Kings Blog and Q&A

FIRST QUARTER (Kings 30, Golden State 29)

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

SECOND QUARTER (Kings 65, Warriors 54)

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

THIRD QUARTER (Kings 96, Warriors 77)

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

FOURTH QUARTER (Kings 120, Warriors 107)

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

- Sam Amick

Game story (Evans flourishes)

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

Box score

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Arco Arena.

TV: CSNCA.

Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).

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

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

Probable starters

KINGS

G Beno Udrih

G Tyreke Evans

SF Andres Nocioni

PF Jason Thompson

C Spencer Hawes

WARRIORS

PG Monta Ellis

SG Stephen Curry

SF Stephen Jackson

F Kelenna Azubuike

C Mikki Moore

- Sam Amick

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

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

Come on back later for quarterly updates...

FIRST QUARTER (Jazz 30, Kings 19)

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

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

SECOND QUARTER (Kings 55, Jazz 55)

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

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

THIRD QUARTER (Kings 85, Jazz 68)

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

FOURTH QUARTER (Kings 104, Jazz 99)

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

Let's go in reverse order here.

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

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

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

KHTK Sportsline/11-4

Napear (via cell phone from Utah)

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

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

Asked outright if he believes Martin is soft...

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

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

JACKSON

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WESTPHAL

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

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

GARCIA

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

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

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

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

MARTIN

Oh yeah, him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

He wants to play.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Sam Amick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

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

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

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

Join the Kings Corner Facebook page here.

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

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

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

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

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

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

A pause and a grin...

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

READ WHILE YOU WAIT

From The Bee

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

Thompson tries to limit fouls, By Jason Jones

From the Atlanta-Journal Constitution

Resilient Hawks bounce back, By Sekou Smith

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

GAME PREVIEW

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

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

Probable starters

KINGS

PG Tyreke Evans

SG Kevin Martin

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

PF J. Thompson

C S. Hawes

HAWKS

PG Mike Bibby

SG Joe Johnson

SF M. Williams

PF Josh Smith

C Al Horford

- Sam Amick

GAMEDAY OPTIONS (Multimedia)

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

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

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

READ WHILE YOU WAIT

From The Bee

Westphal brings unconventional style to bench, By Ailene Voisin

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

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

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

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tempers flare as Grizzlies lose to Nuggets, By Ronald TIllery

Grizzlies postgame

GAME CAPSULE

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

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Arco Arena. TV: CSNCA.

Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).

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

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

Probable starters

No. Player Pos.

13 Tyreke Evans PG

23 Kevin Martin SG

24 Desmond Mason SF

42 Sean May PF

34 Jason Thompson C

GRIZZLIES

No. Player Pos.

11 Mike Conley PG

32 O.J. Mayo SG

22 Rudy Gay SF

50 Zach Randolph PF

33 Marc Gasol C

- Sam Amick

KINGS LIVE CHAT

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

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

SHARE PHOTOS

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PREGAME

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

FIRST QUARTER - Spurs 32, Kings 27

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

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

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

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

SECOND QUARTER - Spurs, 61, Kings 45

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

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

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

THIRD QUARTER - Spurs 95, Kings 75

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

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

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

FOURTH QUARTER - Spurs 113, Kings 94

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

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

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

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***

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

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

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

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

READ WHILE YOU WAIT

From The Bee

Game story vs. Hornets

Kings notes

From the San Antonio Express News

Pop tinkering with Spurs chemistry, By Mike Monroe

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

Spurs-Kings preview capsule

TONIGHT'S GAME

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

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

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

Probable starters

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

SPURS

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

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

PRE-GAME

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

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

FIRST QUARTER - Kings 27, Hornets 25

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

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

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

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

Team playing very well so far...

SECOND QUARTER - Kings 50, Hornets 50

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

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

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

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

THIRD QUARTER - Kings 75, Hornets 72

Another very good quarter, but a bad finish.

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

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

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

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

FOURTH QUARTER - Hornets 97, Kings 92

Emeka Okafor decided it wasn't to be.

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

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

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***

NEW ORLEANS - The Sacramento who?

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

Scary stuff.

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

MULTIMEDIA ALERT

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

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

READ WHILE YOU WAIT:

From The Bee

Because of back, Peja is backup

Kings notes

From the New Orleans Times Picayune

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

New Orleans Arena turns 10 years old, By Jimmy Smith

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

Kings vs. Hornets by the numbers, By Jimmy Smith

TONIGHT'S GAME

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

When: 5 p.m.

Where: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, La.

TV: CSNCA.

Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).

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

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

KINGS

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

HORNETS

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

- Sam Amick

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***

Game story

Game notes

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

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

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

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

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

That notion applies in the other direction, too.

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

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

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

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

READ WHILE YOU WAIT:

From The Bee

Kings Seek a Fresh Start, By Jason Jones

Petrie Unplugged, By Me

Hawes Has a New Role, By Ailene Voisin

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

From the Oklahoman

Kevin Ollie's NBA odyssey, By John Rohde

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

Kevin Durant at ease entering third year, By Darnell Mayberry

TONIGHT'S GAME (By Jason Jones)

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

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

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

Probable starters

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

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

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***

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

He is, after all, the rebuilder.

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

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

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

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***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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***

By the time Bobby Jackson took the podium to formally announce his retirement, it seemed as if there wasn't all that much to say.

He had talked publicly about hanging up the sneakers and putting on the suit, making the Friday press conference a mere formality.

Wrong.

The former Kings guard and one of the organization's most popular players showed once again why fans have always found him so endearing. Heart. And lots of it.

Jackson's farewell became an emotional one when he began discussing how his late mother, Sarah, wasn't there to see the man he'd become after she died of cancer in 2003.

Here's the fine work of our own Hector Amezcua, with video and some old shots of Jackson.

- Sam Amick

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***

NBA Commissioner David Stern just finished a conference call with reporters, and I asked him to give his updated outlook on the Kings' situation in Sacramento. The key and somewhat new point here is this: Despite the Maloofs' recent promises for patience and enthusiasm about the prospect of eventually getting a new arena in Sacramento, the time will come when that simply doesn't matter. The NBA, i.e. Stern and the Board of Governors, won't allow this thing to drag on so long that they have an antiquated market and a team playing in an absurdly-outdated building. Stern touches on the Board of Governor's patience level in the second part of Stern's comments below.

STERN

On his current outlook of the Sacramento situation...

"I think that there can be no questioning of the Maloofs' commitment to Sacramento - the way they've operated the team there, the way they've spent some significantly to explore alternative resolutions. I tend to be optimistic by nature. To me, I think if we can get the campaign going in its two prongs - that is to say, 1) what the mayor has said is that the arena is (outdated) and that we need to have a plan to replace it and the fans are supportive of the Maloofs. I think that (bodes) well for the future. I understand there's a campaign out to sell out the two opening games. I hope that happens. And I know that I spent a load of resources on looking into the Cal Expo and other potential plans. And so, I'm optimistic that they will have some movement.
"I don't think I would expect the board of governors to be eternally patient on this subject, given the fact that the NCAA apparently recently declared that it would not see Arco Arena as a place that they would have a regional tournament. I think the handwriting is on the wall for the building. What's not so clear it's what's on the agenda for its replacement. I'm cheered by the Maloofs' optimism and attitude, but at some point reality will take hold and I'm hopeful that that reality is a plan for a new building.

At what point is the Maloofs' patience irrelevant and how patient will the Board of Governors be?

"We like to focus on local options and how are ownership responds, but obviously we have a problem in Sacramento. But one of the good news potential is there's an opportunity to solve that problem, and I'm hopeful that it will get solved. I can't weigh it one way or the other. I'm taking my lead from Gavin and Joe, who seem enthusiastically engaged in the excitement of a new coach, a young team, potential sellouts for the first couple of games and the kind of community involvement that recognizes that the Kings are a precious community asset and everyone is rallying around it, I hope to get the board of governors to rally around it as well." - Sam Amick

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***

Bobby Jackson, the former Kings guard and longtime fan favorite, will be announcing his retirement at an Arco Arena press conference tomorrow.
As mentioned in Twitterland a while ago, Jackson will assume a role within the Kings organization as well. For now, click on the Twitter link for a few more details but be sure to check back later today for more on this post...

BLOG UPDATE (3:43 P.M)

I'm en route to the Warriors-Hornets game in Oakland tonight but wanted to get this up regarding Jackson. I spoke with him at length earlier this afternoon about finally hanging up the sneakers and delving into a new hoops realm. He discusses how pride played into his decision to retire and the remote - almost nonexistent - possibility that he would consider un-retiring, as well as his new aspiration to become a front office type rather than the coach he'd always said he wanted to become.

JACKSON

On whether it's true he'll be announcing his retirement...

"Yeah, I'm about to hang 'em up. I had a great career, I played 12 great years, longer than anybody imagined, making good money. I think the economy is the reason why a lot of guys are not playing right now. And I'm the type of guy who doesn't like sitting around waiting on anything. So I feel like I have an opportunity to do bigger and better things and pursue that. It's better than waiting on somebody to wait for somebody to call me and pick me up.
"I'm just sitting here. I'm not doing anything, so I'd rather do something else. I'm not saying I don't want to play. I feel like I still can play and I want to play, but it's not the best situation for me right now. I feel like I don't have to prove myself to anybody. It has just come to a situation where you have to pick your time to bow out gracefully. I could be like the rest of these...free agents out there waiting on teams to call them. But at the end of the day, I feel like if they wanted me to they would've called me over the summertime. I don't want to be one of those guys who is trying to hang on one more year or two more years, jumping from team to team.. I've been (traded) a lot, and it took a great restraint for me, pride-wise, to say, 'You know what, even though I feel like I can still play, to be like, (shoot) maybe it's time to hang it up and do something that's good for me and not have to wait on someone else.
"It'll be nice to not deal with the questions, whether I can still play or questioning my toughness or if I'm durable. All those things come into play. As a player, that's what you get questioned on - 'Do you think he'll want to play a lot of minutes? Will he be (OK) being a third guard? Is his body going to hold up?' You hear all those things, and you're thinking, 'Man, if they're saying that now, what are they going to say next year?'
"I want to be able to say I left on my own terms. I didn't get pushed out. Even though the economy is still bad. There's a ton of guys getting hurt right now. I think about that, but I also think about life after basketball. The 12 years I played won't come close to anything I do after basketball. That was a great time of life. It's time to go for bigger goals and move forward."

Asked if a good offer to return to the floor came along in the next few months if he'd pull a Favre and jump right back out of retirement...

"Nah, I don't think so, because once I dedicate myself to something and move past it, I don't move back. Not saying it couldn't happen, but I don't want to be one of those guys who keeps retiring and comes back out of retirement. That's just how I feel. You retire for a reason. If I had a chance to win a ring with one of the top contenders in the game, would I do it? I don't know."

On what his role will be with the Kings...

"It's going to be a lot of roles. No. 1, it will be helping in the community with the players, doing some scouting, all those things come into play. I thought I really wanted to coach, but I weighed my options and was like, 'Man, being a coach is like being a player.' You've got to travel and do all the things coaches do. I kind of want to be at home more, spend time with the kids because they're getting older. Learning from (Kings basketball president) Geoff (Petrie) and (vice basketball president) Wayne (Cooper), and trying to become one of the best GMs in the game, that's probably what's on my mind right now."

On his front-office aspirations and the fact that he'd always said he wanted to coach...

"For me, I could do both, but you can't wear two hats in this business as a coach and a GM...I can't tell you I'll never be a coach, but my main focus is being in a front office and turning this thing around and finding a solution for everything."

On the scouting aspect and specifically what kind of scouting he planned on doing...

"I don't know yet. I think that's something me and Geoff have to sit down and talk about, because we haven't really talked in detail about what they want me doing. We touched upon it a little bit, but other than that we haven't sat down and laid out in stone what I'm really going to be doing. Like I said, I'm going to be wearing a lot of hats, and I'm fine with it. I'm a very inquisitive guy. I want to know what everybody's job is, what they do, learn from the best - learn from Geoff, learn from Wayne, learn from (assistant general manager) Jason (Levien), learn from (director of scouting) Scotty Sitrling, (director of player personnel) Jerry Reynolds. You learn from all those (guys) because you never know what sort of position you'll be in down the road."

On what the official announcement tomorrow will be like for him...

"You're sad because every player hates for this day to come. Don't get me wrong. But also, you look ahead to the future and you see that you can walk away from the game when you wanted to walk away. Everything is in tact. My family is happy. I don't have to play to get another contract. It's a sad day but it's also a happy day because I'm still around basketball, I'm retiring when I wanted to retire, I get to work for an organization and franchise that I've grown fond of and try to get the community back involved in supporting the Kings and us getting out and playing the way we're supposed to play and putting a good product on the court. It's all those things." - Sam Amick

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***

It wasn't a planned prelude, but it was fitting.

While in Las Vegas last week for the Kings-Lakers affair, I attended the Blogs with Balls Convention that anointed 12-year veteran guard/ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose as its panel headliner. And as much fun as it was to hear the endless discussions about the drastic decline of the newspaper industry and meet bloggers who surely expect to be at the forefront of the sports media landscape in the near future here, I figured I'd say hello to Jalen too.

Turns out that was a good thing for Kings fans. Because in stark contrast to this morning's teleconference involving Rose and fellow ESPN analyst/former Kings guard Jon Barry, there was something good to be said in our short Sin City chat.

Rose is predicting Tyreke Evans will be the Rookie of the Year.

"I watched him a lot of Memphis, and first and foremost the kid can play," Rose said on Friday inside room 228 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. "He's going to get a great opportunity to be on a team that knows it's not going to the playoffs. (Kings coach) Paul Westphal will be an up-tempo coach, and that means more possessions - and more room for error - but it will also give him an opportunity to have those nights when he gets going."

Rose said other things, too, like the fact that he couldn't make it to Chris Webber's recent wedding in Atlanta but that he approves of the bride/Webber's longtime girlfriend "with an exclamation point (Sorry Jalen, us sports writers just don't like actually using exclamation points)." What later became clear is that I had stumbled on the one and only ESPN NBA contributor out of 53 who saw the ROY award shaking out that way (No, really, see for yourself - and who voted for Thabeet?).

Thankfully for the folks in Bristol - and not so much for Sacramentans - Rose and Barry got back on the same page when discussing the Kings' overall outlook. They weren't alone there, either, as eight of 10 ESPN folks who predicted regular season finishes has them as the worst in the West.

The setup question was pretty basic, asking them to share their view of the Kings' current state of affairs after the changes made in the summer.

