NBA season ends - debates surrounding Kings continue

The underlying stories throughout the NBA Finals this year ?
Seattle v. Oklahoma City, Cleveland v. Miami, Lebron winning his first title,
Kevin Durant coming of age and learning a valuable lesson ? are all behind us
now, but there are plenty of debates still to be had.
The Finals is always a harsh reality for other franchises in the league. Some teams are closer than others to reaching that elite status and no other franchise (with maybe the exception of the Charlotte Bobcats) knows that more than the Sacramento Kings. With the No. 5 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday, the Kings will have yet another opportunity to add to the rebuilding effort. Many in the fan base hope Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the well-rounded small forward out of Kentucky, is available. To see other college prospects who are possibilities at No. 5, check out my previous post.??

No matter who is available at No. 5, however, the buck stops with the Maloofs. They need to put a genuine financial effort into this rebuild, and that goes beyond the draft.?

It?s not hard to question the happenings in Sacramento over the last six-seven years. As owners, the Maloofs have repeatedly said they are going to spend to get better. They also have said they needed a new arena because Power Balance Pavilion is outdated. But what the brothers Maloof say and what they actually do don?t always match up. ?

The NBA Finals are a picture perfect image of the haves and have-nots in this league, both on and off the floor. The Heat?s gym looks like a space ship that could take off at any moment or turn into a high-powered ship and speed off into the ocean waters it sits next to. In Sacramento, we have a dilapidated warehouse in the middle of a flood zone.?

Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City isn?t as visually appealing as AmericanAirlines Arena, but it is put together nicely and is nestled into a downtown area that the city's political leaders have done an admirable job revitalizing.

Anyway, let?s get back to the basketball side of things. Petrie has been on the hot seat for some time now. And let face it, Mikki Moore signings will do that to a fellow. But let?s not kid ourselves; most of Petrie?s mishaps are a direct result of the Maloofs not opening the checkbook. With the lowest payroll in the league, it doesn?t exactly make it easy on Petrie to go out and land big free agents or make trades. That?s not to say Petrie should be completely let off the hook, because there also is the Chuck Hayes signing and drafting Quincy Douby. ?Petrie's contract was extended in 2009 through next season, so he also has some pressure on his shoulders whether he likes to admit it or not (and he will never admit that). We are entering a new era in the NBA. The Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Celtics and Mavs all look like they are headed for rebuild mode. The Grizzlies, Clippers and Timberwolves are on the rise. Will the Kings even be in the discussion? Does the same group that put together the Webber/Divac team have it in them to do it again? Do Kings fans even believe they can do it again? With the franchise clearly leaning toward making DeMarcus Cousins the centerpiece, the Kings are going to have to continue to take a few steps back as they move away from having Tyreke Evans dominate the ball. They began that transition at the end of last season, and rumblings of an Evans trade have continued to surface. Cousins is a tremendous talent and has the potential to be one of the best big men, if not the best, in the league. But while he seemed to control his emotions a little bit better last season, one has to wonder if emotionally he is the right guy to lead by example. He can play the role of the most talented player on the roster. But is he the hardest-working guy on the team that shows up and early, stays late and can provide steady guidance to his teammates? That has yet to be seen.

For different reasons, Evans doesn?t have that type of personality either. This of course is where Isaiah Thomas has come in like a breath of fresh air. The headstrong rookie played the vocal leader of the squad in the second half of last season and Cousins embraced it. Marcus Thornton has a work ethic that is admirable as well.

These are the moving pieces that Petrie is tasked with adding to on Thursday. Or he could make a trade for a veteran who is already established in the league and can make an immediate impact.

The debate of whether Lebron James will win a championship is over. In Sacramento, the debate is what have the Maloofs learned and what will they do to set things right both off the floor and on the floor? The question must be answered with actions rather than words. ?

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