Kings Blog and Q&A

FIRST QUARTER (Kings 30, Golden State 29)

The Kings spoiled most of their good start, as the Warriors finished the quarter on a 9-2 run. Nonetheless, Omri Casspi's three three-pointers off the bench were key and welcomed considering the Kings shot just 37.5 percent in all (9 of 24). The Warriors have received a combined 15 points from Kelenna Azubuike and Monta Ellis, while Stephen Curry has been pretty bad so far (no points, no assists, three turnovers).

SECOND QUARTER (Kings 65, Warriors 54)

Tyreke Evans is on his way to another big night, having scored 20 points on 7 of 13 shooting and hit six of seven free throws. He's in a groove big-time, as is Jason Thompson (14 points, five rebounds). The Kings finished the half on a 16-9 run. Warriors Kelenna Azubuike, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette have combined for 33 points. Kings winning boards battle 27 to 19.

THIRD QUARTER (Kings 96, Warriors 77)

The last play of the quarter pretty much said it all: Donte' Greene inbounds alley-oop from left sideline to Jason Thompson, who jumps uncontested for the dunk at the buzzer to push the lead to 19. Yeah, the Warriors aren't exactly defending the rim. Beno Udrih continues another steady performance (14 points, five assists), while the Kings are taking care of the ball too (six turnovers). Jason Thompson has 19 points, 10 rebounds. Kings ended the quarter on a 24-9 run after their lead was cut to four.

FOURTH QUARTER (Kings 120, Warriors 107)

An actual blowout. I didn't see last night coming, nor did I see this one coming. And here's the stat of the night: it's the first time since Nov. 7 and Nov. 9, 2008 that the Kings have won consecutive games. Udrih carries the Kings late, finishing with 20 points on 9 of 14 shooting with six assists. Donte' Greene and Omri Casspi were huge off the bench, combining for 29 points (Greene 17).

- Sam Amick

Game story (Evans flourishes)

Game notes (Nocioni relieved after win and reflects on DUI)

Box score

NBA Plus (Looking at Durant and the Thunder, who play in Sacramento Tuesday)

SALT LAKE CITY - Gavin Maloof mistook the media room for the owner's suite, but he was making the rounds pumping his fist nonetheless.

The Kings co-owner made the trip to Utah to see a game no one expected the Kings to win. But they did, and they did it with a few notes that didn't make the above-linked coverage.

* Injured players Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia looked dandy in their suits and did a fine job as male cheerleaders. Both guys were genuinely ecstatic after the win.

* Ime Udoka winds up with the best plus-minus of the bunch (plus-19) in his Kings debut. Feisty defender, glue guy and composed in ways the Kings badly need. Kings coach Paul Westphal jokes that Udoka proved training camp is unnecessary. Desmond Mason doesn't find it funny - wherever he was.

* Jason Thompson has another impressive outing - 12 points, 11 rebounds, five assists. Great frontcourt ball movement with Spencer Hawes.

* Donte' Greene's breakout was surprising in this sense: Omri Casspi was ready to roll. The rookie small forward had turned his left ankle recently and was questionable for tonight's game. But even after Casspi said he was good to go, Kings coach Paul Westphal obviously opted to give Greene a shot that he made the most of. Casspi didn't play. I'll chock this one up to Westphal taking the safe route with one player while utilizing a chance to get a guy out of the doghouse at the same time.

* Kings hit 11 of 19 threes, 27 of 32 free throws and shoot 49.6 percent overall. A welcome change for Westphal, who noted before the game that the Kings had averaged eight more possessions than their opponent but they obviously weren't doing much with them. Ranked 23rd in shooting percentage (42.37).

* The Jazz were awful after the first quarter, and except for a short stretch in the fourth when the Kings almost blew all of their 20-point lead as the offense came to a halt. Deron Williams couldn't do it alone (29 points, 15 assists, three turnovers).

Golden State (1-3) at Kings (2-4)

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Arco Arena.

TV: CSNCA.

Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).

Kings update: Now would be a good time for the Kings to remember what they learned in the preseason, that lowering their opponent's field-goal percentage and increasing their own rebounding numbers can make quite an impact on their competitive chances.

Warriors update: The Warriors have fallen to Houston, Phoenix and the Clippers. But just like the Kings, their first win came against Memphis in a game in which Anthony Morrow and Monta Ellis scored 24 points apiece. The Kings downed the Warriors 101-94 in the preseason Oct. 17 at Arco Arena.

Probable starters

KINGS

G Beno Udrih

G Tyreke Evans

SF Andres Nocioni

PF Jason Thompson

C Spencer Hawes

WARRIORS

PG Monta Ellis

SG Stephen Curry

SF Stephen Jackson

F Kelenna Azubuike

C Mikki Moore

- Sam Amick

SALT LAKE CITY - Not much to report pre-game other than Omri Casspi's decision to give it a go despite having turned his left ankle in the last few days.

Casspi said this morning that he was a gametime decision, then proceeded to give the thumbs up after his pre-game workout. As Kings coach Paul Westphal said, there's not much he and his team can do but keep taking the hits and keep coming back for more. We'll see how hard this hit is tonight...

Come on back later for quarterly updates...

FIRST QUARTER (Jazz 30, Kings 19)

Turnovers ruined the quarter for the Kings. They had seven in all, with almost all of them of the bone-headed variety. An Andres Nocioni traveling call. Spencer Hawes loses the ball on his own in the post. Sean May loses it in the lane. A Jason Thompson charge. A bizarre Tyreke Evans pass from the top of the key to the front row (intended for Thompson). A carrying call on Evans.

Combine that with Utah's 16 points in the paint and 60 percent shooting, and this one is making sense. Once again, Kings aren't shooting well (41.2 percent). Deron Williams has seven assists. The Kings, meanwhile have four.

SECOND QUARTER (Kings 55, Jazz 55)

Imagine that? Limit turnovers and hit shots and a comeback is born. The Kings had just one turnover in the second and hit 12 of 19 shots, with Donte' Greene returning from the abyss otherwise known as Westphal's dog house to score 10 points on four of four shooting (He had yet to score this season in a combined 10 minutes). While Casspi was ready to go, I got the feeling before the game that Westphal might use tonight as a rare chance to give Greene a chance even if Omri could go. He's taken advantage of it, hitting two open threes (key word being open), a layup and two free throws.

The Kings used a 19-4 run to tie it 43-43 on one of Greene's threes, but the run was sparked when a couple of dunks on the break for Evans got his game going. He has 17 points on 4 of 9 shooting and is finally getting to the line - and converting (8 of 9). The Jazz shot 8 of 19 that period.

THIRD QUARTER (Kings 85, Jazz 68)

Surprising stuff in the third, with Evans going off in his first breakout game as a pro and the Kings - all told - pulling off a 50-21 turnaround after they trailed by as many as 15 points. Evans has been spectacular (28 points, six assists, 12 of 13 from the line), and Udrih has been huge as well. The Jazz are ice-cold, and this crowd is letting them hear it. Evans left for the last part of the quarter with a bloody mouth, but the Jazz were the ones taking the beating. That's all for now. Gotta work on the game story.

