2010-2011 Sacramento Kings Preview- vs Golden State Warriors + The Real Kings of Cali :: Around the Association

by Atma Brother ONE on Sep 6, 2010 7:06 PM PDT in NBA

Definitely one of my all-time favs.

I remain pleasantly shocked that we were allowed to use this theme.

This episode of the world famous Around the Association is going to be a little different. It's not just going to be about the Sacramento Kings as we're going to inject some serious Dubs flava here. I'll warn you Kings fans- this might be a little reminiscent of Ice Cube's classic Lethal Injection.

JUMP 'cause YOU KNOW HOW WE DO IT!

After the Ron Artest and Bonzi Wells- led Kings' impressive 1st round 6 game series against the San Antonio Spurs in 2006 and the unforgettable, unbelievable, and unstoppable WE BELIEVE Warriors run in 2007, there has been quite a drought in Northern California NBA hoops. There's really no other way to put in. From 2007-2010 both of these teams have essentially sucked and it's likely that both teams miss out on the West's Elite 8 once again this upcoming spring.

However we won't dwell on that today my friends in the Bay and Sactown. Today we'll focus on the 4 very intense upcoming battles between these two squads for the naming rights to THE REAL KINGS OF (Northern) CALI.

Kings?

Warriors?

Let the pre-coronation festivities being...

Backcourt- Sac vs GSW

(And for Tyreke Evans I pray this doesn't mean "back in court". Sorry bad joke, but lay off the gas pedal homie!)

If I hear the words "20-5-5" again or "first rookie since Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, blah, blah..." I'm going to hop in my Toyota Prius and speed down Unviersity Ave, hook a right onto 84 Dumbarton Bridge, go 880 North, 80 East, and 5 North till I hit Arco Arena at 130 miles per hour while my man DJ Fuzzy Logic captures the whole thing on video from his iPhone 3GS. (The words forced joke come to mind.)

Anyhow you get the point. Stephen Curry might not have won the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year, but he'll be the 2011 NBA Sophomore of the Year.

I don't think the cameraman gave these two rookies the heads up that he was about to snap their photo.

A Link Back

Even if you believe Tyreke is better than Stef-fun or that they're equal or that Monta Ellis is the most defenseless, turnover-prone, ball-hog, you're going to have a hard time convincing anybody that Donte Green or Francisco Garcia have 1/10th the baller status of Ellis. So case closed.

Real Kings of Cali Backcourt: GSW

Frontcourt

Truth be told I was praying on draft night that DeMarcus Cousins would slip to the Warriors. That didn't happen, so now I'm going to project him as Zach Randolph 2.0.

Yes, this guy.

I'm fairly convincible that Cousins will amount to the steal of the 2010 NBA Draft (hey everyone has Ridiculous Upside at this point), but there's no way you can convince me that he's going to put up 20 ppg, 11.7 rpg, and 3.6 apg next season, which is what David Lee (most underrated move of the 2010 NBA offseason by Warriors GM Larry Riley- puppet who?) put up last season.

It also won't take much to convince me that Jason Thompson will have a better season than Andris Biedrins next season or that the the small forward spot is a draw between both teams.

But still.

David Lee.

Real Kings of Cali Frontcourt: GSW

Bench

With the way the injury bug has hit the Warriors the past... decade?... we use the term "bench" lightly. This could very well be starting 5 for the Warriors by game 7. As of writing I can't say I'm sold on Brandan Wright, Dan Gadzuric, Vladimir Radmanovic, or even Charlie Bell (though I wouldn't be shocked if he shocked me with his defense- shocking I know). But I am confident in Carl Landry (assuming he's the backup, but if not Cousins is still an upgrade over the Warriors bench bigs), Beno Udrih, and Francisco Garcia will amount to be a decent bench. Landry's more than decent by the way.

Real Kings of Cali Bench: Sac

Coaching

I've always liked Paul Westphal more than most (He MADE Charles Barkeley and Kevin Johnson in 1993! Okay, kidding.), but come on now. Don Nelson is a coaching legend for good reason. These guys played hard for him at the end of last season and he has a special bond with some of the key players on the Dubs.

Nellie, Mitch, and the Curry's.

Haters will hate, but that's another story for another time folks.

Real Kings of Cali Coaching: GSW

Threads

I remember back in the mid-late-ish 90's when Mitch Richmond donned the Kings new threads at the NBA Draft Lottery. I thought they were pretty hot.

Those were the days.

