News, observations and reader questions about the Sacramento Kings and the NBA.

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March 31, 2008

The Young and the Restless

SEATTLE - An issue that has been talked for months came to a head on Sunday, when I spoke with Kings co-owner Joe Maloof about the season at large and he voiced a concern over not seeing the young players enough.
Joe was candid on that topic and many more, and readers should keep an eye out for Tuesday's paper as I'll have more material from the interview. He talked about Tuesday's game against Houston, specifically about the censoring of Rick Adelman that went on when the former Kings coach returned for the first time on Dec. 1. He talked about the future on many fronts, the job Kings coach Reggie Theus has done this season and even shared a few insights in terms of offseason priorities. But in the name of fairness on this topic of young guys developing, and since Joe clearly had his time to talk, here is Theus' response in full to his boss's concern about playing the youngsters.

“My professional opinion is that we know what Quincy can do. I know what Quincy can do. Whether it’s in short spurts or extended minutes, there’s no doubt in my mind who Quincy is as a player, and I don’t mean that in a negative way. I just know who he is as a player.
“It’s a tough balance because I know the message from my bosses is ‘We want to win and be in every game, and we want to develop our young guys. Sometimes it’s difficult to have both cut and dry. You can’t be cut and dry.
"It’s got to be one or the other. But if you’re going to try to win every game and you want to develop these young guys, we’ve got to pick and choose our moments. And when we have a chance to win every game, and when we have a chance to make a run, we’ve got to go for it.
“I agree we have to play and develop our young guys, and I thought that’s what I was doing. Spencer’s (Hawes) minutes went up enormously. Let’s not forget that we’ve got other young guys too who have to continue to develop.
It can’t be about Quincy Douby. It can’t be about Shelden Williams. I can totally understand Spencer’s (minutes) going up immensely, which I’ve done. But it can’t be about those guys. I want those guys to play, but it’s very hard as a first-year coach…when I’m judged on a lot of different levels, it’s very hard to put guys in a game that’s going well and you put them in the game and the game goes south. What am I supposed to do?"

THE DILEMMA

Clearly, the only way to make this complicated equation work is to slash into some of the veterans' minutes and go 11-deep with the rotation. It's a long ways from Adelman's old seven-man rotations, but this franchise is certainly in a whole different place that may require such strategies.
As a note of reference as the March games came to an end on Sunday, here is a list of how many players deep Theus' rotations went during the 15 games this month of which the Kings won seven...

11-man rotation: three times
10-man rotation: eight times
9-man rotation: four times

THE BREAKDOWN

Joe Maloof focused on the playing time related to Douby and Williams so we'll look at those two players first strictly from a minutes standpoint and take a peek at Hawes because his recent growth and use should be noticed. The performance debate surrounding Douby and Williams is almost moot as it relates to Joe because his argument is that these players don't see enough time to even gauge how they're playing.

Williams

The second-year forward who was acquired from Atlanta in the Feb. 16 Mike Bibby trade remains a priority in Maloof's eyes. In the last four games, though, he's largely disappeared after a stretch of seeing some significant time.

Last four games: combined 10 minutes.
Previous nine games before that: average of 10.4 minutes per game.

Douby

First off, there is a context here that you can bet is on the mind of Kings management.
During Douby's rookie season, his confidence took a beating under Eric Musselman as he played in just 42 games and logged 362 minutes. This season under Theus, he has played in 64 games and logged 711 minutes.
Like Williams, Douby has seen less floor time recently as well.

Last four games: 25 combined minutes.
Previous nine games before that: average of 12.1 minutes per game.

Hawes

His ankle injury, obviously, renders the last three games pointless. As such...

In the 19 games from Feb. 19 to March 24: average of 16.5 minutes per game.

Overall, the No. 10 pick in the draft ranks 22nd in minutes played among rookies (677). By comparison - and because tonight's affair was in Seattle - Hawes' good friend and Sonics' sensation Kevin Durant leads the league with 2,447 minutes. The No. 9 pick, Chicago's Joakim Noah, has played 1,250 minutes and is ranked 11th among rookies and the No. 11 pick, Atlanta's Acie Law, has played 813 minutes and is ranked 19th among rookies. - Sam Amick

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March 30, 2008

No Hawes tonight

SEATTLE - Spencer Hawes will miss what could be his last chance to play against his hometown team tonight because of his sprained left ankle, although he may have been able to take part if only he'd listened to his father.
His mother, Lisa, said before the game that his pops, Jeff, had advised the Kings rookie center to sit out on Friday against Washington so as not to risk reinjuring the ankle that he turned against Memphis on Wednesday. Hawes - a Seattle native who played one season at Washington - played anyway, of course, and turned it again early in the second quarter against the Wizards after blocking a Roger Mason layup and landing on Ron Artest's foot.
"I came down and it was the same thing as (the Memphis) game," Hawes said. "To me, they’re just two separate (injuries). Ankles are weird when you roll them. It seems like you’ll go a long time and won’t roll them, but then when you roll them it’s like you get a few strung together."
Part of sitting out tonight, to be sure, is to avoid the in-between ground between healthy and hurt that can drive a player mad.
"You can’t start telling yourself you can’t jump and start thinking about it," he said. "That’s how you end up hurting something else. You’ve just got to keep going, keep playing with your instincts and you can’t let it start affecting how you play or the movements that you make....I’m lucky I’m young so I heal pretty quick."
Just not quick enough. - Sam Amick

Will practice make perfect?

SEATTLE - Ron Artest wandered onto the Kings practice floor on Saturday long after practice had ended.
He was in street clothes, looking to grab a drink from the team cooler when he ran into a couple of straggling media members with whom he offered to chat.
"How are ya?" he was asked.
He was good, Artest said with a huge smile. Really good.
It seems the Kings had one phenomenal practice on Saturday, one that left all involved raving about a new spirit that should certainly carry them from tonight's game in Seattle until the end. Kings coach Reggie Theus had everything to do with the enjoyment factor of this particular session, as he ordered defensive slide drills that are typically the stuff of training camp but seemed to be embraced by his players. Artest was the proof, saying over and over again that it was a "great practice."
Part of the new inspiration, Artest said, was the fan turnout and tone at Arco Arena in Friday's loss to Washington that left him realizing why coasting until the end just isn't acceptable to the team's paying customers.
"Now (the players were) like, ‘You know what, the fans came out yesterday, we played hard, things happen, we almost won,'" he said. "And guys came in here (on Saturday) and were working hard. We’re just building, just building for next year.
"We had a bad third quarter (against Washington), and we’ve just got to get back in shape again. I think guys kind of toned it down a little bit (in recent weeks), but we’ve got to turn it back up, get our legs back under us and finish off strong."

