CHICAGO – Beno Udrih doesn't fight back anymore.

The Kings point guard does as he's told, even when it means heading for the bench as his team fails down the stretch in yet another close game. Kenny Natt is the new coach, which means these are new times for Udrih.

It is a stark contrast to the Reggie Theus era, when Udrih and the former Kings coach so routinely engaged in on-court disputes before – here's the key part – Udrih would return to the floor. With his confidence battered and his minutes minimal since the coaching change 12 games ago, Udrih says he will not beg Natt to believe in him.

"He's the head coach, and what he says goes," Udrih said before the Kings' loss in Chicago on Tuesday. "You can't really fight it, just try to do as best as you can. … I really don't know what else to say."

As Natt has more often opted for the likes of Bobby Brown, Bobby Jackson, Francisco García and even John Salmons to run the point over Udrih and, more important, to defend the point, the player who was given a five-year, $32.3 million contract last summer has been drastically minimized. In 11 games played under Natt, Udrih has seen his time dip to 25.8 minutes from 31.4 under Theus. In that span, he has averaged 6.6 points on 31-of-77 shooting (40.3 percent), 3.0 assists and 1.8 turnovers. Which doesn't even come close to telling the recent story.

The damage from the Kings' 0-4 trip: Udrih went 0 of 4 from the field in 20 minutes at Detroit while being among those roasted by Rodney Stuckey (38 points); played 12 minutes at Indiana while sitting the fourth quarter; logged 21 minutes at New Jersey while playing three fourth-quarter minutes; and played 29 minutes in Chicago and had six points and five assists, but sat the final 3:42 while García was called on, effectively so, to defend Derrick Rose.

Still, nothing is new about the results. The Kings still are losing, and Udrih admits his confidence is at an all-time low.

"Big-time," he said when asked if his confidence was down. "I can't knock down shots that usually I knock down. Confidence is 50 percent for me.

"If (Natt) doesn't trust in me as a point guard to be out there at the end of the game, I can't really do nothing about it. I can't make him believe in me and make him think that I've got to be out there as a point guard and lead my team and set them up in a good situation. It is what it is. It's a tough situation."

Tough, perhaps, but far from complicated. Before Natt was the Kings' coach, he was known as a Jerry Sloan disciple from their nine years together in Utah. That meant a reputation for toughness, which followed him to Cleveland during his three seasons with the Cavaliers. Udrih, meanwhile, has long since held the reputation as an offensive-minded player who lacks toughness.

But Udrih disputes the notion that he is not driven this season.

With Natt having questioned his motivation and so many fans convinced he played so much better last season because of the allure of long-term financial security, Udrih disagrees.

"I definitely didn't lose motivation," he said. "I just don't know what I'm expected to do. … I don't feel pressure (from the contract). I like pressure. I know I deserve what I got. I've been working my whole life. I just have to have open hands to do what I do, play the way I play. I cannot be a different player than I am."

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