Kings Blog and Q&A

Talk of possible trades dominated the conversation in our Kings live chat with Bee columnist Ailene Voisin. Replay it here.

Though the crowds at Arco Arena have been underwhelming since the opening night sellout, the Kings' surprisingly strong recent performances - and three-game win streak -appears to be generating a bit of a local buzz. For Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the club sold 500 tickets at the arena before tipoff. Known as "walkups," the pregame window sales are widely regarded as an indicator of fan interest, or lack thereof. According to Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof, who received a call from a ticket sales official early Wednesday, this was the largest walkup since a 2002 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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.

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.

I was actually going to include these quotes in a story I'm preparing for our NBA preview section, but after Stephen Jackson was suspended by the Warriors for "conduct detrimental to the team," I couldn't resist putting them out there a little sooner. Jackson, who clearly wants out of Oakland, reportedly cursed Nelson after being pulled from the game following his five-foul, one technical stint Friday against the Lakers. Anyway, this is what a temporarily conciliatory Jackson had to say last Tuesday about Nelson and his coach's pursuit of Lenny Wilkens' record for all-time coaching victories. "It will be a pleasure for me to be a part ot if. He (Nelson) has been a great teacher, a great ambassador of the game. And he has done a lot for me, not only giving me confidence, but allowing me to show I can do more than shoot the ball. I had to put the work in, but he gave me the floor. I don't think people understand our relationship. I have the ultimate respect for coach and he has the same for me. I'm forever in debt to him. No question he is my favorite coach and I'm happy to be here."

Guess he changed his mind.

Wonder what Jackson will have to say THIS Tuesday? And can he do anything else to hamper the club's attempts to accommodate his trade request?

IT JUST MAKES SENSE

I'm not surprised to hear that Paul Westphal plans to utilize a three-guard lineup frequently this season. Even before Francisco Garcia's freak weight-lifting accident Friday, a lineup of Beno Udrih, Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin was said to be under consideration. The Kings' most impressive stretch of the early postseason occurred in the final minutes of Wednesday's loss to the Trail Blazers .... with the maligned Udrih pushing the ball and finding teammates. Makes sense to go with your best players, provided someone can get them the ball.

Being an NBA referee is a tough job. We get that. We also have been known to point out their blown calls, and on more than one occasion, some of us have referred to the lousy officiating in Game 6 of the 2002 Kings-Lakers Western Conference finals. But after sitting through the Kings-Blazers preseason game at Arco Arena, and watching the replacement refs call a total of 63 fouls - 63 fouls! - I really started to miss Bavetta, Delaney, Javie, Davis, Stafford, Wood, among others. I shudder to think that the labor impasse between the league and its referees could extend into the regular season. Can't happen, right?

Sixty-three fouls. Ugly. The inordinate number of ticky-tack fouls notwithstanding, Jason Thompson (six fouls, 17 minutes) isn't furthering his cause with his incessant complaining. He should have figured that out during his rookie season.

If Desmond Mason makes the Kings roster, the veteran swingman (and artist) said he would be interested in showing some of his artwork during Second Saturday, the monthly downtown arts festival that has become quite the local event. Mason, 31, who is participating in training camp as a non-guaranteed invitee, is known as one of the league's more accomplished artists. After Monday's practice, he said he has moved away from still life art and currently is working on abstracts. Mason, who played for Paul Westphal in Seattle, is certainly being given a legitimate chance to make a roster that has a glut of small forwards and shooting guards. (The Kings would owe him $825,000). Westphal plans to start his former player in Tuesday's preseason opener at Portland.

The NBA's guidelines regarding "social networking" were revealed tonight after us Bee types had already left the Kings practice facility, so I am sure there will be more on the topic in the days to come. Though the rules aren't very restrictive, I am curious to hear the reaction of the Kings most prolific tweeters - Sean May, Jason Thompson and Donte Greene. In essence, the league's guidelines regarding the use of cell phones PDAs and other communication devices consists of the following:

- Social networking devices are banned from the 45-minute mark before tipoff, throughout the duration of the game (and including halftimes), and continuing through the obligatory post-game media availability session in the locker room;

- The rules apply to coaches, players and others directly involved in the actual game itself, presumably excluding the club's media relations and publicity types

- Teams can implement even more stringent rules, which a number of clubs have done

When I reached Kings media director Troy Hanson late Wednesday evening, he said Geoff Petrie and Paul Westphal were still reviewing the league's guidelines and had yet to formulate the club's own policy.

"We have a couple guys that are very active (May, Thompson, Greene), but they're very good about it," said Hansen, referring to something known as "manners. "I'm sure we'll figure something out for practice, but you won't see guys running over to take a water break, pulling out their cellphones. That's never been the case."

Interestingly, one of the Kings who often breached etiquette was former coach Reggie Theus. The personable Theus just couldn't help himself, hence, the need for a league policy. Reggie often was seen checking his cell phone or making quick calls while conducting practices, and on a number of occasions, he interrupted post-game press sessions to take calls. He curbed the activity after hearing about it from his players and members of the media.

Paul Westphal hasn't been an NBA coach since midway into the 2000-2001 season, when he was fired by the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics. He went on to coach the Pepperdine Waves, spent a season on Avery Johnson's bench in Dallas, and otherwise enjoyed life in his native Southern California.

But, he says, forget about any thoughts of a culture shock. The ball is still round. The court is still 94 feet. Players are players. Excluding a few more tattoos, what's so different?"

"I don't think there's any generation gap," Westphal said after Monday's two-hour media session at the Kings practice facility. "The Idea is to get five players who share the ball, who need to play defense, and try to make more baskets than the other team. There have always been selfish players. There have always been players who know how to sublimate their ego for the good of the team. As far as I can tell, you're still fighting that fight. You want to get more of the latter and less of the former."

Westphal, by the way, was a terrific scorer and ferocious one-handed, lefty-dunker in his day, and known for his hops. His playing style was the very antithesis of his conservative politics. (He remains a longtime friend of Rush Limbaugh). Haven't asked him about the onslaught of tattoos since his NBA head coaching days, however. i can't wait to hear his thoughts about Donte Greene's latest display: $600 worth of sketchings that stretch from the top of his left shoulder to his wrist.

As for the coach's thoughts on social networking? Forget about it. He laughed when asked whether he blogs or tweets, though he has no objection to his players doing so -- on their own time.

Although hardly a "Sandy Koufax moment," Kings rookie Omri Casspi will not participate in the opening day of training camp - basically known as media availability day - because Monday is also Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish faith/culture. The famous Dodger lefthander, most baseball fans will recall, refused to pitch Game One of the 1965 World Series because it conflicted with Yom Kippur. Casspi, who will become the first Israeli to play in the league when he suits up on opening night, has been in town the past few weeks scrimmaging and training at the Kings practice site.

Perennial Kings coaching candidate Kurt Rambis, who finally received his second chance as an NBA coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, has assembled an impressive staff. All three of his assistants - Dave Wohl, Reggie Theus and Bill Laimbeer - have head coaching experience. Wohl was on Pat Riley's staff with the Showtime Lakers before taking over the New Jersey Nets. He has remained in the league as an assistant or front office staffer with several teams, most recently working for Danny Ainge in Boston. Theus coached the Kings for 1 1/2 seasons, of course, after two seasons at New Mexico State. And Laimbeer guided the Detroit Shock to three WNBA titles in his six seasons - and was regarded as an excellent tactician, teacher and motivator.

I spoke with Theus the other day, and while he wouldn't go on-record because nothing had been finalized, he was pretty excited about the possibility of getting another job. He had explored broadcasting opportunities, but really wanted to stay in coaching, preferably in the NBA. "I think of myself as coach," he did say, for the record. "I enjoy that more than anything I've done."

Rubio's decision no surprise to some

I don't know if he's prescient, or was just taking a stab in the dark, but Israeli national team and longtime EuroLeague coach Zvika Sherf told me in Tel Aviv three weeks ago that Ricky Rubio was signing with Regal Barcelona. End of conversation. Since then, Wolves president David Kahn traveled to Spain and reportedly reached a buyout agreement with Rubio's former team in Badalona, only to learn that the Spanish point guard was indeed signing with his hometown Barcelona club. Conspiracy theorists can have at it, but I continue to hear that, until the last minute, Rubio was urging the Wolves to trade his rights to another NBA club, preferably the Kings or the New York Knicks because he had no interest in joining a team that drafted another point guard (Jonny Flynn). The discussion will be ongoing ...

Kurt Rambis turned down the Kings' head coaching job in June because it didn't pay enough (approximately $1.5 million per year) or provide adequate job security (only two years guaranteed). So now he accepts a Minnesota Timberwolves position that pays more - $2 million per season - and offers better benefits (four years). The major downside for the longtime Lakers assistant, of course, will be the longer flight from his beloved Manhattan Beach home.

Given Phil Jackson's tenuous health, why wouldn't Rambis just wait until Jackson retires - assuming that, as the lead assistant, he would be the heir apparent? Assume nothing, as they say. When I spoke with Rambis' agent, Warren LeGarie, a few weeks ago at the Las Vegas Summer League, LeGarie insisted that his client had no clue what Lakers owner Jerry Buss was planning post-Jackson. More ominously, LeGarie said Buss has never gave Rambis any indication - never mind assurances - that he was the likely successor.

Rambis apparently just got tired of the wait. He hasn't been a head coach since succeeding Del Harris and guiding the Lakers to a 24-13 record during the lockout-shortened 1999 season.

TEL AVIV, Israel - Obtaining a visa to play in the United States remains a major irritant for the non-Americans in the league. Most of the time the NBA teams turn their attorneys loose on the immigration matter. But as Omri Casspi is learning - as did Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic and Hedo Turkoglu back in the day - the process is not hassle-free. Multiple time-consuming meetings at the U.S. Embassy remain common. In Casspi's case, the Kings rookie appeared for a 7:30 a.m., appointment on Tuesday and was required to return again Wednesday to finalize the paperwork. He sounded relieved to have the matter resolved. "Done, over," he said afterward. "I'm ready to go."

Since I'm returning home late Thursday night, only two evenings before he returns to the States to begin preparing for his inaugural season, we'll probably meet for coffee in the early afternoon. I have two final interviews scheduled later in the day, including the grand finale with longtime Maccabi Tel Aviv president Shimon Mizrahi.

With his organization in turmoil and the management team in flux, this should be a very interesting meeting. I'm hoping Mizrahi will be as candid as former Maccabi stars Mickey Berkowitz and Tal Brody, though that' s probably asking too much. Perhaps Omri's decision to leave Maccabi for the NBA will prove inspiring. The tape will be rolling ...

Awaiting word on that Kings visit

Many of the basketball types here are eagerly awaiting confirmation on the possibility of a Kings-Maccabi preseason game here in 2010. The last I've heard, nothing is official. Although the NBA and the Kings are pushing for the matchup at the Nokia Center, Maccabi's home court, basketball's international governing body (FIBA) has to approve any such arrangement. There is little reason to think this might not happen, but talks are said to be ongoing. Maccabi hasn't played in America since getting trounced by the Miami Heat in 1999. However, the Israeli basketball behemoth will take on the Clippers in the Staples Center on Oct. 15. They will also play the Knicks on that trip.

Slipping briefly into the role of the tourist

Between interviews Wednesday, I took the bus to Jerusalem to visit a few of the historic religious sites that were missed when Omri drove myself and a photographer to the Old City Sunday for a private tour of the Wailing Wall and surrounding area. I was disappointed to discover that the Temple Mount was closed for the afternoon, so had to settle for hearing the Muslims' call to prayer as I wandered around.

Later, after purchasing a few souvenirs - OK, more than a few souvenirs - I trudged up the hill to the famous King David Hotel. I couldn't resist. I sipped coffee on the balcony cafe where the late Paul Newman wooed Eva Marie Saint in the classic 1960s film, "Exodus," and almost immediate decided that the hotel was even more captivating than a young Paul Newman. The balcony cafe and terrace offer sweeping views of the Old City. (Let's see if my photos come out!). There is also a "Reading Room" just off the lobby that features a wall display of black and white photos chronicling the history of the hotel, and thus, of Israel. I refused to check the room rate, though. I didn't want to know ...

Shalom.

TEL AVIV, Israel - While chatting with Omri Casspi's brother, Eitan, at the family's home in the southern suburbs of the city, the Kings rookie grabbed his laptop to see if the NBA schedule had been released. He was about six hours early - and sure to be disappointed. His friends have all been wondering where he would make his NBA debut. He was hoping for a game in Sacramento or Cleveland against LeBron James. But no such luck. Instead, he gets a trip to Oklahoma City and a three-game road trip.

Coachie grabs the cigar

During one of my most enlightening interviews, I met with former Israeli national team star and ex-Rutgers standout Steve Kaplan, who told me that one of his biggest regrets was rejecting a scholarship offer from Pete Carril and Princeton. Kaplan, who said Geoff Petrie escorted him around campus during his visit many, many, many lives ago, also related one hilarious anecdote about the Kings special assistant: During a rainout at a Carrill basketball camp in the Poconos, Kaplan swears Coachie got onto the court for a few informal games of two-on-two, and competed with a cigar hanging out of his mouth. I would pay to see that.

This is what happens to the kids

While people can debate the issues regarding any deadly political conflict, and undoubtedly will continue to do, there can be no minimizing the devastaing impact on the children. For example: In the dusty city of Sedorot, with about 20,000 residents and a mere 45 minutes south of Tel Aviv, Israeli children are rarely allowed to play outside for fear of mortar or rocket shelling. Though attacks have subsided during the past several months, virtually every house has shed-sized concrete bomb shelters in the front or back yards. When children become restless, parents accompany the youngsters to a large indoor community sports "playground" that features everything from a mini-basketball court to a mutlipurpose room where dances and parties are held. The overhanging roof of the structure isn't secure enough to withstand bombing, but all along the interior, there are numerous anterooms reinforced with 1 1/2 feet of concrete walls. Inside, kids can be seen playing video games, studying on computers, kicking soccer balls, among other things, while their parents participate or observe from a nearby coffee bar/seating area. It wasn't until I visited the "playground" that I truly grasped the significance of the timing element: The alarm system only offers a 15-second warning before an attack. Understandly, parents want to keep their children close. The one outdoor park for the kids ingenuously attempts to disguise bomb shelters as concrete dragons and other animals. I'll be writing about the impact of the shelling on the local pro basketball team shortly upon my return to Sacramento.

As promised the other day, Rabbi Bob Taff of the Mosaic Law Congregation generously chatted on his cell phone a few minutes ago as his tour group of 21 Sacramentans rode on a bus through windy hills in central Israel Friday morning. And, yes, the weary travelers met up with members of Omri Casspi's family shortly after they arrived in Tel Aviv Tuesday evening. In Rabbi Taff's own words: "We arrived about 45 minutes early, and we immediately boarded the bus. I surprised everybody and told them where we were going. They didn't know. The Casspis live in Yavne, a bedroom commuity outside Tel Aviv. When we got there, they were outside the house waitinng for us. It was Omri's father (Shimon), his mother (Ilana). his brother (Eitan), and his sister (Aviv). They invited us into their home, and then we went outside and had refreshments and cold snacks in the back yard. Shimon brought out bottles of wine. Later, I had the kids from each family give them one of the Kings shirts, with Omri's name, and the number on the back. (Rabbi Taff bought these at the team store in Arco Arena) Then the families took a photo with the Casspis ... We were there almost two hours. They were so engaging, so down to earth. I think they were delighted to make the connection with people from Sacramento because they really don't know that much about the city. But there is no question they are thrilled about this opportunity, and the people in Israel are all excited. They told me that after Omri was drafted, people started coming to their house, leaving hundreds of bouquets of flowers on the sidewalk in front of their house. We just had a wonderful time."

Other offerings from the Rabbi
* Omri's brother, Eitan, plans to move here with Omri. (I have also heard that Ilana Casspi has been inquiring about Sacramento high schools for Aviv, who is a promising 16-year-old basketball star in her own right).
* Family members are not observant Jews in a religious sense, but Omri's parents want their son to observe the High Holy days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Sept. 18-28). "I'm sure he'll have to diplomatically make the rounds of the local synagogues," Taff added, with a chuckle.
* Asked the size of the Jewish population in Sacramento, the Rabbi said estimates are between 23,000 and 30,000. "Nobody really knows," he added. "There hasn't been a Jewish population study in 15 years."

Casspi cleared to play

Meanwhile, now that Casspi has received his letter of clearance from FIBA, basketball's international governing body, the small forward will make his unofficial Kings debut against the Detroit Pistons on Friday in the Las Vegas Summer League. From what my Bee colleague Sam Amick tells me, the rookie small forward is so geeked he'll probably turn the ball over, say, half a dozen times in the first half. imagine if he can play?

Led by unofficial tour director Rabbi Reuven "Bob" Taff, 21 members of Sacramento's Mosaic Law Congregation are en route to Israel for a 10-day trip that will include a visit with Omri Casspi's famiy at his home outside Tel Avis. Although the rookie forward is in Sacramento preparing to play for the Kings in the Las Vegas Summer League, with practices beginning Wednesday, his parents extended an invitation to the groups after learning of their plans through a mutual friend. "I have a friend over there who happens to be close with Omri's father," said Taff, "and he made the arrangements. Ilana (Casspi's mother) initially said she wanted to cook for us, but I said, 'no, no, that's too much trouble.' So we settled on light refreshments. We'll go over there after we land in Tel Aviv about 6. p.m., Tuesday. We asked everyone in our group to bring a Kings T-shirt. One family even designed their own T-shirts with a Kings logo intertwined with the star of David, and Omri's jersey number (18) in Hebrew. I also went to Arco Arena and had four shirts made - the ones they had at the rally that say, 'New Kings on the Block." We're going to present the shirts to Omri's parents (Shimon and Ilana) and his sister (Aviv) and brother (Eitan) when we get there. This is such a historic moment for the state of Israel. If Omri has an impact ... it would be incredible."

The rangy 6-foot-9 Casspi, a small forward who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv before the Kings selected him with the second of their two first-round picks (23rd overall) in the recent NBA Draft, will become the first Israeli to play in the NBA. Taff, who says the size of his bi-annual travel groups had been almost halved because of the economy, expects a sizable representation from the Jewish community at the Kings home opener. "I don't think there's any doubt about that," he added. "They take their basketball very seriously in Israel."

We'll catch up with Taff and the weary travelers after they meet with the Casspi family on Tuesday. Hopefully, we'll have some photos from the scene. Meantime, here's a quick glimpse of the Sactown adventurers. (Rabbi Taff is in the pink shirt).

Hedo Turkoglu is one of the most amiable, easy-going players you'll ever meet. He would be happy playing on Mars, Pluto or Saturn, which is why his decision to recant his verbal acceptance of a five-year, $50 million deal from the Portland Trail Blazers leads one to believe that his wife was a major factor in the about-face. ESPN's Ric Bucher is reporting that Turkoglu, who was very popular during his three seasons with the Kings, in fact reneged on his agreement with the Blazers because his wife, Banu, preferred that the couple relocate to Toronto, an international city with a sizable Turkish community. Plus, living in the East cuts the roundtrip visits back to Istanbul almost in half. While I haven't spoken to Hedo in a few weeks, when we chatted before his former Orlando Magic lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals, he mentioned that family considerations would be a large factor in his free agency. His daughter, Ela, was born in February. I think Bucher is probably right. I feel badly for Hedo, though, because his reputation is going to take a hit for taking the Blazers for a ride. (Think Carlos Boozer). Well, at least he will be well-compensated. He is expected to earn an additional $3 million from the Raptors.

Ron Artest routinely had trouble defending Kobe Bryant during those heated Kings-Lakers meetings, especially when the Lakers superstar initiated his offense on the perimeter and utilized his quickness against his stronger, slower opponent. But based on numerous reports within the past few hours, Artest plans leave the Houston Rockets and sign a three-year deal worth approximately $18 million with his favorite L.A.team. For all the angst Artest experienced in the years preceding his free agency - remember, he was upset when the Kings refused to offer him an extension last summer - the situation couldn't have worked out any better. He will live in L.A., where he spends his offseasons anyway, and gets to play for the best team in the league. Can't imagine he has any complaints.

Interestingly, my sources in Houston are telling me that the Rockets' desire to re-sign Artest waned dramatically when it was learned that both Tracy McGrady (knee) and Yao Ming (fractured foot) will be sidelined with injuries for much of next season. Rockets officials viewed Artest as a second or third star - a complementary star to Yao and McGrady on a contender - but feared that he could become a disruptive force on a team that is rebuilding or, at the least, missing its two most dominant performers.

The fact that Artest was lobbied hard by Lamar Odom tells you that the Lakers have every intention of re-signing their versatile forward, and in essence, valued his talents over those of fellow free agent Trevor Ariza ... who is planning to sign with the Rockets.

Though he was laughing last week when he said he wanted Pete Carril to coach the Kings team in the Las Vegas Summer League, new head coach Paul Westphal was serious. "Coachie," who returns as a special assistant/consultant, will celebrate his 79th birthday on July 10 - but only after coaching the Kings in their opening game against the Detroit Pistons.
For those who follow this stuff closely, the Kings roster is pretty stacked, and includes recent draft picks Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi and Jon Brockman, along with young veterans Spencer Hawes, Jason Thomas and Donte Greene. The complete list is as follows:
Robert Battle, F, 6-8, Drexel.
Jon Brockman, F,6-7, Washington.
John Bryant, C, 6-11, Santa Clara.
Pat Calathes, G, St. Joseph's
Omri Casspi, F, 6-9, Israel.
Tyreke Evans, G, 6-6, Memphis.
Donte Greene, F, 6-11, Syracuse.
Spencer Hawes, C, 7-0, Washington.
Marcus Landry, F, 6-7, Wisconsin.
Wes Matthews, G, 6-5, Marquette.
Jerel McNeal, G, 6-3, Marquette.
Brian Roberts, G, 6-2, Dayton.
Jason Thompson, F, 6-11, Rider.
Victor Stowes, G, 6-2, Reinhard College.
Ryan Toolson, 6-4, Utah Valley.

Longtime Kings assistant coach/advance scout Bubba Burrage, who was fired along with the team's other three assistants when Kenny Natt was relieved of his head coaching duties at the end of the season, has been rehired by incoming coach Paul Westphal. Burrage, who had been with the organization for 15 years, will be utilized strictly as an advance scout, according to team basketball president Geoff Petrie. He joins a staff that includes Jim Eyen, Mario Elie and Truck Robinson, and again will feature Pete Carril in the role of special assistant/consultant.

Kings coach Paul Westphal described the Kings draft "war room" - a term I detest, by the way - as a unified, cohesive place, even as Geoff Petrie, the scouts, the new assistant coaches, etc., waited to hear what the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder were going to do with their respective Nos. 2 and 3 NBA Draft picks. I heard the Kings were particularly concerned about the Grizzlies, whose owner, Michael Heisley, makes it clear every year that he makes the final decisions, and can trump the basketball people at a moment's notice. (As I frequently note, among intrusive NBA owners, the Maloofs are in the lower echelon). But this, from the new Kings coach: "It (the draft) always throws you a few curveballs. The first 15 minutes were the toughest. We were scared to death that something was going to happen that would change the scenario that allowed him (Tyreke Evans) to come to us. We sweated every second ... The final decision is always Geoff (Petrie), with a possibility the Maloofs deciding differently. That's the hierarchy. The good thing is, we were on same page ... and Geoff is really good at (sorting) through it and getting to the core part of what the decision should be.''

Not a stats freak, but still ...

As I wrote in today's editions of The Bee, I liked the selection of Tyreke Evans because he is considered such a major talent. My feeling all along has been that the Kings should draft Ricky Rubio because they desperately need a point guard and would benefit from his entertaining, flashy style - assuming his buyout situation was resolved, of course - or go with the physically gifted Evans, who is more of a combo guard. Every NBA type I've spoken with these past few days believes Evans is going to be a big-time player. Not everyone, however, is convinced he is going to be a big-time NBA point guard. Unlike Derrick Rose, Evans' predecessor at Memphis, his assist to turnover ratio gives one pause. In 29 minutes per game, the 6-foot-4 (without shoes) Evans averaged 3.9 assists and 3.6 turnovers. He attacks the rim, breaks down defenders (see his abuse of Stephen Curry in last Sunday's workout), can post up and draw double teams, and undeniably brings a physical toughness. But the best passer on this Kings roster is Spencer Hawes, the starting center, and so far, Spence is not Bill Walton or Vlade Divac. Who sets up Kevin Martin? Finds Jason Thompson and Hawes where they are most effective? The good news is, the Kings' talent level jumped appreciably. But the personnel has to fit. It will be interesting....

What of Rubio?

Watching the young point guard's face when he fall when he wasn't drafted by the Kings at No.4 was revealing. Watching his reaction when he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves five minutes later was almost painful. He was crushed. He (and his agent, Dan Fegan) obviously wanted things to work out differently in Sacramento. That's why you have to remain skeptical when new Wolves boss David Kahn - former owner of the NBDL Reno Bighorns, by the way - says he plans on pairing Rubio and Jonny Flynn in the backcourt. Those phone lines to Mike D'Antoni's New York Knicks are probably buzzing as we speak ....

He will be missed

Word of Michael Jackson's passing cast an immense pall over Arco Arena in the hours preceding the draft. With the televisions inside the building turned to CNN, fans, journalists, Kings employees, etc., gathered around the sets, stunned by the news, eager for more information. As a New York native who spent her teen years in Las Vegas, I remember grabbing my fake I.D. and going with friends to see the Jackson 5 at the lounge shows on The Strip. How ridiculous was this? While The Osmonds were performing for megabucks in the main showrooms at places like Caesars Palace, us poor UNLV college students could walk into the lounge shows (free of charge), sip a single watered-down drink for about $2, and spend hours being dazzled by Michael and his brothers. Sad, tragic ending for an incredible entertainer ...

After spending the last pre-draft evening chatting with sources about Thursday evening's annual festivities, I was reminded that some things never change. Everyone lies. Coaches. Scouts. Agents. Team executives. It's never personal, though, and as one GM said earlier today, "Why would you want anyone out there to know what you really think about a player you might want to draft?"
With that in mind, here are a few final thoughts:
- The Kings desperately need a willing passer, floor leader, entertainer and charismatic personality. I have a suspicion that Ricky Rubio will be gone when they pick at No.4, but if the Spanish point guard is on the board, please, take him. The Kings are going to struggle the next two seasons, anyway, but at least with Rubio, who is a much more creative passer than Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans or Stephen Curry, they would be fun to watch.
- Historically, undersized or smallish point guard guards who don't shoot well (Flynn) don't fare well in the NBA. John Stockton, Mark Price and Steve Nash share two characteristics: All are/were superb shooters and exceptional passers/playmakers. When I look at Flynn, why do I think of ... Darnell Valentine? Flynn is much quicker, of course, and not as thick. But I tend to side with those who are trepidatious about undersized point guards who don't shoot well and aren't particularly gifted passers/playmakers.
- Evans' potential upside notwithstanding, do the Kings really want another 6-foot-5 swingman? Exactly how many more dents before the hardwood has to replaced? (See Ron Artest, John Salmons, an ailing Chris Webber, etc.). Word is, though, that the Memphis star is going to be a terrific scorer in this league. Some project him as the second best player (to Blake Griffin) in the draft.
- The Memphis Grizzlies, who select No.2, were set on Hasheem Thabeet before owner Michael Heisley flew into town Wednesday and reminded team execs that he will be the one deciding which player is chosen. Heisley is a wildcard here.
- Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti is keeping everyone guessing, even more than usual. The obvious choice for the Thunder, selecting just ahead of the Kings at No.3, is shooting guard James Harden. But no one around the league is even willing to venture a guess at what the secretive Presti is thinking or what he plans to do. It wouldn't be a shock, say, if Rubio is snagged with this pick.
- Speaking of owners. The Maloofs enter the mix Thursday morning. Wonder what they're thinking? I'm sure we'll find out.
- And let's not forget trades. After Griffin, this could be an unusually fluid draft.

Party time at Arco

So, okay, it's not exactly the NBA Playoffs, but fans are invited to attend the draft proceedings and watch the event on the overhead screens - free of charge - at Arco Arena. The doors open at 3:30, with the proceedings getting underway at 4.

This is what he does

It's easy to criticize some of Geoff Petrie's more recent free agent signings, specifically, his tendency to overpay role players, but his draft record is outstanding. He missed on Quincy Douby - bypassing Rajon Rondo, as did a lot of others - but that's the exception.

I will be curious to hear the extent of Ricky Rubio's recent workout at the Kings practice facility, especially after former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry criticized the one-on-one format that his son, Stephen, participated in on Sunday. The younger Curry - competing against guards, including the physically imposing Tyreke Evans - felt that the session marginalized his playmaking and point guard skills, basically was little more than a one-on-one drill, with players trying to take each other off the dribble at the top of the key. Curry said his son had hoped to display his playmaking and shotmaking skills in transition opportunities, but often found himself stuck in the corners, shooting jumpers.

Details of the Rubio session should be interesting. Tthe Spanish guard is a floor leader, distributor and penetrator who utilizes his size and ranginess for steals and deflections in the passing lanes. He is a pass-first point maker - a true point guard in every sense of the word. The issue will be whether Geoff Petrie and Paul Westphal believe their can improve his offensive skills. One suggests that - given his age (18) - all things are possible, and his upside is too special to ignore. One Kings offiicials openly referred to the 6-foot-5, long-limbed Rubio as a "prodigy."