MORE HAWES

Speaking of impassioned performances, there was Spencer Hawes talking about the likely exodus of his hometown team.
While the Sonics could be gone by this summer, owner Clay Bennett has agreed to leave the team's name behind. But as Hawes sees it, the locals aren't looking for sympathy gifts from the tycoon.
"You can leave the name, but when you’re stealing the team that doesn’t do a lot for you (as a fan)," Hawes said. "That’s just smoke and mirrors."
And if Bennett is forced to fulfill the last two seasons on the lease agreement for KeyArena, Hawes said that leaves the team's fans in a most-undesirable position.
"So much of sports and being a fan is just, ‘If something is going wrong now, you can always look toward the future and always find (reasons for) optimism over what could happen," he said. "That’s a lot of what keeps fans being fans is that eternal hope…When there’s none of that, I don’t know what motivates you."

* Sonics point guard Earl Watson had a triple-double last time these teams met, and he's looking to do it again because he's simply sick of losing.

* Sonics forward Chris Wilcox, who is on the long list of athletic bigs that Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie has tried to acquire in recent years, will not take part tonight or any other night in the near future.

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March 28, 2008

Weekly Web Watch

My particular interest in the 'Most Improved Player' award (see previous posts) relates to last season, when the question of whether Kevin Martin or Golden State's Monta Ellis would win the award became one of the few late storylines.
Sure enough, Kevin - who lost out to Ellis - asked me before the Wednesday game against Memphis who should win this year's MIP. Just as he was mentioning the Grizzlies' Rudy Gay and Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, none other than current candidate and Kings point guard Beno Udrih walked our way.
It was, I have to admit, enjoyable to have the debate over what the award should mean with the players themselves who are part of the discussion in the past and present. Which leads us to this blog post from the Contra Costa Times' Marcus Thompson in which he raised the question of who's better between Martin and Ellis.
Along those same lines, Clippers center Chris Kaman talks about the race in this video clip from Hoopsworld.

* The anti-blogger situation in Dallas has reached some resolution.

* The season of the wardrobe malfunctions continues. First, it was Cleveland's Donyell Marshall a few months ago. This week, it was Erick Dampier dropping his shorts on the Dallas bench...

* Via Truehoop, a comical exchange between league commissioner David Stern and a reporter while discussing preseason games in Europe. The context can be found here.

* The Kings remain relevant on the Fantasy League front, and a couple of gurus break down Spencer Hawes' game and fantasy worth here. In this story, Kings in-house reporter Andrew Nicholson looks at the latest version of the ever-improving rookie center. And finally, ESPN's David Thorpe - who has been analyzing the league's rookie class all season long - has a breakdown of which veterans each youngster should study to improve and Hawes' is a bit different than the rest.

* Considering Kings fans won't see Gilbert Arenas tonight, here's the latest on his continued absence and how he's handled it. I was rather shocked he would share such thoughts on his blog. Kids just don't need to read that.
And while Arenas' blog has long been a must-read, this raises an interesting question: if mainstream media bloggers can be banned from locker rooms, should players in those same locker rooms be banned from blogging? - Sam Amick

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March 27, 2008

The real race to the finish

Gilbert Arenas isn't expected to be at Arco Arena on Friday night, which is a good thing for the Kings for more reasons than the obvious.
If they can beat Washington without its still-ailing star, that will mean 33 wins for the season. And one more after that, of course, will mean a whole lot of relief from the Kings coaching staff.
While head coach Reggie Theus has never hidden the fact that he would like to improve on last season's mark of 33-49, the feat is about much more than the simple concept of improvement. It's about the reality that new coaches often see winning as the easiest means to job security, which certainly applies to this first-year coach who has one season left on his contract and a a team option for the third season. It's about the fact that Theus and his staff have been working with the Kings' front office for all of nine months, a far cry from the days when Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie was teamed up with longtime teammate and colleague Rick Adelman. It's about the fact that the awkwardness of the challenge that continues to face Theus - that of the youth movement which coincides with the desire for a strong finish - has left some uncertainty about exactly how he and his assistants will be judged. But with 34 wins, that pressure - whether real or perceived - will be lifted.
"We’ve been trying to do what we can to get the young guys some time on the floor, but yet do what we can to win a game and finish strong and keep the veterans engaged," Theus said before Wednesday's win over Memphis. "If they get the wrong message, then they sort of back off this time of year...You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say, ‘Hey we’re going to work on the youth movement here,' and expect your veterans to play. You can’t have it both ways. In sports, a lot of it is an attitude and a focus.
"It’s still a funny animal in the sense that you’re developing guys and you want to finish strong. I know Geoff (Petrie)…wants to finish strong. I know that. But he also wants to develop young guys."

INJURED OR HURT?

Theus has grown frustrated recently with having to so often deal with a limited roster. Injuries and ailment that would typically be played with if the playoffs were still a possibility have suddenly become enough to keep some players off the floor, no one moreso than Ron Artest. The small forward admitted after downing the Grizzlies that the team's current plight has played a part in his recent decisions to either not play or decide if he could go late on gamedays.
“If it were playoff time, I’d be playing (every game),” Artest said. “(But) I can push through it."
For the umpteenth time, Artest hit on the fact that he was never a fan of Theus' goal of simply reaching the playoffs or the strive for .500.
"I set goals of winning a championship, and Reggie thought that was a little steep," he said. "The coach and player didn’t see eye to eye." - Sam Amick

