Not totally sure if this is true. I heard this on another message board but I didn't see anything about it on nba.com or espn.com. I think they have agreed on a contract but it's not official yet.
Where does Keon Clarke fit in with the Kings...won't he be making too much money to come off the bench? At the very least he adds more quality depth to the Kings
I thought they were scare of the Luxury Tax . . . .I doubt Clark gonna take the 1 million exception Rocket River
Excellent acquisition by the Kings, if this is true. He brings a shotblocking presence to the Kings that they haven't had in years. Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, Scott Pollard, and Lawrence Funderburke don't exactly make defenders think twice about going into the paint. Another important thing Keon adds is 6 fouls to give... It seems like the Kings are determined to get over the hump next year.
Maybe he's taking the exception with the Kings telling him they'll sign him to a large contract next year.
Wow... what a great signing for the Kings. Keon's a great help. He can play 3 positions, block shots, rebound, and provide a good bit of athleticism. He lets Pollard slide down to his natural position of PF, and he will definitely keep Vlade fresh for the playoffs. River: the Kings owners (Maloofs) have decided to forget the tax, and are willing to pay it to beat LA. Good for them. By the way, I'm pretty sure this isn't official yet... it is close, though.
Better question would be would you rather have Scot Pollard and Laurence Funderburke or Keon Clark coming in to rest Vlade/Webber? Good move by Sac-town.
Yep, a player who hasn't been offered a contract by other teams is really making the Lakers quake in their shoes. I'm sure Shaq is wondering how he'll score on the tough Clark.
The deal's not done by any means; in fact, the only two sources are one-liners from both ESPN Insider ("a league source indicates that Keon Clark is close to signing a long-term deal with the Sacramento Kings") and the NY Post ("Keon Clark is close to signing with the Kings") - and that was part of a much larger article about Michael Doleac! Take it as you may, but he's not going to get major minutes in Sacramento next year. I agree with kidrock - Pollard's much better and as a starter, he'd be one of the better centers in the league. Keon will just get eaten up in the West by midseason, I think. And I thought they were afraid of the luxury tax just by having to pay Mike Bibby his due? Guess the Maloofs decided to forget about it and just go for the title. (note: looking over the thread a bit more carefully, I see the same thing from The Cat as well.)
I think Clark should sign with the Lakers and be their starting PF, that's all he can be in the west anyhow...
Clarke's not gonna make the all star team or anything but saying Pollard is a better option than him is a bit off. Pollard gives his all and is a tough player but he doesn't have anywhere near the size or athleticism to even bother Shaq. Keon will be good for at least make Shaq think twice about letting him get the ball at the hoop. Pollard was just nowhere near Shaq's level. Keon will be a good backup for Vlade and will be the starter when Vlade retires.
I really don't see how Keon can make Shaq twice about anything. Yes Keon has some athleticism but he's rail thin. Shaq would eat him alive. That being said I do see Keon as an excellent weak side and help defender.
As far as matching up against hte Lakers, Pollard is better. Clark is a better offensive player, and blocks shots here and there, but he doesn't give the Kings what they need most, toughness. A finesse team just got more finesseier if that's even a word. This is equivalent to if the Mavs added more shooters who can't play defense. He is as at lesat the Kings best or 2nd best shot blocker now, but the Kings need post defenders more than they need shot blockers.
Conversely though, have you seen Shaq try to guard quicker Centers off the dribble? It's a pretty funny site. If he trys to step out, Keon will drive around him faster than Hakeem did in 95. Keon is a sick athlete. And if he plays his usual lazy, give your man the wideopen midrange J, Keon can hit it consistently. On D, the Kings will not put Keon on Shaq, he'll be a weakside help defender and can block shots. Great move if it's true.
Uh, too bad Keon can't handle the ball. Seeing Keon try to dribble will be funnier than seeing Shaq try to guard him. If the Kings want to ignore Peja, Bibby, and Webber to iso Clark, then that is only to the Lakers favor. Also, why would Shaq step out on Clark? Clark can't hit a jumper to save his life. Shaq doesn't step out for centers who can shoot, so there's little chance that Shaq would step out for Clark.
You must not watch much of Clark. He improved his jumper bigtime last year (saying he can't hit a J to save his life is as ridiculous as saying Pollard is more valuable, the same Pollard who was utterly useless this year against LA) and Clark routinely drives around slower defenders and takes the ball to the rack. A very underrated player. His weakside shotblocking presence is something the Kings have lacked for a few years now. The Kings offense suffered with Pollard on the floor (4 on 5)and they were dead in the water when Divac got into foul trouble. Clark helps in that regard. The Kings don't need more post defenders. All they need to do is not get raped by the refs like they did in Game 6 and hit their FT's and they'll knock off LA.
