretty clearly signals some concern for the way Cousins fits into the team's plans:

"In DeMarcus' case, the style we play lends itself to what Anthony does, or even what a Plumlee is doing," Krzyzewski said. "A little bit of Drummond (also), because Detroit, what they do, is they put he and (guard Will) Bynum in the game and all they do is pick and roll. DeMarcus' game is different, so he has an adjustment to make and he's trying to make it."

If they're convinced that Plumlee is a defensive upgrade, or at least a better fit for their defensive style, then that may be the best knock against Cousins. However, it's not like Plumlee is a future DPOY, and it's fair to wonder whether that difference is being overblown given the canyon between the two on offense.

You know what? There is no good reason

Last season, Cousins was a force for Sacramento, averaging 22.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. He was extremely efficient, too, with a 26.1 PER, .555 true shooting percentage and league-leading 30.5 percent defensive rebounding rate.

Those numbers would make him one of the most statistically impressive players at the World Cup, let alone a better player than Plumlee. The former Duke star averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a rookie in 2013-14, carving out a solid role with his energetic, efficient style of play.

While Plumlee brings some unique traits to the table, including more lateral athleticism and a special bond with the head coach, any logical analysis of the situation says this would be a bad decision. Cousins is simply a better basketball player than Plumlee, without being redundant to other pieces on the roster.

We know fit matters in basketball, but at a certain point, talent outweighs everything. Cousins vs. Plumlee would appear to be one of those cases.

Injuries are inevitable in sports, but it's no less devastating when they occur.  Last night's USA Basketball showcase took a turn for the worse when Paul Georgefractured his leg early in the 4th quarter.

The injury itself was one of the more gruesome I'd ever seen.  If you haven't yet seen pictures or video, I do not recommend looking for it.  Think Kevin Ware, Anderson Silva, and Shaun Livingston.  Fortunately he was able to have successful surgery, but he'll very likely be out the entirety of the 2014-15 NBA season and possibly longer.  It's quite possible he might not ever be the same player.

Kings fans know the feeling of seeing our star player falling, even if the injury itself was not so graphic.  Chris Webber's knee injury in 2003 is still being felt by this franchise.  With a healthy Webber, the Kings were legitimate contenders.  When he came back, he was not the same player, and never was again.  The Kings have since been in a downward spiral as a franchise, only recently seeming to make some upward progress in a rebuilding situation.

But right now the basketball implications of George's injury aren't as important as George simply getting better.  From the bottom of my heart, I hope he is able to make a full recovery and continue to have what looked to be a stellar career.

A look at the comparison of the two players as word that Big Cuz will likely be left in the cold to give Plumlee a seat on the bus.

The news came fast and furiously regarding the scuttlebutt that Coach K is likely to cut DeMarcus Cousins in favor of former Duke star Mason Plumlee.  I want to take this time to make the case for both players and look "objectively" at why each would be the better option for team USA.

The Case for Boogie Cousins

Let us first look at how one of BBN's all time favorites, Boogie Cousins stacks up vs. one of the Plumlee

It is a close call but I would have to give Cousins the nod on the statistical aspect of it, only because he has more NBA experience and is the same age .  Truthfully, it is astounding that this is even being considered, but this is what happens when you have an insanely talented and equally misunderstood player like Cousins involved.

Where Coach Mike Krzyzewski is being short sighted is that sometimes you just have to suck it up and take the talent that you may not like... if you want to win.  Do not get me wrong, I am not claiming to know more than Coach K, the man is a legend and obviously knows what he is doing and how to win when he is in control.  The point I am making is that Coach K knows how to win, but it has to be on his terms, not the parts around him.   There is absolutely no question that Big Cuz is light years ahead of Plumlee from a production standpoint.  Part of me wants to see Krzyzewski actually do it just to hear the rationale behind it.

There are whispers that there is a fear of Cousins being a ticking time bomb that could be a distraction instead of a team player.  While there is past incidents and behaviors that may actually make that a somewhat valid concern, the truth of the matter is that it is likely a convenient excuse.  Many will say that it is clearly a biased pick of a former player, some will take it even further than that.  I fall in the middle somewhere.

There is no doubt the choice is asinine, but for me the reason he would pick Plumlee has more to do with K copping out of a challenge.  Coach Cal is the poster boy for taking otherwise immature players and turning them into selfless team players who love to win above all else.  Coach K does not have that same ability to connect with players not already "bought in" because of who Coach K is.  This is going to be at the crux of the decision, in my opinion, if Coach K chooses Plumlee over Cuz.  It is also yet another reason we should all be thankful for having Coach Cal on our sidelines.

One of the more entertaining aspects of this potential development has been the reaction on twitter, a few of my favorites:

If Coach K really keeps a Plumlee, it's team for Cal to grab Boogie and Rose and Brow and Wall for alternate team USA. #LetFreedomRing

— Andrew Sharp (@andrewsharp) August 1, 2014

I'm going to hold up and see if Coach K really goes through with this before researching how to impeach a national team basketball coach.

— Tom Ziller (@teamziller) July 31, 2014

"Mason Plumlee likely to make team USA over DeMarcus Cousins" pic.twitter.com/PR9qNzSQtf

— The Race Draft (@The_Race_Draft) August 1, 2014

This will be Coach K's pitch to recruits, "if you come to Duke, I'll put you on the USA roster over clearly better players."

— Jay Hochstetler (@JDHarness) July 31, 2014

Even Tom Crean is confused by Coach K's decision. pic.twitter.com/m7UAqxQmyF

— Terry Brown (@TBrown_80) August 1, 2014

U are an Indiana fan. You haven't seen good basketball in years RT @dWADEn_5: @KySportsRadio I'd rather have a team player. #Plumlee>Cousins

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) August 1, 2014

If DeMarcus Cousins is left off Team USAs roster for Mason Plumlee...I've got no words.

— NBA Legion (@MySportsLegion) July 31, 2014

The bottom line is that Coach K can take the far superior player and do a little more coaching and connecting and destroy the rest of the world.  The alternative is he takes the safe, underwhelming, perplexing, asinine way and avoids the challenge of coaching one of the best big men on the planet and still may destroy the rest of the world.  Colangelo and K can say anything they want about Cousins maturity level, but the truth of the matter is he will not derail team USA and everyone knows it.  I challenge K to sack up and go for the first down instead of running a draw play and punting.

The Case for Mason Plumlee

Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee was interviewing DeMarcus Cousins the other day when a friend of his stepped in to show him tweets that suggested he could lose out on a Team USA berth, that Mason Plumlee was "likely" to make the team.

She describes what happened...

