PORTLAND, Ore. – This wasn't about the homecoming, even if every trip to Portland is a reunion of sorts for Wayne Cooper.
The Kings' basketball vice president joined basketball president Geoff Petrie to see their team in action for the first time at the Rose Garden on Tuesday night. And even before tipoff, he was encouraged by what he had seen from the new-look squad.
"They've brought a whole lot of excitement," said Cooper, who played for the Trail Blazers in the final three seasons of his career (1989 to 1992) and had two separate stints in Portland's front office. "I'm really excited about guys like Jason (Thompson), Donté (Greene). They're really eager and really want to learn. I'm very optimistic about the future."
Cooper said he plans on attending all eight exhibition games. He's not the only one with Portland ties, of course, as Petrie was the first draft pick in organization history in 1970 and the team's senior vice president of basketball operations for four seasons before coming to Sacramento in 1994.
Done with the weighting game – Kings forward Mikki Moore is done with all of it – the protein shakes, biscuits and gravy, or any other high-calorie option he thought might fatten his lanky frame.
Less than a month from his 33rd birthday and still as skinny as ever, the 7-foot, 225-pounder said he finally has accepted his body the way it is.
"I can't worry about gaining weight anymore," Moore said. "My frame ain't going to change. My best bet is to beat (his defender) down the floor and beat him that way anyways."
Which works just fine in the current context. With a focus on playing up-tempo on offense, Moore will be asked to run the floor more. He said he is in good condition, having returned to Sacramento at the end of August to begin training with Kings strength coach Daniel Shapiro.
Read the Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/kingsblog.
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