One last word on Sunday's workout

While Evans size (6-foot-7) and physique remind me of a younger LeBron James, he seems more like a two-three than a point guard. His turnovers are a concern, and from what we were able to observe during a 20-minute sesson, he didn't strike me as the type of player who makes teammates better. He wants the ball in his hands, wiith the intent on breaking down his man one-on-one. Just asking: But haven't the Kings seen enough of that these last few years with Ron Artest and John Salmons? Geoff Petrie, it must be noted again, is not enamored of the one-on-one game, which leads me to believe he is higher on Rubio than he is letting on. The tight-lipped Petrie guards his inner thoughts well, especially this time of the year. Don't be surprised if he draft the prodigy at point guard (Rubio) and starts filling other holes.

I don't have the details regarding salaries, but a league source just confirmed that Kings coach Paul Westphal has hired assistants Jim Eyen, Mario Elie and Truck Robinson. Eyen, an NBA assistant for 17 years, was a recent victim of the Los Angeles Clippers' budget cuts. Elie and Robinson are former players. Elie, who interviewed for the Kings head coaching vacancy three offseasons ago, was a physical, tough-minded guard who was lethal from the corners. Robinson was a two-time All-Star and one of the league's most physical power forwards during the 1970s and 80s. During the 1977-78 season, he led the NBA in minutes, defensive rebounds, total rebounds and rebound average (15.7). Westphal apparently is addressing the two areas he emphasized while interviewing for the job: defending the perimeter and controlling the boards.

The economic crunch continues to take its chunk out of NBA staffs. One Eastern Conference executive earlier tonight told me that he knows of nine assistants whose jobs effectively will be eliminated on July 1. The biggest cutback seems to be affecting advance scouts, or those men whose jobs consist of non-stop traveling and preparing reports for their respective teams' upcoming opponents. If the trend continues, how will coaches prepare their players for the next opponent? Retro it is. Teams will probably spend more time watching video and breaking down their foes' tendencies off tape, a la the old days, rather than relying on an advance scout's up close and personal report

The Big Game

The upcoming week is my favorite time of the year, for a few reasons. It's always fun to try to determine which scout/agent/general manager is telling the biggest whopper as the NBA Draft approaches, and it's almost as much fun trying to figure out which of these people actually know what they're doing. Most don't. The draft is a ridiculously inexact experience, but some franchises historically are more organized, detail-oriented and therefore better prepared before making their selections, those players from both here and abroad. For example: San Antonio's Gregg Popovich could probably tell you what Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the year leading up to their selection by the Spurs. I'd love to swap frequent flyer miles with Popovich and R.C. Buford, as well.

So what to believe?

Nothing. These next few days will be all about misdirection plays, and no one should be fooled by who is meeting with whom, or who is (or is not) working on where (with few exceptions). This particular draft is more intriguing than usual, mainly because except for Blake Griffin's selection by the Clips at No.1, there is universal disagreement on the ensuing Lottery picks. From what I am hearing, the Kings are among the many teams whose scouts and personnel experts are all over the place - say, five votes going for five different players. Ultimately, Geoff Petire makes the decision, and his draft record is excellent. All of which makes me wonder whether the front office's disagreement about Ricky Rubio's value means anything. In other words, I find it hard to believe that a team president who appreciated the entertainment value of drafting Jason Williams isn't secretly enamored of the 6-foot-5 Spanish star.

Today's best picks

The practice facility will be buzzing this morning. Even without Rubio, the cast of auditioners is impressive, led by Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry and Tyreke Evans.

Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio flew back to Los Angeles a little while ago after remaining too ill to work out for the Kings Thursday morning. Team officials said Rubio still has a fever and is being treated with antibiotics. The youngster's immediate plans are unclear, though there is a strong sense that he will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder, which holds the No.3 pick - just ahead of the Kings. A return visit to Sacramento before next Thursday's draft day proceedings in New York is also being discussed. Members of the Kings front office met briefly with Rubio at the Embassy Suites hotel earlier in the day, and among other things, thanked him for the visit.

Kings draft prospect Ricky Rubio, who was supposed to participate in a light workout at the practice facility early Wednesday afternoon, became ill and returned to the downtown hotel where he and his mother, Tona, are staying. Sources say the 18-year-old Spanish star had a 101-degree temperature and was prescribed antibiotics by the Kings team physician. Team officials were holding out hope that Rubio would fee well enough to work out Thursday a.m., because he officially has to end his visit after 48 hours, or about midafternoon. It was unclear whether Rubio planned to visit NBA franchises in Memphis or Oklahoma City, the two clubs that hold NBA Draft picks Nos. 2 and 3. He also could return to Sacramento later in the week.

Among the other things I have been hearing throughout the day - the Knicks interest in trading for the No.2 pick to swipe Rubio said to be legitimate - are a few red-not nuggets from former Italian league coach and Milan-based television analyst Dan Peterson. The former Delaware head coach, it appears, is not a fan of Brandon Jennings. During our conversation Wednesday afternoon, Peterson ripped into Jennings, who last week suggested to The Bee that Rubio was little more than a You Tube sensation.
"Ricky Rubio is not overhyped," said Peterson, who broadcast several of Jennings' games last season for Lottomatica Virtus Roma. "Jennings is overhyped. He has it all backwards. He is all about trying to dominate one-on-one, all concerned with individual talent. I find it hilarious."
Peterson went on to say that he liked Jennings' quickness and talent, but didn't think he was NBA-ready. Rubio, he says, is NBA ready. "One of the things that happens in the NBA, everybody has a theory on what a guy can't do. That's all you hear. Sacramento would be very lucky to get Ricky Rubio. It would be a good place for (Rubio), the capital city of California, not too big. He is just a terrific player, though he needs to improve his three-point shooting. He gets into the lane, draws fouls, has the whole package. People would love him there. He's a winner. I would throw myself in front of a bus for Ricky Rubio. But I would have a hard time having Brandon Jennings on my team. I would send him home."
Ouch. Jennings DID apologize to Rubio, by the way.
Boys, boys, boys ...

Why Peterson's words matter

When trolling for information before the NBA Draft, and relying on international sources as well as NBA types for insights, I tend to avoid the couch potato/stats geeks and consult with the coaches/scouts/sources who actually observe prospects during live games and practices. Thus, Peterson is an invaluable resource. Additionally, he has a rich history with the NBA and its international expansion. As I might have mentioned before, my introduction to Peterson occurred when David Stern trotted him out to a press conference in the old Boston Garden during the Celtics-Rockets NBA Finals. The two gentlemen sat on the dais, talking about some player named "Drazen Petrovic" who would someday be an NBA star, and insisting that several other international players had the talent and desire to play in the league. As I reminded Peterson on Wednesday - and recalling that the Boston Globe's Bob Ryan was seated alongside - I rolled my eyes, shook my head, and complained about wasting my time at a pregame press conference, when I could have been in the Celtics locker room listening to the latest witty offerings from Bird, McHale, Parish, D.J., etc. So, hey, how dumb was I? Three years later, the walls came down, Petrovic, Vlade Divac, Zarko Paspalj, Sarunas Marciulionis and Sasha Volkov signed NBA contracts, and the rest, as they say, was history. I will say it again. How dumb was I? Really, really, really dumb ...

A final thought on Rubio and Barcelona ....

While waiting to interview Rubio Tuesday evening, we were chatting about his hometown Barcelona. I recalled covering the original Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics - Rubio was barely two years old at the time - and asked whether the Las Ramblas, the grand downtown boulevard, ever recovered from Charles Barkley's nightly strolls. Charles was huge - that was his coming out party, as an NBA and international star. The sight of the Round One, dressed in his finest matching Bermuda shorts and shirts, walking along the avenue, followed by hundreds of admirers, remains inforgettable. Rubio laughed and acknowledged that he had heard the stories. His NBA mentors, of course, are considerably younger. He's a big Chris Paul fan ...

This just in ...

One week before the 2009 NBA Draft, here's the latest news flash: The Kings need to land Rubio. If they have to trade up, so be it. Given the state of the franchise - lousy attendance, lack of interest, bad economy, community's craving to love its Kings again - finding a way to sign the gifted Spanish point guard is an absolute no-brainer.

This was a crazy, interesting day in Sacramento, mainly because we at The Bee didn't learn details about Ricky Rubio's scheduled visit until midafternoon. By then, I had spent 75 minutes with new Kings coach Paul Westphal at a restaurant near Arco Arena, zipped back to the newspaper and written my column for Wednesday's editions, then hurried to a downtown hotel with colleague Sam Amick and photographer Hector Amezcua for our conversation with the Spanish point guard.

Let's just say, there was a buzz around town the minute this kid landed. Whether or not his legal issues are resolved, the Kings actually draft him, or he is the player the Kings SHOULD actually draft, will be addressed in my column in Thursday's editions. But based on first impressions, here are a few thoughts:

- The charisma thing. He definitely has it. The Barcelona native walks into a hotel lobby, and people immediately notice. He also is quite personable, not pre-programmed and packaged like so many boring professional athletes.

- The Kings. Though not totally familiar with the rosters of the teams that might draft him, Rubio had perused the rosters, and interestingly, paid close attention to the birth dates. He wants to join a franchise with young players he can mature and develop with, which makes the Kings an obvious target of his affection.

- The body. Having only watched Rubio on television, most closely during last summer's Olympics, I was surprised by his physique. Dressed in a black T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, he appeared taller than his listed height - close to 6-foot-5. He also had better definition, particularly in his upper arms. He wasn't the skinny young thing he looks like on the tube.

- The idol. His favorite NBA point guard is Chris Paul, though he remembers hearing about Magic Johnson's performance in his hometown during the 1992 Games.

Absolutely, check this out (click below to continue)

I'm off for a week's vacation, but wanted to offer some final thoughts about Randy Smith, the former NBA star who died of an apparent heart attack while working out on a treadmill. Smith, who was only 60 years old, is the latest of three former Clippers to die prematurely - all of whom happened to have the same last name. This is particularly weird for me, because I covered all three during my first few years as an NBA beat writer. Derek Smith (35), Phil Smith (50) and now Randy Smith (60) died of different causes, but much too young.

Smith, who was later traded to the Kings in the deal for MIke Woodson and Larry Drew, died of cardiac arrest in 1992 after suffering a reaction to anti-nausea medicine while on a cruise for the Washington Wizards. At the time, he was an assistant coach for Jimmy Lynam, who gave him his start in the NBA with the 1983-84 San Diego Clips. Phil Smith, who is best known throughout the Bay Area as the former USF and Golden State Warriors star, died of cancer in 2002 at age 50. He played for the Clips in 1980-82, but after suffering a ruptured Achilles, was never the same player. I remember Phil showing up at practice one day with his twin toddlers, Phil and Martin, and when he saw me sitting in the gym watching practice, sheepishly asked if I would babysit. He placed his sons on my lap and went about his business. It was hilarious ....

Randy Smith moved west with the Clips in 1978, was re-signed by the team in 1981-82, which happened to be my first year covering the league. He was a great guy on a team filled with wonderfully rich, entertaining characters, among them Bill Walton, Jerome Whitehead, Tom Chambers, Jim Brogan,Terry Cummings, Brian Taylor, Lionel Hollins, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, and Michael Brooks. The only downer was the owner - Donald Sterling - who became notorious for failing to pay the team's hotel and restaurant bills, stripping team employees of their insurance, and trying to force the squad to travel coach instead of first class - a violation of the collective bargaining agreement for all flights exceeding two hours.One night, after a flight landed in Seattle - and keep in mind that teams traveled commercial back then, usually with beat writers on the same flight - Kobe's Dad pulled me aside and told me he had a story for me. I immediately called the late Larry Fleisher, who was head of the Players Union, and Sterling was busted!

Randy was just a sweetheart, though, and a wonderful influence on youngsters Cummings and Chambers. Same for Taylor, who played for Pete Carril at Princeton. I saw Randy on occasion in later years, mostly when he was working for the league. I wonder if he was working at the Mohegan Sun casino when the Monarchs played the Connecticut Sun during the 2005 WNBA Finals? I surely would have looked him up. You never forget the people who are so kind and professional, especially when your career is just starting.

Still confused by this one ...

Nothing against Kings coaching candidates Kurt Rambis, Paul Westphal and Tom Thibodeau, but Mike Fratello continues to reach out to team officials, and can't even get an interview? I understand Geoff Petrie's desire to hire someone whose personality meshes with his own introverted nature, but this is ridiculous. In terms of credentials and accomplishments - not to mention , it's not even close. At the very least, Joe and Gavin Maloof should insist that Fratello be granted an interview. Then, talk personalities, styles and contract.

This has nothing to do with the Kings, but ....

While Fratello was guiding the young Atlanta Hawks of Dominique Wilkins, Doc Rivers, Spud Webb, Randy Wittman, a young lefthander named Tom Glavine was the lone bright spot on a lousy Braves team that played to 2,000 or so fans nightly. Glavine endured the bad times and in the 1990s went on to become one of the most popular and successful sports figures in the city's history. He was MVP of the 1995 World Series - he pitched a classic series-clincher against the Cleveland Indians after Greg Maddux had been roughed up in Jacob's Field. Beyond all that, he represented everything organizations claim to want in their players. He was a class act, an incredible competitor, and deserved to be treated better than being waived Friday in a blatant salary dump. Braves president John Schuerholz had a sleepless night? Yeah, well, guess he won't be invited when Glavine is inducted into the Hall of Fame ....

One of the more interesting tidbits of information coming out of the pre-draft workouts the last two days in Oakland is word that the agent for Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio is suddenly amenable to participating in interviews and individuals workouts with a select number of teams - the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder and Kings. Sources told me that, at this point, Rubio's agent, Dan Fegan, is limiting the visits to the teams with draft picks 2-4. Given the fact that Jrue Holiday and Jonny Flynn are moving up on most mock draft boards, this makes sense. Plus, Rubio didn't play particularly well in his season finale. Holiday is expected to return to Sacramento for a second workout, Tyreke Evans is scheduled to work out here next week, and Flynn shortly thereafter. Since the Kings have been unusually accommodating to the media this year - in the past, the team refused to reveal which prospects were working out, and allowed no media access to the workouts - this should be a very interesting few weeks.

The list of candidates for the Kings head coaching vacancy apparently just got shorter. ESPN.com is reporting that former Washington Wizards and Kings coach Eddie Jordan has been offered the same position with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bee's Sam Amick has confirmed the offer and been told by sources that Jordan will accept.

Meantime, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie still plans to meet with assistants Tom Thibodeau and Kurt Rambis.

John Raoux/AP

I wrote a column for Wednesday's Bee after speaking with former King Hedo Turkoglu, but he was so gracious with his time Monday afternoon, I wanted to add a few other notes. (And in case anyone missed it, his Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime earlier tonight to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals). Hedo played well, finishing with eight assists, seven rebounds, and 15 points, though he was only 5-of-13. His greatest asset remains his versatility, and his abilities as a 6-foot-10 playmaker. Jameer Nelson's season-ending injury prompted Magic coach Stan Van Gundy to demand even more of Turkoglu, a self-proclaimed slow developer. And, of course, all-around good guy and one of the most popular former Kings.

During our 45-minute conversation Monday, Hedo said he hoped Geoff Petrie was able to make significant offseason moves, maybe adding an exciting draft selection, to bring the buzz back to Arco. "The fans there are not asking for much," he said. "When we play there, I always get a standing ovation. My teammates turn to me and say, 'What did you do for these people?' I was only in Sacramento three years, but we had a great journey."

He also reminded me that current Kings assistant general manager Jason Levien - who was his agent/attorney at the time - extricated him from his contract with Efes Pilsen, the team he played for in his native Turkey. "I had to pay $1.5 million to get out of the contract," said Hedo, "and he was the guy. Then we started our journey."

Turkoglu, 30, can opt out of his contract with the Magic this summer, but he doesn't sound inclined to go anywhere. He enjoyed an excellent season, though his scoring dipped to 17 points and his field-goal percentage dropped to 41 percent. He described his team as "a bunch of young guys who don't have a lot of playoff experience, but who play hard. We don't have experienced players like CWebb and Vlade Divac. That team had incredible chemistry. But I was just a role player there. I have to be honest. I wanted to play more. Same thing in San Antonio. Here, what we are doing means more because Stan (Van Gundy) wants me to play the way I always want, with the ball in my hands. We just have to keep playing hard and see what happens. It's funny. Everyone back home is getting up at 3 o'clock in the morning to watch. They love what we're doing."

Ben Howland probably expects the worst anyway, but when contacted Thursday afternoon and asked about his point guard, Jrue Holiday, who earlier in the day had worked out for the Kings, the UCLA coach was caught by surprise. And he didn't sound very excited. While Holiday cited Howland among those advising him about whether to stay in the 2009 NBA Draft or return to college for his sophomore season, Howland knew the one-time prep sensation had spent the previous few days in Florida, but said he had no clue about any audition with the Kings. Holiday, who is moving up on draft boards, is expected to work out in Phoenix early next week. Howland went on to to speak glowingly of his freshman, both as a player and an individual. But, no, he won't be stunned if his talented playmaker turns pro. "Jrue and his family will look at everything and make the right decision," said the coach, adding that "both his parents are coaches."

Ricky Rubio Can Just Say "No"

I am continuing to hear confirmation of the news - first reported by DraftExpress - that Ricky Rubio has no interest in playing for Memphis or Oklahoma, the teams that will draft at Nos. 2 and 3, and that his agent, Dan Fegan, is trying to position the Spanish point guard in Los Angeles (1) or Sacramento (4). This could get very interesting. While there have been numerous examples of players discouraging teams from drafting them or forcing trades (Kobe Bryant, John Elway, Kiki Vandeweghe and Eli Manning, among others), Rubio has unusual leverage because he has to buy out the final two years of his contract with DKV Joventut before he can play in the league. The NBA team wanting to draft him can only contribute $500,000 toward the buyout, which means the youngster has to produce an amount estimated at $7-$10 millon, depending on the exchange rate.

Not that the Kings are strangers to extricating their first-round draft choices from sticky situations, by the way. The club's attorneys helped Peja Stojakovic and Hedo Turkoglu gain their releases from their respective teams in Greece and Turkey.

A Final Word on the Kenyon Martin/Joe Maloof Spat

Watching the Denver Nuggets' victory over the Lakers earlier tonight reminded me that I have neglected to mention that Joe Maloof and Kenyon Martin are buddies again. Or, at least, that they're no longer publicly spewing venom toward one another. For those who might have forgotten, Martin tagged Spencer Hawes with a nasty forearm to the chest during the Kings-Nuggets game during the final week of the season. Hawes crumpled to the floor, grabbed the knee that already has been subjected to arthroscopies and microfracture surgery, in serious discomfort. He flew home the following day for tests, but before results of the MRI were revealed - nothing broken, nothing torn - the Kings' co-owner blasted Martin, calling his act "thuggery" and urging the NBA to take stronger measures against players who commit hard fouls on opponents who are airborne. Martin ripped right back, saying among other things, that he had no intention of apologizing to the Kings or their owners, and that Joe Maloof should be more concerned with his 17-win team.

"What I didn't know," Maloof said the other day, "until I talked to Spencer later, was that Kenyon apologized to him after the game. I had no idea. When I popped off ... I was just worried, and I reacted. And Kenyon was right. I do (laugh) have more important things to worry about."

Before Mark Cuban got into his own tiff with the rugged Nuggets forward during the Denver-Dallas playoff series - that thug word again - Maloof said he had Kings publicist Troy Hansen relay his apology via the Nuggets. "I want to personally apologize," said Maloof, "and we're planning to talk after the playoffs. I don't want to be a distraction." And you just know Maloof was delighted with Martin's crucial late-game contributions in Game 2 against the Lakers ....

BLOG UPDATE: The Kings announced the prospects who will be joining Jrue Holiday in Thursday's workout. Beyond the UCLA point guard, it will be guards Aaron Jackson (Duquesne), Josh Akognon (Cal State Fullerton), Brandon Ewing (Wyoming), forward Tremaine Townsend (Cal State Northridge), and center John Bryant (Santa Clara).

Now that the Kings know their draft position in the lottery, where they will be selecting the No.4 pick (along with picks No.23 and 31), the emphasis within organization switches to the ongoing coaching search and the individual workouts. As Sam Amick revealed last night, interviews with assistants Kurt Rambis and Tom Thibodeau are expected, though it's unlikely Geoff Petrie will meet with Rambis until the Lakers are between series' or out of the playoffs.

But potential draft prospects already are coming to town. UCLA guard Jrue Holiday will be the first of possibly 30 or 40 players to audition at the Kings' practice facility, when he arrives for his noon workout on Thursday. The sessions will include running, shooting drills and three-on-three sessions, with Petrie directing the action as usual. (The other five participants are considered longshots to make the league, though most cling to their dream). Also, in contrast to seasons past, Petrie is allowing members of the media to watch the three-on-three sessions and talk to the players afterward.

What we already know about Holiday is this: He holds some intrigue, though probably not at No.4. If the Kings like what they see, they might try to move back a few spots to grab him. The 6-foot-4 Holiday struggled in the backcourt with Darren Collison in his only college season, partly, he claims, because he is more comfortable as a primary ballhandler than shooting guard. None of his statistics are overwhelming. But he was a highly regarded prep star known as an excellent finisher at the basket with good defensive instincts, and a shaky outside shot.

Having throughly enjoyed the memorable seventh game of the Kings-Lakers conference finals in 2002, I am totally engrossed in this seven-game series between the heavily favored Lakers and the injury-depleted Houston Rockets. Even without the injured Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and (reitired) Dikembe Mutombo, the Rockets have a lot to offer. Daryl Morey has done an exceptional job manipulating the salary cap and assembling a deep, talented roster. Equally important, the pieces fit. The point guard (Aaron Brooks) breaks down defenses. Ron Artest and Shane Battier are lockdown defenders and opportunistic scorers. Luis Scola is a physical, if undersized low post performer. And Carl Landry and Kyle Lowry are solid, important contributors off the bench.

But it only works because Rick Adelman is coaching this team like he doesn't give a hoot what his boss says or whether he returns next season. He isn't catering to an ailing superstar (think Chris Webber and Tracy McGrady), worrying about playing popular rookie Jason Williams when Vernon Maxwell or Tariq Abdul-Wahad should have been on the floor for the final defensive possession against the Utah Jazz (Game 4, 1999), or sticking with the struggling Doug Christie and Peja Stojakovic in Game 7 vs; the Lakers in 2002 when Scot Pollard and Bobby Jackson were the only Kings who weren't swallowed by the moment.

Frankly, it's fascinating to watch the hyper sensitive Adelman coaching to his players' strengths (defense) and not fretting about what his general manager or his owners or the media thinks, or worrying about playing this player or that player because they make more money than someone else. As they say, coaches evolve. I wouldn't be shocked if the Rockets upset the Lakers Sunday in Staples Center. Adelman is overdue. And Phil Jackson seems far from enamored of his club - for all its talent. I can't remember ever hearing him sound so accepting of so many lopsided losses. Maybe he's just tired ...

Jumping at the chance

Increasingly, it sounds as if Eddie Jordan would take the Philadelphia 76ers head coaching job if offered, which would eliminate him from the Kings' situation. The reasoning is pretty obvious. Sixers GM Ed Stefanski has more security than Geoff Petrie, the Comcast-owned club figures to be more generous with its offer than the small-market Kings, and the Sixers roster has better talent. Nonetheless, my sources in Philadelphia are telling me that Jordan would be a tough sell in the famously demanding market. The Sixers historically labor to fill the building - there were plenty of seats even during those classic Bird-Erving playoffs in the 1980s - and they trail the Eagles, Phillies and Flyers in popularity. There is a lingering suspicion among media types, in fact, that Stefanski, who has been friendly with Jordan since their time with the New Jersey Nets, might be pressed to pursue a higher profile coach such as Jeff Van Gundy (supposedly interested) or Doug Collins (definitely interested)..

Petrie is in Europe for the next few days, scouting Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, so no movement is expected on the Kings coaching situation until he returns late Tuesday. But it could get interesting, particularly if the Kings win one of the first two picks Tuesday in the annual Draft Lottery. The job suddenly would become more appealing, and perhaps convince Petrie and the Maloofs to expand their search beyond Jordan and Paul Westphal.

While watching television clips from Chuck Daly's funeral earlier today, and later, speaking with a few people who attended the memorial services in Jupiter, Fla., I was reminded of how skillfully Chuck dealt with the huge egos and personalities on the Detroit Pistons' championship teams (1989-90), as well as being the perfect choice to coach the original Dream Team in 1992. A college coach before becoming an NBA assistant and getting his first head coaching job with Ted Stepien's hapless Cleveland Cavaliers, Daly had a terrific temperament, and never sweat the small stuff. He was one of those coaches who clearly enjoy the attention that comes with the job. I'll never forget how graciously he dealt with the international media during the Dream Team's summer tour (La Jolla, Portland, Monte Carlo, Barcelona), and how he went to great lengths to accommodate journalists whose English language skills were lacking. He was unfailingly patient, helpful, and good-humored. I'll miss calling and pestering him for his insights.
The last time we spoke, incidentally, he said he couldn't understand why Laimbeer - whom he called "Billy" - wasn't coaching in the NBA. As he described his former center as intelligent, strong-willed, and not nearly as nasty as his image, Daly's voice became louder and louder. He was clearly ticked. He finished by saying that some club should take a chance on Laimbeer because "they'll get themselves one helluva coach."
Okay, so I wasn't going to say that the Kings should give Laimbeer a call if they intend to expand their list of coaching candidates beyond Eddie Jordan and Paul Westphal, but I changed my mind. Laimbeer has won three WNBA titles in his six seasons with the Detroit Shock, owns an impressive NBA pedigree, has a toughness and swagger about him, so, no, I don't understand it, either.

Speaking of swagger, defense, dynamic ....

When I filled in for Kings beat writer Sam Amick on the Kings final road trip to Denver, I asked Nuggets coach George Karl what prompted his change in philosophy. Or, I should say, what prompted his return to his old philosophy. Until the past few years, he was a disciple of the Larry Brown/Gregg Popovich school that stresses defense over offense. So, here is his explanation, which was offered weeks before his Nuggets eliminated the Dallas Mavericks and advanced to their first conference finals since 1985: "Two years ago, we decided to teach the game from the offensive end of the court, which I've never done before. But the (Mike) D'Antoni success, the Doug Moe philosophy ... so we threw it all out there. It's sort of like teaching the triangle or the Princeton offense. Offense comes first. Your practices are offense, spacing, timing. And I've never coached that way. We did it. We had some success. But last year, when it was all over (first round playoff exit), Grg (assistant Tim Grgurich) and I went in my office, and he said, 'we can't do this (bleep) any more.' And I said, 'you're right.' And so, much of it is me being comfortable again. And we started at training camp, with the culture, everything being defensive drills, defensive stations. The practice evolved, and. I would say for the first two months, we had 20-30 minutes of stations, thinking that pro guys would rebel from it, but saying this is what we were going to do. We went further with it, a lot further than I had ever done before. It kind of rubbed off a little bit. Plus, we have really good defensive guys. Chauncey (Billups) coming in this year, he believes in that ..."

Goodbye to Koz

Can't log off without wishing the best for Jim Kozimor, the longtime Kings/Monarchs broadcaster who was among the club's employees laid off earlier this week because of budget cuts. I was particularly appreciative of his passion and professionalism regarding the Monarchs. Hopefully he isn't out of work for long.

In these horrific economic times, it's pretty much a given that the fates of Lawrence Frank (New Jersey) and Jay Triano (Toronto), among others, are influenced by their respective teams' financial bottom lines. But the New Orleans Hornets' mortifying loss to the Denver Nuggets earlier tonight also left me wondering about Byron Scott. The former Kings assistant has a year remaining on his contract, and at huge dollars, I am told. But Tuesday's record-tying 121-63 defeat is the type of performance that infuriates owners, send fans running for the exits, and has coaches nervously calling their agents within hours. Plus, there are offsets. One team fires a coach, the next team pays X amount, thus offsetting the former team's obligation.

If Scott were to become available, would Geoff Petrie consider him? This could be interesting. Byron always says he eventually wants to coach two teams: the Lakers, where he began his playing career and won two titles, and the Kings, where he was an assistant under Rick Adelman for two seasons (1998 to 2000). He and wife Anita loved living here, and immersed themselves within the community. Plus, Petrie said he was interested in a few coaches who might be available at some point during or after the postseason.

Nothing appears imminent, so who knows? Geoff Petrie is off on a scouting trip to Europe, and his staffers are said to be compiling a lengthy early list of potential coaching candidates. But the favorites have be ex-Kings (and Washington Wizards) coach Eddie Jordan and Paul Westphal, the former head coach of the Seattle Sonics and the Phoenix Suns. Think Petrie. Think offense. But that doesn't mean Scott isn't intriguing. The one-time Laker has several friends and admirers within the organization.

Shaken up all that Jazz

Watching the Utah Jazz lose its unimpressive opening round series to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier tonight, I find it hard to believe Jerry Sloan will not return as head coach. Besides the fact that he committed to coaching next season while late Jazz owner Larry Miller was still alive - I suspect out of loyalty to his longtime friend and employer - Sloan is just too competitive to end his coaching career in this fashion: ejected, and in the locker room. His team uncharacteristically passive and non-combative. His team having undergone a late-season funk that resulted in the fatal first-round matchup against the top-seeded Lakers. His team ... no longer resembling his team.

I'm not a shrink, but consider that, within a matter of weeks, Sloan recently endured the deaths of his owner (Miller) to complications from diabetes, former Chicago Bulls teammates Johnny Kerr and Norm Van Lier, and most recently, the brother, Buck, who essentially raised him. This is one of those times when Sloan really needs to take a few weeks off before making any decision about his future. Can't imagine the Jazz without him, though.

Other playoff musings ...