INJURY UPDATE

Beno Udrih is a jovial sort, almost always in good spirits whether it's in the locker room or even on the floor.
But the Kings point guard was visibly frustrated before tipoff against Memphis, walking toward his locker and sitting slowly and cautiously into his chair.
"How goes it," I asked.
"I've been better," he said.
Udrih said the back tightened up against Houston on Monday and hasn't improved since, which doesn't bode well for a quick return. As for Spencer Hawes, the rookie center who sprained his left ankle in the second quarter and didn't return is also a question mark now. He is day to day, although Theus said he was told that the swelling wasn't severe and the injury may not be too serious. - Sam Amick

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March 26, 2008

Injury updates

Point guard Beno Udrih will not play tonight against Memphis at Arco Arena, according to Kings coach Reggie Theus (via the Bee's Melody Gutierrez from shoot-a-round). Kings center Brad Miller and small forward Ron Artest are expected to play, however.
The Artest appearance will surely upset NBATV's Rick Kamla, the hoops host who last night aired a list of Fantasy League players who will most benefit from other players shutting it down at the end of the season. He had swingman John Salmons as the No. 1 candidate, although Artest isn't ready to give up his spot just yet. - Sam Amick

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March 25, 2008

No Bueno for Beno

I know, I know.
That headline is about as linguistically jarring as the short-lived nickname for Beno Udrih - "The Tasmanian Slovenian" - was geographically-challenged. Nonetheless, it's true.
After taking a measured approach to his return from a lower back strain, the Kings point guard is out again after playing just 10 minutes at Houston on Monday night.
And that's not good for Beno.
He's questionable for tomorrow night's game against Memphis, but I'd guess that he doesn't go. All of which, of course, doesn't help matters in his universe on three fronts...
A) It doesn't help the Kings win games, and they remain interested in at least getting to No. 34 so as to improve on last season's 33-49 mark...
B) It doesn't help Udrih with his upcoming free agency, as he may have already convinced the Kings about his talents but there's still time left to impress other possible suitors from around the league...
C) It doesn't help his case for the league's Most Improved Player award.
I broke the race down recently as I saw it in this story, and have to concede that - upon further review - Toronto point guard Jose Calderon should've been on the list. What's more, watching Houston point guard Rafer Alston drop 28 points on the Kings in Rick Adelman's 800th win got me thinking that he should at least be mentioned as well since Rockets fans were ready to cut him last year. No excuse for the omissions other than I thought the list was getting a little long.
As for Udrih, he's not the MIP. He's had a breakout year, indeed, but his lack of a significant role last season means it's hard to quantify whether he improved or if he just made the most of a long-awaited chance. Udrih could've been playing at or near this level for some time now if there wasn't some guy named Tony Parker in front of him.

As we have all seen on a nightly basis, Beno can have a dazzling offensive game that carries shades of Parker and even Manu Ginobili...

As for improving even more, the makeup of this particular team means Beno needs to find his teammates more often. He can score on his own, in transition, and in the offense, but so can most of this roster. I remember when he first came to town and the Kings had just had that atrocious seven-assist performance in a loss to Cleveland at Arco. I asked Beno about it, and he said he fully expected to be getting that number on his own when he joined in.
"One guy should be averaging at least seven assists," Udrih made clear.
Yet in his 60 games this season, he has had seven or more assists just 12 times and he ranks 32nd in the league in assists per game (4.4). The Kings, meanwhile, are 29th in the league in assists per game (19), a mark that is on pace to be lowest in team history as the media guide sees it. The year-by-year stats go back to 1970-71, and last season's 20.3 mark was the worst to that point. I'll try to track down the numbers before then.
To be fair, this is not only Beno's problem to solve. The system is largely responsible because it allows for so much one-on-one play, with Kings coach Reggie Theus conflicted all season about this problem. Some of his players can be so good at creating on their own, but the ball movement and flow obviously suffers and the style has everything to do with the Kings ranking 29th in turnovers (15.2 per game). They don't get the easy baskets on backcuts very often or the transition points or focus for any length of time on finding the open man. Instead, they stay in the sort of attack mode that makes them vulnerable to donating extra possessions, all of which has a profound effect on the defense that's ranked 24th in points allowed per game (104.3). But as for the original point, Beno is the MIP if that stands for 'Much Improved Player.' He's just not the 'Most Improved Player.'

FANTASY FANATICS UNITE

The volume of e-mails from Fantasy League types has picked up of late, so I'll do my best to help y'all out. Like I said, Udrih could be out tomorrow but I should know more in the late morning (the Kings did not practice today). Ron Artest and Brad Miller appear ready to play, although Artest is obviously capable of changing his mind. - Sam Amick

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March 24, 2008

Artest to play

HOUSTON - I've been running around and couldn't get back to the ol' laptop, but Ron Artest will play tonight.
It was another classic Artest affair, with his status a mystery all day long and the official word coming approximately 90 minutes before tipoff that his sore right elbow wouldn't keep him out. You've got to feel for John Salmons, who has had so many days this season in which he thought he was going to start only to be sent back to the bench. - Sam Amick

Injury update and more defensive chatter with ET

HOUSTON - It felt like two Kings shoot-a-rounds this afternoon.
First, there was my early Toyota Center attendance at the session for the Kings South, otherwise known as the Rockets. Then, of course, the actual Kings.
A brief conversation with Kings coach Reggie Theus led to the discovery that point guard Beno Udrih (lower back strain) will return tonight after a three-game absence and center Brad Miller (right elbow bursitis) will start as well. Ron Artest will not play, although Theus wasn't sure which ailment - knee or elbow - was bothering his small forward.
"You have to ask him," he said.
Artest, however, was already on the team bus.
On the other side, I asked former former Kings assistant and Rockets' assistant Elston Turner about the sort of defensive topics I covered in today's paper, and he wasn't shy to share his views.
"It ain't like we went back and read a book on defense for dummies," Turner said. "We know what we're doing on both ends. You don't get as many wins as we've gotten (over the years) coming up short in some areas."
Turner always took great offense to the claims that Adelman's coaching staff didn't coach defense, namely because that end of the floor has long been his area of expertise as a coach and when he was a player. His argument, then and now, has been that you just can't do much defensively if the players given to you don't have a good amount of defensive pedigree on their own.
"A lot of these guys had defense on their resumes before they got here," Turner said. "It's been good. They really work at it, execute it, and they hold each other accountable. We hold them accountable and they hold each other accountable. We've got a team that's pretty good when we're clicking on all cylinders."