FOURTH QUARTER (Kings 104, Jazz 99)

They held on, even if the Kings spent most of the entire last period in the hoops equivalent of the prevent defense. Shot clock violations or near violations were the norm, with a 20-point lead nearly evaporated if not for Beno Udrih's nifty runner in the lane with 21 seconds left. He split the double team, drove the lane and ball-faked Carlos Boozer to get there. Deron Williams hit a three with 17 seconds left to make it even more interesting, but it was too little too late. Evans has 32 points, seven assists. Big win for a young team. - Sam Amick

Let's go in reverse order here.

While much of today's story focused on Kings' commentator and KHTK personality Grant Napear, the topic remains Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin and the question of whether or not he is soft or injury prone. It should be plainly obvious that I stop at the latter and don't see him as the former for a host of reasons, not the least of which is an in-depth knowledge of the injuries he has endured that hasn't always been portrayed publicly.

There's a long conversation from that point on, too, with not nearly enough focus on the fact that Martin's own game - specifically, his ability and willingness to attack the rim and get to the free throw line at a ridiculous rate (second in the league last season in attempts at 10.3 per game and behind some cupcake named Dwight Howard) - contradicts this image. But in the interest of fairness, I wanted to share more of Napear's comments on the matter before quickly delving into the thoughts of Kings coach Paul Westphal, former Kings guard Bobby Jackson, Kings swingman Francisco Garcia and Martin himself.

And while the content of Wednesday's show with Napear and Mike Lamb is a tiny part of this equation, I figured I'd share their discussion on toughness as well (audio provided by KHTK). It's about five minutes into this hour of the show...

KHTK Sportsline/11-4

Napear (via cell phone from Utah)

Before we get into the direct quotes, Grant's overall point was two-fold: he thinks players should play if they can play (yet didn't answer my question about what qualifies him to determine when a player can play) and believes that the Kings' draft-night focus on acquiring tougher players was an indictment of all previous players, Martin included.

"I've learned over the last 20 years doing this I'm not surprised any comments I get. I've gone through it Bobby (Jackson), (Chris) Webber. A lot of times guys are listening second hand, or to what a caller says, and then it reflects on me.
"Chris and I talked on numerous occasions. Bobby approached me and we've talked. I'm in a difficult position here. I have to give my opinions on the radio. The first hour (of Wednesday's show) he was getting killed by callers. I said he may play tonight, it's not right to criticize when he might play.
"It really boils down to this. This is my opinion. This is Grant Napear. I was raised (to believe) you play until your going to do damage to your body. We're in a depressed economy, and these fans deserve to see these players play. Players have sat when they could've played. That bothers me. Now hen a guy has a broken bone in his body, that's a different story.
"I never questioned (Martin's) heart. All I said is if a player can play, he should play. There's nothing wrong with me making an opinion as long as it's an opinion based on how I feel. I went out of my way again on Wednesday (to defend Martin). I said he should play unless he's going to do further damage."

Asked outright if he believes Martin is soft...

"The label soft means different things to different people. We were a soft team (last season). When a team is scoring uncontested layups night after night, personally I look at that as a soft team. I have a problem with an athlete, and I'll use Ron (Artest) as an example, who will never be called soft but who didn't play how many times because he decided he didn't want to play...I don't change my stance on (Martin and his ankle injury last season) at all. If a player can play, I think they should play.

"I've been doing this 20 years, and I've seen a lot of players who can play in a game not play. If he feels that way, I wish he would have come to me. It's all about the fans. They pay money to see the guys play. I don't take anything back that I said."

JACKSON

Bobby was a crackup on this topic. While he and Napear are friendly again despite their 2004 run-in (read story if you don't know that part), he said the two support each other now and "attend each other's events" etc. Nonetheless, he was so intrigued by this topic he was offering advice on the reporting.

"If I was writing a story about him, I would want to know what makes him tick, why he says the (expletive) he says," Jackson said. "Especially when we're under the same roof. When I listen to other radio stations, it's like praising, praising, praising (of the players).

"Where does he come up with these questions and analogies of players being soft, who don't want to play, doesn't have heart? The only person who knows is the player.

"The most disturbing thing about it is that it's one of the Kings guys. Maybe can you respect him because he speaks what comes to his mind. Yeah, but me as a person if you're working for this organization, I think the best interests is to look out for the players and speak more positive than negative."

On in-house folks questioning Martin - and Jackson before him - for not playing...

"Of course the coaches, the GMs, the owners, they want us to play, not thinking about what it really is that we're going through and not taking into mind what we're going through and don't look at the outcome. People can say whatever they want about me, but until you've walked in my shoes and did what I've done, then you can't say anything. I don't know where it's coming from.

"We've got to do what's best for us. We have a short amount of time to play this game, so I know most of these guys in here and I know they're going to play their (butt) off. The softness (reputation) comes with not winning games. That's where that comes from.

"If (Napear) keeps doing it and then he tries to come up in people's faces, guys aren't going to talk to him. He's killing him on the low. They've let him do that for so long. Nobody from upstairs has said anything to him. He's been able to do that for so long, been able to rub people the wrong way and rub the players the wrong way because he doesn't have to interact with the players. He just sees them on the plane...Until somebody calls him out and says, 'Who do you work for? Do you work for the Golden State Warriors?'

"I wasn't alone (in his dislike of the way Napear handled his job). There were a lot of guys who felt that way. Yeah, I think a lot of guys have that feeling towards him because of the stuff he's doing now. The guy's is hurt. He played on a broken wrist.
"It's a sensitive subject. I know Kevin loves the game. I know he wants to compete. I know he wants to play every day. You see the numbers he puts up when he's on the court, and that's all you can judge him by is his productivity when he gets on the court.
"The people who haven't played don't understand. If they had played, they wouldn't say the stuff that they say."

WESTPHAL

The coach has obviously only been around Martin for a short time, but he weighed in the experiences he has had thus far.

"My experience is that he's anything but soft. There's a difference between playing hurt and playing injured. When you're injured, you can't play. When you have a sore something or other, and you're walking around acting like you're on your deathbed, that's one thing. But that's not Kevin. When you have injuries and the doctors say you can't play., that's being injured. Anybody that doesn't understand that, I can't help them."

GARCIA

The fifth-year Kings swingman has obviously been teammates with Martin for his entire career. And now, they'll be banged up bosom buddies for the foreseeable future...

"I got words for that (the notion of Martin of being soft). You calling him soft, he played with a broken hand. You can't call him soft. He played with a broken hand and had 30 (29 points against Atlanta Wednesday). He didn't have to play. The doctor just told him you'd be crazy if you played with that.
"Kevin's tough. We're just so little (he and Martin) we get bumped and we (get hurt). You could see that last game, he put tape around his wrist and played like that. There's nothing soft about that."

On why he thinks so many fans and, obviously, some media are down on Martin...

"It just comes with the territory. When the team is bad, they go to the best player. It just falls on Kevin. It's not his fault. He works hard, he's on top of his game right now like everybody sees. He played with his ankle last year. I was mad about (the criticism of Martin for his ankle) because when I was on the floor he'd come up to me and say, 'It bothers me but we're going to win this game.' I don't question his toughness. I'm the kind of player that if I think you're lying I'll let you know, but I never thought he was lying."