* Watching Hedo Turkoglu stroke the game-winning three-pointer Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, I was struck by two things. First, if Hedo had converted perimeter shots during his brief stay in San Antonio, Gregg Popovich would have found a way to re-sign him. Second, two Kings types long ago insisted the late-developing Hedo would be a much better all-around player than Peja Stojakovic: Geoff Petrie and Chris Webber.
* Dahntay Jones can start for the Denver Nuggets, but couldn't play for the Kings? Again, this is another hint that a philosophical adjustment is needed. Offense is important. Defense is absolutely necessary. Loose balls. Long rebounds. Contesting shots. You know, the things that win championships.
* Very classy act by Kobe Bryant after the Jazz-Lakers finale. The Lakers superstar shook hands with his opponents, then walked directly to the Jazz broadcast booth and spoke briefly with radio analyst Hot Rod Hundley, who is retiring after basically spending his entire life with the franchise. The native West Virginian accompanied the club when it relocated from New Orleans to Salt Lake City in 1979, and is one of the league's good people ... if one of its biggest homers. With Hot Rod at the microphone or in front of the camera, the Jazz never committed a foul or lost a game.
* Add Ronnie Price to the list of former Kings who have contributed in the playoffs. His eight-minute, second-half stretch finally ignited the Jazz, and as the always candid Sloan allowed later, should lead to more playing time next season.
* Peja is looking more and more like one of those NBA players in the midst of a swift and dramatic physical decline. When the Hornets visited Sacramento late in the season, he admitted his back remains problematic. He missed most of last season following back surgery, and said he continues to experience discomfort. Not good for someone who is only 32 years old ...

What is it about 7-footers in this league? There's more to them, so they have more to give? Anyway, Dikembe Mutombo, who was preparing information to send me about his latest humanitarian campaign, tore up his knee Tuesday night in the Houston-Portland series and announced his retirement a hours later. As he says, it was time. He is the NBA's oldest player at 42. He has a young family. And he has grand plans the $29 million, 300-bed hospital he constructed two years ago in his native Congo. Mutombo - who was known as Deke throughout his 18-year career - provided $19 million of his own earnings to complete the facility. He also only half-jokingly told me that he squeezed several thousands ouf of NBA Commissioner David Stern whenever funds ran low. "My good friend David always comes through," Mutombo said, laughing, in his booming voice. The feelings were reciprocated. When speaking about retired Kings center (and fellow humanitarian) Vlade Divac a few weeks ago, the Commissioner quipped, "Divac was Mutombo before Mutombo."

Since I'm sure Deke will be more than a little preoccupied these next several weeks about his knee (rest? surgery?), I decided to offer some of the information he was able to provide when the Rockets' visited Sacramento the last week of the season: His new campaign is a grassroots effort to lure 100,000 viewers to his web site (www.DMF.org or call 1-877-funddmf.) and obtain donations from each of $20 or more per year. The funds will be used to operate the hospital, pay the doctors and nurses, and provide medicine and treatment, mostly for women and children. While chatting in the visitors locker room here during that last visit, Deke admitted that he was "shocked" at the high cost of operating the facility in Kinshasa, and mentioned his fears about malaria outbreaks and an ongoing crisis with HIV. "I am going to keep working on this," he said, "but I'm going to need a lot of help from all the people I have known all these years."

Once again, that website address is www.DMF.org.

THE FINGER WAG WILL BE MISSED

Mutombo, who had a booming, hearty laugh and a wicked sense of humor, was a delightful presence, as well as a formidable, if occasionally confounding competitor. The stories about his sharp, swinging elbows inflicting pain and suffering, occasionally dislodging an opponent's teeth, are all true. Several players and coaches argued that the bony 7-foot-2 center should be required to wear elbow pads, though to no avail. But the league eventually placed some restriction on Mutombo's habit of blocking a shot, then shaking his head and wagging his right index finger at his victim. Taunting, they called it. Mutombo was told to direct his finger wagging elsewhere, say, toward the fans. But for some, including his former Atlanta Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens, that wasn't enough. Lenny hated it when Mutombo would wag the finger and stand under the basket, while play continued. Finally, the two compromised: Deke could wag the finger and shake his head, but only if doing so while running downcourt.

Kings (16-62) at Nuggets (53-27)
Scoring: Kings 12th (100.7 point per game), Nuggets 6th (104.51)
Shooting: Kings 25th (44.7 percent), Nuggets 5th, (47.2)
Scoring defense: Kings 29th (109.5 points), Nuggets 19th (100.91)
Shooting defense: Kings 30th (48.4 percent), Nuggets 4th (43.9)
Rebound differential: Kings 30th (minus-5.06), Nuggets (+0.40)

The link: Nuggets coverage in The Denver Post. Kings coverage in The Bee. (Game story vs. Spurs on Sunday. Game notes. Photo slide show).

* * *

Before George Karl became infatuated with offensive basketball, a la his good friend Don Nelson, he was regarded as an excellent defensive coach (Cleveland, Seattle). So look what happens when old George goes retro? The Nuggets slash payroll, basically give shotblocker Marcus Camby away to the Clippers, and actually improve defensively. Maybe that swap of Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups rekindled Karl's passion for defense, though Billups isn't in Gary Payton's class as a ballhawker. Anyway, Karl can't believe that no one believes. He reminded the Denver Post last week that, "It seems like the national media does not want to jump on our bandwagon. The only thing I say to those people is, 'go watch the film.' Defensively, we (have) led the Western Conference in (defensive) field goal percentage the whole year." It's true. He is not exaggerating.

* * *

The Kings have two road games remaining (Denver and Minnesota). They cannot possibly play more poorly than they did in the opening quarter of Friday's debacle against the lowly Los Angeles Clippers, can they? Even a smidge of defense would be a monumental improvement ....

* * *

The expansion team Reno Bighorns, the Kings' affiliate in the NBA Developmental League, finished the season Saturday night with a 25-25 record and just missed the playoffs. Not bad given that Jay Humphries' club started the season with a bruising road schedule and a 1-11 record . Still wondering what Donte Greene was doing in Sacramento when he could have been in Reno for an extended period (a) playing himself into shape, (b) distancing himself from the zone defense played during his one season at Syracuse, and (c) developing the mechanics for a jump shot. His form is ever-changing; sometimes the ball's rotation is perfect, other times the seams are off in different angles. Weird.

With five games remaining in the Kings' regular season, which means they are a virtual lock to secure one of the top four picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, Geoff Petrie and staff members these next few weeks will be off scouting, working out players, and traveling overseas. Before the Kings-Lakers game earlier tonight, Petrie told me he planned to attend the Euroleague Final Four in Berlin May 1-3, but believed he was traveling overseas about a week earlier. I am absolutely certain that, among his many duties, he will be gathering information about Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, the teenage whiz who also unfortunately happens to be under contract to DKV Joventut. We can keep hearing that Rubio is trying to buy out his contract and enter the NBA, but we'll see.

So let's get started ...

Here are the players I believe would most benefit the Kings, in order. (This week, anyway):
1. Blake Griffin. Oklahoma
2. Ricky Rubio. DKV Joventut
3. Jonny Flynn. Syracuse
4. Tyreke Evans. Memphis

Back in the building

Kings co-owner Joe Maloof, who missed the Vlade Divac retirement ceremony because he was bedridden with a bad back, attended Tuesday's game with his brother, Gavin, and his mother, Colleen. "Back, hips, knees, they're all related," said Joe Maloof, shaking his head. He underwent double-knee replacement surgery in October and is still hobbling along

Final thoughts on Kings-Lakers

* It was interesting to note that the crowd began favoring the Lakers about the time the Kings subs reverted to their usual one-on-one, my turn, your turn style of offense, in sharp contrast to the play of the starters in the fast-paced and entertaining first period.
* The Kings' futility from three-point range was ghastly, especially that of the reserves. Donte Greene was 1-for-7, Bobby Jackson 0-for-4 and Rashad McCants 0-for-3.
* I spoke with Luke Walton for a few minutes after the game, and asked how his father - Hall of Fame center Bill Walton - was feeling. Luke said his dad, who had surgery to fuse vertebrae in his lower back a few months ago, remains pretty immobile. He's only allowed to walk around the house for brief periods. Yet, attesting yet again to Vlade Divac's reputation within the NBA, when I left a message for Bill last week, explaining that I was writing a series of articles and columns about Vlade, he called early the next morning, and said he would be delighted to talk about Divac. He then proceeded to go on and on about Vlade's extraordinary court vision and passing skills. Here's wishing Bill the best. I covered him when he played for the San Diego Clippers - at a time when he attended Stanford Law School during the week, and played for the Clips on the weekends, when his ailing feet permitted - and he was always a classy, cooperative person.
* After a shaky start to the season, and a lengthy slump following Reggie Theus' dismissal, Francisco Garcia is finishing strong.

Between watching North Carolina's romp over Michigan State and ESPN's interviews with Hall of Fame inductees MIchael Jordan, John Stockton, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer, I was reminded that Stockton played his final NBA game at Arco Arena against the Kings in the 2003 playoffs. He was 41 years old - and still averaged 7.7 during that final season. One of our Bee photographers took an incredible shot of Stockton, seated on the bench in the closing seconds of the Jazz defeat, head bowed, face in his hands, and the Arco crowd on in its feet behind the visitors bench, arms raised, applauding and appreciating one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

This is how special Stockton was: At 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, he is still the league's all-time leader in steals and assists. Consider that while the career-long Utah Jazz star finished with 15,806 career assists, his nearest competitior was Mark Jackson ... with 10,334! Jason Kidd (10,148) and Magic Johnson (10,141) followed. Additionally, Stockton, whose huge hands enabled him to palm the ball and throw those one-bounce bullets that he was famous for, also averaged an NBA best 14.5 assists in 1989-90. Even for those of us non-stat freaks, those numbers are ridiculous. And to think he was drafted with the No.16 pick in 1984 .....

As for those other inductees ...

Congrats to the other inductees, including Sloan, another familiar face in Arco. He never won a championship, but there is no debating his influence on the game. I suspect he signed another one-year deal only weeks before Jazz owner Larry Miller died, basically to ensure a smooth transition to other family members.
As for Jordan, who was mainly responsible for denying Sloan, Stockton, Karl Malone an NBA ring, he has no equal. Maybe someday we'll be talking about LeBron James in Jordanesque terms, but not yet. Not even close. The discussion doesn't even begin until one of his successors suffocates opponentes the way Jordan did defensively. He was .... vicious. He sure sounded wistful during his interviews though, didn't he? As if he didn't know what to do with himself post-basketball? Guaranteed, he never sounded that lost during his career ....

One more nugget of useful info

My personal affinity for assists led me to discover that Reggie Theus ranks 21st on the league's list for total assists. Just wondering: Will modern players ever learn/embrace/discover the advantages of advancing the ball with the pass instead of the dribble? Nah. Makes too much sense. The next time David Stern asks what went wrong with his league, look no further than his point guard's insistence on dribbling the ball downcourt, wasting precious seconds, while fans look on and (yawn).

What did we ever do without cell phones? The land line in my office rang Tuesday afternoon, and when I answered, the voice at the other end sounded surprised. We can all relate. (Hate those automated answer machines). The caller then introduced herself as Marilyn Merritt, a 70-year-old, long haul trucker calling from rural Pennsylvania. Frozen foods, mostly. In a previous life, she said, before the economy tanked, she was retired. Before that, she was a librarian at Sac State.

The kicker is this: She travels with her husband - didn't catch his name - and says the two somehow co-exist despite the fact she's an impassioned Kings fan and he's a rabid Lakers partisan. "We have to negotiate," she laughed. "We share space (in the cab). We have a TV, fridge, a double-bed. I try to keep up with the Kings in the local newspapers. It's a really hard life, though. We live in a small town between Grants Pass and Roseburg, Ore., but my son lives in Sacramento. Our truck broke down, so we're here waiting. I'm going to miss my granddaughter's first piano recital."

Her hope is to get back out West by next week, and possibly take her granddaughter to the Kings-Hornets game on March 31 for the Vlade Divac jersey retirement ceremony. "What a sweet guy," she said.

I hope she calls back. I forgot to ask her handle.

Don't get him started

As I noted in my column in today's Bee, Joe Maloof is more than a little chippy of late. Fans seated near the tunnel area during the Kings-Cavs game last Friday at Arco Arena might have caught the Kings co-owner in a major rant. No, he wasn't ripping into me for something I had written, though that's happened. He was venting about Bernie Madoff and wondering why his family was erroneously listed in published magazine reports - though later deleted - among the scam artist's victims. "Where did that come from?" he asked angrily. "We don't even know the guy." After I noted that The Bee was innocent of all charges, he calmed down. As for the Maloof finances, he acknowledged the Kings are a mess, but said the Palms is withstanding the economic crunch better than most Las Vegas hotel/casinos because of its niche clientele (young, hip, international) and that the family beer business - which speaks to the gut of their empire - is booming. But I still want to know: What's the difference between millionaires and billionaires anyway?

Cleveland (51-13) at Kings (14-50)

Scoring: Kings 14th (99.5), Cavaliers 13th (99.7)
Shooting: Kings 25th (44.75 percent), Cavaliers fifth (46.82)
Scoring defense: Kings 28th (108.2), Cavaliers first (90.4)
Shooting defense: Kings 29th (47.94 percent), Cavaliers first (42.87)
Rebound differential: Kings 30th (minus-5.31), Cavaliers third (plus-2.96)

The link: Cavaliers coverage in the Cleveland Plain Dealer ; Kings coverage in The Bee (Story, notes and game preview.
The almanac: On this date in 1962, the season ended and Philadelphia's Wilt Chamberlain became the only player to exceed 4,000 points (4,029) and average over 50 points (50.4 per game) in an NBA season. On this date in 1962, the Boston Celtics beat the Syracuse Nationals 142-110, becoming the first team to win 60 games (60-20) in an NBA season. On this date in 1998, Utah's John Stockton scored the 15,000th point of his career in a 110-101 win over Vancouver. On this date in 1999, Charles Barkley of the Houston Rockets became the third player in NBA history to amass 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists when he recorded his first assist in a 100-89 victory over Cleveland. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain in this elite group.

***

After watching LeBron James' performance last night against the Phoenix Suns, I just had to ask: Is there anyone out there who doesn't expect him to come up with another triple-double tonight against the Kings - for what would be his fourth straight? Actually, it should be interesting to watch Andres Nocioni try to aggravate and outmuscle James, one of the three obvious candidates (Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade) for the MVP award. But these are the Kings. Their defense is horrific. Poor Andres will be flying solo ....

The only way James figures to have an off-night is if he doesn't play, which became a real possibility Thursday night. With 1:56 remaining in the third quarter, and the Cavs leading 86-83, he collided with Grant Hill on a drive to the basket, then fell to the court, clutching his left knee/shin. He stayed in the game, however, and in his postgame TNT interview with Craig Sager, said he planned to ice the leg, receive treatment, and see how he felt Friday before determining his availability against the Kings.

FOR THE STAT FREAKS, WHEREVER YOU ARE

LeBron's last three games:
Against the Suns: 34 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists.
Against the Clippers: 32 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists.
Against the Heat: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists.

THUNDER 99, KINGS 98

Game story,Game notes

Box score, Video recap

Kings "Reporter for a day" contest (Click here to enter by Wednesday's noon deadline for a chance to join the Bee's Sam Amick courtside for Friday's game against Cleveland)

* * *

Scotty Brooks, the former Kings assistant who grew up about an hour's drive south of Arco Arena in Manteca, was pretty funny after the game. When we asked him how many family members were in the building, he laughed, and placed the number "in the 40s. Not quite as high as my rookie year, but it's up there." The group included his mother, siblings, former coaches, and undoubtedly, customers from the family business. "Dribbles," the family car wash, is doing okay, despite the economic downturn. One of the disadvantages of living in Oklahoma City instead of Sacramento, of course, is that Brooks can't just hop into his SUV, speed down the interstate, then help with the mop, bucket and sponge duties on his off days. As for stealing out of Arco with the victory, Brooks cracked, "It'll be nice to see my Mom after a win, because she's my biggest critic. I'm sure she found something I did wrong."

Of Heidi, Switzerland, Thabo

I love Switzerland. The majesty of the mountains, the splendor of the lakes, the vivid floral arrangements seemingly on display outside every window. The chocolate, the cheese, the beer. It's easy to travel by train or by foot, and it's so .... clean. But when I think of Switzerland, I never think "basketball." So after the game, I approached the Thunders' Thabo (pronounded Tah-bo) Sefolosha in the visitors locker room and pressed for details. When I told him that I couldn't recall seeing any pickup games during my travels to his birthplace, he laughed. "There were courts," said the 6-foot-7 swingman, who grew up in Vevey, a city located about 13 miles from Lausanne, "but usually it was just me, with the ball, all by myself out there." The son of artists - his mother is Swiss and his father is South African - Sefolosha said he became serious about the game when he was about 14 or 15. He played professionally in Italy and France before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers (and traded to the Chicago Bulls) in 2006. The Thunder acquired him for a first-round draft choice last month, intrigued by his length, athleticism and defense.

A glimpse at the numbers

- Most appealing stat of the game: Spencer Hawes' all-around effort (20 points, 10 boards, five assists).
- Ugliest stat of the game: A combined total of 45 turnovers between the teams, with Jeff Green (seven), Russell Westbrook (seven) and Hawes (six).
- Biggest question of the night: Was Kevin Martin's left foot really sore enough to keep him on the bench for the deciding fourth period?
- Whatever happened to Donte Greene? Or, better yet, why isn't he down in the Kings' D-League affiliate in Reno, playing extensive minutes and experiencing the joys of the occasional bus ride? His line last night: another DNP. - Ailene Voisin

Preparations for Vlade Divac's week-long visit before the March 31 retirement of his jersey at Arco Arena are underway. And let's just say, Vlade still knows how to party. With more to come, his schedule already includes the following:
* Sunday, March 29: Lunch with Divac at the Serbian Orthodox Church, followed by a 9 p.m. bash at Tre.
* Monday, March 30: A Charitabowl function at Strikes, in Rocklin, beginning at 6 p.m., with Divac, Chris Webber, Doug Christie and Peja Stojakovic.
* Tuesday, March 31: Kings-Hornets game at Arco Arena at 7 p.m., the ceremony taking place at halftime. A post-game bash at Tunel 21 in Old Sac, also sponsored by Divac.
All events are open to the public, with proceeds from the events going to the Humanitarian Organization Divac (HOD), the foundation Divac created to help acquire housing for refugees in his native Serbia. For more information and ticket availability, check out Vlade's website at www.Divac.com.
Additionally, The Bee sports department is planning several days of extensive coverage leading up to the official jersey retirement, possibly including a live blog session with Vlade before he travels here from Serbia. We'll provide details as we receive them.

More on those humbling travel plans

As my colleague, Sam Amick, noted in a recent posting, the Maloofs are back to traveling commerical instead of charter - most often on Southwest Airlines. But I heard an interesting story the other day: Because of lingering discomfort from his double-knee replacement surgery, Joe Maloof drives more often than he flies between his homes in Southern California and Las Vegas. Or, I should say, he sits in the passenger seat while someone else hits the gas.

Thinking about Charles P. Daly

Reports about Chuck Daly's battle with pancreatic cancer began surfacing during the All-Star Game in Phoenix, but finally became public on Friday. Daly, 78, who guided the Detroit Pistons to consecutive NBA titles (1989-90), is undergoing chemotherapy, with his treatment overseen by specialists at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York. Here's wishing Chuck the best. As the handful of my colleagues who accompanied the original Dream Team in the weeks preceding the 1992 Olympics will attest, that was a magical time, made even more enjoyable because of Daly's engaging nature and accessibility. La Jolla. Portland. Monte Carlo. Barcelona. Bird, Magic, Michael, and a young Charles Barkley. In this business, that's as good as it gets.

One additional thought: One of the journalists who traveled with the Dream Team - longtime NBA writer Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News - is coping with his own battle with colon cancer. For those who might not recognize the name, Phil was the writer who asked the relatively innocuous question that sent Allen Iverson into his now famous rant about "practice."

BOBCATS 98, KINGS 91

Game story, Game notes, Photo slideshow

Box score, Video recap

***
The latest from the woulda, coulda, shoulda category, and reminding everyone that the winning coach in Arco Arena last night - Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown - practically begged Geoff Petrie for an interview two offseasons ago. And Petrie, who historically is very conservative when hiring coaches, said no thanks. Of course, after Brown's infamous one-season (2005-06) flameout with the New York Knicks, preceded by his nasty departure from the Detroit Pistons, the NBA's reigning frequent flier was considered damaged goods, and in the opinion of many, past his coaching prime and not worth the risk.

Oooops. After a two-year coaching sabbatical eased by the buyout with the Knicks, Brown was hired last summer by his old friend/fellow North Carolina alum and Bobcats minority owner Michael Jordan. And so far, all is good. Brown, still trim and youthful-looking at 68, is invigorated and committed. His Bobcats are flawed but improving, though their 23-35 record suggests Brown will suffer only his fifth losing season in his 24-year NBA head-coaching career. (He never experienced a sub-.500 season in his four seasons in the old ABA or his seven seasons coaching in college. He also won championships with the Detroit Pistons and Kansas Jayhawks).

So, yeah, given how far the mighty Kings have fallen, and the fact that Larry is affordable these days because of the Knicks' cushion, Geoff probably regrets not extending the invitation. (Joe and Gavin Maloof were ecstatic about Brown's interest, and were ready to offer a contract before Geoff talked them down). Imagine Brown working with youngsters Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson, Donte Greene? At the very least - the very least - Brown, who is universally regarded as a superb teacher and technician, would have implemented a defensive structure and restored credibility to the franchise.

Small-market franchises need to be smarter and strike it big when they can. This was one of those times. This was a blown opportunity.

The game stunk, but at least MJ showed

Jordan, who occasionally accompanies the Bobcats on the road, joined the team before tipoff and sat along the baseline, feet from the visitors bench. What was hilarious was that, while none of us were even aware he was in the building, a Kings publicist walked along press row in the first quarter, informed us of where Jordan was sitting, but said he was not to be approached for interviews. Well, whatever. In the cramped visitors locker room afterward, while some of us were talking with former Kings high-flier Gerald Wallace, Jordan came out of the training room, snuck up and grabbed me from behind. After we shared a few private words, he started yucking it up with the crowd of reporters, as playful and boisterous as I have ever seen him. I wonder if - years removed from the spotlight - he misses this stuff?

A reunion in the tunnel

Before the Bobcats boarded the team bus back to their downtown hotel, the area outside the Kings locker room resembled a Chicago Bulls reunion. Jordan, stylishly attired in a blue suit, stood talking with Bobcats vice president Rod Higgins, his close friend and traveling buddy Charles Oakley, and Kings assistant Randy Brown. Other players and coaches wandered past, and joined the conversations. When I asked the blunt-speaking Oakley about the Kings, he frowned and shook his head. His initial reaction was that they were not remotely interested in defending. But then he groused, "The whole league is soft these days." Gotta love Oak. Even with the salt-and-pepper hair, and well into his 40's, he looks like he could still set one vicious screen.

Finals thoughts on the coach who got away

LaSalle "Tank" Thompson, who was among the players accompanying the Kings from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985, and who remained in town for two decades, was hired by Brown to work with the Bobcats' big men. He had this to say about his boss: "Larry is very knowledgeable. I was shocked at how much he knows. This man, I mean ... sometimes I wonder why we even scout. He knows so much. He knows every play that every coach in the league runs. You can ask about any player in the league and he can give you a thorough scouting report on him. He is just a fountain of knowledge."

NEW ORLEANS 112, KINGS 105

Game story, Game notes

Box score, Video recap

* * *

Although I had seen Andres Nocioni play in person on numerous occasions, both in the NBA and international competitions (Athens Olympics, Tournament of the Americas in Puerto Rico, World Championships in Indianapolis), I was really impressed with his overall game in his Arco Arena debut earlier this evening. I was reminded of how physically he and his Argentine countrymen Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola attack the game. And it's not as if they aren't skilled. Nocioni is just a basketball player. He can pass, shoot, run the floor, make plays, and defensively he gets into the body of his opponent. He is fun to watch.

Stop the whining, please

Jason Thompson's recurring foul trouble is becoming worrisome. Most worrisome is that he actually believes he's being victimized because he's a rookie. Undoubtedly there is some of that. (Against the Hornets, he was called for his third foul less than four minutes into the game). But I agree with Jerry Reynolds and Grant Napear - and I can't believe the words are actually spilling out of my laptop - that he needs a reality check. During the telecast Saturday night from Dallas, both announcers scolded Thompson for his constant overreaction to foul calls. And as Reynolds noted at halftime Monday night, the referees' calls are accurate the vast majority of the time. (That fourth quarter of Game 6 against the Lakers in 2002 was an aberration, believe me). Based on the replays I look at, he consistently is guilty of reaching, using both hands on an opponent's body (and not being very subtle about it), and continuing to draw attention to himself with his angry, frustrated gestures. The refs are human. Make them look foolish at your own risk. I asked Geoff Petrie the other night what was going on, whether he was troubled about the situation, and he said the matter had been raised with Thompson on a number of occasions.

Thompson has been and remains a real bright spot, but he is one stubborn young man. He doesn't know the league nearly as well as he thinks he does, a la Spencer Hawes a year ago.

I always enjoy my exchanges with Jason Whitlock, a colleague with the Kansas City Star. We have chatted during press conferences, during games, at restaurants, and once while jogging on adjacent treadmills in a hotel fitness center. I also have a particular fondness for Kansas City: As a first-year NBA beat writer in 1981, my first road trip was covering the former San Diego Clippers against the former Kansas City Kings in Kemper Arena. The late Cotton Fitzimmons was the Kings' coach. After the game - and before reporters could ask a question - the feisty Cotton filled up the notebook. I can't say the same about the building. The place was dark and half-empty. The fans I interacted with were passionate about the Chiefs and seemed to care a lot about the Royals.

Some things haven't changed. When I visited Kansas City again in 2005 to write about the mayor's campaign for a downtown arena (to read story, click here), I learned that the community still adores the Chiefs, has become disillusioned with the chronically lousy Royals, is just as interested in Big 12 basketball, and has become swept up by the NASCAR craze.

So, when I heard that Jason had written a column suggesting the Kings relocate to the new downtown arena, I thought, okay, why not? And then I remembered why the franchise left in the first place - mainly because Kansas City was too small a market to support a third professional franchise. "Cotton actually used to say the Kings were the fourth team in town," related Kings player personnel director Jerry Reynolds, who was coaching college ball in the area when Gregg Lukenbill brought the franchise to Sacramento in 1985. "He said it was the Chiefs, the Royals, college basketball, and Tom Watson, who was at the height of his career. Don't get me wrong. Kansas City is a great sports town. It's just a small market (31st in Nielsen rankings), smaller than Sacramento (20th)."

Besides. It wasn't like anyone cared that much even when the Kings were good. When they won the Midwest Division title in 1979, for instance, they ranked 10th in attendance. Of 22 teams.

Let's get not greedy, folks. This is the time to share the wealth. Kansas City has NFL and Major League Baseball franchises, major college basketball teams and tournaments, NASCAR events and a fabulous Negro Baseball Leagues museum. And what does Sactown have? The Kings ... the Kings ... the Kings ... the Kings ...

Curious to hear Reggie Theus' thoughts on the Kings, the recent moves, and his own plans, I reached him on his cell phone a few minutes ago and found him eager to chat. (My few previous attempts found him reluctant to rehash his one-plus seasons in Sacramento). Anyway, he was about as candid as he could be without damaging his future job prospects. He still refuses to totally bash his former employers, but he had some interesting things to say. We'll give him the microphone and let him vent:

On being replaced by Kenny Natt on Dec. 14 with the Kings off to a 6-18 start during his second season

"Obviously, with the record, and the way things were done, it wasn't my coaching. The team we had wasn't healthy. The thing I don't understand is that Geoff (Petrie) said I wouldn't be evaluated until the team was healthy. How do you justify that? That was tough. I don't think I got a fair shot. But watching the team disintegrate was even tougher. Watching it go into the toilet ... watching the personalities lose confidence, regress ... that was tough. I thought Beno (Udrih), who was struggling, got worse.

"Spencer (Hawes), who had been playing pretty well, went totally downhill. Jason (Thompson) stayed pretty consistent. Pushing Kevin (Martin), demanding that he play defense and play on a high level, expecting him to be a high-level player, that's the challenge Kevin needs to be the player he needs to be. ... This team was being laughed at after we (Theus and assistant Chuck Person) left. For the most part, we played hard every night. This team was not a joke. If you didn't come in and play hard, the Kings could beat you. We were a team that could steal a game on you if you didn't come to play."

On the trades of Brad Miller, John Salmons, Shelden Williams, Bobby Brown, and the waiving of Mikki Moore and Quincy Douby

"I think the moves were very confusing for the guys, but I think they were necessary given the economic stress the team has been under. If you can save $26 million and stay under the cap so you can make other moves down the road, I think that's good. Obviously, I hope there's an overall game plan. I think Geoff (Petrie) finally decided that the team wasn't what he thought it was."

On the newcomers

"I particularly like (Andres) Nocioni because of his toughness. The team lacked toughness as a whole. It was just a general perception, and by that I mean, needing a physical presence. Guys who would bust through screens, make it clear (to opponents) that you are not going to take any crap."

On his preference between coaching in the NBA or college

"Either one. Whichever is a better opportunity. There are going to be jobs opening up in the league at the end of the season, so we'll see. I do know I'm a better coach today than I was when I took the job. I am grateful for the opportunity.

