Looking at the logjam at the four.
The Kings have an embarrassment of power forwards on the roster, so figuring out who might be the starter amongst them is a difficult question. The question also remains relatively undefined. When are we answering this question? Given the Kings' history, it seems unlikely that the starting power forward on opening night will remain the starter throughout the season. But let's dive in and evaluate the candidates.
Current power forwards on the roster include Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, Reggie Evans, Derrick Williams (a combo forward, but one who seems more often used at the 4, so we'll include him here), and Eric Moreland. I'm also going to include Omri Casspi in this discussion, as he's seen a fari number of minutes as a small-ball 4 in recent seasons. Although he's not officially on the Kings roster yet, his signing is just waiting on him to return to Sacramento.
Reggie Evans finished last year as the starting power forward, providing rebounding, hustle, and facial hair to the roster. I was pleasantly surprised by Evans once he joined the Kings, and wouldn't be terribly shocked to see him starting again to open the season.
Carl Landry received a significant contract from the new regime last summer, only to lose last season to injuries. If Landry is healthy, it wouldn't be surprising to see him slide in next to DeMarcus Cousins. Landry excels off the bench, though, and didn't exactly thrive next to Cousins in his first stint in Sacramento. While I don't think Landry is an ideal starting 4 next to Cousins, I'd put good money on the odds that he starts at least a handful of games this year.
Jason Thompson is the most tenured power forward, the most tenured King actually, on the roster, but he seems to clash with Cousins from a personality standpoint. From a talent perspective, I think JT is the team's best power forward, but he's also the best back-up center, and seems to enjoy his time in the court better when it isn't shared with Boogie. I think JT will mostly serve with the second team this season.
Derrick Williams as your starting power forward means something else has gone terribly, terribly wrong. Let's not dwell on this.
Eric Moreland is the darkhorse. He still needs to make the team's opening day roster, but his specific skill set makes us believe he has a chance. He's an active defender, solid rebounder, and a most importantly, a rim protector. I don't think he'll start anytime soon, but if his Summer League play can translate against pros, he might be by the end of the year.
Omri Casspi has played the 4, and will see some time at the 4 in smaller line-ups, but he shouldn't start there ever.
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So, to the original question, who will be the Kings starting power forward?
Josh Smith, obviously.