At this point, Cousins’ friend Andrew Rogers joins us and displays tweets from ESPN and other news outlets indicating that Colangelo and Krzyzewski favored Plumlee over Cousins. My sources suggested that the competition among Cousins, Drummond and Plumlee remained wide open and that Friday’s scrimmage and ensuing exhibitions would be crucial. Yet when he saw the tweets, Cousins appeared visibly shaken

The Kings big man has committed to Team USA for the past three summers, as both a member of the Select Team and now in Team USA tryouts. He expects to make the squad. And if he isn't, Voisin asks after he sees the tweets?.

"I would be crushed. Everyone knows how much I want to do this. This is my third year here (two with Select Team), and I don’t run from any challenge. I would be crushed, but I’m not a quitter. I would come back and try again."

Cousins admits his defense needs work. In fact, that's how Plumlee has moved into contention for a spot. As for him looking fatigued both at practice and during Friday night's scrimmage, Cousins says he's been hurt.

"My leg was killing me, was really sore Tuesday. But I practiced because I really want to make this team."

• A Q&A with Kings center DeMarcus Cousins - Ailene Voisin - Sacramento Bee
• DeMarcus Cousins ‘visibly shaken’ by news Mason Plumlee may beat him out of spot on USA Basketball roster - Brett Pollakoff - NBC Sports
  

The slight on DeMarcus Cousins is his attitude, but Saturday's interview with Ailene Voisin shows that he's approaching the Team USA experience in the right way.

Ailene Voisin had a wide-ranging interview with Kings center DeMarcus Cousins in Saturday's Sacramento Bee.  I recommend reading the whole interview, as it covers a variety of topics, including the Kings' offseason moves.  But the national storyline that has emerged from the interview is Cousins' quote that he would be "crushed" if he didn't make the team, with most national outlets agreeing that Cousins should logically make the team over Mason Plumlee.  But throughout the interview, it's clear that Cousins is approaching the Team USA experience and his basketball future in the right way.

Cousins spoke extensively about how he's seeking advice from Kevin Durant.

I hear the things I need to work on. I'm not running from it. I'm accepting the challenge. I know I'm not that perfect player, but I'm trying my best. I've gained a whole new level of respect for KD.

This is the relationship we've often said DeMarcus needed.  A player who he respects and admires, and will eagerly take advice from.  And that advice is, hopefully, lining up with the feedback Cousins is receiving from Mike Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo.

Well, I need to be a better leader, which I'm not. I know I need to work on my defense. I'm not out there trying to let a guy score on me, but I have to get it (schemes) down pat. I need to be as smart on defense as I am on offense, learn to understand defense as well as offense.

Cousins is openly telling us what he needs to improve.  We first saw this sort of honest self-assessment last summer, right before Cousins had a breakout season for the Kings.  Seeing this lack of complacency is a treat.  Cousins needs to be a leader if the Kings are ever going to emerge from the Western Conference cellar.  And Cousins needs to be a defensive anchor in Michael Malone's system.  He doesn't need to be a rim protector, but he needs to know his role, be in his spots, make his rotations.  Cousins expands on this concept.

A lot of big men can't defend. But they block shots, and that's not really defense. Defense is about five guys moving as one ... the moving-on-a-string theory. If one guy goes to the wrong place, it breaks down. But at the end of the day, as the center, I'm the defensive anchor. And I'm working hard on it.

But to me, the biggest part of the interview came after Cousins said he would be crushed if he didn't make the team.  He added:

I would be crushed, but I'm not a quitter. I would come back and try again.

Cousins would have every right to be pissed off with the Team USA experience.  Rajon Rondo found himself on Colangelo's bad side, and is no longer even considered a possibility for Team USA, despite being one of the top point guards in the league each year.  Cousins, pigeonholed as a player with a bad temper and bad attitude, would be completely justified in walking away from the Team USA experience if he gets passed over for Plumlee.  And yet he's willing to continue working to prove himself.

As a Kings fan, I want Cousins to make Team USA and have an impact at the FIBA World Cup.  But as a Kings fan, I'm encouraged to see how DeMarcus is handling adversity and continuing to strive for personal improvement.

Let's get to know Arizona's most experienced defensive lineman

One of the major questions facing the Arizona Wildcats heading into the 2014 season is what kind of pass rush will the relatively inexperienced and undersized defensive line be able to produce.

Reggie Gilbert is the face of that group, having started every game last season. Let's get to know him a little bit in 11 Questions:

1. How has your role changed in practice stepping into a leadership role?

Gilbert: I definitely have to make sure I go extra hard, especially for the young bucks, because that's me and Dan Pettinato. They really look up to us for guidance and stuff like that, so we really determine the tempo of how they're gonna play.

2. Who are some of the freshman that stick out to you in the front six?

Gilbert: I like Marcus Griffin. He's a young guy that has a lot of potential. I definitely like the way that our young guys are flying around and competing.

3. What is your favorite memory when looking back at high school?

It would have to be my junior year, it was our first year of varsity (at Fairfax HS in Lavine, AZ). We played Central HS, and it was a TV game. Nobody thought we could pull it off, and it ended up being for the regional championship, and we ended up pulling it off.

4. What changed for you when Rich Rodriguez took over?

(Practice) is definitely more under scrutiny. There's a lot more structure, a lot more organization. I'm not knocking the past, they were great coaches, but Coach Rod definitely brings more intensity, more emphasis on being the best, most hard-working, well-conditioned team in America, and that's a good thing for us.

5. Favorite part of Lowell-Stevens Football Facility?

(Someone says pop-a-shot in the background). Gilbert: I would say the fan experience. I haven't been there a lot, but the times that I have been, that's definitely a unique part of this building that not every place has.

6. Favorite restaurant in Tucson?

Bear Down Kitchen. I definitely love what they serve up there.

7. How has the new unlimited meals rule from the NCAA helped you?

It's great. Definitely great. Huge difference, especially as athletes. We don't have to worry about extending our scholarship and worrying about food. It's definitely a move in the right direction for us.

8. Favorite sport besides football?

Basketball, definitely.

9. Favorite NBA team?

Sacramento Kings all the way.

image via skycultureclothing.com

10. Favorite RichRod quote?

Can't coach stupid. (We heard that phrase a ton during that practice). *he says laughing* That's one that's sticking in my head right now.

11. Favorite TV show?

(Long, long pause) I'll have to say between Spongebob and Family Guy.

Thanks to Reggie Gilbert for the time. Next up will be tight end Josh Kern as he answers the hard-hitting questions.

If only Isaiah Thomas were more honest.