ROSE: "Wow, I don't see Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Mike Bibby walking through that door anytime soon. Hmmm. I think it's going to be an uphill battle for that team, because they really haven't decided what direction that they really want to go in. And any time you're playing in the stacked Western Conference, the other teams aren't going to stand around and wait for you to get it in order. Tough sledding for the Kings.
"I hope for their fans that they can find a way to at least keep their franchise there. There's been a lot of talk that the franchise possibly will be moving - is forced to move, not forced to move, and what-not. I just hope that their fans can find a way to keep the team because they've had great teams in the past."

BARRY: "It's a real shame to watch to watch what's transpired in Sacramento over the past few years, when it was the most exciting place to play in the NBA, the best fans in the NBA for all those years. Then I'd seen a couple games last year, with a half-empty arena. It's difficult for me, because I obviously have a past there.
"This team is a long ways away. That's the bottom line. I think Tyreke Evans could be great, but anytime you judge a player who's (on a) team that's going to win around 20 or 25 games, who'll have an opportunity when his team is down to (score) big points, we don't know how great he's going to be...They just really don't have the talent level to compete, in any conference...especially the West. They've got some young talent. I think (Francisco) Garcia is out for the year, and he was coming along last year. They just don't have the talent level to compete. It's an ugly situation.
"Hopefully they can take some strides. They're going to get their younger players a bunch of minutes this year and with a few offseason moves - you've got to bring in some studs - and this team can get back. But it's certainly going to be a long season in Sacramento."

On how he sees the Kings' path that led to this point...

"The Vlade Divac tip to Robert Horry in the (Game 4) loss (of the 2002 Western Conference Finals). From that moment on, it was over. That seemed to do it. They were on the cusp of getting to the Finals. From that moment on, it's a piece here leaving, a piece here moving, some salary shaves, and this is where you get to. It's hard to get to the top, and it's a lot easier to get to the bottom. They've obviously found it a lot easier to get to the bottom."

Both guys weighed in on Kevin Martin as well, although I'm taking my chances that no one plans to publish that material as it will work well in an upcoming piece on the Kings shooting guard I'll be working on. Beyond that, there was plenty of chatter about the league at large. Among the most relevant was Rose's doom-and-gloom prediction that Cleveland may as well be known as the Mistake on the Lake again if LeBron James decides to leave this summer (that was me, and not Rose, bringing up the old nickname, for the record). Lucky for the Cavs' faithful, he doesn't see James going anywhere.

"I would guess that he would be staying in Cleveland," Rose said. "I just think that he can be everything to the fans in Cleveland for a long time, whether they win a championship or not. I also hope that he stays because their economy would take a huge hit based on the (context of the) other (pro) teams...If they don't have LeBron James selling that franchise and really being an ambassador for that town, a lot of people will suffer." - Sam Amick

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***

It's been a rough preseason for the die-hards, what with no Kings exhibition games on TV and all.

Alas, Jason Thompson's big night in the Kings' win against the Warriors was captured in highlight-reel form on NBA.com. Before we get to the clip, I thought I'd share a short conversation I had with Warriors second-year forward Anthony Randolph. The LSU product is often mentioned in the same sentence as Thompson - yes, sometimes by me - because the Kings passed on him to get the relative unknown out of Rider University.

Then after Randolph blew up at summer league in Las Vegas, the dissenters grew louder with the opinion that he was the one who should've been in a Kings uniform. Well Randolph himself found that silly, and even moreso after seeing Thompson have such a productive outing against his team.

"He's a great player," said Randolph, whose 12 points and four rebounds in 30 minutes couldn't compare with Thompson's 20 point, 20-rebound outing. "You can't compare us because we're two different players. He had a great game tonight, so y'all should be happy with the pick y'all got."

No one was arguing with him after this one...

- Sam Amick

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***

The day may have ended with Jason Thompson boasting the best numbers of all - 20 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Golden State - but it began with him being jealous of Jon Brockman's numbers.

He wasn't alone, as a chorus of three that also included Donte' Greene and Sean May was jealous of the exploding number of Twitter followers Brockman was gaining. The joke that he gained some 3,000 followers during the timespan of the morning shoot-a-round wasn't that far off, as indicated by the ridiculous disparity between him and his teammates. At last count when this post was being written, it was Brockman with 60,485 followers on his page; , May with 4,605 on his page , Thompson with 6,612 on his page and Greene with 7,892 followers on his page.

It turns out Brockman wasn't alone, as the NBA had recommended two Kings player to Twitter to be mentioned on their 'suggested users' page. The other was Francisco Garcia, who is up to 63,165 and officially leading the team on his page. Nonetheless, this whole Twitter battle - which, yes, is so incredibly vain in many cases but mostly harmless fun here - inspired me to ask Brockman about his recent popularity.

But since I missed him in the locker room, we caught up after myself and Jason Jones interrupted he and May's post-game workout at the team's practice facility to get his thoughts. Brockman, who is incredibly beloved up in Washington and surely has the backing of the Huskies Nation, took the humble route when addressing his newfound status.

"I don't know why 60,000 people care about what a white kid from Snohomish, Washington is doing," he said while popping his head out of the back door for a tongue-in-cheek chat. "I'd like to thank the fans. We did this together."

Asked about his teammates' shameless requests to pilfer some of his followers, Brockman was ever so charitable. It hadn't stopped there, as his former University of Washington teammate Nate Robinson was apparently feeling jealous as well since Brockman has almost twice as many folks on his site as Nate the Great.

"My friends can be their friends, but ultimately it's up to them," he said.

For those unfamiliar with this platform, none of these followings compare to the NBA leader of Twitterland, Shaquille O'Neal. The Big Twiesel has more than 2.4 million lemmings on his list. But getting back to Brockman, it wasn't the first time he has had some fun with Twitter.

During his senior season, a rival Washington State player had been crank calling Brockman's cell phone incessantly but forgot to block the number. After Washington downed Washington State - with Brockman tallying seven points and 18 rebounds - he shared the player's cell phone number with his followers and implored them to call and gloat about the win. - Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - This was going to be a handy audio file uploaded for your listening pleasure, but technology issues mean you'll now have the pleasure of reading the material.

After the Kings' loss to the Lakers on Thursday night, coach Paul Westphal had plenty to say about his squad's play.

WESTPHAL

General thoughts on the team's third preseason game...

"(The Lakers) are miles ahead of us, but I thought we had spurts of really good basketball, and we had spurts of getting schooled. It's all good. We can learn from them, learn from our mistakes, and learn from the good things we did. I thought the first half we were horrible at transition defense, horrible at pick and roll defense, and horrible at controlling our defensive boards, and they had a big lead. In the second half, we did better at both of those things. I like the way we responded.

He lauded reserves Kenny Thomas, Sergio Rodriguez and Andres Nocioni for playing "with hair on their chest" and was pleased with how Beno Udrih responded after a blown defensive assignment early on...

"He didn't rotate over one time and they got a layup, and in the second half (Udrih) did (rotate). I said, 'Just pretend you're Derek Fisher and draw a charge.' And he did. That's the play he got hurt on. Great coaching, huh? (laughs) But he's OK...I like the spirit of this team. They just have to take care of the dirty work that wins games."

On Tyreke Evans' defense on a night when he nearly the entire Lakers starting five at one point or another (really just Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, that I can remember, but there were more)...

"(Evans) needs to improve his conditioning a little bit. He's in shape, but 40 minutes against the Lakers is a different kind of shape.
"He's got some things to learn. But in general, he's a real presence out there. I thought he played with poise, and looked like he belonged out there...

On whether he got into the offense quicker than he had in Portland...

"We did a better job of (getting into offense quicker). Ten turnovers the whole night? I thought that was pretty good. We got to the line (atrocious 14 of 24). I thought offensively, there's some things we need to work on. But in general, we shared the ball a lot and played to our strengths a lot."

On the fact that after hitting just 36 of 86 shots against the Lakers, the Kings are now shooting just 40.6 percent...

"Hitting baskets is a big part of this game. You can't win without doing the dirty work - transition defense, pick and roll defense, limiting the second shots. But even when you do that, you can't win when you can't hit baskets either. I mentioned the free throws, and that's got to get better too."

On the fact that after praising Omri Casspi before the game, he issued 16 minutes to the rookie and zero to second-year small forward Donte' Greene.

"I didn't play (Greene) tonight. That's a fact. We played those other guys. I thought (Casspi) did pretty well. It's not like he's going to shut Kobe down, but he did a respectable job making Kobe take some shots that were tougher than they should have, so it was good."

TYREKE EVANS

On facing Kobe for the first time...

"It's Kobe. He went out there and played his game.

On where he's at defensively...

"I tried to play my best defense. I got a piece of everybody tonight - D. Fish, Kobe, Lamar. I went out there just playing hard and trying to do my best job as a defender."

On what he must improve on right now...

"Getting better at pick and rolls, I've been getting to the basket, but probably to pull up more in the paint because they had a lot of shotblockers. Coach wanted me to attack, but (he'll look to pull up more) just to save from getting beat I'll just try to pull up."

FINAL NOTES

* Not a good night for Desmond Mason, who hit just 1 of 5 shots and had two points in 17 minutes but did add three boards and four assists. Kings desperately need scoring from that spot.

* Very solid night from Jason Thompson, who had 19 points (9 of 17 shooting) and 14 rebounds in 37 minutes.

* For the second straight year at this annual Kings-Lakers preseason affair, the Maloofs were joined by boxer Floyd Mayweather. Joe, Gavin, George and mother Colleen were on hand.

* Chuck Person was there too. The former Kings assistant is with the Lakers now as Artest's shooting coach. It's a role he knows all too well, having now been with Artest in Indiana, Sacramento and with the Lake-show. Person - who was known as a tireless worker by Kings supporters and detractors alike during his Kings tenure - was fired along with then-head coach Reggie Theus midway through last season.

* I spoke briefly with Mitch Kupchak before the game, and the Lakers GM detailed how the Francisco Garcia injury was a wake-up call for his organization. Kupchak - who was clearly on the long list of folks who feel awful for Garcia - had all the team's exercise balls checked for holes or wear and tear or overinflation. They're not alone, as San Antonio has responded similarly as well.

* Garcia did not travel with the team. Kings assistant Pete Carril did, however, and appears motivated to continue doing so.

* Vegas is on its way back, baby - at least if this game is any indication. After drawing 11,090 fans last season for this game, there were 14,741 on hand on Thursday night. Then again, it just might have something to do with the whole championship thing and addition of Ron Artest yada yada...

* Kudos to Kings VP of Business Communications Mitch Germann for his job well done on a panel of the Blogs with Balls 2.0 convention Thursday. Good meeting so many folks who were previously no more than clever names on a web site or pseudonyms - Bethlehem Shoals, for example - when it came to my consciousness. Fascinating stuff and good discourse about a sports media landscape that is changing at an incredible rate (And bite your tongue Dan:).- Sam Amick

We've talked about the injury and the diagnosis, the implications and the potential legal fallout. Now we finally talked to Francisco Garcia himself.

The Kings veteran swingman who suffered a broken forearm near his wrist and significant ligament Friday spoke for the first time since having surgery and learning he'll miss at least four months. After dealing with numerous injuries last season and adding 13 pounds to his frame in attempt to toughen up this season, he faces a tough road to recovery.

- Sam Amick

Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof gathered some of the region's most influential businessmen Tuesday with a shared mission in mind: sell out the Kings' first two home games.

I'll have more detail on this venture in tomorrow's paper, but it's essentially a push to sell tickets at the big boy level and have more concentrated efforts to sell individual tickets sprouting from there. The campaign committee on hand included Mike Daugherty, John Frisch, Matt Haines, Lloyd Harvego, Gerry Kamilos, Sotiris Kolokotronis, Hayden Markstein, Arlen Opper, Randy Paragary, Chevo Ramirez, Tim Ray, Bruce Scheidt, Tim Stenvick and Allen Warren.

(Courtesy of the Kings)- Sam Amick

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***

Kings coach Paul Westphal wasn't looking to talk about Francisco Garcia's injury after Monday's practice, even if there might be a lawsuit on the horizon.

It was time to move on, he said, not because their deepest sympathies didn't remain with the injured veteran but because the season just won't wait no matter how unfortunate the circumstance. But it wasn't until I left Kings practice that I noticed the symbolic representation of Westphal's sentiment - the bright purple wall near the security entrance at Arco Arena.

I've written about this wall and what it means before, but the central point is that the organization's most prominent players are typically honored in that space. Yet after the latest version had Garcia sharing the wall with Kevin Martin, Jason Thompson, and Spencer Hawes, I looked up to notice this as I took the journey from the team's practice facility to the restroom...

As always, it'll be interesting to see who they put up there next. If it's the same combination of four players, I've got to think it's Tyreke Evans, Martin, Thompson and Hawes. We'll see soon enough, as Tuesday's schedule of events includes a 12:45 p.m. press conference to announce an "unprecedented campaign to sellout the first two Kings home games," according to the team release.

The group that joined forces for this effort includes a campaign committee led by mayor Kevin Johnson and a "prestigious group of Sacramento business leaders," as well as Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie, and Westphal. - Sam Amick

I'm looking into this more for tomorrow's paper, but the Kings are clearly searching for answers surrounding the fluke injury to Francisco Garcia.

After the Kings swingman broke his forearm after a physioball he was lifting on exploded, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof told me this morning that the team is sending an e-mail to each of the NBA's teams today to warn them about these newfound dangers. Maloof's main intent was to protect the athletes and educate the masses about this frightening possibility.

He has taken measures on the homefront as well, mandating that signs are hung in the team's weight room prohibiting the use of the balls. - Sam Amick

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***

You knew the news would be bad, and it certainly was.

Kings swingman Francisco Garcia will miss at least four months of action after breaking the right radius in his forearm.

Per the team's release...

"Sacramento Kings' swingman Francisco Garcia underwent successful surgery this morning at the UC Davis Medical Center to repair a broken right radius in his forearm and ligament damage to his wrist. Dr. Mark Lee performed the three-hour procedure. Garcia will spend eight weeks immobilized in a cast. He is expected to miss a minimum of four months of action." - Sam Amick

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***

So I've typically steered clear of arena talk in this space, instead focusing on the sports side and not the business because A1 (as in the paper's front page) is the more appropriate place to share our reporting and revelations on that front.

But in light of fan reaction to today's San Jose Mercury News report, that rule needs to be broken to offer a bit of perspective. The story indicates that there have been discussions in 'recent months' between the Kings and the HP Pavilion folks about a move. None of this shocked me, as I spent a good amount of time in February trying to verify this very information.

It's the reason I took this shot at team president John Thomas, who wouldn't call me back to confirm or deny whether he had been the one making a 'scouting' trip to San Jose to investigate the arena situation down there. I had numerous people telling me that was the case, but didn't go with it because I couldn't get it confirmed on the other end.

But eight months later, it's clear whatever talks went on there and elsewhere haven't provided a feasible new plan in a new city for the Kings. The economy and fees involved in relocating (not to mention territorial rights with the Warriors in this case) mean it's not realistic anytime soon, hence ownership's declaration to me that they're not going anywhere. It just so happens that part of the Maloofs' patience here is the result of knowing the landscape elsewhere.

