Kings and Suns Head Into Season Filled With Question Marks

By Ryan Raigrodski

For several years now, the Sacramento Kings’ franchise has gotten used to one thing, losses upon losses. For the past few seasons, they have sat in the bottom of the West where fans wonder, even before the season starts, how high of a pick they will get in the draft.

AP Photo/ Steve Yeater

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have been consistent contenders for years, since signing point guard Steve Nash. While they did not make the playoffs last season, they still were in the hunt most of the year. Now that they have lost the face of their franchise to the division rival Lakers, however, fans of the Suns have about the same expectations that Kings fans have had for the first time in a while.

Besides John Salmons, the entire Kings starting lineup consists of players that they have drafted over the past few seasons. All of these players may start, but they have huge question marks that they have been unable to answer.

Isaiah Thomas put up solid numbers as the starting point guard last year but still is very undersized for the position and has trouble guarding anyone. Tyreke Evans won rookie of the year several seasons ago, but tends to hold on to the ball too much, taking too many shots and missing many of them. Center Demarcus Cousins has huge athletic ability, but has a bad attitude and work ethic that many remember from his days at Kentucky. Finally, starting power forward Thomas Robinson, who was drafted with the fifth overall pick this season, may have been the second best player in college basketball last season, but many wonder if that game can translate to the NBA.

The way that the Suns roster is built certainly is not like the Kings, but has similar question marks. The Suns roster is filled with veterans who have proved they can play consistently at a solid level, but no player on their roster has been able to truly stand out as a star or big-time player throughout their career. Their starting lineup consists of Goran Dragic (point guard), Shannon Brown (shooting guard), Jared Dudley (small forward), Luis Scola (power forward) and center Marcin Gortat. All have made strong contributions to the teams they have played for throughout their careers, but none of these players have been able to get over that hump and take their game to the next level.

The major question for the Kings is clear; can their young players overcome their issues and take their games to the next level? Suns fan will ask, can any of these players change from contributors to all-star players this season? If the Suns and Kings cannot answer their teams’ major questions with a yes at the end of the year, they can look at another year of drafting in the lottery.