I have heard of Hassan Whiteside before. You did slightly improve his physical characteristics, however; he's actually 6'11" and 225. One of the knacks against him is his weight, which is much too light for his position. He needs to add more strength.

Whiteside is projected by many to go around the 13th spot, which is much too low for the Kings to go down for him. Not to say he's not a legitimate threat...he's a tremendous shot blocker and rebounder (as you mentioned), but his offense is very raw. He would need much time to improve, similar to Dwight Howard. The only difference is that Howard was and still is dominant physically while Whiteside is not.

If the Kings had the 10th pick or so, he would be one to consider. He has the biggest upside of anyone in the draft not named John Wall or Evan Turner, but the Kings would prefer more of an immediate impact pick rather than one that takes work. Cousins, as I described earlier, is the best option for the Kings unless Derrick Favors falls into position. Some serious thinking would need to be done in that case, but most likely, the Kings get either Cousins or Johnson ( a great role player who can shoot).

Here are some nice videos of Eric Bledsoe and Demarcus Cousins.

This video of Cousins shows just how dominate and skilled he is. Think the next Chris Webber without the hops:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE9yObPb1xA

This video of Bledsoe shows his explosive leaping ability, freakish quickness, and toughness. Think the next Bobby Jackson (both have tremendous speed, the knack for being a leader, toughness on both ends) but with a better leaping ability:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdgIqKyskHw

Alright, here comes the big question: What do the Kings want to do? Now that Wall and Turner are out of the question, it's time to see what's going to happen. Do they want to go big, i.e. Demarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors? Do they want to go for another solid piece around Tyreke who doesn't need the ball in their hands, i.e. Wesley Johnson and Al-Farouq Aminu? Or do they want to bolster their back-court and get a point guard or reserve shooting guard, i.e. Eric Bledsoe or Xavier Henry (the problem with this is that other than John Wall and Evan Turner, the best shooting guards and point guards are all projected to be around the 15th pick).

The answer: it depends on the situation. Assuming Wall and Evans will be off by the time the Kings select (they obviously will), that leaves them with four main players: Derrick Favors, Demarcus Cousins, Wesley Johnson, and Al-Farouq Aminu.

Derrick Favors would be the next Dwight Howard (as close as one could be...no one is that strong and dominant). He is a freak of an athlete with a long, decent (6-9, 215). He is an explosive athlete with long arms and a decent midrange shot (up to about 17 feet), but the huge knack on him is that he isn't polished (again, similar to Dwight Howard...a beast, but doesn't have much fundamentals). Still, he would easily help. He needs to put on some more muscle (get to around 230 to be more dominant...at 215 lbs, he doesn't outweigh Nocioni). He will most likely be taken off the boards, but if he's still available, go after this one.

Demarcus Cousins would be the most likely choice to come into the lap of the Kings. Wall and Turner will be numbers 1 and 2, and with the Nets most likely choosing Derrick Favors and the Timberwolves already having 2 main big man in Kevin Love and Al Jefferson, Cousins would probably fall to 5. As most have heard, Cousins is a big body who is a beast inside with an attitude and maturity problem. He takes up space and was the most productive player in college basketball last season for Kentucky. The brightest spots for him are that he has a great jumpshot (could even hit the 3 if he wanted to), has soft hands, and is very skilled for a big man. The main problems are his attitude and maturity issues and his motor (as well as conditioning). When he wants to, he could be the most dominant guy on the floor. However, that's what most said about Michael Beasley (dominant guy in college, questions about motor and attitude...he's now struggling to fit in with the Heat who want to trade him). Imagine a Chris Webber without the hops (Cousins isn't that athletic...can't jump that high). That would be a terrific building block for the Kings. Look for the Kings to take Cousins if still on the board.

As for Johnson and Aminu, both bring different aspects to the small forward position. Johnson is the perfect example of a complimentary player, as he can shoot very well, can rebound well, and is an aggressive scorer who is versatile. The problems with him are that he's very light for his position (small forward who's only 198 lbs... 20 pounds lighter than Omri Casspi, and about the same height at 6'7"). Wouldn't be the next step to a championship, but with another star, he would be absolutely perfect.