No one should be surprised that they have looked into other situations, as they are still business owners in a nonprofitable situation no matter how many times they tout their love of Sacramento. But I'm of the belief Gavin Maloof was telling the truth when he said they aren't going anywhere by next season and remain patient to figure out the newest arena plan from there. The tough reality, however, is that it remains equally true that they'll eventually leave if a new arena never comes.

The NBA doesn't want its teams playing in old barns like Arco, and they likely didn't want Gavin saying what he had said to me earlier this month because putting pressure on is sometimes the only way to spark action. But that action, as I see it, isn't happening here or elsewhere by next season. The Kings are here for now and the immediate future. Everything from there remains uncertain. - Sam Amick

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***

Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie didn't want to speculate about just how much time Francisco Garcia could miss with what he called a broken right wrist. And, well, there's hidden point there: there's plenty of time to get into that.

He'll be gone awhile because of a fluke injury on a physioball that burst during an exercise and will require surgery tomorrow morning. It was something that has certainly happened before but not always with an athlete whose healthy presence means so much to the company that's paying him $5.8 million this season. There was an outpouring of sympathy at Kings practice today, where Petrie decided to address the situation in our darkened media room.

As I said in my home in Twitterland, this obviously ups Desmond Mason's chances of sticking around for the regular season roster. He's been out both preseason games with back spasms, though, so he obviously needs to get healthy and show a few things. Also on the injury front, Andres Nocioni is day to day and didn't practice because of hamstring tendinitis, Spencer Hawes remained out with his sprained left ankle, Sean May was out with flu-like symptoms, and then you had Mason in limited action with the (back).

- Sam Amick

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***

PORTLAND, Ore. - So my game story on the direction of the Kings' franchise and how Tyreke Evans fits in went hard in one direction - thumbs up.

It was a positive read on our first real look at this squad, but it certainly left out the long list of not-so-rosy Rose Garden revelations from the loss at Portland. And anyone who grew accustomed to reading this blog in the past knows this is where we keep the conversation going. Let's delve deeper...

* They lost. And that actually does matter. It didn't matter to me, as I was ready to extract insights, analyze lineups and offer the same preseason pass on outcome that is granted to all 30 NBA teams. Except that when I asked vice basketball president Wayne Cooper afterward if this was a thumbs up or a thumbs down, he spoke for the organization by replying, "Well, we lost."

The Kings want to keep this early buzz going and give fans a reason to stay tuned in. Tough to do when the games aren't on TV, meaning the majority of folks will peek at a box score and start formulating opinion from there. They really need to win some of these games.

* Also in the 'I know it's preseason, but...' category: 18 turnovers against 13 assists. Not exactly a good start on that front, considering assist-to-turnover ratio has been a huge concern in recent years. No Kings player had more than two assists.

That being said, it wasn't a matter of ball-pounding Artest or Salmons style as much as it was not executing on open looks (37 percent shooting). Sergio Rodriguez's Sacramento story didn't start off too well in this realm either.

* Rough start for Sean May, who had a very solid training camp and was given the PF start by Kings coach Paul Westphal. He fouled out in 14 minutes and had four points and four rebounds.

"There's probably going to be more games where I could be more offensive, but right now I'm just trying to figure it out," May said. "I'm trying to get Kevin (Martin) going, and certain guys you need to get going to win games."

After four years of injury-plagued seasons in Charlotte, May said it simply felt good to be on the floor.

"Donte' (Greene) said, 'How do you feel? You haven't played in a long time," May said. "And that's the truth. It felt great just to be out there running around, running through screens and just competing...Today was good to come out and struggle so now I know I have to put in more work and do better."

* Weird night for rookie small forward Omri Casspi.

Despite Desmond Mason being out with back spasms, he didn't get on the floor until there was 9:09 left in the fourth. He made the most of his time, though, playing until the end while hitting all four of his shots for nine points and grabbing two rebounds.

Casspi grabbed a rebound within seconds of entering, then hit a midrange jumper, had a dunk off a loose ball, a runner in the lane and a three-pointer from the right wing.

"Man he was ready," Westphal said. "I should have put him in earlier. The basket looked like it was six feet around for him tonight."

After a training camp in which Westphal made clear his opinion that no Kings player has longer to go to reach their potential than Casspi, the NBA's first Israeli said he's eager to win Westphal's favor.

"I was happy I went out there and played hard and did what I wanted to do and wanted to achieve," Casspi said. "It's hard to sit on the bench for three and a half quarters and (get) nine minutes at the end. You just go out there and start playing. 

"Coach is trying to figure out things, wants to see who's coming off the bench and he's testing a lot of stuff. That's what I'm going to do. Like I said from Day One, I'm going to take the open shots, do good defense, play hard, and hopefully (earn) a lot of minutes."

Martin, who has seen more of Casspi's game than any other Kings player considering he worked out with him this summer at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., lauded his play.

"He was just active, and anytime you're active good things are going to happen for you," Martin said. "That's what he's going to do - defend and be active on the boards. He played well. I'm glad the ball dropped for him tonight."

Red flags and all on the collective front, the measured optimism continued in Kings Land.

"I love the chemistry of this team, just guys' attitudes and a different makeup from past years," he said. "We've got guys buying into the system...We'll keep on building off things from tonight." - Sam Amick

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***

PORTLAND - Kings coach Paul Westphal said at this morning's shootaround that Desmond Mason is experiencing back pain and will not play tonight.

Fifth-year swingman Francisco Garcis will get the start. Mason told me he is dealing with back spasms and is heading to see a local chiropractor this afternoon. He is unsure if he'll be available for tomorrow's game against Portland at Arco Arena. - Sam Amick

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***

PORTLAND - You're not alone, Kings fans.

That may or may not help your mood this preseason, when the Kings' new product is being unveiled and developed and none of it will be seen on local Sacramento television.

But I've been soliciting other media folks from around the league to get a sense of the NBA-wide picture on this front, and it's not nearly as pretty as some might have assumed. Here's what I've found regarding 17 teams, with a disclaimer that I'm not fact-checking but merely trusting the folks who work in these areas. Feel free to add to the list, as I'm off to shoot-a-round in Portland and can't finish the job at the moment. Thanks again for the heavy lifting from PBWA members, and Facebook and Twitter contributions.

The 'Friends in low places' crowd (no games televised, Garth)

Sacramento, Portland, Golden State, New Orleans, San Antonio, Utah,

The 'It could be worse' category

Memphis (none locally, one vs. Dallas on Mavs' owner Mark Cuban's HDNet)
Phoenix (none locally, one on ESPN)
Atlanta (none locally, one on ESPN)
Charlotte (two),
Minnesota (two)
Washington (three),
Cleveland (two locally, one on NBATV)

The Joneses (tough to keep up)

Houston (all games televised locally)
Dallas (four locally and three on owner HDNet; sked shows two on NBATV as well)
Toronto - (all but one game televised)
New York - all games televised
Lakers - all games televised - Sam Amick

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***

If it were anyone other than Spencer Hawes, the notion would be absurd.

Revenge based on a preseason game? Please.

But this is where Hawes has more in common with Michael Phelps than his looks, as they are both known to find inspiration from slights both real and perceived. It's a common trait among so many great competitors, Michael Jordan (did you see his vindictive HOF speech?) chief among them. Hawes may not have gold medals or championship rings, but he has that.

Which is why I'm guessing he isn't pleased with today's announcement from coach Paul Westphal that he will be coming off the bench tomorrow at Portland.

A year after Hawes' struggles against Greg Oden in the 2008-09 exhibition openersounded all kinds of premature alarms that irritated him to no end, the third-year center will not get his chance to share the floor with Oden from the start this time around.

Westphal said he plans on having Sean May share the frontcourt with Jason Thompson instead of Hawes, with Tyreke Evans, Kevin Martin and Desmond Mason rounding out the starting five. Hawes said all the right things afterward and may have meant them. I'm not buying it, though.

"I didn't know that (he was coming off the bench), but that's (Westphal's) decision," Hawes said. "We'll see. I'd say (it surprised me) a little bit. It's not my decision."

So the Kings say there were 4,500 fans at Saturday's open practice at Arco Arena, which means only one thing.

There were 12,817 locals who missed out.

Nights like these won't come along too often this season in this setting, with the energy all positive and the outcome irrelevant and the basketball entertaining from beginning to end. Jon Brockman had a mini-coming out party. Tyreke Evans looked like an NBA stud. Kevin Martin looked like a healthy Kevin Martin - ditto for Desmond Mason. Sean May hit from outside and was a glue guy on both ends. Beno Udrih reminded those in attendance that he is a talented, if complicated, fellow. Kenny Thomas looked hungry, nearly diving over press row at one point to go for a loose ball and sparking a standing ovation from those who were there. Coach Paul Westphal continued to be ever-so-gracious with the fans.

Ubiquitous Kings PR man Chris Clark has a worthy recap of the action here, and I've included the Kings' live-streaming video at the bottom of this post. As for my own contributions, I was writing this piece on the team's attempts to re-grow its fanbase before deciding to catch up with Kings co-owner Joe Maloof courtside. It was little more than a friendly chat, but you can get a sense of the good time that was had by all. More importantly, Brockman's new nickname is revealed by Maloof as well.

The practice, in its entirety...

- Sam Amick

BLOG UPDATE (3:39 pm): The lack of an agreement with News10 simply means there will be no regular season games on that channel. But the change that relates to the preseason is with Comcast, as that's where preseason games were previously aired. That's a Kings decision based on finances to not air the games there.

News10 - which just put out its own story here - has shifted the focus of its relationship with the Kings in a way that doesn't include airing games.

***

We'll have more on this tomorrow's paper, but there will be no Kings preseason games on TV.

The Kings and News10 did not come to an agreement on a deal, so it's all radio and newspapers (online too) in the exhibition season. - Sam Amick

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***

Just a reminder that the Kings are holding an open practice tonight at Arco Arena.

The 7 p.m. event requires pre-printed tickets (parking is free), so click here for that. Also, those who can't make it out can watch by clicking here as the team is streaming the event live.

TODAY'S COVERAGE

'Nocioni likely to return to bench' - Amick
'Mason's knee looking good' - Jones

- Sam Amick

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***

As early training camp stories go, this one was a nail-biter for the Kings.

The prized rookie had an MRI on his left knee Wednesday that left his new bosses on edge, but the good news came later that afternoon when a bone bruise was revealed that was far better than, oh let's say, a torn ACL. What's more, Evans said today that he was supposed to ease his way back into practice but simply couldn't help himself on Wednesday night. He went full bore in the scrimmage, and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. (Newly-popular disclaimer on all Evans' interviews - turn those speakers up! He's a quiet one.)

- Sam Amick

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***

KHTK's Carmichael Dave takes a lot of grief for not being a SERIOUS sports media personality.

God forbid.

But as he shows in his nine-minute interview with Beno (you'll get the Benjamin part later) Udrih from media day, he's not just a one-player pony (Ron Artest) when it comes bringing some comedy into this world. Dave is joined by the station's Sean Cunningham and local sports writer Tony Harvey in the chat. Enjoy...

Click here to hear the interview.

Of course I was on hand to provide the much less light-hearted look at Beno's situation in Wednesday's paper. - Sam Amick

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***

Take a deep breath Kings fans.

This will be in tomorrow's paper, but I figured there might actually be a couple folks who will sleep easier knowing this info tonight: Tyreke Evans is already back in action.

I was told he looked good and wasn't limited by the bone bruise revealed by today's MRI. Surprisingly, Evans wound up being the third biggest story today, with Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof making headlines in two significant areas (you'll have to wait for those). - Sam Amick

Tyreke Evans' pro career will have to begin on the training table.

The Kings rookie had an MRI Wednesday afternoon which revealed acute patellar bone bruise in his left knee and is considered day to day. Evans had experienced soreness during Tuesday's workouts and the team took the safe route and ordered the MRI.

With the disclaimer that I'm no doctor, I learned a bit about bone bruises while researching Kevin Martin's ankle injury last season and know they can certainly make for tricky recoveries. We'll know more tomorrow, as there is no more media availability today. - Sam Amick

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

***

Kings highly-touted draft pick Tyreke Evans had a rough first day of training camp Tuesday, as numerous sources close to the team tell me he sat out tonight's scrimmage with a knee issue.

While we'll surely hear more about it tomorrow, no one seems to be overly concerned just yet. I was told that he had been dealing with a lingering groin problem of some sort and may have impacted the knee in a secondary way, and wouldn't be shocked if they did a precautionary MRI tomorrow. It now makes sense why I had been told earlier in the day that he didn't do the team's conditioning test, as he was clearly laboring because of this problem. - Sam Amick

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

***

His is the most influential question without an answer, and so Geoff Petrie didn't flinch in the slightest when it was asked.

The Kings basketball president knows he has one year left on his contract and no extension on his desk. He also knows that he's not about to start negotiations through the media.

"It's really not an issue right now, I don't think, of much consequence," Petrie said at today's media day. "The job I have today is the most important job and it's not something I really spend a lot of time thinking about. Our relationship (betweeen him and Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof) is really strong. We've been through so much together through the years. To me, it's a non-issue. It's obviously a bridge that has to be crossed, but right now it's a bridge too far."

While there are some who wondered how long the 61-year-old Petrie would want to continue in this capacity, he made it clear that it's his hope to remain on board beyond 2009-10. He also said there have been no discussions of any kind regarding an extension between himself and the Maloofs regarding his future.

"I want to continue to work in some form," he said. "I have tremendous roots and ties here in Sacramento. That's all the more reason to do a good job now."

I'll have more from Petrie in tomorrow's paper, but his comments served as the lone substance to an otherwise-light-hearted affair. Beno Udrih didn't wage war on his bosses, even though they spent the summer trying to hire folks to take his job through the draft and trade for Sergio Rodriguez. I had a long chat with Udrih that will be shared in Wednesday's paper.

There were plenty of laughs, including Tyreke Evans sharing the fact that he already has his own bobblehead before even playing a minute of NBA time. I didn't hear the back story on who made it and whether it will be the next Carls Jr. Happy Mean add-on, but Evans seemed to get a kick out of it.

As camp competition goes, Melvin Ely will be one to watch in the next few weeks. He badly wants to make this team as he has family nearby and knows the region well from his days at Fresno State.

The Kings ran a live UStream of Media Day, too. And if you watch this, you're a bona fide super fan.

- Sam Amick

The real Media Day is hours away, when reporters like myself get back in the daily routine of the more conventional parts of the job.

Ask questions. Get answers. Write stories.

But it's not just about that anymore, so consider this is a Bee press release on the latest fringe elements of our coverage. Let's get social...