Hall of Fame forward Dominque Wilkins, who happens to be one of the most unassuming and most underappreciated superstars in the modern era, and who also happens to work as the Atlanta Hawks television analyst, was in Sactown last night, and more than willing to offer his opinion on the Kings' series of moves. And -- surprise, surprise - don't tell him the Kings' six-player trade that essentially sent Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago for Andres Nocioni and Drew Gooden was motivated primarily by an attempt to trim their team payroll and create salary cap flexibility for the next two seasons. 'Nique didn't volunteer much about Gooden, but he couldn't stop praising Nocioni. "He only plays one way," said Wilkins, chatting near the press table before tipoff. "He plays hard, plays hard. He never stops. I told him one time, 'I love that about you, man. Don't ever change.' That's one of the things that bugs me about the way people remember me. They all talk about, 'oh, he was a two-time Slamdunk champ.' But they forget that I was All-League most of my career, and an All-Star most of the time, except for my first few years, when I was going up against guys like Marques Johnson, Larry Bird, Bernard King, Doctor J - and that was in the Eastern Conference alone.

While watching the Kings lose in Oklahoma City earlier tonight, and counting John Salmons' impressive assist total (11), I couldn't help but think about another wiry, versatile 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 former Kings swingman. It probably helped that Doug Christie attended Chris Webber's jersey retirement ceremony Friday night at Arco Arena. Someone who watched the halftime ceremonies on television asked me why Doug seemed to avoid making eye contact when he addressed the crowd. Because he was afraid he would start crying? Absolutely. Christie was always his own person - and unfazed by the constant chatter about his, um, unusually close relationship with his wife, Jackie - and when he talked to you, he unfailingly made eye contact. He never hid from anything. He was ... who he was. How many other NBA players, for example, would have admitted "choking" in a big game, which Doug did after hoisting airballs in Game 7 of the 2002 conference finals with the Lakers?

But back to Salmons. And how much I appreciated Christie's all-court game, and especially his willingness as a passer. During the Kings' run earlier this decade, the Seattle native was the primary ballhandler, the best defender and as selfless as Vlade Divac. His only agenda was winning. I always thought he would be an excellent coach, partly because so much of coaching is teaching, and Doug has a way of explaining things in a very succinct manner. Interestingly, when I asked him the other night about his future plans, he said he is homeschooling his kids in Seattle, but has started thinking about pursuing a coaching job either in colleges or as an NBA assistant.

Like I said. I'm biased. His influence on Sacramento's most successful teams was subtle and essential, and I enjoyed watching him play immensely.

After another night of channel-surfing through the games on NBA Pass, I settled upon the neighborly Warriors-Suns blowout, and was left wondering yet again how nice Rony Turiaf would have looked in a Kings jersey. He is exactly the type of role player the Kings need - and never seem to acquire. He takes charges. He blocks shots. He understands his role, and particularly, his offensive limitations. He's a wonderful teammate, so say his former Laker buddies. Forget Corey Maggette. Turiaf was Chris Mullin's best offseason acquisition. And for all their problems - maybe it's a Northern California NBA virus - the Warriors should be really happy that Elton Brand wasn't tempted by their offer. He's a nice player, but not a superstar. At his salary (approximately $16 million per year, through 2013), he should be a superstar. Injuries are limiting his effectiveness, but that was true during his tenure with the Clippers, too. Buyer, beware.

As the trade deadline nears ...

Memo to Geoff Petrie: Two weeks remain until the Feb. 19 trade deadlne. Please start shopping. Take an empty cart, fill it with every Kings player except Jason Thompson, Spencer Hawes, Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia, and find the best bargain (bargains). More importantly, find pieces that fit. The Kings have some talent, and several players who could be contributors in the right situations. But on this roster, the skills aren't complementary. Puzzling, isn't it? It's up to Petrie to figure it all out ...

About that Development League

Tell me again why the Kings are affiliated with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League if they don't bother to send, say, Donte Greene down for some extra work? The 20-year-old rookie is wasting his time - and theirs - by sitting on the bench, shifting restlessly and jokingly during timeouts, and seemingly not developing his abilities. Additionally, he rarely stays after practice to scrimmage with ultracompetitive youngsters Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson, which makes you wonder about his desire/maturity level. Just a hunch, but either the Kings brain trusts need to prod Greene onto the court to improve his conditioning and his skill, or they really should send him to the Bighorns. A few bumpy bus rides might be good for him. As they say, if you aren't going to develop 20-year-olds, don't draft them ...

OK, so admit it. When the severity of Andrew Bynum's knee injury was disclosed, with the Lakers young center expected to miss eight to 12 weeks - assuming there are no setbacks - the thought of Brad Miller switching jerseys looked pretty appealing. But any Kings-Lakers swap also appears pretty unlikely. My sources are telling me that although Mitch Kupchak wouldn't be opposed to a trade, and Phil Jackson always has affinity for skilled passers and shooters, the Lakers would be much more interested if Miller's hefty contract expired this offseason, which it doesn't. The longest-tenured King earns $11.3 million this year and $12.2 million in 2009-10. Lamar Odom, by contrast, who would be the major element in any potential Kings-Lakers swap, comes off the books this summer at $11.4 million. Kupchak and Geoff Petrie have a good relationship, though, so they'll probably keep talking.

KINGS 122, OKLAHOMA CITY 118 (OT)

Game story, Column (on Spencer Hawes), Photo slideshow, Preview of tonight's game @ Phoenix

Box score, Video recap

***

Hard to believe, but that noon tussle between the Kings and the Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the more entertaining outings of the season. I dunno. Maybe the Kings function better in the a.m.? There wasn't much defense played by either team, which is consistent with the fact that both teams rank near the bottom in stats and standings. But there is something to be said about watching talented youngsters (Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson) race up and down the court, learning as they go. Durant is spectacular, of course, but watching Westbrook penetrate, find people and make plays reinforced my belief that the Kings' most glaring deficiency is at point guard. They desperately need an athletic playmaker, and one with the quickness and desire to defend the ball. Until Geoff Petrie obtains one via trade, free agency, the draft, their major issues will not be resolved. The fact that Kevin Martin is a prolific scorer but uninspired defender - even though he should be able to collect at least a few rebounds and play the passing lanes - compounds matters. Beno Udrih would be best utilized as a backup point guard (see his Spurs days) or as a combo third guard, and for whatever reason, rookie Bobby Brown isn't providing a change of pace, lift off the bench. And he certainly shows no inclination toward pressuring his man and disrupting an opponent's offense. One other observation about Westbrook: his footwork is exceptional.

Other postgame thoughts:
* With Udrih out with a calf injury, Francisco Garcia played a lot at the point, and he responded with one of his most poised all-around efforts: 17 points, five rebounds, seven assists - and of greatest significance - only one turnover.
* The Kings were outrebounded 51-43, but Spencer Hawes seemed to respond to Kenny Natt's repeated pleas to "rebound, Spencer!"
* Further evidence of the Kings' inability to stop the ball, especially on the perimeter: Westbrook converted 20 of his 22 free throws, the most by an opponent in the Sacramento era. And the hits just keep on coming ...
* I am already impressed with one thing about the Thunder's Scotty Brooks as one of the interim coaches hired for the duration of the season. A few days after replacing his friend, P.J. Carlesimo, Brooks, a first-time head coach, made calls around the league, asking about experienced assistants. He ultimately hired Ron Adams, the longtime NBA assistant and former head coach at Fresno State.
* Shelden Williams went to Duke, so he has to be a smart guy. So I am still wondering why he hasn't figured out that he could enjoy a long, lucrative career as a bruiser. Though undersized as a power forward/center, he has a wide, muscular body. When he concentrates on rebounding and providing an interior presence instead of scoring and holding onto the ball, he is an effective role player.
* Was it only an eight-game losing streak? Geez, it seemed longer.
* OK, a final vent: We used to accuse the "old" Kings of complaining too much about the officiating, but this bunch is relentless. The veterans continue to set a lousy example for Hawes and Thompson, both of whom have too much to say about calls and non-calls. Enough already.

Near the end of my conversation with Joe Maloof yesterday at the Palms for the lengthy Q&A in today's editions of the Bee, I asked what he thought about Geoff Petrie's suggestion that the Kings would benefit at some point from purchasing the Reno Bighorns, their affilate in the NBA Development League. Joe completely agreed. Speaking, of course, of a future investment - the Kings co-owners already have enough financial issues with the Monarchs and Kings, and an outdated arena - he embraced the concept of a developmental league as a vehicle to oversee the progress of, say, a Donte Greene. "Yes, yes," he said, adamantly. "we would look at buying them. I've seen what it's done for Donte. He's been up and down there, but he's getting training, teaching, an opportunity to get big minutes. I think all the young players - and you know what I love about Donte Greene? I love the way he accepted going down there for five games. He wasn't like, 'I'm better than the D-League.' He's 20-years-old. He's smart enough to realize, 'Hey, I've got to work at this if I want to do well, if I want a career.' And he has that attitude. I'm really proud of him saying 'I want to go down,' instead of throwing a tantrum and acting like he's too good.' So I told Gavin, 'I love his attitude.' And that's the D-League. So, yes, I like it a lot. I think it would be very good for us to have complete control over them (Bighorns) at some point."

More Maloof musings ...

After catching up with Joe in the coffee shop - pun intended - and immediately noting his physical discomfort even four months after his double knee replacement surgery (and subsequent stroke), I understand where he's coming from when he says he should have listened to the people who had advised him to take it one knee at a time. Actually, I was pretty shocked at his condition. He isn't as gaunt as he was when he made an early-season trip to Sac, but he still seems pretty miserable. He continually stretched his legs and rubbed his knees, grimacing. When I asked how much pain he was experiencing, he shrugged and said the knees stiffen up, and he tries to keep them as loose as possible.
A few minutes later, when we were making the short walk to the hotel exit, he had to stop and momentarily sit down at a slot machine. He massaged his knees, and then we continued.
Overall, though, I was surprised at his good spirits and his candor. It had been years since I had spent that much time with Joe, just sitting and talking, asking questions and getting answers, without his friends or handlers hanging around and interfering. It reminded me of when his family first bought the Kings and he and Gavin still had that immensely charming "aw shucks," small-town air. On Sunday, seated in a quiet booth in the back, he was funny, pensive, and even nostalgic for the days when the Kings were the toast of Sacramento and he and Gavin were beloved and competed with our celebrity governor for the headlines. To his credit, he also laughed and acknowledged his public relations and personnel gaffes, refused to apologize for being passionate and involved, and said he finally understood that pro sports owners of losing teams invariably catch the wrath of the fans. He reminded me of the old Joe, before the fans and we media types ruined him!.

Thoughts of Larry Miller

Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller has long been one of my favorites. We completely disagree on politics and other matters, but I always appreciated the fact that he respects the opinions of others, bought the Utah Jazz when the franchise was in jeopardy of being relocated, and I particularly enjoyed his quirky, small-town, if intrusive personna. Who else - and where else - could someone get away with this:? Until his illnesses of the last few years, he frequented his own stall alongside the players in the locker room, retrieved shots for his players during warmups, and participated in the huddle during introductions. I lways thought it was so quaint, and so unique. Maybe it's a chic thing. Larry is always quick with the quotes, too. He can shoot his mouth off with the best of them, often much to his regret. But you have to love his passion, his loyalty to the Jazz and his community. Quite the character. Here's hoping for a full recovery.

So what is it with these Kings? Two nights after persisting and prevailing against the Warriors in triple overtime, they snooze through the first half and blow an opportunity against a Milwaukee Bucks team whose starting center (Andrew Bogut) is sidelined with an injury. That was not a misprint for those who turned off the television. The Kings trailed by 23 points before closing to 114-112 with just under four minutes remaining.

A few observations:
* Beno Udrih committed five turnovers and contributed only two assists, and though his more aggressive play of late is a welcome development, I still think he is more effective when he thinks like a playmaker instead of a scorer.
* Kevin Martin is getting into the habit of flailing when he gets bumped on a play, trying too hard to sell the foul, and when he doesn't get the call, complaining to the referees while play is ongoing. And seriously, no athletic 6-foot-6 player should complain about anything after managing only three rebounds, no assists and no steals (to go with 24 points).
* Too many of the Kings are griping about fouls, substitutions, etc., and are far too demonstrative as they walk toward the bench. Kenny Natt has to gain control of the situation before it spirals out of control.
* John Salmons led the Kings with six assists - one shy of his seven-assist effort against the Warriors. His defense on Michael Redd in the fourth quarter also enabled the Kings to make the game interesting.
* Jason Thompson is starting to resemble the rookie who got everyone so excited earlier in the season. Mostly, he is pursuing rebounds, hustling for loose balls and scoring in the rhythm of the offense. Spencer Hawes, by contrast, seems lost. Unlike his play throughout November and December, his interior defense is a step slow, he isn't rebounding (period), and he appears confused about when to set up in the high post or move down low. I like him at center better than power forward, and particularly when Thompson is the power forward. I think the Brad Miller-Hawes combo is too slow and defensively challenged.
* Bucks second-round draft pick Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, a 6-foot-8 forward out of UCLA, is a better pro than I expected. Actually, he's exactly the type of tough, physical and athletic player the Kings could use. He' s not a star, but he'll always have a job in this league.
* The Kings' defense was pathetic. Natt accurately summarized his club's problems when he accused them of lacking "heart" in the first half, though their apparent confusion about the defensive schemes comes back to him. Either he didn't clearly communicate, or they weren't listening. This is one very frustrated bunch ...
* And the good news is, the more games the Kings lose like this, the more Geoff Petrie learns about his personnel. Whom to trade. Whom to build around. What positions to fill. I'm thinking, I hope Ricky Rubio declares for the draft. Adding a Jason Williams-type performer - without the baggage - wouldn't be bad. You know. Someone who plays with passion, likes to play fast, and isn't afraid to show some emotion? That's why I like the youngsters, Hawes and Thompson, despite their inconsistency.

DONTE IS COMING BACK ... AND WHY?

I caught up with Petrie in the tunnel during the second quarter, and he confirmed that he is recalling Donte Greene from the D-League after the Reno Bighorns' game Saturday afternoon. I'm not sure I understand his rationale, though, given that the 6-foot-10 small forward has had one exceptional game and three so-so performances. If Donte isn't dominating the D-League, what's to be gained by bringing him back? I guess the idea is to keep him around the team and to create some playing time. But in place of Cisco Garcia? Salmons? Thompson? I don't see it, but then, I don't get paid Petrie's big bucks, either ...

FROM COLLEGE TO THE PROS

First-year Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, who is among the latest of the former college head coaches to enter the NBA, told me that he understands why so many college coaches struggle when making the transition directly from college to an NBA head-coaching position. The list of notables he is referring to includes Mike Montgomery, P.J. Carlesimo, Jerry Tarkanian, Tim Floyd, etc. "It's so different," said Sampson, who was fired by Indiana for NCAA recruiting violations. "The last two minutes of the game. Free throws. Inbounding the ball at halfcourt. Understanding how to save timeouts so you have one with 10 seconds left. Those are things I never would have thought of."
I have to add here that while glancing toward the visitors bench when the game started, I was struck by the overall quality of the Bucks' coaching staff. Scott Skiles - and I love his intellect and his intensity, even though he wears everyone out after about four seasons - has put together a terrific group with former NBA head coaches Jim Boylan and Lionel Hollins, Sampson, who was regarded as an excellent coach during his tenure at Oklahoma and the U.S. national team, and Joe Wolf, a former NBA journeyman who spent two years as a head coach in the CBA and another two in the D-League. Wolf also happens to be a native of Wisconsin, and one of the many former Clippers who remained classy and professional amid their unseemly surroundings.

For a night anyway, ignore the fact that Wednesday's game featured two fo the league's bottom feeders. The triple-overtime treat between the Kings and Warriors game deserved a second look ... and perhaps a third .... even though it featured two of the league's bottom feeders. The physical effort alone is noteworthy, specifically, because the Kings had embarrassed themselves 24 hours earlier against the Orlando Magic, and because the Warriors were without the injured Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis, Marco Belinelli and Brandan Wright. Also, Corey Maggette, C.J. Watson and Andris Biedrins fouled out well before the outcome was decided in the third OT.

Other musings, observations:

* The playing time was crazy. Jamal Crawford (60), John Salmons (56), Beno Udrih (56), Kevn Martin (55) and Brad Miller (51) definitely earned Thursday day off.
* What got into Brad? This is probably just a coincidence, but in the locker room before the game, former NBA coach Paul Silas visited with with Kings coach Kenny Natt, whom he hired as an assistant in Cleveland, and Miller, whom he coached during the center's second season in the league in Charlotte. Silas, a former star at nearby McClymonds High, was in Oakland to visit his son, Warriors assistant Stephen Silas, and his longtime friend and former Boston Celtics teammate Don Nelson. The scene was actually pretty funny.
While waiting for the Kings bus to arrive, the burly Silas stood in the back tunnel area, leaning on a stationary bicycle. When the Kings started walking into the buiilding, the understandably preoccupied Natt walked toward the locker room, head down, but then did a double-take when he saw Silas. I left so the two could chat. In the locker room a while later, Silas and Miller plopped down on two chairs in the middle of the room, sat laughing and reminiscing for about 20 minutes. When I approached, Silas affectionately described the former Hornet as a muscular rebounder who ran the floor relentlessly and consistently attacked the basket. The jumpers and pretty passes came later in his career. Miller joked that he ran the floor and rebounded because, on that particular Hornets team, that was the only way he ever touched the ball. Ok. So what happened next? Miller goes out and contributes a muscular 30 points, 22 rebounds and two steals in what some (Pete Carril among them) suggest was a career-best performance. I asked Brad if he was showing off for his old coach. He just laughed. In all seriousness, I can think of several games that rival last night's performance, including his triple-double outings in 2003-2004. People might forget, but Miller routinely flirted with triple-doubles and was named to the All-Star that season.
* Just thinking: I love when Miller plays with passion, but can't he cool it with the technicals? That was in the scouting report on him in 2003-2004, too
* The words "gutsy" and "Beno" aren't often uttered in the same conversation, but the maligned point guard took the ball hard to the basket, and frequently became acquainted with the floor, a la Kevin Johnson. Beno might want to review tapes of Sacramento's mayor during his days with the Phoenix Suns, as a matter of fact. KJ was superb at penetrating - and landing without getting hurt - but he was equally adept at getting into the lane and finding open teammates in the corners, on the wings, or trailing on the break. Yes, yes, yes. More passing, please.
* I often have asked myself why Golden State's crowds remain so energetic, given the fact the club is decimated by injury, free agent defections and soon will be joining the Kings in the NBA Lottery. After being in Arco Arena and Oracle Arena on consecutive nights, and noting the contrasting energy and enthusiasm levels, I have come to the following conclusion: the Warriors might be a flawed club, but at least on their homecourt, they play fast, move the ball, and have three-point shooters who can hit those momentum-changing three's that excite a crowd. In other words, it's one thing to be a bad team that plays at a slow, methodical pace and doesn't move the ball (see the Kings on most nights), and another to be a bad team that is still fun to watch. (see Warriors at Oracle). Forced to play at the Warriors' clip, the Kings are much more enjoyable to watch. Why can't they do this more often? That would give fans something to cheer about.
* Not to harp on the fact that it's so much easier to score before the defense is set (and seems to be a no-brainer to me, especially for teams that are only modestly-talented), but Martin's three-pointer that forced the final overtime was launched before the Warriors' transition defense had time to get set. Instead of slowly bringing the ball upcourt, per usual, Martin moved quickly, saw the opening, then took advantage of the opportunity. Natt continues stressing this facet of play, so maybe something is starting to sink in.
* Salmons' game-winner was the play of the night, of course, but this was his best all-around game in a long time: 25 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and no turnovers. Additionally, he rarely dominated the ball, instead, gave up the dribble and moved to an open spot, enhancing the team's spacing. His late-game defense was significant as well, as was the defensive positioning of Miller and Martin.
* Though the press seating at Oracle is at the top of the lower bowl, it was still possible to see Don Nelson furiously scrawling on the clipboard during late timeouts. While no one will ever accuse Nellie of being a defensive guru, when it comes to designing a play to win a game, he's one of the best. I kept wondering what he was going to come up with this time.
* From the Kings' perspective - and Natt's perspective - this was one of the nights when his club desperately needed a victory. Accordingly, Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson were limited to 11 and 22 minutes, respectively. Hawes struggled defensively and was beaten for several rebounds. Thompson, though, was effective and efficient, with 12 points (5 of 8), nine boards and his usual assortment of taps and hustle plays.

Jerry Reynolds remembers ...

As he walked toward the locker room afterward, Kings do-everything executive and current television analyst Jerry Reynolds reminded me of the Kings' most recent triple-double outing in late February, 2001. We shared a laugh about that one - a wildly entertaining game against the Raptors in Toronto, Peja Stojakovic appeared to hit the game-winner, and in a rare display of bravado, strutted and celebrated as he walked toward the bench. Oooops. One of the Raptors - was it Vince Carter? - responded and tied the second OT. Peja had to win the game all over again, which he did, with another jumper from the side to finish the third OT. That was also one of those afternoons when the Vlade Divac-Chris Webber-Doug Christie-Mike Bibby group amassed assists by the dozens.

So there they are

Several Kings fans were among those who stayed at Oracle until the finish, and they could be heard cheering from all over the building. One fan who paid $500 for his seat just behind the scorer's table - a cheaper ticket than his seats at Arco, he says - approached while JR and I were talking. Jimmy Pierson, a paramedic who attended Christian Brothers High and Sac City, says he bought the ticket on-line earlier in the week. "This is my favorite game of the season," said Pierson, who was wearing a Kings jacket. "I love being from Sac and coming to Golden State, cheering for the Kings against the Warriors fans. I wish we played them more often."

For those who might be wondering, Donte Greene just finished playing significant minutes in his third game in four days. So, OK he's on assignment with the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League, but at least he's playing and getting into better game shape. The Kings' affiliate franchise won a sixth straight victory - 119-114 over the visiting Los Angeles D-Fenders - before a few thousand screaming kids who attended the 11 a.m. tipoff at the Reno Events Center. According to a Bighorns official I spoke with a few minutes ago, Donte had a strong opening half but struggled in the final two quarters. In 29 minutes, the rookie small forward sank 11 of his 17 field-goal attempts, was 0 for 1 at the line, and contributed four rebounds, three assists and three steals. No word yet on how long Geoff Petrie plans to keep him in the D-League, but I wouldn't be surprised if Greene remains with the Bighorns for a few more games. I have been playing phone tag with Petrie, so hopefully, will have an update this evening.

Not to steal any lyrics from my beloved Beatles or anything, but while driving home from Reno this afternoon, the words from one of their hits jumped into my heat. (It's the Beatles. Cut me a break). I made the two-hour trip mostly to spend time with Kings rookie Donte Greene, who was sent to the Kings affiliate in the NBA Development League on Saturday, but came away impressed with Patrick Ewing, Jr., the club's second-round pick who was traded away and eventually waived by the New York Knicks. The 6-foot-8 Ewing struggled during the Summer League in Las Vegas, and apparently couldn't convince new Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni that he possessed the offensive skills to play at the next level. He has been with the Bighorns ever since, opting to remain stateside and improve his skills rather than attempt to play overseas.

And right now, according to members of the Bighorns staff, Ewing is their best player. He still struggles with his three-point shot and isn't an exceptional ballhandler, but his playmaking is improving, he is consistently hitting the 10-15 foot jumper, his defense and work ethic terrific. During Monday's practice, Ewing, Greene and newcomer Gerry McNamara were the last players on the court.

Bighorns coach Jay Humphries is convinced Ewing - a free agent - will be called up by somebody before the season ends.

More on the mouthpiece

Greene, who averaged 33 minutes in his first two games with the Bighorns, and figures to get another 30 or so in Tuesday's 11 a.m. tipoff (some youth promotion), kept his mouthguard in place - in his mouth - during Monday's practice. In one of the more hilarious moments Sunday, the rookie, who was sucking wind big-time Sunday during the second game of a back-to-back, left his mouthguard hanging from his lower lip during a jump ball sequence. For pure entertainment value, I sitll liked the one where he was holding the apparatus while attempting to catch a pass. I'm not sure Kings officials would be so keen about his casual on-court demeanor, however, Unfortunately, I was unable to get a quote from player development director Fat Lever or assistant coach Shareef Abdur-Rahim before they left for Sac.

Not that I wasn't intrigued before, but after watching the Kings lose to the Miami Heat in OT earlier tonight, I can't wait to hear Pete Carril's thoughts on the lack of ball movement, hard screens and backdoor cuts - once a staple of the offense. "Coachie," as everyone has probably heard by now, is returning to the Kings (for a third time) as a consultant.He makes his first appearance at Saturday's practice.

With Beno Udrih in a miserable slump, rookie backup Bobby Brown in a miserable slump, and Bobby Jackson limited by old age (35), I wouldn't be surprised to see Kenny Natt using Brad Miller and Spencer Hawes to facilitate the offense, usually from the high post. Miller is the easily the Kings' best passer, and these past few weeks, has been playing more like he did last season.

The point guards production against the Heat was pretty scary: Udrih, Brown and Jackson combined for five five goals in 20 attempts, and only seven assists.

Eager to play ... somewhere

During halftime of the Kings-Heat game earlier this evening, I chatted with rookie Donte Greene, who will be joining the NBA Developmental League's franchise in Reno. Greene for an undetermined period of time. To his credit, the rookie out of Syracuse seems genuinely excited about the opportunity to get some serious playing. The Bighorns play tonight, Sunday at 3 p.m., and again on Tuesday, and from what I'm hearing, coach Jay Humphries plans to play the 6-foot-10 small forward huge minutes. This will be an interesting experiment for the Kings. Geoff Petrie has always seemed a little skeptical about the NBDL, but given the inexperience of so many of today's rookies and second-year players, it just seems to make too much sense. Greene was just wasting away on the Kings bench, playing sparingly because of the crowd at small forward. Plus, while he has an absolutely beautiful high-arching jumper, he has looked completely lost on defense. A few weeks with Humphries and Coach T - yes, Tom Abatemarco is an assistant - can work to his benefit.

Final thought

This Beno issue? I'm thinking, maybe it's time to contact a sports psychologist. I will never understand why so many NBA executives, whose owners spent millions on the strength and conditioning of their players, ignore the mental aspects. Seriously. Couches are pretty cheap these days.

Because of space limitations, I was unable to include Bobby Jackson's comments about interim Kings coach Kenny Natt in my column that ran in today's Bee. But since the veteran guard invariably has something interesting to say, I wanted to revisit them before tonight's game against the Miami Heat. In essence, he endorsed Natt's tendency toward the quick hook, as well as his approach to discipline.

"If you're not doing the things to help us win games, then you've got to come out," Jackson began. "I like what he's (Natt) doing. I respect him a lot. I think that's the way you have to be. When a guy isn't performing the way you expect, then he has to come sit down. When I become a coach, I'm going to do the same thing. You can't let guys think it's OK to play like that (selfishly), with everybody looking to shoot the ball. We're not a selfish team, but everybody feels the pressure of losing. Everybody wants to step up and make the big shot. They end up making a mistake instead of making the simple play. Here, it's about guys wanting to score instead of making the extra pass, thinking of the team concept. But, hey, you're not always going to shoot well. You can't always control that. But you can control your effort on rebounding, on defense. You can control whether you hustle."

More from Jackson: "I've never experienced anything like this, except maybe my rookie year, where it's all about offense, and guys don't try to play defense. Hopefully that changes."

And one final offering, this one about Kevin Martin's scoring spree, his return to the starting lineup and status as the team's No.1 scoring option: "We're playing harder, but we've got Kevin back. Some guys might not be happy that he's taking shots away from them, but when he's scoring that efficient, man, what can you say"

The Kings' blowout loss to the Celtics earlier tonight was so perplexing that I came home and started going through my old media guides, trying to determine if I had ever witnessed a more one-sided performance. I started at the beginning, with my first year as an NBA beat writer covering the 1981-82 San Diego Clippers, who under first-year owner Donald Sterling won a grand total of 17 games. Interestingly, when I went through the roster, I was struck by the fact that the league's second-worst team featured eight scorers in double figures, led by rookie forward Tom Chambers. The roster also featured Michael Brooks, Brian Taylor, Swen Nater, Jerome Whitehead, Freeman Williams, Joe (Jellybean) Bryant, Armond Hill, and the late Phil Smith, one of the most gracious athletes I have ever known.

The 1982-83 Clips won a whopping 25 games, yet when you consider the talent, it bolsters the argument that a 23-team NBA - which at the time only allowed an occasional underclassman to enter under hardship terms - provided a better product because the players went to college and were more polished when they entered the league. Additionally, with seven fewer franchises, the talent level wasn't so diluted. Consider that the '82-83 Clips, who again finished 22nd of the 23 teams, included Chambers, Brooks, Terry Cummings, Lionel Hollins, Craig Hodges, Randy Smith, Bobby Gross, Whitehead and Bill Walton, who attended law school at Stanford during the week and played basketball on the weekends.

As for figuring out whether I have seen a worse thumping than Sunday? I'm not sure. I still have some research to do. I've seen a lot of really bad basketball. Still. This one was a beauty. When an opponent is blocking your jump shots, as did the Celtics a number of times Sunday, you know you're in deep, deep trouble.

The Carril Connection

Though I didn't make the connection at the time, two of Pete Carril's former Princeton stars were on that woeful 1981-82 Clippers team - guards Armond Hill and Brian Taylor. Hill is currently an assistant on Doc Rivers' staff. Geoff Petrie, as we know, spends most of his time at the practice facility across the way from Arco Arena.

Right now, I'd say Armond has the sweeter gig.

Can't get enough of this

Practice should be interesting on Monday. I am curious to hear what interim coach Kenny Natt emphasizes. His team can't shoot, won't pass, doesn't rebound, doesn't defend. I think I'd start with the defense, though.

After learning from my colleague, Sam Amick, that a Brad Miller-Gerald Wallace trade was a non-starter partly because Charlotte coach Larry Brown is not a fan of the Kings' starting center, I was reminded of my conversation with Brown while he was trying to become involved in the post-Eric Musselman coaching search two summers ago. Humiliated by the Knicks situation, eager to redeem himself, and not finding much interest on the NBA market, he was pushing hard to get an interview with Geoff Petrie. While we were talking about the situation, Brown, who had rejoined the 76ers as a personnel consultant, began gushing about a gangly 7-foot center from Washington - Spencer Hawes - who had been in Philadelphia hours earlier for a predraft workout. Brown went on and on about Hawes' footwork and low post skills, and thought that with quality coaching, he would become an outstanding NBA center.

All of which is another reason Geoff Petrie at least should have invited Brown to Sacramento for an interview. The Maloofs love the big names and dynamic personalities, though whether they would have met Brown's financial demands remains unclear. Still, you have to wonder. How much further along would the Kings' rebuilding process be with Brown tutoring Hawes, Jason Thompson, Donte Greene, Bobby Brown, Beno Udrih and John Salmons? And while Brown might not be a Miller fan, he would have been a big fan of Miller's unselfishness and passing abilities. (Remember Rik Smits).

Is that you, Vlade?.

During my conversation with Vlade Divac the other evening, I teased him about his English. It's slipping, understandably. After retiring from the NBA in 2005, the former Kings center spent two years in Madrid before moving last September to his native Serbia, which afforded him fewer opportunities to practice his second language. As we were chatting, he paused often and occasionally struggled for words. "It comes back quickly," said Divac, who spoke absolutely no English when he was drafted by the Lakers in 1989. "A couple days (in America). That's all it would take. It's easier (laugh) for my kids."

In an unsually chatty, upbeat postgame locker room - a common occurrence when one head coach has been replaced by another - I was talking with Bobby Jackson, who dropped one of the most unexpected nuggets of the night: This was the first time in his 12 NBA seasons that he has experienced an in-season firing. "It's kind of strange, now that I think about it," he said. "I was wondering how guys were going to take it. But we responded. Hopefully we can continue to come out and play the type of basketball we're capable of."
Brad Miller, the longest-tenured King, now in his 11th year and his sixth in Sacramento, also noted that he has been on only two teams that changed head coaches. "Dave Cowens quit when I was in Charlotte," said Miller, "so I don't even know if that counts."
Then there were Jason Thompson, Donte Greene and Bobby Brown. The rookies are only 25 games into their NBA careers, and their coach is a goner.
Life in the NBA. Welcome to it.

The guessing game begins

Kenny Natt could pull off a major upset here, guide the Kings into the postseason, develop Spencer Hawes into Bill Walton and Jason Thompson into Karl Malone - OK, just kidding - and keep his job at season's end. But the odds and NBA history suggests otherwise. There will be too many established head coaches available during the offseason, with the Kings' front-office types particularly enamored of Flip Saunders. You know. Experienced. Innovative offense. Excellent teacher.
Of course, the historic pre-Xmas flurry of six firings suggests Saunders will be a hot commodity in the offseason. So here's the question: other than the millions to be earned, who would want this job? OK. Never mind. Can't feel too sorry for millionaires in this economy ...

A few other postgame reflections:

* First of all, those were the Minnesota Timberwolves, on the second night of a back-to-back, who the Kings victimized Monday night at Arco Arena. So don't schedule the party just yet.
* Donte Greene has an absolutely beautiful, high-arching jump shot. He says he has favored the hang-time since boyhood. His defense is another matter. "But I'm getting better," he insists. "This is all new to me. In college (Syracuse), we played nothing but zone. This is all new to me."
* When Hawes commits to defending and rebounding, as he did Monday night, he is an incredibly valuable asset. I keep reminding myself: This is a kid who is 7-foot-1, who completely transformed his body during the offseason, who clearly wants to be great, and who is only 20 years old. If he doesn't lose his edge, his desire and his willingness to learn, he will become a special player in this league. Who knew? A steal at No. 10 in the 2007 NBA draft.
* Natt had only a few hours to prepare his team for the game, and typically, teams get energized by coaching changes. But after a sluggish start, the Kings definitely played some of the most inspired defense in a while - excluding last week's Lakers game at Arco - and eased into their early offense. John Salmons' defense was particularly noteworthy, almost offsetting his tendency to dribble into a crowd and dominate the ball. I will be curious to see if Natt challenges Salmons, demanding that he become a more willing passer.
* Reggie will be missed. He was an incredibly bright, classy guy to deal with, even as the pressure intensified. I definitely see him resurfacing somewhere as a head coach, probably in college. What mother could resist his charms as a recruiter?
* I still don't understand why Chuck Person, who was Reggie's de facto lead assistant, was in charge of the defense. Person was one of the league's great scorers during his career, and the league's Rookie of the Year in 1987. True, he was a tough, physical player, and a tireless worker. But wouldn't it have made more sense for him to oversee the offense?
* Natt has one advantage: He has a quality locker room. Aside from the occasional grumbling from a veteran who wants more minutes, there isn't much not to like.
* Most impressive about Monday's victory? The Kings competed. These last few weeks, it wasn't the won-lost percentage that doomed Theus, but the tenor of the lopsided defeats. When players stop giving an effort, their coaches are soon to be history.
* With Jack Nicholson in town for his induction into the California Hall of Fame, I couldn't help but think about the time Jack mooned the crowd from his lower balcony seat during the Lakers-Celtics Finals. Was it 1987? Anyway, as he probably would attest, the passion of the old Boston Garden crowds has yet to be duplicated. The ovation was so loud, it drowned out the second half of the national anthem. Sorry, Kings fans, or those who not so long ago were regarded as the most impassioned in the league. Not even close ...

Nice timing, Kevin

Kevin McHale, who already looks exhausted mere weeks into his gig as the Wolves' head coach, endured a miserable loss on the same night his old club, the Celtics, tied the record for the best 25-game start (23-2) in league history. I couldn't help but recall McHale's role in what I still consider to be one of the most impressive feats I've encountered in my decades of covering the NBA: the Celtics' 40-1 home mark during their championship 1985-86 season. McHale, who was not only an incredibly unique power forward, with his long arms, inimitable post moves and terrific defense, but a gutsy performer. He was also known as the "Black Hole," but that's another story. The following season, he played on a broken foot during the Celtics-Lakers championship series. As a result, he still limps noticeably. Maybe old school wasn't always so great.

I just spoke with Reggie Theus about his firing earlier in the day, and he remained consistent to the end. He was upbeat, gracious, and grateful to have been given the opportunity to coach an NBA club after only two years as a college head coach. But Theus remains convinced he accomplished what was asked of him, namely, develop the young players, implement a system and keep the locker room intact.

"It's like arguing with the referee after he calls the foul," Theus said while driving. "There's no point in going through everything. It doesn't matter. I can see it one way, but they obviously are seeing it differently. Given the injuries to Kevin (Martin) and Cisco (Garcia), I thought we did a pretty good job. Taking over a team that was struggling in the first place, we knew it was a daunting challenge, but when I look in the mirror, I think we did the best we could. I'm just sad I won't be here to see it through. They've got good young players. They've got money (salary cap relief) coming."

Theus said he was approached by Petrie early Monday when he arrived for the pregame shootaround. He said they had a cordial conversation for about 20 minutes, and then he left. He plans to return to his home in Los Angeles within the next few days, then start considering his future. Not surprisingly, Theus did not sound worried about obtaining another head-coaching job, and said he would be receptive to coaching in the NBA or college. There already have been murmurings about Theus returning to college coaching - a notion he frequently mentions - because of his previous success at New Mexico State. Thus, he was careful with his comments, and obviously has no intention of burning bridges.

The closest he came to a parting shot was this:

"Things around here tend to be on the negative side. That's the one thing I hope that changes. You have to pull for each other in an organization on all levels."

It didn't take long for all the goodwill generated with the Kings' victory over the Lakers last Tuesday to dissipate. Saturday night's crowd at Arco Arena was uncharacteristically brutal. If you didn't know better, you would have sworn the Kings were playing the Knicks in New York. As the Kings were being hammered 43-21 in the opening period, Reggie Theus turned toward one particularly vocal group seated behind the press table and asked, in his classic, controlled manner, "Do you guys like those seats?" That shut the guys up for a few minutes, but they were back at it after intermission. They blasted the Kings for being "soft," for that 17-3 drubbing on the boards in the first quarter, for their indefensible defense - most notably the inability to defend the three-point shot - and stayed on Theus throughout.

"Thank god they sell beer," cracked one of the fans, a longtime Kings partisan from Walnut Creek. "This is unwatchable."

As for the offense? It's probably a good thing Pete Carril returns home to Princeton on Monday. The legendary "Coachie," who has been in town for his annual visit with his doctors, must have become ill watching the "my turn, your turn" sequences, along with the Kings' chronic dribble, dribble, dribble tendencies. What ever happened to movement, hard screens and the extra pass?

Whither Brad Miller?

Sam Amick, The Bee's Kings beat writer who wrote about Brad Miller for Sunday's editions, has impeccable timing. Miller is a mess. There is little doubt that the veteran center, a two-time All-Star, is struggling with both his game and his role. For the first time since he became a starter in the post-Vlade Divac era, he was removed from the lineup at intermission. Spencer Hawes slid over to center, and rookie Jason Thompson started the third quarter at power forward. But Miller is a sensitive guy and a very capable player, and I suspect all this talk about the rebuilding/youth movement has him unsettled, especially since the five-game suspension (for violating the league's substance abuse policy) started his season off horribly. Even before last night's four-point, one-rebound, 11-minute first half, his playing time and production have been increasingly inconsistent, his rebounding most noticeably. He seems to be getting pushed around under the basket, and on the offensive end, he has been tentative with his perimeter shot and his once-scintillating passes. When Miller's sharp, he's the best passing center in the league. Too often this year, though, his bounce passes have been late, or forced. He seems out of sorts, discouraged. Someone in the front office might want to talk to him and ask what's going on, or better yet, offer some clarity.

Seeking a breather

Before Saturday's game, I spent about 15 minutes chatting with Mike D'Antoni, the New York Knicks coach (and former Italian League scoring star), about his move from Phoenix to New York and his offseason spent as one of Mike Krzyzewski's assistants with the U.S. Olympic team. While there is no doubt that USA Basketball czar Jerry Colangelo is hoping for a Coach K encore in London 2012, D'Antoni said he needs a break from USA hoops. He has a son in high school, he noted, and it's not like coaching the Knicks is a stroll in the park.

If Krzyzewski decides that coaching one gold medal team is enough? Just a guess here, but that might make things interesting. London isn't Italy, but it's close.

I called Joe Maloof a few minutes ago to see how he was feeling, and he immediately picked up his cell phone. That's always a good sign. He also was breathing hard, so for a few minutes there, I wondered what the heck he was doing.

As it turns out, he was working with the physical therapist who has been helping him recover from double-knee replacement surgery. Of greater significance, Joe confirmed that he did in fact have a stroke last week. "Just a mild one, a mild one," the Kings co-owner informed me. "I'm fine. I just have to get back to working out consistently, which I wasn't doing because of my knees. But I'm so much better now. I'm coming back to Sac in a few days, and I'll be around. I'm feeling so good now I can hardly believe it."

And, of course, he was in a great mood because the Kings beat the Lakers on Tuesday night. "I loved the way we played," he gushed. "We passed the ball, we defended. The youngsters played a lot. That might have been the most important regular-season win since we bought the team, given the circumstances (Reggie Theus' status, slumping attendance and fan interest, the economy, etc.). I am really happy for Reggie. Maybe we can get on a roll. We're not out of it yet."

With that, he went back to pumping iron, or whatever one does in physical therapy.

Watching Bobby Jackson against the Lakers last night reminded me of his performance in Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference finals here at Arco Arena. A younger, thinner Jackson - I'm guessing he was 10 pounds lighter - repeatedly and successfully attacked the Lakers defense, and unlike some of his former teammates, wasn't overcome by the magnitude of the moment. I still believe the outcome might have been different if Jackson had been on the floor during the deciding moments, or about the time Doug Christie and Peja Stojakovic were hoisting airballs.

In the Kings' improbable victory Tuesday night, Jackson contributed 15 points in a similar, aggressive manner, mostly by driving the ball or pulling up in transition and converting off-balance, high-arching jumpers. He has been struggling of late, and not very happy about his playing time. But he looked a lot younger than his 35 years last night. He had more help than usual, as well. As he noted afterward, "I remember the 'old' Sacramento Kings used to have six players in double figures every game. ... We haven't played like this all year. We're young, but we have a lot better talent than our (record suggests)."

In a game Reggie Theus desperately needed to win to soothe some of the "fire Reggie" sentiment that has been building, the Kings received contributions from everyone who played. John Salmons was particularly impressive. He defended Kobe Bryant and played an excellent floor game, eschewing the one-on-one play that so often detracts from his overall abilities.

It's in the genes

After my colleague, Sam Amick, alerted me to Joe Maloof's recent illness - what initially was thought to be a stroke - I approached Gavin Maloof for more details. He said Joe was hospitalized overnight about a week ago in Las Vegas, but passed all the tests, and was released the following day. He suggested that his brother's illness was stress-related, which is not exactly uncommon. Not long after the Maloofs bought the Kings almost a decade ago, Joe shared a story that speaks to his intensity: After his father died in the early 1980s, he and his mother approached members of the Coors family and asked if they could continue running the company's beer distributorship in New Mexico. At the time, Colleen Maloof was a homemaker, not a businesswoman, and Joe and Gavin were 24 and 23 years old, respectively.

Anyway, Joe said Adolph Coors agreed to let Colleen keep the distributorship, but that a short time later, he became so anxiety-ridden that he was hospitalized and diagnosed with an ulcer.

In his few visits to Arco Arena this year, Joe hasn't looked well. He is recovering slowly from the double-knee replacement surgery he underwent in August, and which he only half-jokingly called "the worst decision of my life." He has lost approximately 30 pounds, and not only can't work out, but only recently shed the cane and walker.

"He's OK," Gavin said. "It was a scare, but he's OK. He's just had a tough time of it lately."

Friday night could be frightful

Just a hunch here, but the rematch between the Kings and Lakers on Friday at Staples Center might reveal a lot about the Kings, for this reason: the Lakers won't take Tuesday's season-worst defeat lightly. They will go at the Kings hard. If the Kings respond well and make a game of it, that would suggest Tuesday's impressive showing was more than an aberration.

Remembering the good times ...

Sometime within the next few weeks, the Kings will announce plans to retire the jerseys of Vlade Divac and Chris Webber during games later this season. The retirement date for Divac appears set: March 31, during pregame festivities when the New Orleans Hornets and fellow Serbia native Peja Stojakovic visit.

The date for Webber's ceremony still is being discussed. The Kings are working to accommodate their former power forward and his business obligations, including his duties as a TNT analyst. The best guess here is sometime in February or early March. Webber, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers when the Kings began dismantling the aging, injury-riddled team that was wildly entertaining during the early part of the decade, played briefly for the Detroit Pistons before ending his career last year with his original team, the Golden State Warriors.

Not the retiring type

Although Geoff Petrie has tabled any conversation about a contract extension (his current deal expires at the end of the 2009-2010 season), I was reminded again earlier this afternoon about why I believe another multiyear agreement is inevitable: He is one of those people who would go crazy in retirement. Assuming the Maloofs remain committed - and Petrie continues to wield tremendous influence over at Arco - there is no doubt in my mind that he's not going anywhere. The only other consideration would be his health.

The Kings' longtime basketball president was diagnosed with walking pneumonia last Tuesday and told to stay home and rest for four or five days. Yet there he was while the team was practicing, wandering in the lobby of the facility, and still appearing pale and tired. Asked what he was doing at work, he laughed, and stated the obvious: he was bored. Three days of hanging around the house was the most he could tolerate.

Changing careers

At a chance meeting at a cafe near Arco, I bumped into Edna Campbell, the former Monarchs guard who is also a breast cancer survivor. Campbell, who remained in Sacramento after retiring from the WNBA, said she recently completed her coursework for a nursing degree. She takes her boards next month. Eventually, she hopes to enroll in a master's program to become a nurse practitioner.

"This is a good time for me," said Campbell, who is healthy, and looked fit enough to suit. "I finished school and I turned 40 today."

While chatting with Kings conditioning coach Daniel Shapiro for a column in today's Bee about Spencer Hawes and his Body-By-Daniel makeover, I learned about a place near Arco Arena that does all the prep work for meals. Great. As someone who is chronically challenged in the kitchen, I probably needed to hear about this. Anyway, according to Shapiro - or "Shippy," as Hawes calls him - "Dream Dinners" prepares meals for its patrons, suggests ingredients, food groups, health hints, then sells the cuisine ready to cook.

Shapiro says that, on a given day, as many as seven Kings accompany him to the establishment and buy a few days (or months) worth of food. He also credits the concept with helping shave about seven pounds of body fat off the 7-foot, 233-pound Hawes. Gone is the body fat of a year ago. "We've got Spencer eating the meals, and he is eating so much healthier now," Shapiro told me. "It's an economic way of eating. Plus, it eliminates the fast food, which is a big thing with players."

Actually, it isn't only the players who are attracted to the fast food joints near the arena. Many an NBA beat writer has asked directions to the local In-N-Out Burger. Sorry. I have no clue. Never touch the stuff.

Iverson rolling along

While watching Allen Iverson play his third game with the Detroit Pistons, it just seemed unfathomable that he is 33 years old. Given the physical beating that he absorbs nightly? Amazing. I used to marvel at Kevin Johnson's fearlessness during his career with the Phoenix Suns. With his tongue resting on his lower lip, KJ relentlessly and fearlessly attacked the basket and routinely got knocked to the floor. I have all these images of KJ blowing past his defender, converting the basket, taking the hit, and adding the free throw. But he had a few inches and pounds on Iverson. Anyway, it was fascinating to watch the 6-foot, 165-pound AI again, and to say he was really, really good would be ridiculous. He was terrific. His creative, yet controlled performance was exactly what Joe Dumars had in mind when he swapped the steady, stately Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets. "I joked with Iverson the other day," Joe D. told me earlier Tuesday from his office. "I told him, 'I tried to trade for you in 2000, but I'm sure glad I have the 2008 version of Allen Iverson. You were a handful in 2000."

My chat with Dumars also reminded me of what a brassy executive he has become - not at all what most of us who covered the NBA during his playing career would have projected. Joe's game was smooth, steady, understated. He did everything well, and yet somewhat remarkably, recognized exactly what he needed to do to flourish (and win) alongside the dynamic, mercurial Isiah Thomas. But understated no longer. Consider that within the past few years, among other things, Dumars has done the following: Hired and fired Larry Brown; won a championship and been runner-up in the NBA Finals; acquired and contained Rasheed Wallace; hired and fired Flip Saunders; signed and refused to re-sign local product Chris Webber; and drafted and dumped No. 2 pick Darko Milicic. As for that draft clunker, well, even the Logo (Jerry West) missed once in a while.

Typical rookie mistake

Kings rookie Jason Thompson, who had an impressive first NBA start with 15 points and nine boards, was assessed a phantom foul as he elevated and attempted to block a deep baseline jumper by Tayshaun Prince with just under two minutes remaining. True, based on the replays, the power forward never made contact with Prince, except perhaps with a fingernail. Also true, there isn't a rookie in the league who hasn't been suckered into committing that foul. Next time, the 6-foot-11 Thompson needs to jump straight up, denyng the refs the opportunity to claim that he was leaning into the shooter. The rule of verticality applies, as they say, though rookies historically are allowed considerably less wiggle room.

Still, Thompson's candor - "Yeah, they got me on that once in the first half, too" - is another reason to like the potential frontcourt pairing with second-year center Spencer Hawes. I love the fact Thompson didn't whine about the call afterward, but instead talked about how he would react in the future. The more time I spend chatting with opposing scouts and coaches, the more I think the Hawes-Thompson pairing has the potential to be something special.

In other words, I don't think Geoff Petrie is disappointed that, say, Joakim Noah didn't "drop" to the Kings two drafts ago. As one coach told me recently, "the Kings got the better player" in the less celebrated Hawes. At this point, it certainly appears so. Hawes, who is only 20, has length, skill, attitude, and will gain physical strength as he matures. He couldn't ask for a better mentor than Brad Miller, either.

Miller off target, on point

Miller endured the worst shooting night that I can remember. His 2-for-16 effort featured every shot imaginable: blown chippies and dunks, botched driving layups, mostly, the short-arming of jumpers he normally hits. Yet though he struggled from the field, he scored with his insightful postgame analysis, as usual. "It was a little tough and it was a twist without having Kevin (Martin) playing," the veteran center said. "He is the guy who gets all of our free-throw attempts for us and slows them down. We were aggressive early on, pushing the ball. You can't really get into a halfcourt game with the Pistons because they know how to lock it down and get the extra help."

Unfortunately for the Kings, after they built their early 15-point lead, they seemed to sit on it. They stopped pushing the pace, and instead of advancing the ball quickly and getting into their early offense, they were left with Reggie Theus calling plays on virtually every possession. I didn't get a chance to speak with Reggie afterward because I was in the visitors locker room waiting to speak with Iverson, but it seemed odd, even given the injuries. Late in the game, Reggie just seemed determined to pound the ball inside to his post players, getting away from an effective pick-and-roll. I'll ask him about this when the Kings return from their road trip to the Clip Joint. I remain a firm believer that the Kings need to create transition opportunities, play at a faster pace, and utilize their athleticism and youthful energy if they want to ensure an interesting season. As we continue to see, they have plenty of talent to do that. To make this an interesting season.

Memories, memories, memories ....

This little tidbit is provided by Kings backup beat writer Melody Gutierrez: While chatting with Mikki Moore before the game, with a previous Kings-Pistons meeting on the television in the background, the one-time Pistons forward chuckled when Detroit coach Michael Curry's image flashed on the screen. "That let me know it's about time to retire and enjoy my money," Moore said jokingly. "He was actually my veteran. He helped me get through my stuff just like try to help J.T. (Thompson), Donte (Greene) and Bobby Brown. It's good to see he got the job. He worked very hard." Asked whether he envisions a similar career path, Moore shook his head. Yes and no. He envisions himself coaching, but is more intrigued with junior college, high school or the NBA Development League.

Jay Humphries, the head coach of Reno's NBDL's expansion team, attended the home opener last night and met briefly with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie. The Kings and Knicks are affiliates of the Reno franchise, which will enable Petrie to send rookies or second-year players down to the minor league setting for experience and closely monitor their progress. (Donte Greene, anyone?). The NBDL is also the developmental league for future NBA head coaches, similar to the defunct CBA that once featured head coaches Phil Jackson, George Karl and Flip Saunders, among others. It's hard to imagine Our Friend Phil hooping it up with the Albany Patroons, but he won titles there, too.

Anyway, Humphries, accompanied by his new assistant and current Monarchs assistant Tom Abatemarco, said he was eager to establish a relationship with Petrie.

"I wanted Geoff to know where I was coming from," said Humphries, who played 11 years in the NBA and coached for six seasons in Asia. "I plan to run a lot of the Phoenix Suns sets, and play aggressive defense. That's the philosophy I've always believed. I told Geoff I'm looking forward to doing whatever I can to help out."

Finally casting a vote

Though the family is heavily involved in Democratic politics, Joe and Gavin Maloof refused to publicly align themselves with Heather Fargo or Kevin Johnson during the recently concluded mayoral race. But let's just say, it wasn't a coincidence that KJ was seated courtside next to Gavin Maloof during Wednesday's season opener in Arco Arena. Sacramento's mayor-elect, who arrived shortly before tipoff, walked up to the owner's suite and chatted with Joe Maloof, still hobbled after undergoing double knee replacement surgery. Johnson then went back downstairs and joined Gavin, front and center.

The Maloofs - who revered the late Sacramento mayor Joe Serna - never believed Fargo was emotionally invested in their attempts toward securing a public/private financing agreement for any of the discussed arena ventures. Right, wrong, whatever. They never moved beyond their initial impressions of the outgoing mayor. Interestingly, KJ, who kept his distance from the arena discussions while he was pursuing a charter school for Sac High - surprising given his obvious connection to the NBA - has emerged as a forceful advocate for an arena deal. The former Phoenix Suns point guard repeatedly has said that securing the Kings' presence in Sacramento is among his priorities, often citing the club's economic and psychic value to the community. That will require construction of a modern facility, at some point in the near future, or whenever the economy allows.

As an aside: My Bee colleague, Sam Amick, turned to me during the game and suggested that you can't appreciate how outdated Arco is - in terms of the acoustics, big screen capabilities, concourse, and all-around amenities and comfort level - until you travel to the other venues around the league.

I don't disagree. Arco has sprouted too many hairs - and too many leaks. But a $10 seat at Arco offers a much better value than what you get at the newer, bigger arenas. At Staples Center, they ought to dispense oxygen tanks to those in the nosebleed seats. Or at least binoculars.

Final thoughts about the opener ...

* I have commented often about John Salmons' tendency to pound the ball, but against the Grizzlies, he was the best player on the court. He demonstrated once again that he is much too skilled to become one-dimensional. This was one of the best games he's played since joining the Kings. He keyed the defense up top (often with double-team help from rookie Jason Thompson), made his moves quickly or gave the ball up, pursued rebounds and loose balls, and in general, provided the sense of leadership have been so sorely lacking.

* Beno Udrih continues to struggle, which leads me to relate tidbits from a conversation I had recently wiith an NBA scout. The scout - who shall remain nameless, for obvious reasons - asked if the Kings' point guard was hurt. He thought something was wrong. My take on Beno is this: he missed most of training camp with a strained hip and is playing his way into shape. He seems a half-step slow. His timing is off. And his confidence appears to be shaken. He had two excellent drives in the second half, though, so maybe that will give him a boost.

* I'm looking forward to Friday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, mostly, to see Wolves rookie Kevin Love and his probable matchup against Kings rookie Jason Thompson. I think we're going to be hearing a lot about these two power forwards during the next decade.

* While Bobby Jackson remains one of my favorite people, I agree with Reggie Theus' decision to use Bobby Brown as the backup point guard. Bobby Jax doesn't seem to have much left, except, perhaps, the unwavering affection of the fans. He received a standing ovation when he entered the game.

* What WAS the name of that rock band that played during introductions? Never mind. Don't want to know. Don't ever want to hear them again. I always hated hard rock ...

* My favorite stat of the night: the Kings' 24 assists

* No surprise at the non-sellout numbers. A Wednesday night opener. Against the Memphis Grizzlies. The night after the election. One thing I found interesting, though, was that the upper bowl was almost full. Most of the empty pockets of seats were in the corner sections of the lower bowl, which suggests two things: (1) Fans are responding to reduced ticket prices for upper bowl seats, and (2) The corner sections in the lower bowl offer the least advantageous sight lines, and apparently, are overpriced.

* Theus and Humphries have been friends since their teen years in Southern California

* One last observation about Thompson, the rookie from Rider: He has exceptional hands.

OAKLAND - The season hasn't even begun over here yet, and it's already crazy. Don Nelson signed his contract extension. Al Harrington reportedly is demanding a trade. No one knows what Chris Mullin is thinking, or more importantly, what Chris Cohan has planned for his vice president. (The two clash over personnel matters). And if that's not enough, the starting point guard tonight against the New Orleans Hornets - former Sheldon High standout DeMarcus Nelson - a few weeks ago wasn't even expected to make the regular-season roster.

So stay tuned. Or tune out. This figures to be a very, very, very long season for the Warriors.

As an aside: Warriors assistant Stephen Silas told me his father, Paul, who was one of the game's best rebounders during his playing career, is recovering from a nine-month battle for his life. According to Stephen, Paul Silas went in for a routine colonoscopy in December, but suffered complications and went into organ failure. He was in intensive care for two months, in the hospital in Charlotte for two months after that, before finally being released. "He was out here last week," said the Warriors assistant, "and he's still walking slowly. But he's getting around a little bit. This is the best he's been since the (procedure)."

With the Kings only hours away from their season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a few thoughts:
* These Kings desperately need a renewed commitment to defense, which is what inspired a competitive, impressive start a year ago. The ability to score off the defense will determine whether the Kings are lottery-bound by midseason or capable of a surprise run at a playoff berth.
* The Clippers, Warriors and Kings should form a three-team scrum in the Pacific Division behind the Lakers and Suns. If Spencer Hawes and Kevin Martin consistently stretch for rebounds, I wouldn't be surprised if the Kings finish ahead of the Clips and Warriors. That says nothing about playoffs, however. Can't even talk about that until we see a semblance of a disruptive defense.
* Who will Kevin Martin be? Is he an elite scorer, a la Peja Stojakovic, or capable of becoming a more versatile contributor? During a conversation with Houston's Tracy McGrady the other night, T-Mac praised Martin for his offensive abilities, but left it at that. He noted that the league has plenty of prolific scorers, but not an overabundance of all-around performers. Can't disagree. I think the slinky, athletic Martin is capable of collecting 4-5 rebounds per game, and though not a particularly gifted passer, is more than athletic and capable enough of getting into the passing lanes and coming out with a decent number of steals.
* I want to see more of Jason Thompson. The rookie power forward is an instinctive passer, and I like the way he pursues the ball. The frontcourt combination of Hawes and Thompson offers something to build on, and assuming Beno Udrih emerges as a capable, consistent point guard, Geoff Petrie's next great challenge is to find the complementary small forward. Is it Donte Greene? Much too soon to tell. But based on Greene's struggles during preseason, he would benefit from a season under Jay Humphries in the NBA Development League. Reno isn't that far away ...
* Brad Miller must be miserable. He is in terrific shape, perhaps the best of his career, and he has to sit out the first five games after being suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Dumb. Really dumb. At least he didn't sit around sulking and gaining weight. He really does look good, and I suspect he will have a very productive season.
* How John Salmons is the Kings' best perimeter defender, and I'm wondering when he is going to understand this and stop fixating on offense. The way he brooded after becoming Ron Artest's backup last season was ridiculous. The way he dominates the ball and disrupts the offense is absurd. Salmons is a much better player than that. We watched him record triple-doubles two seasons ago. He CAN pass. But it's up to Theus - and to a lesser extent Udrih - to establish his role and demand that he move the ball.
* Martin should be afforded a minimum of 15 shots per game. If the offense is flowing, that number should be closer to 20. And it should be openly acknowledged that the veteran shooting guard is the Kings' go-to player.