MARTIN

Oh yeah, him.

As for the injury itself, Martin had the option of putting a cast on his wrist (and most of his arm) or doing surgery. From what I'm told, the surgery is the better option for two reasons...

1) You avoid the atrophy that comes with a cast.

2) You can rehab and do some basketball activities (just not playing) within approximately two weeks of having surgery as opposed to waiting eight weeks until the recovery begins. It's a quicker way of getting back out on the floor.

"I thought you could play through that pain and get it (fixed) at the end of the season, but the specialist said that if you try to play we're going to come and tie you down and not let you go out there," Martin said. "Just because you develop a lot of other things in your wrists - arthritis, cysts, and things like that. Their recommendation was, 'you're not playing.'
"The thing they tried to say to me this morning was you can trade in 20 games, not risk it, and have another 10 years of your career instead of playing 20 games and then you can really mess it up and then it's a long process. I've got to go through 20 games, hopefully that's it." - Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee. Join the Kings Corner Facebook page here.

OAKLAND - When the Kings decided to hand over control of their offense to Tyreke Evans, they joined a growing list of teams depending on young point guards to direct their squads.

Sure, you still have your sages at the point like Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. But there are a lot of teams leaning on younger players at the position.

So what does it take to lead a team a veterans when you're one of the youngest players on the team?

One of the "older" point guards weighed in on what Evans needs to do to succeed.

"Pace and tempo," said Los Angeles Clippers guard Baron Davis. "I think as a young point guard the more patient you are with yourself I think it translates to everyone else on your team."

Evans is going to have to be patient with himself. He's already endured a sprained ankle and some off shooting in four of his first five games.

It's natural to jump to conclusions about Evans after five games, especially when he's made only 35.5 percent of his shots and has 18 assists against 12 turnovers.

I still contend Evans will be fine. He'll learn to power through the fouls and finish at the rim and get a better feel for the NBA game.

I say power through fouls only becuase I joked with Evans he might want to learn how to flail and flop better to which he replied, "Man, I'm a rookie."

Valid point. No need for Evans to wait for a whistle.

Davis enjoys watching Evans and the emerging group of young floor generals.

"I haven't played against Tyreke Evans but I've watched him a lot and you see that (poise)," Davis said. "You see that in these young point guards that they're so poised. ... For me it's great to watch how the game is evolving."

Davis said Evans, Golden State rookie Stephen Curry and Chicago second-year guard Derrick Rose are among the young point guards he enjoys watching.

So even as Evans goes through his rookie struggles he still has many around the league who believe his talent will payoff for the Kings in the long run.

--Jason Jones

BLOG UPDATE: Martin will have surgery Monday and miss eight weeks. Here is the team's release...

" Sacramento Kings' guard Kevin Martin will undergo surgery Monday, November 9th at the UC Davis Medical Center to repair a non displaced hairline fracture of the navicular bone in his left Wrist. Dr. Robert Szabo will perform the procedure. Martin is expected to miss a minimum of eight weeks.

***

I just spoke briefly with Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin, who said he is not being given the option of playing through the hairline fracture in his left wrist.

It remains unclear whether he will have surgery or simply put the wrist in the cast, but Martin won't be returning to the floor anytime soon. He met with a local hand specialist this morning and had the MRIs examined and all involved said he had to allow the hand to heal. - Sam Amick

He wants to play.

Seventy-seven games with a hairline fracture in the left wrist that won't heal so long as he's having it pounded by fellow NBA types and will likely end up causing arthritis eventually. And Kevin Martin wants to play.

But there's a decision to make that won't be entirely made by him and sleep wasn't the answer, especially since he had a hard time getting any. I got in touch with the Kings shooting guard late last night, and he was wrestling over the decision that faced him.

He is scheduled to discuss the matter with the medical professionals and a local hand specialist this morning, at which point it sounds as if the only two options presented him may be to put it in a cast or have surgery. He sought the player opinion first, however, talking at length with Bobby Jackson and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson last night to discuss his situation.

Jackson could relate on numerous fronts, having missed significant time after fracturing a knuckle on his left hand on Christmas Day 2002 and later tearing a ligament in his left wrist late in the 2004-05 season that kept him out for four months. He knows what it feels like to be unfairly questioned, too.

Jackson, to review, was the warrior of a sixth man who somehow found himself being dubbed soft when his abdominal strain kept him out of the 2004 playoffs. Some of those same uneducated voices are the ones questioning Martin's heart now, just as they did last season when his left ankle bone bruise kept him out of 31 games. Equally unjust.

There are credibility issues all over this thing, but the fact of the matter is that much of the skepticism sprouts from in-house and spills over into the mouthpieces who set the tone with the fans. It's a big problem that could have big consequences. We'll get into that more in the paper.

For now, we'll leave it there. If I had to guess at this point, I say Martin will be out and the Kings will be out of luck. Even if Martin wants to play.

- Sam Amick

Ime Udoka spent the last two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.

That meant always being a contender for an NBA Championship and plenty of important games and a roster stocked with veterans.

After signing with the Kings on Wednesday, Udoka acknowledges he's not joining a team like the Spurs.

"This is pretty much similar to my situation in Portland a couple of years ago," Udoka said Thursday after his first practice with the Kings. "It's a young team with a lot of talent trying to figure it out, trying to win. So I'm going to try and come in and help with some of the experience I have with playoff teams and just help the young guys out."

Udoka figured he'd be doing that with his hometown Blazers in his second stint with Portland this season. Udoka's best pro season came in his lone season with the Blazers in 2006-07.

But when former St. Mary's star point guard Patty Mills, a second-round draft choice, decided to sign with Portland Udoka was cut.

"It was somewhat of a surprise," Udoka said. "A last minute signing by a second round pick, he accepted an offer and they decided to go in that direction. I've been through a lot before so I kind of let it roll and stayed working out hoping for the next opportunity."

That chance came with the Kings. Udoka played briefly with Beno Udrih in San Antonio and played a season with Sergio Rodriguez, so he's familiar with two of his teammates.

Kings coach Paul Westphal hoped Desmond Mason would be his primary defensive stopper. With Mason waived Thursday, Udoka inherits that role when he makes his debut Saturday.

"They know what I do," Udoka said. "They want me to come in and bring a little toughness, defense, knock down some shots."

--Jason Jones

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***

With an agonizing decision to make and a broken left wrist to deal with, Kevin Martin hopes a good night's sleep can help him come to a decision.

Martin could miss six-to-eight weeks after an MRI of his left wrist showed a non-displaced hairline fracture of the navicular bone.

Martin has three options to deal with this injury:

1. He can have his wrist put in a cast for six-to-eight weeks.
2. He can have surgery with screws inserted and miss eight weeks.
3. He could try to play through the pain, like he did Wednesday night against Atlanta.

"I'm going to turn the phone of early tonight and get some good sleep on it and I'll to make a decision on it tomorrow," Martin said.

Martin is sure to receive several texts and calls advising him of what he should do. Martin certainly didn't expect to learn he had a broken wrist, especially after playing with it Wednesday.

