I don't think I've been so excited to go see an 11-39 team play in my life. Yes, the Kings are coming off a 48-point loss to the Suns but being able to look back on the good days with C-Webb and others in the house will be great tonight. The only down-fall of this retirement ceremony is the timing.
I definitely believe Webb's No.4 jersey should be in the rafters but I'm not sure about this year. I want Webber along with Vlade Divac to get the ovation that they deserve and if only 14,000 people are in ARCO for the ceremony, it won't be right. The Kings probably sold-out every SINGLE game that Webber and Vlade played in for the franchise. The fans were crazy and teams feared coming to ARCO and seeing the 17, 317 fans. The LAST thing I want to see are those ugly blue seats throughout the arena.
I know, I know....the team is bad and so is the economy. People don't have the money to be dropping 100 dollars to see a retirement ceremony, that's exactly why the franchise should have waited. Sure, the four-game ticket pack that the teams offering is pretty cool with it including Webb's retirement vs Utah, Vlade's vs the Hornets along with games against the Cavs and Lakers, but at this time it doesn't really matter who is out there. The fans will come out win this team brings in a superstar and starts to win.
They should've waited until they were on the rise again to celebrate past players, not when the bitterness is at an all-time high.
Another reason to be excited is the Amar'e trade winds are swirling. I'm going to take full credit for the idea of moving Kevin Martin in a package to get the man put this franchise back on the map. It's soooo hard not to picture S.T.A.T. in a Kings uniform but I don't want to get my hopes up. All I want is for Geoff Petrie to show some interest in acquiring Amar'e and if the Suns laugh at your offer of Martin and others, then oh well.
Whitey Gleason had the best idea: Trade for Amar'e tonight and have Webber announce the trade at half-time....Yeah, I love dreaming...
-Dave "Deuce" Mason
dave.mason@cbsradio.com
Time for the Kings to make a splash: Get STAT
Updated-2/2/09
At 11-38 on the year, no one should be untouchable for the Kings. A lot of fans look for the Kings to make a splash in free-agency but in my mind, not many players will be attracted to Sacramento. Does any player want to play in front of 10,000 fans in a city that many players don't like to visit? I don't think so. The only way the Kings get the turned out is for Petrie to work his trade magic, like he did in May of 1998 when he traded for Chris Webber.
Luckily for the Kings, their is a man in Phoenix that isn't very happy. A player that, in my mind, can turn around a franchise and bring excitement back to a region that has been missing it for the last several years. His name is Amar'e Stoudemire.
In Phoenix, things aren't going well for new head coach Terry Porter. Players are unhappy with his offensive philosophy and the Suns (25-20) are struggling even after acquiring Jason Richardson from Charlotte. Following their most recent loss at home to the Bulls, players expressed their unhappiness with the situation and some observers have brought up the possibility of trading Amar'e. Many in the organization have questioned Amar'e's attitude (sounds like C-Webb in Washington).
The time is now for the Kings to make a HUGE splash and the means looking to trade some young talent they're committed to over the next several years. Although the organization signed Kevin Martin to a five-year extension, Martin would be a great trade commodity because of his age and scoring ability. If the Suns trade Amar'e, they're doing it so they can look forward to the future with both Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal becoming free-agents in 2010.
It's time for the Kings trade Kevin Martin to make a splash. Although he has been touted as the potential franchise player with Sacramento, it's clear he may not have that ability.
I have come up with a pipe-dream trade that could change the Kings fortunes for years to come. Thanks to the ESPN trade checker, I've come up with a trade that works out money-wise for all-three teams involved:
For Portland, they get a guy they have been interested in with John Salmons and two-great character players in Grant Hill and Mikki Moore. Although they have a log-jam at small-forward, they could look to trade Travis Outlaw or Martell Webster.
On the Suns side, they get Raef LaFrentz's expiring deal along with a young-talent in Kevin Martin. It will be the first-step of rebuilding for the Suns.
For the Kings, it's pretty simple...they need a name and a player that has the potential to turn-around the franchise much like Chris Webber did. A front-court with rookie Jason Thompson and Amar'e Stoudemire would be fun to watch and hopefully bring people out to the games. They would also get a point guard in Sergio Rodriguez that could push Beno Udrih for the starting role. Depth in the backcourt would be a concern for Sacramento but could be addressed via a Brad Miller trade along with the NBA draft.
Okay, I know, I know this may never happen but it's fun to dream.
-Dave "Deuce" Mason
Disagree with Deuce? Do you have your own crazy trade ideas? Send an e-mail to dave.mason@cbsradio.com