"BIG GIVE" TODAY

As a reminder, the Maloofs are on Oprah's show this afternoon giving away mounds of cash to people in need. All the info you need is right here.
- Sam Amick

Adelman gunning for No. 800

HOUSTON - On Saturday night, I did my best to drive the ratings up on the Kings game at Memphis by touting the first career start of Spencer Hawes.
And now, there may actually be two legitimate reasons to tune in when they tip off against Houston on Monday night. For starters, Hawes could be a starter again, although the team didn't practice on Sunday and the status of Brad Miller (right elbow bursitis) is unclear (Beno Udrih could also play, and likewise for Ron Artest). Secondly, former Kings coach Rick Adelman will be gunning for his 800th career win against his old team.
It was almost three years ago to the day that Adelman was winning No. 700 with the Kings in a 112-93 win over Portland at Arco Arena on March 22, 2005.
"It is special," Adelman said then. "Each time (a milestone happens), you appreciate it more. I've been in two great situations (in Portland and Sacramento), and the seven years in Sacramento have been terrific."
Even with the season-ending injury to Yao Ming, Houston certainly qualifies as a third 'great situation.' Adelman is being hailed as a Coach of the Year candidate perhaps like never before, mostly for his ability to win despite such a devastating blow in the loss of Yao.

WEST RACE GROWS MORE INTERESTING
Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

For as seemingly disastrous as the loss of Yao was for the Rockets, Dallas losing Dirk Nowitzki as the Mavs did on Sunday night is worse.
It's a problem made worse still because there is no room for error. It's three losses in a row now and a two games separating them and ninth-place Denver. It actually takes some heat off the Rockets, whose schedule down the stretch is very favorable (nine of 12 games against teams currently out of playoff position; seven of those teams under .500, including two games apiece against Seattle and the Clippers and one against Minnesota). They may be dancing in Denver in light of Dirk's downfall.

The NBA: "Where No-witzki means No-playoffs Happens'

DONNIE WALSH-RON ARTEST REUNION? DON'T COUNT ON IT

BLOG UPDATE: Who knows if Donnie is headed for New York, but his tenure in Indiana has come to an end.

For those who have long been looking ahead to the offseason, the Donnie Walsh situation in Indiana came close to possibly impacting the Kings.
The Pacers CEO met with Knicks owner Jim Dolan a while back but now appears prepared to stay in his current spot. Had Walsh gone to the Knicks, it would seem highly unlikely that Ron Artest would land there at some point in his career as so many still believe will eventually happen. The Kings small forward who can opt out this summer but whose agent has said he likely won't has never hidden the fact that he would love to play for the Knicks if the circumstances were right, but it seems inconceivable that Walsh would tie his hitch to that wagon again. The odds remain highest so long as Isiah Thomas is in charge. - Sam Amick

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March 23, 2008

Mikki doesn't like it

AP Photo/Alan Spearman

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - When Mikki Moore vented about his own role after an early season loss at New Jersey, there was some question from fans as to whether he was as much of a team-first player as he professed.
And while it appeared that none of his teammates or anyone around the team questioned that notion, he showed why on Saturday night. Moore, who has been one of the most candid and critical Kings all season long, let loose a postgame rant that was all about the team at large after the Kings' loss to Memphis.
"Since we’re not going to make it to the playoffs, we need to improve as a team every time we step on the court," he began. "And I don’t think, as a team, that we did. Some players individually did tonight, like Spencer (Hawes). Spencer came out and he played a great game. He made some mistakes, but he played hard. That’s the main thing. His effort was there.
Moore mostly looked down, as he was nearly done putting his street clothes on but not quite finished sharing his opinion.
"But as a team, we played selfish on both ends of the floor," he continued. "We didn’t help each other out on defense, and we were greedy on offense, which ended up turning into easy baskets for them. Every time we play a bad team, people start thinking that, ‘I need to get my stats right, or I need to go at the guy more, but in reality we need to play team basketball on both ends. I’m not saying it's just somebody shooting the ball more, but it could be a guy not setting a screen because he’s looking for the ball. You never know what it is until you look at film, but I felt like we played selfish basketball on both ends."
Moore - who had nine points, eight rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes - was asked if he was surprised by the absences of center Brad Miller (right elbow bursitis) and small forward Ron Artest (right elbow soreness). The Kings had known they would be without point guard Beno Udrih (lower back strain), but numerous Kings players had said they weren't aware the other two starters wouldn't play until taking the floor for pregame warmups. Miller and Artest were questionable before the Kings' game at San Antonio on Friday, but played.
"No, it never surprises me anymore," Moore answered. "Nothing surprises me anymore. That’s all I can say." - Sam Amick

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March 22, 2008

Kings down three starters v. Memphis

BLOG UPDATE: For those of you not in front of your boob tubes, there is one fairly significant reason to tune in tonight. Spencer Hawes is about to get his first career start. And for any Grizzlies fans who have a strange connection to the University of Washington or just forgot that your hometown team is playing tonight, feel free to hop in the car and head on down to the FedEx Forum. There are only about 14,000 empty seats with your name on them. Better hurry...

MEMPHIS - As if this game wasn't lacking intrigue already, the Kings will be without Beno Udrih, Ron Artest and Brad Miller tonight against Memphis.
Udrih will miss his third straight game with a lower back strain, while Artest has right elbow stiffness and Miller continues to deal with bursitis in his right elbow. It's welcome news for the Grizzlies, who downed New York at the Garden on Friday night and have won two straight games just once this season. Should they prevail in this one as they did when downing the Kings on Feb. 12, it will be the Kings' 11th loss to a team with a winning percentage of .400 or less this season. - Sam Amick

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March 21, 2008

Beno to sit vs. San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO - Point guard Beno Udrih is expected to miss tonight's game against San Antonio, according to Kings coach Reggie Theus.
The fourth-year player who spent his first three seasons with the Spurs continues to deal with a lower back strain and will miss his second consecutive game. Eleven-year veteran Anthony Johnson will continue in his spot. Udrih scored a career-high 27 points in his first game against the Spurs on Nov. 26 as the Kings won 112-99 at Arco Arena but will miss what would've been his first chance to play at the AT&T Center since he left town in late October. Udrih, who was part of two Spurs' championships, was traded to Minnesota just before the regular season, waived hours later and signed by the Kings as a free agent.
The Kings' other ailing players - Ron Artest, Brad Miller, Spencer Hawes and Kenny Thomas - are all expected to be available to play tonight. Sam Amick

Weekly Web Watch (From KG to Donaghy to AI)

SAN ANTONIO - This particular Web Watch is waiting for you long before the final day of another hard work week comes to an end.
So clock in, sit down, and clock out in your head as you click away on some of the more interesting storylines from around the NBA this week...

