John Salmons is complaining about dwindling opportunities. Beno Udrih is unhappy about his minutes. Mikki Moore is being removed from the starting lineup, and given the veteran's rich history of provocative soundbites, he figures to enhance his collection within the next few days.

Oh. And trade rumblings are ongoing, and Pete Carril has been summoned from the East Coast, and the Kings have lost 10 of their last 12 games, barely managing to squeak past the Clippers and the Timberwolves.

So what we have here is a mini-crisis and an interim head coach who is approaching the job as if he has nothing to lose. Wise man, that Kenny Natt. In the NBA, the meek might inherit the job, but they rarely return for an encore season. And Natt desperately wants that second season, and is reacting accordingly.

He is teaching, scolding, benching. He is watching film into the wee hours. He is eager to consult with Carril. He has banned talking during practices and fined players for arriving late, though he says the bad habits have been curbed.

"That's a start," Natt said with a laugh.

Three weeks into the job, he is only beginning to navigate an Arco Arena that has become increasingly treacherous for relatively inexperienced head coaches. Eric Musselman lasted a season, Reggie Theus barely made it into a second year, and there is more upheaval and maneuvering to come.

Might that include Natt? More likely than not. Being an interim anything is a tenuous existence.

Nonetheless, Natt isn't flinching. He is flexible about certain matters and stubborn about others. His soft-spoken, understated sideline demeanor is a disguise. What you see – from a purely physical sense – more accurately reflects who he is.

Natt, 50, wears wire-rimmed glasses, has a thick neck and even thicker skin, and has waited decades for his first NBA coaching opportunity. His players can vent all they want. He understands. He griped about playing time during his own three NBA seasons and all those years in the minor leagues. But this is his gig, his chance, and he's doing it his way.

"This is Kenny Natt," he says, extending his arms, palms upward. "I've told them (players), 'You have a right to voice your opinion. I'm not right about everything. …' Guys should be frustrated if they're not performing well. I'm frustrated, too. But we all have to dig ourselves out."

Natt's preferences and philosophies are increasingly apparent. He carps about ball movement, which is a major weakness on a team whose wing players overdribble and are poor or unwilling distributors. He concedes the need to incorporate Salmons into the offense, but believes in establishing roles; Kevin Martin is the No. 1 option. He likes the energy and aggressiveness of Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson, and cited the latter's rebounding skills as a reason for the lineup change.

But what he says is true. Deep down, he's all Jerry Sloan, all about defense. His priority is to convince Udrih that his on-ball defense must improve drastically, and immediately.

"That's where I'm challenging him," said Natt. "Send the message to the other coach. 'Hey, don't come at me like that.' Defense. That's where it starts."

Who knows where it ends. The NBA is a bizarre beast. Maybe Natt is tough enough to survive.

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