And even though Martin hasn't decided what he'll do, the team has to begin thinking about what to do without him.

I can't imagine coach Paul Westphal is going to sleep well after what has been a long day that started with Andres Nocioni's arrest for suspicion of drunken driving, the team waiving Desmond Mason and news about Martin at the end of practice.

"That certainly put the icing on the cake for down news today," Westphal said.

The team practiced with Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih playing together in the backcourt today, a look that could become the norm if Martin is out for two months.

Westphal's plans to play Udrih and Evans together before the season were about flexibility, now that backcourt could become a necessity.

Then again, Westphal could opt to keep Udrih as a reserve, as he did when Martin missed two exhibition games. Rookie Omri Casspi started in place of Martin in both games.

New addition Ime Udoka will be in uniform for Saturday's game in Utah, but it's hard to envision Westphal starting Udoka after two days of practice.

There will probably be minutes for Sergio Rodriguez and perhaps Donte' Greene if Martin is out.

We'll have a better idea when Martin wakes up in the morning.

***

By the way, don't forget to vote by clicking on the link if you want to see the Kings vs.Oklahoma City on NBA TV.

The Kings-Thunder (28 percent of the vote) is trailing Denver at Chicago (30 percent).

--Jason Jones

A quick bit of perspective on the Kings' signing of Ime Udoka today that my sources with knowledge of the situation say is a non-guaranteed veteran's minimum deal ($1.03 million) for the rest of the season (fully guaranteed on Jan. 10)...

The succession of non-interest to interest can be found on some of my old Twitter feeds, as the Kings went from not inquiring about him after he was surprisingly cut from Portland on Oct. 22 to possibly postponing talks to giving the thumbs down on Oct. 23.

Well something quite relevant has happened between then and now: Desmond Mason averaged 2.3 points on 27.5 percent shooting (11 of 40 overall) in nine games (five preseason, four regular season). While the Mason signing was largely about adding his perimeter defense, there was certainly the hope that his athleticism could translate into some added scoring as it has for most of his career.

That shooting percentage is especially alarming if you could get your hands on a Desmond Mason shot chart, as most of his misses came from close range and he has struggled mightily to finish even the easiest of looks. All of this, I'm being told, doesn't bode well for Mason considering all signs point to the Maloofs preferring not to have a 15-man roster (they have 15 now). And as a reminder, it looked like Andres Nocioni was going to be taking Mason's spot in the starting lineup tonight even before Udoka was added.

I talked with Mason about his struggles after yesterday's practice, and he had this to say.

"I'm just still trying to find my niche and fit in," Mason said. "The ball is going through a lot of guys, so for me it has to be a lot of cutting and offensive rebounds and guarding people and getting to the boards. That's what coach wants me to do, and that's what I'll do. When I get my opportunities, I'll take advantage of them."

For those unfamiliar with Udoka, here's the rundown from the team's release...

"The 6-5, 220-pound guard-forward amassed career averages of 6.0 points (42.8 FG%, 37.4 3FG%, 70.4 FT%), 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game through 227 games in five seasons with the Lakers (2003-04), New York (2005-06), Portland (2006-07), and San Antonio (2007-08 - 2008-09).

Undrafted after finishing his college career at Portland State, Udoka was signed as a free agent by the Lakers (8/13/03). Before joining the Kings, Udoka was with Portland during the 2009 preseason. His best year, statistically, occurred during 2006-07 when he averaged 8.4 points (46.1 FG%, 40.6 3FG%, 74.2 FT%), 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game starting all 75 contests he played in with the Trail Blazers." - Sam Amick

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***

After having the best game of his career in the Kings' home-opening win Monday, shooting guard Kevin Martin is questionable for tonight's game against Atlanta.

Martin missed shoot-a-round with a swollen left (non-shooting) hand (BLOG UPDATE, 4:25 P.M.: It's Martin's left wrist) and will be a gametime decision. He injured the hand during Monday's game when he landed on it after a fall, and sat out much of the Tuesday practice session icing it. X-Rays were taken but were negative.

If Martin doesn't play, that's not quite the starting lineup change coach Paul Westphal was looking to make. We'll see if this changes things, but I'd been told Spencer Hawes would start at center (pairing with Jason Thompson in the frontcourt) and Andres Nocioni would take over at small forward for Desmond Mason. - Sam Amick

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***

Kevin Martin isn't on Twitter, so there will be no cyberspace battle with former player/ESPN analyst Jalen Rose in that forum. Rose won't be coming to Sacramento anytime soon, either, at least not as part of any nationally-televised game involving the Kings.

But it's safe to say there won't be any Martin Christmas card sent to the Rose household a few months from now, not with his recent declaration that the Kings shooting guard is simply not All-Star material. In the interest of full disclosure, I relayed Rose's sentiments to Martin on Tuesday as we discussed the current state of his reputation league-wide.

And while I shared part of Martin's comments in today's story - with Martin saying he didn't need Rose's respect and that he's worried only about winning - there was some comedic material left out.

Told of Rose's comment, Martin wasn't afraid to have some fun with the quasi-prediction.

"Was Jalen Rose ever an All-Star?" (Answer: no)," Martin said. "You know what Cedric Ceballos said to me in the preseason, is that the difference between a star and a scorer is wins and losses, so that's what I'm doing now. I'm finding ways to win in other (areas)...(Rose) may not have meant anything harmful if he was looking at wins and losses. If that's the case, it doesn't have to be a personal thing because I respect him as a player and don't want to get into that."

A pause and a grin...

"Besides, in my prime and his prime, I'd bust his (butt)," he said with a laugh.

READ WHILE YOU WAIT

From The Bee

Martin trying to be a more complete player, By Sam Amick

Thompson tries to limit fouls, By Jason Jones

From the Atlanta-Journal Constitution

Resilient Hawks bounce back, By Sekou Smith

Hawks blog: 'Pump your brakes,' By Sekou Smith

GAME PREVIEW

Kings' update: This team must get used to that sinking feeling whenever it peeks at the opponent's roster, and tonight is no different. The Hawks pose threats on every front and are far more talented. The Kings, however, could start a decent buzz in town if they can protect the home floor for a second consecutive game.

Hawks' update: Mike Bibby is back at Arco Arena for the third time since being traded from the Kings to Atlanta on Feb. 16, 2008. In his previous two visits with the Hawks, he had 17 points and four assists in a 119-107 Atlanta loss Feb. 20, 2008, and 29 points and four assists in a 105-100 Hawks victory Feb. 18, 2009.

Probable starters

KINGS

PG Tyreke Evans

SG Kevin Martin

SF D. Mason (I've since been informed it will likely be Andres Nocioni)

PF J. Thompson

C S. Hawes

HAWKS

PG Mike Bibby

SG Joe Johnson

SF M. Williams

PF Josh Smith

C Al Horford

- Sam Amick

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***

Many of you might have learned via Sam Amick's Twitter account (more than would have learned from mine since I have way fewer followers than he does) that he hears Spencer Hawes will start at center tomorrow night when the Kings host the Atlanta Hawks.

Kings coach Paul Westphal was mum as to whether Hawes would start tomorrow. After Hawes impressive stat line Monday night (21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists) it seemed logical Westphal would replace Sean May with Hawes in the starting lineup.

