Bogut believes in Dante Exum. FIBA has some nice rules. The cure for flopping. Thanks that the offseason is pretty much done. Some Kumbaya chants and more. It's your Friday Downbeat.

Thank the Basketball Gods that August is almost over. That lasted like two months. Ugh.

I'm so glad that training camp will begin with the next non-weekend DB.

The Jazz have a thing called #ThrowbackThursday, and to my great amusement the latest was last season's win against Orlando (Trey's big 3).

I think Peter is running in circles screaming to himself right now.

via gifs.gifbin.com

Why is Peter acting like freaking out Picard? The answer follows:

via gifs.gifbin.com

It's okay, Peter. We got Dante anyway. It's okay

But let's put that behind us all. Everyone stand up, join hands, look to the sky and chant with me: "May we have many more big, dramatic wins this year than we did last year."

Thanks. You may all be seated.

I'm bringing it up late, but the recent FIBA World Cup reminded me of changes I'd love to see in the NBA.

1. FIBA goaltending rules. True Hoops already brought up the aesthetic reasons, but for me there's also practical ones. Right now refs, 10 feet below and several feet away (creating all sorts of varying angles with which to judge the action) are expected to determine whether a basketball is located in an imaginary cylinder extending from the hoop to the ceiling of the arena? Come on.

via i.imgur.com

I want the refs to pull out some scopes and protractors to get the precise multi-angle readings necessary to accurately make this call. Just do the FIBA: once it hits the rim, it's fair game.

2. FIBA timeouts. I love a game with good flow, and the end of game timeout fetish drives me bananas. So cut the timeouts and cut coaches ability to stop the game over and over. And by the way, Dennis Lindsey agrees with me.

3. NBA refs make a blacklist of notorious floppers and simply refuse to call offensive fouls for their benefit. Ever. No matter if it really was an offensive foul or not. Just stare and smile at them while they flail themselves to the ground like drunken ostriches. And then keep running totals of the points cost by the flopping around on the floor instead of actually defending. This would cure the problem.

4. Fewer fouls. No instant replay. Fewer timeouts (I already said this, but still). I am much more interested in a fast-paced game with good flow than obsession over every call.

Andrew Bogut has long been one of my favorite dudes in basketball. His sophomore season was the last hurrah of the Great Utes Run from about 1990-2005. He helped us all remember that a C who plays defense well and gets his kicks from behind-the-back passes is pretty fun to watch.

And now he's volunteered to Captain the Dante Exum fan club. In an interview with Simon Legg at NBA Australia, Bogut had this to say about Exum's naysayers:

A lot of people out there that have started to get after [Exum] because he didn’t play much at the World Cup need to pull their heads out ...

I think we can all agree that the best part of this quote is that Bogut never actually said what thing/device/location people have tragically placed their heads, thus causing the struggle to pull them out.

Suggestions and ideas in the comments are encouraged. But keep it appropriate (I feel like I'm lecturing my 5th grade students now. Sorry. But keep it apporpriate.)

While I don't Jeterate him, I don't call him one of the greatest leaders of the Modern World, I have to say it's pretty neat that Derek Jeter got a walk-off RBI single in his last game at Yankee Stadium. Seriously ... it was Jeter's signature hit (opposite field single) to win the game. It was just one of those things that every fan should just smile and say: that was pretty cool.

In a weird way, it reminded me of the last game of Stockton and Malone together and the spontaneous standing ovation from the Kings fans as they walked off. Not the dream scenario (losing the playoff series), but still pretty special.

It's a pretty rare thing for an all-time great to spend his entire career with one team, and we were pretty lucky for it to happen to us.

It also made me wonder who of our guys now you hope could give us fans a moment like this 15-20 years from now. For me, Derrick Favors is that guy ... I'm going to conveniently pretend the first 4 months of his career never happened.

The Kings replaced Isaiah Thomas with Darren Collison. Could the move actually help the Kings?

Isaiah Thomas is a better point guard than Darren Collison.

This isn't exactly a controversial statement in Sacramento, or around the league.  So why would the Sacramento Kings decide to send Isaiah Thomas to the Phoenix Suns in a sign-and-trade and replace Isaiah with Collison?  Now, keep in mind that this isn't a direct one-to-one replacement.  In addition to Collison, the Kings signed Ramon Sessions and still have Ray McCallum.  We don't really know how the minutes will be split, and we don't know if Collison, the presumed opening day starter, will be the starter for the whole season.  We've discussed those questions ad nauseum this offseason.  So please understand that I feel Isaiah Thomas is a superior point guard.  I think the Kings should have kept him.  And with those two views clearly stated, let me tell you why the Kings can be better with Darren Collison.

Building a successful team in the NBA is much more difficult than building a successful team in NBA2k.  Isaiah Thomas has a higher overall rating, and is way more fun to have on your team, but that doesn't mean he was the best option for the Sacramento Kings.  Chemistry is nearly impossible to evaluate on paper.  When a team comes together, you can see it.  It shows up in the stats, but the improved stats are a byproduct.  And while I can't tell you why, it didn't seem like losing Isaiah Thomas this offseason was detrimental to team chemistry.

We heard reports throughout the summer than Isaiah hadn't heard from any of his Kings teammates during his free agency.  I'm not a smart man, but that doesn't scream to me that Isaiah was the glue holding the team together.  Will Collison become the unifying force that excels the Kings to new heights?  Maybe, maybe not, but he's going to give it his best.

As Collison told Sactown Royalty's Blake Ellington:

"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."

And Steve Perrin of Clips Nation added that Collison was well-liked in the Clippers locker room.  Does team chemistry translate to wins?  Or do wins translate to team chemistry?  I don't know the answer, but it takes a level of talent beyond what's on the Kings roster in order to succeed without chemistry.

Collison also gives the Kings new options for line-ups.  Collison is primarily a point guard, but has shown the ability to slide to the shooting guard position.  As the Kings tout their desire for "positionless" players, Collison's versatility will allow new line-up combinations.  The aforementioned Ramon Sessions can be used similarly.  Ray McCallum has the size to play some shooting guard, although he doesn't have the proven track record of his cohorts.  This versatility could prove important if Ben McLemore doesn't demonstrate improvement from his rookie season.  The Kings also drafted Nik Stauskas to play shooting guard, but McLemore serves as a fresh warning against relying on immediate contributions from rookies.

The final benefit the Kings expect from Collison is an increased pace.  Much has been written on this notion already, as the Kings played at their fastest pace when Isaiah was on the floor and the Clippers' pace slowed when Collison was in.  But much has also been written about how quickly each players gets the ball out of their hands.  Collison is expected to initiate the offense quicker.  He's not the scoring option Isaiah Thomas was, but it's fair to question how sustainable last season's model was.  The Kings had DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Isaiah all average over 20 points per game.  Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Finals with exactly zero players averaging over 20 points per game for the year.  Even if we factor in San Antonio's famous minutes management, only Tony Parker averaged over 20 points per 36 minutes.  Obviously you can have a successful team with one or more players averaging over 20 PPG, but there's probably a reason the Kings were an anomaly having three.

The Kings are building around DeMarcus Cousins with Rudy Gay as the secondary option.  Darren Collison may fit into that team concept better, even if he isn't the better player.  To help the Sacramento Kings improve, Collison doesn't have to be a better player than Isaiah Thomas.  He just needs to be a better fit.

Just knowing that someone is 7'5 doesn't really do it justice.

Sim Bhullar is on the Sacramento Kings! He's 7'5! Here's how tall 7'5 is.

Sim help in with the selfie pic.twitter.com/3urh06WzD2

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) September 26, 2014

Let's examine this more closely:

I have been writing about Sim Bhullar for about two years now and I really want him to actually be in the NBA, okay?