Why hang around?

I am looking forward to talking to Don Nelson before Wednesday night's Warriors-Hornets game in Oakland, mostly to ask Nellie why he would want to prolong his coaching agony with a team that has no chance of winning his elusive NBA title. (He has five as a player with the Boston Celtics). But, duh. Where have I been? Apart from the fact that everyone is seeking job security during this economic downturn, Nellie needs only 53 victories to surpass Lenny Wilkens' as the league's winningest coach.

Yes, that matters. There is no shortage of ego in the NBA. Nellie will need two seasons to pass Wilkens, hence, his desire for the two-year extension, the Chris Mullin-Robert Rowell standoff notwithstanding. Well, why not? Wilkens and Nelson are among the league's aging coaching giants, and they deserve the chance to be recognized.

He will be missed

It's disappointing to no longer have Del Campo's Matt Barnes with the Warriors, but after his traumatic 2007-08, he obviously needed a change. He never seemed to emotionally recover from the loss of his mother, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer before the season started, and had completely lost his edge by the end of the year. During one of my visits to Oakland in April, I was shocked at the 6-foot-7 swingman's appearance. He had lost much of his upper body definition, and barely resembled the lean, athletic journeyman who enjoyed such a marvelous 2007-08. I will be curious to catch up with him when the Phoenix Suns visit.

The microfracture curse?

Greg Oden leaves with a sprained right foot a mere 13 minutes into his NBA regular-season debut Tuesday night, and what are we all thinking? The dreaded mIrcrofracture surgery. I completely agree with Geoff Petrie about this. Lighter is better. Players who undergo the controversial procedure that is designed to develop a protective buffer between the joints - much as cartilage functions - seem to fare better with slimmer frames, rather than heavier and more muscular physiques. I know the Blazers urged Oden to lose weight after his rehab, but he still looks too heavy to me. That's one reason I like what the Kings are doing with Spencer Hawes. They are urging him to become more flexible and stronger in his core, not simply asking him to add upper body muscle mass. Less stress on the knee is better.

Bring out the snow tires

Monarchs assistant and Kings radio analyst Tom Abatemarco is close to finalizing a deal to join Jay Humphries' coaching staff for the Reno Bighorns' inaugural season in the NBA Development League. If the deal materializes - and all indications are it will - the man known around town as "Coach T" will remain on Jenny Boucek's Monarchs staff, but drop the Kings radio gig.

Humphries, who played in the NBA for 11 seasons after being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1984, was looking for an assistant with considerable experience, and in that sense, Coach T certainly qualifies. A former head coach at Drake, Lamar and Sacramento State, the New York native also has been an assistant for two of college basketball's best minds - the late Jim Valvano and, most recently, former Utah head coach Rick Majerus.

The major downside here will be Abatemarco's absence on the Kings' postgame radio shows. His analysis is candid and informative, without being overly technical. Initially, he was a bit of a homer - overly conscious of not offending the hypersensitive Rick Adelman or ticking off any of the players - but his observations and insights have become increasingly daring and enlightening. I'll definitely miss his no-nonsense spin on the Kings.

A shout out to Cotton

Humphries is an interesting head-coaching choice for Reno owner David Kahn. Before spending the last few seasons as an NBA assistant in Phoenix and Denver, Humphries spent several years coaching in South Korea and China. He is a very charming, interesting fellow. I will always remember bumping into him at an airport - I can't even remember which one - in the late 1980s, and asking what it was like to play for the late Cotton Fitzsimmons during his first three years in the league. Humphries just laughed and shook his head. "Playing for Cotton is like being locked in a cage with a Tazmanian devil," he said, adding, "but he's a helluva coach."

Just can't forget Cotton

The diminutive Fitzsimmons - he of the gravel voice and barrel-chested laugh - is best remembered for his years coaching the Phoenix Suns. But my first impression connects Cotton with the Kansas City Kings: My first road game covering the Clippers for the San Diego Union was at the half-empty Kemper Arena. After the predictable outcome - Clippers lost - my former competitor from the Los Angeles Times, Chris Cobbs, and I waited for Cotton in the interview room. Taking mercy on a rookie NBA reporter, Chris advised me to check the battery on my tape recorder. "Just sit back and listen," he said, grinning. It didn't take long to figure out what he was talking about. Cotton didn't wait for questions. Cotton was on stage. He was scripted, Hollywood, all about theatrics. And absolutely fascinating.

What a character. Too bad the Kings never brought him West.

Back in their seats

Now that the Boston Red Sox and Woodland native Dustin Pedroia have been eliminated from the baseball playoffs, I figured members of the family would be back in their Kings seats for today's final preseason game at Arco Arena. That was the plan. In a quick call to the family's Valley Tire Store in Woodland earlier in the day, Brett Pedroia, Dustin's older brother, said they had missed all the previous preseason games because of a conflict with the baseball playoffs.

"It seemed like every time the Kings were playing, so was Dustin," said Pedroia, who manages the family-owned tire store with his parents, Guy and Debbie. "We went to Dustin's games in Anaheim, and we were planning on going to the World Series, so this was a real disappointment. It was especially tough on my mom. She is so energetic. ... When Dustin hit that home run in Game 7 (against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS), we thought we were going to win it."

Brett, who routinely converses about the Kings with his sibling - an impassioned fan of his hometown team - offers this assessment of the season: "I'm always the optimist, so I don't agree with people picking us to only win 25 games or so. We have Bobby Jackson. With Kevin Martin, and some of the young players, I think we'll surprise some people. And I think Geoff (Petrie) is going to make a deal that moves us up a little into the playoff picture."

Who wants to know?

Having Jackson back has done wonders for the personality of the locker room. You never know what the veteran guard, now 35, will say. His latest comment/question pertained to Ron Artest's visit. "I wonder if he'll get booed?" Jackson asked, laughing. "We all know what that's like."

STOCKTON - Mike Duncan, the Kings' vice-president of arena operations, is counting down his final days with the organization. The personable and respected executive has taken over arena operations at the University of Oregon, which recently broke ground on a state-of-the-art basketball facility. The opening is scheduled for November 2010.

A Sacramento native, Duncan said the decision to leave was difficult, but eased by a sense of familiarity: He graduated from the Eugene campus and spent many an evening enjoying basketball at the outdated McArthur Court, which is known as "The Pit" and one of the least hospitable venues for visitors in the country.

Here's wishing him the best of luck. He is one of few Kings officials who had been with the organization since its inaugural season.

The burden of wearing two hats

Before Wednesday's game at the Spanos Center, I spent time talking with Clips coach/general manager Mike Dunleavy about his expanded role. Though Dunleavy had been responsible for most personnel moves during the past few years anyway, Elgin Baylor's ugly/untimely departure leaves little doubt about who is in charge. It also makes Dunleavy one of the league's few head coaches who oversees player personnel. More often than not, these situations do not end particularly well. The obvious exception is San Antonio's Gregg Popovich, who relies heavily on R.C. Buford, especially for salary cap issues, but still makes the final decisions on trades, drafts and free-agent signings.

Dunleavy, though, who previously served in both capacities with the Milwaukee Bucks, doesn't anticipate a difference in his workload. "Nothing will change much," he said. "We do things by committee. And two other factors have made it (scouting) a lot different today: the addition of DirecTV and the Internet. The availability of information is (extensive) ... everything is out there."

Thinking about life after hoops

Monarchs forward DeMya Walker, who missed most of the WNBA season following knee surgery, after missing much of the previous few seasons with knee injuries, isn't kidding about preparing for the future. Her goal is to play a few more years, then attend law school. Or maybe she'll pursue something in broadcasting before suffering through torts and civil procedure. With that possibility in mind, Walker has been working with the Kings' game operations people, doing some of the little things like ... walking onto the court during timeouts and screaming into the microphone, "Who wants some T-shirts? Who wants some T-shirts? Who wants some T-shirts?"

Guess you have to start somewhere, especially in this economy.

NBA TV works well in West Virginia, too

As I wrote a little earlier, I had an interesting and lengthy chat with Hall of Famer and former Lakers great Jerry West. What am I saying? Every chat with The Logo is interesting, and often fascinating. After reaching him at his vacation home in West Virginia, we talked mostly about his ex-teammate and close friend Elgin Baylor, who was dumped as Clippers GM on Tuesday and replaced by Mike Dunleavy, another West friend. The loyalty to Baylor, though, clearly prevails ...

Anyway, West, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday - if you can believe that - says he is working out daily, is scheduled to return home to L.A.. later this month, and is enjoying his sabbatical from the NBA. And then of course, Jerry being Jerry, he weighed in on the league. And, Jerry being Jerry, he doesn't miss much. He analyzed the Western Conference for me - sorry, most of it was off the record - and when asked about the Kings, volunteered an opinion: He thinks rookie small forward Donte Green is among the league's most talented prospects No surprise there. A la Geoff Petire, West favors skilled, versatile athletes, as opposed to one-dimensional players who are pursued because, say, they're tall, and everyone argues that you need a center. And come on. When West talks, you would be foolish not to listen. The Laker icon - who spent the past four years with the Memphis Grizzlies - is universally regarded as the keenest talent evaluator in league history, his few clunkers notwithstanding.

Coming to you in print

A must read: West also revealed that he has begun writing an autobiography that is scheduled to be completed within 12 months. "It's about my life," he said, adding with a chuckle, "and it's going to include the things that made me borderline insane at times. It will be honest. I'm a complex person. Nothing has ever satisfied me. That's just who I am. It (the book) is going to be truthful, and it's going to be serious."

A significant portion of the book, West said, will deal with his relationship with his former African-American teammates and colleagues during the 1950s and turbulent 60s. "My closest friends were black players," said West, a native of Cabin Creek (or Chelyan) West Virginia, a rural riverside community not far from Charleston. "Maybe it was our (common) backgrounds." He plans to detail his intense, almost sibling relationship with Baylor, who is four years his senior. West absolutely loves the guy. As he talked about Baylor's demise with the Clippers early Wednesday evening, the notoriously emotional West had to pause and collect his thoughts. "I really don't know what's going on," he said, "but it doesn't matter. Elgin and I talk every few weeks. He's a friend of mine. He will always be a friend of mine."

Yep. The guy is complex. And fascinating. And among the game's compelling, enduring characters. I am too young to remember The Logo as as the Lakers shooting guard with the sweet stroke and impeccable timing, but I know him as the NBA exec whose opinion mattered more than anyone else's. Wouldn't surprise me if he resurfaces somewhere as a consultant, his protests nothwithstanding .....

On the market front

West, who virtually jumped through hoops for the Grizzlies in an attempt to kick-start the fledgling small-market franchise, disagrees with the categorization of Sacramento as a similar "small market" organization. "The demographics of the league have changed," he said. "The big markets have a big advantage, a much bigger advantage than they used to. But Sacramento is a growing area, with a captive audience for the Kings. And that's huge. The fans will get a little restless, but the owners (Maloofs) understand that. They'll get it going up there again."

As for that "going through hoops" bit: When I was in Memphis waiting to interview West three years ago, he was participating in a free throw shooting contest with season ticket holders. More than most, he has always understood the need to tend to the people who place their fannies in the seats ...

Clips snip Elgin, look silly again

In other words, Beno Udrih made a smart move rebuffing the Clippers' initial offer last summer while waiting to hear from the Kings. The Clips have been doomed since Donald Sterling bought the team in 1981, stopped paying his bills in San Diego and elsewhere, and two years later summoned the moving vans for the relocation to Los Angeles. Bad karma follows you everywhere ... (See Al Davis).

More recently, Sterling, who 22 years ago hired Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor as a trophy general manager, only to realize that Elgin is a pretty smart guy, promotes coach MIke Dunleavy and essentially strips Baylor of his power. So, of course, Baylor on Tuesday responds like someone with pride and walks out the door. Welcome to the Clippers. Here comes the next lawsuit.

Meantime, Wednesday was an absolutely fascinating day. Already pretty ticked off about the tenor of Baylor's departure, I contacted the former Lakers great at his home in Los Angeles, and within 45 minutes, also reached Jerry West at his vacation home in West Virginia. All of this, of course, happened close to 6 p.m., with editors offering nasty looks and staring at their watches. But, hey, for Elgin Baylor and Jerry West ... I'll take the hit.

Elgin, who actually returned a phone call (as he graciously did for several of my colleagues). couldn't reveal much on the advice of his attorneys. Hint: that lawsuit looms. But we chatted a little bit about our joint experiences with the Clip Joint in the mid to late 1980s. To summarize: While I was a Clippers beat writer for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner - and before I was rescued by the Lakers - Elgin and I spent many an afternoon sitting in gyms, watching practices and shooting the breeze. Mostly, I listened. As was the case a few years later when I was an NBA columnist who probed the brilliant Lenny Wilkens' brain as often as possible, I couldn't get enough of the stuff. And Elgin was gracious, obliging, insightful, and often hilarious.

A few of my favorite recollections:
* He insisted that Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, etc., consistently palmed the ball, and argued that if he were allowed such liberties, he would have doubled his scoring.
* He never conquered his fear of flying, though he swears he was not among the Lakers who became violently ill during the team's infamous emergency landing in the Midwest.
* He spoke poignantly about how, while growing up in Washington, D.C., he and other African-Americans were banned from the basketball courts during daylight hours. They would wait until dark, then sneak onto the courts and play under the streetlights. It was one reason he was an accomplished football and baseball player, and didn't take up basketball until age 14.
* After accepting a scholarship to the College of Idaho, he took an overnight train to Caldwell, and was petrified because he was alone, and had never ventured far from his hometown.
* He loved the stars. Bird. Magic. Michael. Bill Walton. It drove him crazy that Walton, a one-time Clipper, was sidelined with injuries for most of his career.
* He loves Jerry West. Jerry West loves him. Baylor loved to talk about how, while one of West's older teammates on the Lakers, he nicknamed the West Virginia native, "Zeke from Cabin Creek." West hated the nickname, by the way. While traveling to the region for a story on Belle's Jason Williams, I learned of the heated rivalry that exists among those who claim West as their own. Cabin Creek, where West lived during his youth, is located a few blocks from Chelyan, where West also lived during his youth.
Anyway, when I spoke with West early Wednesday evening, he was somewhere back there in his new resort home on a golf course ... and pretty upset about what happened to his buddy. Say what you will about his acumen as a general manager, but no way Elgin should go out like this. No parade, no celebration, no Elgin Baylor Night. Disgraceful.

For those who might be depressed about the economy, who resent the rich and famous, and right now, are particularly upset with the rich, remember this: Even millionaires can struggle beyond the arc.

In a lighthearted scene at the Kings practice facility Thursday afternon, after most of the players had retreated to the locker room, co-owner Maloof spent about 45 minutes "working" on his outside shot with Kings assistant (and former Indiana Pacers sharpshooter) Chuck Person. Overdressed for the occasion in a pair of worn blue jeans, black T-shirt and jogging shoes, the younger of the co-owners - sweating profusely and repeatedly pulling up his pants - missed most of his mid-range attempts, then stepped behind the line. As predicted, he was more proficient from three-point range. He tossed up a few airballs and a few almost-airballs, but he usually caught the rim.

After releasing his shots, Maloof would turn to Person for guidance. As the two continued, moving their way around the key, I walked over and badgered Person for a quick scouting report on the boss.

"I don't think Mr. Maloof would like that," he replied, with a grin.

"Go ahead, tell her," Gavin interjected.

So here's the critique, as provided by the former NBA star known as The Rifleman: "The first thing you want to do is get him to shoot the ball straight. Not just hm, but anybody. But when we started off, he started with a low arc, with too low a trajectory. We're trying to get him to bring his elbow up, to bring the ball up with more speed, then to use his fingers and follow through. The higher arc promotes air under the ball, which makes the shot softer. 'Elbow high. Fingers follow through. Elbow high. Fingers follow through.' Those are the simplest things to remember."

Learning from The Logo

Person, who grew up in rural Alabama, developed his shooting touch with a little help from Hall of Famer Jerry West. When he was in ninth-grade, Person explained, he attended a basketball camp at Auburn University that featured the former Lakers great as a guest speaker. "I used to bring the ball up high over my head, and shoot with two hands," the second-year Kings assistant said, grabbing a ball and demonstrating. "Jerry West took me aside and changed my (mechanics). He told me to keep my elbows high and to use my fingers on the follow through."

Still seeing red ...

Spencer Hawes spends most of his time living in blue states - his native Washington and California - but remains staunchly Republican. He was eagerly awaiting tonight's debate between vice-presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, but disappointed to learn that the session conflicted with the evening practice. "I can't even tape it," he said, "because we're staying in a hotel. I'm sure it will be on again later, when we get back. I'll catch it on Fox."
"I like Governor Palin," he added. "I think she's going to do fine."
We'll check back for his scorecard later.


Final thoughts on the owner's basketball skills ....

During Gavin's shooting session, he displayed decent ballhandling skills and a nice rotation on his jumper, especially on his deeper shots. He even dribbled between his legs a few times without turning the ball over. Overall, he didn't completely embarrass himself, and he wasn't shy about citing his deficiencies, which was sort of refreshing. But he definitely needs to work on his conditioning and, as he admitted, lose about 30 pounds.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who recently retired because of knee problems at age 31, looked a little uncomfortable Monday during media day. The veteran power forward is joining Reggie Theus' coaching staff, primarily to work with the frontcourt players. But he looked as if he would rather be wearing a Kings uniform than a suit and tie - understandably. Who wouldn't prefer to play games for a living rather than worry about preparing scouting reports, analyzing videotapes, worrying about player-coach relations, etc.? Oh, well. It still beats working a real job.

Asked if he should be addressed as "coach," the soft-spoken Abdur-Rahim laughed. "Just call me Shareef."

The former Cal standout was convinced to take the coaching position by Kings president Geoff Petrie, a terrific NBA player who was similarly forced to retire prematurely because of knee problems. Petrie was a co-Rookie of the Year with Dave Cowens, and before he retired age the ridiculous age of 28, established himself as one of the game's great scoring guards. So he can empathize. He also took a different path than Abdur-Rahim. Admittedly emotionally ill-prepared to remain in the NBA in a non-playing capacity, he pursued other interests, business and real estate among them, and eventually returned to the Portland Trail Blazers in the front office.

Pointing to the problematic left knee, Petrie said he still experiences occasional discomfort. "But not as much as I do other parts of the body," he said, with a grin. As the youthful-looking, 60-year-old executive often notes, aging is not a pleasant experience.

The boss likes what he sees

Petrie is known for carefully selecting his public comments - and for his creative analogies, metaphors and one-liners - but to those who have spent a lot of time in his company, he is actually pretty transparent. Unlike many of his NBA colleagues, he isn't very accomplished at serving up the b.s. So, it was interesting to note his mood Monday: for the first time in a while, he seems genuinely upbeat about the direction of the team and the upcoming season. He believes he has a talented young corps that can be developed while competing for a playoff berth, in essence, one that is starting to resemble a team with pieces that fit. Plus, pieces that pass the ball.

Petrie seems intent on returning to the days when the Kings might have been defensively challenged but were fun to watch. And there is no doubt that he has allies in Kevin Martin, Brad Miller, Spencer Hawes, etc., all of whom are adamant about playing a very specific style - as Larry Brown would say - of playing the "right way." Think cutting, passing, teamwork, fast breaks, and a minimal amount of one-on-one basketball.

Hunting, fishing, whatever ...

Miller and Reggie Theus spent the past few weeks on separate hunting trips - Miller to Kentucky, Theus to New Mexico. Theus, who often uses the bow and arrow, said he discovered archery during his playing days in Sacramento, and is encouraging his teenage son, Reggie Jr., to pick up the sport. "It's just another thing that we can do together," said Reggie Sr. Theus also loves to hike, but says his son has absolutely no interest in tents, sleeping on the ground, etc. Hey, I hear him. Nothing wrong with spending a day on the trails, then hitting a Marriott for a jacuzzi and room service ....

Missing in action

One of the funniest lines of the day was provided by a local journalist, commenting on Joe Maloof's absence. (Joe loves this stuff). When it was mentioned that the Kings' co-owner was still pretty miserable and recovering in Los Angeles from double knee replacement surgery necessitated by old football injuries, the newsy type quipped, "What, from his Pop Warner days?"
Taking up for his older brother, Gavin Maloof later responded, feigning indignation, "No, not Pop Warner. Joe was a safety at the University of New Mexico. We all played football in college. I'm not saying we were very good ..."
Gavin added that the eldest Maloof sibling had lost 30 pounds during his rehab, and "is looking pretty skinny. Wait till you see him."

Not that anyone should be surprised. Much of this was chronicled in The Bee during the best years of the Kings-Lakers rivalry. But Shaquille O'Neal has always privately (and not so privately) enjoyed an affinity for Sacramento, his comments about "cowtown" and "Sacramento Queens" notwithstanding. When he wasn't dunking over Scot Pollard and Vlade Divac during his visits with the Lakers - OK, and keeping the Kings from their first NBA championship in 2002 - he was strolling the lobby of the Hyatt Regency, chatting with fans, and graciously posing for photos. Kids in particular love him. Other times, he was off at the shooting range with former Sheriff Lou Blanas, prepping for his afterlife as a deputy sheriff. Can you imagine?.

Last night, as the featured speaker at the annual St. HOPE dinner at the Hyatt Regency, he was, as usual, absolutely hilarious. (I swear I even saw Jerry Reynolds laughing, in spite of himself and his Kings loyalty). Shaq danced onto the stage wearing an Afro wig and lip-synching to the The Jackson Five's "I Want You Back." He almost immediately mentioned the incongruity of being asked by Sacramento native Kevin Johnson to speak at his event - that Kings rivalry indeed lives - and said he initially told KJ he was crazy to ask him to attend, given his mayoral aspirations. "I told him, 'People hate me there," related Shaq, who agreed to make the trip anyway.

Referring to a visit earlier in the day to the Boys & Girls Club, Shaq added, "Everyone is going 'Shaq, Shaq!, and one little kid says, 'Shaq, but you still (stink) at free throws!' " He went on to say that his verbal shots about Sacramento all those years "were all about marketing. As you know, Sacramento is a beautiful town. The people here, you guys got us playing at a high level ... and without you guys, I wouldn't have four rings!"

What if?

I have known Shaq since his days at LSU - his former attorney/representative and I were law school classmates - and because I worked in Atlanta for eight years, we spent a lot of time together (Olympics, NBA Finals, Orlando Magic, etc.). Thus, there is no doubt in my mind that he left the Magic for the Lakers in 1996 because he couldn't resist the overtures of the legendary Jerry West, I can also tell you that he was more than a little hurt when the Maloofs (per Geoff Petrie's counsel) didn't pursue him when his relationship soured with Kobe Bryant. Shaq liked Sacramento that much. He has always been a small town guy - he kept a home in Orlando during his years with the Lakers, and spent most of his offseason there. He absolutely hated L.A. traffic. Once, during a preseason trip to San Diego, we drove to the nearby San Diego Zoo, and he spent most of the time complaining about the traffic (and playing around with the GPS system, looking for escape routes).

No doubt about it. When asked what I like best about covering the NBA all these years (and in all these cities), I always respond that it's the people. Shaq has long been one of my Fab Fives, as is Charles Barkley, who might be the only NBA type who is even funnier than The Diesel .

Looking slim

I have to agree with my colleague, Scott Howard-Cooper, who visited with Shaq earlier in the day. Shaq looks good. Though suits can be deceiving, and are effective at hiding excess weight, the Phoenix Suns center (that still sounds strange) appeared slim and surprisingly fit given that training camp doesn't begin until next week.

Kings/Monarchs co-owner Gavin Maloof, in town for tonight's WNBA playoff game between the Monarchs and San Antonio Silver Stars, described his last few weeks as "exhausting." And, no, he wasn't talking about the impact of the nation's economic crisis on the family businesses. He says he has spent the past month taking care of his mother, Colleen, who was ill, and more recently, brother Joe, who underwent double knee replacement surgery last week in Phoenix.

Gavin described the procedure as "excruciatingly painful," and said that Joe is finally starting to feel better and attempting to walk around. "He knew he had to get it done," said Gavin, "but he kept putting it off because it's such a tough surgery. His knees were bone on bone, from old football injuries. It was causing him to walk bowlegged, but now, even when he takes a few steps, his legs have straightened out on him."

The walking wounded at Arco Arena - which already included Monarchs power forward Rebekkah Brunson - included Monarchs general manager John Whisenant. Whiz came into the press room before tipoff and apologized for not returning my phone call Wednesday. He didn't have to do much explaining: His face was covered with bandages. He had a cancerous growth removed from the side of his nose and required 25 stitches.

River Cats manager Todd Steverson is a native of Southern California, so that goes a long way toward explaining his NBA loyalties. Sort of. He's not a Kings fan naturally, but he's not a Lakers fan, either. The Cats' first-year manager actually supports the Clippers - and isn't afraid to say so publicly. "I go back with them to their San Diego days," Steverson recalled the other day. "Norm Nixon, all those guys. Big Clippers fan. But now ... they gave Elton Brand away, I don't even want to TALK about my Clippers. We go and get Baron Davis, and watch, he's going to want to leave."

Steverson, 36, who was 14 years old when Clips owner Donald T. Sterling relocated the franchise to the old Los Angeles Sports Arena, supported all the San Diego pro teams hough his loyalties could have been evenly split: With his parents divorcing, his mother remained in the Los Angeles area and his father moved to San Diego. As a result, he spent time in both locations.

"Loved the Chargers, too," he continued, "especially those (Don) Coryell teams. Kellen Winslow. Charlie Joiner. Wes Chandler. John Jefferson ..."

Asked whether he has developed an affinity for the Kings, the local team that plays across the river and a few miles to the north, Steverson laughed, then added: "Can't be a Kings fan. I'm a Clippers fan. People can hate me all they want, but you like who you like, right?"

Nonetheless, Steverson admitted that he doesn't wear his Clippers gear in public, at least not in Sacramento. "You think I'm crazy?" he laughed. "Down there, yeah. Up here? No way."

If the Kings were still interested in adding a "big man's" coach to Reggie Theus' staff - and it appears that they no longer are - they missed their chance at Jeff Ruland, the former NBA center who subsequently enjoyed a long, successful run as head coach at Iona College. Ruland, who spent last season coaching Albquerque in the NBA Developmental League, was hired by the 76ers a few days ago to replace Henry Bibby.

In the NBA, he was drafted by Golden State in 1980, but spent most of his career with the Washington Bullets. At 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, he was an excellent shooter and rugged, physical rebounder. But I was always most appreciative of his slick passing. His career ended prematurely because of foot and knee injuries. Those were the days, you might recall, before arthroscopic surgery prolonged careers.

Ruland, 49, initiated contact with the Kings several months ago, but when I spoke with him Wednesday, said he interviewed with the 76ers about a week after hiring agent Warren LeGarie. He credits LeGarie - who represents coaches, players and is particularly connected in the overseas market - with his current opportunity. Plus, it doesn't hurt that he played for the 76ers briefly before retiring in 1993, spent the 1993-94 as one of Freddie Carter's assistants, and remained highly regarded within the organization. Now he gets to work with Elton Brand. Not too shabby.

Later in the day, I called Theus and asked what happened to all the talk about adding a frontcourt specialist to work with Spencer Hawes and rookie Jason Thompson, and from what he said, it sounds like the idea has been tabled. "Whatever they (Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs) want to do is fine with me," said Theus. "I just haven't heard anything about that for a while. But I think they saw Spencer getting better late in the season, so maybe that had something to do with where we're at."

On the hunt

Before training camp opens at the end of September, Theus plans to go dove hunting in New Mexico with his 14-year-old son, Reggie. Think bows and arrows, not shotguns. We keep hearing that Reggie is quite the archer. But he's hoping that his namesake - who already stands 6-foot-4 - is more inclined to develops his basketball skills. "His feet are huge," said Theus, laughing. "I want him to keep playing."

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby ...

Theus is quickly gaining a sense of Bobby Jackson's popularity within the community. Virtually everywhere he goes, people approach and express their excitement about the veteran guard's return. "Bobby Jackson, Bobby Jackson, Bobby Jackson," Theus said. "I say, 'guys, that was eight years ago. He can still play. But that was a long time ago.' The good thing is, I've talked to Bobby, and explained to him how important his presence is going to be in the locker room. It's going to be enormous. It's important to mentor the young guys the right way, and a lot of our success is going to depend on how quickly the young guys develop."

I just got off the phone with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie, who like everyone else who was around the NBA in the late 1980s and '90s, was saddened by the death of former Portland Trail Blazers center Kevin Duckworth. According to news reports out of Oregon, the man known as "Duck" died of unknown causes Tuesday at age 44.