Monday night Westphal said he'd sleep on a decision, which he did.

But he still didn't want to reveal his decision after today's practice.

"It will be announced at the appropriate time unless you can tell me Atlanta doesn't read the paper and watch the Internet," Westphal said. "Why should I tell them?"

Well, for Westphal's sake, here's to hoping none of the Hawks read The Sacramento Bee or follow Sam or myself on Twitter.

As for what Hawes has done to improve his game at this early stage of the season, Westphal didn't mind chatting about that topic.

First thing, no one is asking Hawes to be he second coming of Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn or any other Bad Boy from the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Sure, Hawes bulked up in the offseason. But no one wants him to ignore his skilled game.

"I think that what we want from Spencer is to maximize who he is," Westphal said. "We're not asking him to be some kind of an enforcer, but he needs to be a physical presence, both offensively and defensively."

Last night Hawes did that without knocking anyone's teeth out.

"One thing I was really excited about and we've been emphasizing is he really set some good screens and he held them," Westphal said. "That's been an adjustment we've asked him to make and he's made ... He's concentrating on making contact on the boards, he's doing a better job with that. Sometimes he would go to the boards but not go to his man to box him out. He's doing better on that."

--Jason Jones

Join Sam Amick and Jason Jones for a pregame show, then share your comments and observations with others during the game.

Share fan photos from the game. Text KINGSPHOTOS to 72737. We'll reply with details for e-mailing photos to appear on this page. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Click here for fan photos.

GAMEDAY OPTIONS (Multimedia)

The game is sold out, so there's plenty of you who won't be able to actually come on over to press row and say hello. So why not join Join Jason Jones and I on this here blog for our pregame show starts at 6:45 p.m. Stick around during the game and share your comments and observations with others.

Those of you who are at the game can share your photos, too, by texting KINGSPHOTOS to 72737. We'll reply with details for e-mailing photos to www.sacbee.com/live. Standard text messaging rates apply. And if you insist on sending pictures of yourself watching from the couch, well then we just can't stop you.

Also, I'll be occasionally tweeting on my Twitter page, as will Jason on his page. And we need some more folks at our Facebook page as well - click here to join 'Kings Corner.'

READ WHILE YOU WAIT

From The Bee

Westphal brings unconventional style to bench, By Ailene Voisin

Nocioni is all-business, not buddy-buddy, By Sam Amick

In case you missed it in Sunday's paper...

NBA Plus: Larry Brown endorses Westphal and say he'd still be the New York Knicks coach if had been allowed to hire Westphal as his lead assistant, By Sam Amick

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tempers flare as Grizzlies lose to Nuggets, By Ronald TIllery

Grizzlies postgame

GAME CAPSULE

Memphis (1-2) at Kings (0-3)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Arco Arena. TV: CSNCA.

Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).

Kings update: Rookie point guard Tyreke Evans practiced Sunday night at the team's practice facility and will likely play tonight after spraining his right ankle at San Antonio on Saturday. The Kings need him on two fronts: to help get a first win in his regular-season home debut and to entertain the sellout crowd.

Grizzlies update: The first two Grizzlies games made for a scout's nightmare. Memphis scored just 74 points in a 22-point home loss to Detroit and then 115 points two days later in an eight-point win at the FedExForum. The backcourt of Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo was the difference, so the Kings would do well to slow them down. Allen Iverson is expected to make his Grizzlies debut after missing the first three games because of a partial right hamstring tear.

Probable starters

No. Player Pos.

13 Tyreke Evans PG

23 Kevin Martin SG

24 Desmond Mason SF

42 Sean May PF

34 Jason Thompson C

GRIZZLIES

No. Player Pos.

11 Mike Conley PG

32 O.J. Mayo SG

22 Rudy Gay SF

50 Zach Randolph PF

33 Marc Gasol C

- Sam Amick

KINGS LIVE CHAT

Join Jason Jones and I for the Kings' home opener Monday. Our pregame show starts at 6:45 p.m. Stick around during the game and share your comments and observations with others.

www.sacbee.com/kingsblog - as in, right here

SHARE PHOTOS

Share fan photos from the game. Text KINGSPHOTOS to 72737. We'll reply with details for e-mailing photos to sacbee.com/live. Standard text messaging rates apply.

***

Add one more to the list of people who need to continue learning about the new Kings coach.

That being me. From Rick Adelman to Eric Musselman, Reggie Theus and Kenny Natt, there was a staple of style that their Kings didn't practice after back to back games. So when I landed today from San Antonio, I headed for home to put together a story on Andres Nocioni for tomorrow's paper.

Anyways, Paul Westphal wound up holding practice for his team tonight. Nonetheless, we have a no-harm-no-foul situation. He was good enough to give me an update remotely, saying about an hour ago that Tyreke Evans is expected to play in tomorrow's home opener against Memphis despite spraining his right ankle Saturday at San Antonio. Evans practiced tonight, and told the media on hand that he will play.

A quick final thought here: I still can't get over how funny the Manu Ginobili-bat saga was. And since the SportsCenter highlights didn't do it justice on length of laughter, peek at these YouTube clips that show the extended chaos. Also, for those who missed it on Twitter, the Spurs put out a 'formal' injury report on the poor bat that you can see here.

Nothing will ever duplicate being there, though. Unforgettable. - Sam Amick
- Sam Amick

REMINDER: I'm tweeting during these games, too, so peek at the right side of this page to see those.

Blogging from courtside at the AT&T Center, front row two seats to the left of esteemed radio man Jason Ross...

PREGAME

I messed up the tipoff time, but we're about to get going here at 5:30 Pacific. Anyways, Kings coach Paul Wespthal half-jokingly said the most important adjustment tonight will be...let the drama and suspense build...hitting layups. Spurs' reserve big man Antonio McDyess is out with flu-like symptoms....Here we go.. - Sam Amick

FIRST QUARTER - Spurs 32, Kings 27

No way I'm going to try to capture that quarter on this forum, but that was some of the funniest stuff I've ever been a part of at an NBA game.

An actual bat breaks up play on three occasions, with Kevin Martin at one point chasing the thing - unintentionally - on a fastbreak and he goes reverse because he felt an unexpected presence. It wasn't DeJuan Blair, as he told me he thought it was a moment ago, but the bat.

So Manu GInobili then becomes an even bigger cult hero by Manu-chopping the thing with his bare left hand. Anyways, I had all kinds of game-related material I'd intended to share, but the action is back and all I offered was hijinx. So sorry...

I'm channeling my inner Westphal for a bit of mind-reading: "Of course Richard Jefferson starts hitting shots now!" he screams between his ears. Jefferson entered play just 4 of 16 from the field in his first two games with the Spurs, but is two for two so far.

SECOND QUARTER - Spurs, 61, Kings 45

Kings are letting this one get away from them early, as the Spurs ended the second quarter on a 21-8 run. Their chances at this point, one could say, are about as likely as the infamous bat returning (it has been terminated, I was told).