Aminu, on the other hand, is an excellent athlete with a freakish wingspan (7-foot-4) who is a good rebounder and finisher. Again, the problem with him is that he's very light (only 205 lbs). He's also very inconsistent and more of a slasher (doesn't have a good jumpshot). Aminu shouldn't be taken, as either Favors, Cousins, or Johnson would still be available, and all are much better.

Now, the Kings still have a need at the point guard position...Beno is their only point guard, and even then, he's more of a shooting guard. That's why the Kings should take the opportunity to get Eric Bledsoe, a great point guard from Kentucky.

Bledsoe took the backseat to John Wall last season, but he still showed he's capable of running a team. In my opinion, he's the most underrated prospect in the draft, and should go higher. At 6'1 (a little short, but what I'm about to explain makes up for it) and 190 lbs, Bledsoe is a very, very quick, pass-first point guard (MUCH NEEDED, especially with a dominant player like Tyreke). He has a high basketball IQ and is an explosive jumper. He's a born leader with a terrific motor and excellent toughness, especially on the defensive end (great defender). He has a good jumpshot (although not great), as well, and although he's a little turnover prone (what 19 year old point guard isn't?), he looks like a surefire point guard.

If the Kings could somehow manage to get Demarcus Cousins (fairly likely) and Eric Bledsoe (would need some trading), they would be in the hunt for the playoffs in 2 years, if not next year. Both know each other's games well, too, as they were teammates last year. Let's hope the Kings could pull something off, and with their 33rd pick, get some magic like last year with the selection of Omri Casspi.

This comment is directed towards sdfd above and anyone else who dares to think that Tyreke Evans is not Rookie of the Year.

You clearly do not watch basketball very much at all or pay attention to anyone's opinion.

Tyreke Evans, by just about everyone, has been said to be the clear choice for Rookie of the Year. There is little competition for this year. Stephen Curry has had a great second half, but struggled greatly through the first few months. Tyreke, on the other hand, has rarely struggled and scored under double digits only 4 times.

Brandon Jennings, the opposite of Curry, started out great with his 55 point performance. However, after that game, he has had many stats that represent horrible shooting numbers. Here are some stats from games in the past few months by Brandon Jennings:

DATE OPP RESULT MIN FG PCT AST TO(Turnovers) REB PTS
3/3 Was W 100-87 312-12 .167 5 6 5 5
2/19@Det W 91-85 321-13 .077 4 2 3 10
2/28@Atl L 106-102 261-5 .200 5 1 2 3

I didn't just choose the worst stat lines; most of his games in the past few months were very similar to these numbers. Tyreke Evans rarely has games this badly, and in fact, has only scored under 10 points 5 times. Two of those games came in the first 4 games of the season when Kevin Martin had control of the ball most of the time, and one of them was against the Charlotte Bobcats when he played with a sore ankle and hip (could barely move well).

The only reason Brandon Jennings is winning, sdfd? Because his team is better. Nothing else to it. What I am getting out of your post is that if I put Josh McRoberts (who? exactly) on the Cleveland Cavaliers right now, and because the Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the league, you would say that he is clearly better than Derrick Rose, Danny Granger, or Chris Paul because his team is winning. Thus, your comment is absolutely false.

Tyreke Evans has outplayed everyone throughout the entire season. Through Brandon Jennings explosive first half of the season and Stephen Curry's sudden emergence in the second half, Tyreke has steadily averaged 20 pts, 5 ast, and 5 rebounds, something only three other rookies have done, and Tyreke is in good company (LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, and Michael Jordan).

Tyreke has averaged a triple double over his past 3 games (one with a triple double, the second missing one rebounds, the third missing one assist), and should he have gotten one more rebound or assist in the last two games, he would be the only player besides LeBron James to achieve more than 1 triple double in a season.

