There's nothing like a little ribbing from the head coach for a rookie.
After the Kings outrebounded the Golden State Warriors 52-34, Kings coach Paul Westphal was asked about the contribution from rookie forward Omri Casspi in that area.
"He's been hiding that skill from us," Westphal said. "I think he got more rebounds in this game than he's got all season. He's rebounding like (Jon) Brockman, shooting free throws like Brockman."
Actually, Casspi came up one rebound short of his season total of 11 entering Sunday's game.
Casspi tied power forward Jason Thompson for the team lead with 10 rebounds in the Kings' 120-107 win at Arco Arena.
Casspi did miss all four of his free throws. Brockman, also a rookie, has missed six of his seven foul shots this season but has a 10-rebound game.
All joking aside, the Kings welcomed Casspi's contribution to rebounding.
Thompson recording double-digit rebounding games isn't out of the norm. He's done that in four of seven games.
Casspi hadn't grabbed more than four in a game. That's not to say Casspi will become a rebounding machine alone. He also had 12 points, five assists and three steals. Casspi made 4 of 6 three-point attempts.
Rebounding, however, been a focus of Casspi, who's trying to learn how to use his 6-foot-9, 225-pound frame to chase down misses.
"I didn't know how to get those rebounds," Casspi said of his rebounding struggles. "I didn't know where to find the ball. In Europe, I did it very well. It's a different game (in the NBA). The ball bounces different, and there's a lot bigger guys. I just need to find a way to get those rebounds."
Rebounding will remain a point of emphasis for the Kings all season after the team has ranked no better than 29th the previous three seasons.
Casspi is looking to do his part to turn that around.
"I think I can average five, six a game," he said. "I need to focus on that. So it's just the beginning. I'm making those adjustments."
Thompson welcomes the help.
"When guys step up like Casspi and other guys get rebounds, especially late in the game, it really helps us out," Thompson said.
More Thompson – With 19 points and 10 rebounds, Thompson recorded his third consecutive double double.
He's averaging 17.7 points and 11 rebounds in his last three games.
He credited rebounding with helping him Sunday.
"If I get some rebounds and put-backs, it can get me into the flow of the game, especially at the start," Thompson said. "I didn't have a great start (Sunday) but was consistently trying to get my hands on balls and things like that and started to become more consistent."
Thompson missed three of his first four shots but finished 6 of 11 from the floor.
Taking the lead – The Kings took a 172-171 lead in the all-time series between the franchises.
The Kings lost two in a row to the Warriors before Sunday night's win. The Kings are now 57-49 against Golden State in the Sacramento era.
For more Kings coverage, go to www.sacbee.com/kings.
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