No surprise storyline from the Spurs, who have a combined 37 points from Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Ginobili. Parker has destroyed everyone the Kings threw his way (7 of 12 shooting, 16 points, five assists), from Tyreke Evans to Beno Udrih to Omri Casspi and probably a few others I missed. Spurs are shooting 61 percent.

That's not the only similiarity to the OKC opener, either, as Martin is once again without much offensive help. He has a very aggressive 16 points (5 of 10 shooting) and has actually been to the line tonight (he didn't last night), and hit 5 of 6 from the line. But Andres Nocioni is 1 of 7, Casspi is 1 of 4, and Evans is 1 of 4 as well.

THIRD QUARTER - Spurs 95, Kings 75

This has unofficially become a valuable Kings practice. They are trying new sets and lineups, praising each other when something works patting each other on the backs when things go wrong.

The entire period wasn't that way, though, as the offense was so discombobulated in the early third that Kevin Martin was trying to tell the coaching staff they didn't know the "one up" play and Tyreke Evans growing frustrated when teammates tried to tell him where he'd gone wrong. And by the way, I'm now being told that the bat was merely stunned and released. The Manu-chop was not lethal.

Spencer Hawes also awoke in the third, scoring 12 of his 17 points with a number of nice drive and dishes for dunks from Evans.

FOURTH QUARTER - Spurs 113, Kings 94

The only significant news of this period isn't good: Evans went down after driving the lane and left with a sprained right ankle midway through the fourth.

Also, it turns out the bat didn't make it after all.

REMINDER: I'm tweeting during these games, too, so peek at the right side of this page to see those.

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***

Took forever to get to San Antonio, as there are no direct flights. But here's the belated audio from last night's Kings loss at New Orleans.

Coach Paul Westphal, Kevin Martin, Tyreke Evans, Andres Nocioni and Jason Thompson discuss the loss...

First, though, just a heads up that I'll be giving quarterly updates and observations on a running blog post during tonight's game just like I did last night, so come on back.

Now the Kings have to move on quickly and we do, too, so here's some preview reading to keep you busy the next few hours before tonight's tipoff

READ WHILE YOU WAIT

From The Bee

Game story vs. Hornets

Kings notes

From the San Antonio Express News

Pop tinkering with Spurs chemistry, By Mike Monroe

Spurs' Blair returns to scene of 'crime', By Mike Monroe

Spurs-Kings preview capsule

TONIGHT'S GAME

KINGS (0-2) AT SAN ANTONIO (1-1)
When: 5 p.m.
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
TV: CSNCA.
Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).

Kings update: Like it or not, moral victories do matter to this team. And that was exactly what the Kings pulled off in New Orleans Friday when their toughness and improved defense nearly led to their first win. The same style is needed against the Spurs, who have been doing tough for years now.

Spurs update: Here's the bad news for the Kings: the Spurs were the first team to face the Hornets this season, and their 17-point win was nearly as ugly as the Kings' loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday. San Antonio is a legitimate title contender, meaning this could still be a long night even if the Kings play well.

Probable starters

PG Tyreke Evans
SG Kevin Martin
SF Desmond Mason
PF Sean May
C Jason Thompson

SPURS

PG Tony Parker
SG Mchael Finley
SF Richard Jefferson
PF Matt Bonner
C Tim Duncan

Blogging from New Orleans Arena, second row mid-court....

PRE-GAME

6:41 p.m.
Same starting lineup for the Kings, but one defensive adjustment coach Paul Westphal informed me about. Kings small forward Desmond Mason will be guarding Hornets power forward David West most of the night in what is Westphal's best attempt to keep Kings power forward Jason Thompson out of foul trouble.

Thompson simply must be on the floor, but he kickstarted his old habit of drawing quick fouls against Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Thus, Thompson will guard small forward Julian Wright and Sean May will be on his old teammate, Emeka Okafor.

FIRST QUARTER - Kings 27, Hornets 25

Well, that was much better. The Kings looked nothing like the team that trailed 39-22 after one quarter in Oklahoma City two nights ago.

Two defensive stops in one possession at the start set a good tone, and a Sean May-to-Desmond Mason alley-oop did the same on the other end.

The good: Hitting shots (12 of 26), with Tyreke Evans finishing the layups he missed the other day and even hitting two jumpers. Also, Chris Paul has two points and no assists. May five first-quarter rebounds after having none in opener.

The bad: Kevin Martin is 2 of 9 despite getting a number of wide-open looks from Evans' penetration. Spencer Hawes two fouls.

Team playing very well so far...

SECOND QUARTER - Kings 50, Hornets 50

It's only a half, but the Kings look like an entirely different team from the other night.

They're moving the ball (13 assists against six turnovers, tying their assist total from the other night), defending (Hornets 44.7 shooting) and rebounding (24-23 edge in that category). Andres Nocioni is making up for Martin's slow start (4 of 13 shooting) with 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting.

The job of guarding West was quickly handed to Jon Brockman instead of Mason, and the rookie has been very effective even though West is 4 of 6 from the field. Brockman has eight rebounds in 11 minutes. Beno Udrih apparently won't be riding the pine all year, as he has logged nine first half minutes and run the offensive nicely. Hornets coach Byron Scott used a lineup with Bobby Brown and Chris Paul v. Udrih and Martin and Paul was his typical agitating self.

As for foul trouble, Thompson is doing fine (one foul) while Evans and Udrih have three.

THIRD QUARTER - Kings 75, Hornets 72

Another very good quarter, but a bad finish.

Beno Udrih plays off Chris Paul in the final seconds, and he coolly pulls up for a three that cuts Kings lead in half.

Otherwise, though, this was potentially an identity-forming period. There was an edge from the Hornets that they'll always have so long as Paul is their point guard, but the Kings showed more than enough moxie of their own. Offensive boards, poked eyes, frustrated Hornets, interesting stuff from this bunch tonight. Toughness, for sure.

Smart quarter from Martin, who continues to shoot poorly (8 of 23, no free throws) but who capitalized on the Brown-Paul defensive duo a few times. The most notable one came with 3:17 left, when the two Hornets point guards doubled Martin on the left wing and he kicked it back to a wide open Udrih for a three and an eight-point lead.

This has become a very physical game and the field-goal percentages reflect that (low 40s for both team).

FOURTH QUARTER - Hornets 97, Kings 92

Emeka Okafor decided it wasn't to be.

The Hornets wouldn't lose their home opener, not against a Kings team considered so bad they would've been laughed out of their building by their home fans. So he had a spectacular putback dunk in the final minute, followed by a key block with 5.9 seconds left when Evans got lost in the lane and yet another block on a Martin three-point attempt with three seconds left that could have tied the game.

More to come, but I've got to hit the locker room now... - Sam Amick

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***

NEW ORLEANS - The Sacramento who?

There's a lot of that going on out here today, as the Kings are hardly the biggest name in the city this weekend. Eminem is preparing for his one and only concert of the year tonight and has picked N'Awlins. Kiss is performing at the VooDoo fest, I was told, with the Saints playing here on Monday night and, oh yeah, there's that whole Halloween thing too.

Scary stuff.