Pretty hot too- except for the horrific lettering.

This is um... NOT.

I wouldn't even give this to my cousins as a gift. (What's with all the bad jokes today?)

Real Kings of Cali Threads: GSW

Fans

We don't need no stinkin' cowbells.

With all due respect to the good folks over at Sactown Royalty, do we seriously even need to go over this?

Sactown Royalty

Easily my 2nd favorite Northern California NBA Blog.

Real Kings of Cali Fans: GSW

Real Kings of Cali = Golden State Warriors*

* We obviously mean Northern California for all intents and purposes here. If you thought otherwise, well you must think the NBA season ends in mid-April.

Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings. Mark your calendars for their 4 games this season. It might be meaningless, but there's a great chance one of them goes into quadruple OT.

I love this game? I mean: I LOVE THIS GAME!

Who will be crowned THE REAL KINGS OF CALI in 2010-2011?

Last season: Around the Association: 2009-2010 Sacramento Kings: It's all up from here

More 2010-2011 GSoM Around the Association Fun

Poll

Who will be better in 2010-2011?

Golden State Warriors and the real 2010 R.O.Y.

880 votes

Sacramento Kings and the awarded 2010 R.O.Y.

251 votes

1131 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 42 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Just Sayin'

The GSOM night “8” shirt looks like an old school Kobe T-shirt.

"I thought it was going in," Warriors center Chris Hunter said. "It looked like the invisible man tipped it away at the last second."

by kenntoe on Sep 6, 2010 7:10 PM PDT reply actions

i love the homerism

this post is great its like a b-rated horror movie, the costumes, suck, the acting sucks, the movie sucks, but people like it for what it is.. this post is all about being a homer and it puts a smile on my face :)

by mekanikal on Sep 6, 2010 7:20 PM PDT reply actions

i really don't see much homerism

it is true cousins will not be as good as david lee, curry will only get better, monta will be more efficient with curry running the show this year, wright si a great pickup that does not need the ball. Our bench is not gonna be good. I would say he is being a homer if he said biedrins would return to double double form or even bashed him. but he did niether so this is crazy.

by BIGBIERINS on Sep 6, 2010 8:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Hey!

A post where Atma mentions Andris without bashing him. Take off your mask imposter.

"Monta is the MAN." -Bob Fitzgerald

by WarriorForLife on Sep 6, 2010 7:42 PM PDT reply actions

Speaking of bashing...

[Even if you believe] that Monta Ellis is the most defenseless, turnover-prone, ball-hog, you’re going to have a hard time convincing anybody that Donte Green or Francisco Garcia have 1/10th the baller status of Ellis.

He didn’t hesitate to put in a backhanded compliment towards everyone’s favorite “Supah-stah.” It’s definitely Atma alright.

by WYK on Sep 6, 2010 8:05 PM PDT up reply actions

the following is perpetually understated and must be brought up as often as humanly possible

the kings suck.

Goal: 8 seed!

by dso on Sep 6, 2010 9:23 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Remember Run (mitch richmand) (cris mullen ) and (tim hardaway). My dad says that they could the ping bound balls were lucky then we could have gotten Kobe Bryant.
Ping pounds should be banned and pick players like football.

Behitrus better get alot of double doubles in the red zone

by airrocker68 on Sep 7, 2010 12:55 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs

The is the raddest comment I have ever read. Seriously. Ping bound balls + Behitrus = Gold

Amnesty for all immigrants! Boycott Arizona!

by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Sep 7, 2010 6:23 PM PDT up reply actions

My dad says that they could the ping bound balls were lucky then we could have gotten Kobe Bryant.

This is sublime on so many levels, not least the fact that Kobe was picked #13, two spots after us…

There will be no extra point!

by Sleepy Freud on Sep 7, 2010 7:10 PM PDT up reply actions

How much better is Lee?

Lee needs to be 10 times better than Cousins for the Warriors’ frontcourt to be better than Sacramento. Because not counting Cousins, the Kings have three other big men (Landry, Thompson, Dalembert) better than Golden State’s second best big.

And you kinda need more than one big man.

by Tom Ziller on Sep 7, 2010 7:26 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Good thoughts. I completely forgot about Dalembert. I counted Landry as part of the Kings bench, but you’d know better than I. The frontcourts are probably closer than I made it out to be with the Kings maybe even being better.