FACEBOOK PAGE

We present the 'Sacramento Kings Corner (SacBee)' page, which will serve a number of functions.

(Become a fan of the page by clicking the link above)

It will link to our stories and blogs via RSS feeds, which is to be expected. But it will also become the first place to go for postgame or postpractice video - even before it's up on the blog. If I'm Joe Average Kings Fan, that becomes even more interesting this season considering there is no longer any pre- or post-game TV coverage of Kings games (part of the layoffs).

We can certainly chat it up with the fans in there, with you sharing your insights or rants and us offering quick commentary that isn't limited to 140 characters a la Twitter. What's more, I'm going to have some fun with it from a technology standpoint, sharing random shots and videos home and road that don't necessarily have a place on the blog. Fans can share their photos too (not sure about videos), so the interactivity should be fun.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

This may wind up being redundant, as I'm trying to get our new YouTube Kings channel to feed directly into the Facebook. Nonetheless, the most direct and quickest way to see our Kings material in the video realm is by subscribing to the channel.

TWITTER REMINDER

The Twitter portion of our presence has been strong for some time, but that doesn't mean we don't need new friends on that front.

To follow me (sam_amick), click here; to follow Jason Jones (jejones_sacbee), click here.

PLAYER SALARIES PAGE

This isn't a new element, just an updated one.

After securing the down-to-the-dollar numbers on Kings player salaries a year ago, the page went untouched as the team's roster most certainly did not. At long last, we have the new numbers for the players old and new. And for those who accused us of trying to stir the public's pot by publishing this info, you couldn't be more off-target (and I can say that, as it was my project with a huge assist on the web front from Phillip Reese).

I just grew tired of seeing inaccurate Kings salary numbers on other web sites, as fans often drew erroneous conclusions from the erroneous info. Everyone knows pro athletes haul in exorbitant paychecks, even on teams like the Kings that are near the bottom of the league in payroll. Sparking a larger discussion on our society's injustices, while a valid one, was not the intent. - Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

We chronicled the past and peeked at the future of Sean May in today's piece, but there was much more, shall we say, meat to the story that we didn't get into.

The chubby chapter.

May talked at length about his reputation as a human balloon, capable of growing and shrinking with a few hefty breaths during his playing career. To his credit, he couldn't have been classier chatting about the topic. He's seen the chatter, heard the critics, knows about all the jokes, and shrugs his burly shoulders at all of it.

The microfracture surgery, May said, was solely to blame for his tipping 300 pounds in 2008. It's life in the 260s now, with nothing but excitement about what he can do without the unwelcome weight.

"The stigma has always followed me," May said. "But the one thing is, you've never heard me get upset about it, never heard me (complain) about it. You've just never heard that from me because I don't care. It doesn't bother me.
"I know me. I know my game. People who watch me play - If you didn't even hear a weight and you watched me play, you wouldn't think that he's too heavy. But as soon as you hear a number, this connotation comes in your head. It's just been that way."

The number in college, May said, was higher than his scale reading now.

"I was heavier at (University of North) Carolina, like 270," May said. "(The focus on weight) is also with the knee surgery, that scares them. When Sacramento came to me (about his weight clause), My agent asked me, 'Do you care if they put a weight clause in your contract?' I was like, 'I don't care, as long as it's not something where he's got to be 245.' I'll never get to 245. I haven't been that since eighth grade. I just don't care (about the clause). I want to play basketball."

College football? Nah. Sunday's Week Three of NFL action? Please. You know this weekend was all about the highly-anticipated release of the Kings' training camp roster. Relax, already. Here it is...

Forward Melvin Ely is the obvious eyebrow-raiser in the bunch, as the player taken 12th overall in 2002 by the Clippers is yet another log thrown upon this bonfire of Kings' camp competition. The big man hardly came up big in his last two seasons in New Orleans (83 games played combined, approximately 12 minutes per in both seasons), and the irony here is that former Kings forward Ike Diogu was essentially signed by the Hornets this summer to fill the role Ely was hired to fill.

***
(Jersey number, name, position, height, weight, birthdate, where from, years of experience)

40 Jon Brockman F 6-7 255 March 20, 1987 Washington R

18 Omri Casspi F 6-9 225 June 22, 1988 Israel R

33 Melvin Ely C-F 6-10 261 May 2, 1978 Fresno State 7

13 Tyreke Evans G 6-6 220 Sept. 19, 1989 Memphis R

32 Cisco Garcia G-F 6-7 195 Dec. 31, 1981 Louisville 4

20 Donté Greene F 6-11 226 Feb. 21, 1988 Syracuse 1

31 Spencer Hawes C-F 7-1 245 April 28, 1988 Washington 2

23 Kevin Martin G 6-7 185 Feb. 1, 1983 West. Carolina 5

24 Des. Mason G 6-5 222 Oct. 11, 1977 Oklahoma State 9

42 Sean May F 6-9 266 April 4, 1984 North Carolina 3

5 Andres Nocioni F 6-7 225 Nov. 30, 1979 Argentina 5

10 Serg. Rodriguez G 6-3 176 June 12, 1986 Spain 3

7 Lanny Smith G 6-3 190 Oct. 30, 1984 Houston R

9 Kenny Thomas F 6-7 245 July 25, 1977 New Mexico 10

34 J. Thompson F 6-11 250 July 21, 1986 Rider 1

19 Beno Udrih G 6-3 205 July 5, 1982 Slovenia 5

*** - Sam Amick

PSA, as in Public Service Announcement. Not PSL, as in those quizzical personal seat licenses the Raiders used to sell and then wonder how in the Al Davis hell the Coliseum was empty.

We are here not only to entertain but to inform, and so here is some timely and relevant news regarding the Kings and ticket sales. The organization is working hard on all fronts to make sure they don't finish last in the league in attendance again, and the promotional push is ramping up as Monday's media day approaches.

The Kings will hold an open practice Oct. 3 at Arco Arena, with fans encouraged to download their free tickets to the 7 p.m. event on the team's web site.

The hope from there, of course, is that their emaciated fanbase is actually willing to pay to see this group.

While tickets for the team's three home preseason games are already on sale, individual tickets for the regular season home games go on sale Saturday. The newest wave of ballyhooed youngsters will be promoting the push, as rookies Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi and Jon Brockman all have meet-and-greet appearances on Saturday.

* Evans, the University of Memphis product who was taken fourth overall in the June draft, will mingle with fans at Dairy Queen at the Roseville Galleria from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

* Casspi, the Kings' No. 23 pick and first Israeli player to secure a guaranteed NBA contract, will be at Folsom Live 2009 on Historic Sutter Street in Old Folsom from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

* Brockman, the former University of Washington forward taken 38th overall by the Kings, will be at " A Day in the Zone" at Discovery Park from 2 to 3 p.m.

Fans who purchase tickets online to the Kings Nov. 2 home opener against Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday will receive a voucher to pick up an autographed photo of their favorite Kings rookie at the game. The Kings have also added three-game and five-game plans to their packages, the former starting at $76.50 and the latter starting at $127.50. Go to Kings.com or call 888-91-KINGS for more information. - Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

Let's talk Jon Brockman. Or, as he's known on his Twitter page, Mr. Jon Brockman.

I hope to do an expanded piece on this during the season, but I don't think Kings fans realize the Brockman love fest that went on in the Seattle area during his time there. And while most of the adoration was surely because the guy dives for loose balls and welcomes all knee scrapes, it's also because he's pretty much Mr. Meat and Potatoes with a side of All-American.

I chatted with the Kings rookie forward about that side of him today, when his love for fishing and penchant for eating large quantities of pancakes were the topics of discussion. Both areas were already public knowledge, as a Brockman Tweet on Aug. 24 was better suited for the Outdoors channel than NBATV and an FSN halftime segment last season showcased his devouring dominance. Be sure to watch until the end, as the player known for challenging his teammates to be their best has a challenge for his new fanbase. (Be sure to at least watch the pancake video first - 'devouring dominance' link)

Brockman may be a rookie, but it seems he's a vet when it comes to the media game. And he certainly wasn't impressed by this little old Kings blog - not after being a correspondent for Jim Rome during his final Huskies season.

As for the actual Kings session that I observed today, we'll leave that to tomorrow's paper. Plenty of time to examine this group. - Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

The NBA player's transition from summer fun to hitting the floor again used to be a story told on media day, when guys like me played the part of 5th Grade teacher and repeatedly asked 'How was your summer?'

But now there's YouTube, which means you don't even need to box anyone out in a media scrum to have a window into their world. Witness, Spencer Hawes...

The Kings' third-year center was so dedicated this summer he was doing cardio everywhere, including the sideline of his alma mater's upset over USC last weekend. (BLOG UPDATE, Sept. 22, 6:53 pm: What I'd thought was a random video shot by a Huskies fan that had gained YouTube traction was, in fact, content shot by Ben of Blazers Edge and published on Sactownroyalty in this post. I'm all about hat-tips, of course, so let that be known)

Hawes eventually joined his teammates in Sacramento, where most of the team has been running every day in the voluntary program that precedes the start of training camp on Sept. 29.

I'll be heading over to the practice facility today to take a look for myself and see how guys are coming along. Normally, I wouldn't have much interest in the work that's taking place over there these days. But this is far from a veteran-laden team, meaning chemistry and work ethic and a good early start are all more important than ever. This team needs to make its own breaks (and avoiding breaking anything of the physical sort) if they have any hope of surprising the masses who expect so little from them this season.

Kings coach Paul Westphal said as much when we spoke last week.

"We've had 10 guys (working out), and then Cisco (Garcia) has been here as well," Westphal said. "Tyreke (Evans) and K9 (Kenny Thomas) are coming soon and Beno (Udrih) and Noc (Andres Nocioni) are around corner. It's getting close.

"This is a real good sign to see these guys bonding and enjoying what they're doing, and working hard. Without the hard work, it means nothing. (Fifth-year Kings strength and conditioning coach) Daniel Shapiro has done a great job of getting them the conditioning and an opportunity to enjoy it and to interact with each other. This is a good thing right now."

I'll share some observations and have something in tomorrow's paper on the matter, so come on back. - Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

Just Desmond Mason's luck, the Kings didn't cap their roster at lucky No. 13 after all.

Geoff Petrie's prediction/declaration that his team would have 13 players this season was followed two days later by the signing of Mason, so pardon me for not being sure what to make of all of it. What's more, Mason - who has a non-guaranteed deal and will have to prove healthy and productive in order to become No. 14 - adds another log to the wingman jam while the position of greatest need - that being center - is the fire that remains untended.

But after all, it's been hazy around here for some time now, so just hold your breath and wait for the smoke to clear. Because Kings coach Paul Westphal says so...

"So much of how this is going to look when the smoke clears is based on competition, and the more competition that you can provide these players, the more you're going to find about them, about who can rise to the top and who deserves the opportunity to play and learn from their mistakes and who deserves to sit and watch and learn," Westphal said today. "You can learn a couple different ways."

In other words, give him a little bit of time before shooting off the flares.

Anyone looking to discuss the Mason addition and what it means, feel free to ask questions or sound off in Twitterland.

***

Just as the Kings looked content to start their season with 13 players on their roster, they have instead added an affordable and athletic talent to the mix.
Nine-year veteran Desmond Mason is expected to be signed to a non-guaranteed one-year deal for the league minimum of $1.18 million today, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. His deal is what's widely known as a 'make-good,' with Mason needing to still be on the roster on Jan. 10 to have his entire salary guaranteed. The Associated Press first reported the story that Mason would be signed, but did not indicate contract terms.

UPDATE: (2:03 p.m.) Mason's agent, Roger Montgomery, has just informed me that Mason has signed the deal and already left town to get his life organized before returning to Sacramento.

The former Oklahoma City swingman is coming off one of his toughest seasons, having hyperextended his right knee on Jan. 28 against Memphis and missed the second half of the season. He has averaged 12.2 points throughout a career in which he has played in Seattle, Milwaukee New Orleans and Oklahoma City. The Kings have long had their eye on Mason, having attempted to trade for him in 2005 in a deal involving Kings forward Kenny Thomas. The season prior was Mason's best, as he averaged 17.2 points for the Bucks.

Not long after the Kings and Bucks talked about Mason in October of 2005, he was sent from the Bucks to the then-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for center Jamaal Magloire, an unconditional first-round pick in 2006 and cash. He returned to Milwaukee in the summer of 2007 when he signed as a free agent, then averaged 9.7 points and 28.8 minutes per game while playing in just 59 games. He was traded to Oklahoma City last summer in a three-team trade with Cleveland also involved.

His addition will add some real intrigue to training camp, as he now joins a list of players fighting for minutes at the wing spots that already included Kevin Martin, Tyreke Evans, Andres Nocioni, Francisco Garcia, Donte' Greene, and Omri Casspi. Mason is going to turn 32 next month, so don't expect the same high-flyer who was drafted 17th overall by Seattle out of Oklahoma State. But the man has long been known for his highlight-reel material, and the Kings can only hope he has just a little bit left.

- Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

As expected, the Kings signed Jon Brockman today.

The move brings the roster to lucky No. 13, with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie telling me Monday that he didn't anticipate it growing from there. All of Seattle will surely rejoice, as Brockman is nothing short of revered in the Emerald City. Let training camp begin... - Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

Yes, it's only September and the thought of an injury update right now seems a bit absurd.

But Francisco Garcia went through much of last season with lingering injuries, one of which (fractured right ring finger) he repeated again earlier this month while playing with the Dominican Republic national team. So in the smallest of significant ways, it actually mattered this afternoon when the Kings announced that Garcia's injury is not serious and he can resume full hoops activities next week.

It matters because this team has less room for error or ailments than any other in the league, and they surely need a veteran like Garcia to be free to shine and shoot with all his digits - and everything else - in working order. Combined with the news that Beno Udrih's injury is also minor means Project Maximize Potential can begin in earnest when camp begins on Sept. 29. - Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

Per the previous blog post, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie told me this afternoon that second-round pick Jon Brockman will be officially signed either later today or tomorrow morning.

The team is getting an updated physical on Brockman, the University of Washington bruiser who was taken 38th overall. As a side note, Petrie mentioned that it's his preference to keep the roster at its current count of 13 players (once Brockman is signed). Translation: Don't expect the late addition of a backup center to the roster, and don't expect any camp players to win a job unless they put on an absolute show next month. - Sam Amick

Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.

***

The Seattle Times is reporting that University of Washington product and second round pick Jon Brockman was signed by the Kings today, although I've yet to confirm the news and a Kings official I checked with said he has no reason to believe this is the case.

Considering Brockman's latest Twitter update around 7 a.m. today had him halfway here from Seattle on his drive, the pen may not have actually hit the paper just yet or maybe the two sides haven't agreed at all. Nonetheless, it was/is a matter of when and not if, with sources who have knowledge of the contract talks telling me the holdup was related to whether to guarantee one or two years (and by extension the money in those years, of course).

