Bye-Bye Bibby

I am not a huge Mike Bibby fan. He regularly gets torched by good and great point guards alike and he has an outrageous contract (which isn't his fault, I guess).

However, he is worth more than Anthony Johnson, Tyrone Lue, Lorenzen Wright and Sheldon Williams. At least a first round draft pick. Strictly salary cap room. Tough to get excited about clearing salary when Brad Miller's bloated contract remains on the books for several more years. Memphis cleared salary, but they also got two first round picks, a rookie with magical upside and one of the top players in Europe this year. The Kings got Shelden Williams.

With Shelden Williams and Lorenzen Wright, what happens with Mikki Moore? If the Kings are dumping salaries, shouldn't we assume that Spencer Hawes will see increased playing time? And, shouldn't we assume the Kings will want to take a look at Williams and see what he offers? With Miller playing solid basketball right now, and the Kings able to go small with Artest at the four at times too, where does that leave Moore, who has already complained about not getting enough shots in games?

The trade certainly did not make the Kings better this year, but we'll see what kind of magic Petrie has before Thursday and in the off-season. Right now, pressure is on Kevin Martin, John Salmons and Beno Udrih.

As for Atlanta, talk about a steal. Honestly, as much as people say that the Grizzlies got fleeced, how can anyone say otherwise about the Kings? Sure, Gasol is a better player than Bibby right now. However, Bibby has play-off experience and has made big shots deep in play-off series. Gasol has not. Of course, the Lakers have Kobe, so that is not a concern. But, when evaluating value, Bibby gets bonus credit for play-off experience and making shots in crunch time.

Is Bibby the answer to Atlanta's ills? Maybe. If the Hawks can share the ball, and if Bibby plays both ends, the Hawks just became a dangerous Eastern Conference team. Not Boston or Detroit dangerous, but dangerous enough to make Cleveland, Orlando and the rest of the conference take note. Bibby and Joe Johnson in the backcourt with the youngsters up front: Josh Smith, Al Horford and Marvin Williams. The Hawks have plenty of talent assembled. The question is how they gel together with a new leader who likes to have the ball in his hands.