This is not what I had in mind when I wanted the Kings to make a big move this off-season. Like the majority of Sacramento's recent transactions, the signing of Sean May represents a low-risk, potentially high-reward acquisition in the form a former lottery pick who's yet to reach his full potential. A proven winner in the collegiate ranks, May will essentially be fighting for his pro career in Sacramento, armed with a new-found urgency and motivation to succeed (or at least to keep hauling those NBA paychecks). Stop me if you've heard this story before.
Regardless of how it pans out, the Kings have characteristically opted for a mediocre player at the expense of signing a proven veteran who can make an actual difference in the standings, whether it be David Lee, Lamar Odom, or even Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Instead, May joins the ranks of Shelden Williams and Ike Diogu as Sacramento's latest reclamation project who'd previously failed to live up to expectations in another city. After Charlotte declined to make a qualifying offer to the former number 13 pick, he's expected to accept the Kings' one-year deal for the league minimum.
On the plus side (no pun intended), May is infinitely more skilled on the offensive end than Williams, and has displayed more potential and consistency than Diogu. Still only 25, he's showcased a solid mid-range jump shot, good inside footwork, and a knack for scoring around the basket. In his second season, he put up a solid statistical line of 11.9 points (50% FG shooting), 6.7 rebounds (2.1 offensive) and 0.7 blocks per game in 24 minutes of action, and holds a respectable rebounding rate of 9.6 boards per 36 minutes for his career. If May even comes close to matching that type of production as Jason Thompson's primary backup at power forward, the Kings will end up getting a bargain.
Of course, the biggest knocks on Sean May have been his exceptionally poor conditioning and troubling injury history. After an early season knee sprain cost him most of his rookie season, he underwent micro fracture surgery and sat out the entire 2007-08 campaign. Hardly a male model before the injuries, May's weight ballooned to the point where he was deemed physically unfit to play basketball for the final four months of the 2008-09 season (though I'm sure he could've still been an MLB pitcher). He'll now presumably be expected to be the Kings' first big man off the bench and make an immediate contribution rather than play himself into shape as the year progresses . While he's reportedly shed many of those excess pounds and has looked impressive in team workouts, he's yet to play more than 35 games in a single season, appearing in just 82 out of a possible 328 games in his first four years in the NBA.
The trials of Williams and Diogu followed a similar, discouraging trend: initial optimism and tempered excitement about getting a recent high draft pick, lowered expectations when the player shows some, but far too few signs of miraculously putting it all together, and finally, an unheralded dismissal. With May, perhaps the third time's the charm for the Kings.
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