Golden State of Mind :: Always keeping it... "Unstoppable Baby!" | BayArea.SBNation.com | SBNation.com

by Atma Brother ONE on Sep 7, 2010 8:35 AM PDT up reply actions

Better comparison related to Cousins is the Cousin/Whiteside draft bench combo to Udoh rather than to Lee. If Beans comes back to form and Udoh surprises everyone then we have a shot at a better frontcourt counting the bench depth. When Cousins and Whiteside get experience and maturity down the road the Warriors could be in trouble when facing Sac..

by Only In Fairfax on Sep 7, 2010 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions

You think Thompson and Landry are better than Biedrins?

No way. There is an argument for Dalembert because of his defense, but he’s also a worse rebounder, scorer and is a total bonehead.

I must look like a dork.

by Reverend_Randy on Sep 7, 2010 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions

A worse rebounder?

You’re loony. Dalembert was third in the league in offense and defensive rebound rates last season. Biedrins is a great rebounder, but Dalembert is greater-er.

Neither is great scorer, but Dalembert can hit his free throws at about league average, which means you don’t have to pull him at the end of close games.

I would also rate you as loony for thinking Biedrins is in the same neighborhood as Landry, let alone better. And because of that, I’m not even going to get into Thompson.

by Tom Ziller on Sep 7, 2010 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Career reb/36
Dalembert 11.4
Biedrins 12.2

Career reb%
Dalembert 18.6%
Biedrins 18.4%

Call it a push.

As for Biedrins v. Landry … meh, I don’t see any grounds for comparison, beyond the fact that they’re both human beings who play basketball in Northern California. Landry’s a super- skilled low-post scorer, but a bit of a black hole and a godawful rebounder for a PF. Basically, a slightly taller Corey Maggette with worse passing skills. Biedrins is a 6’11" elite rebounder who can slash/catch/finish on O but has almost no post moves worth mentioning. More like a tall Dennis Rodman.

Unlike Landry, Beans can also pass and defend the rim a little.

Yes, it’s loony to put them in the same neighborhood. And because of that, I’m not even going to get into Thompson. ;-)

There will be no extra point!

by Sleepy Freud on Sep 7, 2010 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions

I actually slightly underrated Dalembert’s rebounding. I knew he was a good rebounder, but I thought there was slightly more difference between them. Dalembert and Biedrins are pretty close to me.
Scoring and free throws are related, but separate. You can be a good scorer without making free throws. You also can’t have Dalembert out at the end of the game because he’ll make a really stupid decision. Dalembert scores at a lower volume (by a couple FGA) and a MUCH lower efficiency (.560 career TS% vs .601 TS%).
It’s also not fair to base anything off of what Biedrins did based on last year alone- he was injured for pretty much every minute he played.

I would also rate you as loony for thinking Biedrins is in the same neighborhood as Landry, let alone better.

Landry is a very crappy defender. He’s a very good scorer, but just an awful defender.
I don’t mind you being a homer, but you should probably stick to the Kings blog. I think the culture and lights are messing with your head.

And because of that, I’m not even going to get into Thompson.

There’s nothing to get into anyway. I like Thompson, but he isn’t nearly as good as Biedrins.

I must look like a dork.

by Reverend_Randy on Sep 7, 2010 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions

You seriously think it's being a homer to call Landry better than Biedrins?

Because talent? You want to add a guy like boozer because hes talented? I’m sorry i just don’t see that as a valid reason. -- fffindeed

by wallywagon11 on Sep 8, 2010 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah

you seriously think Carl Landry is better than Biedrins?
I like Landry, but I don’t like him that much.
He’s a good scorer, but that’s about it. Awful defender (man and help), awful rebounder, bad passer. I don’t know if Biedrins is the right choice in all situations. If you have a good defensive C already (like Dalembert), you probably want Landry. If you have a good offensive power forward (like Lee), you probably want Biedrins. I think Biedrins does fit in more situations than Landry, though.

I must look like a dork.

by Reverend_Randy on Sep 8, 2010 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions

It’s also not fair to base anything off of what Biedrins did based on last year alone- he was injured for pretty much every minute he played.

LMAO!!!! Rev you kill me!!!

by 2010HopeGSW on Sep 8, 2010 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Que?

I must look like a dork.

by Reverend_Randy on Sep 8, 2010 10:35 PM PDT up reply actions

only thing hurt was biedrins free throw shooting technique

lil homie cant even get the ball over the rim…

by SACKING on Sep 11, 2010 12:34 AM PDT up reply actions

No!

Biedrins is better than those guys right now.

