| 06 January 2009
After a long hiatus, I have made my triumphant return to my blog and the internets.
I can't complain because I spent Christmas week on a Mexican cruise. I didn't even get sick after eating tacos at some shack south of Puerto Vallarta, and I drank a six-pack of Pacifico beer before 11am and came within 10 feet of a humpback whale on Christmas. If that weren't enough, Mrs. Good Knowledge and I finally got a Nintendo Wii. Let me tell you, bowling and golf on the Wii are more addictive that Reese's Peanut Butter Cups sprinkled with crack.
Apparently John Salmons hasn't been having a very good New Year. Salmons seems to be upset with his lack of production since the return of Kevin Martin. Salmons has only averaged 13 points per game on 31% shooting in the four games since Martin returned. During that same stretch Martin has averaged 30 points per game on 45% shooting from the field and 42-43 from the line. Salmons' complaint that plays aren't being drawn for him is completely unfounded. He has averaged 14.5 FGA per game in the last four games which is second only to Martin's 18.5 FGA during that stretch.
This does serve to point out a more serious problem for the Kings: Martin is as efficient as any scorer in the league, but he is not a one-man show. He would be an absolutely lethal second option on a good team. The Kings are obviously not that, so Martin has been forced into a role that doesn't become him. I could argue that Martin is a top 10 scorer in the league, but he doesn't give the Kings the same playmaking ability of Kobe Bryant or Brandon Roy. This isn't a bad thing, but it points to the Kings' desperate need for a better point guard/playmaker.
Beno Udrih doesn't defend or look for his teammates nor is he a good enough outside shooter to keep teams honest, but he can still make contributions. His contract may no longer call for it, but Udrih could be a very good sixth man on this club. He is serviceable and young and could be great in 12-15 minute intervals. Any team would love him coming off the bench (Note: This statement apparently does not apply to the Spurs and T-Wolves).
Udrih's biggest problem is that he doesn't fit with the Kings current roster. This team is built with centers that play the perimeter (Spencer Hawes & Brad Miller), athletic young bigs (Jason Thompson & Donte Greene) and a glut of above average shooting guards that can play small forward (Martin, Salmons & Garcia). This is the type of team that would flourish with a pass-first point that makes plays for his teammates and defends on the perimeter.
Disclaimer: What follows may seem a little desperate, I apologize in advance.
It may be asking for too much, but can we just see the Kings end up with the second pick and bring Ricky Rubio over from Spain? He'd be the perfect fit for this team. He would be a hit in Sacramento. I wouldn't have to move to another NBA city or cheer for a different team. I wouldn't ask for anything for my anniversary, birthday or Christmas (except maybe a Ricky jersey).
Along with all these things I've already proclaimed 2009 The Year of Rubio. In fact I plan on creating my own Rubian calendar. For example, 2009 will be changed to year 1 A.R. (After Rubio), 2010 will be 2 A.R., etc. Don't worry I'll be sending it to Rome to get it sanctioned. I'm sure the Pope won't mind.
This may not be very popular, but I'm fully prepared to yell "Rick Rolled" every time Rubio crosses someone up in a game. I'm willing to make this sacrifice for La Pistola.
Knowing my luck, the Kings will probably fall to the fifth pick and draft some over-hyped player out of the Pac 10, and Stern will find a way to get Rubio on the Knicks. I don't want to move to New York. It's too expensive, and I hate the Mets, Yankees, & Jets along with their fans. On the bright side, I'd be able to find the real Original Rays.
End of this week's stalkerific portion of Good Knowledge. Thank you for your patience.
One last piece of advice, click on the Esquire link. The January issue contains representatives from each state contributing stream of conscious interviews about their ideas on life, careers, etc. They've finally posted just about all of them online. The best stuff was provided by Clint Eastwood, Eminem and Larry Bird. We've linked to Larry Bird's contribution in today's ESV, but you should really dig deeper into the rest of the interviews. They're phenomenal.
A little good knowledge can go a long way.
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