Friday was Kings media day, and Nik Stauskas is a Belieber.

Media day is a time for every team in the league to get together as a whole for the first time as training camps begin. The hope for the upcoming season and individual goals are topics of discussion, but it also is a time for the players to have a little fun with media members.

So fittingly, during Kings media day on Friday, instead of dodging a question about it, Kings rookie Nik Stauskas gladly broke down why he is Belieber.

"Yeah, I'm a [Justin] Bieber fan. He's just, like here's the thing I tell people when they're like 'oh, Justin Bieber sucks, we hate Justin Bieber.' I'm like, all right, if you're 20 years old and you're a guy, would you not trade your life for his? And the answer every time is yes, you would," said the shooting guard out of Michigan. "His new music, he actually makes good music now. He's kind of changed his genre of music that he has made. And then he's Canadian, so I gotta show him some love there. He's having a good time, he's young, he's got a lot money; he's just living."

Stauskas, who also is Canadian, has admitted that the Orlando Magic asked him about Bieber during pre-draft workouts over the summer. Stauskas said that when he went through his interviews with the Magic, they asked a series of serious questions, but then began asking "Would you rather have this or that" questions. One of those questions was, "Would you rather win rookie of the year or would you rather party with Justin Bieber for a whole summer?"

He responded with:

"I'd rather win rookie of the year, because if I won rookie of the year, Justin Bieber would want to party with me anyway," Stauskas said.

Stauskas has yet to meet Bieber, but he said he hopes to at least once.

The veterans on the team have yet to play any rookie pranks on Stauskas (he doesn't even have a pink Hello Kitty backpack yet, which is a tradition for Kings rookies. He also doesn't have a car or driver's license yet so his teammates can't fill his vehicle up with popcorn). As Stauskas was being interviewed on Friday though, Rudy Gay hinted from behind the media scrum that something is coming for him.

One would think a Justin Bieber backpack would be a good prank...or would Stauskas just appreciate it as a gift?

We'll have more, non-Bieber news, from media day in the coming days.

The Kings small forward is back in Sacramento and wants to be a part of what the Sacramento Republic soccer team is doing, possibly as an investor in the team.

Omri Casspi begins his second stint with the Sacramento Kings this season after being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. The small forward, who is now entering his sixth NBA season, is ready to get back on the basketball court, but he also is glad to be back in Sacramento where he has enjoyed seeing how much the city has grown since his previous campaign in a Kings uniform. Specifically, he is excited about the other sport he loves - soccer.

An avid soccer fan, Casspi has been following Sacramento's minor league soccer team, the Sacramento Republic, closely and thinks Major League Soccer would be a good fit in the capital city.

"I love soccer, for one, and two, I think it would be great for the city to have an MLS team here in Sac," said Casspi, who is expected to boost outside shooting for the Kings this season. "The city developed a lot from the time I was here. I was walking downtown and I was like, 'this wasn't here, this wasn't here, this wasn't here.' They have restaurants and bars. And the weather has always been great. But soccer can add another portion for this city. We're [the Kings] moving downtown, the city is really growing - it's fun to be a part of."

Earlier this month, Casspi was rumored to be considering becoming an investor in the Republic.

Am told that @Casspi18 of #NBAKings is considering investing in @SacRepublicFC

— Dale Kasler (@dakasler) September 19, 2014

Casspi confirmed on Friday that he is interested in being a part of the franchise.

"We'll see, they're building a team and hopefully I'll be a part of it. I want to be a part of it because I love soccer and I love the city of Sacramento, I think it's going to be great. I'm a big fan, and I enjoyed the game two weeks ago when I was there. I wish I could go tomorrow, but we have stuff to get done here first - I'll follow it," Casspi said.

The "stuff" he is referring to is Kings training camp, and the game he is referring to is Saturday's USL PRO championship match between the No. 2-seed Republic and the No. 8-seed Harrisburg City Islanders at Bonney Field in Sacramento. The Kings small forward offered the Republic some words of encouragement.

"Have fun, they know, I mean they made it all the way to the finals, they have home-court advantage, the fans are excited and we're all behind them so they're going to do their job, we're going to be here following, watching the game," said Casspi, who averaged 6.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18 minutes per game for the Houston Rockets last season.

Some of the other Kings players had words of encouragement for the Republic on Friday at media day as well:

Darren Collison

"I really hope everything goes well for them ... Every time I am out, they are always talking about soccer too, it's just not about basketball, it's about soccer too. So I think this is a great opportunity...This fan base is good for any sport, especially soccer."

Eric Moreland

"Go get it man, go get it. I'm excited. This is a good city as far as fan support so I'm sure everybody will be out and make sure they have a good game, make sure they get that win."

Rudy Gay

"Play hard, come back with the W."

Nik Stauskas

"Good luck tomorrow Republic, I hope you get this win, I'll be watching, I'll be cheering. Do your thing."

Ben McLemore

"Keep fighting, and keep pushing, the Sacramento Kings, you have our support."

***

The Sacramento Republic's match will be broadcast on Channel 31 at 7:30 p.m. for those interested in tuning in.

Ramon Sessions is the latest addition to the Kings roster. He spoke to Sactown Royalty about his expectations this season as part of a point guard rotation that also features Darren Collison and Ray McCallum.

The Sacramento Kings signed Ramon Sessions last week to a reported two-year deal worth $4.2 million, and he says he is ready to come in and provide the Kings with both leadership and ball movement.

Head coach Michael Malone said on Friday that he wants to see a battle in training camp between Darren Collison, Sessions and Ray McCallum for the point guard spot. He also said he expects to use Sessions at the shooting guard position at times.

Sessions, who averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds last season, took some time to speak to Sactown Royalty during media day on Friday.

When the Kings approached you, what did they tell you they liked about your game and what do you think they want to see out of you?

They were excited to have me, they saw me as a veteran guy that can play the one and the two, be a leader, which this team did lack a little bit in the past couple of years. But they're definitely changing the culture...it's exciting, they're building something good.

The Kings already had Darren Collison and Ray McCallum. How do you see yourself fitting in? Talk about what you think the three of you can bring to the Kings backcourt.

I think all three of us are talented as you can look for in a backcourt. Having three guys like that that can play is exciting. It's going to be good in training camp going back and forth. We're all looking forward to just coming out here and playing well and becoming a team and having a great season.

Darren Collison reached out to you right after you signed with the Kings. What did he say to you?

Yeah, he was one of the first guys that reached out to me when I signed and he was saying, ‘we've got to be the leaders here. Just looking forward to playing with you.' We always went at it with us being backups for the majority of our careers, so we always went at it on other teams, but to be on the same team is a good feeling.

How would you say your game and Collison's game are different?

I think they are different and similar in certain ways. He's a point guard, he can shoot the corner three and I'm one of those guys that's going to try and penetrate. We're both quick, we're both quick with the ball and I think it's tough for defenses to guard both of us.

This team needs more ball movement, do you think you can help in that area?

Definitely. I'm going to have the ball a lot being a point guard, so just making sure guys get their shots and not worrying about my shot as much because when guys get their shots, they do a lot more things on the defensive end and they'll be more into the game. So it's one of those things, just try to get everybody involved. I think we were like last in assists last year; I think I saw that. You can't win games like that, there's no secret about it.

What would you say is the strongest part of your game?

I would say on the offensive end, just penetrating and breaking down the defense. If that's scoring the ball, getting to the free throw line or dishing it, I feel like I do that pretty good...that's been with my career for a while.

You've been in the league for a little while now, do you have a goal individually for improving your game in a specific area this season?

I wouldn't say there is just one goal, but every year there are a bunch of goals - trying to win games, trying to become more of a leader, just trying to be a professional. I'm going on eight years, it's one of those things where I'm a vet now, there's no questions about it and some people look at it like it's a bad thing or you're getting old, but I look at as being blessed. To play eight years in the league, coming from where I come from, being the 56^th pick, so it's a blessing for me, just trying to build on all aspects of my game.