First it was Love, then LeBron, and now we seem to be truly focused on important things.  Chiefly, what to do about the Eric Bledsoe situation.  Let me explain how this contract negotiation is being handled from both camps.  First there's a insulting offer, followed by a public statement of, "we're not trying to make an insulting offer."  It's an amazing and endlessly entertaining situation when every party can be wrong.  Suns owner Robert Sarver joined the Burns and Gambo show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Friday evening, unsolicited mind you, to discuss how the back and forth with Mr. Bledsoe is going.

Gambo also penned this open letter to Bledsoe, identifying agent Rich Paul as the reason we can't seem to figure out a contract extension.

Current NBA executives and prominent sports agents with no vested interest in the Suns were asked if they thought the offer from Phoenix was fair.  Under the condition of anonymity the consensus was unanimous.

Here's one perspective, suggesting that Bledsoe and the Suns could learn from Patrick Peterson's recent negotiations with the Arizona Cardinals.

So far Bledsoe's winning this summer.  His handpicked "Team Birmingham" defeated the Gilbert Arenas coached "Ball Up," their first loss in four years, at Lawson State Community College over the weekend.  Check out the highlights, featuring Bone Collector. Yes, Bone Collector.

Everyone will rank crimes differently, but driving intoxicated is in my opinion an incredibly disgusting and heinous act that is not taken seriously enough in this country.  P.J. Tucker stated, "I will not let you down," in a statement following his sentence of 3 days in jail and 11 days of home detention for driving under the influence on May 10th.

T.J. Warren and Tyler Ennis had themselves a photo shoot at the 2014-15 Rookie Symposium.  Sadly, no Bogdan Bogdanovic.  I've got you covered though.

The Cavaliers are still making moves.  While talk of different packages that involve Kevin Love, Andrew Wiggins, and Anthony Bennett continue to circulate, Cleveland is now making a play to bring former Sun Shawn Marion to the Eastern Conference.

I don't know about you, but Greg Monroe remaining unsigned makes me a little uncomfortable.  I fall into the camp that thinks the Detroit big man would be an awful fit with the Suns, and I understand that seems to be the most popular opinion.  Still, I would rather he just go ahead and ink a new deal so I don't wake up one day to the news that the Suns tempo hit a brick wall overnight.  At least one teammate in Detroit expects to see Monroe in a Pistons uniform next season.

Phoenix fans will eat this up.  When Isaiah Thomas talked with SB Nation's Sactown Loyalty about future meetings between the Suns and Kings, he left nothing up to interpretation.  "I tell everybody I love Sacramento, I always will love Sacramento, but when we play them I'm going to kill Sacramento." "Kill Sacramento."  That's the early favorite for my fantasy basketball team name next season.

A pair of former Phoenix Suns coaches reunite in Brooklyn to help lead the Nets following the departure of Jason Kidd.

Former Sun Grant Hill and his wife Tamia are donating $1.25 million to support Duke University athletics and the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.  This gift will contribute to the success of Duke Forward, a $3.25 billion fundraising effort.  That's billion, with a "b."  Like "Ball State" where I went to school.  I don't know if you've ever heard of it, it's a little different than Duke.

Western Conference potholes. Here's a look at what the path to the playoffs could look like for the Suns next season.

NBA bookkeeping. Click on this and thank me later.  Some helpful information as we navigate these frightening free agent times, as well as some fascinating contract quirks you probably didn't know existed.

Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale is hosting auditions for Phoenix Suns dancers on August 9th.  That's this Saturday.  Stop reading NBA blogs and get your fat ass in the gym.  By the way, bring a head shot, but know that it will not be returned.

I deliberately didn't include anything about the Paul George injury.  You're welcome.

Darren Collison is the Kings' new starting point guard. He faces a lot of pressure to not only facilitate the offense, but also lead the team and take it in the right direction.

Darren Collison will suit up for the Kings next season as their starting point guard. He says the front office has told him they want him to be aggressive on both sides of the ball and be a leader.

Collison, who signed a three-year deal worth $16 million with the Kings on the second day of free agency last month, is willing to take on that leadership challenge, at least based on some of the things he is saying: He doesn't care who takes the last shot of the game, but is open to taking it himself. He says he learned a lot about the importance of ball movement under Doc Rivers last season while he was with the Clippers and wants to bring that to Sacramento. Even though it is pretty much a lock that he will be the starter come October, he said he isn't concerned about being the starter.

One of the first things he did after he signed with the Kings was text his new teammates to introduce himself and begin building chemistry. He seems to understand that that is a process when entering a new environment.

"I just wanted to welcome myself, introduce myself into the family. You just can't come in and start the leadership stuff, that is part of the being a point guard, but you've got to introduce yourself and try to get to know your teammates one by one and try to go from there," Collison told Sactown Royalty. "I understand what it takes to be a leader."

Collison, of course, has backed up Chris Paul on two different occasions. Last season with the Clippers he filled in quite well after Paul was injured. During that time he helped the Clippers to a 12-6 record while averaging 13.3 points and 6.5 assists. He also backed up Paul in his rookie year in 2009 with the then New Orleans Hornets.

Collison says he has learned a lot in the leadership department from Paul.

"He's one of the best leaders we have in this game today. I got a chance to see him interact with all of his teammates, every single day. That's one of the things I will take with me," said Collison, who started in 35 games last season. "I've been a leader for all of my basketball career, starting from UCLA all the way up until now. Even though I wasn't the main attraction last year for the Clippers, I was one of the most vocal guys on the team."

He must do something right in the way he conducts himself around his teammates. Steve Perrin of Clips Nation recently told Sactown Royalty that Collison was well liked in the Clippers locker room.

The Kings are hoping Collison, who averaged 11.4 points, 3.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 25.9 minutes per game for the season with the Clippers, can push the tempo on offense and bring some defense to Sacramento. Head coach Michael Malone, who coached Collison when he was in New Orleans, was recently on KHTK 1140 with Grant Napear and had this to say.

"In Darren, we have a great push guard who will get the ball up the court in a hurry so we can look to attack and score early before the defense can get set."

The front office must have a lot of faith in their new 6'0" point guard, who is going into his sixth season and turns 27 later this month, because according to Collison, the Kings were aggressive about signing him.

"They were one of the few teams that called right as soon as free agency started. They made an aggressive pitch. They were the most aggressive team by far throughout the whole free agency process," Collison said. "That attracted me because I felt wanted."

Collison comes into this role as Isaiah Thomas exits for Phoenix. The comparisons between the two and the reasons for the front office's switch at the point guard spot haven't stopped and probably won't stop through next season.

The Kings wanted more ball movement, less dribbling and to run at a faster pace. Grantland's Zach Lowe recently pointed out that Thomas dribbled the ball nearly 200 more times than Collison did per 36 minutes last season. Lowe also pointed out, however, that the Kings played at a faster pace with Thomas on the floor last season than the Clippers did with Collison. And let's not forget Fireplug'svery eloquent fan post about how Collison is a more willing passer than Thomas.

There's plenty more to analyze in terms of comparisons between the two guards, but the bottom line is there are questions about whether both of them are better served as a sixth man rather than a starter. Collison is now getting his third chance to be a starter on his fifth team. And while being on the same team as Chris Paul will force pretty much any other point guard in the league to the bench, he did lose the starting spot to both Derek Fisher and Mike James in Dallas (He averaged 12 points and 5.1 assists that season).

But despite his reputation as a backup, Collison has started more games over his career than he has come off the bench. Specifically, he's started in 63 percent of the 405 NBA games he has played in.

Defense and ball movement aren't his strongest suits, but he is capable of doing both. Offensively he is often credited with being able the push the tempo, which is certainly what Malone wants out of him. Collison said having Malone as the head coach of the Kings played a big role in his decision to sign with Sacramento. He referred to Malone as a "player's coach."

"I just remember telling the owner and GM of the Kings that Michael was a big part of my decision. I know he's one of the best up-and-coming coaches now, a good defensive-minded coach, that's what attracted me," Collison said.

Defense is what Malone wants to hang his hat on and with Collison he gets a player who may not be a stellar on-the-ball defender, but can apply decent pressure on the opposing ball handler as they bring the ball up the floor.

"On the other side of the basketball, I know that Darren can be a pest defensively," Malone told 1140. "He can really get after guys and harass the ball up the floor and not allow other teams just to walk it up and be in a comfort zone."

Collison, who plans to be in Sacramento after Labor Day, knows how important defense is going to be, especially in the stacked Western Conference.

"If we don't play defense, we're not going to win, it's plain and simple," Collison said. "We have talent, but if we do not play defense as a team then we're not going to have a good team...we have a lot of young players that can get up and down the floor defensively."

Malone wants the Kings to defend and rebound at a high level and then score easy baskets on the break. Collison said he proved that he can do that last year because the Clippers ran a similar type of style. It might have been a little easier on a Clippers roster built for a championship, though. The Kings and Clippers are at opposite ends of the spectrum right now, but the playoffs is where Collison and his new running mate DeMarcus Cousins want to be.

Cousins has yet to come close to sniffing the playoffs in Sacramento. He has said that he thinks Collison will be able to run the team well and "knows how to get guys involved," saying that Collison told him he would run through a brick wall for him if he asked him to, according to Cowbell Kingdom.

Collison told Sactown Royalty that in his conversations with Cousins, the big man told him he wants the team to play the "right way."

"DeMarcus said he just wants us to play the right way. He understands that after a few years of not making the playoffs, they had guys that weren't necessarily trying to play the right way," Collison said. "He just wants guys to be all in...to me I think that shows maturity."

The other focal point of the Kings is Rudy Gay and he has said that Collison "is a great pickup for us, he's a competitor...and he's shown that he can lead a team."

On a team begging for cohesiveness, there will be a relatively high amount of pressure on the UCLA product to lead the Kings from the point guard position next season and be a key piece of the puzzle. Collison believes the Kings are on the right track.

"I think we have a very, very good team despite whatever everybody else thinks, and we have a chance to do something real special," he said. "Individually, I have one goal, that's just to win. And team-wise I have one goal, that's just to win."

The Knicks are tweaking their roster in a small trade with the Kings.

The New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings are finalizing a trade that will send Wayne Ellington, Jeremy Tyler and their 2016 second-round draft pick to Sacramento in exchange for Travis Outlaw and Quincy Acy, reports USA Today's Sam Amick. The Knicks were reportedly looking at options to unload Ellington, who is on an expiring $2.2 million contract.

Tyler's $948,163 contract is fully unguaranteed until Sept. 15, 2014. The Kings will owe him $100,000 in guaranteed money if he is not waived by that date, however. Ellington cannot be offiically traded until Aug. 25.

Acy and Outlaw are also on expiring contracts, earning a combined $3.9 million through the 2014-15 season. Outlaw, an 11-year veteran, will join the fifth franchise of his career. The former late first-round selection averaged 5.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc last season for the Kings.

Acy will join his third team in as many years, unable to find his niche in the NBA. He averaged just 13.4 minutes per game in 63 appearances with the Toronto Raptors and Kings last season.

The Kings have made a small salary saving move.

Sam Amick of USA Today reports that the Sacramento Kings and Knickshave agreed to a trade that will send Travis Outlaw and Quincy Acy to New York in exchange for Wayne Ellington, Jeremy Tyler and a 2016 2nd round pick.

Amick also adds that Tyler is expected to be waived by the Kings as his contract is unguaranteed.  Assuming Tyler gets waived, the Kings roster is at 14 players once Omri Casspi officially gets signed.  They could free up another roster spot by using the stretch provision on Ellington.  Ellington is fairly one-dimensional as a player but he is a good shooter, with a career 3-point shooting average of 38.6%.  If they used the stretch provision on Ellington's $2.7 million, they would save about $1.8 million this year at the cost of having an unmoveable cap hit of about $900k for the next two years as well.

For Sacramento, this is essentially a small salary clearing move.  Outlaw made about $230k more than Ellington, and the Kings also got a future 2nd round pick for their troubles.  The Kings did lose out on Quincy Acy, but once Eric Moreland was signed to a 3 year deal, his future in Sacramento seemed in doubt regardless due to the number of Power Forwards already on the roster.

UPDATE 1:30 pm:

Sam has clarified his article in respect to the 2nd round pick.  Sacramento already owned New York's 2016 2nd round pick, but it was protected from 31-37.  Those protections have now been lifted.  Those protections likely wouldn't have come into play anyway, so this already unsexy deal becomes even less so.  It was a trade of convenience.  Instead of stretching Outlaw and waiving Acy, you save a few dollars and get rid of some restrictions.

UPDATE 3:10 pm:

Kevin Pelton posted some analysis of the trade on ESPN insider and a new tidbit of information was revealed: Apparently Outlaw wasn't eligible for the stretch provision because his deal was signed in the last CBA.  Ellington however is, which saves the Kings some money this year if they use it on him.

Sean Cunningham of News 10 returns to talk Boogie, the Acy/Outlaw trade, and more.

The Sactown Royalty Show is back!  This week I'm happy to welcome News 10's Sean Cunningham back to the program.  Sean was out in Las Vegas and was able to share his observations of DeMarcus Cousins.  We also spent some time discussing Wednesday's trade that sent Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw to the New York Knicks.  We also talked about Darren Collison and his fit with the direction the team is headed.  Sean is a fun guest, and we really covered a ton of topics in this show.

