Udrih will be a key to Kings' offense

If the roster were fully healthy, they still would be working out the kinks.

But as it stands, the Kings continue to paddle feverishly to stay afloat with Mike Bibby and Ron Artest out. Lately, there even has been revived talk of playoff aspirations from coach Reggie Theus, and why not? As the Kings (2-4) play tonight at Utah, the preseason proclamation (pre-Bibby's thumb injury) of co-owner Gavin Maloof that his team would not be the worst in the league is holding true. Seven teams are either winless or have one win.

Among them are Chicago, Golden State, Washington and Miami, strongly suggesting that some expected playoff participants might not be there this time.

As the Kings went 2-1 on their homestand – in essence winning the games they should have won while barely falling to Cleveland in the one game so few expected them to pull out – they might have established a few elements that will be in place for the long term.

Beno Udrih will run the offense. Although Theus said Sunday that Francisco García will retain his starting spot, the long-term plan almost certainly will include the recently signed Udrih playing significant minutes even after Bibby returns in approximately two months. The need is great for the fourth-year player's point guard abilities, with the Kings desperate to find a way to move the ball at a faster pace and create easier shots than the current approach affords.

They rank last in the league in assists per game (14.2). And as it turns out, their seven-assist outing against Cleveland on Friday was a Sacramento-era record low, trumping an eight-assist outing Jan. 23, 2005, and the worst by a Kings team since the Kansas City-Omaha version had seven assists against Chicago on Dec. 20, 1974. The franchise low came Dec. 5, 1967, when the Kings had three assists against Chicago.

"I knew when I was watching on the sideline that they needed a point guard to push the ball ahead," said Udrih, who watched four games after being signed Nov. 1 while his broken left index finger healed. "That's all I was trying to do. I didn't even look to forcing shots or anything. ... We didn't have anybody pushing the ball ahead. We were always playing five on five."

Also apparent is Theus' penchant for using a small lineup, which has much to do with the inability of his frontcourt to help a rebounding effort that has the Kings ranked last in the league (36 per game). There were times when Brad Miller was the lone big man surrounded by Udrih, García, Martin and swingman John Salmons, or other variations of the lineup. That won't likely change, especially with Artest scheduled to return from his seven-game suspension Wednesday at Minnesota, and he could very well become the starting power forward.

The current lot of power forwards is unified in frustration. Starter Mikki Moore fully recognizes his slow start but said Saturday he wouldn't mind a few more offensive looks. Kenny Thomas certainly wishes he hadn't lost his starting spot but appears to have focused solely on hitting the boards and improving his play, as he has averaged 16.3 minutes per game. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, meanwhile, can't get on the court, no matter how badly he wants to.

The 12-year veteran, who is in the third season of his five-year, $29 million contract, had never had a dreaded "did not play, coach's decision" outing until Friday's game against Cleveland. And although the arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late June certainly has slowed his already declining pace, Abdur-Rahim's longtime agent, Aaron Goodwin, said he's incensed with the way Theus is treating him. Abdur-Rahim played a combined 32 minutes in the first two games but has played a combined 12 minutes in the four games since. Most notably, Goodwin questioned Theus' decision to play Abdur-Rahim just two minutes against Seattle on Tuesday and one minute against Minnesota on Saturday.

"The coach yanks him out after a minute, and that's not the way you treat veteran players," Goodwin said. "How can he show what he can do if you put him in a game and yank him out after one trip down the court? He played with a broken wired jaw (in 2005) when he was told not to. He's earned this from Sacramento, and this guy does not deserve to be treated the way he's being treated."

Told of Goodwin's comments, Theus said he's simply looking to find the right way to use his roster.

"We're a team trying to find combinations that are going to get it done, and I'm playing the guys who I think are playing the best," Theus said.

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Sam Amick, (916) 326-5582. Read his Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs.