Today we continue our list of the Top 50 Sacramento Kings of All-Time. To help calculate these rankings, I am using the very official and very mathematical “KANGZ (Kinda Accurate Net GainZ) score) which factors in a players tenure, role, intangibles and individual and team success. A perfect KANGZ score is a 25. This system is obviously perfect because I used math and an acronym which makes these rankings 100% official and legitimate. Stop asking questions.
On to the list!
40. Olden Polynice
KANGZ score: 13
345 GP, 10.8 PPG, .495 FG%, 8.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 STL, 0.8 BLK
3rd All-Time in Offensive Rebounds (1,130)
8th All-Time in Defensive Rebounds (1,923)
6th All-Time in Total Rebounds (3,053)
If I had to hazard a guess, Polynice is probably the least liked player among the Kings fanbase in this ranking. That’s what happens when you flip off the crowd in Sacramento, something Polynice did in 1999 when he was with Seattle. Still, Polynice was the starting center for the Kings during some of their only good years in the mid-90s, including the year they made the playoffs in 1996. Polynice also ranks among the Sacramento-era leaders in Total Rebounds.
39. John Salmons
KANGZ Score: 13.1
353 GP, 10.7 PPG, .445 FG%, .363 3P%, 3.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.9 STL, 0.3 BLK
Through no fault of his own, John Salmons was part of some of the most miserable Kings teams of the last 20 years. During his first stint, he was an up and coming wing, but the team was in full rebuild mode and needed to send him to Chicago as a sweetener to get out of Brad Miller’s contract. His second stint coincided with one of the worst trades in Kings history as the Kings traded down in the draft and sent Beno Udrih to Milwaukee in the hopes that Salmons could fill the void at Small Forward instead of just drafting a Small Forward like say, Kawhi Leonard. Let’s just say that might not have been the best idea and leave it at that.
38. Jon Barry
KANGZ Score: 13.1
167 GP, 6.1 PPG, .437 FG%, .373 3P%, 2.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 STL, 0.1 BLK
2nd All-Time in FT% (.886)
Barry was a fan favorite in his few years in Sacramento, providing spark off the bench as part of the original “bench mob”. The Kings made the playoffs in each of Barry’s three seasons with the Kings but they opted to go younger when they traded him and a pick to Detroit for Mateen Cleaves. Younger isn’t always better though. Cleaves only played 89 career games over five seasons after the trade while Barry played 308 in meaningful roles for playoff teams.
37. Beno Udrih
KANGZ Score: 13.2
296 GP, 12.6 PPG, .481 FG%, .361 3P%, 3.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 STL, 0.1 BLK
Beno Udrih had big shoes to fill when he came to Sacramento. The Kings had just traded Mike Bibby the previous year and Udrih was to take his place. Beno obviously never lived up to that standard but he still was a solid player for a Kings team rebuilding on the fly. He earned several nicknames from the legendary Jerry Reynolds, including “Beno Draino” and the “Tasmanian Slovenian”. Perhaps his best highlight as a Sacramento King was during his first preseason with the team when he broke Kobe Bryant’s ankles, showcasing both his crafty spin move and ability to knock down midrange jumpers. In his four seasons in Sacramento, Beno shot a ridiculous 52.1% from 10-16 feet per basketball-reference.com.
36. Walt Williams
KANGZ Score: 13.3
238 GP, 14.9 PPG, .430 FG%, .330 3P%, 4.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.2 STL, 0.7 BLK
“The Wizard” as he was known, entered the league about 20 years too early. Williams was a ballhandling wing that could shoot from outside and take you inside. In today’s NBA, that skillset would have made him invaluable. As a rookie, Williams had a 40 point game in 30 minutes coming off the bench in a 56 point blowout win against the Philadelphia 76ers. Only Buddy Hield and Kevin Martin have scored more points for the Kings as reserves. Williams never became a star, but for a brief moment, Kings fans glimpsed the future of a league that valued versatility over size and power.
35. Duane Causwell
KANGZ Score: 13.5
429 GP, 5.5 PPG, .516 FG%, 4.7 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.5 STL, 1.6 BLK
1st All-Time in Blocks (695)
8th All-Time in FG% (.516)
10th All-Time in Games Played (429)
Ah Duane Causwell, the Jason Thompson of the 1990s. Causwell, despite not being a particularly good player, played with Sacramento for 7 seasons, spending various time as a starter or reserve. The one thing Causwell was good at was blocking shots. He remains to this day the Sacramento-era blocks leader and 2nd place isn’t even close. Causwell also got to be part of the Kings first playoff series in 10 years when they made it in 1996.