At the end of the program we also called up Brad Geiser to get his reactions to losing Travis Outlaw.  We had some phone issues, but eventually we did get him on the line.  Nonetheless, Brad ruined everything and he deserves all the blame for anything you dislike about this week's episode.  Enjoy!

Like the show? 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.

And a big thanks to Audible.com for supporting us. To get your free 30-day trial and a free audiobook, sign up here. Using that particular link gets you the special offer, and let's them know you heard about them through our show.

As always, thanks for listening.

On May 14, 1998, the Sacramento Kings pulled off a move that many considered a gamble when they traded fan-favorite Mitch Richmond, for a young, talented, troublemaker by the name of Chris Webber. While the move proved successful, how was it viewed back then? We scoured through some old articles, and even received some insight from the great Jerry Reynolds himself, roll look back at that history making day in 1998.

Throughout the 1990's the people of Sacramento showed up at Sacramento Kings games despite the team only making the playoffs twice and never posting a record above .500 until the 1998-99 season. While a decade like that would be a death knell for many teams in professional sports, Sacramento was different. Even though most of these teams were bad-to-mediocre, Kings fans sold out Arco Arena every night to cheer on their team. For many young kids like myself, the player they were looking forward to see the most was Mitch Richmond. While Sacramento had some relatively big names in the past, such as Reggie Theus, Mitch Richmond was the first real star to put on a Sacramento Kings uniform. As a part of the popular Golden State Warriors trio "Run TMC", (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin, for the youngsters out there), Mitch Richmond made a name for himself before he ever put on a Kings' uniform. After 3 years entertaining our neighbors in Oakland, Mitch was traded to Sacramento, and for the next 7 years, he was the face of our franchise.

1998 was an interesting time for the Kings. They wanted to get better, but to do so they would probably have to do away with their franchise player. While they had a good relationship, Mitch was 32 and looking for a new deal, and the Kings were looking to get better and younger. This would be hard to do without trading Mitch. Jerry Reynolds spoke about the situation with Sactown Royalty's own Blake Ellington.

Jerry, the one time coach and GM, as well as the long time color commentator/encyclopedia of the Kings went on to talk about the mindset of the players and teams at the time of the draft.

"Geoff Petrie was really pressured by the owner, Jim Thomas, to really shake the thing up and make something happen.

Mitch had a reputation as one of the elite players, and certainly on a team that wasn't winning and he was the best player. And I think he wanted a new contract, so there were some issues on that regard too. Not that they couldn't have been resolved. I think in most cases, players that aren't on a winning team aren't happy - same reason that Chris wasn't happy about coming."

While the Kings did not have much success in terms of wins and losses during the Rock's seven years, (only making the playoffs once in that span), Mitch Richmond still helped bring a spotlight to the Kings. To this day he is the only Sacramento King to be awarded with the All-Star MVP and the only Kings beside Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic to make an All-NBA team. With his non-stop hustle, toughness, and resiliency, (he only played less than 70 games once in his time here), Mitch Richmond was a player that fans everywhere, from Sacramento to New York, wanted to see. For most of the 90's, he was not just a player on the Sacramento Kings, he was the Sacramento Kings. All of this came to a halt in May of 1998, when the Kings traded Mitch, (along with Otis Thorpe), to the Washington Wizards for a 25-year-old former #1 pick named Chris Webber. The Kings were in search of a younger star (Mitch Richmond was 32 at the time, and wanted to play on a winning team), and the Wizards were looking to dump Chris Webber.

"Guys, I make no bones about it, we gave up a tremendous young talent in Chris Webber. We got a tremendous, mature leadership-type individual in Mitch Richmond." Wizards GM, Wes Unseld, told the New York Times back in 1998. But Chris Webber's talent was not the only thing garnering attention during the time of this trade. Since Chris Webber came into the league, he had been seen as a punk and a headcase. After a Rookie of the Year campaign in Golden State, the Warriors could not wait to get rid of Chris Webber. While he had a great statistical rookie year, young Webber was constantly butting heads with famously hot-headed coach Don Nelson. It was the beginning of the uphill climb that was Chris Webber's career. The Warriors had had enough, and immediately traded Webber to the Washington Bullets following his rookie campaign.While he continued to be a great basketball player, his character issues kept rearing their ugly heads. In his last season alone, he accumulated numerous traffic violations, an assault charge, possession charges, and even a sexual assault charge, (which was later dismissed), He had all of the talent in the world, but he seemed to be headed down a dangerous path.

"It was viewed that Chris Webber was really a guy that was out there being shopped because of some issues that he had in Washington," Reynolds explained, "... from maybe a coachability standpoint, some alleged drug situations ... so it was no secret that Chris was going to be traded, they wanted to trade him. And really, I think from Geoff's standpoint to realize hey, this is a marvelous talent if he can get his head on right it would be a home run for the Kings since Mitch was, quite honestly, on the downside of his career, which is exactly what happened."

While everyone knew of the talent Chris Webber had, his lingering character issues were a heavy focus of trade analysis at the time. Jerry Bumbry of the Baltimore Sun wrote a scathing article about what the Wizards had gone through with Chris Webber. "In being exiled to a small-market franchise, he must now attempt to prove he is one of the top power forwards in the NBA".

Despite being an All Star, a lock for a double-double each night, and being a virtual highlight machine, Webber's marriage to his second team ended just as badly to his first. When a guy as talented as Chris Webber could not keep an address, (he was on his 3rd team in 5 years), it usually meant there was a problem. Despite his scathing remarks, however, Bumbry was not ready to blame all of Webber's faults on the basketball court on the troubled young star. While Chris Webber and his Wizards teammate Juwan Howard worked great together in college, at the NBA level, they were both natural power forwards. Despite this, the Wizards insisted on playing them together, with Juwan Howard moving to the small forward spot. "The bottom line is that the combination of Webber and Howard did not work." Bumbry lamented.

In a very accurate assessment, Bumbry correctly stated that if Webber wanted to reinvent himself in the NBA, he would need to fine tune his game and become a more reliable presence, especially in clutch situations. Bumbry concluded that "If Webber works on that aspect of his game -- and learns to curtail his off-the-court troubles -- he'll be an All-Star for years to come and maybe shake the negative labels that have followed him."

This was quite the change from Mitch Richmond, who not only had been known as one of the better players in the NBA, but also one of the better people. In response to the trade on May 15, 1998, the Sacramento Bee's R.E. Graswich said that the deal "could be paid for in court fines, legal fees, maybe even jail time, judging from Webber's record. Funny how the words 'judging' and 'record' seem to trail Webber. Welcome to a trade born of desperation."