Is it a goal of yours to be a starter?

I come in every season wanting to become a starter, there's no secret about it. Everybody wants to be a starter in the NBA. It's one of those things, you just have to go in and do what you do, play your game and if you're not the starter just still be the best you can be at whatever role the team needs you to be at.

You have come to Sacramento quite a bit as part of opposing teams. What do you think of these fans?

The fans are great, I mean me growing up in the early 90s, just watching how Arco [Arena] used to be and just trying to bring that back. I played in Reno, so I did come Sac a lot. The fans are always great, even when you come here and play for other teams that's one thing about it - you're going to get a great crowd.

Anything else you would like to say the fans? What can they expect out of you?

I'm going to be a professional, I'm going to show up every night and play hard and play the right way.

Ryan Hollins and Eric Moreland join a crowded Kings front court this season, but what they bring to the table may set them apart.

Kings head coach Michael Malone recently reminded his team that last season they lost too many close games - nearly one third of their 54 losses were by six points or less.

So, how to help correct that? Aside from needing more trust and ball movement on the offensive end, the Kings front office and coaching staff believe they added pieces in the offseason that can help on the defensive side of the ball, particularly around the basket.

Ryan Hollins and Eric Moreland are not the type of big-name signings that turn heads around the league, but both have the potential to provide the Kings some much-needed rim protection and rebounding. Hollins, the center who joined the Kings on a one-year deal earlier this month, has career averages of 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and .5 blocks per game. Moreland, the rookie big man who signed a three-year deal with the Kings over the summer, averaged 3.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in Summer League.

The question about the Kings frontcourt is the number of minutes there are to go around considering Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Reggie Evans are also on the roster. But the front office and coaching staff say players like Hollins and Moreland provide them with more flexibility at the four and five spots, giving them a chance to move DeMarcus Cousins, who is not the best shot blocker, to the power forward at times.

Kings fans have been markedly excited about Moreland after his performance in Summer League. Plays like this from the rookie will do that sort of thing.

But while he shows tremendous potential, comments from general manager Pete D'Alessandro and Malone on Friday make you wonder how much run he is going to get, at least initially.

"Moreland, we did a multi-year deal with him and we're excited about the ability to see him grow. How quickly he gets there, we don't know with that," D'Alessandro said.

D'Alessandro also said the Kings do not want to put pressure on Moreland right off the bat and then quickly shifted to what Hollins can bring.

"With Hollins, I think now finally we're going to get a chance to see maybe, and I haven't talked to the coaches much about this, but perhaps getting DeMarcus off the five, maybe onto the four a little bit and have a guy like Hollins defensively on the five," D'Alessandro said.

Malone echoed these comments.

"Ryan Hollins is so athletic and so versatile that you can play them two together and DeMarcus can guard the five and Ryan can guard the four, or vice versa depending on the match ups, but I think we have a lot of flexibility," Malone said.

The 7'0'' Hollins is entering his ninth season and played 7.9 minutes per game last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, and while at least at the moment, Moreland seems to be the guy most Kings fans want to see on the floor, Hollins can bring  veteran leadership to the court - something else the Kings are trying to improve.

"I just have to be myself, block shots, run the floor, defend, rebound and just bring some leadership and some of the good locker room stuff that I have had from the past - just be myself and take care of these young guys," Hollins said.

Defense and buying into the team concept seem be what Hollins prides himself on.

"Its all about team base, I'm going to be the best me that I can be but that does no good if it doesn't fit into the team concept," Hollins said. "Defensively is what I do, so that's my job now, and that's on me to make sure that we all move as a unit - they score on one of us they score on all of us."

Hollins also acknowledged what Moreland can bring to the table.

"He's super talented, he's long and he's athletic. He reminds me a lot of myself at that age. Has a lot of energy, but just a great kid man, I'm really excited personally to work with him during this season," Hollins said.

Moreland, the undrafted rookie out of Oregon State, was consistent and played within his means in Summer League. He knows what he is good at and sticks to that.

"I want to be a defensive anchor, I think that will be a good goal, just to be one of those vocal guys out here that helps the team on defense. We struggled on defense last year and I feel I can help as far as on the defensive end," Moreland said.

Moreland knows the NBA is not college and certainly not Summer league when it comes to blocking shots.

"It's different at the pro level because they'll get a chance to read that and skip the ball and give it to my man who I just left, but you just have to have timing to know exactly when to go get it," said the 6'10'' Moreland.

As for the strategy of shot blocking, "I'm sure there is an art to it, it's timing and will. Like honestly, some of them I just want to go get it when I get a chance to do it," Moreland said.

Despite comments from D'Alessandro about easing Moreland in, he said Cousins reached out to him and told him that he is going to be a "big part" of what the Kings are doing this season. Cousins is pleased with the additions of both Moreland and Hollins.

"We got a lot more athletic at the big man position. We picked up guys like Ryan Hollins, Eric Moreland. Those guys can pick up the full court, help speed up the tempo of the game," Cousins said.

Kings training camp just began, so the amount of playing time either Hollins or Moreland get this season (most likely off the bench) is completely up in the air at this point. If Moreland does get playing time though he has some weighted personal goals - he wants to block LeBron James and Blake Griffin.

"I want to get LeBron and I want to get Blake. I feel like I might get dunked on by DeAndre Jordan though, honestly. I think he's going to get me," Moreland said. "I really want Blake, honestly."

The Nuggets are rumored to be looking at another forward.

The Denver Nuggets are pursuing free agent forward Alonzo Gee, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.

The Denver Nuggets are actively pursuing free agent forward Alonzo Gee, sources with knowledge told RealGM.

Despite dealing with the adversity of three offseason trades and his release from the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, Gee has worked out diligently on his overall game, including improving his jump shot, daily training sessions and getting into the best basketball shape of his career.

Denver has expressed interest in Gee with a belief that his abilities fit their system, a five-year NBA veteran who would benefit the Nuggets with athleticism and defense in camp. Gee cleared NBA free agency waivers on Saturday.

Gee appeared in 65 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, including 24 starts. He averaged 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds last season, including shooing just 41.5% from the field and 32.8% from deep. He's 6'6", 220 pounds, 27 years-old and has some defensive toughness. If Gee is brought in, he could pose a threat to Quincy Miller for a roster spot - even though Q is the much younger player at 21 years old (he'll be 22 in Nov.).

We'll see if this story develops ...

Who will Kings fans root for against all odds and logic?

Sports franchises, like pay cable TV shows and Real Housewives casts, will always have fan favorites. The Kings have historically had a disproportionate number of them, owed partially to these favorites often being the few bright spots in otherwise bleak years, and partially to Sacramento being particularly protective, and hokey, in a charming way, of/about those players that ingratiate themselves to this fan base. Now there are personal preference fan favorites. I have said in the past, and sincerely meant it, that Jim Jackson is my favorite King of all time. Bradley Geiser has expressed, on any number of occasions, and in a variety of formats, his affection for the great Travis Outlaw. And we've all been mutual in our adoration of our time spent with John Salmons. But there are certain players that spellbind the collective.

Isaiah Thomas was a unique case. Rarely has a player so embodied so much of what sports fans in general, and Sacramento Kings fans in particular, embrace in a folk hero and fan favorite. He was the last pick in the second round of the NBA draft. He was the second guard taken by a team that had drafted a much hyped combo guard prospect in that same year's lottery. He initially showed signs of life, and ultimately stuck, on a roster that, without him, was far too skewed to mediocre guard play and hero ball. That would have been enough. But he transcended those with his advocacy for Sacramento, with those Pizza Guy commercials that became a thing, with the way he made manifest, to a lot of people, the underdog spirit that carried our city through the relocation saga. To some degree Isaiah's anti-climactic, some may argue ignominious, departure from Sacramento almost cements that legacy. When the front office didn't offer him an extension fans took it personally. Not just for Isaiah. But for themselves.

