Jason Thompson fouled out nine times as a rookie, and he's still learning to avoid fouls in bunches in his second season.
Thompson fouled out late in regulation in Monday night's 127-116 overtime win against the Memphis Grizzlies and had five fouls Saturday night at San Antonio.
Keeping Thompson on the floor is a must if the Kings are to improve their rebounding from last season, when they ranked second-to-last at 39.1 per game.
For his part, the 6-foot-11 Thompson is still learning how to play physically without drawing whistles.
"With my mentality, I don't like giving up easy (baskets)," Thompson said. "But I've learned if you get one (foul), and it's early in the game, you don't want to be as physical.
"It's kind of tough because I like the team playing against me to know it's not going to be easy, but you've got to adjust when certain situations come your way."
Thompson played 39 minutes in the Kings' loss at New Orleans on Friday and grabbed 12 rebounds. But in the following two games, he had nearly as many fouls (11) as rebounds (12).
"As the officials get used to how hard he plays, they'll learn to give him the benefit of the doubt, and he'll learn to stop making the silly ones that they have to call," Kings coach Paul Westphal said.
"Players that play in the trenches and play hard in this league earn their respect and don't get the cheap fouls. But they just can't be blatant cheap fouls because they have to call that. He's getting better at it.
"It's a respect thing, and it's also an adjustment he has to make and he is making."
Thompson said he doesn't "want the cheap ones, either" and is working on not picking up those fouls through studying film and learning to see what positions not to be caught in.
"The obvious ones, the blatant ones I don't mind," Thompson said. "That's why you have six fouls. But there's times when I've got my sixth foul and if I didn't get two or three cheap ones, I'm in the game with three or four fouls."
Leading from the bench – A sprained right ankle limited rookie guard Tyreke Evans (three points, four assists) Monday, but he still impressed Westphal.
"(Evans) could have kept playing, but Beno (Udrih) was doing better," Westphal said. "And he was rooting for Beno, and he was as excited as anybody as a result. It's real leadership and maturity on his part."
Evans is scheduled to start tonight against the Atlanta Hawks.
For more Kings coverage, blogs and archived stories, go to www.sacbee.com/kings.
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.