The No-Bias, No-Hate, No-BS, All-Fun Zone
by: DownsA529
My List: All Time Team, Sacramento Kings
Jul 23, 2008 | 3:53PM | report this

Let's resume the My List countdown with the most traveled team in NBA history, the Sacramento Kings, who were the Kansas City Kings, who were the Kansas City/Omaha Kings, who were the Cincinnati Royals, who were the Rochester Royals (whew!). So, as you can see, I had a lot of history to look at. Here are the nomad's best players.

Starters:

PG: Oscar Robertson: The "Big O" began his career with his hometown Royals in Cincinnati in 1960 (fresh off teaming with Jerry West for Olympic gold) as the top overall selection that year. Robertson had a brilliant debut, averaging 30.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG and 9.7 APG as the Royals improved by 14 wins over the previous year. The next year was perhaps the best all-around stats year in NBA history; Robertson averaged a triple-double (with 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 11.4 APG, leading the Royals to the playoffs for the first time since 1958. Robertson averaged over 30 PPG six times as a Royal (top single season average was 31.4 in 1963-64), had five years with over 10 APG, and was selected to the All-Star team ten times as a Royal, was All-NBA 1st team nine straight years (1961-69), and won one regular season MVP (1964), three All-Star game MVPs (1961, 1964, 1969), and is the Kings' all-time leading scorer and assists man.

SG: Mitch Richmond: Richmond was a solid scorer on some pretty poor Kings teams in the 1990s; if only he had played on a more prominent team in his prime. In any case, Richmond, acquired via trade for Billy Owens from the Warriors in 1991, did the best he could in the mess; he averaged better than 20 PPG each year in Sac town (a high of 25.9 in 1996-97), and made the All-Star team five times with them (1995 game MVP). Despite this, RIchmond made the playoffs with the Kings just once (1996), and though he did win a title with the 2002 Lakers, he was past his prime. Again, what could have been if the team was better.

C: Jerry Lucas: Ohio State fans, rejoice! Lucas may have won his only NBA title with the Knicks in 1973, but his greatest NBA stats years came with the Royals in the 60s. Drafted by the team as a territorial pick in 1962, Lucas joined the team a year later, and had a great debut season, with 17.7 PPG and 17.4 RPG, winning ROY honors (as Robertson did in 1961, btw). Lucas averaged a healthy double-double each full season in CIncy (his scoring high was 21.5 in 1965-66 and 1967-68, and his RPG high was 21.1 in 1965-66), as Lucas made the All-Star team six times as a Royal (1965 game MVP). For his career, he averaged 17 PPG and 15.8 RPG, and made the All-NBA 1st team three times (1965-66, 1968).

SF: Peja Stojakovic: Before moving on to the Pacers and now the Hornets, Stojakovic was (and still is) a sweet-shooting (most of the time) forward for the Kings earlier in this decade (and though I think my backup might have been better, I'll bow to pressure). Drafted by the team #14 overall in 1996, Stojakovic joined the team in 1998-99, and within three years, he became a starter. Peja averaged over 20 PPG four times as a King (career best 24.2 in 2003-04), and made three All-Star teams (2002-04) while there. He also was a key player on the team that reached the 2002 Western Conference finals, before being traded to the Pacers in 2005-06.

PF: Chris Webber: Say what you may about Webber's inability to win the big games, the Kings hadn't played in many big games before he came on the scene (in a trade with Washington for Richmond and Otis Thorpe in 1998). Webber led Sacramento to its first winning season since 1982-83 with a 27-23 mark in the lockout year of 1998-99. Within three years, the Kings were in their first Western final since 1981. Webber averaged better than 20 PPG in five of his six full seasons with the team (high of 27.1 in 2000-01), made four All-Star teams for his career, and had a double-double average five times (rebounding high of 13 per in 1998-99), before being traded to Philadelphia in 2005.

Reserves:

PG:(tie) Mike Bibby/Bob Davies: Davies was one of the great early PGs of the NBA in the 40s and early 50s, but Bibby had a big hand in the Kings success in the early part of this decade. So, they both make it. Davies joined the team while it was still in the NBL (a rival of the BAA/NBA before the two leagues merged in 1949) in 1945, and three years later, he joined the NBA when the Royals, Lakers and Pistons jumped to the BAA. Davies was a solid (for that era) assists man (career best 6 per game in 1951-52), and was a steady scorer (double figures each year, high of 16.2 in 1951-52). He made the first four All-Star teams (1951-54) and led Rochester to the only NBA title in team history in 1951 over the Knicks in 7 games (the first seven game final). Bibby, acquired in a trade with the Grizzlies for Jason Williams in 2001, helped the team reach the Western Conference finals in his first year there, and the team reached the playoffs in each of Bibby's first five years there. Bibby averaged a career best 21.1 PPG in 2005-06, and averaged better than 15,9 in each full season there, until being traded to Atlanta this past season.

