The very protective company line holds that very little has changed. No radical shifts, Kings coach Paul Westphal says. Kevin Martin moves toward wrist surgery, Beno Udrih slips into the starting backcourt, but Tyreke Evans remains the point guard.

Not so fast. If not exactly a radical shift, there's some subtle shuffling going on.

Evans thinks Udrih is the new point guard. Udrih thinks Udrih is the point guard. And a few of the other Kings on Friday diplomatically endorsed Udrih's return as the primary playmaker, beginning tonight against the Utah Jazz.

The hitch in all this?

The reason the bosses are being coy?

What if the Kings function more efficiently with Udrih at lead guard and Evans as a swingman? What about all the hype, the volumes of promotional matter proclaiming the 6-foot-6 Evans as the league's next stud point guard? What if he's just a stud player, perhaps a more natural shooting guard or small forward?

The lingering intrigue at Arco Arena these past 72 hours is this: Within these next two months, we will finally get a prolonged peek at Evans without the ball stuck to his palms.

Can he move without the ball? Will he sprint the floor? Can he use his size and strength to finish on the break? Can he attack the rim as a receiver, not strictly off the dribble-drive? Will sharing the ballhandling responsibilities ease his overall burden, perhaps enhancing his natural scoring instincts as well as his already exceptional defense? Or does he have to dominate the ball to contribute offensively?

"In Memphis, Tyreke controlled the ball all the time," said the Kings' front-office newcomer Bobby Jackson. "He's the one who took the shots. Here, everybody can score. It's a tough transition. He dribble-drives with his head down.

"The flow of the offense … the pace … he has to learn to put teammates in the right spots, see them, get them the ball. Five seconds max, maybe three or four, then give up the dribble."

The Kings already are frustrated by Evans' inability to deliver the ball when they're open, particularly after they've set screens, raced the floor or worked at creating spacing. It would be hard to miss the frowns, the frantic arm waving, the exasperated rolls of the eyes these past two games alone.

Yet none of this is personal. Soft-spoken and almost gentle in demeanor, Evans is well-liked, his work ethic routinely applauded. Three hours before tipoff, the No. 4 overall draft pick is in the gym, stroking jumpers, retooling his mechanics. Thirty minutes after practice, he receives individual tutelage from Kings special assistant/guru Pete Carril, who already senses a "symmetry" between Udrih and Evans, particularly in terms of sharing the ballhandling.

"It's a feeling, figuring out who should handle the ball, who should not," Carril said after practice. "Most guys don't have trouble going to the ball. Playing without the ball, that means, 1) you have to cut and clear an area, 2) cut to help your teammates, and 3) cut to get open and get a shot. Tyreke … I like him very much. He listens, and he wants to learn."

Semantics aside, Evans and Udrih seem open to the change. Evans, who earlier in the week described himself as "a scorer," anticipates running downcourt and gathering passes from his point guard. Udrih, who insists his ego has recovered from his DNP in the season opener, is intent on probing Evans' off-ball abilities.

"With me having the ball, we can get Tyreke the ball off the screen, play pick and roll, so he's got a live dribble and he's moving instead of standing and dribbling," said Udrih. "I'm a little more comfortable running plays, setting the guys up, too.

"I want to run the plays, to make us pass the ball to one side, then swing to the other side, not just stay on one side, where the whole defense is focusing on you. I think we can move the ball better."

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