"Everybody loves Basketball-Reference.com. Except the Kobe fans".- DubsFan408

by GovernorStephCurry on Sep 7, 2010 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions

solid analysis!

Because talent? You want to add a guy like boozer because hes talented? I’m sorry i just don’t see that as a valid reason. -- fffindeed

by wallywagon11 on Sep 7, 2010 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Well i don’t wanna argue with Atma regarding Biedrins. That would go nowhere.

"Everybody loves Basketball-Reference.com. Except the Kobe fans".- DubsFan408

by GovernorStephCurry on Sep 7, 2010 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Not to mention whiteside

by sonnybelfast on Sep 7, 2010 9:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Wow

If you’re going to compare line-ups, maybe you should know the other team’s line-up. Donté Greene isn’t going to be spending any time at SG this season.

When discussing two opposing point of views, the truth often lies somewhere in the middle.

by Exhibit G on Sep 7, 2010 9:13 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

As much of a Warriors fan I am...

… when Kings were on top (with Bibby, C-Webb & the gang) I was rooting whole-heartedly for them to beat the Lakers but, as we all know, Robert Horry would not let that happen. But I regress, both teams will be pretty decent this season. Hopefully better than decent but on paper, with Curry/Lee and Evans/Cousins, they look like they should be good. Playoff good? We’lll see…

Type the words RUN TMC in Ebay!
Type the words RUN TMC in Ebay!
Type the words RUN TMC in Ebay!
Type the words RUN TMC in Ebay!
Pacquiao fans type MANNY CHANT in Ebay!

by JonDoe on Sep 7, 2010 9:50 AM PDT reply actions

as we all know, ~~Robert Horry~~ David Stern would not let that happen.

by WheresMyChippy on Sep 7, 2010 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions

True that!

Some of the calls in that series were the dirtiest of dirty calls! C-Webb would have a championship ring right now if weren’t for those refs.

Type the words RUN TMC in Ebay!
Type the words RUN TMC in Ebay!
Type the words RUN TMC in Ebay!
Type the words RUN TMC in Ebay!
Pacquiao fans type MANNY CHANT in Ebay!

by JonDoe on Sep 7, 2010 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions

For what it's worth, the forced Tyreke speeding jokes cracked me up.

If I ever do a Kings/Warriors game thread and go on a pro-Tyreke rant here at GSoM I think I am going to literally use the phrase “first rookie since Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, blah, blah…” in homage towards Atma.

Because talent? You want to add a guy like boozer because hes talented? I’m sorry i just don’t see that as a valid reason. -- fffindeed

by wallywagon11 on Sep 7, 2010 3:05 PM PDT reply actions

Truth be told I was praying on draft night that DeMarcus Cousins would slip to the Warriors. That didn’t happen, so now I’m going to project him as Zach Randolph 2.0.

Um, I think posted a comment saying this almost verbatim like two months ago. Quit bitin’ my stuff!

Amnesty for all immigrants! Boycott Arizona!

by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Sep 7, 2010 6:27 PM PDT reply actions

My bad man. I actually don’t recall reading your comment, but props to you though. Great line!

Golden State of Mind :: Always keeping it... "Unstoppable Baby!" | BayArea.SBNation.com | SBNation.com

by Atma Brother ONE on Sep 7, 2010 6:34 PM PDT up reply actions

I’m just giving you a hard time, no worries! Great minds think alike. Anyway, while I was typing the last sentence I thought of an ever funnier comparison: Oliver Miller 2.0! Oh Em Gee, I just google image searched him and someone had already slapped this together:

Somebody send Cousins some medical grade pot and a few cases of twinkies! He has some catching up to do…

Amnesty for all immigrants! Boycott Arizona!

by The Bimbo Coles Experience on Sep 8, 2010 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions

I said it before

TE is the first drive by ROY. And now my case is proving to be true. Suspension. What’s next?

by yobo on Sep 8, 2010 11:31 AM PDT reply actions

Sorry but how is your case proving to be true?

Reckless driving does very little to show his involvement in a drive by. Personally if I wanted to make an arguement about the drive by I would look at the facts of that case on it’s own. If I were to say he might be a knucklehead I would think it’s safer to make an arguement around the reckless driving case since the facts are so readibly available.

Because talent? You want to add a guy like boozer because hes talented? I’m sorry i just don’t see that as a valid reason. -- fffindeed

by wallywagon11 on Sep 8, 2010 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions