Shareef Abdur-Rahim's decision to retire was a sad one for the veteran power forward and a bittersweet development for the Kings. But with tipoff only weeks away, I have to confess, I already like these Kings better.

Nothing against Abdur-Rahim. Nothing like that. He is one of the nicest, most thoughtful professionals in the league. His agenda was collective and all-encompassing and always about the team. He simply arrived in Sacramento while suffering from bad knees and lousy timing. He turned gray before reaching 30, his movements increasingly laborious and mechanical, and terribly painful to watch.

No, his decision favorably impacts the club's immediate future in this sense: The number of Kings ball stoppers has been reduced to one. John Salmons is all alone now.

Coupled with the trade that sent Ron Artest to Houston, the cumulative effect should result in a quicker pace, less one-on-one play, and fewer occasions when players try to emulate Michael Jordan and overdribble into a crowd of defenders.

This apparent change in direction – a return to the Kings' philosophy of old, if you will – is further evidenced by the versatility of youngsters Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and the re-signed Beno Udrih, and is both welcome and overdue.

Let's face it: Geoff Petrie has taken a few detours these last few years. Though he remains a disciple of Pete Carril and admirer of Tex Winter, basketball legends who espouse the fluid style that characterized the Kings during their best years (1999 to 2004), there have been few textbook-worthy entries around Arco Arena lately.

Since 2004, in fact, Petrie's atypical moves include the following: He offered Bonzi Wells a five-year contract in the 2006 offseason, but was bailed out when the sticky-fingered swingman went looking for a more lucrative deal. He swapped an ailing Peja Stojakovic for Artest in January 2006, though it can be argued the value of the former Indiana Pacers star far exceeded any other conceivable offer. He signed Abdur-Rahim to a five-year deal in the summer of 2005, even after the New Jersey Nets evaluated his knee and withdrew their offer.

Additionally, and largely as a reaction to losing Wells and in spite of Francisco García's promising rookie season, Petrie gave a similar five-year agreement to Salmons in 2006.

Now, salaries aside – and those midrange earnings still count against the salary cap – the additions cost the Kings plenty when it comes to assists totals. The last few years, the ball stops here.

Asked about this Tuesday, Petrie didn't disagree. He also acknowledged his most recent personnel maneuvers have been partly influenced by a desire to return to a more pleasing style and insists Salmons, a capable passer, will be more generous when he returns to the starting lineup.

This presupposes, of course, that second-year coach Reggie Theus implements an up-tempo offense and more stringent defense, calls fewer set plays and benches players who play solo.

"We've got enough shooters and passers and cutters and runners," said Petrie. "The potential is there to be fun to watch again. This is one of those rosters that, conceptually, you can get excited about. I want to go into the season trying to compete for a playoff spot."

Just a hunch, but the most revealing statistic will be the assists-per-game average. Ball movement always suggests a modicum of success, and more strongly hints at entertainment.

Any other suggestions to further distance the Kings from the sluggishness of the last three seasons and accelerate the process of a speedy renewal? Pass them on.

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