Sacramento Kings Pre-Season Press Conference 2011-2012
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 9:54 am
Things did not go as expected for us last season. After moving on from the McGrady/Chandler/Hinrich era, I positioned this team to gather young prospects and begin the rebuild process. The rebuild, I had thought, happened very quickly last offseason. With Collison and Tyreke Evans, we brought in DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, Randy Foye, and OJ Mayo.
"Quick and easy, time to compete for the division and playoffs" I had thought.
Then I proceeded to field one of the most inconsistent teams I've ever had during my tenure as the Sacramento Kings GM. They weren't the worst team I've fielded by a large margin, but I had high expectations that they didn't come close to meeting. A 33-49 record to close the season ended a miserable chapter in which my team started off poorly and just couldn't make up enough ground to make a difference in the standings. I overestimated a very young and undeveloped team.
With two picks in the lotto, I felt I had a luxury in being able to pick the best player available with each, even if it meant taking a few seasons to develop the player. With our first pick we were able to draft SF Chandler Parsons, who will play behind Danny Granger for the next two seasons until Parsons has had a few training camps to fill out into the balanced player we know he can become. Parsons will be a great addition to our team as he can be a threat from the perimeter and will immediately fill our teams biggest need going into the season: backup SF.
With our second pick, Reggie Jackson was a player we contemplated using our first pick if we felt the need to reach for him. Although he is very raw and will take a few seasons to be groomed to even be a reliable backup, Jackson has the potentials in all the right areas and the physical tools to become a very good player for us. We love his long-term potential and will remain patient in developing him, much like Greg Monroe.
That was about it. We didn't make any big trades or go after any big UFA's. We brought in two backup PFs in FFA to fill out our team. We did not want to create havoc with our cohesion after last season's roster overhaul, which we believe really contributed a lot to our very poor start. As the season went on, our team began to play slightly better each month. Hopefully with the main roster staying the same and a very solid training camp for everyone, we will start the season stronger and finish stronger.
Our hope is only to compete with the better teams in the league. We don't know how this team will play, but I'm hoping for the best.
Questions or comments?
"Quick and easy, time to compete for the division and playoffs" I had thought.
Then I proceeded to field one of the most inconsistent teams I've ever had during my tenure as the Sacramento Kings GM. They weren't the worst team I've fielded by a large margin, but I had high expectations that they didn't come close to meeting. A 33-49 record to close the season ended a miserable chapter in which my team started off poorly and just couldn't make up enough ground to make a difference in the standings. I overestimated a very young and undeveloped team.
With two picks in the lotto, I felt I had a luxury in being able to pick the best player available with each, even if it meant taking a few seasons to develop the player. With our first pick we were able to draft SF Chandler Parsons, who will play behind Danny Granger for the next two seasons until Parsons has had a few training camps to fill out into the balanced player we know he can become. Parsons will be a great addition to our team as he can be a threat from the perimeter and will immediately fill our teams biggest need going into the season: backup SF.
With our second pick, Reggie Jackson was a player we contemplated using our first pick if we felt the need to reach for him. Although he is very raw and will take a few seasons to be groomed to even be a reliable backup, Jackson has the potentials in all the right areas and the physical tools to become a very good player for us. We love his long-term potential and will remain patient in developing him, much like Greg Monroe.
That was about it. We didn't make any big trades or go after any big UFA's. We brought in two backup PFs in FFA to fill out our team. We did not want to create havoc with our cohesion after last season's roster overhaul, which we believe really contributed a lot to our very poor start. As the season went on, our team began to play slightly better each month. Hopefully with the main roster staying the same and a very solid training camp for everyone, we will start the season stronger and finish stronger.
Our hope is only to compete with the better teams in the league. We don't know how this team will play, but I'm hoping for the best.
Questions or comments?