Not exactly a hero's welcome. Graswich was not a Richmond apologist by any means, going as far as saying his "legacy was losing" and saying he had earned the right to be called "selfish, foolish, greedy, and ungrateful". Despite these, Graswich went on to say that if you take the money out of the picture, Mitch was "a professional athlete who wanted to win, who wanted the ball in his hands in the closing minutes, who wanted to defend the best guy on the other team, who knew he was good but never became insufferable, who respected the fans and avoided the back seat of police cars". Graswich ended his article by stating that despite all this, the Kings had acquired a very talented young player. He ended his article with a passive aggressive rally cry, "Let's go celebrate! Let's go Mourn."

"From the standpoint of the Kings, risks had to be taken." Jerry explained, "It was pretty clear that the thing wasn't going to work the way it was going... it was a matter of, 'Hey, whatever it takes to get better and whatever risk, if it's possible, you better take it', because if you come back with the same guys it's not going to work."

Mitch had a great relationship with the fans, and if Chris Webber didn't work out, the fans would be out for blood.

"It wasn't a popular trade in Sacramento when it was made at all." Jerry reminisced, "People said, hey, Mitch is the real deal he's done it. He's not been a problem off the court per se and Chris had issues in Golden State and he had issues in Washington."

While it was clear that Webber was talented, it was unknown how he would respond on his new team. He let it be known right away that Sacramento was not where he wanted to be. If history meant anything, he would probably be packing his bags and going to get another team within the next couple of years. Not everyone was focused on the negative issues that Webber had faced. Jackie MacMullan, then of Sports Illustrated, had what turned out to be a stunningly accurate take on the trade.

Jackie stated that the Kings "suddenly had a much more promising future". She said that if the Kings could sign "Pedrag Stojakovic", and use their 7th pick wisely (that became Jason Williams), they could suddenly be a team to watch in the NBA. While she thought the Kings would be happy with signing Michael Stewart to a new deal, I am pretty sure she would have had good words if she knew were going to bring Serbian big man Vlade Divac over.

This move by the Kings was definitely polarizing when it first went down. From a basketball point of view, it was a no-brainer. They traded an aging shooting guard for an up-and-coming power forward. Unfortunately, the power forward came with his own laundry list of issues. Despite the team's' struggles under the leadership of Mitch Richmond, one thing that the fans could never question was his character. While he earned the nickname "Rock" from his toughness, that grit and scrappiness was all on the basketball court, not in court. Time would tell if the Webber trade would work out, and fortunately for the Kings, it did.

The results of the trade are now forever written in the history books. Under their exciting new owners (this was 1999), an experienced head coach, and a whole new class of talent, the Kings became one of the marquee teams in the NBA. People from the United States to across the world wanted to watch this exciting young team. They brought the Utah Jazz (who had come off 2-straight finals appearances) to the brink of elimination, formed a now legendary rivalry with the LA Lakers, and became what is still referred to as one of the most entertaining teams to watch in NBA history.

Now, 16 years later, both of these players are long since retired. Mitch Richmond put up decent numbers each of his three years with the Wizards, but age eventually slowed him down. He won a ring with the LA Lakers, though he did not do much for them in the process. Chris Webber finally realized his immense potential in Sacramento, but a bum knee cut a great career short.

As far as the trade is concerned, and the impact Mitch had on the team, Jerry Reynolds put it best.

"As I've said many times, Mitch made us better coming and he made us better going - actually the most valuable player in the history of the franchise on that basis alone."

All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place.

Herald   The Basketball Hall beckons for Alonzo Mourning
Knicks acquire Outlaw, Acy from Kings
Spurs sign forward JaMychal Green
Globe  Greg Oden Arrested for Battery
Mercifully, It Appears Kevin Love Is Being Traded
Marcus Smart absorbs veterans’ life lessons
Dish Network drops CSNNE, Celtics’ broadcast home
Former NBA commissioner David Stern left a legacy of success

CelticsGreen  SQ14 #12 The 2.9 Scheme is Driving Change
CelticsBlog  Danny Ainge is in no rush to do anything
CBS Sports  Top 5 NBA Offseason Winners
Hoops Habit  Boston Celtics: How Will The Celtics Trim Roster To 15?
SB Nation  Kevin Love trade includes 'firm agreement' star will re-sign with Cavaliers, according to report
ESPN  No. 44 for Zeller
Wanted: Celtics Summer Forecasters
Lex Nihil Novi  Hondo's 33 Lead Celtics Past Braves

Red's Army Your Morning Dump… Where Tyler Zeller is looking to bulk up
Celtics.com  Zeller Exclusive: On The Phone
CSNNE  Wakeup Call: Come join us, Ray
Zeller on trade to Celtics: It was a great surprise
Mass Live  Kelly Olynyk helps Canada top Bosnia, can't push team past Spain
Celtics Today  Marcus Smart earns respect on the defensive end from rookie survey
New Celtics center Zeller surprised after trade

South Coast Today  Buddy Thomas: Which Celtics will be the next into the rafters
WMTW Former Red Claw Chris Babb hoping to stick around with Celtics
Bleacher Report  Biggest Question for Each NBA Team Before 2014-15 Training Camps
Boston Celtics Players Who Will Make a Big Jump in 2013-14
NESN  Report: Greg Oden Arrested, Charged After Allegedly Punching Ex-Girlfriend
I Sports Web  Boston Celtics: Jeff Green must step up
Real GM  MarShon Brooks Moving Toward Deal With Olimpia Milano

What are the Suns going to get from the newly acquired Isaiah Thomas?

Last season, the strength of the Phoenix Suns was its backcourt - when healthy together, the Slash brothers of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe tore up the NBA. Unfortunately, those two were only healthy together for 24 games.

Jeff Hornacek's two-point guard system relied on having two dynamic guards on the floor at the same time, and as hard as Ish Smith played, the drop-off from Bledsoe to Smith was significant. To adress this, the Suns went out and signed Isaiah Thomas away from the Sacramento Kings on a favorable contract.

Thomas averaged 20.3 points and 6.3 assists per game last year for the Kings as a part-time starter. For the Suns, Thomas will play the sixth man role as a sparkplug off the bench. How does his game compare to Dragic and Bledsoe's? How does he fit into Hornacek's system?

From what I've seen, the answer to those questions is "very well."

The vast majority of the Phoenix point guards' offense came on four play types: pick-and-roll, transition, isolation and spotting up. Taking a look at Tomas' numbers via MySynergySports.com reveals a very similar play distribution, and also shows that Thomas does very well in all these areas.

Pick-and-Roll

Thomas ran the pick-and-roll on over 40 percent of his possessions, shooting 44.3 percent from the field and scoring 0.89 points per possession, a number that places him inside the top 30 in the NBA.