* Nothing like retroactive retribution to get a downtrodden organization back in the headlines again. Such was the case with the Minnesota Timberwolves this week, as owner Glen Taylor started it all by acccusing Kevin Garnett of tanking at the end of last season and then let his staffers try to to clean up the mess afterward. Garnett took the high road on the topic, but obviously wasn't thrilled to be asked about it after Boston beat Houston on Tuesday.

* With enough salary cap space, the Kings could be among the many teams angling for LeBron James in 2010. This week, however, the pre-, pre-, pre-emptive strikes in this battle reached a new level in New York, where a campaign to raise extra funds for King James is well under way and the closest competition to the Knicks just might be the New Jersey Nets because of his relationship with part owner and James pal Jay-Z. Don't forget, of course, that the Nets may be in Brooklyn the same year James becomes a free agent.

* There is a poster-sized photo in the media room at Arco Arena that is outdated on two fronts. First of all, it shows Kings forward Kenny Thomas flying to finish a layup on the break, which is obviously something we don't see anymore. Secondly, it shows disgraced official Tim Donaghy watching the action in the background. Obviously, much has changed since then. And it only got worse for Donaghy this week, as the wife who vowed to stand behind him when the whole saga became public is now hoping to stand behind a restraining order.

* Longtime NBA scribe Sam Smith is no more at the Chicago Tribune, as he accepted a buyout this week. He's not off the hoops map, though, as he has been writing for hoopshype.com and can be found here.

* Who said Philadelphia has bad sports fans? Allen Iverson returned to the Wachovia Center on Wednesday for the first time since being traded to Denver in December 2006 and - according to the legendary Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News - was shown even more love than Charles Barkley received in his return. Judging by one fan's view, the welcome was warm in every way...

That city wants heart, hustle, grit and some wins to go along with it, and AI could almost always provide that. The story had everything but the perfect ending, as he missed a potential game-winning three as Denver fell.

* Speaking of which, you think the Nuggets wish they'd blinked on the Ron Artest talks yet as they sit 2 1/2 games out of the eighth spot? I do. - Sam Amick

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March 20, 2008

Kings of questionable

SAN ANTONIO - It remains a bit of a mystery who the Kings will trot out against San Antonio tomorrow, but here's the latest.
Brad Miller (right elbow bursitis), Ron Artest (right knee soreness, right elbow stiffness), and Beno Udrih (lower back strain) did not practice today, although that doesn't necessarily mean they won't play tomorrow. Spencer Hawes (left midfoot sprain) did practice and - according to Melody Gutierrez, who was at practice while I was on a plane - was dunking quite nicely and said he is back on board. Miller isn't even on the team's official list as 'questionable' and is listed in the starting lineup, and you can bet Udrih will play if it's humanly possibly since this is his first game back in San Antonio since he spent his first three seasons there.
Meanwhile, the Spurs broke their four-game losing streak in fine form tonight in Chicago. They never panicked, so says Spurs' beat writer Jeff McDonald, even while enduring a historically-woeful stretch. The silver lining for the Kings is that San Antonio is expected to touch down at 2:30 a.m. local time and get some late sleep before lacing them up tomorrow.
- Sam Amick

Q&As (Remember the Alamo - and the playoffs? - version)

SAN ANTONIO - Ah, the memories.
Remember when the Kings came to this part of the country for the playoffs instead of quasi-meaningless regular season affairs? It seems like yesterday that it was April 2006, and the Ron Artest-led Kings were as hot as any team in the league and in a quite a little battle with the hometown Spurs.
I was having flashbacks on my way into town, remembering the time I saw Ron-Ron walking the streets near the downtown Riverwalk on the night he couldn't play against the Spurs because he had been suspended for a game. I was on my way to the arena, and sure enough Ron was going to take in the sights and find a place to watch the action other than his hotel if he couldn't actually take part. The classic memory, though, was walking through the San Antonio airport recalling a chat I'd had with the agent for Bonzi Wells, William Phillips, during the series in which his client looked well on his way to a huge payday.
Oh, how life can take us on twists and turns. Like Q&As, for example, which I'd promised on Tuesdays but didn't get around to until today. As Geoff Petrie told me one time when I was late to meet him for lunch, better late than never.

Question: Do you think (Quincy) Douby is feeling a little left out since it seems (Kings coach Reggie) Theus has no problem playing Spencer Hawes, his new rookie, but Douby really doesn't get to see that much floor time.
And how come Anthony Johnson has not received more playing time? Do you think with this recent win we will see more of him? Also do you think the Kings will keep Shareef Abdur-Rahim during the off season or will they try to trade him? – Julie, Lodi, Calif.

Answer: Douby continues to say all the right things, that all he can do is be patient and professional. But I’d bet my mortgage that he’s pretty disappointed, and he wouldn’t be a competitor if he wasn’t. The problem, though, isn’t easily fixed. In practices and limited game time, Douby hasn’t shown Theus that he is a point guard, meaning he’s fighting for minutes at the off-guard spot. Then it’s just a matter of Theus getting him in right after Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia, and John Salmons.
As for Johnson, some of his minutes were coming when Douby was actually used at the point guard spot. In general, he’s been the casualty in terms of the organization’s priorities of the moment. They want to see the young guys, not an 11-year veteran who is expected to be gone soon as he is a free agent this summer. Lastly, Abdur-Rahim could be traded if they find a suitor. I’ll have more in the paper soon on his status, but he is no longer looking to come back this season after having two arthroscopic surgeries on his left knee. He had said a few months ago that he would try to get back this year.