You can't replace Isaiah. You can't replace Isaiah simply because you can't replace him as a personality. But you also can't replace him because, as anybody on the rebound knows, it takes time to develop affection for a person, patience as Axl Rose would whistle. Forcing affection defeats the purpose of affection.

Clearly Cousins is our favorite. But he can't really be a favorite because he's too good. Could Chicago practically call Michael Jordan their fan favorite? A fan favorite has to have some cultish appeal, a combined quality of diamond in the rough uniqueness and local celebrity. Honestly that was the appeal of Cousins on the Olympic team. The problem with the Kings is that after Cousins and Gay...oh and Jason Thompson...there isn't an awful lot of consistency on this roster.

The good news, given a roster of perpetually moving pieces, is that there is no shortage of players for whom to develop fondness. Omri Casspi, serving his second Sacramento tour of duty. Ramon Sessions, one man Wolf Pack (he went to UNR). Ben McLemore, the new Pizza Guy. The bad news, given a roster of perpetually moving pieces, is that there is no shortage of players for whom to develop fondness who will be abruptly traded to another franchise for second round picks and cash considerations. Ben McLemore remains the most logical fan favorite. He's already a favorite of sorts. He's talented. He's affable. He cares. And these are all reasons why he'll endear himself to us in just enough time to be traded to Boston for a sullen Rajon Rondo and we'll all start fearing "The Curse of the Pizza Guy."

I'd say Stauskas. But he's Canadian. Carly Landry. But he's 80.

So ultimately what are the requirements for a fan favorite? It helps to have overcome a bit of adversity. It helps to know you'll be around for something approximating the long haul. It helps to know there's something, or somethings, that differentiate you from any other player in the league. It helps to be a question mark to a lot of other NBA fandoms. Which is why, logically, Sacramento's future fan favorite? Sim Bhullar.

What's that? He was just traded to Milwaukee for a game worn Oscar Robertson jersey and 3 cases of Miller Lite? Oh. Are those Miller Lites at least in the throwback can? They are? Good. There's that.

They are the people that you read each day....here at Grizzly Bear Blues

There are a lot of new faces around here, and some veterans as well. We here at Grizzly Bear Blues wanted to allow them to introduce themselves. So without any more fanfare...today’s victim participant:

CHIP WILLIAMS

Introduce yourself...Who are you? Where are you?? What do you do???

Well my name is David 'Chip' Williams. I go by Chip because I'm David Jr., and my parents didn't want two Davids running around the house, so I'm a 'chip off the old block.' (At least, that's the reason I was always given. I've never gone by David, and of course the majority of my college professors call me David, so it's taken some getting used to.) I was born and raised in Memphis, TN. I went to PDS and MUS through 9th grade. In the 9th grade, my family moved to a small town called Huntingdon, TN. I finished up high school there, and I came back to Memphis for college. I attend the University of Memphis, and I'm a Journalism major. I serve table at Seasons 52 to pay the bills.

How did you start writing here??

I started my own blog a few months back called the GNG Report on SportsBlogs.com. (Side note: In my Twitter profile I put that I was the 'Lead Blogger' at the GNG Report. I was the lead blogger because, well, I was the only blogger. It made me feel/sound more important, though.) I actually approached Joe Mullinax about writing for Grizzly Bear Blues, and he referred me to Chris Faulkner. Chris told me to type up a guest post, and we'll go from there. (Translation: You nail this, you're in; you screw this up, it's back to being the 'Lead Blogger' at the GNG Report.) Well apparently I did a decent job on it because here I am today as a writer for GBB.

Who are your biggest influences for writing?

As a kid, I read Geoff Calkins' column in the Commercial Appeal on a daily basis, so I guess you could say he got me interested in at least reading about sports. As I got older, I read a bunch of stuff from Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan over at Go Vols 247. They really made me want to pursue writing seriously. As far as NBA writers go, Chris Herrington, Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons, Lee Jenkins, Tom Ziller, and Matt Moore are some of my favorites. Herrington and Lowe are two guys I really try to imitate in my writing; although, I'm not very good at doing that.

What is the nicest thing someone has said about your writing?

The first ever blog post I wrote for the GNG Report went over really well. The content editor for SportsBlogs.com found me on Twitter and asked my permission to make it a featured article on the homepage of SportsBlogs.com. He said he really liked how it was written, and it moved him emotionally. Honestly, if he had never said those things, I'm not sure if I would have had the drive like I do to continue to pursue writing. His words affirmed what I had thought for a long time that I can write about sports, and it does come pretty naturally to me. So that may not be the nicest, but it was definitely the most motivating and, at the time, the nicest. Chris Vernon told me he liked the GBBanter article I did about him. That was nice.

What is the cruelest?

Luckily I haven't had anyone just totally bash an article I've written yet. I don't mind people disagreeing with what I'm saying or the point I'm trying to make, but the worst criticism somebody could give me is that they didn't like the technicality of my writing. Probably the worst thing anyone's told me was the guest post I did for GBB was about how the Grizzlies would miss Dave Joerger. At the time, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Joerger was destined for Minnesota. When he decided to remain in Memphis, I commented on my post that I was very happy to have him back, and the points I made in the article backed that up. A commenter said I sounded wishy-washy. I know that's really not that bad, but it's the only thing that comes to mind.

When did you become a Grizzlies Fan???

I became a Grizzlies fan the day they announced they were making the move from Vancouver to Memphis. I was 9 at the time, and I had been a Kings fan. I immediately renounced my Kings fandom (good choice in hindsight) and became a full fledged Memphis Grizzlies fan.

What is your greatest moment as a Grizzlies fan??

This is probably the easiest question to answer thus far. The greatest moment came when the Grizzlies won their first playoff game. I remember having tears of joy stream down my face. We were 0-12 in the playoffs prior to that glorious moment. I had been in the Pyramid for all 6 of their previous playoff losses. Memphis was a city that was often looked upon with disdain much like the Grizzlies were a franchise that was considered one of the worst in the NBA. Memphis, as a city, has grown and improved so much over the last 5-6 years, if only in terms of public perception. The Grizzlies are now considered one of the elite, perennial Western Conference contenders year in and year out. That first playoff win seemed to coincide with the rise of the city of Memphis. Seemingly both the team and city turned a corner that day.

Lowest Moment????

This one was tough. Not because there are so many low moments, but because I generally have selective memory (just ask my girlfriend), and I try to forget many of the bad moments in Grizzlies' history. If I had to pick one, it would probably be when the Grizzlies got the 4th pick in the 2007. That was the year of the Greg Oden and Kevin Durant draft. The Grizzlies had the worst record in the league (22-60), and they were in desperate need of a young star to pair with Rudy Gay. The worst pick a team with the worst record could receive was the 4th pick. Well, the Grizzlies defied all odds and managed to get the 4th pick. That meant no Oden, no Durant. I remember thinking to myself that this couldn't get any worse. We missed out on two guys who were seemingly guys you could build your entire franchise around.

Who is your favorite Grizzlies player of all time??

This was kind of difficult too, but I like to be unique and different sometimes, so my favorite Grizzlies player of all time is Juan Carlos Navarro. Anyone that follows me on Twitter knows that JC Navarro aka La Bomba is my avatar. I thought he was a one of a kind Grizzly. We never had anything before and haven't had anything after that came close to La Bomba. He always came out on the court firing away from deep. He was a burst of energy and offense, and I still wish we could have kept him around longer.