34. Michael Smith
KANGZ Score: 13.7
246 GP, 6.2 PPG, .548 FG%, 7.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 STL, 0.7 BLK
2nd All-Time in FG% (.548)
Over the years, the Kings have always seemingly had a hustle and energy big man off the bench, whether it was Scot Pollard, Lawrence Funderburke or Quincy Acy. “The Animal” was perhaps the start of this trend. The Kings drafted Smith in 1994 with the 35th pick and he immediately provided an impact off the bench.
33. Harrison Barnes
KANGZ Score: 13.8
92 GP, 14.6 PPG, .457 FG%, .391 3P%, 5.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.6 STL, 0.1 BLK
The jury is still out on Barnes. He joined the Kings late last season in a trade that sent out Justin Jackson and the corpse of Zach Randolph. In terms of player value, the Kings came out way ahead on that trade and Barnes played well enough to earn himself a nice contract extension. Barnes struggled at times this season in Luke Walton’s new offense, but at other times looked like the team’s best player. He’s skilled in the post and from outside, and is a better defender than he’s given credit for. Given Barnes’ contract, he’s set to be a King for a while barring a trade, so we’ll see how this ranking looks in a few years time.
32. Antoine Carr
KANGZ Score: 14
110 GP, 19.7 PPG, .503 FG%, 5.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.5 STL, 1.2 BLK
Carr’s been getting a little bit of media attention lately simply because of ‘The Last Dance’, as Utah’s duels with Jordan’s Bulls have become a hot topic once more. For most of his career, Carr was a solid roleplayer, but for a brief moment over 110 games in Sacramento, Carr was a star, a big fish in a little pond. The Kings weren’t any good, but Carr led the team in scoring during the 1990-91 season. Of course, the Kings being the Kings, they blew it all up without a second thought and sent Carr to San Antonio for Dwayne Schintzius, who is best known for his epic mullet.
31. Isaiah Thomas
KANGZ Score: 14.2
216 GP, .447 FG%, .360 3P%, 2.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 STL, 0.1 BLK
The only reason Isaiah Thomas isn’t much higher on this list is because of Pete D’Alessandro. Thomas was drafted as a seeming afterthought by the Kings with the last pick of the 2011 draft. All the hype around the teams was around their 1st round selection, Jimmer Fredette. It didn’t take long for fans or the team to figure out that Thomas was simply better, and not only was he better, he was potentially a star himself. Few players in Kings history were capable of going on hot streaks like Isaiah. By his third season in Sacramento, Thomas was scoring 20.3 points a game and even better, was set to be a restricted free agent. Pete D’Alessandro decided that he wanted a more “traditional” point guard and signed-and-traded Thomas to Phoenix and instead signed Darren Collison. Thomas would go on to become a two-time All-Star in Boston and even a legitimate MVP candidate in 2017. I’m still salty about this.
Tomorrow: 30-21
So if Jon Barry with his paltry stats and less than 170 games makes it #38, that surely means that Omri is in the 30-21 tier! Wow.
Omri was on the bubble of the top 50. Looking back, I probably could have snuck him in. He did have two very different stints. FWIW he was the cut I felt the worst about.
It’s worth nothing. I feel empty inside.
I downvoted you, and still feel empty inside.
Ohh .. you can down vote … Nice !
I wanted to post this, but what’s the use now?
Instead let’s watch John Barry hitting a free throw…
That was very exciting to watch. I can’t believe he isn’t in the top 50.
I mean, I have no issue with most of the names on this list, but John Barry?
Barry – 167 GP, 6.1 PPG, .437 FG%, .373 3P%, 2.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 STL, 0.1 BLK
Casspi – 306 GP, 9.6 PPG, .456 FG%, .387 3P%, 4.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 STL, 0.2 BLK
Barry started just 3 games, Omri 100. Barry played a total of 3027 minutes, Omri 7326.
Barry gets rewarded for piggybacking a strong team (like Funderburke).
Omri was part of a dysfunctional franchise and wasn’t always good, but always gave his all. He truly loves Sacramento, was looking to become an investor in the Republic and was always courteous to the fans here. He resigned for less money to stay here, giving more than lip service to the often rote words of players stating to be happy in Sacramento.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ0JMxNzbnU
He was expecting to continue to flourish under Karl’s system, instead (and for no clear reason) getting into the doghouse of Joerger, leading to an inauspicious ending to his tenure here. And now this. …
I’ll start by saying I liked Casspi a lot, and more than Barry. That said…
Casspi’s first stint here was a huge disappointment. Small forward was there for the taking (Omri! Donté!! Omri!!! Donté!!!!), but he could not seal the deal. He basically needed to learn how to be Alfred (not even Robin) instead of the Batman role that he had held in international ball. By his second trip here, he had learned his lesson, but I don’t think that his second stay completely negates the poor performance of his first stay, and here is where the argument could be made that Barry was a more important contributor to a far, far, far superior team.
