How Kings Can Keep DeMarcus Cousins Happy, Break Playoff Drought Next Season
It's been eight long years since the Sacramento Kings made the playoffs, and since the team has already been eliminated in 2014-15, that streak will increase to nine. But despite the results in recent seasons, the Kings aren't as far away as one may think.
The Kings have a bona fide franchise player to build around in DeMarcus Cousins. The center is under contract for three more seasons, only 24 years old and is one of the league's top 10 players.
But it doesn't stop with Cousins.
While he's undoubtedly Sacramento's best player, the Kings also have another cornerstone in Rudy Gay. The small forward is averaging 21 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He's still in his prime (28 years old) and is under team control for the next three campaigns.
Unlike in the past, the Kings actually have a coach with a track record of success. George Karl has made the postseason 22 times throughout his career and has done so with five different franchises. His trial run to finish this season will familiarize him with the team and give the coach an idea of which players fit his system.
Then, once the offseason rolls around, the Kings can upgrade their roster. While Sacramento only keeps its draft pick if it falls within the first 10 slots, the team's record (26-45) and standing within the league (sixth) indicates the selection is probably safe.
On top of that, the Kings have only eight players under contract next season, totaling $52.3 million. With the salary cap projected to be roughly $68 million, Sacramento will have plenty of flexibility to work with.
So if the Kings play their cards right, there's no reason they can't make the postseason in 2015-16. And in the process, that will keep the super competitive Cousins happy.
Players in Place
DeMarcus Cousins
In Cousins, the Kings have a player who is blossoming before their eyes. That's somewhat hard to believe, considering DMC already set the bar pretty high last season.
Yet, he's become even better on offense. Cousins is setting a career high in scoring, both per game (23.8) and per 36 minutes (25.4).
He's also doing a better job of involving teammates, posting a career-best 3.3 assists and 19.2 assist percentage.
What's most encouraging, however, is the strides he's made on defense.
Cousins is now a two-way player. DMC is a much better shot-blocker, averaging a career-high 1.6 blocks per game. He also is affecting shots when he can't block them, holding opponents who average 59.6 percent within six feet of the hoop to 52.8 percent when he's guarding them.
The scary thing is he's still got plenty of room to improve, as detailed by James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom on March 15:
"Cousins has already shown the ability to improve on the defensive end, but he has more to learn. His block numbers skyrocketed as he learned to improve his positioning and understanding of defensive rotations. And there is no question that the Kings are a better defensive unit when he is on the floor.
On the offensive end, Cousins can compete for a scoring title under Karl. There isn't a big man in the league with the array of moves that Cousins possesses and he's only getting better. His decision making has room for improvement, but once the Kings surround him with shooters, the sky’s the limit. Where Cousins can take a huge step is as a distributor. 3.2 assists per game is impressive, but once he masters the high post offense and improves on his recognition of the double-team, that number should take a huge jump.
"
Rudy Gay
With Gay, the Kings have the perfect player for Karl's system.
Gay's athleticism is off the charts. He can jump out of the gym, run the floor, beat defenders with his quickness or shoot from range with someone in his face—and formerly an offensive black hole, his shot selection has improved noticeably since landing in Sacto.
Those abilities make it easy to forget Gay is 6'8" and 230 pounds. That allows him to play both forward positions, and since Karl took over as coach, he's been working in even more at the 4.
At power forward, he may give up a bit of size to the opposition, but there are few players who can keep up with his quickness. With Karl liking to push the pace, that's a trade-off the Kings will take.
Ben McLemore
It's hard to know what to expect from Ben McLemore nearly two years into his NBA career.
We saw a player who was overmatched as a rookie. McLemore struggled to shoot with any consistency, only netting 37.6 percent of his field goals and 32 percent of his three-pointers.
He lacked confidence at times, not firing open shots when they were there. The shooting guard also was lost on defense. Too often his man would get wide-open looks from the perimeter because McLemore lost track of him.
But he also has taken a big step forward this season.
McLemore has increased his field-goal percentage to 43.1 and his three-point percentage to 35.8. The 22-year-old is showing more confidence in his ball-handling ability and is starting to attack the hoop on a more regular basis. While he still has room to grow on defense, the mental lapses aren't nearly as frequent.
Of course, McLemore isn't close to a finished product.
The Kings may be able to upgrade the position by bringing in an established veteran. If the opportunity arises, they should take it. But the second-year player still has the tremendous upside that saw him drafted No. 7 overall in 2013.
Most importantly, the leap he made from his rookie season to sophomore season is evidence that he's putting in the work to improve.
The Draft
Adding a rookie is unlikely to help the Kings reach the postseason in 2015-16. But drafting the right player is paramount for a couple reasons.
For one, the Kings could use another high-upside piece to add to the roster. Even if it won't help immediately, adding the right guy will go a long way in making Sacramento a contender into the future.
Second, presuming the Kings actually do contend for the playoffs next season, the 2015 draft will be one of their last shots at picking in the top 10. That means they need to take advantage of this last opportunity.
Luckily, there are a few players who would fit.
Kristaps Porzingis from Latvia is the type of stretch 4 the Kings could use. His ability to shoot from the perimeter would space out the defense and provide Cousins more room to work on the interior.
Willie Cauley-Stein, while raw on offense, is a whiz on defense. With his 7-foot, 240-pound frame, he's got the size to bang in the paint, but Cauley-Stein has the lateral agility to guard players much smaller. Plus, with Cousins already entrenched as the post scorer, Cauley-Stein wouldn't need to be an impact offensive player.
There also are point guards D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay. Both are projected to go in the top five of the draft and would require a bit of luck in the lottery. But there's no questioning their upside. Each possesses above-average size for the point and enough to slide over to the 2, while also boasting the agility and ball-handling skills to collapse the defense.
Even though a point guard may not be a pressing need, the Kings should draft either Russell or Mudiay if they get the chance.
Trades
It isn't an easy proposition to come up with trade ideas. It's more than simply lining up the salaries and the Kings' needs. You also have to consider what the other team in the trade would want in return.
That said, here are a few that could work.
Kelly Olynyk
For the Kings, Kelly Olynyk provides the ability to stretch the floor. He's made 34.4 percent of his three-pointers during his career, which would be enough to take a defender with him to the perimeter. In turn, that allows Cousins room to work.
The Boston Celtics would get a long-range shooter to fortify their backcourt. Boston is barely making 33 percent of its three-pointers this season, and adding a young shooter with upside, like the Kings' Nik Stauskas, would improve a weakness.
Taj Gibson
With the ascension of Nikola Mirotic, the Chicago Bulls are set at small forward. That makes Gibson expendable. The Kings have lacked a good power forward for years, and they'd get that in Gibson. Plus, he's under team control through 2016-17.
The Bulls would be getting a solid backup in Jason Thompson. In Ray McCallum, Chicago gets a point guard to back up Derrick Rose and a capable defender to fit Tom Thibodeau's defense. To sweeten the pot, the Kings could throw in a future first-round pick.
John Henson and Ersan Ilyasova
While the Milwaukee Bucks may not want to trade John Henson because he has untapped potential, it's likely to stay that way if he remains in Milwaukee.
Henson is getting only 18.2 minutes per game, and that's with rookie Jabari Parker on the shelf for almost the whole season. Once Parker returns next year, his playing time could take an even bigger hit. Plus, the Bucks would add perimeter shooting and rid themselves of Ersan Ilyasova's contract.
The Kings could use Henson's tenacity on defense. He would play next to Cousins and give Sacramento a formidable shot-blocking duo. Ilyasova would provide the energy and three-point shooting the team will need with Omri Casspi being a free agent. While his contract is more than Casspi would command, he's also a better player.
Free Agents
The Kings also could use their cap space to upgrade the team through free agency. While Sacramento has never been much of a free-agent destination, there are some players out there who would fit the philosophy and be attainable.
For more info on free agents the Kings should target, here's a recent article I wrote.
Bismack Biyombo
Adding Bismack Biyombo would necessitate Cousins moving to power forward. That part of the equation might not be ideal since the spacing would suffer.
On the other hand, Biyombo's shot-blocking and defensive ability could be worth it. With the strides Cousins is making on defense, adding a defender of Biyombo's caliber would make attacking the hoop a difficult proposition.
Andre Miller
Though Andre Miller is already on the Kings, he's a free agent.
At 39 years old, Miller wouldn't be a starter. The Kings also wouldn't need him with Darren Collison coming back. But Miller is still effective, averaging 5.4 assists in 22.8 minutes, plus he's familiar with Karl from their time together in Denver.
Not to mention, Miller is interested in returning to the Kings.
Goran Dragic
Goran Dragic is the pipe dream of the bunch. He'd easily be the biggest free agent in team history if he signed with Sacramento.
Yet, Dragic has experience running an uptempo system from his time in Phoenix. Pushing the pace wouldn't be a problem. He also is effective in the half-court offense, and his ability to break down defenses off the dribble would open up opportunities for other players.
Conclusion
The Kings already have the hardest part taken care of, which is finding a franchise player. If anything positive came out of all these years of losing, Cousins is it. Now, they just need to find pieces who can fit around him.
With the cap flexibility and the ability to make trades, there's no reason they can't do it.
When the Kings' normal starting five of Cousins, Thompson, Gay, McLemore and Collison shared the floor, Sacramento was 16.4 points per 100 possessions better than the opposition.
They're not that far off.
Now, imagine what could happen if the team upgraded its roster and had a full offseason to familiarize itself with Karl's system.
The sky would be the limit, and Cousins would be a happy man.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com, and all salary information is courtesy of HoopsHype.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
