Patience is not part of Francisco García's game. So, although waiting 41 days to be able to join his teammates on the floor was agonizing, García's latest test is waiting for his conditioning to return.
"It felt like I played 40 minutes," García said as he unwrapped ice from his right calf after playing 18 minutes against Dallas on Saturday.
García finished the night with six points after shooting 2 of 9 from the field and 0 for 3 from three-point range. At times, he looked hesitant on the floor, which the fourth-year swingman attributed to having not tested his calf.
"I just got a little insecure," said García, who missed the first 17 games of the season with a right calf strain. "This is my second time out there without practicing, so I'm trying to get my confidence back. You don't know what you can really do. You don't know if you can go to the hole, how far you can go on defense. It's a little hard, but I'll get used to it."
In his first game since his injury, García scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting from the field and had two assists and two blocks in 12 minutes, 35 seconds Friday against Utah. Kings coach Reggie Theus said García's minutes have been tapered the last two games. Theus said he expects to allot García around 20 minutes Tuesday against Utah before giving him the green light.
"He's so hungry," Theus said. "He's like, 'Coach, I can play 30 minutes?' I'm like, " 'Cisco, yes you could probably play 30 minutes, but how much of that is going to be good or not?' "
K-Mart eyes Tuesday for return – Before Saturday's game, Kevin Martin said he had considered playing but opted to use the three-day turnaround between meeting the Mavericks and playing Utah on Tuesday.
Martin admitted part of his reason for not returning Saturday was psychological, which Theus said is understandable.
"So much of Kevin's game is quickness," Theus said. "If he doesn't feel comfortable, then that would bother him more than a lot of guys."
A threes freeze – Theus didn't flinch during the postgame news conference while talking of his team's 0-of-15 three-point shooting against the Mavericks.
"We just haven't done a good job in that area all year," Theus said.
However, the team's effort against Dallas from behind the arc did set an eight-year low.
The last time the Kings attempted 10 or more three-pointers without making one was Nov. 29, 2000, when the Kings shot 0 of 13 from that range in San Antonio.
"We just haven't statistically been a very good three-point shooting team," Theus said. "We make five or six of those, and it changes games."
Call The Bee's Melody Gutierrez, (916) 326-5521. To get breaking news alerts and game scores sent to your phone, text KINGS to 72737.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.