SG: Ron Artest: I'll admit that I feel conflicted about this choice; when I did this list initially, I put Otis Birdsong in there. But despite Artest's list of dirty deeds, which have put the NBA into such a bad light I can't explain it, his all-around talent gets the nod here. Artest was acquired in a trade with the Pacers in 2006, after his much-publicized meltdown there, and Artest sparked the Kings to the playoffs that year, averaging 16.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.2 APG. Artest is considered one of the best individual defenders in the league (2004 Defensive POY, over 2 steals per game every full season since 2001) and has made one All-Star game (2004).

C: Vlade Divac: The original flop artist (before Manu Ginobili made it cool), Divac arrived as a FA from the Hornets in 1998, and helped Sacramento turn into a playoff team right away as Divac averaged a double-double for the third (and final) time in his career with 14.3 PPG and 10 RPG. Divac made one All-Star team while in Sac town, helped them reach the playoffs each year he was there, and started for the team that reached the 2002 Western finals.

SF: Jack Twyman: Twyman's prime years were actually better than Peja's prime years, but I knew I'd hear the wolves howl at me, so Twyman is only a backup. Twyman joined the team in Rochester in 1955 (as the team's first selection), and moved with them to Cincinnati two years later. Twyman's prime years came between 1958-59 and 1961-62, where he averaged better than 22.9 PPG each season, and better than 8 RPG as well, and made the All-Star team three times in that span (1959-60, 1962, with additional appearences in 1957, 1958 and 1963). Overall, his career averages were 19.2 PPG and 6.6 RPG.

PF: Maurice Stokes: There is no telling how great Stokes' career could have been had he not gotten severely sick in 1958. As it was, he had three outstanding years before illness struck. Drafted as the 11th player taken by the Royals in 1955, Stokes showed that the team had gotten a steal, as he averaged 16.8 PPG and 16.3 RPG, winning ROY honors. Stokes averaged 16.4 PPG and 17.3 RPG during his three years with the Royals (winning the rebounding title in 1958) before his illness took over. His career was over, and he eventually passed on in 1970. A truly tragic story.

Coaches:

Head Coach: Les Harrison: I put the first coach of the team here because he is the only one who can boast an NBA title with this team. Harrison, who also owned the team from their existence in the NBL until 1958, led Rochester to two division titles (1949 and 1952), six winning seasons (including a 51 win season in 1949-50), and the NBA title in 1951. During his tenure as owner and coach, the team won 394 games, and he was enshrined into the basketball HOF in 1979.

Assistants: Rick Adelman, Cotton Fitzsimmons: Adelman took over the team in 1998, and led the club to its first winning season in 16 years that year. Overall, Adelman had a winning record each year in Sacramento, won two division titles, and took the team to the 2002 Western finals before leaving the team in 2006. Fitzsimmons coached the team from 1978 to 1984, and had three winning seasons while there, and won a division title in 1978-79. His greatest achievement while there was taking the 40-42 Royals to the 1981 Western Conference finals before losing to the Rockets.

Honorable Mentions:

SG: Otis Birdsong: After being on the original list, I had to mention him as an HM. But he was more of a score-only guy, and that lack of vversitility hurt him.

SF: Scott Wedman: Despite making the All-Star team as a King (1976), he is better known as a Celtic.

SG: Doug Christie: Good defender, but Artest is better.

C; Sam Lacey: Very solid player (six times averaged a double-double), but team wasn't as good during his time as it was with Lucas and Divac.

SF: Eddie Johnson: Gained more acclaim with the Suns and Sonics.

PG: Phil Ford: Three good years, but that was about as far as Ford got in the NBA.

SG: Danny Ainge: Better years with the Celtics, Blazers and Suns. Why? Because they won!

PG: Nate Archibald: Wait, I'd like to amend my backup PG choice; put Bibby and Davies in the HM section, and put Archibald as the backup! Archibald, drafted in the second round in 1970, was the only player to lead the league in scoring and assist in 1972-73 (34 PPG, 11.4 APG). He would make six All-Star teams for his career (1981 game MVP), won an NBA title with the Celtics in 1981, and for his career made three All-NBA 1st teams (1973, 1975-76). There, see, even I make mistakes!

On that note, that's the Kings. Tomorrow comes team #16, the Wizards. Until then, don't forget Nate Archibald!

