The Legacy of Geoff Petrie

It is increasingly difficult to evaluate Geoff Petrie's reign in Sacramento, as it appears that the MaGoof brothers have asserted more and more influence over basketball decisions.

I don't think Petrie is to blame or Rick Adelman's firing or the hiring of Eric Mussleman or Reggie Theus.

However, the recent string of trades and free agent signings leaves one wondering what use the salary cap may be in the off-season.

The Kings traded Chris Webber for three players, ostensibly because nobody would take Webber's albatross of a contract and trading three smaller parts would be easier. However, Kenny Thomas still remains on the Sacramento roster. Nobody will take Thomas and his salary.

The Kings traded Mike Bibby, still an above-average, if overpaid, NBA point guard and have nothing to show for it. At least when Memphis "gave" away Pau Gasol, it acquired a 1st Round draft, a young player (since traded for another 1st Round pick) and Marc Gasol, a starting center. The Kings acquired Sheldon Williams who they traded for expiring contracts in an effort to rid itself of Bobby Brown's contract for next season.

The Kings traded Ron Artest for an expiring contract and Donte Greene, a deal that could prove fortuitous if Greene develops. Some predicted he would be a lottery pick, and he is talented, so the Artest deal could become a win for the Kings. But, if he never develops, one wonders if there was a better deal to be made for one of the top defenders in the NBA (though the Rockets tried to deal him, so the market does not seem to be very large for Artest's services now that Isaih Thomas is unemployed).

In recent drafts, Petrie hit it big by picking Kevin Martin and Jason Thompson and made a very good pick with Spencer Hawes, but missed on the Quincy Douby pick.

However, possibly the biggest busts have been the recent free agent signings. At the Trade Deadline, the Kings cut Mikki Moore and traded John Salmons and Bobby Brown. Beno Udrih was a very adept sining during last season, but he played so well that the Kings probably overpaid for his services during the off-season. Now, half-way through the season, some wanted to trade him just to get rid of his contract.

Petrie is certainly playing with one hand tied behind his back. However, what direction will the Kings go in the off-season? Who will they hire to coach this group? The Kings have some young talent with Martin, Garcia, Greene, Thompson and Hawes. If the Kings can supplement this nucleus with some toughness, shot blocking and improved point guard play, they may be on their way to improvement, though breaking through in the Western Conference will be difficult. However, how will a new coach use these players?

This is an offensive-minded group. As Phoenix illustrated this season, hiring a defensive-minded coach to coach an offensive group may not be the answer. To an extent, Mussleman's struggles could be explained in the same way. So, the Kings probably need an offensive coach, a coach who can maximize the talents of these young players and develop a system around their talents. This is not a walk the ball up the court kind of team. Hiring a Jeff Van Gundy or Terry Porter probably is not the answer.

Petrie continues to assemble players who fit into a Pete Carril-like system with an emphasis on player movement, shooting and big man passing. For this reason, former Wizards' Head Coach Eddie Jordan or Houston Rockets' Assistant Coach Elston Turner could be the ideal hire. If Turner could implement the Adelman offensive system and improve the defense (as he is a defensive coach) through his defensive schemes, he might not be the "big name" hire or the most obvious choice, but sometimes going with the familiar is better than reachng for a big personality.

The draft will present interesting opportunities. Many fans favor Hasheem Thabeet and his shot blocking. I would like the Kings to give a 10-day contract to Cheik Samb, recently cut by the Clippers, or Saer Sene, recently cut by the Thunder, as they are long, active, raw big men. Take a flier and see how they fit coming off the bench. Thabeet is better than either, but not unlike them. It would be like a mini-preview. If it looks like it could work, than Thabeet could be a good choice. If there is no fit, then there might be a better pick available.

The Kings have two choices, plus they might be able to work out something with Andres Nocioni to a contender. If the Kings cannot get a big shot blocker - if Thabeet or Jordan Hill is gone or if he does not seem like a fit with the new coach - my next choice would be to get an energy guy and aggressive rebounder with one choice and a point guard with the other .

Currently, the mock drafts have the Kings at #2 taking James Harden and #22 taking Craig Brackens, though the mock drafts do not yet take team needs into account. Harden obviously is not a great fit because the Kings have Martin and Garcia at SG. So, if the Kings do draft #2, Hill or Thabeet fill a need, while Greg Monroe fits the same style of player as the rest of the team - skilled, perimeter-oriented. In a Carril-style, Monroe fits very well, though he duplicates Thompson to a degree.

At #22, Darren Collison or Eric Maynor could make sense as a PG. I also like Tyler Hansborough or Dajuan Blair as an energy guy who will be a lot like Paul Milsap and would add a different dimension than Thompson/Hawes inside. If someone like Kyle Singler falls, his high basketball I.Q. would fit with the current Kings. Terrence Williams is another player who would fit well with the Kings, but does not fill a need with Garcia/Martin.

Fortunately, Petrie's record as a "draft guru" is accurate. Everyone misses because of the imprecise nature of the draft, but he is right more often than not and some of his picks have been outstanding: Martin, Stojakovic, Turkuglo, Thompson. The bigger question remains how he (and the Magoofs) will handle the salary cap space. Will the Magoofs spend money? Will Petrie spend the money wisely? Or, will they go after an overpaid role player like Mikki Moore and overpay him?