But that was all about to change.

The Beginning

The Campaign

This was the basis of Tyreke's Rookie of the Year campaign. You couldn't miss the 20-5-5. It was historic. And when it happened, when Tyreke secured those averages, we celebrated like we'd just won a championship:

Even if you remember that moment clearly, go back and watch that video again. It's four minutes that explain the hype around Tyreke Evans better than I ever can. "He's going to be the hero for the Sacramento Kings." "A historic moment for the Kings." And the praise felt justified.

With 20-5-5 locked up, Tyreke Evans won Rookie of the Year honors. And Kings fans knew, we just knew, that things were going to get better.

The Aftermath

The hype machine around Tyreke Evans broke down in Tyreke's sophomore season. Tyreke battled plantar fasciitis throughout the year, and played in just 57 games. He would battle injuries for the next two season, and would play out of position in his third year, seeing extensive time at small forward. Even with a bounce back year last season, widely regarded as the best year of his career in terms of all around play, Tyreke never approached 20 points per game again. His scoring, assist, and rebounds numbers each declined every season of Tyreke's career.

And yet 20-5-5 remains part of Tyreke's legacy. The hype machine was so strong that we still can't shake that stat. As we debated what Tyreke was worth and whether or not the Kings should match any offer, Tyreke's 20-5-5 as a rookie was still a common refrain.

The Value of Hindsight

The biggest question at this point is whether or not the hype was warranted.

The answer obviously is no. Tyreke Evans would never again achieve 20-5-5, whereas Robertson, Jordan and James all exceeded those averages as their careers continued. Those players went on to Hall of Fame careers, and while Tyreke will turn just 24 this month, he doesn't appear on track for a Hall of Fame induction.

So it's easy to say the hype wasn't warranted. But it's also easy to say it was.

The Kings were coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Not just in terms of record, but in terms of watchability. That 08-09 Kings team was horrendous to watch. There was no player you could point to and confidently say "he'll be part of the turnaround". And despite the fact that Tyreke never turned around the franchise the way we'd hoped, he gave us a player we could point to as a player who would be our future. That was important at that time. It was needed. It was necessary. It was warranted.

Kings marketing and Kings fans both saw the same thing in Tyreke Evans. He was hope and excitement for a franchise that had been lacking both.

Tyreke Evans was overhyped. The expectations exalted on Tyreke probably hurt his career and his perception with fans. He could never live up to our heightened expectations. But the hype job on Tyreke was justified. It was needed. And it won't be forgotten.

As long as Tyreke is in the NBA, he'll be associated, for better or for worse, with 20-5-5.