No lineup changes for the Kings, and we'll have to see if Beno Udrih gets a chance to play tonight. I spoke with him on his way to shootaround this morning and he was saying all the right things about the situation - "It's only one game; I have to respect coach's decision." Chris Paul has always smelled blood when playing Udrih, who struggles with his style of pressure point guard. Curious to see how Tyreke Evans handles that, too.

MULTIMEDIA ALERT

I'll be posting quarterly scores and observations on the blog tonight, and we'll be forgoing the live blog/chat we did on Wednesday until Monday's home opener.

Feel free to interact during the game via the comments section, and I'll basically be sure to give quarterly scores and otherwise use the blog as my public notepad.

READ WHILE YOU WAIT:

From The Bee

Because of back, Peja is backup

Kings notes

From the New Orleans Times Picayune

Hornets coach Byron Scott wants more from bench, By Jimmy Smith

New Orleans Arena turns 10 years old, By Jimmy Smith

Hornets not in trade talks with Golden State, By John Reid

Kings vs. Hornets by the numbers, By Jimmy Smith

TONIGHT'S GAME

KINGS (0-1) AT HORNETS (0-1)

When: 5 p.m.

Where: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, La.

TV: CSNCA.

Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).

Kings update: The Kings were convinced this wouldn't happen, that they wouldn't be embarrassed almost every time out like they had been last season. But after Oklahoma City did just that on Wednesday night, they are badly in need of a spirited effort to alleviate fears of a déjà vu experience.

Hornets update: Speaking of humiliation, the Hornets were humbled by San Antonio in their regular season opener (113-96). It wasn't a new feeling, though, considering they're coming off a five-game first round playoff loss to Denver last season that called the entire team's future into question.
Probable starters

KINGS

PG Tyreke Evans
SG Kevin Martin
SF Desmond Mason
PF Sean May
C Jason Thompson

HORNETS

PG Chris Paul
SG Morris Peterson
SF Julian Wright
PF David West
C Emeka Okafor

- Sam Amick

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***

Game story

Game notes

OKLAHOMA CITY - I'll leave the breaking down of the game for tomorrow's paper, but this was ugly and unexpected for sure.

A loss was one thing. This was another (although how many times did I say that last season?).

I was prepped to upload my audio file of the night's interviews from the Kings locker room onto the blog, but the work has been done for me. And while I'd normally steer clear of pilfering another outlet's content, I'm claiming intellectual property on the following Kings.com material considering it's basically videos of my conversations. I won't hold my breath for the check...

First, though, here's my leftover quotes from Kings coach Paul Westphal, big man Jason Thompson, third-year center Spencer Hawes, rookie small forward Omri Casspi and rookie guard Tyreke Evans (all answers with no questions but it should make sense)...

While waiting to hear from my colleague, Sam Amick, who was forced to watch the Kings' season opener from press row in Oklahoma City, I thought I would offer a few thoughts. Without leaping to conclusions - based on one regular season game, the preseason and observing a portion of practices these past several weeks - these are my initial observations:

• The defense can't be this bad. Seriously. No joke. After weeks and months of hearing players, coaches and executives TALKING about a renewed emphasis on defense and rebounding, the Kings' pathetic effort against the Thunder has to be an aberration. If it's not ... well, it has to be.

• Two points scored in transition? The Kings simply don't have the individual talent to rely on halfcourt execution against the league's better defenses. They have to play faster, create transition opportunities off steals and rebounds, and utilize their youth and athleticism. This was Tyreke Evans' debut, but he can't take seven or eight seconds - and I clocked it - to advance the ball on most possessions. He has to pick up the pace. More ball movement and less one-on-one would also be helpful. It would enhance the spacing and create openings for Evans to attack the basket - which he does well, even though he didn't finish against the Thunder. Teams have scouted the rookie. They know he's headed to the rim, and are there waiting for him, at times with multiple defenders. When he plays faster, gives up the ball, moves and gets it back. he will be much more effective.

• I understand Paul Westphal's concerns about his frontcourt players' tendency to get into foul trouble ... and his lack of frontcourt depth. But Spencer Hawes' confidence clearly has been shaken by his relegation to the second unit. He is, after all, still only 21 years old, and for all his loquaciousness, is still a young guy. (Maybe it's a guy thing, but most NBA clubs don't do a good job when it comes to nurturing the youngsters). Besides. When Nenad Krstic scores at will, basically strolls to the basket uncontested, it's time to re-evaluate the notion of starting the undersized Sean May at center ahead of Hawes.

• Where was Beno? The Kings desperately needed floor leadership and ball movement , yet Udrih never got off the bench. Very, very curious.

OKLAHOMA CITY - So one of the front page headlines of the local "Oklahoman" newspaper reads, "Beat the Bad Teams" as a message to the Thunder in regards to the Kings.

That notion applies in the other direction, too.

Regular season opener on the road or not, this game is on the short list of winnables when you peek at the Kings' schedule. I'll have my eyes fixed largely on the Tyreke Evans-Russell Westbrook matchup for much of the night, as the Thunder's point guard will certainly be undersized against the Kings rookie but he poses plenty of problems on his own as well. There's not much to report from shootaround this morning, only that veteran forward Kenny Thomas did not make the trip because he has the flu. Kings coach Paul Westphal said he doesn't yet know if Thomas will join the team later on the trip.

Be sure to join me in a few hours on press row...

MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Kings Live Chat starts at 4:45 p.m. with a 15-minute pre-game discussion, then share your comments during the game and I'll jump in and out as I can at www.sacbee.com/live.

We'll live chat from the Kings' first game at Arco on Monday as well, begininning at 6:45 p.m. Sign up now for your e-mail reminder at the above web site.

READ WHILE YOU WAIT:

From The Bee

Kings Seek a Fresh Start, By Jason Jones

Petrie Unplugged, By Me

Hawes Has a New Role, By Ailene Voisin

Financing new Kings arena with seat mortgages is discussed, By Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis

From the Oklahoman

Kevin Ollie's NBA odyssey, By John Rohde

Thunder's key to success: Beat the bad teams, By Mike Baldwin

Kevin Durant at ease entering third year, By Darnell Mayberry

TONIGHT'S GAME (By Jason Jones)

KINGS (0-0) AT THUNDER (0-0)
When: 5 p.m. Pacific
Where: Ford Center, Oklahoma City.
TV: CSNCA.
Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).

Kings update: The Sacramento bench led a 104-89 rout of the Thunder last week in an exhibition game, but the Kings can't expect tonight to be as easy. At least Sacramento will have Kevin Martin in the lineup. He didn't play last week because of a sprained ankle.

Thunder update: Russell Westbrook is looking to emerge as a solid point guard in his second season. Westbrook scored a career-high 34 points in an overtime loss in Sacramento on Feb. 1. But Kevin Durant remains the player that makes this team dangerous.

Probable starters

KINGS: PG Tyreke Evans, SG Kevin Martin, SF Desmond Mason, PF Sean May, C Jason Thompson.

THUNDER: PG Russell Westbrook, SG Thabo Sefolosha, SF Kevin Durant, PF Jeff Green, C Nenad Krstic - Sam Amick

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***

If we're talking about rebuilding, we're talking to Geoff Petrie.

He is, after all, the rebuilder.

