There are many 6-foot-11 players in the NBA who would love to grab a rebound and lead a fast break to set up an easy basket.

But most players that size would find themselves on the bench should they try to do that in a game.

Well, consider Jason Thompson one of the lucky big men.

The Kings' second-year forward has the OK from coach Paul Westphal to initiate the offense when he can while proving to be an important component to the halfcourt offense.

"Last year (defenders) would play off me just because they didn't know my game," Thompson said. "They would try to force me to shoot, thinking I couldn't shoot. So when I start making shots, it opens things up and leaves open lanes for Kev (Martin) and Tyreke (Evans) and other guys. When we move the ball, we're a tough team to guard."

Thompson's role in helping the ball move is likely to be a big factor in the offense.

After averaging 1.1 assists as a rookie, Thompson is averaging 3.4 assists through seven games this season. It's not a huge average, but it's third on the team behind the two primary ballhandlers, Evans and Beno Udrih.

Thompson likely will stay well above his rookie average because of his role in Westphal's offense.

"We run a lot of our offense through him," Westphal said. "That's why we don't get really excited about who's the point guard and who's not. The idea is for the team to move the ball around, and we have guys that can do that."

Westphal believes Thompson has the skills to be one of the better big men in the NBA, and he has encouraged Thompson to use those skills.

"(Westphal) wants me to use my versatility," Thompson said. "He likes my size, he likes my strength. He wants that post presence, and I can do that. But if he wants me to step out and shoot, I can do that as well. I just try to open it up for guys."

Nature has something to do with Thompson's versatility. As a junior in high school, he was 6-6. Four years before that, Thompson was only 5-8.

So while other big men have been big all their lives, Thompson once thought he'd be a guard.

Those days on the shorter side are still evident.

"For him being that size and playing that position, he can dribble," forward Donté Greene said. "He can definitely do that more often. Sometimes he gets bogged down and has two or three guys on him and just can't do it. But when he gets the opportunity, I've seen him dribble fine."

And it's not just dribbling that Thompson is trusted to do. Teammates look for him in the open floor, something that's usually a no-no for someone Thompson's height and weight (250 pounds).

Evans said Thompson's athleticism and ability to finish at the rim with either hand makes giving him the ball an easy decision.

"Every chance I have on a break, I give it to him because I know he's capable of making a big play with his athletic ability and his ability to pass," Evans said. "So every chance I have when he's open on a break, I'm going to give it to him."

When Thompson isn't finishing the break, he's still encouraged to start the break when possible.

"Coach (Westphal) likes it when I get the rebound and push it," Thompson said. "He has confidence in me that I can get the rebound and push it and make plays and find other guys for threes and hit them a couple of times a game."

And there are a lot of other big men envious of the liberty Thompson enjoys.

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