I'm curious to hear of the outcome and will share that once I do. After all, signing second rounders and rookie free agents is where the negotiating goes on in the NBA because of the league's rookie salary scale which predetermines salaries for first rounders (with wiggle room of 80 percent to 120 percent of that figure up for negotiations and the structure - two years guaranteed, two team options - also preset). As such, I figured it'd be worth finding out what the fellow second rounders near Brockman (No. 38) signed for this summer or if they signed at all just to get a peek at that picture. It's not the only relevant info, as the Kings should really only care about how Brockman fits on their roster and what they think he deserves at this point within the context of their own financial situation. Nonetheless, it's interesting to size up the different deals.

Pick No. 31. Jeff Pendergraph - signed by Portland, no terms known

BLOG UPDATE (Sept. 22, 9:08 a.m.): Pendergraph terms - Three years, $2.1 million (Compensation Protection for 2010-11 season is none but increases to full if a) he plays in 10 or more 2009-10 regular season games, b) he plays in 50 percent or more of the team's 2009-10 playoff games - Blazers are already in?! - or c) Blazers have not cut him on or before July 25, 2010; Compensation protection for 2011-12 season is none but increases to full if a) player plays in 41 or more 2010-11 regular season games or b) Blazers have not cut him on or before June 30, 2011.)

32. Jermaine Taylor - signed by Houston, four years for $3.3 million (4th year team option, third year not guaranteed)

33. Dante Cunningham - signed by Portland, two years for $1.2 million (both guaranteed)

BLOG CORRECTION: For some unknown reason, I originally wrote Cunningham's salary as $2.4 million. Fixed on Sept. 22.

34. Sergio Llull - not signed by Houston (Rockets have his rights but he's playing with Real Madrid)

35. DaJuan Summers - signed by Detroit, two years for $1.2 million ($500,000 guaranteed in second season)

36. Sam Young - signed by Memphis, three years for $2.7 million (third season is a team option)

37. DeJuan Blair - signed by San Antonio, four years, $3.8 million ($500,000 guaranteed in third year; none guaranteed in fourth unless he isn't waived before Nov. 1, 2012 at which point it's fully guaranteed)

BLOG UPDATE (Sept. 22, 9:10 a.m.): No. 38: Brockman signed for one year at approximately $457,000 of guaranteed money and no team or player options thereafter.

39. Jonas Jerebko - signed by Detroit, two years for $1.2 million (second season half guaranteed but goes to full if still on the roster on July 1, 2010).

40. Derrick Brown - signed by Charlotte, two years for $1.2 million (second season has $100,000 guaranteed and $200,000 of $762K if still on team on Sept. 1, 2010; fully guaranteed on Nov. 1, 2010).

In this economic landscape, the cost of doing business simply isn't what it used to be and teams are tightening their respective wallets in situations like these. Saving a few (hundred thousand) bucks on second-round or rookie free agent deals is a good way to throw a bone to the bottom line, and something the Kings haven't done much of late. Making matters worse, their most recent players of this ilk haven't produced much while they were here or stayed around long to earn their money (see 2008 free agent rookie Bobby Brown and his two-year guaranteed deal for $1.17 million).

And while Brockman has already earned positive reviews and seems to be a favorite of first-year Kings coach Paul Westphal, he's still an unproven second rounder who - one would think - sits behind Jason Thompson, Spencer Hawes, Sean May and Kenny Thomas on the big man depth chart. For what it's worth... - Sam Amick

A quick social media reminder...

Follow myself and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee. If we hear tidbits or have brief insights that don't quite merit an actual blog post, this is a good place to get added Kings/NBA reporting/commentary. Also, it's an easy place for us to answer reader questions quickly and promptly (like, say, in 140 characters:) For the ultra lazy, you can see my Twitter updates along the lower right side of this page.

***

Since Sean May signed with the Kings in early August, the "no news is good news" mantra didn't jive with so many fans who wanted this team to improve its underwhelming roster in these late summer months.

But the old saying has proved true once again in this case, as the purple news cycle has been kickstarted this week by injuries to two key players. We talked about Beno Udrih's left knee strain in today's paper, and we'll elaborate on the impact of that ailment in a minute here. But after there were reports out of Puerto Rico that swingman Francisco Garcia had injured his finger while missing time in the FIBA Americas Championship, the Kings announced today that the productive sixth man has a fractured right ring finger and will not play in the remainder of the tournament (BLOG UPDATE 5:36 p.m.: As I was writing, DR was eliminated from the tourney by Canada).

Garcia - who labored through the same injury late last season after breaking the right ring finger on March 3 against Indiana - will return to Sacramento late next week to have the finger re-evaluated. All of which means Daniel Shapiro and Pete Youngman will have their hands full in what is an already-busy month for the Kings' fifth-year strength and conditioning coach and longtime trainer, with Udrih and Garcia needing rehab of various sorts from the start.

While neither injury is being deemed serious at the moment, there is a legitimate chance for lasting implications on both fronts. Garcia suffered through last season with a lingering injury (his calf) and surely hopes this one doesn't pester him for months to come. He will have no shortage of small forwards looking for minutes with starter Andres Nocioni, second-year Donte' Greene and rookie Omri Casspi, so any stumble at the start is undesirable. What's more, he had been playing very well for his Dominican Republic team (see stats here).

Speaking of whom, I caught up with Casspi today by phone from Bradenton, Fla., where he's going the way of Kevin Martin with his offseason training routine at the IMG Academy. Having returned from his homeland after the recent visit with our own Ailene Voisin, he said he is doing all he can to be in fantastic shape come training camp, and he plans on joining the Kings' voluntary conditioning program on Sept. 11.

"This is more of an individual feel (than his previous training in Israel)," Casspi said by phone. "In all my career, I've never had one summer off (because he previously played with the national team). I can work on my stuff and get better as a player, get stronger and work on my body. It's a new experience.
"Everything we do is a first time for me, so in the beginning it was very hard for me to adjust. You're working twice a day playing basketball and lifting in the end. I was dead for three days, couldn't even move. It was just different for me. It's great. I love it here. It's the best thing I could ever imagine. I want to do this every summer now. I have a lot of room to improve on my body and my game."

Meanwhile, Udrih - who has never been the top of the training camp conditioning class to begin with - now finds himself looking to get healthy right about the time his teammates will be looking to take his job. By default, he remains the starting point guard (read the company line here), but rookie Tyreke Evans is waiting to take the ball and run with it while new addition Sergio Rodriguez will be looking for substantial minutes as well.

A quick sidenote on Rodriguez that I forgot to mention along the way: Considering the Kings stand to net approximately $1.1 million for trading for him, any production is gravy. Sources with knowledge of the situation informed me the Kings were paid $2.9 million in the trade and Rodriguez will make approximately $1.8 million next season (he has a qualifying offer in 2010-11). They also acquired the 38th pick in the deal, of course, otherwise known as unsigned former University of Washington forward Jon Brockman. I can't see Brockman securing a whole lot of guaranteed money when he does eventually sign, but that would hypothetically cut into the savings.

As for Udrih, I spoke with his agent, Marc Cornstein, today and have this update.

"It sounds like he just has a minor tweak of his knee," Cornstein said. "It doesn't seem all that serious, but unfortunately the timing is right before the championships start Monday. In all likelihood - it's not 100 percent - but in all likelihood he won't play in Poland (for the Euroleague championships) but he should be ready for (Kings) camp (on Sept. 29) with no issues...It's only two or three weeks (recovery time) they're saying. But he is disappointed that he went through all this and won't have a chance to play with the (Slovenian) team."

When Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin dropped an Obama comparison in discussing the rock star treatment he received during his trip to Surabaya, Indonesia this week, he was quick to make it clear that this wasn't the hyperbole speaking.

"That's no exaggeration," he said.

By all indications, Martin was speaking the truth.

The treatment he received in the local newspaper was something else, so we'll start there. Talk about a warm welcome...

Click here to see front page mast

And an even warmer send-off...

Click here to see full-page ad with well-wishing notes from players

There was much more than that, too (which didn't make it in the story).

So as to avoid getting in hot water with the bosses, this blog post was written on the way out the door to vacation. I'll be out of commision for a while, but had a few final notes before departing.

* Per today's Kevin Martin story, I was given more information about the trip to Indonesia he'll be making in August.

Azrul Ananda is not only a fellow Sacramento State graduate, but the 32-year-old commissioner of the DetEksi Basketball League. The DBL is the largest student basketball competition (junior high and high school) in the country, and Martin will be joining the first ever Indonesia Developmental Camp which was organized by the DBL and the NBA. They'll be in Surabaya, Indonesia, where previous NBA events included visits from Indiana's Danny Granger and the Knicks' David Lee (currently a restricted free agent).

As for Martin and his mindset, it was clear in our 30-minute interview that he's encouraged by the recent Kings moves. He seemed encouraged in general, relieved that his ankle is feeling good again and enjoying the routine discussed in the story. He's in Sacramento now, though, as his basketball camp at Capital Christian starts today.

* There's still more material to come from Vegas, as I have an Omri Casspi story that will be published soon.

It could be days or perhaps weeks, but it appears likely that the news of Sean May joining the Kings will eventually transpire.

It could still fall through, but there are strong indications that the fifth-year, 6-foot-9 forward will be added to the Kings' roster on a one-year deal worth the league minimum for veterans of $884,881. The Kings would get a slight discount on the deal ($59,384) per the league's collective bargaining agreement, as the league helps foot the bill on veteran's minimum deals that are just one season. In the end, the Kings would pay $825,497 of May's salary.

"There is strong interest on both sides, but nothing has been formalized," said his agent, Bob Myers, of the Wasserman Media Group, by phone this afternoon. "Hopefully we'll know soon."

It's unclear what the hold up is, although the Kings have made a habit out of taking their time on all personnel matters during this offseason and really have no reason to rush. They could still be considering other free agent options, but the prospect of Ike Diogu returning seems unlikely unless his perceived price tag lowers.

According to two sources with knowledge of the situation, two-time D-League Coach of the Year Bryan Gates will be added to the staff of Kings coach Paul Westphal.

Gates has coached the Idaho Stampede since 2006, although he was with the organization in various roles as early as 1997. His Stampede team won the 2008 D-League championship.

While Gates was being considered for an assistant job almost immediately after Westphal was hired on June 9, his name wasn't called when the Kings coach added Mario Elie, Jim Eyen, and Truck Robinson to his staff in the subsequent weeks. Gates, however, indicated to News2 in Boise, Idaho that he still believed he had a chance.

"I feel very comfortable with everything that's happened," he told the television station. "They've been very up front and honest about everything and I'm okay...
"I love the Stampede, everybody treats us great. I don't really want to leave. It's going to have to be a great pasture on the other side."

Gates has already been spending some time on the other side, watching Monday's Kings game with Westphal and much of his staff before interviewing with the head coach on Tuesday. Former Clippers coach/director of player development Neal Meyer was among the candidates for the job as well. - Sam Amick

The chatter about two-time NBA Developmental League coach of the year Bryan Gates potentially joining Kings coach Paul Westphal's staff that has been around for a while, resurfaced via Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski yesterday.

Sure enough, the Idaho Stampede coach met with Westphal in Las Vegas to discuss an assistant post on Tuesday. Westphal told The Bee's Jason Jones in Vegas that he would be adding one more coach to the staff, although he did not indicate who that would be. And while my sources tell me that former Clippers assistant/director of player development Neal Meyer is also in the running (as well as at least one other candidate, I believe), Gates is already looking the part.

I didn't notice this until a day after it came out, but our own Jose Luis Villegas captured this shot of Gates already looking the part of Kings assistant at summer league Monday while watching the action with Westphal and other Kings folks. He's the one in the light blue shirt on the left.

And for what it's worth, Meyer is working with Cleveland this summer league in Vegas and is a candidate to be added to the staff of Cavs head coach/fellow University of San Diego alum Mike Brown. Meyer worked with new Kings assistant Jim Eyen with the Clippers previously.

HAWES ON MISSING SUMMER LEAGUE: "It's...more of a suggestion-type thing rather than a requirement."

So third-year center Spencer Hawes missed summer league, and we'd been hearing a number of reasons for why that was the case.

But thanks to Bob Nakutin from Hoquiam, Wa., who e-mailed to alert us that the rumor about Hawes keeping his commitment to attend a kids camp was true. Hawes was the featured guest at Hoquiam High School, where his mother, Lisa Reynvaan Hawes, was a 1974 graduate. Per this story from "The Daily World" in Aberdeen, Wa., we discover Hawes' whereabouts and hear his take on missing summer league. I'm not too sure this will clear his name with the Kings higher-ups. - Sam Amick

Photo by Jose Luis Villegas - see entire slideshow here

***

Donté Greene wants a time machine.

He said as much last week in Las Vegas, where the process of improving his game for the future continued at summer league but the Kings second-year small forward couldn't help but look back. During a long and candid interview inside his Palms hotel that resulted in Sunday's piece on his life and still-stalling career, Greene talked about a number of things that didn't make the story.

But the part about wanting to turn back time stuck with me the most, as even the most candid of athletes typically steer clear of admitting regret. Yet Greene didn't hesitate at all, discussing his decision to leave Syracuse after just one season and wondering what might have been if he had stayed. To review, he was drafted by Memphis with the 28th pick and traded to Houston that night before coming to the Kings in the August trade that netted the Rockets Ron Artest.

"It's been a long road, a lot of shoulda, coulda, wouldas," Greene said. "I wish I would've done this, wish I would've done that, wish I had me a time traveling machine. All kinds of crazy stuff. My family has definitely been there, told me to hang in there. It's just been a lot of tough things going on and off the court with me.

LAS VEGAS - Better late than never, but here are a few chats I had after the Kings' second summer league game against Golden State. (to see the rundown of their overtime loss, click here).

Kings second-year forward Jason Thompson talks about his play...

Kings rookie small forward Omri Casspi discusses his summer league experience thus far...

- Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - Pardon the lack of blog presence for the last 36 hours, but there was much time spent on old-fashioned journalism as I put together a Donte' Greene piece that will run in tomorrow's paper.

It meant there was a delay on a number of fronts, including my intent to share information about how fans can view the summer league games. It's online only viewing this year, with a $14.99 fee granting you access to all of the games either live or in archived form. Even if you missed the Kings' first two games (or any others), you can pull them up after the fact. For those interested in doing so, go to this website to sign up.

Also, for those who aren't already on our Twitter path, click here to start the stalking and follow Kings and NBA chatter. - Sam Amick

LAS VEGAS - The coverage continues here from summer league, where we've already discussed Spencer Hawes' decision to not take part and other news and notes from the first day.

Now The Bee has officially arrived on location as it pertains to the blogosphere. But before we get to first day video interviews with all of the team's draft picks, a few additional tidbits of relevance.