14 Comments | Add a comment   categories: NBA, NBA Tipoff, Sacramento Kings
 
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J-DIZZLE
Jul 23, 2008
8:22 PM
More honorable mentions:

1) Wayman Tisdale
2) Olden Polynice
3) Brian Grant
4) Walt Williams
5) Lionel Simmons

These players, along with Mitch Richmond, were pretty much the Kings of the 90s.

edclinchsaint
Jul 23, 2008
8:23 PM
Nice. Love it.

vearlthepearl
Jul 23, 2008
9:15 PM
J-Dizz I think your a closet Kings fan, those were some #### years and you reel off our stinking best players....very su####ious. Ya I suspect that your from around my area here. Of course I know your a Laker fan, I kinda wonder...........

vearlthepearl
Jul 23, 2008
9:19 PM
Nice stuff DownsA529, you did your homework and put this together nicely! The Big "O" was the greatest point ever!

NiqueD
Jul 23, 2008
10:28 PM
This was a suprise to me to know that the Kings have had so many good players through the years and exactly nothing to show for it.

Oscar Robertson on a Kings list is just wrong. So is Jerry Lucas. If you wanted to do a historical piece on the Royals, that is where I found them but not on the Kings. Please, show some respect.

Last edited by NiqueD on July 23rd at 10:30 PM.

DownsA529
Jul 23, 2008
11:35 PM
Nique, that is a valid point. Many of my selections are from the Royals days, and it did feel strange putting them there. Then again, when I did previous retrospectives, I had players like George Mikan (Minneapolis Lakers), Bob Pettit (St. Louis Hawks) and George Yardley (Fort Wayne Pistons). Maybe it's the lack of team success; this team has gone the longest in NBA history without a title (57 years). Still, even the NBA Enclyclopedia (where the players stats for players before 2000 have come from in this series) lists Robertson as the "Sacramento Kings all time leader in scoring and assists", so I was forced to include them. That's the thing that happens when teams move.

BleedPRPL&GLD
Jul 24, 2008
8:37 AM
Queens

Hoffman
Jul 24, 2008
11:47 AM
Maurice Stokes, great addition.

You really know your hoops Downs. Check your email when you get a chance. I sent you a little something on Rodman.

I hope it forces you to amend your all-time Pistons team.

Chris Webber is one of the most underrated players of all-time. I wrote a piece about his chances at the Hall a few months ago. Needless to say, I'll be disappointed if he's never inducted.

J-DIZZLE
Jul 24, 2008
2:34 PM
VearlthePearl:

I am neither a "closet Kings fan" nor a Sactown resident.

I just watch a lot of basketball and know good players when I see them. Kinda like a scout.

kilu4love
Jul 25, 2008
5:06 AM
oh, so nice discussion,how about enjoying something new? it will be very crazy to check *****m u l t i r a c i a l l o v e.c o m****.you will enjoy more as you loved to...

beacon92
Jul 25, 2008
1:09 PM
Hey, Downs, when are we going to get to see that tournament first round? :)

DownsA529
Jul 25, 2008
3:57 PM
beacon, I kinda gave up on the tournament concept because when I tried to start it up, people got confused by the format. After that, I decided that it probably needed tweaking before I could do it again. So, it might be awhile until I start it up again.

beacon92
Jul 26, 2008
7:30 AM
That's too bad... :( You've got an interesting concept here.

Incidentally, over at my own blog I'm thinking of doing something along these lines with some of baseball's all-time greats.

midtown009
Jul 26, 2008
9:02 AM
You forgot Otis Thorpe and Reggie Theus. Those guys were great for us back in the day. Good Trivia; Reggie is one of only two players in league history 6-6 or taller to have more than 750 assists in a single season, he had 788 in 85-86. The other player? Magic Johnson. He was an All-Star twice in '81 & in '83 when he averaged a career best 24pts a game. Thorpe was a 1992 All-Star. His best season statistically was with the Kings in '87-88 when he averaged 21pts/10rebs a game. I remember when they came to Sacramento in 1985. They could play some ball. Great list BTW I like all your starter picks. I remember Mitch! Too bad he couldn't play in his prime with the Kings of '99-03. That team playing together would be scary for opponents to matchup/think about.

Last edited by midtown009 on July 26th at 10:03 AM.

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ABOUT ME


DownsA529
I am David Downs, and I'm a sports nut who loves basketball and football and am open to good discussion about any sports subject. I am a Detroit sports fan, but I not a homer. Expect frequent vents on subjects that irritate me, and also expect the utmost respect for anybody's opinion, even if they disagree with me. Because, after all, that's what these blogs are all about, aren't they?

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