Josh Stanley

The Sacramento Kings are in a world of hurt right now.

At 6-12, the Kings look pathetic, and losing by 33 on Sunday proves that.

The Kings have been bad all year and the numbers show why they are doing badly and what the Kings need to fix.

Right now, the Kings have one good thing going on and that is being in the Top 10 in rebounding thanks to DeMarcus Cousins, which is a surprise.

The Kings are in the bottom 10 in scoring and have only had 100 points in a game twice. They have the worst field goal percentage in the league and they are last in assists.

Not only that, but the Kings have already had a coaching change and we’re not even a quarter of the way through the season.

With the season still young, the Kings have plenty of time to rebound.

I think the Kings need to bring in a true point guard to run the team and trade away some of their shooting guards.

Starting Tyreke Evans at point guard is a terrible move because he is a score-first guard and no starting point guard should average only 4.4 assists per game. The point guard is supposed to set the team up to score and he clearly has not done that.

The Kings are young and have no shot at the playoffs in my mind, but I think the acquisition of a true point guard and a veteran leader like Steve Nash would do wonders for this team.

Josh Stanley can be reached at [email protected].

 

Marshall Hampson

Every team needs a leader. The Kings might have the coach for a leader, but they don’t have a standout player to lean on.

Point guard Tyreke Evans, guard Marcus Thornton and power forward DeMarcus Cousins are all averaging more than 14 points per game, but watching them on television is like watching a game of “Hot Potato.”

None of them are wanting the ball like a Kobe Bryant or a LeBron James. Someone on the team should want the ball and call the offense. Evans may be the point guard, but he needs to take charge and be a vocal leader.

Right now, Sacramento is watching a poor professional team. But the Kings have the potential to turn into the 2004 Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had a leader in point guard Chauncey Billups, even though there weren’t any scoring standouts.

The Kings have a bunch of newbies – which is fine for years to come. A coach can train newbies. But a coach can’t make a leader. Being a leader comes from within the players.

Here’s a solution: Put a little more faith in Jimmer Fredette. He knows how to lead a team. The 2011 NCAA National Player of the Year would have no problem leading a team. He’s a rookie shooting guard on the bench right now for the Kings, but he led Brigham Young University into the Sweet Sixteen his senior year.

He can do the same thing for the Kings. If Fredette has a bad night, who cares? He started his BYU career only scoring 7 points per game and ended his BYU career with 28.9 points per game. Keep giving him more chances and become a leader.

Sacramento needs a good basketball team to stay in the city. Sacramento needs more “Jimmer Time.”

Marshall Hampson can be reached at [email protected].