A 7-footer who battled weight issues throughout his 11-year-career, Duckworth succumbed while representing the Blazers at a basketball clinic in Lincoln City, Ore. The two-time All-Star is best known for anchoring Rick Adelman's Portland teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. More importantly, he will be remembered as one of the nicest men in the league, and much to the delight of journalists, a genuinely entertaining, thoughtful character. After one particularly subpar playoff performance, for instance, he spent most of an interview session talking about his passion for fishing and his plans to become a "worm" farmer when he retired. Instead, he ran a construction company, owned a restaurant and pursued his love for hunting and fishing.

"He was a gentle giant, a real sweetheart of a guy," recalled Petrie, who joined the Blazers front office shortly into Duckworth's tenure with the club, "and he was a very effective player on a great team. He had a soft touch, a little jump hook, and face-up jumper. In his best years, he could actually run well for a guy his size. Toward the end of his career, he really struggled with his weight. It wasn't something he wasn't aware of, and it doesn't take away from the spirit of the man. It's so sad, such a premature passing."

Duckworth, who averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds, also played for San Antonio, Washington, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Clippers. His career undoubtedly was affected by his weight problems; at times, he ballooned close to 400 pounds.

Petrie had not yet spoken to his front office assistant Wayne Cooper, a former Blazers teammate of Duckworth. "Wayne's on vacation in Hawaii," Petrie added, "but I'm sure he heard about it this morning."

Never too old to admit his mistakes

Petrie mentioned that he was impressed with Michelle Obama's speech Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and then revealed his own personal interest in the upcoming race: It's the Princeton connection, of course. Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson, also played for Petrie's mentor, Pete Carril at the Ivy League school. Robinson is the new head basketball coach at Oregon State.

But what I wanted to know is this: Are the Princeton ties sufficient to bring Carril back into the "Democratic" family? The Kings consultant - now living near his family in New Jersey - voted for George W. Bush in 2000, but later acknowledged his lapse in judgment. Best guess here is that Barack Obama can count on Coachie this time ...

During my conversation on Monday with former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly - mostly about his 1992 U.S. Olympic team - we chatted about a number of other topics, including the bad rap on his old "Bad Boys" teams. One of the things I found most interesting was his suggestion that the 2008 USA Team would have benefitted from the presence of a Dennis Rodman or Karl Malone-type rebounder. (Spain capitalized on the USA's lack of size with several timely offensive boards and stickbacks). But he had no issues with the gold medal outcome.

Here are a few of the other offerings from Daly, who remains spry at 78. He was speaking on his cell phone while at the airport in Detroit, en route to an appearance at Michael Jordan's annual Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas:
* On the "Bad Boys" reputation: "The league didn't like it much, but that whole image thing sold a lot of tickets. People loved that whole era. They still do. I go through airports today, and people come up to me all the time. They don't know my name - they never know my name - but they know I coached the Bad Boys. I get a kick out of it.
* On why former Pistons center and current Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer can't land an NBA head coaching job: "I think it must be because Billy made a lot of enemies when he was a player. But I tell you what. He is as smart as a whip. Someone is going to get darn lucky in this league. They just have to take a chance. I talked to the Maloofs about him when they were looking for a coach (last year), and they would have talked to him. But Geoff (Petrie) wasn't interested."
* On busting the effective zone defenses played by Spain in the second half of Sunday's gold medal game: "There are two ways to do it. You make shots, or you make second shots. That's why I think they (Americans) could have a guy like Rodman, Malone, Barkley. Those guys would go out and get you the second shots."
* On the 2008 Team USA: "They kind of set the standard high again for the way they played, and the way they handled themselves, with dignity and class. The two people upstairs (USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski) did a great job."

It was no secret that the Kings had attempted to trade Ron Artest for the better part of a year, at least partly for fear of losing the small forward to free agency (2009 offseason). Nor was there much suspense about the identity of the potential trading partners. The Lakers. Miami. Denver. Dallas. Golden State. All had some interest. But the Houston Rockets made too much sense along. To improve their prospects in the Western Conference and a chance of advancing beyond the first round for the first time in what seems like forever, they needed a third star, and probably a veteran. Plus, Rick Adelman is their coach. Adelman coached Artest during his impressive second half of the 2005-06 season in Sacramento. And Geoff Petrie, who is Adelman's longtime friend and former boss, runs the Kings. Connect the dots and you get ... a trade.

So how much of a factor was the Adelman-Petrie connection? There is a hunch, then there is confirmation: During a conversation with the Kings' boss Thursday afternoon, I was surprised at Petrie's candor. Yes, he acknowledged. Their relationship was a significant factor.

"I talked to Rick over there (summer league in Las Vegas)," Petrie told me Thursday. "That's when the talks (intensified). I said, 'Is your interest in doing something serious? Would it be something you would really be interested in?' He said, yes, he was. While everybody (in Sacramento) would love to make the Louisiana Purchase, what this does is give them an immediate jolt, and for us, it's another piece, a kid I think should have been a top-20 pick. I like the Greene kid a lot. Plus, we get another first-round pick, and we have some cap flexibility."

In other words, he likes the trade.

For the history buffs ....

Forgotten everything you learned in those junior high history classes, have you? Just in case: The Louisiana Purchase, which took place in 1803 during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, accounted for the acquisition of much of most of middle America, including the states now known as Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, most of the Dakotas, etc. Back then, real estate was a great investment: the purchase price was 60 million francs, or approximately $15 million. We definitely snookered the French on that one ....

Meanwhile, while watching the Olympics ...

Chris Marlowe, a member of the Denver Nuggets broadcast team, is a superb volleyball analyst. As he should be. Known as "Cy" back in the day, Marlowe captained the American team that featured a boyish superstar Karch Kiraly, veteran Paul Sunderland (brief successor to Lakers icon Chick Hearn), and captured a gold medal in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Though a seldom-used reserve, Marlowe always had the gift of gab.

The Ron Artest trade is hours from being finalized, but in typical Geoff Petrie fashion, the Kings basketball president will twist and turn until the swap with the Houston Rockets is official. He never wavers. He always sweats until the agreement has been approved by the league attorneys, which is expected to happen about 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

In a small change of pace, Petrie actually relented and recently accompanied his wife, Anne-Marie, on a long-awaited vacation to Hawaii. But let's just say, the Kings basketball president is not someone who excels at idle time. He typically gets antsy after two-three days, seldom ventures outside his zip code, and eagerly returns to the office. (My sources say he returned from Hawaii only a few days early this time).

Anyway, with both organizations determined to complete the deal, the unpredictable, but always intriguing Artest should be Yao Ming's teammate by Thursday night. Or let's just say, the Kings careers of rookies Sean Singletary and Patrick Ewing, Jr., consisted of an entertaining press conference and several not-so-impressive performances at the Las Vegas Summer League.

During Team USA's training sessions in Las Vegas, player personnel director (and well-known international scout) Tony Ronzone broke down the competition, and he predicted that Spain would present the USA with its toughtest competition. In order, he ranked Lithuania, defending Olympic champion Argentina, and then Greece, the team that shocked Mike Krzyzewski's team in the 2006 World Championships in Japan.
Given what we've seen thus far from the Americans - and the obvious motivational factors going into Thursday's rematch - I suspect Kobe & Co. will defeat the slick-shooting Greeks by 30 or 40 points, and as Ronzone indicated, have a more competitive game against Spain.
I always like Argentina because of their ball movement, outside shooting and team chemistry, but his denials to the contrary, I find it hard to believe that Manu Ginobili's injured ankle is completely healed. My San Antonio sources tell me that Gregg Popovich urged Ginobili to skip the Games, knowing all along that his star would be unable to resist the pressure to participate when he returned home after the season.

Shutting it down

See what happens when you go on vacation? While I was driving somewhere between Bend, Oregon, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, I received a call from my boss, informing me of the news regarding Ron Artest. I will address the trade more extensively when the deal is finalized later this week, but my initial thoughts were these: (1) a trade was inevitable, and probably before training camp; (2) the Houston Rockets were among the logical trading partners, mainly because general managers are similar to most people - they tend to deal with colleagues they are most comfortable and familiar with, and Geoff Petrie's relationship with Rick Adelman should have been the first clue that a swap was likely; (3) it will be interesting to see whether Artest truly accepts his role as a third scoring option behind Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming and, in fact, regains his defensive intensity; and (4) if Donte Greene plays at the level he did during the Summer League in Las Vegas, and Petrie plucks another gem next summer (or uses the pick in another trade), then I like the trade a lot. I appreciate Lamar Odom's versatility, but if you are going to rebuild, you might as well go with youth.

Bad for the longterm health

Watching Yao Ming carrying the flag for his native China during the Opening Ceremonies, I thought I detected a slight limp. Not a good sign. Yao missed the final months of the NBA season with a stress fracture in his left foot, and his availability for these Olympics was in jeopardy for a while. The question is, what will be the effect on his upcoming Rockets season? Already, at age 27, the genial center has suffered significant injuries to his knees, feet and toes. And you thoughts the Rockets had cause to worry about Artest ....

While several NBA observers are suggesting Josh Childress' defection from the Atlanta Hawks to Olympiakos, one of the two major clubs in Athens, is a precursor of more to come - with more NBA-caliber starters splitting for bigger money overseas - I am not convinced.

After the brawl

I didn't catch the replays of the brawl involving the Detroit Shock and L.A. Sparks until late Tuesday night, but my initial reaction after watching the incident several times is that Plenette Pierson instigated the whole ugly incident, and should be punished accordingly. From the replays on ESPN, which broadcast the game, it was unclear exactly what happened between Detroit assistant Rick Mahorn and Sparks center Lisa Leslie. And while Leslie has accused the massive Mahorn of pushing her to the court, I am going to rely on the courtside viewpoints of the ESPN broadcast crew, especially Doris Burke, who says that everyone in her broadcast crew felt Mahorn was trying to separate players and play the peacemaker. Sometimes, you just have to be there ...
As for Burke, who is one of the nicest, most knowledgeable people in the game, she is fast emerging as the best female analyst in the business. One of the things I like about her - and I feel the same way about the Monarchs' Kara Lawson, who works for ESPN and the Kings - is that she isn't intimidated by anybody. She says what she thinks, doesn't broadcast to keep everybody happy. I wish there were more women in the industry like Burke ... and Lawson.

What might have been

New Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins, who is among the many USA Basketball officials who select players for the national teams, excused himself from a conversation with me yesterday at the Team USA media session to offer a few words to Robin Lopez. The "other" Lopez twin is on the Select team, otherwise known as the scrubs and up-and-coming NBA players auditioning for future roster spots. Dawkins could be heard telling Lopez that he played well, and that he expected the former Cardinal to enjoy a long NBA career.
When the two were finished talking, I asked Dawkins if he allowed himself to wonder how much more appealing his 2008-09 roster would be if the twins had returned for a junior year. "All the time," Dawkins replied, laughing.

No more boundaries

NBA types have long assisted the Olympic efforts of other nations, most notably Donnie Nelson's long association with Lithuania's teams, dating to the 1992 Barcelona Games. This year, of course, Chris Kaman is playing for Germany and Becky Hammon is on the roster for Russia. Yet earlier today at the Team USA practice in Las Vegas - looking at the clock, it was yesterday - I gave Toronto Raptors assistant Jay Triano an especially hard time. One of the assistants working with P.J. Carlesimo's staff with the Select team, Jay is a Canadian, a very close friend of Steve Nash, and just happens to be the former Canadian Olympic coach (2000). Now, he's helping out the Americans?
Well, why not? Triano, who guided the Canadian national team from 1999-2004, will work as a commentator for the CBC at the Beijing Games. Guess he'll know what he's talking about when the Americans recapture the gold. Seriously, I don't see anyone beating them this time, though this team is not nearly as imposing as the 1992 Dream Team or the 2003 national team that dominated the qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico. That roster would have won the gold in Athens, no question. Everyone seems to forget that, among Larry Brown's 2003 squad, only Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson stuck with the program. Everyone else bailed for various reasons, mostly fearing terrorism in Athens.

LAS VEGAS - One of the disadvantages of having lived here is that whenever I come back here for work or pleasure, I stay with close friends or relatives instead of booking a room on The Strip. Thus, I miss out on the Vegas "experience," which to be honest, never really appealed. Still, once in a while ...
While having lunch with Joe and Gavin Maloof earlier today at the poolside restaurant in the Palms Place condominium tower, Paul Stanley of KISS suddenly appeared on the deck. He was in the midst of receiving a tour of the property from the always industrious George Maloof - who might have been the only male in town wearing a long-sleeved shirt. (The temp was only about, oh, 105 degrees or so). Stanley, who recently purchased one of the condos, eventually walked over and introduced himself. He made small talk with Joe and Gavin for a few minutes, and he was very, very nice - and very normal looking. Imagine that!

Still growing
After spending about two hours listening to Joe and Gavin engage in their usual hyperbole about Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes, rookie Jason Thompson, etc. - and they still insist Quincy Douby is going to be a star - I took a short stroll around the premises. In all honesty, I wondered why I had stayed away so long. (Most of my journalism colleagues who come here to cover a variety of assignments stay at the Palms). The place is three times the size of what I remembered. The last time I was here, I don't even think the second tower was under construction. Interestingly, the Palms was pretty busy compared with what I encountered at the Wynn last night. I hooked up for dinner with some USA Basketball officials at Steve Wynn's place, and I was struck by how empty the casino floor and the restaurants appeared. By contrast, one of our dining partners had just left the Palms, and said the casino was hopping.
Wonder what their secret is ...

Eager for a vacation
Martin, who has one more practice with the Select Team that has been training with the U.S. Olympic team here at Valley High, says he's ready for a vacation. The plan is to return to Sacramento for a few days, conduct a clinic in his hometown of Zanesville, Ohio, then head to Tahiti. "Then it will be six weeks of working hard and getting ready for the season," the Kings guard said after Wednesday's session.

Helping his cause
It remains to be seen, of course, whether Martin will ever get serious consideration for a roster spot on an Olympic team, but he continues to receive encouraging reviews from those inside the gym. (Practices are closed to media). Don Casey, one of P.J. Carlesimo's assistants on the Select Team, said Martin has improved with each practice. "Where did he go to school?" asked Casey, a former head coach with the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and at Temple University. "He really shot the ball well, and he has been able to get his shot off more effectively as we go along. I like him a lot. Plus, he listens. He wants to learn, and that's always a good sign."

LAS VEGAS - In the waning moments of today's media availability session with Team USA and members of the Select Team working out here this week, the conversation turned political. Sort of. Several of the numerous college and NBA types assisting the national program have spent considerable time scouting in basketball-rich Serbia, and accordingly, were more than mildly interested to learn about the capture of accused war criminal Radovan Karadzic.
The leader of the Bosnian Serb forces during the height of the Balkan conflict in the 1990s has been accused of masterminding the massacre of approximately 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995. He is said to have eluded authorities partly because of his various disguises, but reportedly was captured near Belgrade, which means he probably wasn't apprehended far from the two hotels where the NBA types stay during their visits. (This also brought back memories for those of us who traveled to Belgrade for a pre-Olympic tournament 2004. In one of those hotels - the Intercontinental - that are within a few hundred yards of each other, the former paramilitary leader known as "Arkan" was assassinated while seated in the lobby area. The front desk employees say visitors frequently ask about the exact spot where Arkan - Zeljko Raznatovic - was ambushed, and they oblige, of course. According to what we were told, Arkan was surprised by gunmen coming down an escalator in the back and through the revolving door in the front.)
Anyway, one of the more interesting recollections was offered by Detroit Pistons international scouting director Tony Ronzone. The Oakland native, who also has worked for the Dallas Mavericks and played and coached overseas, recalled how he sneaked into Serbia (flouting UN sanctions) on a scouting mission right about the time the massacre took place. "I took a little jump plane into Montenegro, and some guy met me on the runway," Ronzone related. "He walked me to the other plane and said 'Don't say anything.' I'm not crazy. We landed and I got my bags, then they checked me into the Hyatt (in Belgrade). I paid the guy some money. They told me, 'Don't go anywhere.' But I'm sitting there, thinking, 'I'm not going to stay in my room the whole time.' "
As the story continues ... Ronzone managed to find his way to some of the area's gyms.

Basketball's mutual admiration society
Well, so much for that Kings-Lakers rivalry. On Monday, Kevin Martin speaks glowingly of Kobe Bryant. On Tuesday, the Lakers star returns the praise. "Kevin's one of my favorite players," said Bryant, while icing his knees after the workout. Asked whether he noticed any improvement in Martin's ability to create off the dribble, the Lakers guard replied, "Um, he can get to where he needs to go. Bringing it up, he has some trouble. But from the wing, he can get to where he needs to go. He'll get better."
Jokingly, Bryant added, "Actually, I think he's horrible. Put that in the Sacramento paper. Sac should trade him to us for two second-round picks. How about that? Might as well stay on a roll. While we're at it, trade Dirk Nowitzki for a third-round pick. How about that?"

The first misstep
LeBron James became the week's first casualty when he landed on Kevin Durant's foot during a scrimmage and sprained his right ankle. The injury is being listed as "mild," and though it's still early, the coaches didn't seem overly concerned. "We'll find out more tomorrow," said Mike Krzyzewski. "I don't think it's anything, but obviously, we'll look and know more tomorrow."

LAS VEGAS - While it can be (and is) debated whether Mike Krzyzewski made a mistake by going with small lineups and playing center Brad Miller only sparingly at the 2006 World Championships in Japan, the Kings center is well thought of by USA Basketball officials. Besides the fact Miller refused to gripe about his limited playing minutes while the national team lost to Greece and only came away with the bronze medal, USAB types still appreciate the fact that Miller agreed to play for the 1998 Worlds team that finished a surprising third in Athens.
For those who might have forgotten, that was the year that Patrick Ewing led an NBA player boycott of the tournament because of the labor impasse that led to the first work stoppage in league history. The 1998-99 season was shortened and didn't begin until February.
Miller - who was not drafted and briefly flirted with playing overseas - was among the collegians and CBA players who participated. Rudy Tomjanovich somehow directed the hastily-assembled squad to the bronze medal and earned himself the head coaching job for the 2000 Sydney Games.
While waiting for Krzyzewski to open up the closed practice currently under way at Valley High, one of the USA officials asked about Miller's recent suspension, and added, "He's still one of our favorite guys."

Why play here?
As mentioned in of my previous blogs, members of the USA squad and the Select Team have been scrimmaging at one of the area's older high schools instead of, say, the more comfortable surroundings at UNLV. The problem is one of timing: four AAU tournaments are ongoing, and UNLV's facilities were booked for the annual high schools a long time ago. Valley was selected because it has a regulation 94-foot court and a separate practice court a few steps away.

A former coach weighs in
Krzyzewski, who coached Shelden Williams at Duke, said he was glad to hear reports out of UNLV indicating that the Kings power forward performed well during the NBA Summer League that recently ended. The former Atlanta Hawks first-round (and shocking No. 5) selection seemed much more receptive to doing the dirty work around the basket - scrapping for rebounds, scoring off putbacks - instead of relying so heavily on low -post moves. The muscular Williams is too slow to consistently score against NBA frontlines, especially when the defense collapses, and has a tendency to spin into crowds of defenders.
"I think he can succeed in the league," Coach K said, "if he embraces the things that he can do well."

LAS VEGAS - Before returning to Sacramento on Sunday night, Geoff Petrie said he was delighted Kevin Martin had accepted an invitation to join the Select Team that is training with the U.S. Olympic squad for the next few days, for obvious reasons. "I think he's starting to be recognized as an All-Star caliber type player, and it's an honor for him," said the Kings basketball president, "and to be able to compete against the best players in the league, and with the best players, it can only be good for him."
(Yes, Petrie has a soft spot for his young star, who was drafted with the No. 26 pick in 2004 but has emerged as one of the league's most efficient and prolific scorers.)
Martin, by the way, said he has gained 10 pounds of muscle, mostly in his upper arms. He says he weighs 190 pounds. "I lost weight during the season," he added. "I finished the year at 180, but you can't believe how much better it feels when you're out there with this added strength."

What exactly is a Select Team?
Eventually, USAB officials need to come up with a better name, but in the interim, the Select Team consists of NBA players who were not named to the Olympic team, but are willing to play the role of "scrubs" and practice against their brethren headed overseas. The roster usually consists of younger NBA players and remains fluid everyone officially convenes. Hence, the late addition of Portland Trail Blazer rookie Jerryd Bayless. This is also the group of players who, when not trying to score against Kobe Bryant and his teammates, basically audition for future USA squads.
Anyway, while catching the final minute of Monday's practice session and speaking privately with Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski, I was reminded of the original 1992 Dream Team's scrimmages in La Jolla, and how Kings rookie (and Select Team member) Bobby Hurley left Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, among others, marveling at his playmaking abilities and predicting a terrific NBA future. Because of the auto accident that almost claimed Hurley's life, we never got a chance to see whether the Hall of Famers were right.

More musings from Valley High school
* Kevin Love, another late addition to the scrubs, sat out practice with a sore Achilles. He is coming off an excellent NBA Summer League showing, though he sat out the last game with the injury.
* From what I am hearing, rookie O.J. Mayo was the most impressive of the non-Olympians, and surprise, surprise, Kobe Bryant distinguished himself among the Beijing-bound players.
* Team USA (and all-around great guy) Nate McMillan, also known as the former heart, soul and face of the Sonics franchise, never moved his family to Portland when he became Blazers head coach. Like Seattle native Spencer Hawes, McMillan is really bummed about the organization's relocation to Oklahoma City. "I am going to miss those road trips to Seattle to see my family," said McMillan. "It will be strange when winter comes and there's no basketball up there."
* USAB patriarch Jerry Colangelo, the former Phoenix Suns owner/executive, spent several minutes chatting with me about his famous ex-point guard - Sacramento mayoral candidate Kevin Johnson. KJ's old boss asked the date of the runoff, and said he followed the primary results closely. He also said he was among the NBA types contributing to KJ's campaign.
* Martin is a quick study, but he jokingly acknowledged that he could use a refresher course on his Olympic history. He started talking about the '92 squad that was showcased by Bird, Magic, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley, and slipped Reggie Miller's name in there. "Reggie wasn't on that team?" Martin replied, when told that the former Pacers star was on the '96 squad. "Oh, I thought he was." Barely missing a beat, he noted, "But they won all their games by 30 points or more, and they went undefeated, so they were still a Dream Team."

LAS VEGAS - Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said that Brad Miller "apologized profusely" for violating the league's substance abuse policy and promised to have another solid season.
"We have to believe him," said Maloof. "A year ago, he said he would come in and give us a great year, and he kept his word. Some of his comments the other day ... I think he really opened some eyes. He came clean. I expect him to be there for us again this year. With the way Spencer (Hawes) is playing, and from what it looks like Jason (Thompson) can give us, if Brad plays well, maybe we can surprise some people this year. We're young, but we're getting there.''

A little baseball history for basketball fans
The men's U.S. Olympic basketball team gathered earlier today in preparation for the week-long, final preparation before the trip to Beijing. But so much for the accommodations. While the Olympic and Select teams (other NBA players enlisted for the workouts) are housed in a five-star hotel, the practices will be held at Valley High School, one of the area's older campuses. The reason is simple: Valley is one of few schools with the regulation 94-foot court.
In terms of sports, the Vikings are best known for producing future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux and his older brother, Mike.

The grunt work
Former NBA journeyman Haywoode Workman is attempting to become only the third ex-player to join the league's officiating staff. Bernie Fryer and Leon Wood are the only two former players to make the, ah, leap.
Workman, who officiated the Kings-Rockets game, has been involved with the NBDL and the Summer League for five years.
If you can believe it, Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson flirted with the possibility of becoming a referee after his playing career ended, but wisely came to his senses. Hard to imagine Nellie running the baselines at this pace ...

Seen and heard
* Kings media relations assistant Darryl Arata approached Maloof before the Kings-Rockets game and said, "No Q (Quincy Douby) today. He's got food poisoning." Then, in another example of his terrific sense of humor, Arata added with a grin, "Don't worry. He didn't eat at the Palms."
* Hawes, who admittedly still is bummed about his hometown Seattle SuperSonics relocating to Oklahoma City, lists former Sonics owner (and struggling Starbucks mogul) Howard Schultz as the biggest villain in the matter. "Schultz, absolutely," said Hawes. "It's like my Dad said. People in Seattle won't really feel the loss until the season starts and there's no team to follow. Really, in the winter, when its's cold, and there's nothing to do. That's when it will really hit that they're gone."
* Milwaukee Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, the former Indiana University head coach who was released by the school because of repeated NCAA recruiting improprieties, is looking forward to teaching and coaching without concerning himself with home visits and sales jobs. "It's just basketball," said Sampson, who joins an impressive staff that includes head coach Scott Skiles and assistants Jim Boylan, Lionel Hollins - for former NBA head coaches - and longtime CBA and NBDL coach Joe Wolf. Before the scandal at IU, Sampson was among the core group of coaches consistently involved with USA Basketball's increasingly active international work.
* My Fab Five (rookies) from Vegas, in no particular order: Jerryd Bayless, Kevin Love, Anthony Randolph, Donte Greene and Jason Thompson.
* For those familiar with the old, old, old Las Vegas entertainment scene, comedian Sammy Shore sat with Joe Maloof for the Kings-Rockets game. During one timeout, Shore, who has to be somewhere in his 80s, stood up and started dancing. He wasn't too bad, actually.

LAS VEGAS - David Kahn, the owner of Reno's expansion NBDL team, has been attending the NBA Summer League the past few days to evaluate some of his future players, but mostly, to find a new head coach. Former Charlotte Bobcats coach Sam Vincent originally accepted the job, but changed his mind after the news conference already had been scheduled. Vincent, who was fired by the Bobcats after one season, had a year remaining on his contract, so he can be a little selective.
As for the new coach ... because the Reno franchise will be affiliated with the Kings, the plan is to hire someone whose offensive and defensive schemes are compatible with those favored by Reggie Theus. "If the Kings send down Sean Singletary or Patrick Ewing Jr., for example," said Kahn, "our coach would work with them on specific things the Kings believe they need help with.
The fact that Kahn has been friends with Geoff Petrie for more than 20 years suggests the potential for a close connection between the franchises. An Oregon native, Kahn is a former sportswriter for the Portland Oregonian who earned his law degree from NYU, worked for the NBA legal firm in Manhattan before for a few years, and later became Donnie Walsh's special assistant with the Indiana Pacers.

Building a beauty
Whether or not the NBDL evolves into the type of minor-league system NBA types hope, Kahn already has made a nice name for himself within the industry. Yes, he was a decent sportswriter; he was even more creative when it came to Conseco Fieldhouse, still the jewel of NBA arenas. This was his baby, everything from the original (and unique) concept, to the financing mechanisms, to the political and promotional matters.
"It wasn't really our idea," said Kahn, laughing. "We stole it from baseball. Baseball had been building these kinds of structures (that retain unique, old style facades) for a number of years. We asked the question, 'Why not put basketball in a place where the game really matters and shows an appreciation of its history?' It was a baseball idea we made relevant to basketball."
"When I look at Sacramento, any new arena should be relevant to the local community. It has to be about their history - it doesn't have to be about basketball - but I suspect something featuring the gold rush. Just pick a concept or a theme that makes the people that live there feel that it's their place. It should be about Sacramento, about the state capital, about the region's history. It should be a place where, if you picked it up and placed it somewhere else, it wouldn't work ... Obviously it's got to have some connection to sports, and, yes, obviously the Kings will be the driving force with 41 home dates. But they truly do need a better facility for family shows, other sporting events. People sometimes forget that these facilities are shared not just by people who are basketball fans, (but those) who go to concerts, other events. I'm sure there are people who have been to Conseco who have never even been to a Pacers game.

The next season
The NBDL is targeting Thanksgiving week for its 2008-09 season opener

LAS VEGAS - It's always great to hear what general managers, scouts and coaches have to say about the NBA draft ... after the fact. These guys all lie. These guys had it right all along, of course. But while the Kings supposedly "surprised" the experts by selecting Jason Thompson so early (with the No.12 pick), the former Rider standout has been quietly amassing admirers.
More than a few general managers and scouts approached me today and spoke glowingly of Thompson. One Eastern Conference GM, whose office is located within the same area code as Thompson's alma mater, described the 6-foot-11 rookie as "smooth, efficient, and knows how to play." He further insisted that most of his peers projected that Thompson would be taken between 12-18.
Like I said. All these guys lie, anyway.

Only in Las Vegas ... or maybe Europe
While walking into the Thomas & Mack Center earlier today, I actually saw someone take a last drag on a cigarette, and then, without extinguishing the flame, toss it into a plastic garbage can. Being from California (OK, via New York and Las Vegas), I was dutifully appalled. And conscientious. I peered into the garbage can and made sure the cigarette had been doused by the sodas and assorted dead pizza, fast food, etc.

No sign of the mentor
Reggie Theus had hoped to get together with Jerry Tarkanian, but said his former UNLV coach was spending time in San Diego. "Tark's not crazy," quipped Theus, who was the most talented prep star successfully recruited by Tarkanian. "He knows where to go to get out of this heat."
After driving around in the 110-plus temps these past few days, I vow to never again whine about the Sacramento climate.

LAS VEGAS - After covering the league for so long, I've been able to watch the transition from fathers to sons, and I have to admit, it can be pretty entertaining. For example: Patrick Ewing slipped into the Cox Pavilion during the first quarter of the Kings' victory over the Warriors Friday night, and he was a pretty, um, involved parent. Seated directly behind the bench, he chatted on his cell phone during timeouts and dead ball situations, but he watched the game closely whenever his son, Patrick, Jr., was on the court.
At one point, when the Kings' second-round draft choice committed one of his five fouls, the elder Ewing moaned, "Come on, son!"
The younger Ewing - who has struggled throughout the NBA Summer League - has been hobbled since being kicked in the thigh. The Hall of Fame center, of course, was quick to point this out.

