5 reasons the Sacramento Kings need to hire Sam Hinkie

3. Let’s just try to get on base, shall we?

At the risk of mixing sports metaphors, it seems clear that the Kings have fallen in love with the home run. Every decision seems to be made with Vivek Ranadive stepping up to the plate and wildly swinging as hard as possible (occasionally with his eyes closed). Sometimes he makes contact, heck even Austin Kearns only struck out in about 25 percent of his at bats. Still, there are a lot of misses, a lot of pop-ups, and not a lot of getting on base.

One of the defining elements of Hinkie’s time in Philadelphia was that nearly every move was, on the surface a victory, even a small one. He took every marginal opportunity to nab a draft pick, preserve cap flexibility, or sift for a hidden gem. He was the master of inserting himself into other team’s trades, facilitating moves by others in exchange for a second-round pick or an asset that could be used for something else.

It is this kind of micro portfolio building that the Kings haven’t seemed to have the patience for. Not every untested young player is going to turn into Richaun Holmes or Robert Covington, and not every small deal is going to build into something larger. But it’s better to win more than you lose, even if the wins are small.