Sacramento Kings 2012-13 Season Player Previews – Aaron Brooks

October 1, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings point guard

(3) during media day at Kings Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-US PRESSWIRE

Aaron Brooks has been the apple of Sacramento Kings GM Geoff Petrie‘s eye for quite some time. Petrie and the Kings had attempted to acquire the former Oregon Duck at least two times before finally inking the Seattle native to a contract this past offseason and now that the point guard is in purple and black, the Kings are expecting big things out of the former first round pick. However, with a backcourt that already contains Marcus Thornton, Jimmer Fredette, Isaiah Thomas and Tyreke Evans – you can’t help but wonder how it will all play out. Here’s what some of the A Royal Pain team think:

Scott– The Kings only free agent signing, Brooks should slot in as the team’s backup point guard. He’ll hopefully bring outside shooting — he made an NBA-best 209 three-pointers with the Rockets in 2009-10. Keith Smart likes to push the tempo, and few players in the league have the speed of Brooks. As an added bonus, Brooks is somewhat of a veteran who has playoff experience, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him finish games on the floor on nights when he has his shot flowing.

Marilyn – Aaron Brooks has us wondering what he will bring to the party. Geoff Petrie made no secret he has always liked Brooks. When the opportunity arose to sign him as a free agent, he took it. During the 2009-10 NBA Season with the Houston Rockets, Brooks boasted a .398 three-point shooting percentage, with 5.3 assists and 19.6 points per game to go along with it. He was an exciting, fast-paced, and energetic player to watch, making a number of highlight reels. After he got sidelined with an injury, his career stalled. He was traded to Phoenix. Then last season, he played in China, where he reportedly did quite well. At this point, it is unclear how or where Brooks is going to fit into the backcourt with Isaiah Thomas, Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, and Jimmer Fredette. If Brooks can bring the same kind of intensity to his game he showed with the Rockets, he should an exciting addition.

Bryan – The Brooks addition was a weird one to me – not so much because it wasn’t needed, it just made you wonder what exactly the Kings backcourt plan was. Tyreke Evans, who clearly plays his best game with the ball in his hands and isn’t exactly fond of playing small forward gets pushed to the three more often with the Brooks addition. Jimmer Fredette goes from a potential rotation player to rarely seeing the floor and Isaiah Thomas goes from obvious starter to split starter. That all said, Brooks’ talent is a welcome addition as Thomas was the lone point on the Kings roster, but Brooks addition speaks more to the confusing build of talent the Kings posses. The big question for Brooks and the Kings is what type of player are they getting. During Brooks’ tenure with the Houston Rockets, at least during the 09-10 season, the former Oregon product looked to be on his way to becoming one of the league’s better point guards but injuries and then eventually playing behind Steve Nash in Phoenix derailed that fast track to stardom before he signed a one year deal last season to play in China. As far as my expectations, I expect a very solid season from Brooks – nothing close to his peak performance in Houston, but certainly serviceable and well worth the money. There will be some growing pains all around the backcourt at first, but they’ll work themselves out (as much as they can) in due time.