Question: I'm wondering why Artest's comments after the Warriors game are not getting more attention. In the post-game interview, when asked about (Johnson), Artest said that he always knew AJ could play and if the coaches played him more, like they should have, the Kings would have made the playoffs. He went on to say that maybe by next year the coaches could figure things out and the team could focus on trying to win. – Derek, Sacramento, Calif.

Answer: The thing about Ron is he says something just about every day that could be considered a big deal. As the beat writer, the upside is you never run out of material. The downside is you run the risk of lopsided coverage if every headline relates to the latest Artest comment.
That’s almost the way it is anyway, but there has to be discretion at some point. Artest has been questioning Theus’ moves for much of the season. And if he had said this while Johnson was still sitting and the Kings were still even remotely close in the playoff race, then it would’ve been big news. Now? It’s old news.

Question: Can Francisco dunk? If so, why doesn’t he dunk some of those near-open shots instead of laying them up and, all too often, not in? – Cindy, Stockton, Calif.

Answer: Cindy, you must have contacted the Kings coaching staff along with e-mailing me about ‘Cisco, because someone appears to have mentioned that to him. Right after your query (which was sent a few days back), Garcia became a dunking machine. Forget ‘El Flaco,’ as he is known in the locker room, let’s start calling him ‘Senor Slam!’ OK, so maybe that’s a little strong, but he had dunks on the break at Phoenix and against Golden State and can obviously put it down when he wants to.

Question: When the Kings players are fined by Coach Reggie Theus, where does the money go? – Tina Paoli, Sacramento, Calif.
Answer: I went digging for an answer for you Tina, as I actually wasn’t sure. According to Theus, the money sometimes goes to various charities or is sometimes put in an in-house account for various things the team needs. It sounds like it’s a case-by-case basis.
Theus said the ballplayers in the old days would sometimes have a bit more fun with the money, throwing parties funded by the fine.
“Is the player who was fined invited?” I asked.
“Oh, heck yeah,” he said with a laugh.

Question: Did the Kings have to pay Tyronn Lue any money when they waived him? Did Dallas has to pay the Kings any money when they picked him up? I am not sure how that works. Would the Kings have traded a pick or something instead of just letting him walk away w/ their money?
Thanks. – Kathy Nelson, Browns Valley, Calif.

Answer: There was some sort of buyout, although I never heard the specific amount. In terms of the process, though, the Kings came to an agreement with Lue’s agent, Andy Miller, regarding a discount of some sort on the remaining portion of his $3.5 million salary for this season. Miller would want to cut a deal, of course, because it gave Lue a chance to go from a dead-end situation to playing a role on a contender. In this type of case, the agent would be well aware of what kind of interest his client had around the league and would have a short list of teams he was fairly confident his guy could land with. And, yes, Dallas is paying Lue as well, but under a new contract.
As for trading Lue for a draft pick (which I think is what you meant to say), the Kings were open to doing that before the Feb. 21 trade deadline and it would have been preferred. Obviously, however, that didn’t take place.

Question: Sam, Any chance the Kings waive Lorenzen Wright and take a look at Gerald Green - a player with alleged "upside" who has never gotten the minutes? What's the risk? – Frank, Sacramento, Calif.

Answer: I haven’t heard that, but you can bet Theus would be all for it. It’s no secret the Kings aren’t exactly a who’s-who of the league’s top athletes, and Green has always been one of those guys whose raw skills are enticing.

Question: Dear Mr. Amick, Could you please lead me to a good photographer that takes pictures of the Kings? I am looking for some good clear shots of Kevin Martin to purchase. Thank You in advance. - Patricia Weber, Galt, Calif.

Answer: And who wouldn’t want a few top-notch Kings shots to hang around the house? For you and anyone else looking to have some of the Bee’s fine photog work sent your way for a small fee, call (916) 321-5286 and just do as the automated message says.

Question: Hello Sam, Now and then, I read a comment suggesting that the Kings buy out the contracts of some players (for example Kenny Thomas and Shareef Abdur-Rahim). What I wanted to know is how does a contract buyout affect an NBA team's salary cap. Thanks. – Arnel, Marysville, Calif.

Answer: It’s not the quick fix everybody assumes. First, the team and the player’s agent have to agree on a dollar figure for the buyout. That amount is then split evenly based on how many years that player had left on his deal and applied to the cap. For example, a $21 million buyout for a guy with three seasons left is a $7 million cap presence each of those three seasons. Assuming the player is in a position to land a new deal with another team, the reward is far greater on his end than it is for the team unless the agreed-on buyout is a serious discount. - Sam Amick

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March 19, 2008

Miller joins list of walking wounded (with MRI update)

(That sleeve on Miller's right elbow isn't a fashion accessory after all...)

BLOG UPDATE: Per the Kings' PR department, the MRIs for Beno Udrih and Spencer Hawes were both negative and both players are considered day-to-day.

Just got back from the doctor's office, err, Kings practice.
Kings center Brad Miller is questionable for Friday's game at San Antonio due to bursitis (joint area inflammation) in his right elbow, while point guard Beno Udrih (lower back strain) and rookie center Spencer Hawes (left mid-foot strain) are both having MRIs taken today to ensure there isn't further damage, respectively. There should be MRI results later today.
All three being question marks would typically open up playing time for the never-used Kenny Thomas, but he has soreness in his right knee that is keeping him from hitting the floor for the first time since Jan. 2. Speaking of which, I continue to receive questions about Kenny and have no further answers than I did when I wrote this piece in mid-January about his situation. As Kenny himself always says, it is what it is.
I've also received a good amount of inquiries about why Artest was so chippy early on in Tuesday's game. And as I noted before, I didn't know of a backstory or context and still don't. That being said, it should be noted that Artest - whose injuries and occasional absences are so often met with skepticism - was the one playing despite right knee soreness and a stiff right elbow yesterday. Such is life when you are such a big piece of the overall puzzle.
As for why he was so edgy so quick, my only point was that he essentially started the game looking like an agitated man. This wasn't a game's worth of goings on that led to a breaking point. It was frustration coming from elsewhere. Where? Who knows.

