Just when the Sacramento Kings are adjusting to things with two shot-blocking big men, they will have to do without newly acquired Samuel Dalembert who, up to this season, had not missed a game in 5 seasons. Dalembert is out through at least the first two weeks of the regular season with a groin strain. Dalembert was acquired from the Philadelphia 76er’s in a trade for Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes. Two days later, the team sent Jon Brockman to Milwaukee for Darnell Jackson and a 2011 second round draft pick. This year’s team will feature three rookies, Center Hassan Whiteside, Point Guard Pooh Jeter and the 5th pick in the 2010 NBA draft, DeMarcus Cousins.
The journey for the Sacramento Kings has been a long and detoured one over the years. The team began in Rochester in 1948 and then moved to Cincinnati in 1957. They relocated again to Kansas City before the 1972 season before finally ending up in Sacramento in 1985. The franchise won their only championship in 1950 as the Rochester Royals when they defeated the New York Knicks in seven games. Since then, the team has spent much of its time in the basement until recently. Over the course of 40 years, the team never really challenged for a playoff position or a championship but under new ownership and coaching, players want to play in Sacramento and the team has turned over a new leaf. Over the last four years, the team has averaged almost 58 wins a season and has won the Pacific Division twice and finished a game back of the Lakers twice. Each time in the playoffs, the Kings have arguably been the better team but couldn’t do enough to take the last step and win the title.
The 2003 version of the Kings was coached by Rick Adelman and led by perennial MVP and all-star Peja Stojakavic. Stojakavic knew he’d need to step up last season because Chris Webber wouldn’t be back until after the all-star break. Stojakavic ended up averaging 24.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and better than 2 assists a game. Stojakavic also got help from point guard Mike Bibby who bounced back from a down year in 2002 and averaged better than 18 points and 5 assists a game. The biggest addition of last year was definitely big man Brad Miller who was acquired in a three-team trade before the season. Miller finished the season with averages of 14.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg, and 4.3 apg to continue a pattern of excellent passing big men. The pattern started with the wonderful passing of Vlade Divac, one of the first players to recruit others to play in Sacramento. Divac, now on the downside of his career, was released after last season and signed with the hated Lakers but the Kings responded by signing Utah
big man Greg Ostertag. Ostertag is nowhere near the passer Divac is but he’ll likely help with defense, shot blocking, and rebounding.
The Kings Omri Cassipi is the future of the Kings franchise and Kings Fans should look forward to the future. If the franchise can surround the him with the right players, another Kings Championship could be just a few seasons away.
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