The Kings basketball president and I sat down over lunch in early October to talk big picture about his team, and I've made it my personal mission to share all of that interview because, well, the fans don't often hear from him like this. He talked past, present, and future, with some of his thoughts in Sunday's season preview story and some more in today's Q&A that was in the paper.

But the blogosphere being what it is - unlimited space - you'll find below the audio file of the near 25-minute interview from Bella Bru in Natomas (pardon the background music) and below that the transcription of the entire interview. One disclaimer on the audio file: if you listen intently you'll hear two spots where the file was clearly edited, as a few irrelevant ramblings on my part were cut out. After all, if you're here you're here to hear Petrie.

And one note about the interview itself I found most interesting: When Petrie - who is entering his 16th season with the Kings - discusses his future, he has repeatedly said that he plans to continue to work beyond this season "in some form." This is a man who picks his words more wisely than most, and I continue to perceive that qualifier as a potential indication that he could be back next season as GM or perhaps as a guy with a different role. Pure speculation on my part and I don't think even Petrie himself knows the outcome, as we're all at the guessing game point right now. (Click 'read more' to hear/see interview)...

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***

Can you tell what kind of reading is going on in the Amick household these days?

Jackie MacMullan's compelling and controversial book on Magic and Bird (and Isiah Thomas, of course) is still sitting on the bedside table, while we continue to read "Where the Wild Things Are!" nightly and I'm actually upset that my three-year-old is too scared to see the movie. Man up, Red.

Anyways, there are plenty of Kings fans who may be afraid to watch the upcoming season too. Only time will tell if the fear is completely founded or if there will be enough entertainment along the way to at least get one thumbs up from whoever wound up replacing "Ebert & Roeper." With a little less than two days before the regular season tipoff at Oklahoma City, we offer a few tidbits to chew on like butter-bathed popcorn.

* While Kings coach Paul Westphal said at Monday's practice that he knew his starting five for the opener but didn't care to reveal it, I was told to expect to see the same lineup as the final two preseason games - Tyreke Evans, Kevin Martin, Desmond Mason, Sean May and Jason Thompson.

Unless Westphal changes his mind between now and then, he's obviously following his own instincts as they pertain to his roster and not about to let some preconceived notion of the team's frontline of the future deter him. Hawes won't like this move at all, as he made clear the other night. The question now is whether it inspires him or kills his confidence. We shall see...

* As Westphal points out in the below interview, it may not have been a great thing that the Kings waxed the floor with the Thunder last week. You get a sense from this well-done video recap by the Oklahoman that there will be a revenge factor.. He also discusses Omri Casspi, and there are some interesting comments that didn't make it in my piece for tomorrow's (today's) paper...

* I chatted today with Lakers.com reporter Mike Trudell about all things Kings. To listen to our 17-minute chat as I drove out to Arco Arena for Monday's practice, click here.

* MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Join me Wednesday for a Kings Live Chat starting at 4:45 p.m. with a 15-minute pre-game discussion, then share your comments during the game and I'll jump in and out as I can at www.sacbee.com/live.

We'll live chat from the Kings' first game at Arco on Monday as well, begininning at 6:45 p.m. Sign up now for your e-mail reminder at the above web site.

* I keep getting questions about the Kings' TV sked, so here's the deal: all the games will be on Comcast. End of story.

* There are less than 1,700 tickets remaining for the home opener on Nov. 2 against Memphis.

The Kings are reporting that their Sellout 2009 Campaign continues to make significant progress, and the following is from their release on the topic...

"It's a lot of fun to see the Sacramento community come together in support of the Kings," said Chevo Ramirez, Regional Vice President of Wells Fargo and Sellout 2009 Committee member. "I'm so proud to be part of this amazing effort that will help get ARCO Arena rocking again."

On Oct. 13, the Kings and Mayor Johnson announced an unprecedented community-based campaign to sellout the Kings first two home games - matchups against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 2 and the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 4.

In addition to Johnson, other members of the campaign Committee include: Bob Cook, Mike Daugherty, John Frisch, Matt Haines, Lloyd Harvego, Bobby Jackson, Gerry Kamilos, Sotiris Kolokotronis, Hayden Markstein, Arlen Opper, Randy Paragary, Chevo Ramirez, Tim Ray, Bruce Scheidt, Tim Stenvick and Allen Warren.

Fans can purchase tickets by visiting Kings.com, calling 888-91-KINGS or visiting the ARCO Arena Box Office today.

Speaking of bedtime stories, my morning flight comes early and I haven't even packed yet. - Sam Amick

Injuries in the NBA are as common as the flu/cold, but this preseason has been particularly, um, stressful in that regard. The list of ailing players continues to grow at an alarming pace, and the regular season tipoff remains hours away. The list of wounded - those expected to miss anywhere from a few games to a few months - include the Kings' Francisco Garcia (fractured arm/wrist), Kevin Love (broken hand), Al Jefferson (Achilles tendinitis), Josh Howard (wrist/ankle surgery), Nicholas Batum (shoulder), Glen Davis (thumb) and Blake Griffin, the overall No.1 pick who could miss up to six weeks with a fractured kneecap.

Griffin's absence for the opening weeks (if not longer) is almost a routine blow for the Clippers. The former Oklahoma star was originally hurt when he bumped knees with teammate Craig Smith while scrimmaging a few days before camp opened. He aggravated the injury in Friday's preseason game against New Orleans, continuing to experience swelling even while sitting out subsequent workouts. The extent of the ailment was revealed a few hours ago .... causing the most resilient of Clippers fans to recall the injury-marred careers of the club's former lottery picks Danny Manning (No.1 overall in 1988) and Charles Smith.

Cisco Can't Help Himself

After the Kings' intense, lengthy afternoon practice, a visibly restless Garcia couldn't help himself: When special assistant Pete Carril summoned rookie Tyreke Evans for individual shooting drills in the near-empty facility, Garcia, in street clothes and sneakers, wandered over and joined the informal session. Holding his casted right arm awkwardly in his left hand, he snagged an occasional rebound and swatted balls toward the rookie. Other times, when Carril was quietly offering instruction, the ailing swingman listened intently, just seemed eager to be involved in anything resembling game/practice action.

(Sam Amick jumping in here to provide video of what Ailene is discussing, even if she didn't realize I was filming it. While most of Carril's teachings are inaudible, notice what he says at the end while teaching Evans a running hook going away from the basket - "Every great player that's ever played this game had that shot!")

The Mystery Continues

Paul Westphal remains coy about his starting lineup for Wednesday's season opener, but I find it hard to believe that Spencer Hawes won't be in his customary center spot. True, Westphal is concerned about his two bigs - Hawes and Jason Thompson - getting into foul trouble. Also true, the lack of frontcourt size/depth is scary. But even though Hawes struggled throughout much of camp - and was replaced by Sean May in the starting unit - he had an exceptional practice on Monday. The 7-footer was attacking the basket, scoring on reverse layups, follow shots, jumpers. He also threw some nifty bounce passes and challenged shots around the basket. Spencer is back to being edgy, chatty, combative Spencer. The good Spencer. The question is: Does he get his job back? Anyway, I plan to write about his importance to the Kings and their season for Wednesday's Bee.