Kings Won't Let Their Guard Down - Page 2

Part of: When Kingdom Come

Kyle Lowry, Rockets (Restricted - $3 million QQ) - While the 24-year-old Lowry is a below-average outside shooter (42% FG, 26% 3PT), he's a terrific ball-handler, uses his speed and athleticism to get to the basket, and has great court vision (6.7 assists per 36 minutes last season). The 6'1" point guard would bring a different look to the Kings' offense as a speedy facilitator, but he'd be hard to pry away after impressing Houston last season.
 
C.J. WatsonC.J. Watson, Warriors (Restricted - $1.2 million QO) - Yet another shoot-first point guard who attacks the rim and rarely looks for his teammates (3.6 assists per 36 minutes), Watson doesn't make a lot of mistakes (1.1 turnovers in 27.5 minutes per game) and shoots a decent percentage from the field (46% FG, 35% 3PT). Fast and athletic, he torched the Kings for 40 points on 23 shots, to go along with seven rebounds and six assists, last February, and would serve as a exceptional scoring punch off the Kings' bench.
 
Luke Ridnour, Bucks - Ridnour, who's averaged less than 10 points and five assists per game over his career, is hardly quick or athletic, but has found a niche as a backup point guard who looks to get his teammates involved in the game. For the Kings, he'd fit in nicely as a veteran reserve, but coming off a highly efficient season — 17.4 points (48% FG, 91% FT) and 6.6 assists per 36 minutes — he could be in high demand as a fall-back options for numerous contenders.
 
Randy Foye, Wizards (Restricted - $4.8 million QO) - With John Wall's arrival and Gilbert Arenas' immovable contract, Washington may opt to let Foye sign elsewhere. Although he's capable of being a prolific scorer (10.1 points in just 23.8 minutes last season), Foye is a mediocre shooter (42% FG, 37% 3PT), poor playmaker for a point guard (4.6 assists per 36 minutes), and questionable defender (1.0 steals per 36 minutes). But the former seventh-overall pick has plenty of upside, and would serve as a solid reserve combo-guard, capable of providing an occasional offensive spark and wing it on the court
 
Josh HowardJosh Howard, Wizards (Restricted - $11.8 million Team Option) - Two years ago, Howard put up nearly 20 points and seven rebounds per game and cemented himself as one of the league's best defenders. But after a few off-the-court issues — admitting to smoking pot and disrespecting the national anthem — he wore out his welcome in Dallas and then tore his ACL four games into his stint with Washington. Coming off a forgettable year in which he averaged 12.7 points (41% FG, 27% 3PT) and 3.6 rebounds, the 30-year-old isn't a lock to be ready for the start of the season and may never get back his lateral quickness. But if he's healthy, the versatile swingman can contribute on both ends and could end up being a bargain pickup at the mid-level exception, once the Wizards decline his option.
 
Steve Blake, Clippers - An experienced, fundamentally-sound point guard, Blake knows how to run the offense while rarely turning the ball over (2.97 assist to turnover ratio) and shoots well from behind the arc (39% 3PT). On the other hand, the 30-year-old doesn't offer much upside or explosiveness, rarely drives to the basket or gets to the foul line (0.9 free throw attempts), and doesn't bring much to the table defensively. In other words, he's a poor-man's Luke Ridnour, and would be a decent, low-cost alternative for the Kings.
 
Will Bynum, Pistons (Restricted - $1 million QO) - Bynum played the most minutes of his career (26.5) in his third season, and put up 10.0 points and 4.5 assists per contest. A poor perimeter shooter (44% FG, 22% 3PT), he's an undersized combo-guard who isn't overly efficient but has shown a lot of improvement in his playmaking ability (even dishing out 20 assists in one game). At 27, he doesn't offer as much upside, but any player with the nickname "Bynumite" merits some consideration.
 
Kyle KorverKyle Korver, Jazz - Korver's forte is undoubtedly three-point shooting and more three-point shooting, with more than half of his career field goal attempts coming from downtown. He led the league in three-point percentage last season (53.6%), breaking Steve Kerr's record for accuracy, but what puts him a notch below Miller, and even Redick, is that the 6'7" Korver averages a meager 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per 36 minutes. The 29-year-old played only 18.3 minutes for Utah last season, the lowest since his rookie year, and could certainly find a similar role in Sacramento — as long as he's not asked to do anything other than spot-up, catch the basketball, and shoot.
 
Eddie House, Knicks: House is the definition of a hired gun, playing for nine teams in 10 seasons and always getting on the court due to his phenomenal shooting (39% 3PT). An unconscious sniper, he moves well off the ball and trails only the Denver Nuggets' J.R. Smith in three-point makes per 36 minutes (3.0) over the last five years. Although he doesn't offer much playmaking ability (3.3 assists per 36 minutes), he commits less than one turnover per game and stays active defensively despite being undersized at 6'1". The one-time King would be a fine rotation player with the ability to give the team a lift off the bench, but at 32, he'd only be a veteran-minimum, stop-gap option.

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Article Author: Alex Kramers

Alex Kramers is the Sacramento Kings fan correspondent on Kings.com; a writer on the basketball humor blog, lowposts.com; and the editor of doktakra.com. He enjoys reminiscing about old school Sacramento Kings teams, fantasizing about Candace Parker, and dreaming of world peace.

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