I was about to ask if that was who your avatar was…What’s your favorite piece of Grizzlies swag?

I have a Jason Williams game-worn jersey which he signed. I was always a White Chocolate fan. He was so much fun to watch. (You ain't writin' nothin' homeboy!)

What’s your favorite sport besides basketball?

Probably football. I was always a better football player than I was basketball. (I'm approximately 6'4" 280lbs.) I love the Tennessee Vols and the Indianapolis Colts, but I root for the Memphis Tigers, too. My third favorite is easily soccer. I'm a fan of Chelsea and a freelance fan of Barcelona. (Watching Messi was the reason I got into soccer, but La Liga, for the most part, is really bad. It's hard to root for Barca because outside of Athetico Madrid and Real Madrid there aren't too many competitive matches, so I adopted Chelsea as my favorite Premier League team.)

Quick Hits:

Entry music if you were a professional wrestler

Everyone has a level of nerd...something that you like or know waaaaay too much about...what’s yours?

Honestly, the NBA Draft. I study up intensely on it. I was never really into like Pokemon or Dragon Ball Z or anything like that. Sports has pretty much been my entire life, and I take it to a 100% nerd level.

Settle a bet between me and my wife...Sam Cooke or Otis Redding?

Otis Redding and it's not that close.

Best Kanye West Album? #robertperastyle

My Dark Twisted Fantasy

Coke or Pepsi?

Pepsi *cue the haters*

Name something you like that everyone else will think is strange...and you don’t care

Chorizo sausage. I think it's the most underrated meat there is.

Finally, give me three statements about you...in any order...two that are true and one that is a lie...

1. I think Myrtle Beach, SC is way better than any Florida beach

2. I was recruited by Larry Porter to play offensive line at Memphis

3. I have an irrational love for roller-coasters/amusement parks

Thanks Chip.  You can check out his writing here at Grizzly Bear Blues, and especially check out his open letter about complacency Also, you can follow him on Twitter @chipwilliamsjr.  And when you're at the grocery store this weekend, pick up some chorizo.

The Nets will use a "Hello China" marketing theme for their mid-October trip to Shanghai and Beijing, featuring a number of community and business events to promote the team in the world's most populous country.  It will be the Nets second Chinese trip in five years.

The Nets play the Kings on October 12 in Shanghai (Mercedes-Benz Center) and October 15 in Beijing (MasterCard Center). The games are part of NBA Global Games.

Sports Business Journal reports the "Hello China" them, obviously a spinoff from "Hello Brooklyn," will include "a hospitality event in a Beijing Adidas store that will feature Nets branding (including the "Hello China" theme) as well as Nets merchandise and digital signage along with player autograph sessions."

In addition, the team will unveil a refurbished indoor court in Beijing during the trip.

The Nets will have another big plus while in China. Kevin Garnett is arguably the most popular NBA player in the country, with sneaker and sportswear endorsement deals.

"We believe in expanding our bandwidth globally," said Brett Yormark. "Our owner [Mikhail Prokhorov] is from Russia, our naming-rights partner [Barclays] is from the United Kingdom, and we want to establish ourselves as a team that speaks to a global audience."

The Nets and Kings are the only two NBA teams with international ownership, the Kings being owned by Vivek Ranadive, an Indian businessmen who like Prokhorov has global ambitions for his club.   The will fly out of Newark on October 8, the morning after their opening preseason game vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Israeli powerhouse and defending Euroleague championship.  SBJ reports El Al, the Israeli airline, will sponsor that game.

• Nets, Kings see global opportunity - John Lombardo - Sports Business Journal
  

Despite having not formally introduced their next head coach, the Westchester Knicks appear poised to hire Reno Bighorns' head coach Joel Abelson in a a front office capacity, a source tells RidiculousUpside.com.

With just weeks remaining until D-League training camp begins, all minor league teams have introduced and/or retained their head coaches for next season; every team but the Westchester Knicks, that is.

Despite already having hosted open tryouts earlier in the month, the identity of the squad's first head coach has not been revealed. That said, the word going around (as RidiculousUpside.comreported previously), is that Kevin Whitted (who was in fact present at tryouts) will be introduced as head coach soon enough.

Even so, the Knicks appear poised to pluck another coach from the D-League ranks as well.

A source tells RidiculousUpside.com that the team will hire Joel Abelson (head coach of the Reno Bighorns last season) in a separate capacity. He'll instead assume some sort of front office position, likely as Director of Player Operations.

This creates a surprising vacancy in Reno. No word on whether or not the NBA-affiliated Sacramento Kings have filled the void as of yet, but considering how close it already is to the start of the season, it's likely they have someone in mind.

If one thing is for certain, that someone is not Ty Ellis. An assistant on Coach Abelson's staff in Reno last season, Ellis has accepted a lead assistant coach position with the Grand Rapids Drive, RidiculousUpside.com has learned. His own Twitter bio happens to confirm the change in scenery.

And while Westchester nor Reno have made any official announcement on either front, perhaps the Bighorns have quietly acknowledged Coach Abelson's departure. While he was initially referenced as the point of contact for the team's open tryouts this month, his name has since been removed.

A head coach for the past two seasons in the D-League (the first with the Sioux Falls Skyforce), Abelson owns a record of 52-48. It'll be interesting to see how/if his success will translate as he lends his talents to this new role.

At the start of the offseason, Kings general manager Pete D'Alessandro set specific goals for himself in terms of roster additions. He says he met those goals.

Going into the offseason, Kings general manager Pete D'Alessandro stressed the need to add more passing and outside shooting.

Specifically, D'Alessandro said he wanted players who can move the ball up the floor and can shoot from three. During media day on Friday, D'Alessandro was asked if he thought he met these goals with his offseason moves. Here's what he had to say.

"Yeah, and particularly with Omri [Casspi]. I think Omri had some of his best shooting here in Sacramento and I think with DeMarcus [Cousins] here in particular that can really help. When you look at the draft pick Nik Stauskas, again, I don't want to put too much on him, but the guy can shoot the lights out, he really can. And even veterans; don't underestimate Darren Collison's ability to shoot, especially from the corners. And [Ramon] Sessions we know is a scorer… I do think we've upgraded shooting. Passing as well, because when you look at the way Nik plays, he's a passer, he likes to pass. We're looking for players; he's a player, Sessions is a player, DC's [Collison] a player. These guys are looking to move the ball, and so I do think we addressed those needs."

The questions now are, how much will these additions actually move the needle and what is in store as far as roster moves in the near future? D'Alessandro said he would continue to work the phones, but doesn't want to make any rash moves and that his approach moving forward will be a little different than it was last season.

"I'll continue to be especially aggressive in my calls early in the year, but again, a little more surgical this year. We really want to upgrade on a different level and it's not a complete overhaul. I think we have some really good players on this team," D'Alessandro said. "When I say surgical, I'm looking very specific at needs and talent."

In terms of rotation players, the Kings shipped out the following players this offseason:

Isaiah Thomas

Travis Outlaw

Aaron Gray

Quincy Acy

And added the following players:

Darren Collison

Ramon Sessions

Omri Casspi

Ryan Hollins

Nik Stauskas

Eric Moreland (likely not a rotation guy at the moment)

We'll have to wait and see how it all plays out, but what do you think? Did D'Alessandro and company hit the mark with these moves? How would you grade the offseason?

With few players returning from last season's squad, the Reno Bighorns will take a hard look at talented players during open tryouts this fall.

Tis the season of open tryouts in the NBA D-League. Now is the time for aspiring basketball players to strut their stuff in hopes of catching the eye or attention of a minor league executive or two.