Tyreke has ROY wrapped up, and if anyone disagrees, they are either a Warriors fan, a Bucks fan, the relatives of Brandon Jennings or Stephen Curry, or entirely misinformed and one who doesn't pay attention to basketball at all.

You clearly do not watch basketball very much at all or pay attention to anyone's opinion.

Tyreke Evans, by just about everyone, has been said to be the clear choice for Rookie of the Year. There is little competition for this year. Stephen Curry has had a great second half, but struggled greatly through the first few months. Tyreke, on the other hand, has rarely struggled and scored under double digits only 4 times.

Brandon Jennings, the opposite of Curry, started out great with his 55 point performance. However, after that game, he has had many stats that represent horrible shooting numbers. Here are some stats from games in the past few months by Brandon Jennings:

DATE OPP RESULT MIN FG PCT AST TO(Turnovers) REB PTS
3/3 Was W 100-87 312-12 .167 5 6 5 5
2/19@Det W 91-85 321-13 .077 4 2 3 10
2/28@Atl L 106-102 261-5 .200 5 1 2 3

I didn't just choose the worst stat lines; most of his games in the past few months were very similar to these numbers. Tyreke Evans rarely has games this badly, and in fact, has only scored under 10 points 5 times. Two of those games came in the first 4 games of the season when Kevin Martin had control of the ball most of the time, and one of them was against the Charlotte Bobcats when he played with a sore ankle and hip (could barely move well).

The only reason Brandon Jennings is winning, sdfd? Because his team is better. Nothing else to it. What I am getting out of your post is that if I put Josh McRoberts (who? exactly) on the Cleveland Cavaliers right now, and because the Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the league, you would say that he is clearly better than Derrick Rose, Danny Granger, or Chris Paul because his team is winning. Thus, your comment is absolutely false.

Tyreke Evans has outplayed everyone throughout the entire season. Through Brandon Jennings explosive first half of the season and Stephen Curry's sudden emergence in the second half, Tyreke has steadily averaged 20 pts, 5 ast, and 5 rebounds, something only three other rookies have done, and Tyreke is in good company (LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, and Michael Jordan).

Tyreke has averaged a triple double over his past 3 games (one with a triple double, the second missing one rebounds, the third missing one assist), and should he have gotten one more rebound or assist in the last two games, he would be the only player besides LeBron James to achieve more than 1 triple double in a season.

Tyreke has ROY wrapped up, and if anyone disagrees, they are either a Warriors fan, a Bucks fan, the relatives of Brandon Jennings or Stephen Curry, or entirely misinformed and one who doesn't pay attention to basketball at all.

Tyreke Evans is going to be one of the best players in this league if he isn't there already.

Only half way through the second quarter and Tyreke almost has a TRIPLE-DOUBLE. Not even halftime yet! 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists. Unbelievable. He does need to rest once in a while, however. Too bad.

The Kings can play with the best in this league. That is what many don't realize. Double overtime loss and buzzer beater loss against the Lakers, 2 wins and and overtime loss against Denver, an overtime loss against the Cavaliers, 3 points defeat against the Celtics, close losses against Hawks, two very close games against Dallas, etc. The Kings just need to pull them out.

My apologies on that one, Craig. I didn't have my volume up for some of those videos.

Still, the point was obviously not the music but the players we were getting. Your grandson was bound to learn the words soon anyway.

Check out these videos for the players we traded for. This should give all of you doubters, even after reading my post above, second thoughts on why these trades were great:

Carl Landry (starts around 1 minute mark; phenomenal player, great to get him):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZa2ws9zqVs&fe...

Joey Dorsey (absolute beast underneath the basket):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgqWeY2Wtgc

Larry Hughes (was in dunk contest, had hops; older now, but video shows what he was capable of):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl9rXkqVgj4

Dominic McGuire (a lot of promise; could be next Donte Greene):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hcw9DB5PwU

As a die-hard Kings fan who never ceases to watch the Kings (I guarantee I was one of the few that watched the entire Chicago game, even during the time when they were down 35 points), even during their poor stretches (watched every game during 17 win season), I have to say that I applaud Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs. Excellent job.

