The last time anyone saw Donté Greene doing anything like this – running, dunking, defending, producing highlights and limiting his poor decisions – was during his weeklong penance last January with the Reno Bighorns of the Development League.

He returned to the bench as soon as he returned to the Kings. He struggled in the summer league.

He became a father. He made new friends, these young Kings being a close bunch. But he didn't appear to be influencing the people who matter most, mainly his general manager and his coach.

This league never fails to surprise, though.

Two nights. Two victories.

Two appearances this weekend by Donté Greene, and suddenly, the 6-foot-11 forward, best known for his pranks and his playful personality, has thrust himself into the conversation with the other promising young Kings. If he was effective Saturday night in Salt Lake City, stroking timely jumpers in his club's victory over the Utah Jazz, his contribution Sunday was significantly more influential, and yes, definitely worthy of some love from the late-night crowd at ESPN.

Greene energized both the crowd and his teammates with a pair of baseline drives and nifty finishes, stole a ball at the far end of the court that led to a field goal, reached in and deflected others. He lunged for rebounds, blocked a shot, converted all of his free throws. He also produced the most spectacular sequence of the evening, inbounding a perfect alley oop that Jason Thompson slammed through as time expired at the end of the third period.

"We work on that sometimes after practice," said Greene. "I just gave him the eye, to let him know I was going to throw it to the rim. JT's my best friend on the team. (Laugh) We act the same … I knew he'd get it." More importantly for Greene, whose tendency for flamboyance and flashiness routinely irritated previous Kings coaches and officials, he lured Paul Westphal out of his seat only once. "Donte, just make the play," the new Kings coach barked after Greene attempted another lob that led to a loss of possession in the fourth period.

Later, after Westphal praised the efforts of several of his players, foremost among them Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, Omri Casspi, and Thompson, he said of Greene: "Donté came off the bench and played like a real pro out there. He got excited once or twice and tried to turn on the crowd with the little extra. We want him to take the extra out of his game. But he's really coming around and showing a lot." A cautionary word about the caliber of the competition is probably appropriate here, though, because the Kings were playing the Warriors, and the Warriors are a complete mess. Their coach (Don Nelson) looks miserable.

Worse, their best player (Stephen Jackson) already has his suitcase packed, awaiting a trade that he has been demanding since the offseason, but because of his contract, may never happen.

But back to the topic of the Kings and their surprising weekend. And, OK, the rookies were terrific.

The coach is having an impact. And Greene is so excited that he might stay up all night watching replays of his exploits.

"It's me being me," he said, still visibly excited. "I love this game so much. Last year was tough. I don't want to say pressure, but being the guy traded for Ron Artest, having a disappointing year. I'm going to take full advantage of it. I want to convince the Kings that I can be a versatile player, and a player who helps them win." That makes him 2-0 for 2009-10. Not a bad start.

Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.