And while the opportunity to do so is there, the process can still prove to be an uphill battle for such prospects. D-League teams can invite the top five performers from open tryouts to training camp. It's here where the young guns will compete for roster spots. With a handful of respective returning players and NBA training camp cuts hitting the hardwood as well, outperforming these already well known players may prove to be a tricky task for those on the outside looking in.

Generally speaking, the odds aren't exactly in the favor of these aspiring players. Having said that, trying out for the Reno Bighorns happens to present them with a different opportunity this time around.

In some cases, teams go through the motions when it comes to open tryouts. It's safe to safe the Bighorns won't be among them. Instead, they have a greater need for talent, and are hoping to find it in Sacramento.

Next Sunday (October 5th), the team will venture to Sacramento and host tryouts at the affiliated Kings' practice facility. The session starts at noon local time.

This is not only sure to be a valuable experience for the player attendees, but for the team as well. Holding the tryout process in high regard, Reno carried four players with them through opening night from last year's tryouts. Whereas Reggie Larry was let go shortly into the season, both Bryan Davis and Ra'Shad James played well throughout the season and subsequently earned NBA Summer League gigs this past July. Davis paced the D-League Select Team's front court, while James represented the Kings. The fourth player, KC Rivers, was a regular contributor for the Bighorns last season, averaging 15.7 points on 44% from the field and 35% from deep. He recently cashed in on such success and signed with Real Madrid.

If such a proven window of opportunity isn't enough motivation, the fact of the matter is there are plenty of spots to be had. RidiculousUpside.com has learned the team a maximum of just two players coming back from last season's squad.

For some, this is a chance to prove they have what it takes to compete professionally. Others can live out the fantasy of playing on the same floor as the pros for a day.

Those interested can click here. All questions should be directed to the Bighorns' front office at 775-853-8220.

Sactown Royalty associate editor Rob Hessing joins Blazer's Edge to discuss the 2014-15 Sacramento Kings, continuing a month-long, 30-team NBA season preview feature.

Over the next month, Blazer's Edge will be rolling out season previews for all 30 NBA teams. Continuing this feature, we discuss the Sacramento Kings with Sactown Royalty associate editor Rob Hessing.

Sacramento Kings 2014-15 Season Preview

2013-14 Record: 28-54, No. 4 in Pacific Division, No. 13 in Western Conference

Roster additions: Sim Bhullar (rookie, undrafted), Deonte Burton (rookie, undrafted), Omri Casspi, Darren Collison, Ryan Hollins, Trey Johnson, Eric Moreland (rookie, undrafted), Ramon Sessions, Nik Stauskas (rookie, No. 8), David Wear (rookie, undrafted)

Roster subtractions: Quincy Acy, Jared Cunningham, Aaron Gray, Travis Outlaw, Isaiah Thomas

SB Nation affiliate: Sactown Royalty

---

Blazer's Edge: Isaiah Thomas was the second leading scorer in Sacramento last year, averaging over 20 points per game. Since he left for Phoenix this past summer, who on the Kings' roster do you expect to replace that scoring in the backcourt?

Rob Hessing: The exodus of Thomas and his scoring is two-fold: Not only was he scoring 20 points per game, he was doing it efficiently (1.34 points per shot). But the Kings seem bent on spreading the scoring around, so it probably won't be any one player that fills the void. DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay may see a shot or two more per game, and Darren Collison (Thomas' replacement at the point) will fill the void as well. After that, the hope is that the shooting guard position comes to the party, with either (or both) Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskas developing quickly. The Kings are also hoping for improvement from the bench, relying on a healthy Carl Landry and newly-signed Ramon Sessions.

BE: In his first four seasons, DeMarcus Cousins has become a legit 22/11 center in the NBA. What's the next logical progression for him? All indications are that he's a nice guy but easily loses his cool on the court...can he keep his emotions under control this year and going forward? Does he need to, or is that part of what makes him a special player?

RH: Cousins is such a double-edged sword. He's not available for the Kings to draft at #5 if not for his well-documented "red flags." He is polarizing, and there are still questions as to whether (a) a team can build around him, and (b) would he take a supporting role if it turned out that he's really more Robin than Batman. He reminds me so much of a young Zach Randolph, which I know resonates with Blazers fans.

Cousins just missed out on an all-star nod last year (deservedly, as the West was stacked up front). This may be the year that he takes that he takes that step, as I see both him and Anthony Davis as the young bigs in the West that will begin to close on the likes of Aldridge, Griffin, Howard, etc.

As far as the Kings are concerned, Cousins needs to really prove that if he cannot be the anointed leader of the team, he can at least refrain from being sand in the gears. The front office seems to be building the Kings around and catering to Cousins, and if he can be a conciliatory presence for a roster that is destined to experience a bumpy season, that will be a huge progression for both Cousins and the Kings. But if he points fingers or simply gives up on this franchise in this, his fifth season, you're looking at Kevin Love 2.0, and the Kings will be forced in dealing Cousins and starting over (again...).

BE:Rudy Gay is entering the last season of a 5-year contract that will pay him around $19 million in 2014-15. What would you have to see from him this year to be convinced that he's worth keeping around long-term? What is a realistic price tag for the 28-year-old after this season?

RH: I'm betting that Gay puts up a career year this year, as the combination of his standing with the Kings and it being a contract year will provide for the perfect storm. At the end of the season, it may be more of a matter of whether or not the Kings have proven to Gay that he wants to stay around. He will have earned almost $100m as an NBA player by the end of the season, and I could see him taking a little less (not a wholesale discount) to land with a contender. Four years and $60m will be a range for Gay, though the Kings would probably go to $70m or more if he and Cousins bond and the team sees some success this year (success being defined for the Kings as at least 35 wins and a point differential under -1.0).

BE: Is Ramon Sessions the presumed scorer off the bench? How do you think coach Mike Malone will handle his playing rotation?

RH: Poor Michael Malone. The Kings have now employed over 30 different players on the roster since his arrival, and he has one year under his belt. The starting power forward and shooting guard positions are still seemingly up for grabs, so it's hard to project the bench at this point. Carl Landry would be a natural as a bench-scoring big, but if he winds up starting at power forward, it's anyone's guess - Jason Thompson is not a volume scorer, and Omri Casspi and Derrick Williams have never provided consistent bench punch in their respective careers. Whichever shooting guard winds up on the bench (McLemore or Stauskas) could help, or they could suck the air out of the arena. Sessions seems to be the most solid choice for bench contribution night-in and night-out.

BE: Sacramento's team defense was average to near the bottom of the league in most significant defensive statistics last year. Where will the Kings need to see improvement on that side of the ball? What are the realistic expectations for the team's defense this season?

RH: As bad as the defense was, it was showing signs of improvement at the end of the season (granted, there was no place to go but up). The improvement will have to be from a team defense standpoint, as the front office has not delivered any plus-defensive players to Malone. Malone was instrumental in the Warriors' defensive improvement when he was an assistant there, but that roster had just enough scrappers to obtain full buy-in. That remains to be seen from a Kings roster that will take its lead from Cousins and Gay. The optimistic Kings fans hope that Cousins' time with the gold medal-winning world team will provide him the impetus to give the team defensive leadership.

BE:Can Nik Stauskas live up to the expectations of being drafted No. 8 overall last spring? What are you hoping to see out of him as a rookie?

RH: He'll certainly have his chance. The Kings could have opted for the likes of Noah Vonleh or Elfrid Payton, but they determined that Stauskas is the most NBA-ready. The front office made the determination that getting Cousins help now would be better than drafting a player that might need extra time to develop, and I get that - Cousins starts his four year, $63m contract this year and the clock is ticking. I could see Stauskas getting time at shooting guard and perhaps even a little small forward when the Kings run with a three guard set. There is talk that he could even run the point a bit, but I'm very skeptical about that, at least for this season.

If Stauskas finds and establishes his shooting stroke early, he will post one of the better seasons among rookies this year. Not rookie of the year stuff, but an invitation to the futures game on all-star weekend.

Special thanks to Sactown Royalty associate editor Rob Hessing for taking the time to discuss the Sacramento Kings' upcoming season with Blazer's Edge. Sactown Royalty can be found on twitter @sactownroyalty. SactownRoyalty.com has you covered for Raptors news and analysis.

-- Chris Lucia | bedgecast@gmail.com | Twitter

As Joel Abelson takes a front office position with the Westchester Knicks, the Reno Bighorns have already found their next head coach, a source tells RidiculousUpside.com.

Well, that was fast.

On Monday, RidiculousUpside.com reported that Joel Abelson was leaving his post as head coach of the Reno Bighorns to take an elevated position with the Westchester Knicks.

Normally, his departure would subsequently create a coaching vacancy to be filled in Reno. Having said that, time is now of the essence. The leaves are already beginning to fall off the trees. The chill of autumn is in the air. D-League training camp starts in mere weeks, and as such, open tryouts are currently underway.

Having a head coach who can lead, and/or at the very least, take part in this process is imperative to a respective team's progress entering the new season.

Perhaps with that in mind, the Bighorns have already come to a decision on their next head coach, a source tells RidiculousUpside.com. No word on who that person is/will be.

As Abelson moves on to the Big Apple, one person his successor will not be is former Bighorns' assistant coach Ty Ellis. The former player has already accepted a lead assistant coach position with the Detroit Pistons' affiliated Grand Rapids Drive.

EDITOR'S NOTE: While RU has been informed the Bighorns "have a new head coach," (as opposed to are still looking for one), a second source suggests Reno is still holding interviews this week.

How do the Kings stack up according to the folks at 2k Sports?

The NBA 2k series has become the unquestioned industry leader in NBA video games.  Each year, the big question is how the teams will stack up, and how your favorite players will be rated.  Well, thanks to Operation Sports, we now know how the Kings will start the year.

• 86   DeMarcus Cousins
• 82   Rudy Gay
• 79   Darren Collison
• 74   Ben McLemore
• 75   Jason Thompson
• 75   Carl Landry
• 74   Ray McCallum
• 74   Reggie Evans
• 74   Nik Stauskas
• 71   Derrick Williams

The list is incomplete, mostly due to roster moves.  The leaks occurred when the Kings still employed Wayne Ellington, Jason Terry, and Jeremy Tyler.  The biggest missing piece for the Kings is Ramon Sessions.  Nonetheless, this list give us a pretty good idea of how the Kings are going to stack up.

Personally, I was hoping to see Cousins rated a little higher.  The 2k ratings have traditionally taken a while to catch up when players improve.  Of course, the ratings are updated throughout the season.  I'd expect to see Cousins and Gay improve over the year.

And for what's it's worth, Darren Collison is rated 79 compared to Isaiah Thomas at 80.  I'm sure that won't generate any discussion.

We end our 2014 30Q series with a roundtable discussion on the success of the upcoming season.

We round out our 30Q series today by taking a look at the upcoming season and trying to figure out just how to determine if it will be successful.  We asked each of our writers to provide their own perspective on how they'll view the Kings success, or lack thereof, this season.

***

Akis: So, what will it take for this season to be considered a success?  Success is an interesting term, especially for a team that probably isn't good enough to be considered good.  The Kings have been so bad for so long that merely being average could be considered successful.

30Q: Where do the Kings stand in the West?

How far down the Western Conference totem pole is Sacramento?

As we've discussed before, the West is incredibly deep and it will be tough for the Kings to emerge out of the dogpile on top.  Still, we have serious players already in DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay, and everything could go much easier if one of our other players suddenly makes a leap (I'm looking at Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskas here) into, perhaps not stardom, but at least "above-averagedom" (I call dibs on the trademark).  In fact, I think that if the Kings can see such a leap from their other players, that in itself might make the season a success, because it makes the future that much brighter.

Success depends on what your goal is.  If the Kings are going to try to gauge this season by trying to get the playoffs, then I think that will be a failure.  If the Kings simply want to show improvement in both the wins and loss column as well as showing growth in the foundation for the future, that's a more reasonable goal that I think can be met.

Blake: Success will be a respectable jump in the number of wins (35+), ball movement and defense. Wins will be the most important in the eyes of the front office, fans and the rest of the NBA. The Kings just have to figure out a way to win at least 10-12 more games than they have in recent years. In the Western Conference that isn't going to be easy, but playing fluid basketball for an entire game, which they haven't been able to do on a regular basis for quite some time, will result in a win more often than not. Which brings me to ball movement and defense. Both have to get better, and if they do, then we could see more complete games out of the Kings. The addition of Eric Moreland (and Ryan Hollins to a lesser degree) may provide some much-needed rim protection alongside DeMarcus Cousins. And we'll have to wait and see if Darren Collison and Ramon Sessions can help in the ball movement category. So get back on defense, pass the ball, stay focused and together for the entire game and win those winnable games - that is my recipe for success.

section214:  I'm going to look at this season a little less from wins and losses and more from how competitive this team can be night in and night out.

Last year's Kings team finished with a point differential of -2.9. That was "good" for 22nd in the league, a little better than their 24th best record. 19 teams had a point differential of under -1 points last season, and I think that's an appropriate goal for this year's team. That sort of move in point differential would probably equate to 36 or more wins.

30Q: Is the Kings future as bleak as ESPN thinks it is?

According to ESPN, the Kings have one of the worst outlooks over the next few seasons. They're wrong.

Once again the core rotation has undergone quite a change. DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore and Jason Thompson remain, but Isaiah Thomas is out, and offense triggermen Darren Collison and perhaps Ramon Sessions are in. Nik Stauskas is likely added to the mix. Add into that the fact that Carl Landry was really a non-factor last season, and you have a recipe for something that could magically click or blow up in everyone's face. My fear is that this squad will take time to meld and will wind up imploding before that has a chance to happen. We will certainly find out the mettle of this ball club if it flails at first. If it draws itself closer together, we're on to something. If not, coach Michael Malone will be (unfairly) sent packing, you can tack on a year or two to the rebuild, and you won't have to worry about setting aside money for playoff tickets when the new arena opens.

Robby: So I agree with what everyone has said so far and agree with everything that will be said prospectively. This team isn't going to make the playoffs. The West is just too deep and whenever I think one of these rosters is finally going to fall off I'm forced to acknowledge the reality that the Spurs are aging better than I am. However I do think Sac should be in competition for that coveted 9^th spot, I don't think the Pelicans or Nuggets or Suns are markedly better. And a moral victory is a victory of sorts.

What I don't want is a pyrrhic victory. Rob made the point that if this team doesn't get competitive quickly Malone could be the (unfair) sacrificial lamb. It's a valid concern. And one exacerbated by a certain degree of post-traumatic stress from the erratic decision making, and often chronic lack thereof, of the previous administration. This team has lacked any smudge of consistency since Adelman's departure. That's the better part of a decade. I'm fine with move making for the sake of making moves when it's Greivis Vasquez for Rudy Gay. Whether or not he stays I'm good with the Rajon Rondo gamble if it materializes. But our new powers that be have been painted, correctly or not, as having itchy trigger fingers. And I don't love the idea of a fan-base that has better perspective on how this team should be performing than ownership/management.

I'm not sure any of us really know who runs the show. And to a degree we never fully will, nor should. But what's the old saying about too many cooks spoiling the soup? How involved is Vivek? How deferential is D'Alessandro to Mullin? How involved is Malone in decision making? Continuity off the court is as important as continuity on the court. I think this is a make or break year from a continuity standpoint. If the front office can exercise restraint and patience. If it can pick its spots from a personnel standpoint (which doesn't mean don't make moves, it just means make sensical moves). If we as fans get a sense that everyone is on something approximating the same page. I'd consider that a successful season. Otherwise Downtown Plaza won't be the only Kings-related dystopia.