Not the best of odds
Former Sheldon High star DeMarcus Nelson, who is trying to earn an invitation to the Warriors' training camp, is impressing with his defense and intensity, but his shaky outside shooting isn't enhancing his prospects. He converted 5-of-8 field goals against the Kings, but he missed badly on two of his three free throw attempts, the ball angling well to the left side of the rim.
If nothing else, the undersized shooting guard can take comfort in the fact that supposed slick-shooter Marco Belinelli was a miserable 1-for-10.

Which Northern California rookie earns top billing?
While the Kings entertained the idea of drafting 19-year-old Anthony Randolph, a gangly, 6-foot-10 small forward, before selecting power forward Jason Thompson, theirs could be an interesting rivalry. Randolph is a spectacular athlete, as he demonstrated with one particularly impressive follow dunk Friday night, and with his slinky build, is almost a clone of second-year forward Brandon Wright.
But Thompson appears to be the more polished player, and at least for a night, he came up a winner. He scored the deciding field goal with 17 seconds remaining, to go with his 20 points, 10 rebounds and blocked shot.

Getting out there
Though obviously embarrassed by his recently-announced suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, Brad Miller isn't hiding out. Accompanied by his longtime companion Abby Robinson and the couple's 18-month-old daughter, Anniston, the Kings center sat in the stands for the Kings-Warriors' game. Anniston, by the way, loves the mascots ...

This is what happens when a game breaks out
There is not much to recommend Cox Pavilion, the facility separated from the Thomas & Mack Center by some concrete and a couple of yards. The wiring and technical issues that drove journalists (and the NBA) crazy during the 2007 All-Star Game persist. The internet connections in the press room and in the building are, frankly, barely beyond primitive. But along with the fact that some of the games aren't at all bad - featuring the likes of Kevin Love, Jerryd Bayless, Spencer Hawes, D.J. Augustin, Thompson and Randolph to name a few - fans can actually watch and HEAR what's going on. The sound of sneakers on the hardwood. Players screeching after missing shots. Coaches barking out plays ...
It took me a few minutes to figure out what was so different. In so many arenas today - the San Antonio Spurs are among the worst, the Lakers surprisingly among the more subtle - the fan prompts are so loud, obnoxious and incessant that the game is an afterthought. Entertainment does not necessitate the damaging of eardrums. Duh! The cowbells were one thing. Raw emotion is one thing. This other stuff ... should be outlawed.
Fortunately, the Kings made a change in their game operations department before last season, and the decibel level and frequency of said nonsense have decreased. (Thank you, thank you, thank you!). Additionally, NBA Commissioner David Stern continues to apply pressure on his owners to cool it with the noise pollution.

Welcome back, Beno
A high-ranking Clippers executive told me that while the club offered Beno Udrih the full five-year, mid-level exception at 12:01 on July 1, the Kings point guard asked for an opt-out clause in the final year. Clips coach Mike Dunleavy said he would get back to Beno on that one. But before they could respond - and while Elton Brand reportedly was still promising to return AND deliver Baron Davis - Udrih contacted Geoff Petrie and said he was accepting the Kings' five-year deal.

Just a thought
In light of Miller's suspension for smoking pot, I can't imagine Petrie actually re-signing Jason Williams, recent conversations notwithstanding. By the time Williams was traded to the Grizzlies for Mike Bibby, Kings officials and coaches had so tired of JWill's antics (including his own suspension for smoking dope and his racist rantings in Oakland), they couldn't wait to get rid of him.

LAS VEGAS - I sort of feel like I'm a little late to the party here, because while first-round draft choice Jason Thompson was working out for the Kings in Sacramento prior to the NBA Draft, I was covering to the NBA Finals. On Friday at the Cox Pavilion - on the campus of my alma mater, I might add - I finally got a chance to see the rookie play.
These are my quick first impressions:
* He goes after the ball. As promised, he isn't shy about attacking the basket or muscilng for rebounds, and perhaps most impressively, he persists. If he fails to gather the rebound the first time, he swats at the ball, uses his body to dislodge and antagonize opponents, affording himself another opportunity to gain control.
* He doesn't have the lean, prototypical NBA physique (think of a lanky Greek god), but he has long arms, and he will be more physically imposing when he drops some body fat and adds tone.
* He definitely has skills, and a feel for the game. He runs the floor, possesses post moves, and in general, has a pretty sophisticated repertoire. The longer you watch him, the more he grows on you. I can see why Geoff Petrie and his staff liked him so much.
* He has big - I mean, huge - feet. He also runs in a deceptive heels-first motion, which makes him seem anything but athletic. But he is quicker and more agile than he initially appears. As for those feet: he says he wears a Size 20 sneaker - only about two sizes smaller than Shaq.
Overall, I see the potential. He also is very smart and chatty, a la teammate Spencer Hawes, and seems like a terrific kid. The Kings might be on to something with these two. The NBA can't have enough personalities ...

During the press conference Wednesday announcing Beno Udrih's formal re-signing with the Kings, his New York-based agents, Marc and Natasha Cornstein, revealed that this was their first trip to Sacramento. Great. Nice introduction. Looking toward downtown from Natomas, all anyone could see was an eerie silhouette of the skyline. This was at 2 p.m. I explained to the Cornsteins that, while our air is never great, it also is never this bad. Usually, you can at least see the trees. They promised to visit again during the season. One can only hope the fires are extinguished by then.
At least the Cornsteins were staying at a hotel close to Arco Arena. They were spared the further indignity of having to contend with the repair work on I-5. Have to say though, it's not as horrific as anticipated. C.C. Myers obviously knows what he's doing. Now, if only Arnold Schwarzenegger would ban fireworks and campfires within the state during the summer season ... well, never mind. Can't expect the governor to do anything that radical (and reasonable).
Then again. Why not? The bad air must be wreaking havoc on the outdoor recreational programs for area youngsters. I refuse to let my dog outside for extended breaks and am passionately encouraging my nephew's love of reading ...

Geoff Petrie's ordeal
From what I'm hearing - and, yes, he confirmed it - Geoff Petrie refused to return any phone calls inquiring about the Ron Artest availability between July 1-9, the period for players to declare for free agency and begin negotiating with teams. Petrie, who has a thing for following the rules, and never takes anything for granted, skipped town while waiting for Udrih's official signing. The Kings basketball president went to a Stevie Wonder concert in Reno on Friday, returned Saturday, then awakened at 6 a.m. Sunday to watch the Wimbledon singles final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadel.
A huge tennis fan, Petrie said he originally planned to watch some of the event live, and tape the remainder, became so transfixed that he watched the match in its entirety. Count him among those who rank the match as arguably the greatest singles event ever ...

Corey Maggette signing no surprise
After losing Baron Davis and failing to entice Elton Brand to northern California, I'm not at all surprised by the Warriors' aggressive pursuit of Corey Maggette. Among other things, Don Nelson has been an admirer since his days with the Dallas Mavericks. Had Maggette spurned the overtures, Ron Artest might have been next on the list.
As for why Petrie is so paranoid about free agency ... the Davis and Brand situations have something to do with it. Players, owners, agents can say anything - and often do - but nothing is official until the contracts are signed. Petrie was noticeably relieved during the press conference at Chris Webber's Center Court restaurant.

Looking ahead
I am looking forward to seeing first-round draft choice Jason Thompson for the first time during Thursday's workouts. And while you shouldn't ever read too much into this, it was interesting to hear that Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia are in town for the first week of summer league workouts. Their commitment to the organization is both apparent and refreshing.

Still looking to deal
While there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Geoff Petrie intends to trade Ron Artest as soon as possible given Ron-Ron's recent outburst and dissatisfaction with his contract situation, don't expect anything to happen before the July 9th signing date. Petrie won't make a move until Beno Udrih formally rejoins the Kings. But that doesn't mean he hasn't compiled a trade wish-list or begun entertaining offers. The same teams that were intererested in Artest before he committed to the final year (and $7.4 million) of his contract continue to find him appealing, especially in light of his expiring contract. The Lakers, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, among others, will be exchanging phone calls with in the near future.

Spencer learning quickly
One of my Kings sources told me late last night that Spencer Hawes was really upset - no surprise there - about the settlement that apparently will enable his hometown Sonics to move from Seattle to Oklahoma City. Hawes, a diehard Sonics fans, attended the Save Our Sonics rally two weeks ago at the downtown courthouse, dressed in a Gary Payton jersey. While we blue-state types might quibble about his Republican politics - the lad is the offspring of two unabashed liberals! - you have to love his passion.
Hawes, by the way, continues working toward his degree at the University of Washington. He currently is enrolled in accelerated classes.

LOS ANGELES - Mystery solved. Immediately after the Lakers' unimpressive Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics, I happened upon David Stern while he was waiting for his wife, Diane, outside the women's restroom in the back of Staples Center. As I was about to blurt out the obvious question - whether the Commissioner had any concerns about assigning Dick Bavetta because of the stress he must be experiencing from Tim Donaghy's unfounded allegations - one of my colleagues beat me to it.
Stern explained that Bavetta was "next up on the wheel," referring to the playoff rotation for the referees. He then added that he never considered replacing the longtime ref - who was one of the officials who worked the controversial Kings-Lakers Game 6 - because of Donaghy's claims that two of the refs that night (Bavetta, Bob Delaney, Ted Bernhardt) "conspired" to influence the outcome and extend the series per the league's desires.
I have to agree with Stern on this. Bavetta's a big boy. He has to deal with this sooner or later. It would have been terribly unfair to remove him from the rotation because of a convicted felon's claims or reports that the FBI inquired about him last summer.

LOS ANGELES - About 30 minutes ago, veteran referee Dick Bavetta strolled across the Staples Center court here at the NBA Finals, stopping briefly to make small talk with a few reporters. Bavetta - one of the three officials who worked the infamous Game 6 - drew tonight's assignment for Game 5 of the NBA Finals. And for obvious reasons, he looked pretty stressed, almost sheepish. Former referee Hue Hollins early last week said that the FBI inquired about Bavetta - and whether there were any indications he influenced the outcome of games - during their probe of the Tim Donaghy betting scandal.
Bavetta must feel like he's under the microscope. I don't know how he is going to officiate with a clear head tonight.
Still, that's what you do. You go to work.

What to believe?
Being down here when Donaghy's Game 6 allegations surfaced has enabled me to seek opinions from colleagues from other newspapers and cable outlets around the country, many of whom have covered the NBA for decades and were here for Game 6. The sentiment has been almost universal: (1) Game 6 was the worst officiated postseason game in decades; (2) that fourth-quarter was particularly ugly; (3) Bavetta, Bob Delaney and Ted Bernhardt just had terrible nights.
I haven't spoken with anyone (I would trust) who believes any of the three refs had an agenda or were involved in some sort of league-inspired conspiracy to extend the series. I will say it again and again. Unless Donaghy and his attorneys provide some serious evidence, I'm not buying the conspiracy theories. Among other things, David Stern is much too smart and has too much integrity to place his sport in that type of jeopardy.

Kareem's tutelage
Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is the Laker's big man's coach, has been working with Pau Gasol, trying to get the lanky forward/center to better establish his "core." Kareem wants Gasol to utilize the strength in his hips, ostensibly to keep him from being pushed around so much

LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant is starting to sound like he anticipates an avalanche of critcism if, as expected, the Lakers lost this series. And while Celtics coach Doc Rivers defended Bryant as the the most "unfairly" criticized player in the league, the old debate - when to involve teammates, when to take over a game - is becoming a recurring theme.
Longtime Lakers assistant Jim Cleamons repeatedly referred to a need for "balance" in the offense, and specifically noted his club's 18-point first-half lead in Game Four. "Kobe didn't score a point in that half," said Clemons, "but we moved the ball and got everybody involved."
As one humorous aside a few minutes later, Bryant said he recovered from Thursday's bruising defeat by reading Harry Potter to his daughters.
"They just wanted me to read to them," he said, "and I swear it was awesome. He (Potter) had more problems dealing with the media and the Celtics."

LOS ANGELES - After Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers addressed members of the media during Friday's interview sessions - both coaches gave their players the day off - several of us engaged in what proved to be an eerily prescient conversation before leaving the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo.
Longtime Atlanta Hawks media director Arthur Triche, who is most well-liked and efficient people in the business, was talking about how his ongoing bout with cancer has taught him "not to sweat the small stuff." Triche, who recently underwent a second surgery and chemotherapy at M.D. Anderson in Houston, says that when someone wants to argue these days, he simply walks away. Only in his 40s, Triche added that, "I don't take the losses nearly as hard as I used to."
At about this point, two league publicists walked over, caught the end of Triche's comments, then mentioned something like, "Yeah, just look at Tim Russert." They then relayed the news of the brilliant CNBC political analyst's passing hours earlier.
As word spread, everyone stood around in shock. Several of the journalists knew Russert personally. One had just hung out with him at a hotel pool about a month ago. But we all wondered whether the constant deadline pressure inherent in the industry contributed (or caused) his heart attack.

Not looking so good, either ....
Jackson has had both hips replaced within the past few years, but he still looks like he's in tremendous pain when he walks. Never graceful to begin with, his gait is awkward, more like a limp than a stroll. The other day I chatted with him as we walked out of the loading docks at Staples Center, and he walked deliberately, with a cane.
How many more years can Our Friend Phil keep this up? The flights, the hotel beds, the pressure, and the frenetic schedule take a toll. And Jackson has had significant physical issues since his playing days with the New York Knicks.

Painful, poignant memories
If the Celtics clinch the series Sunday, Rivers is going to be an emotional wreck. Within the past 13 months, he has experienced the following: been exorciated by Celtics fans, who urged Danny Ainge to find another coach; lost his father to cancer during the regular season; guided a roster with strong-willed veterans Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to within a victory of a title.
When someone asked Doc if he had spent any time ruminating about his close relationship with his father, the Celtics coach completely choked up. After a long pause, he finally said, "That's a tough one for me to talk about."

Motivating Kobe
Pierce asked to defend Kobe in the second half of Game 4, but apparently, that wasn't what was on Kobe's mind early Friday. According to Jackson, who spoke briefly with his players before sending them home, his star was more intrigued by Garnett's post-game comments. (I mentioned them in my blog last night).
In essence, Garnett suggested that the Lakers generally play "team ball" during the first two periods, and "second half is usually, Kobe takes over games. It just looks like they wanted to get the ball to Kobe and sort of let him finish it off ... It didn't really look cohesive."
Jackson didn't elaborate, but you get the picture.

LOS ANGELES - To say that the Lakers were stunned by the manner of their defeat tonight would be a major understatement. But it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Celtics - contrary to the pre-Finals projections - are the superior team. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are creating too many matchup problems, their defensive tenacity is exceptional, and on nights like tonight, when their subs spread the floor, they are very difficult to defeat.
The Lakers just aren't getting consistent enough scoring from their second and third options, and those defensive breakdowns tonight were crippling. (see the Ray Allen-Sasha Vujacic sequence).
I thought Kevin Garnett had a very interesting observation. He suggested the Lakers blew their huge lead partly because they began relying too much on Kobe Bryant. "If you've paid attention to them at all," said Garnett, "usually the first half is team ball, second half is usually when Kobe takes over the games. They weren' t nearly as aggressive as they were in the first half. It just looks like they wanted to get the ball to Kobe and let him sort of finish it off. It didn't really look cohesive."

Good news for the Celtics
The stats indicate that, for the Celtics to lose this best-of-seven series after claiming a 3-1 lead, it would take a collapse of epic proportions. The team leading 3-1 has claimed the championship every time.
But you would never know the C's were this close to another title based on Danny Ainge's demeanor. The Celtics' general manager calmly strolled the hallway outside the visitors locker room after the game, pausing to chat with reporters. It's hard to believe that, a year ago, his team was rebuilding and his longime star Paul Pierce increasingly restless. that's one of the unique aspects of the NBA. Once in a while, a franchise is transformed almost over night. Or in this case, in one offseason.

LOS ANGELES - I just finished a conversation with Joe Maloof, who was at the Palms in Las Vegas, and among other things, he is as curious as everyone else about what David Stern plans to say.
Joe admitted that he had been dodging the media the past few days - mostly to avoid saying something imprudent, which he has been known to do - but decided to speak out after being barraged by e-mails and phone calls. And, in typical Joe Maloof fashion, he became increasingly animated as the conversation continued. (Ok, I keep pushing to gain a truer sense of his feelings.)
Clearly, he still believes the Kings were robbed and is still angry about the outcome. But he repeatedly labeled any potential manipulation as "implausible, impossible." Coming from an owner who runs a business in Las Vegas, it sounded pretty convincing. One thing that was pretty funny: He couldn't resist a dig at Phil Jackson, the coach he tried to hire at the end of 2005-06 season, one might recall. Well. If you can't beat them, hire them, right?

A few quick pre-game thoughts
Jackson, who is never shy about tweaking his players, defended Pau Gasol against suggestions that his starting center was, well, soft. "I think that would be the reputation Pau came to us with," said the Lakers coach, "but he's constantly risen to the occasion in every series we've gone through this year. The last game (three) obviously was not a great game for him, but we believe that he's going to have another real good game for us. I won't touch the soft (stuff), though."

Rondo set to go
Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was listed in the starting lineup, but coach Doc Rivers planned to keep a close watch on his mobility. Rondo's best asset is his quickness, and if he is hampered by his sore ankle, Rivers says he will go back to Eddie House, the one-time Kings guard who happens to be Mike Bibby's brother-in-law.

LOS ANGELES - The referee scandal and the discussion Kings-Lakers and Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals continues unabated. Here at the Staples Center, journalists continue approaching and asking what it actually looked like to those of us who were here in the building that night.
As I continue to say, as strange as the officiating must have seemed on television, it was even more bizarre for those who were present - on and off the court.
Journeyman guard Damon Jones, who is providing analysis throughout the series for NBA.com, wandered over and reminded me that he was on the team that year. (Jones, who has a year remaining on his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has played for so many clubs, it's hard to keep track).
"That game was so tough," he said, shaking his head. "I don't know. I don't know. We all felt the same way."

The Staples experience ....

With all the distractions created by the referee situation, I forgot to blog about the amazing development ongoing outside Staples Center. The last time I was here on assignment, probably about two years, the area across 11th Street consisted of two massive parking lots. But when I drove down Adams the other afternoon before Game 3, I almost missed the turn. I felt like I was in a different country. Those surface parking lots have been supplanted by the glitzy Nokia Theatre and entertainment plaza, with an ESPN zone, restaurants and other entertainment venues under construction.
Frankly, the change is simply stunning. Having worked at the old Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, which was located a few blocks away during the 1980s, I never would have envisioned the extent of the transformation. I guess I should visit more often, huh?

Stern to speak
This should be interesting. An NBA publicist just came into the media work room and informed us that David Stern will hold a press conference at 5:45. I can't say I'm surprised. We've all been waiting to hear more from the Commissioner.

LOS ANGELES - So much for covering another routine game at the NBA Finals. Word of the Tim Donaghy's allegations reached the Staples Center midway Tuesday afternoon, and from that point in, the entire evening had a strange, almost surreal feel.

Reporters hung near the entrances awaiting the arrival of David Stern and former Kings backup Scot Pollard, one of the the two centers who fouled out in the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals. (Pollard lasted a whopping 11 minutes). Stern spoke only briefly with reporters, but managed to level a few timely blows at his former disgraced referee.

"The only concern I have is that when a letter gets filed on behalf of a convicted felon, my concern is that the news media run with it as a major blockbuster series of allegations, when in fact, this guy is dancing as fast as he can to throw as much against the wall so his sentence won't be as hard, put more at risk," said the NBA Commissioner. "(But) pretty much he's a singing, cooperating witness who's trying to get as light a sentence as he can."

Pollard, the one-time Kings quipster and current Celtics reserve who is recovering from ankle injuries and won't play during the series, was deadly serious this time. He leaned against a wall outside the visitors locker room for quite a while before the game, talking with clusters reporters as they approached. He seems very conflicted about the developments. He still believes the Kings were ripped off, especially with the series of phantom calls in the fourth quarter, but sounds hopeful that Donagy's spouting turns out to be unsubstantiated.

Yet this is pretty funny. His worst memory from that series wasn't Game 6 or even the blown opportunity in Game 7.

You can probably guess what comes next.

The Robert Horry shot lives on.

Finally off the couch

Hall of Famer Bill Walton - who describes himself these days as the father of Luke - was able to watch his son play in person Tuesday for the first time in months. The senior Walton, an NBA analyst for ESPN, has been sidelined the past few months with back and hip injuries. But he was mobile enough to make the drive from his home in San Diego earlier Tuesday with his wife, Lori.

While he was chatting with a few of us, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar approached and asked how his UCLA heir was feeling. "Good," Walton replied, as two of the greatest centers in league history bumped knuckles.

The Staples crowd was pretty impressive last night for sure: In an area outside the media dining tent, the following NBA luminaries lingered: Walton, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, along with the venerable Jack Ramsay, who has been battling cancer, but looks much healthier than he has in a long time. Former Kings rival (and aspiring actor) Rick Fox also ambled past, and said he was working on a new television series about a football coach.

Keeping up with KJ

Before he was enveloped by a throng of reporters asking for his insight on Kings-Lakers, Donaghy, and all things related to the series, Magic asked what was happening with his former Phoenix Suns rival Kevin Johnson. Magic said he heard KJ was headed for a runoff with Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, and said he might hold another fundraiser for the challenger.

Magic certainly seems to like politicians. Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides runs his foundation. The former Lakers great (and minority owner) expects Angelides to attend Game 4 on Thursday.

LOS ANGELES - Not that I needed any reminders that I was traveling to L.A. to cover the middle games of the NBA Finals, but while walking toward baggage claim in the Southwest Airlines concourse at LAX earlier this afternoon, I noticed a commotion near Gate 3. Insatiably curious by nature - as are most journalists - I wandered over and saw Jerry West standing behind a table, making small talk with fans and posing for photos with the Larry O'Brien trophy. As I later learned, the Lakers icon was at LAX to "welcome" the championship series trophy from Boston, per the league's ongoing promotion with the airlines.

One of the security guard's told me that West already had been there for about 30 minutes before I arrived. (I saw him accommodate a few of the police officers who asked for a photo op toward the end of the session). At one point, the former Lakers great looked up and saw me standing behind the crowd, holding my computer roller bag and a stack of newspapers. He made eye contact and laughed. I called out to him, "Are they paying you extra for this?" He rolled his eyes ...

One of the things that always impressed me about West - who has long been known both for his accessibility with reporters and responding loudly when he doesn't like what he reads - is that he will do just about anything for his sport. He feels a genuine debt to the NBA for enabling him to enjoy what has turned out to be a pretty lavish lifestyle. I can recall three specific formal dinners where West, who was either the honoree or honoring one of his former Lakers teammates, broke down while talking about his career.

Phil's apparent memory issues

Longtime Kings fans will probably appreciate this: After the Celtics were awarded 38 free throws to the Lakers' 10 in Game 2 Sunday evening, Phil Jackson was quoted as follows: "I've never seen a game like that in all these years I've coached the Finals. Unbelieveable."

Now, while Game 6 of the memorable Kings-Lakers series in 2002 was only a conference finals, surely Phil hasn't forgotten? In the game that many of the NBA's longtime observers publicly and privately labeled a travesty - among them Sport Illustrated's Jack McCallum and Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke, who were seated baseline at Staples Center - the Lakers shot 27 free throws IN THE FOURTH QUARTER to the Kings' 9. Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard both fouled out after receiving ticky tack calls in the fourth period.

Interestingly, the officiating crew that night included veteran referee Bob Delaney, who in yet another hilarious aside, was shown receiving an earful from Jackson during Sunday's game.

SAN ANTONIO - As the postseason continues toward its conclusion, perhaps Friday night in Arco Arena, the issues that Geoff Petrie has to address during the offseason are increasingly apparent. Besides resolving Rick Adelman’s
situation - and assuming that the roster will be adjusted to complement Ron Artest’s skills - he clearly has to upgrade the roster in two areas - power forward and perimeter shooting. Brad Miller is a high post center who can pass, shoot, and there was a time, collect close to 10 rebounds per game. But the power forward spot has been problematic, particularly on the defensive side, since Chris Webber blew out his knee in Dallas. Petrie undoubtedly will try to maneuver to acquire someone who can offset Miller’s lack of mobility and athleticism.

Kenny Thomas is only 6-foot-7, and erratic at both ends. Shareef Abdur-Rahim is only 6-foot-9, and probably best-suited as a reserve. He is not nearly as quick or effective as he once was, though his jump-hook remains is a terrific option.

And when you study the Spurs - the model for Western Conference teams, if not the league - the their balance is exceptional. They make it difficult for opponents to attack the basket, which makes it imperative to (a) score in
transition and (b) space the floor with three-point shooters. In the deciding three minutes in Game 5, for instance, Mike Bibby was the Kings’ only consistent outside shooter on the floor, and he labored through a 3-for-12 night.

The effort is there, and Artest is sensational, but the Kings have holes. Petrie will have a busy summer.

SAN ANTONIO - Those mood swings inside Arco Arena these days are dramatic, to say the least.

But there was something very different going on Sunday night. For the first time in three postseasons, I started to sense that Kings fans actually believe their team has a chance to play the role of the upstart, of the underachiever, instead of the annual victim. Was it when Ron Artest chased down his own errant shot and scored just before intermission? When Brad Miller caught a pass and, without hesitation, stroked a jumper from the left side in the third period? During that sequence when Bonzi Wells powered into the lane for that rebound basket that prompted the spontaneous chanting from the crowd? Whenever it was, it had seeped into the air, something akin to a verbal swagger.

Given the club’s history, even the most faithful Kings fan had myriad reasons to be skeptical. Robert Horry ring a cowbell? Remember how the Kings squandered a double-digit lead while Vlade Divac twitched on the bench during
the Game 3 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavs in 2003. That Chris Webber debate in 2004 (should he start or sub?). The uninspiring performance in
last year’s brief series with the Seattle Sonics? Those first two losses in San Antonio seemed to feed right into Sacramento’s annual swan song: There they go again.

But the tenor of Sunday’s convincing victory was a complete shocker. The smart money was on the Spurs. How dumb was that? Ron Artest and Bonzi Wells are providing that mental and physical toughness that has been lacking since Bobby Jackson’s early, healthier days, and their size, strength and relentlessness are continuing to cause matchup problems. The Spurs also
are having little success attacking the interior - once an infamous Sacramento soft spot - and at least partly because of Tim Duncan’s foot problem, the Kings have become increasingly selective about their double-teams, no longer automatically running at Duncan and leaving themselves vulnerable from the perimeter. Manu Ginobili just looks lost, stunned by his inability to create much of anything with Artest forever hugging his hip.

I don’t envy Gregg Popovich right now. The Spurs’ coach is probably poring over psychology books as we speak. The world champs don’t want to become one of the few No.1 seeds ousted by No. 8, especially a team that scrambled to
make the playoffs. So I’ll stick with my original prediction - Spurs in six. I still think there is too much talent, versatility, experience and coaching, along with the homecourt advantage, for a San Antonio collapse. But it’s a shaky prediction. The Kings are showing me something. The Kings are hanging tough.

Not to take anything away from the Detroit Pistons, but the more time I spend around the San Antonio Spurs, the more confidence I have in my preseason prediction that the Spurs will repeat as champions. Gregg Popovich’s teams always defend tenaciously.

But their offense is more fluid than in the past - their ball movement in Game 1 was absolutely stunning - and their depth is terrific. Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel just add more dimensions to an already-talented roster. If Tim Duncan can avoid aggravating his right foot ailment and Tony Parker continues to perform like he did the other night, no one is going to touch the Spurs. They are an absolute pleasure to watch, skilled and unselfish, and much more entertaining now that they play at a faster pace.

As I wrote several months back, I also believe Popovich should have been named the 2008 U.S. Olympic coach. Besides being more knowledgeable about the international game than any other NBA head coach with the exception of Mike D’Antoni, he possesses all the skills of the great head coaches. He is a stickler for details, as demanding as it gets, and can be a bit of a control freak. But he is also a great communicator and has become much more comfortable in his role as a public figure.

Besides, he loves good food and fine wine. During off-days on road trips to Golden State or Sacramento, Pop usually makes a side trip to Napa or Sonoma.

Geez, this was pathetic. The only thing salvaging the evening here in San Antonio -- which included an absolutely horrible basketball game -- was that very little was made about Ron Artest’s prediction. Maybe now we can all get on with the series. For those who might have missed it: Artest envisions himself as the team leader, and accordingly, at times feels almost compelled to thrust out his chest and say something outlandish to seemingly take the pressure off his teammates.

Before the series against the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs, the veteran small forward, who missed the playoffs with the Indiana Pacers last year because of his season-ending suspension, repeatedly proclaimed that the Kings would advance into the second round. And I don’t have a problem with that. In fact, I applaud his competitiveness.

What was he supposed to say? That he expected the Spurs to win? Saturday night’s debacle notwithstanding, his intensity is refreshing. He plays hard, and as was evident last night, he plays hurt. After Manu Ginobili tagged him with an inadvertent elbow to the mouth a mere 18 seconds into the game, Artest crumpled to the court, yet played 35 minutes with a lip that became so inflamed that he was unable to speak with reporters afterward -- an almost unheard of occurrence.

One of the most impressive things about Artest, in fact, is his candor. He doesn’t censor his thoughts or his words. People either accept him or they don’t. And given that players and coaches often are inhibited for fear of harming their image, I’ll take candid mortals over carefully-guarded corporate clones any day.