In comparison, Bledsoe scored 0.85 points per possession on 42.8 percent shooting and Dragic scored 0.98 (top 10 in the NBA!) on 51.5 percent shooting.

It was quite impressive that Thomas was able to be as effective as he was in a situation like the one in Sacramento, where spacing is virtually nonexistent and Reggie Evans was often on the floor.

Thomas' greatest asset is his quickness. With his speed and agility, and a screener to give him some seperation, Thomas is able to get anywhere he wants on the floor. Often enough, Thomas catches the defender off guard by rejecting the screen and using his quick acceleration to blow by his defender.

Here's an example from a game against Minnesota (he actually made the same play twice in the game).

Thomas brings the ball up and waits on the right wing for DeMarcus Cousins to set the screen.

As Cousins gets closer, Thomas takes a step towards him, and when Ricky Rubio takes a peek to find the screen, Thomas takes advantage and explodes.

Thomas had Rubio beat the second he looked for the screen, and he easily sidesteps the lackluster attempt at help from the corner.

Then elevates and finishes. As if Kevin Love was going to block him.

Thomas has been short for a long time, and has developed an arsenal of shots to compensate for his lack of height. He's very explosive and has good touch around the basket, using a lot of floaters, short pull-ups and difficult layups around the rim. However, even with his skill it can be difficult for him to get good looks off once he gets into the paint.

Thomas is definitely a scoring point guard, but with his quickness he can really force the issue, collapsing defenses and drawing double-teams. When he does that, he's more than capable of dumping the ball off to the roll man or kicking it out to the popping big for the open jumper.

Sacramento's lack of spacing isn't the best situation to learn about shot selection, but Thomas' biggest downfall in the pick-and-roll is his inconsistent jumper, and his over-reliance on it.

Thomas is not a strong shooter off the dribble. He is often off-balance when he rises up to fire, either leaning forward or falling back, and that makes it tough for him to be consistent. He also settles for too many of these jumpers, although part of that could be due to the less-than-iseal situation in Sacramento.

Transition

Phoenix is one of the fastest teams in the league, and with the addition of Thomas, the Suns only got faster. In Sacramento, Thomas didn't run quite as much as our guys in Phoenix, but it was still his second most common play type at 17.8 percent.

Thomas shot 55.1 percent and scored a respectable 1.17 points per possession on the break, placing him in between Dragic at 1.23 points and Bledsoe at 1.08 points per possession.

Thomas is as fast from end to end as anyone in the league. If you don't stop the ball early when he's in transition, he's running right by you and all the way to the rim. If someone does pick him up, he uses his excellent hesitation and change of speeds to still get to the rim.

Here's an example of Thomas' blazing speed in the open floor.

Minnesota's Alexey Shved tries to throw up a floater (silly Alexey Shved) that gets spiked right into Thomas' hands ...

and Isaiah is off to the races. Notice where the two Sacramento defenders are when Thomas takes off.

At this point he's already left Ronny Turiaf in his dust, and J.J. Barea is all that stands between him and the basket. Ha.

Good job, good effort Jose Juan. Two points for Thomas.

Unfortunately, he still gets blocked a decent amount despite his speed and athleticism, and he's not going to get any taller. That, and his tendency to settle for pull-up jumpers is why his field goal percentage is only 55, whereas Dragic and Bledsoe are both around 60 percent on the break.

Thomas makes up for this, however, by shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range in transition. He's quite good when he can step into the shoot, whether that be pulling up off the dribble or spotting up to catch and shoot.

Thomas is much more of a shooter than a distributor when he gets out on the brake. By my count (with the help of Synergy), he racked up 44 assists on the break last year, many of the highlight variety. He loves going for the lob down court, especially to big time leapers like Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore. Unfortunately, those are high-risk passes and it comes at the cost of turnovers, 28 of them to be exact.

Instead of blabbering on, I'll just drop the rest of my transition statistics into a table and move on.

Looking at that chart, Thomas is fairly similar to Dragic in the way he runs the break - fast and looking to score. Bledsoe is a different kin of player, instead looking to play point guard on the break and find others to finish. Jeff Hornacek has said how he is always encouraging Bledsoe to push the pace more like Dragic does, and the numbers show he really doesn't use his own ability on the break s much as Hornacek would like.

Isolation

Thomas is also a very good isolation scorer, averaging 0.98 points per possession despite shooting just under 40 percent from the field. Dragic also scored 0.98 points per possession on 39 percent shooting, while Bledsoe scored a still respectable 0.92 points per possession. Each of them does it slightly differently, but all three get buckets when they have to.

Dragic is so effective because he almost always gets a shot off, turning the ball over just 15 times in 172 possessions. Bledsoe is really good at converting when he gets the shot off, shooting 50 percent from three-point range and 42.1 percent overall, but he turned the ball over one more time than Dragic in over 70 fewer possessions.
As for Thomas, his strength is scoring inside (47 percent shooting inside the arc) and drawing fouls (eight and-ones, 17 trips to the line for a pair).

Once again, Thomas' quickness is his greatest asset. He is already at an advantage against almost any defender, but he maximizes that with hesitations and head fakes that freeze defenders in their tracks and allow him to blow right by them. His agility and body control are excellent.

Here's an example against Golden State where Thomas used a simple ball fake to get his defender off balance.

Thomas is isolated at the top of the key, with Klay Thompson - a pretty good defender - checking him.

Thomas uses a ball fake, looks left, then crosses over and explodes left.

Thompson barely even moved before Thomas had him beat.

Thompson gets no help from Harrison Barnes or David Lee and Thomas flies in for the layup. Screen caps don't accurately portray how quick he is, but I'm no gif wizard.

Once again, his size sometimes makes it difficult to get shots off but even so he is still a crafty finisher. An added effect of his quickness is the amount of both shooting and non-shooting fouls he draws as opponents often have no choice but to reach out and grab him in order to slow him down.

He has a decent in-between game, with an arsenal of runners and short pull-ups, and he is pretty good at creating contact too. However, once again he settles for the jumper too often, although it's hard to expect a player to create good shots all the time in isolation situations.

Spotting Up

In a two-point guard system like the one the Suns use, it's important for at both players to be a threat off the ball as well as on it; there's only one ball to go around. Neither one of the Dragic or Bledsoe are naturals, as both do their best work with the ball in their hands. However, each of them adapted and both were effective in that role last season. In Sacramento, Thomas spotted up more than either one of them so this shouldn't be a problem for him.

Thomas scored 1.06 points per possession, placing him just outside the top 100. He shot 37.5 percent from deep and 41.4 percent overall, and also drew 11 shooting fouls.