* Matt Barnes, aka "Sactown's Finest," made his first trip to Arco Arena since the Golden State forward's emotional trip home on Nov. 28. His mother, Ann, had succumbed to cancer the day before. As Barnes continues to learn, coming home will never be the same again.
- Sam Amick

Your cranky and competitive Kings

It didn't take long, and it didn't make much sense for those of us unaware of the backstory or the context of the day at large.
Less than four minutes into play on Tuesday night at Arco Arena, Ron Artest was clearly fed up with Kings coach Reggie Theus. There had been an exchange in which Artest asked Theus about a play call from the floor and appeared less than thrilled with how the conversation had gone. And seconds later, there was Artest staring at Theus from afar while the coach continued on with his duties. A few minutes later, Theus finally acknowledged the obvious as Artest continued looking in his direction. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "What?"
Like all of the Kings, they battled through on this night and appeared to have resolved the issue by the beginning of the second quarter (although Artest's edge continued as he drew a rare technical for arguing with an official in the second quarter). All in all, though, this was among the edgiest nights at Arco this season. Even stranger was how much of it was amongst the Kings themselves.
Francisco Garcia grew tired of being blamed for perceived mistakes and yelled in an exasperated tone at Theus. Mikki Moore and Theus had a tense moment of their own as they both vented to officials about the Warriors' physical play. The real perspective from my vantage point, however, actually came from press row.
Associated Press reporter Greg Beacham is the main man for all of Northern California sports, meaning he has to prioritize when it comes to the NBA scene. What that means, of course, is that after years of making the trek from the Bay Area to cover the more-competitive Kings, he has been busy at Oracle Arena all season long and unfamiliar with this Kings' crew. So as the courtside flare-ups continued on a fairly routine basis, Beacham kept leaning my way and asking, 'Is this normal?'
As always, the feel-good win glossed over all the early theatrics and the Kings eventually directed their ire toward the opponent. Kevin Martin (34 points on 13 of 22 shooting) won the latest round against Monta Ellis (3 of 9 shooting, 11 points), their media-driven rivalry related to the Warriors guard winning last season's Most Improved Player award by a historically-close voting margin to Martin.
Artest had Martin's back when he was nailed in the face by Kelenna Azubuike in the second quarter. While Martin lay on the ground and was tended to by trainer Pete Youngman...

...Artest griped with the officials and Warriors point guard Baron Davis.
"Kevin, that's our golden child," Artest said. "You can't hurt the Golden Child."

THOSE WINNING WARRIORS (Just not on this night)

The largest part of the Warriors' winning equation this season has been far from rocket science, as Davis has finally avoided the sort of significant setback that has plagued him in so many seasons past.
With 66 games logged, he has already played more than any season since the 2003-04 campaign while averaging more minutes (39.4 per game) since that time as well. What’s more, the offseason trade that sent longtime Warrior Jason Richardson to Charlotte was supposed to leave a void for one of the team’s younger talents to fill. Ellis has done just that, upping his scoring (16.5 points per game to 19.5), rebounding (3.2 to 4.7), and shooting percentage (47.5 percent to 53.3) while gaining coach Don Nelson’s confidence like never before.
“He’s quite a player,” Nelson said of Ellis. “He was a bit of a pouter when I first got him, and we had to get through that last year. (But) he’s playing all the time now so there’s nothing to pout about. We haven’t seen that side of him this year."

Ellis - whose mind had to be somewhere else in light of his brother being shot over the weekend - said on Tuesday morning that he was paid little attention to the award last year. Once he won it, however, he wanted to show he'd earned it.
"I really didn’t even pay attention when I was in the (mix)," Ellis said. "It wasn’t even one of those things that was in the back of my mind. (But) I didn’t want to get Most Improved last year and then come back and have a bust season this year, so it just carried on from last year and picked it up even harder this year."
The 2005 second round pick out of high school in Mississippi can be a restricted free agent this summer, and there has already been word that Memphis will try to lure him away with all their cap space. Ellis is already quite a bargain at $770,610 and will certainly be looking for a payday.
So, I asked Monta, is he eager to lock up his future in Golden State considering how well he's fitting in these days?
"Ummm, I mean time will tell," he said somewhat reluctantly. "Right now the most important thing is trying to make the playoffs and go through that and when the offseason comes and I have to make decisions then I’ll make it but right now I’m just focusing on basketball."

***

* Kings swingman John Salmons played despite a right ankle that is still bothering him. John said he had an X-Ray taken on Tuesday and all is fine and that he has no plans of sitting anytime soon.
"We've got a lot of time off coming in a couple of weeks," he said.

* Theus' pick for best play of the night? The second quarter sequence in which his team grabbed five straight offensive rebounds in one possession and a Garcia layup put them up 52-51 and sparked quite a spike in the building's decibel level. In all, the Kings won the boards battle 48 to 43 and that one play accounted for half of their offensive boards.

* My pick for highlight of the night? Brad Miller pretending he was Kevin Garnett in the fourth quarter.
With 4:20 remaining, the Kings were whistled for defensive three seconds and Davis went to the line. He missed the free throw, then tried a pretend attempt out of frustration that Miller blocked from behind. Then Miller - a la Garnett and his infamous move from his Minnesota days - goaltended when Davis tried yet another free throw. Davis was whistled for delay of game, and Mikki Moore finished the sequence nicely by actually blocking Stephen Jackson seconds later on a layup attempt.

* Moore had yet another fine outing, with 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. His dunk over Azubuike was monstrous with 4:45 left in the fourth to put the Kings up 10.

* Beno Udrih (lower back strain) and rookie center Spencer Hawes (left midfoot sprain) are day to day and I should know more on Wednesday.

* The Warriors missed a golden chance to pull away from Denver (which lost to Detroit) and remain in eighth.

* When the TV cameras caught my mug allegedly looking angry at an anti-Kings call in the second half, Beacham accused me of being a homer beat writer. He obviously hasn't read the bio on this page, as the only hoops allegiances I've ever known are the blue and gold kind.

* Q&As are coming soon, but ye ol' gas tank - my own personal Arco Arena, if you will - has gone dry.

