Say hello to Sergio Rodriguez day.
He's back in Portland for a regular season game for the first time since he was traded to Sacramento on draft night in June, and he returns as a contributing member of one of the league's most surprising teams. That makes for a fun trip for any former player of said team.
And while Jason Jones hit on that very topic in today's paper, there's plenty more to delve into as opening tip approaches. Namely, how did Sergio Rodriguez get a role on this team?
When the Kings and Blazers met in the preseason, it looked as if Rodriguez's request for more playing time outside of Portland would go unheeded once again even though his locale had changed. Beno Udrih was the clear No. 2 point guard, and the prospect of a No. 3 seeing real floor time with the lion's load given to Tyreke Evans seemed unlikely.
But then a funny thing happened: they all played too well to not play them. And Kings coach Paul Westphal began to reconsider his approach.
"As you add information as a coach, you can sift through things and learn how to use guys a little better," Westphal said. "I think early I didn't know how to use he and Beno together, and it evolved through practice that that seemed like a viable way to go. Beno was playing so well you try to keep him on the floor. And Sergio was playing so well in practice, he made me rethink the first, second and third point guard idea."
The main concern, of course, was the prospect of having two guards known as below average defenders making up 40 percent of your defensive unit. But after upping Rodriguez's minutes in mid-November, Westphal said the pros continue to outweigh the cons.
"Sometimes there are issues (defensively), but you just ask yourself, 'Is it a net-plus or not?" Westphal said. "Are we getting more out of the mismatch than they are? And when Sergio and Beno are rolling, they can be effective against most teams."
As Rodriguez said when he was starting to his his stride in late November, he is a much better fit with Westphal than he was with Portland coach Nate McMillan when it comes to style of play.
"I think that Sergio is a unique talent," Westphal said. "If you try to plug him in to some pre-determiend role, it's not easy for him. But if you, quote, let Sergio be Sergio I think that players love playing with him and they keep moving and keep their head up and they get the ball. He's a very creative passer who's not afraid to try to thread the needle. Some times that's a fault, but it also can be a big strength when he has it rolling.
"We talked a little bit (going into the season) about how I wanted him to be aggressive and take what he sees. Our initial meetings were like that. In general, nothing has changed. If you're going to be a creative player, then you have to be allowed to create otherwise what are you doing here?"
From The Bee
'Rodriguez brings flash, energy to his role,' By Jason Jones
'Kings dangle dollar beer to lure fans, to chagrin of some,' By Cynthia Hubert
From The Oregonian
'Blazers stay optimistic, look for answers after going 2-6 in last eight games,' By Joe Freeman
GAMEPLAN (By Jason Jones)
Kings (10-12) at Portland (14-11)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Rose Garden, Portland.
TV: CSNCA.
Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).
Kings update: It's back to the road, where the Kings have struggled all season. Sacramento is 1-9 on the road with six losses in a row since their lone road win, Nov. 7 at Utah. Things are always better for the Kings when Jason Thompson is playing well. He's averaging 20.7 points and 10 rebounds in his last three games.
Trail Blazers update: Portland is coming off a four-game trip in which it lost three of four. Injuries are a big problem for the Blazers. In their last game in Milwaukee, only nine players dressed for a game that went to double overtime. Even coach Nate McMillan couldn't escape injuries. He missed the trip after surgery on a right ruptured Achilles' tendon.
Probable starting lineups
Kings
No. Player Pos.
13 Tyreke Evans G
20 Donté Greene G
5 Andres Nocioni F
34 Jason Thompson F
31 Spencer Hawes C
Trail Blazers
2 Steve Blake G
7 Brandon Roy G
23 Martell Webster F
12 LaMarcus Aldridge F
10 Joel Pryzbilla C
- Sam Amick