For all of you who have forgotten, the Kings were flirting with a .500 record throughout the early part of the season. When Martin came back, the Kings dropped games severely and the chemistry was clearly lost. Kevin works best as a third option (great option during 2005-2006 when Bibby and Artest were the first two), but when he learned he was the "leader" of the team, he tried to score too often. He didn't let the game come to him, and his energy and effort clearly lacked. He now walks or jogs to his spots while during the 2005-2006 season, when fighting for minutes, he hustled on every play.

Martin just doesn't have the type of shot to be a closer, either. He tries to draw fouls to get to the line at clutch times, and at clutch times, referees rarely give the player the call. Because of his awkward release, he cannot score when someone is very close to him. Thus, he is best when a third option when he will be given the open shot which he can easily hit down. However, he continued to feel the need to score and wasted many possessions while Casspi, Garcia, Nocioni, and Udoka merely watched from the bench. All of those players are much more selective with their shots and really benefit from Tyreke driving in and kicking out.

Carl Landry was a GREAT pickup for us. He has a great low post game and, although undersized, plays much bigger. Here's a stat most don't know: Landry ranks second in the league in fourth-quarter scoring, averaging 6.6 points per game, only behind LeBron. That's right; he's ahead of Kobe, Carmelo, Wade, and everyone else. This guy knows how to score in the clutch. He is a great low post player who will be a fantastic addition to the Kings front-line.

Now for Joey Dorsey. I remember watching him during his days in Memphis University, and I have but one memory: the guy is a flat-out BEAST. As Dick Vitale, college basketball analyst in the hall of fame, puts it, "The guy's a football player in a basketball player's body." He can rebound just about anything at all. Imagine Jon Brockman on steroids. He can be a great backup player, but his offensive game remains at work. Give him some time, but he could be good.

Larry Hughes was a nice pickup. He is a perfect example of a steak shooter, as he can go from scoring 35 one night to missing 6 shots in a row and scoring 4 on the next. At 31, he still has game, but he isn't what he used to be. Great role player, and can definitely find his own shot. When he has it going, watch out. He can take pressure of Tyreke some nights when he's got it going, and he can hit the outside shot.

Dominic McGuire is a new guy who hasn't played much. He's only averaging 5 points per game in limited minutes this season, but he was dubbed a steal of the 2007 draft after showing his skills. Imagine another Donte Greene. He is very athletic and can finish at the rim very well. A great dunker, like Donte. McGuire has also been known to get up for some great blocks and isn't afraid to reject anybody at the rim (again, like Donte). McGuire, with a little work, could be a very solid player in the league. Reminds me a lot of Donte Greene, but with a shot that needs more work.

Overall, the Kings did a very great job in these trades. A great low post scorer, something the Kings were in desperate need of, in Carl Landry; a dominating big guy who is a beast regarding rebounding and blocking shots (two things, especially the shot blocking, the Kings needed to improve) in Joey Dorsey; a great streak shooter in Larry Hughes who could get it going any night; and a great prospect, similar to Donte Greene, in Dominic McGuire.

For all of you Kings fans who said this was a bad trade, you clearly do not pay attention to the game that much. You watch the Kings for a few games and figure that you know everything. Try watching the Kings for 10+ seasons, and then you can understand. In the mean time, just realize that the Kings did a PHENOMENAL job on this trade. Great job, Geoff Petrie! Excellent timing, Joe and Gavin Maloof!

Anyone seen this link yet? http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2010/news/st...

The Kings are represented THREE TIMES in the NBA All-Star game! Rookie game (Omri+Evans), Shooting Stars competition (Tyreke+C-Webb+Nicole Powell), and now the H-O-R-S-E competition with Omri Casspi!

Let's show them how Sactown rolls, Kings fans!