Bradley: I'm similar to Biegler on this.  We can get that 9th spot.  We won 28 games last year in a strange year,  but with a deeper roster and hopeful player improvement,  I don't think a 9th spot is out of the question. The final key will be unloading one or two of our power forwards and getting a player that can balance our roster more.  I am more optimistic than many on this,  but I feel that mid to high 30s is not out of the question,  and even more if we really quick.

Wins and losses aside my real gauge of success will be a team that gels,  guys improving,  stepping up when they need to,  and even stepping back at times if necessary.  If we are competitive every night (or almost every night),  I will be beyond thrilled.

Kevin:  Like everyone else, I'd obviously need to see a substantial increase in the number of wins this season to consider it a success.  I'd like to see this team winning somewhere between 35-40 games... but there's so much more I want to see. And I think that starts with finally establishing some kind of team identity.

My cohorts have discussed the possibility that, fair or not, this season might be a make or break one for Coach Malone.  I don't disagree.  This season may very well end up defining Malone's tenure as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings.

This offseason has been an extremely busy one, and while the Kings might not have gotten better overall, it's hard to argue that they haven't gotten a lot deeper.  From an offensive standpoint, the front office has preached position-less basketball with an emphasis on an uptempo style of play and lots of ball movement.  I'm interested to see how this translates to the product on the court however as these concepts would be a HUGE departure from what we saw last season.  Honestly, pulling this off would be a huge win for Malone.  Kings fans have been watching an incredibly boring brand of motionless one-on-one basketball for longer than any of us would like to admit.

Additionally, Malone has preached defense since the day he arrived in Sacramento. To this point we've not seen any of that talk translate to success on the court.  Last year I might have bought the argument that we simply didn't have the pieces to make an impact in that area.  I'm not so sure that's the case anymore.  Plenty of teams have done more with less.  And, at this point I think it's more about getting the team to BUY IN to the concept of team defense than anything else.  Both DeMarcus and Rudy (DeMarcus especially) showed they are more than capable of buying into a system and playing team defense at a very high level this Summer.  Hopefully some of that Team USA magic will carry over to the regular season, because Malone will need to inspire that kind of effort from his two stars, before he can expect it from the rest of the squad.

The Kings have told us what kind of team they're striving to become.  Once we start seeing some of that talk translate to the product on the floor, I'll consider it a "success."

Bryant:  Kevin stole my biggest point - I want to see this team develop an identity on both ends of the court. We saw some team cohesiveness developing at times last year, but this is still the biggest question for the team. If the squad fails to develop that shared chemistry, then we won't have to worry about keeping up with Phoenix or New Orleans or Denver. I'm expecting anywhere between 33-38 wins, but I'm MOSTLY hoping for cohesiveness. If the team battles hard night in and night out and improves the collective basketball IQ, the wins will come.

30Q: Will the Kings make a leap defensively?

The Kings were still a bad defensive team last year under Mike Malone and that probably isn't changing any time soon.

Another major question is on an individual basis. We need to see that this team can figure out how to fit all these pieces together and develop players into roles. While team chemistry is the biggest key, we have some players with major question marks entering the season; McLemore and Ray McCallum have shots at big roles, these are make-or-break years for guys like Derrick Williams and Collison, and ONE of the power forwards on this team need to pan out as a starter. We need to see how Malone and company can develop players AND help them figure out their roles. There were too many guys struggling with poor basketball IQ and court awareness for all the blame to be on the players.

Greg:  As the season draws near, I'm finding myself increasingly pessimistic about the upcoming year. Mind you, that usually changes by the time the season kicks off. But I feel more pessimistic than normal at this time of year.  So, how do we define success?

Honestly, it's a success if this roster surpasses 30 wins.  On paper, we've seen the Kings upgrade their depth.  But I've talked myself into 30+ wins each of the past four seasons.  I'm tired of talking myself into success.  I'll judge this season to be a success if they can prove the doubters wrong.  I want to see the front office's plan come together.  I want to see how the team can be greater than the sum of its parts, a la the Phoenix Suns last season.  
I'm proud to be a Kings fan, even when the team is miserable.  I'm incredibly proud of what Sacramento, my hometown, has accomplished.  I'm already planning a visit to see the new arena when it opens.  But I just want to be proud of what's happening on the court again.  The team has been saved, and we were rewarded for never believing the fight was over.  I'm ready for Kings fans to be rewarded for believing in the on-court product as well.

Adam:  I just want to see this team decide what they want to be.  We've seen that when teams decide upon an identity--coupled with talent--that wins will follow.

The front office brought in Darren Collison to pick up the tempo offensively and defensively.  How does that mesh with DeMarcus Cousins; somebody who for a good part of the season saw the ball in the low block almost every possession?

The new regime has built a solid foundation of young players (McLemore, McCallum, Stauskas, Moreland) but they've also placated them with veterans (Collison, Landry, Casspi, Sessions).  I'm interested to see if the team will play out as a fringe playoff team with young prospects or a young and bad team with veterans.

At this point I expect the latter; but a full season of Rudy Gay and Carl Landry, another potential leap by DeMarcus Cousins, a second season for Ben McLemore leave reason to believe this may be the year the team overachieves.

All in all, the pride of this fan base is rooted in purposeful action.  If the team can mirror that on the court then it'll show in the standings.

***

That's how we'll judge the upcoming season.  How about yourselves?  Let us know in the comments.

The Kings big man doesn't want a chance of getting suspended again.

DeMarcus Cousins has a bit of a reputation as a hothead, and at times he's deserved it.  Cousins has led the league in technical fouls in both of the last two seasons and has finished in the top 5 every year he's been in the league.  Last year saw him get his 15th technical in a late February matchup with the Houston Rockets, meaning he'd get suspended for each ensuing technical.  After that, Cousins kept his temper in check for almost the entirety of the rest of the season before picking up one in the second to last game of the season, resulting in a suspension during that final game.

This year, Cousins doesn't want to risk that happening again, and so has apparently given himself a new goal.  According to a picture from Reggie Evans' Instagram, Cousins has hung a sign up in his locker allotting himself just 5 technicals for the upcoming season.

I think that's a noble goal.  Cousins is the best player on this team and he needs to lead by example.  He showed in that month long stretch last year that he can control himself, and now he's got a chance to prove it over the course of an entire season.

Kobe Bryant won't waste any time getting back on the court, planning on playing in all of the Lakers' preseason games.a

Kobe Bryant will play in all eight of the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason games, reports Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears. The Lakers preseason begins on Oct. 6 against the Denver Nuggets in San Diego, and concludes Oct. 24 when they play the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Arena. Here's what Lakers head coach Byron Scott had to say about Kobe asking to play in the Lakers' exhibition games, via Spears:

Bryant "wants to play in every one of them just to get the rust off, get his timing back and get his legs under him, all the things you do during preseason," Scott said. "I told him to take it easy three weeks ago and he said, 'Coach, I need to play. I haven't played in almost a year.' He looked good that day."

Head training Gary Vitti, Scott and Bryant have a plan to monitor his minutes during preseason, but would not reveal what kind of playing time he'll see as the Lakers sharpen up in preparation for the regular season. Kobe will also sit out the second part of the Lakers' two-a-day practices, which begin Wednesday.

Bryant's been out of action since fracturing his knee on Dec. 17. His return from the Achilles tear that ended his '12-13 season was cut short after six games, but all early reports indicate he's looked good during training camp. Preseason will give him an opportunity to shake some of the webs off his game, and will surely draw even more interest from fans as the team plays together for the first time, and Julius Randle begins his NBA career.