LAS VEGAS - It's only two games. That's the best part for Patrick Ewing Jr.
The forward and second-round draft pick has three summer league games left to provide the energy, athleticism and versatile defense that inspired the Kings to surprise the NBA masses by picking him at No. 43. It's just not happening quite yet.
"I'm not really a stats guy," said Ewing, who grabbed three rebounds but scored no points in 30 minutes as the Kings downed Portland 75-74 in overtime. "I feel I've been all right."
This might have been the second outing for Ewing, but it was the first time his Hall of Fame father and Orlando assistant, Patrick Ewing, was on hand to watch. Having traveled from Orlando summer league to Las Vegas, the elder Ewing watched from a corner of UNLV's Cox Pavilion and held an impromptu coaching session with his son afterward.
"I'm just like any other parent who's watching their kids do something," Ewing said.
"When they make mistakes, you get mad. When they do something well, you're happy. ... He's made some mistakes that I didn't like, but I thought he did a good job."
Kings' first-round pick Jason Thompson, however, was the one who sealed the win. His floater and subsequent three-point play in the final seconds of overtime helped the Kings improve to 2-0. Thompson finished with 17 points, while third-year guard Quincy Douby had 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
Artest to Nuggets, Part II? - Ron Artest might not want to play for Denver this season, but that doesn't mean he won't.
The Kings' small forward told the Rocky Mountain News on Monday he "cannot play in Denver because they question my drive to finish my career off strong and not embarrass my family." But as the Kings consider possible trade destinations for Artest, the reality is he has no say in the decision as it pertains to the 2008-09 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets - who held extensive discussions with the Kings regarding Artest in February but ultimately passed on the chance to acquire him - hit the offseason earlier than they'd hoped for, with their lack of defense a major reason. They fell to the Lakers in five games in the first round of the postseason and haven't improved defensively in light of the Tuesday trade of former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby to the Clippers.
So might the Nuggets reconsider and come shopping for Artest again?
"We're not happy," Nuggets coach George Karl said of his team. "We're going to pursue things and change it up or figure it out and be better come October, but I don't think you'll see us overreact either."
Asked if Artest's comments might make Denver pause, Karl said no.
"I don't think Ron would be as good a player if he wasn't Ron," he said. "He's emotional. He's passionate. He's angry, and it makes him play the way he plays.
"Ron plays the game the right way, and plays with very high intensity."
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