Bledsoe scored 1.1 points per possession, a figure that ranks him in the top 70, despite shooting just 17-50 from 3-point range. His real strength was attacking out of the spot up, converting on 16 of his 26 shots inside the arc in addition to drawing six shooting fouls. Dragic was more of a straight shooter in these situations, making only five shots inside the arc and drawing only one foul. However, he still scored 1.04 points per possession because he shot 39.8 percent from 3-point range on nearly 100 attempts.

Just like in transition, Thomas is a good shooter when he has the time and space to step into his shot as opposed to having to create his shot off the dribble. He's also pretty good at moving around the arc to maintain floor balance, get himself open and create passing lanes. A quick look at his shot distribution chart shows he's pretty comfortable shooting from anywhere on the court.

Here's an example of how he might fit into Jeff Hornacek's system.

On this play, Thomas brought the ball down and is going to pass it off to Rudy Gay on the right wing. Imagine Rudy Gay is Goran Dragic for a moment.

Gay initiates a pick-and-roll with one of the Sacramento bigs - much like Dragic would do after receiving a pass from Bledsoe - while Thomas chills on the left wing.

Thomas' defender slides down into the paint to help on the roll man, while Thomas remains on the wing, maintaining spacing while staying roughly parallel to the play and within Gay's range of vision.

Gay makes the cross-court pass and Thomas rises up for the open shot before the defender can get back out to contest. Three points for Sacramento.

This is something I'd imagine we'll see quite often from Thomas on the Suns, with him playing both the shooting and passing roles.

Wrapping it Up

Isaiah Thomas is a very talented basketball player, and he's going to fit right into Jeff Hornacek's system. Everything he does is very comparable to what Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe did last year. He's a massive upgrade from Ish Smith on the offensive end and will allow the Suns to keep up the pressure for 48 minutes every single night. Thomas can score from everywhere on the floor on every relevant type of play, and Suns fans are going to really enjoy watching him do his thing.

They'll pay. They'll all pay.

The NBA announced the results of their annual Rookie Survey, and Kings rookie Nik Stauskas was named the second-best shooter in the draft class by his peers.  Stauskas received 26.3% of the votes, trailing only Doug McDermott of the Chicago Bulls.  McDermott took home 39.5% of the votes.

The survey was conducted at the Rookie Photo Shoot.  McDermott's case was undoubtedly bolstered by a very strong showing at Summer League.   And while Kings fans would have surely preferred that Stauskas had won the respect of his peers, the survey confirms what we knew.  The Kings landed one of the two best shooters in this draft.

Now, however, it is time for those who voted against Stauskas to learn an important lesson.  That lesson is that you never cross Nik Stauskas.  Doug McDermott?  The same Doug McDermott who ducked out of a head-to-head showcase against Stauskas at Summer League?  That Doug McDermott?  Psshtt, whatever.  Count the Summer League titles, chump.

One thing Nik Stauskas is not though, is a good singer.  Here he is trying to sing Justin Bieber's "Baby":

That's... that's quite something there Nik.  I think Marcus Smart said it better than we could.

The Kings actually managed to make a little bit of breathing room under the luxury tax with their recent trade.

The Kings' trade of Travis Outlaw and Quincy Acy yesterday wasn't a particularly thrilling trade because it wasn't necessarily about acquiring assets, but rather about saving a little money and creating a little bit of flexibility.  Acy was a fan favorite in Sacramento, but with so many forwards already on the roster and Eric Moreland added to that bunch, it was unlikely that he would have been able to make an impact here anyway.  We reported a couple weeks ago that the Kings were considering waiving him outright a couple weeks ago in order to make room for Omri Casspi and Moreland, but this trade allowed them to move Outlaw as well.

The Kings received Jeremy Tyler and Wayne Ellington in the trade back, and are almost certainly expected to waive both; Tyler is a completely unguaranteed contract and Ellington is eligible to be stretched whereas Outlaw was not since Outlaw's contract was signed in the last CBA.

Assuming that Tyler and Ellington are waived, and also that Omri Casspi's deal is all but done in name (he has yet to officially sign his contract but it's safe to say he will be a King), here's what the Kings current roster and salary situation for the next two seasons looks like right now (all salary information courtesy of ShamSports):

*cap hold due to stretch provision
** an estimate, and also likely unguaranteed

This cap sheet assumes that the Kings will guarantee Eric Moreland and Ray McCallum next season, and also that the Kings will not give Derrick Williams his Qualifying Offer, which is worth about $8.2 million.  Ellington's cap hit will remain on the sheet for this season and the next two as per the stretch provision, which gives Sacramento some breathing room this year.

Before the trade, the Kings were actually set to be over the tax and have a full 15 man roster.  After the trade, the Kings have two open roster spots (assuming Tyler & Ellington are both waived) and a $2.6 million chunk of breathing room under the tax.  This breathing room is important as it allows the Kings to take back a little bit more salary back in future trades and/or sign other minimum contract players (like Terrence Williams or Dahntay Jones perhaps?) while avoiding the tax.

So while this trade wasn't exactly exciting, it was a smart move for the Kings to create a little bit of extra flexibility.

The Kings big man might have just gotten a big boost to his national team hopes.

In a surprising turn of events, Kevin Durant today withdrew from Team USA, citing "physical and mental exhaustion".  This cuts the remaining roster down to 15 and also removes the best player from the entire tournament.  There's no way to spin this other than a big blow for Team USA's World Cup chances, even if they're still probably considered the favorites.

For DeMarcus Cousins, this is a blow in that he won't be able to be around Kevin Durant if he makes the team.  One of the big reasons why I wanted to see him make the team was so that he could be around guys like Durant.  It's not as if he can't learn things from the other people on the roster, but Durant is one of those superstars that you have to respect no matter what, and having him and Cousins training and playing together for the next month and a half would have been a great learning experience for Cousins.

On the flip side, Durant's withdrawal from the team likely boosts Cousins' chances to make the team dramatically.  Before the withdrawal, the main thing Team USA was seemingly looking for from their big men was defense.  With Durant, Harden and Curry (all locks to make the team), there was already a bunch of scoring.  Now though, Durant's absence leaves a big hole and that's where Cousins' value as a supremely talented offensive player becomes more highlighted.  You could make the case that of the 15 players left on the roster, Cousins is the 3rd best scorer, behind Harden and Curry, and he's already the best rebounder.

With Durant gone, Cousins might not just make the team, but also be a much more prominent piece than he would have been with Durant on the team.  It will still be a tremendous achievement and experience for him if he succeeds in making the final roster, and as of right now, it seems like Team USA could use all the talent they can get.