* Regarding Hawes, the reasons for him not playing that I've heard include a wedding he attended, a camp he had to make an appearance at, a groin that was bothering him and an abdominal strain that bothered him last year and was apparently a tad touchy again recently. I haven't spoken to Hawes, but Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie cited only a "family commitment" and coach Paul Westphal referenced something with his "leg" as well as other personal matters.

Petrie said he has not spoken directly to Hawes about the matter. And for the record, he said he was unsure whether Hawes might play when he arrives Monday. Westphal said he didn't expect Hawes to play, and that he was coming to offer his teammates support.

His longtime friend, former University of Washington teammate and new Kings teammate Jon Brockman, meanwhile, said no one should question how hard Hawes has been working on his game elsewhere.

"I've been working out with him almost every day in Seattle," Brockman said after Wednesday's second practice. "He just had some other stuff going on that he could not miss, and I think he's a little banged up just from - he's been working really hard.
"He's been working really hard in the weight room and on the court, so you know I'm a little disappointed (he's not here) but I think we'll get a chance to see him here at some point. I think he'll be down here in a little bit."

Now on to the videos...

Tyreke Evans, the former Memphis guard who was taken No. 4 overall by the Kings in the June 25 draft, discusses his first day on the job. That day included the signing of his contract.

Brockman, who was taken 38th overall and impressed in his first day, talks about how he went 7-0 in the day's scrimmages.

Omri Casspi, the Israeli small forward who was kept off the court because of red tape, talks about his anticlimactic start.

- Sam Amick

Pardon the delay regarding the last pick, but the Kings took University of Washington forward Jon Brockman with the No. 38 pick that they received from Portland.

We'll have more on him later (and in tomorrow's paper), but there is an introduction below in the meantime.

- Sam Amick

The Kings selected Israeli small forward Omri Casspi at No. 23, adding a versatile wingman to their roster who will become the first Israeli to play in the NBA.

We'll have more on him later, but here's my chat with Casspi from the predraft combine in Chicago last month.

- Sam Amick

By Sam Amick
samick@sacbee.com

The Kings selected Memphis' Tyreke Evans with the fourth pick of today's NBA draft in New York City, adding the 6-foot-5 guard to a roster so badly in need of more talent.

By many accounts, Evans was among the most talented - if not the most talented - player in the draft. And while he is not the conventional point guard the Kings sought, he is a dynamic scorer who led his University of Memphis team at the point guard spot last season and can also play shooting guard. After the Clippers selected Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin, Memphis selected University of Connecticut Hasheem Thabeet, and Oklahoma City took Arizona State guard James Harden, the Kings took Evans their other top candidates who were still available in Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, Davidson guard Stephen Curry and Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn.

Earlier today, the Kings agreed to terms with Portland to acquire Blazers point guard Sergio Rodriguez in exchange for their No. 31 pick, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The Kings will also receive Portland's No. 38 pick and cash considerations.

Here's a video interview with Evans that took place after his first workout in Sacramento, followed by a highlight reel below.

The Kings have agreed to terms with Portland to acquire Blazers point guard Sergio Rodriguez in exchange for their No. 31 pick, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The Kings will also receive Portland's No. 38 pick and cash considerations. - Sam Amick

Not to put a damper on the excitement of draft day, but it appears there's a grave element to the Kings' prospect evaluation process that had gone largely unnoticed among Kings fans and media in Sacramento until today.

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans, who is believed by many to be the leading candidate for the team's No. 4 pick in the draft that is just hours away, was the driver in a 2007 shooting in which his cousin, 18-year-old Jamar Evans, killed 19-year-old Marcus Reason from the passenger seat of the car. Tyreke Evans was not charged after a police investigation, but the story resurfaced Tuesday when Jamar Evans was sentenced to nine to 20 years in jail after pleading guilty to third-degree murder and firearm charges.

A league source who has spoken to the Kings regarding Tyreke Evans said they have been aware of the tragedy and the prospect's role in it throughout the evaluation process, so it seems certain that they have taken that into account regarding their pick. The Kings issued a short statement when contacted as well, by way of text message from Kings vice president of media relations/basketball operations Troy Hanson.

"We have conducted extensive background checks on all of the prospects we are considering." - Sam Amick

So first, the cliff notes on what I'm hearing: Not a lot.

In the days leading up to the draft, the Kings were far from Wizards - literally. While I was repeatedly told the phones were ringing off the hook in Washington (which had the No. 5 pick before trading it to Minnesota), the team just below them - the Kings - seemed less primed to make a move. I don't see the search for a veteran point guard (by way of trading the No. 4) paying off. The more likely scenario is the packaging of the two later picks (No. 23 and No. 31) to move up.

As for who the Kings pick at No. 4? It's still sounding like Memphis' Tyreke Evans, but today and the in-house discussions that are going on do truly matter. Davidson's Stephen Curry may be the safe pick, and I almost wonder if he winds up being the guy with the understanding that the Kings love his offense and simply plan to add defensive pieces elsewhere to shore up that weakness (they love Louisville's Terrence Williams). Syracuse's Jonny Flynn still has fans among the team's decision makers and makes sense to them on a lot of fronts.

Lastly, Ricky Rubio. If the anti-Rubio sentiment that was so prevalent in the Kings camp over the last few weeks was actually all smoke, then Cheech and Chong would be proud. But there are strong basketball arguments to be made that he would be the best fit based on need, and the business and what his presence could do to help the bottom line is certainly being discussed.

Moving on here, I wanted to share a couple comments from Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie from last night that didn't make the paper real quick as well...

On whether he'll trade the No. 4 pick: "You're always open to listening, but right now we're prepared to make the pick."

On the fact that Petrie nor anyone else truly knows which player will wind up being the best down the road: "Whatever happens in this draft tomorrow, there is not going to be any absolute truth - only some people will say there is. The absolute truth will come down the road, when the truth becomes more self evident. If anybody wants to say they have the absolute truth, it's up to other people to accept it or not."

Now, to the logistics of the day. For those not content to watch from their couch at home, the Kings are inviting all fans to attend a draft party at Arco Arena from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Petrie will speak with the crowd before the draft and after the first round selections. Coach Paul Westphal will be there, too, along with some celebs apparently.

As for our Kings blog party, the action will be on Twitter unless something of more substance unfolds (at which point there will be more blogging before the picking begins). Follow me by clicking here, and be sure to add fellow Kings/NBA writer Jason Jones to your lineup by clicking here. For the lazy folks out there, there is a direct Twitter feed from my page along the right rail below. Enjoy... - Sam Amick

The old line about how 'It beats digging ditches' still rings true every day on this job, but there are those rare days in which you almost feel like grabbing a shovel instead.

It would be simple, if nothing else. No shame in that.

As for today's shift, there was some shame. It was necessary shame, of course, with grown men huddled outside the Kings practice facility waiting hours to talk to an 18-year-old. Yes, he wasn't just any 18-year-old, but the fact that it was Ricky Rubio didn't make the process any less painful for those who endured it.

The pain was eased, however, when the wait paid off.

I was able to arrange a one-on-one meeting with Rubio at the airport just before he left town, just after the Spanish point guard had finished his workout and visit with the Kings. The exclusive chat can be seen in two parts below. Apologies on the quality, as this came from the cell phone camera and there are two parts because, well, the phone rang halfway through. We'll start here, and I'll share some information and observations regarding the workout after the clips.

This clip begins with Rubio discussing how he hasn't picked up a ball since his Euroleague season ended nearly a month ago...

Now regarding the workout, the sentiment that Rubio was underwhelming was qualified by some (including Rubio) with a disclaimer that the format simply didn't show what he could do. And while I heard similar comments to this Chad Ford report regarding the lack of a wow factor (not impressive athletically, mostly), I had one person who isn't a huge Rubio backer say he was pleasantly surprised by his shot and that it was crystal clear Rubio is a true point guard.

Now the on-floor action wasn't the only relevant part, as Rubio spent more than two hours inside the facility after the workout was over. We were told he was having lunch at one point (not sure who was at the table), and then informed that he was taking a shower. At one point, some of the prospects from the morning's workout with Pitt's Sam Young left the building to head for the airport and couldn't help but chuckle at the media absurdity on display (again, the shame thing). Yet with all due respect to Sam - who has a great name and could be a great pick at No. 23 - he's just not the guy fans are curious about right now.

Now to hit on a final point on this matter, a source close to Rubio said the agreement between him and his current team, DKV Joventut, to reduce his $6.6 million buyout had a small hiccup but should still be finalized soon. All indications remain that it is not an obstacle.

Lastly, the hierarchy of prospects for No. 4 as I understand it is this (yes, knowing full well that smokescreens are everywhere and attempting to work through them): Memphis' Tyreke Evans above Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, with more to be discussed about Rubio and Davidson's Stephen Curry. And sure, I'll keep throwing UConn center Hasheem Thabeet in there as a maybe even if no one thinks he'll be there and even though he rebuffed the Kings and everyone else for a workout. - Sam Amick

The Ricky Rubio red flags continue to fall, as the news that his buyout situation is almost resolved is followed by news that the Spanish point guard will work out in Sacramento today.

I've been told by a source close to Rubio that the above report is accurate, that he will fly from Los Angeles to Sacramento today and get on the floor to give the Kings a taste of what could be to come. This comes on the same day on which the Kings have their last scheduled workout, as Pittsburgh's Sam Young heads a group today that consists mostly of late first round or second round prospects.

To review, Rubio didn't work out during his Sacramento visit last week after getting sick and eventually visiting with Oklahoma City (which picks third) in LA.

Ricky Rubio's situation is about to get less complicated.

According to a source close to Rubio, the $6.6 million buyout of the Spanish point guard's contract with his current team, DKV Joventut, will likely be reduced today or tomorrow to an amount where "he knows he'll be able to make the payments," the source said. The resolution of that element of the Rubio equation will, in effect, clear a major obstacle for teams that are considering drafting him Thursday but have concerns about when he would join their team. And that, of course, includes the Kings.

Assuming the details of the arrangement are finalized soon as expected, Rubio would plan on joining his team at NBA Summer League in July just like the rest of the draft field. Yet while Rubio's Kings visit in Sacramento last week was the first with any NBA team in America as they continue to look at options for the fourth pick, they are no longer alone in that regard.

Rubio visited with Oklahoma City representatives on Saturday in Los Angeles, where the Thunder (who pick third) was allowed to examine his DKV Joventut contract just as the Kings had before them to gain a better understanding of those particulars. While Memphis (which holds the second pick) had visited with Rubio in Spain before the Kings or Thunder, the Grizzlies - nor any other team - did not see the contract. There could be more visits to come, however, as Rubio's camp will surely explore all options in the days to come.

Rubio's eventual NBA team is only permitted to pay $500,000 of a buyout, meaning the rest of the undetermined amount will be paid by Rubio. Because he made approximately $97,000 last season with DKV Joventut, his representatives had asked an arbitrator to settle the matter while claiming the buyout is disproportionate to his salary. They also claimed Rubio never signed his contract when it was drafted when he was 16, although he reportedly did sign an addendum last season. - Sam Amick

Consider this the one-man weigh in for the heavyweight bout, even if Sunday's Point Guard Battle Royale involves a bunch of relative lightweights who pound the hardwood instead of other men's faces.

Davidson guard Stephen Curry is in the Kings' conversation, one of four players I've been told will be discussed for the No. 4 pick by what remains an undecided Kings' front office and scouting staff. The others are Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, Spaniard Ricky Rubio, and Memphis' Tyreke Evans, two of whom will be on hand tomorrow (Flynn and Evans) to share the floor with Curry and see who can win the latest round in this fight to be fourth.

BLOG UPDATE: Quick disclaimer, UConn's Hasheem Thabeet gets a look if he is unexpectedly there as well.

I caught up with Curry at his hotel early this evening, when he talked about everything from how he would fit in with the Kings to the fact that he extended his workout schedule to include Sacramento after it appeared he would end it in Washington (No. 5 pick).

- Sam Amick

Just as the notion of Ricky Rubio in a Kings uniform is seeming less likely by the day, there is this unsurprising news: he is moving on.

A source with knowledge of the situation said Rubio was visited in Los Angeles today by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the No. 3 pick in the June 25 draft. This matters mostly because Rubio's visit in Sacramento this week came with unspoken terms, an understanding of sorts that a Rubio promise on the Kings' part could have stopped his American tour with just one concert. But that clearly never happened, and certainly not only because Rubio was unable to get on the floor Thursday when he fell ill.

So he continues to interview away, certainly hoping to not fall below the fourth spot if only because that $6.6 million buyout has to be paid for somehow. There has been talk of a second Sacramento visit, but I'm not sure that's plausible now since he is believed to be headed back to Spain on Sunday. - Sam Amick

USC guard Demar DeRozan worked out for the Kings today, flashing his above-the-rim game and continuing to show why he could wind up being a top five pick.

He won't be picked at No. 4, however, as the Kings have not the positional need or patience to let his game develop over the course of the next couple seasons. But there are plenty of folks around the league who think he'll wind up being one of the best pros from this draft. I didn't videotape any of the action because, well, the portion we saw just wasn't that action-packed. This is DeRozan afterward, however, reiterating that he believes he can jump higher than Vince Carter (at the 3:15 mark) and talking about the June 25 draft.

Before we go the tape, though, it's official now that the Kings will hold their second blockbuster point guard workout on Sunday. Memphis' Tyreke Evans and Davidson's Stephen Curry will now be joined by Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and Saint Mary's' Patty Mills. Florida's Nick Calathes and Florida State's Toney Douglas will also take part. In the spirit of good competition, I've been told that Flynn and Mills both asked their way into this particular workout in a fearless attempt to show their stuff against the very players they're competing with for draft position.

- Sam Amick

BLOG UPDATE: Most of Porter's comments didn't 'make tomorrow's paper, so I've added them to the end of this blog post.

I'm not the biggest fan of mini-blog posts, but it's a necessity since I spilled the Terry Porter beans on Mike Lamb's KHTK show minutes ago.

The former Milwaukee and Phoenix coach told me today in a phone interview that he would not be joining the Kings as an assistant to head coach Paul Westphal. Porter said he did speak with Westphal about the job, but his current plan is to sit next season out while continuing to survey the landscape. He is being paid through next season on his Suns contract after being fired midway through last season. More in tomorrow's Bee...

ADDENDUM...

Porter was fired midway through the Suns' 2008-09 season, with a 23-18 record that clearly wasn't enough to keep owner Robert Sarver and GM Steve Kerr content.

His was a tough situation, with Porter entering as the coach to follow Mike D'Antoni and his high-octane offensive ways and implement a defensive approach that simply didn't fit so much of the personnel. And after he provided an update on the fact that he wouldn't be coming on board as a Kings assistant, Porter touched on his firing and whether he thought it was fair.

