My name is Patrick Crawley (a.k.a. The Basketball Fiend). I’m new to the FanSided roster, but I’ve been the managing editor over at Basketball Fiend for a year. I’ve been a passionate Kings fan since age 5 and I can’t wait for their return to greatness. I’m looking forward to contributing to A Royal Pain and writing for true Kings fans. Check out my first contribution to A Royal Pain below and, if you like it, head over to Basketball Fiend for more NBA content.

Today I forked over $14.99 to NBA.com for the right to watch Summer League games. A good choice? Well, not really. The announcing is awful, the video quality makes The Breakfast Club look like HD, and the broadcast team has a penchant for cutting to highlights at the exact wrong time.

Other than that it’s great.

Though I have my beef with the NBA.com Summer League pass, I have to say I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to watch the Kings’ young players in action. It’s one thing to read a review online. It’s another to watch guys like Tyreke Evans, Donte Greene, Jason Thompson, Omri Casspi, and Jon Brockman on a play-by-play basis.

I enjoy getting to know the tendencies of the young guys on the court (on defense, on pick-and-rolls, on the break, etc.) and seeing how they work together. Since at least 2/5 of Sacramento’s projected starting lineup is playing here in Vegas, the chemistry between the guys says a lot about what we can expect in the 2008-09 season.

Below I’ve included a couple of observations about the main players on the Kings’ Summer League roster. Eze already did a great breakdown of the first game (a loss to the Pistons) so be sure to check that out as well.

Tyreke Evans

I think this kid has a very bright future. Against the Pistons he routinely beat his man off the dribble and had little trouble finishing in traffic. His ten free throw opportunities are a testament to his ability to get into the lane and wreak havoc. As a distributor, he needs work. But he’s not as raw as his boxscore suggests. Tyreke had quite a few excellent passes that should have ended in baskets, but teammates flubbed the finish. With that said, he definitely needs to take better care of the ball. (A 1:2 assist-to-turnover ratio is unacceptable.)

On the defensive end, Tyreke is a monster. His wingspan and lateral quickness make it very difficult for opposing guards to turn the corner on him. He’s also much stronger than the average point guard; an asset that also helps him finish in the lane. I was impressed at Tyreke’s ability to defend one-on-one and avoid ball-watching, but he does need work with defending screens. He got caught on quite a few of them in the Pistons game.

Once he improves on a few areas of his game – perimeter shooting, decision-making, defending screens – Reke is going to be one of the most difficult matchups in the league.

Omri Casspi

Casspi showed good touch on his midrange shots. He also demonstrated his leadership ability and knowledge of the game by directing teammates on the court. You can tell he has competitive fire. I like that. The Kings need more of it. (Particularly after last season.)

Casspi needs to bulk up a lot. He’s going to compete against small forwards like Ron Artest next season and right now I don’t think he’s physically big enough to do that. But he has qualities that will help the Kings to become a better team. Even if his immediate impact on the court is limited to small contributions.

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