* Speaking of Arco, it was filled with Warriors fans who were as vocal if not moreso than the home crowd. Artest assessed this latest trend rather accurately after the game.
"It’s not surprising (that there were so many Warriors fans) because we’ve got to win," he said. "We win a little bit next year, the next year after that, and we just pack this thing and then there won’t be any tickets left for the Golden State fans. It’s our fault. It’s our fault because we’re losers. When we’re winners, the fans come out. I totally understand why there weren’t that many Sacramento Kings fans out there."

* As always, don't forget to relive the win via our multimedia slide show. - Sam Amick

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March 18, 2008

Kings down four players v. Warriors

The Kings' hopes of playing the spoiler role tonight aren't looking so good, as they will be without point guard Beno Udrih, reserve swingman John Salmons and rookie center Spencer Hawes.
According to Kings coach Reggie Theus at this morning's shoot-a-round, Udrih strained his lower back against Toronto on Sunday. Salmons will have an X-Ray taken on his sprained ankle to see if there's more damage than originally thought, and Hawes is still hobbled from a left midfoot sprain. The capper is Kenny Thomas, who would have seen some rare playing time tonight but is out with a sore right knee. Ron Artest is expected to play despite right elbow stiffness and continued complaints, according to Theus, of a sore right knee. It sounds as if Anthony Johnson will likely get the start at the point.- Sam Amick

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March 17, 2008

The real California rival returns

Yes, there is still plenty of Kings-Lakers buzz.
As many of you said last week when Kobe Bryant said the rivalry was dead, the fans have everything to do with the rivalry equation. But there has to be a context, too, and that's what's missing from Kings-Lakers these days.
As for the Golden State team coming into Arco Arena tonight? The rivalry continues to grow. The Warriors have all but claimed Northern California as their own on the hoops map. Their crowds are bigger. Their team is better. And all of this is painful for the locals because it was only a few years ago when the Warriors weren't within a fullcourt shot of being as relevant as the Kings.
But now they've won 12 of the last 17 meetings, including both faceoffs this season. They broke their playoff-less streak of 12 seasons while the Kings' streak of playoff berths ended at eight and their playoff-less streak is about to become two. This rivalry, unlike the one with the Lakers, is about success and failure at alternating times. And this, obviously, is not the Kings' time.
Yet this is quite an opportunity to play the spoiler. The Warriors are only 1 1/2 games up on Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot, and the Nuggets on their heels as they've won three straight. All that being said, the Kings may be without Ron Artest (right elbow stiffness), John Salmons (sprained ankle) and Spencer Hawes (left mid-foot strain) and would be hard-pressed to keep up with Nellie's crew without them.

***
* Just in case there's little for Kings fans to cheer about tonight, enjoy this incredibly bizarre YouTube clip of Baron Davis.

Not so menacing now, is he?

* Warriors forward Chris Webber hasn't played in seven games and may not be available for some time because of knee trouble. Sound familiar?

* Another just-in-case: Just in case you Kings fans want to relish a win before crossing your fingers that another is on its way, you need to check out the audio slideshow of the Raptors game. Heck, I wasn't even there and I felt like I was there. I took a short respite and am back on as of Tuesday morning, but those who want to relive every game need to make sure you don't forget about the fantastic slideshows that are produced after every home. Bookmark this page and they'll always be stripped across the top. - Sam Amick

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March 16, 2008

Suns starting to shine

PHOENIX - Mmmm. So tasty, that crow.
"How the West won't be won." That's how I dubbed it just eight days ago when I was ready to bury Shaq and the Suns. Now granted, winning four straight doesn't mean they're title-bound, but they certainly have played well of late.
The Kings' blowout began with a tinge of desperation, with Kings coach Reggie Theus barking at officials far more than the norm and earning his second technical of the season just a few minutes into play. There was, however, one saving grace at least as far as Theus was concerned: Shaq is apparently an advocate of the Kings coach.
As Theus was riding official John Goble about O'Neal's tactics in the paint, someone on the Kings bench appeared to prompt O'Neal as to whether he was going to chime in on Theus' rant. For a moment, it seemed like he would, as O'Neal watched Theus intently as he yelled but ultimately stayed quiet.
"That's my guy," he said of Theus as the coach kept on Goble. "I ain't saying nothing."
Otherwise, the Suns didn't shovel out much love for the Kings. Brad Miller and Spencer Hawes bounced off Shaq all night, with Hawes having as rough a night as he's had since his playing time increased recently (four points on 2 of 9 shooting, eight rebounds and five turnovers in 25 minutes).
Kevin Martin saw just six shots (hitting four) while Ron Artest took 22 (hitting 10) while partaking in some hollow trash talk with Amare Stoudemire in the second half when the frustration continued to build.
"I’m going to live and die with my teammates and myself," Artest said. "We’re going to live and die with ourselves. And when we live, (opponents are) going to hear it even more. Right now (the Suns) are living and we’re dying. One day, somebody’s going to breath some life into this team and we’re going to have our chance to swag a little bit."
The good news for Theus? Artest remains on board with the youth movement.
"I told the young guys, keep getting that experience because next year we’re going to need it," he said. "Get better while these other teams are getting older, and let’s shock the world next year."
Artest, who was yapping with Stoudemire from the free throw line early in the third quarter while the Suns big man had all but clocked out for the night and was on the Suns bench, had little to talk about.
"It was a little friendly trash talk," Stoudemire said afterward. "He was just trying to get himself going. But you're down 30 (points). Just read the stat sheet, bro."
Stoudemire added that he is friendly with Artest off the floor. This, however, was no way to treat your friends.

* Quick note that was omitted from print: swingman John Salmons left late in the fourth quarter limping with a sprained ankle and his status is not known for today's game against Toronto. - Sam Amick

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March 15, 2008

Your favorite King: Wayne Gretzky

(AP Photo/ Gregory Bull)

Glendale, Ariz. - First things first, there's been a change in this blogosphere.
I will be doing Q&As on Tuesdays now instead of Saturdays, mainly because - just like NBA teams - I am not a fan of back-to-backs. Between the Friday "Web Watch" and Q&As a day later, the only two standing elements of this forum are way too close together. What's more, web traffic on the weekends slows to a crawl and more folks will enjoy the responses during the week anyways.
Now on to the more intriguing happenings: Wayne Gretzky thinks the Kings should tank their season.
I learned this while sharing an elevator with <