"Coaches know you get hired and you get fired," he began. "Am I disappointed? Yeah. Anybody who has played this sport or been in any situation or job where they thought they'd like to be given a fair chance would be. It didn't turn out that way long enough.
"You know, it is what it is. It's the wonderful world of NBA coaching. I'm more concerned on the next phase, on my family."

On his upcoming relocation away from the Phoenix area (he didn't say where the new home court would be) and how he is getting plenty of family time now...

"You do get a chance to reconnect with your family somewhat. Coaching is such a grind, a 24-hour demand a lot of the time. There's a lot of people pulling at you, a lot of people you've got to touch bases with. When you don't have that, it's an abrupt stop. You need to reconnect with the family, and that's always nice too."

On whether he's willing to be an assistant in his next NBA job or if he is only interested in head jobs...

"I really just have to see when (job opportunities) come. I left Milwaukee and got a chance to be an assistant in Detroit with Flip (Saunders). It was a great experience, and I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot. I was blessed being in a situation where you're going to learn. You never stop learning." - Sam Amick

We already knew it was a big weekend at the Kings practice facility with Saturday's workout of USC's Demar DeRozan.

But the team just announced that Sunday's workout with Florida State guard Toney Douglas and Davidson point guard Stephen Curry will also include returnees Tyreke Evans (Memphis guard) and Nick Calathes (Florida guard). Keith Clark and Courtney Fells will also take part. The fun continues in a big way on Monday, when Pittsburgh forward Sam Young will be the big name in a multi-player workout. - Sam Amick

After experiencing seemingly-seamless travel from Spain to Los Angeles to Sacramento in recent days, there is an unexpected delay in the Ricky Rubio road trip.

The Spanish point guard who arrived Tuesday afternoon has become sick today, meaning an afternoon hoops session at the Kings practice facility is not expected to take place. Rubio, who is here only to gauge the Kings' interest in him at the No. 4 spot in the June 25 draft, may attempt to give it a go tomorrow morning. Or, of course, he may not.

After Rubio watched the Kings' workout with lesser prospects this morning and had lunch with Kings folks immediately after, a sore throat and fatigue have changed the itinerary. Per draft rules, he can only stay 48 hours and must be gone around 2 p.m., so that's the time frame with which he and the Kings have to work.

After the two sides had appeared to get off to such a successful start with dinner last night, the value and impact of the trip is obviously hard to assess at this point. It obviously would have been ideal if Rubio would have flashed his game for the Kings' brass, and that could still happen. But it could be a non-factor as well, as decisions like these are made from mountains of data of which this is merely a decent-sized ridge. - Sam Amick

BLOG UPDATE: I've added a transcript of Rubio's interview below the video.

Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio was kind enough to spend some time with The Bee during his Sacramento visit, cramming the one-on-one interview in between his physical at the UC Davis Medical Center and his dinner with Kings officials downtown.

In a hotel chat that came with a few logistical and technical challenges, the below video comes with one disclaimer: our photographer, Hector Amezcua, was videotaping without my knowledge. That doesn't really matter until the midway point, where I fumble with my handheld video cam while not realizing until after the fact that I didn't need to be taping at all. It's a comical moment in an otherwise interesting eight minutes.

After coming from Spain just days ago and then from Los Angeles to Sacramento today, Rubio does not have any other visits scheduled on his trip. The next day could very well determine whether that remains the case, so it's a vital time for this high-profile prospect in that respect. We'll obviously weigh in on his visit and whether he's headed to Sacramento in tomorrow's paper (read story here). Also, there is a transcript of the interview below the video (just click on 'continue reading')

BLOG UPDATE: Rubio has arrived. Let the visiting commence.

According to three sources with knowledge of the situation, Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio will arrive in Sacramento this afternoon.

Rubio, who is a candidate for the Kings' No. 4 pick in the June 25 draft, flew from Spain to Los Angeles in recent days and will now spend parts of two days deliberating with the Kings about their interest in him as a player. While he is expected to visit with Kings officials tonight and spend time on the Arco Arena grounds tomorrow, it is unclear how much - if any - basketball-related activity will take place. Rubio - who continues to deal with the sticky buyout situation from his current professional contract with DKV Joventut - mentioned his visit on his Twitter page as well.

Also, Davidson high-scoring point guard Stephen Curry told reporters in Washington D.C. today that he is heading to Sacramento this weekend for a workout. The Washington Post's Michael Lee relayed word on that front. - Sam Amick

He's not just a fan. He's Tom Ziller, he of Sactownroyalty blog fame and KHTK glory.

In the wake of the Paul Westphal hiring and the reality that the fan voice has never been more important for the Kings, Ziller will join Carmichael Dave tonight on "The Show" from 7-9 p.m. on 1140 AM and KHTK.com (Dave is filling in for Jason Ross). Ziller and I spoke the other day for the piece about Westphal becoming official, and I'd been looking for an excuse to share more of his thoughts that appears to have now arrived.

Thus, here are his thoughts that didn't fit in print. I may do unconventional blogs like this on occasion, getting outside of Bee box and checking in with the folks who matter most to the Kings and their future. Feel free to agree/disagree with Ziller's take in the comments section. A quick teaser before we move on: I may have another one coming soon involving an old friend.

Ziller on Westphal hiring (quotes that weren't in the story)...

"I think there could have been so many more infinitely poorer decisions made. Obviously Westphal wasn't the favorite of most fans, I think. When it all started, there was a huge backing for the Eddie Jordan nostalgic contingent, of which I honestly was part of it...They could have chosen someone like John Whisenant, who would've really upset a lot of the hardcore fans."

On whether he's the right guy for this mix of players...

"It's obviously an offensive-minded team, so you need a coach who has an offensive system of note. I think a major failure over the last three years has been sort of a lack of offensive identity. (Eric) Musselman..I thought his biggest failure was on the offensive side, where Brad Miller - three quarters of the way through the season - was saying that he didn't know his role on offense when he was the most important offensive player in terms of being a facilitator. And then Reggie Theus didn't have a system - the owners called out his lack of a system a month into the season last year. I think implementing some sort of offensive scheme or offensive principles will definitely help the product on the floor." - Sam Amick

We ask the above question because we all know who won the battle off the floor, even if Ricky Rubio wasn't around to defend himself against Brandon Jennings.

Chances are, Rubio wouldn't have been able to stop Jennings no matter where he was.

The 19-year-old is simply too quick. That was the prevailing impression among those who watched Jennings play. The viewing audience was just like the majority of hoops fans out there, largely unfamiliar with Jennings game because he left to play in Italy after playing his high school ball at Dominguez Hills in Compton and the esteemed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. But as he faced off mostly against Syracuse's power-packed point guard Jonny Flynn, Jennings impressed in a big way during the full-court scrimmage.

Unreal press conference with Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and - more importantly for these purposes - Italian professional/Oak Hill Academy product and Compton born and bred Brandon Jennings. Jennings and Flynn went at each other in a mega-workout that also included UCLA's Jrue Holiday in his second workout with the Kings.

And after Jennings showed off his game in a big way on the floor, he went about making huge headlines off of it. He was asked about Rubio and the fact that he isn't likely to work out for teams and will only interview, while Jennings is taking on big-time prospects The first Rubio mention is around the 1:30 mark, but it gets real juicy around 5:05, when Jennings is asked about the one time he faced off with Rubio (Flynn is on the left, Jennings on the right)

Enjoy...

This second video is more focused on the workout. Jennings wasn't shy here either, pointing out that his team beat Flynn's and how Flynn wanted to go again...

JENNINGS ON RUBIO

Q: How did he (Rubio) do and how would he do to compare to the other guys in college now?

A: "Well when I was playing he only zero assists and two turnovers, you know you tell me how that was."

Q: How many minutes was he (Rubio) playing?

A: "We had about even minutes, I had 12 points, about six assists, that was the most I ever played was 30 minutes. I was a little winded but I still think I got the best of him."

Q: How would he compare to the college freshman for example?

A: "Well put it like this, if he was in a workout with me, Jonny Flynn, Drew Holiday, (Ty) Lawson, and Stephen Curry he wouldn't even be at the top."

Q: Do you think he's all hype?

A: "Yeah because he played in the Olympics, been playing pro ball since 14, you know there it is right there. His stats you know 26 minutes, having 16 points, seven assists, nine steals in 26 minutes, and you have all that? You know, I really don't know, I can't wait to play him though."

Q: Is it safe to say you think should go before Ricky Rubio in the draft?

A: "Yeah, I think I'm a better player think he is, I can shoot the ball better than he can, you know the only time I have seen him do something is when he has a homerun pass or something like that. I think the dude is just all hype. I can't even front you know, I'm just going to be real with you guys." - Sam Amick

We'll be streaming the press conference of new Kings coach Paul Westphal on Friday at 1:30 p.m.. Meanwhile, Bee sports editor Bill Bradley and columnist Marcos Breton will be taking questions and making observations in a live blog.

I will try to join in after the presser. To watch the press conference and join in on the conversation, go to www.sacbee.com/live.

I'll likely wind up Tweeting somewhere in there, too, so feel free to follow me here or fellow scribe Jason Jones here. Jason will be covering the monstrous workout in the morning that includes Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, UCLA's Jrue Holiday and Italian League professional/Oak Hill Academy product Brandon Jennings. - Sam Amick

Here is the press conference from yesterday, with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie discussing everything from the hiring of Paul Westphal to the Kurt Rambis situation to the draft that is two weeks away.

Below we have the radio portion of this blog, from my interview with the Rise Guys yesterday to the Rambis interview in its entirety from yesterday. I only had a small portion of the Rambis interview in yesterday's post, but there was more discussion at the end in which Rambis talks about how he and his wife came to a decision on the matter followed by a few more not-so-subtle digs at the Kings to boot. Also, be sure to check out the surprise announcement from Kings draft prospect and Memphis guard Tyreke Evans at the end of this post.

Westphal, by the way, will be introduced to the media/public tomorrow and sharing the spotlight with the mega-point-guard-workout that includes Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, UCLA's Jrue Holiday (his second Sacramento stop) and Italy's Brandon Jennings. If you missed our one-on-one interview with Westphal from the night he learned he was hired, read it here.

Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie shared his views on the Kurt Rambis chapter of his team's coaching search earlier today, and now the Lakers assistant has shared his.

Speaking to the "Petros and Money Show" on Fox Sports Radio, Rambis had this to say. A transcript of the interview is below, or click on the MP3 file to hear the interview.

Rambis.mp3

"I really did not want to focus on it (the Kings' coaching situation). They put some sort of timetable there. I understand that they wanted to move forward in their coaching search, but really what it came down to was that they have a bunch of young players on their team. It's a project team. As it stands right now, that team is - particularly in the Western Conference - is a ways away from winning.

"They have holes in their roster, and they certainly have to improve as a ballclub if they expect to win. And I was just looking to be involved with that team for a longer term than what the Sacramento Kings were looking for. I think that that's basically what it came down to. I like the Kings organization, I like Geoff Petrie as a general manager. The Maloofs are good owners, but my vision and their vision just didn't coincide, so I decided to turn their offer down and they moved in another direction."

PROGRAMMING ALERT: We just posted my Q&A with Paul Westphal from last night - read it here.

Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie addressed a report that the coaching job was offered to both Kurt Rambis and Paul Westphal before Westphal became the guy. I've already shared my reporting on the matter in this blog post, but here is Petrie's response with questions in between.

His first statement on the matter...

A: "The way we approached this hire was that we had a compensation structure that was basically a pre-qualifying type of...commitment that was going to be needed. So all of the people who we talked to were either told ahead of time or immediately after in their interviews what this structure was. And in order to have a chance to be offered the job, there needed to be some acknowledgement that that structure would be acceptable, which is not unlike a lot of jobs that get put out there. The job could not have been offered to somebody who hadn't said that that structure was acceptable. The only person who was offered this job was Paul Westphal. That's the bottom line.

Q: How much thought did you give to riding this thing out until after the Finals, just because Kurt had seemed so loyal to the Lakers and not wanting to deal with this process during the Finals?

A: "I just think that we gave everybody enough time to examine, analyze, mull over. It wasn't a situation where you told somebody about this and then said, 'We need an answer in 24 hours.' There was no gun, really, put to anybody's head in that form. I guess the question was, 'How much time do you need?' And I think we gave everybody adequate time to formulate their own sense of whether this works or doesn't work. At some point, you want to have a coach, we liked them all very much and decided that Paul was the best."

Q: You had mentioned Paul's enthusiasm for the job, which he showed from the beginning and continues to show. Was it revealing to you at all how Kurt decided to handle the process? Did that say something to you about his interest level?

A: "That was up to each individual person to try to come to grips with on their own. I think we gave everybody adequate time to reach some point where they could be definitive one way or the other, and we weren't prepared to wait any longer."

I'll have much more in Thursday's paper, as I had long conversations tonight with agreed-in-principle Kings coach Paul Westphal, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof and Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie.

But before we put this story to bed for the time being, I wanted to answer one of the more relevant questions that probably shouldn't wait.

Did Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis turn down the job before it went to Westphal?

I was tracking Rambis' status very closely all along and until the end, and here's what I was told by sources who know.

There was 27 days between Westphal's interview and his hiring, with the main obstacle in between the fact that his leading candidate competitor, Rambis, was involved in the playoffs and making it very clear all along that he wouldn't be distracted by the Kings' process. The obviousness of that reality and what it says shouldn't be forgotten.

Yet after Petrie had to convince Westphal to stay in the race late last week, he had pressured Rambis' agent, Warren LeGarie, for an answer regarding what it would take to entice Rambis to take the job. That answer came this afternoon in the form of an e-mail from LeGarie, which was essentially a non-answer insisting that they needed more time and simply couldn't commit to anything.

Without a commitment on the Rambis front and with the fact that - as Petrie told me tonight - third candidate and Boston associate head coach Tom Thibodeau had pulled out of the race earlier in the day, the desire to get a deal done with someone whose desire to be in Sacramento was no mystery rather than head further down the rocky Rambis road won out. There had been rumblings all along that Rambis had serious doubts about the job on a number of fronts and may not have taken it unless the expected salary ($1.5 million per in two guaranteed seasons) increased significantly, and it became clear at the end that Petrie preferred the security of a guy he was also high on whose interest was indisputable and whose terms had been agreed to (at least the basic structure of the terms) weeks before.

"(Rambis) was a great candidate, and certainly being involved in the Finals and the responsibilities there can make it a little bit challenging," Petrie said. "But we felt we needed to move forward. We felt we had three terrific candidates and decided to go with Paul."

As a final note, Westphal said Wednesday is his anniversary and he will remain put in Los Angeles to celebrate the occasion. As such, a press conference won't likely happen until Thursday or Friday, I would think. - Sam Amick

As a follow-up to the breaking news on the Kings' hiring of Paul Westphal, I wanted to share the confirmation of the news.