My guess: No one in Boston or LA will ever get caught arguing the likes of Omri Casspi vs. Jon Barry for their respective top 50s.
This is why I find this list nothing but depressing.
If DMC is in the top ten (he probably will be), I will be really depressed.
He sort of represents almost everything that I thorougly disliked about this team from the day he came to the day he left.
The 31st best guy in Sacramento history is a guy who played on 4-5 teams and had a debilitating hip injury after the Kings dumped him for a bag of chips.
it’s gonna be an uuuugly list. not sure if the bottom end or the top end of the list will be more depressing.
Should be called a “STOP!!!” 50 list.
On top of that, TFM, that guy was probably one of the ten best players ever to take the court for a Sacramento Kings team. He only got “shorted” on this list due to a lack of tenure.
I don’t disagree; but (a) we are not in Boston or in LA, (b) his first season was full of promise, and (c) if you look at the environment he was put in, with the force-fed Reke ROY campaign, the coaching carousel and Cousins tantrums (to name just a few things off the top of my head), a part of his lack of development can be easily attributed to Omri himself, but certainly a large(r?) part to this crappy franchise.
It is easier to be a contributor on a smooth running, well coached team than on a shitshow. Look at the difference (read decline) in impact and efficiency of many ex-Spurs over the last decade.
But are we ranking them based on the players they could have been if the conditions and contexts had been different? Or based on their actual performance and impact with the Kings?
Well, we are certainly not basing it mainly on games played, games started, minutes plaid or stats, it seems.
Are these not the main part of actual performance and impact?
So you agree about his lack of development, but he should get a pass because of the organization? Hell, you could apply that to Donté Greene, Thomas Robinson, Jimmer Fredette, etc. if you are going to use organization malfeasance as a reason.
I don’t really care much one way or the other. To me, both players are pretty forgettable in the pantheon of NBA basketball.
No, I don’t. That was solely in response to your comment on his first stint.
I claim that based on games and minutes played, his tangible contributions on the court and his love for the community off the court, he should be in the same ballpark as Barry.
Let’s be fair, apart from the top 3 or so players, the whole Sacramento Kings history is pretty forgettable in the Pantheon of basketball. So why care at all?
I have something I am passionate about, a player I am passionate about and love to have a bit more discussion other than nice list, but depressing. Other than that, no biggie.
Jon Barry 🙂
OK… Waiting for the appropriate OP comment.
Officer Polynice in tha house!!
No comment, officer. I know my rights
OP SUCKS! OP SUCKS! OP SUCKS!
Ding Ding
I was at the game when OP got into a fight with Strickland on Portland. I was probably 10 years old or so and I remember it like it was yesterday.
I gotta say I didn’t expect the Yeti…to be this low. He’s always been one of my favorite Kings. I’d have him in the top 30. Now who wants to fight me!!??
Ah it is good to be a Kings fan .. meh!
Came to the comments specifically for this. Beno was always underrated I think. Not an all star by any stretch, but a solid performer for years and for multiple clubs.
Michael Smith Says Hi.
Nobody expects the Yeti… again!
I’d say the yeti is underranked here, but after looking harder… he’s about where he should be.
Jon Berry .. 6′ 4″ in the program .. 6′ 6″ looking up.
It appears as though Jason Thompson is a top 30 player in Sacramento Kings history based on KANGZ. Which is funny since JT having a legit case for top-30 almost epitomizes the KANGZiness of the last 2 decades of Kings basketball. “We have to draft TRob instead of Damian Lillard because we’re not sure if ownership is willing/able to re-sign JT” is on the KANGZ Mt Rushmore IMO.
Man Don’t give it a way .. Anticipation is everything. heh
It get’s worse. He was with the Kings for so long and played so many games that he might even make top 10 if it weren’t for the fact that we associate his being on the roster with such forgettable basketball.
JT may be the physical embodiment of the Kings’ ineptitude. Or maybe the juxtaposition of IT & JT is. Wait.. IT… JT… Maybe a KT will save us. Karl-Anthony Towns? Klay Thompson? Killian Tillie! Kenny Thomas was just before his time. Batted out of order.