I just chatted with Westphal by phone, and he had this to say (and a lot more to come)...

"I'm just very excited about the opportunity. I have been looking for a good opportunity to get back and do what I like to do and I think that the Kings present an exciting challenge for me and I can't wait to get started.
"I'm really happy I got the job, and whatever winding turns it had to take - I don't even know all the winding turns that it took - I'm just happy that they decided I'm the guy for them and I can't wait to get started."

I also talked with Kings co-owner Joe Maloof, who had this (and more in tomorrow's paper) to say...

"I think we've got a gentleman who has a wonderful reputation around the league. He's had a great winning percentage, over 62 percent of his games he's won in the NBA. He has been an experienced coach in the NBA.
"We knew that he was very strong offensively, and that he had all those great teams that scored a lot of points, but you don't get into the NBA FInals (as Westphal's Phoenix team did in the 1992-93 season, losing in six games to Chicago) if you don't teach defense as well. He went through some of his ideas on defense, which made a lot of sense to us."

Maloof went on to break down some of the finer points of Westphal's pitch, which I'll get to in subsequent blogs and, of course, tomorrow's paper. - Sam Amick

UPDATE: Westphal and Kings co-owner Joe Maloof have confirmed the decision to The Bee - read here.

By Sam Amick
samick@sacbee.com

According to two sources with knowledge of the situation, the Kings will hire former Phoenix and Seattle head coach Paul Westphal for their vacant head coaching position.

Westphal is believed to have agreed to a deal for two guaranteed seasons at $1.5 million per with the third season a team option worth $1.7 million.

BLOG CORRECTION: Upon further review, the third year is worth $2 million

There are likely incentives in the deal that could reward Westphal if the Kings improved even moderately from their franchise-worst 17-win campaign in 2008-09.

The decision brings an end to a Kings coaching search that lasted 47 days and came with similar twists and turns as the ones that had come before. It began with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie calling for experience over experiments, setting parameters that the Kings' fifth coach since 2006 would have to be have had "some level of success" as an NBA head coach. Eddie Jordan and Westphal were the first candidates, both of them easily meeting the qualifications and kickstarting the process with interviews on May 12 and May 13, respectively.

Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis eventually entered with a second group that also included Boston associate head coach Tom Thibodeau, just about the time Jordan was bowing out voluntarily. Despite being seen as a frontrunner largely for his ties to Petrie and the organization, Jordan was hired by Philadelphia on May 29. Just a day later, Thibodeau was interviewed by the Kings in Las Vegas and was followed the next day by Rambis' interview in Los Angeles.

Throughout the later stages of the process, Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and Petrie repeatedly made it clear that Rambis, Westphal, and Thibodeau were all impressive in their interviews and that they were all being seriously considered. And while Rambis was believed by most to be the front runner, sources say discussions between the Kings and his agent, Warren LeGarie, stalled for too long while Westphal waited for a verdict.

With the Lakers in the midst of the NBA Finals against Orlando, Rambis was adamant that he remain loyal to the Lakers and focused on the task of winning a championship. Westphal, meanwhile, had grown impatient enough that sources say he was close to pulling out of the race. In the end, however, he was alone at the finish line.

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans has made his Sacramento stop, working out at the team's practice facility floor on Tuesday in what was his first of five workouts.

The dynamic scorer who could wind up being the team's selection at the No. 4 spot seemed to impress, with a lot of chatter about his physicality, length and the general sense that he simply looks like a top-notch NBA talent. Evans said the fact that he did a one-man workout wasn't a case of him being afraid of the competition, but that he couldn't match schedules with the players who he would typically face off against. Whether he's alone or sharing the floor, there is certainty in his potential yet certainly questions about his shooting ability, which can be seen in the below workout video and heard in the interview below that...

The Kings have announced their updated workout schedule, and Friday will surely be a doozey.

The team that is on the prowl for a point guard has convinced three of the best in the draft to face off, as UCLA's Jrue Holiday will come in for a second time and be joined by Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and Italy's Brandon Jennings.

After today's workout with Nick Calathes , DeMarre Carroll, Wayne Ellington, Damion James, AJ Price, and Terrence Williams, here is the list ahead in its updated state (the new stuff is post-June 10). Also, I've included video to Friday's faceoff at the bottom of this post.

Compelling Game 2 in LA last night, not to mention a possible step toward simplification of the Kings coaching search.

The official stance remains that all three candidates are still in the running, but it's Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis and former Phoenix and Seattle head coach Paul Westphal who come with the complications. And a Lakers sweep, it's safe to say, would be embraced by all.

With his focus squarely set on winning a title, Rambis has made it clear that he refuses to be distracted by the Kings' situation. Couple that with Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie's history of not wanting to step on other team's toes, and that means the situation is on hold (translation: no negotiations to know exactly what it would take contractually to land Rambis). Meanwhile, Westphal continues to wait while wondering exactly what to make of it all.

There were rumblings late last week that Westphal might pull out of the race, and it says something that he remains. If Westphal happened to pull out, this search would be without the only candidate that legitimately fulfills the initial parameters of experience and success. And then some. (To be fair, Rambis was 24-13 in his partial season as Lakers head coach in 1998-99, with a series win over Houston and a Western Conference semifinal loss - by way of sweep - to San Antonio)

Today's workout featured Wake Forest forward James Johnson and Louisville forward Earl Clark. We'll have more on them in tomorrow's paper, and Jason Jones will likely be blogging later to touch on the others who took part (Levance Fields, Marcus Landry, Leo Lyons, and Dionte Christmas).

Here's a short part of the interview with Johnson and Clark below. Both players are expected to be taken midway through the first round, meaning they aren't likely to become Kings unless there's some movement on draft day (which there could be) or if they fall to No. 23. I didn't take any action video today, but should be able to link to the team's video later.

- Sam Amick

The Kings' second workout has concluded (the first included UCLA's Jrue Holiday). Check out video of the workout and some of the interviews that followed.

The session included forwards Robert Dozier (Memphis), Omri Casspi (Maccabi Elite, Israel), and Jeff Adrien (UConn), with guards Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Darren Collison (UCLA), and Tyrese Rice (Boston College). Collison and Casspi are seen as late first round or early second round picks and the most likely possibilities for the Kings. Click on the links on the players names to learn more about them.

We'll start with the coaching search, which I update in this story but wanted to touch on further in the trusty blog.

For starters, there's the qualifier on Kings co-owner Joe Maloof telling me there would be a decision "pretty quickly." A few moments after making that statement, he reverted back to the same old desire to have a coach in place before the June 25 draft. That's obviously a ways off, and certainly doesn't qualify as quickly in my book.

Now as for the more recent chatter about the search, there were some relevant thoughts from Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie that couldn't fit in print but are worth touching on. For the first time since the Kings interviewed Tom Thibodeau, I had a chance to ask Petrie about the fact that the Boston associate head coach simply doesn't fit the parameters that were set forth in the beginning - "no more grand experiements," as he had said - because he has no head coaching experience.

"No, that's true," Petrie quickly acknowledged. "He doesn't fit the total profile that I'd talked about, but I was impressed with him the last time (he interviewed two years ago) and he was somebody that Joe and Gavin (Maloof) had really wanted to talk to. In terms of experience, the breadth of people he has worked for is all very good."

Now on to the ongoing draft coverage...

DRAFT CENTRAL

There's just no reason for any of the material being produced on the draft to be lost on folks who always want more, so let's get our aggregating on. (Omri Casspi video below as well)

At the risk of sounding like a blogging Bee commercial, our web site is pretty snazzy sometimes. Specifically, I'm a fan of the feature that allows readers to "recommend" a particular comment and have it displayed more prominently than the rest.

While peeking at today's story on a couple of the Kings' big man possibilities in the June 25 draft, I noticed this salient thought from "Iloveeveryone."

"Instead of focusing on drafting a big, how about focusing on signing Ike Diogu to help out our front line rotation. We already know what we got in Ike, and if the new coach can keep that fire lit under Ike from the end of the season, Ike can be a great player. Our current/could be front court is Spenc, Jason, Donte, and Ike. While it may not currently be 'great', it has potential to be a 'great' front line. I would much rather see the Kings take a good wing player or even another PG with the #23 pick. The #31 pick will just be traded or eventually cut/waived. Sign Ike!! He is the key to our front line rotation."

It's a valid point. Yet while Diogu certainly impressed in his final two games of the season, it certainly doesn't mean the Kings won't ponder possibilities like Tyler Hansbrough or Gani Lawal. For one, there's the age factor (Diogu is 25 compared to 23-year-old Hansbrough and 20-year-old Lawal) and the question of whether older is considered better from the standpoint of who can contribute quicker or if younger with more upside is the choice because of the bigger picture at hand. More importantly, there's the money factor: while no one sees the Kings picking up Diogu's qualifying offer of $3.9 million (at which point he would become an unrestricted free agent), he'll certainly cost more than a No. 23 pick ($972K in first of two guaranteed years) or a No. 31 pick (negotiable).

From there, there's plenty to debate about Diogu's skill set as compared to the others. Yet that situation will unfold, so we'll instead say hello to Hansbrough and Lawal. Be sure to peek at the actual story, then check out these interviews that were taken at Chicago Predraft Combine.

HANSBROUGH

LAWAL

- Sam Amick

The Kings have added to their workout schedule, with Arizona State shooting guard James Harden set to work out in Sacramento on June 10.

They also added Dionte Christmas to Friday¹s session and added Robert Vaden to Saturday¹s workout.

Also, the Gani Lawal workout that he said was taking place on Wednesday didn't transpire and I'm not sure if it will be rescheduled. The Kings saw him in Chicago and Oakland, so that may be plenty. I discuss the possibility of Lawal or Tyler Hansbrough being picked at No. 23 or No. 31 in tomorrow's paper. Be sure to check the blog late tonight or tomorrow morning for videos from Chicago of Hansbrough, Lawal and Omri Casspi as well.

Here is the workout list in its updated state...

Thursday

Jeff Adrien,Omri Casspi, Darren Collison, Robert Dozier, Tyrese Rice, Greivis Vasquez

Friday

Earl Clark, James Johnson, Levance Fields, Marcus Landry, Leo Lyons, Dionte Christmas

Saturday

DeJuan Blair, Josh Heytvelt, Jerel McNeal, Tyler Smith, Marcus Thornton, Robert Vaden

June 8

Nick Calathes (this doesn't add up since he is reportedly forgoing the NBA to head for Greece),

BLOG UPDATE: Scratch that question from the record, as a wise reader commented below that they could simply draft him to get his rights and - come to think of it - save a few bucks in the process by not having to pay one of their three picks this season. It's Rudy Fernandez style, which could also wind up being the case for Casspi.

DeMarre Carroll, Wayne Ellington, Damion James, AJ Price, Terrence Williams

June 9

Tyreke Evans

June 10

James Harden

- Sam Amick

It could be an interesting few days ahead as they pertain to the Kings coaching search, as Monday's interview with Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis in Los Angeles appears to have served as the final step before a decision is made.

There's no reason to think that more candidates would be added to the list that includes Rambis, Paul Westphal and Tom Thibodeau. And judging from the conversations I had tonight, I'd call it a close race between Westphal and Rambis with Thibodeau bringing up the rear. To be clear, that's more of a sense on my end than it is an indirect statement from anybody of relevance in this situation.

Now before I move on to sharing my chat with Kings co-owner Joe Maloof following the Rambis interview, I wanted to add a few tidbits regarding Westphal. I focus on him only because there has been some spirited debate back and forth among fans regarding the notion of him as the next coach.

The Kings announced their workout schedule through June 9. Here it is, with schools and positions to come when I'm not writing for tomorrow's paper. Google away...

Thursday

Jeff Adrien, Omri Casspi, Darren Collison, Robert Dozier, Tyrese Rice, Greivis Vasquez

Friday

Earl Clark, James Johnson, Levance Fields, Marcus Landry, Leo Lyons, Player TBD

Saturday

DeJuan Blair, Josh Heytvelt, Jerel McNeal, Tyler Smith, Marcus Thornton, Player TBD

June 8

Nick Calathes, DeMarre Carroll, Wayne Ellington, Damion James, AJ Price, Terrence Williams

June 9

Tyreke Evans

BLOG UPDATE: Regarding the interview, I've been told Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof will be on hand and Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie - who is back East dealing with a personal matter - may join in by conference call.

Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis is being interviewed in Los Angeles today for the Kings head coaching position, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

Rambis will be the fourth candidate to be interviewed for the position, joining Eddie Jordan (who has been hired by Philadelphia), former Phoenix and Seattle head coach Paul Westphal and Boston associate head coach Tom Thibodeau. - Sam Amick

More to come...

I wanted to post a quick blog here regarding two topics: draft workouts this week and the Sacramento Professional Basketball League that starts tonight.

We'll start in reverse order. The best summertime hoops action in Sacramento officially starts tonight at Capital Christian High School (7 pm tip). As we've chronicled in years past , this event typically has some big name players involved who can be seen for a cheap price ($7).

I'm still waiting to hear who will be taking part tonight (in the game between Buggy's All-Star and Showtime Basketball), but it's usually a mixture of "local" pros (from Matt Barnes to Bobby Jackson to Kevin Martin), local high-level college players who have gone on to play overseas and the area's best high school players. I highly recommend it if you're looking for something to do on a slow evening, and it runs from tonight until June 25 (schedule info can be found here).

Now on the draft front, the Oakland workouts take place today and tomorrow, but the Kings are expected to resume their individual workout schedule in Sacramento on Wednesday. While I was in Chicago for Predraft Combine, a handful of prospects mentioned their workout times with the Kings. Here they are...

(Quick reminder: the Kings have the No. 4 and No. 23 picks in the first round, and the first pick in the second round at No. 31)

* Marquette senior shooting guard Jerel McNeal, who is seen as a second-round pick, said he has a workout in Sacramento "in the second week of June." He interviewed in Chicago with the Kings.

* Omri Casspi, a 20-year-old small forward who is attempting to become the first Israeli to play in the NBA and is seen as a late first-round or early second-round pick, said he will work out in Sacramento on Thursday. The Kings interviewed Casspi in Chicago. I caught up with him as well, and will have more on him in tomorrow's paper (tentatively).

* Gani Lawal, a Georgia Tech big man who did it all for the Yellowjackets, said he will get his chance to prove himself to the Kings in a workout on Wednesday in Sacramento. He interviewed with the Kings in Chicago. He would be a candidate for the No. 23 pick.

* Wake Forest small forward/power forward James Johnson, who is seen as a mid first-round pick, said he will workout in Sacramento on "June 5 or June 6." He also interviewed with the Kings in Chicago.

The Kings have been far more open about their workouts this year than in the past, so this stuff won't likely stay a secret for much longer. - Sam Amick