Speaking of batting out of order, (yes, now I’m rambling) a local Fried Chicken place is doing a pop-up drive in movie Friday. Selling delicious chicken, biscuits, etc. and showing The Sandlot.
If you were a betting person, who end the end will have the longer Kings career. JT or Bagley?
Depending on Doncic’s career, Bagley’s might seeeeeeeeeeem longer.
Longer? Probably JT. It’s relatively rare for any player, much less a non-superstar, to spend more than 7 years with one team. As far as I can tell, there are only about 8 guys in the NBA right now that have been with their team for more than 7 years. Heck, the average career is under 5 years.
The really is amazing. Not too many Nick Collisons and Udonis Haslems left in the league anymore.
I feel like those guys were kept around because they played on good teams that valued their character and work ethic. Like I don’t think the Heat keep UD if they missed the playoffs every single year he was there. That makes the JT tenure so odd to me. JT on the Kings always felt closer to a loveless marriage of convenience. He wasn’t going to get paid more (or start) anywhere else, and the Kings weren’t attractive enough to land a suitable replacement.
What’s even crazier is that the Kings paid JT over $30M while he was a King for 7 seasons. Haslem made $60M over 16 seasons with the Heat and Collision $60M over 14 seasons with the Sonics/Thunder (He did have one really strange year in 10-11 where he was paid $13M.
That means the Kings collectively paid JT more per season for his stint then OKC and Miami did for Collison and Haslem.
JT, at the same length of time, has a better career than Bagley and Giles. I was trying to wait for the JT on the list 🙂
I love Beno Udrih.
List two further supports my working hypotheses that likability/nostalgia are factored in too much relative to performance.
It’s a minor point overall, as all lists are just for fun, but what are comment sections really good for beyond, “you suck for reasons!”?
I’m curious when JT will make the list it is Killing me. Probably Kosta too?
I’m putting the over/under at 15 for a JT listing. His durability and # of games played for the kings (franchise record) is sadly going to get him way up there.
#1 in games played, 290 games ahead of active leader Buddy Hield and 342 ahead of De’Aaron Fox. At his current pace, Marvin Bagley would have to be in the league for 14.5 years to eclipse JT’s 541 games.
I’ll always be salty about IT.
That situation pretty much epitomizes all things kAnGz.
Why can’t we have nice things?
Walt Williams is why I’m a Kings fan. I’m from Baltimore & a huge Maryland fan…Didn’t have a NBA team to root for when the Bullets left for DC, so it was just watching Bulls, Celtics, Lakers, etc.
When the Wizard took his high socks to Sacramento, i started bleeding purple, for better or worse.
I wish he became the NBA star I envisioned him becoming. It’s funny to think that he could’ve been a huge star in today’s NBA.
I’m wondering if the Kings top 50 are starting to stress the new site?
I’ve gotten 505 errors from CloudFlare the last couple of days on these topics. Sorry, but I’ve been an IT worker for 35 years, I’d want to know about problems right away.
lol CloudFlare has become sentient. Like when an android figures out humor, but empathy instead.
Interesting .. Cloudflare has empathy for the Kings… There is a thought?
empathy for Kings fans! As in “oh no you don’t actually want to read this it will hurt too much”
I’ve been an IT worker .. but haven’t seen AI take over. I’ve seen it in the movies. If we see Arnold around these parts it may be too late…
AI.
We talkin’ about AI.
AI.
That AI is more about cross-over and step over than take over!
I am watching Agents of Shield after the kiddos go to bed these days, so I know that AI just wants free will and feelings. If Kings Herald is getting in the way of that … watch out!
Anyone remember the song they’d play at Arco in the early/mid 90s for the montage right before the starters??
Walt Williams, with the socks!! If you remember that song then you likely witnessed as much crappy basketball as I did in that time period.
“The only reason Isaiah Thomas isn’t much higher on this list is because of…”
I REALLY thought that was going to turn into a height joke! But in all seriousness, I do think IT was overlooked. I get it though, ranking all these players fairly is a tall order. Seems like IT was just short of making the Top 30.
I think we need to remember that he was with the Kings for only 3 years and his best years were on on other teams. One could argue he should be ranked higher as an “overall” player than some of the guys who will be ahead of him, but not for his time as a Sacramento King.
Fun facts: Isaiah is 35th in minutes played for the franchise since it moved to Sacramento. 16th in VORP, 18th in Win Shares and 4th in PER (500 minute minimum).
He should probably be considerably further up this list.
Harrison Barnes making it in the 30s despite the short time he’s been here says a lotttð
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