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). - Sam Amick
]]>Game notes (Nocioni relieved after win and reflects on DUI)
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
]]>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
]]>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...
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
OAKLAND - When the Kings decided to hand over control of their offense to Tyreke Evans, they joined a growing list of teams depending on young point guards to direct their squads.
Sure, you still have your sages at the point like Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. But there are a lot of teams leaning on younger players at the position.
So what does it take to lead a team a veterans when you're one of the youngest players on the team?
One of the "older" point guards weighed in on what Evans needs to do to succeed.
"Pace and tempo," said Los Angeles Clippers guard Baron Davis. "I think as a young point guard the more patient you are with yourself I think it translates to everyone else on your team."
Evans is going to have to be patient with himself. He's already endured a sprained ankle and some off shooting in four of his first five games.
It's natural to jump to conclusions about Evans after five games, especially when he's made only 35.5 percent of his shots and has 18 assists against 12 turnovers.
I still contend Evans will be fine. He'll learn to power through the fouls and finish at the rim and get a better feel for the NBA game.
I say power through fouls only becuase I joked with Evans he might want to learn how to flail and flop better to which he replied, "Man, I'm a rookie."
Valid point. No need for Evans to wait for a whistle.
Davis enjoys watching Evans and the emerging group of young floor generals.
"I haven't played against Tyreke Evans but I've watched him a lot and you see that (poise)," Davis said. "You see that in these young point guards that they're so poised. ... For me it's great to watch how the game is evolving."
Davis said Evans, Golden State rookie Stephen Curry and Chicago second-year guard Derrick Rose are among the young point guards he enjoys watching.
So even as Evans goes through his rookie struggles he still has many around the league who believe his talent will payoff for the Kings in the long run.
--Jason Jones
" 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
]]>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
]]>That meant always being a contender for an NBA Championship and plenty of important games and a roster stocked with veterans.
After signing with the Kings on Wednesday, Udoka acknowledges he's not joining a team like the Spurs.
"This is pretty much similar to my situation in Portland a couple of years ago," Udoka said Thursday after his first practice with the Kings. "It's a young team with a lot of talent trying to figure it out, trying to win. So I'm going to try and come in and help with some of the experience I have with playoff teams and just help the young guys out."
Udoka figured he'd be doing that with his hometown Blazers in his second stint with Portland this season. Udoka's best pro season came in his lone season with the Blazers in 2006-07.
But when former St. Mary's star point guard Patty Mills, a second-round draft choice, decided to sign with Portland Udoka was cut.
"It was somewhat of a surprise," Udoka said. "A last minute signing by a second round pick, he accepted an offer and they decided to go in that direction. I've been through a lot before so I kind of let it roll and stayed working out hoping for the next opportunity."
That chance came with the Kings. Udoka played briefly with Beno Udrih in San Antonio and played a season with Sergio Rodriguez, so he's familiar with two of his teammates.
Kings coach Paul Westphal hoped Desmond Mason would be his primary defensive stopper. With Mason waived Thursday, Udoka inherits that role when he makes his debut Saturday.
"They know what I do," Udoka said. "They want me to come in and bring a little toughness, defense, knock down some shots."
--Jason Jones
Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.
***
With an agonizing decision to make and a broken left wrist to deal with, Kevin Martin hopes a good night's sleep can help him come to a decision.
Martin could miss six-to-eight weeks after an MRI of his left wrist showed a non-displaced hairline fracture of the navicular bone.
Martin has three options to deal with this injury:
1. He can have his wrist put in a cast for six-to-eight weeks.
2. He can have surgery with screws inserted and miss eight weeks.
3. He could try to play through the pain, like he did Wednesday night against Atlanta.
"I'm going to turn the phone of early tonight and get some good sleep on it and I'll to make a decision on it tomorrow," Martin said.
Martin is sure to receive several texts and calls advising him of what he should do. Martin certainly didn't expect to learn he had a broken wrist, especially after playing with it Wednesday.
And even though Martin hasn't decided what he'll do, the team has to begin thinking about what to do without him.
I can't imagine coach Paul Westphal is going to sleep well after what has been a long day that started with Andres Nocioni's arrest for suspicion of drunken driving, the team waiving Desmond Mason and news about Martin at the end of practice.
"That certainly put the icing on the cake for down news today," Westphal said.
The team practiced with Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih playing together in the backcourt today, a look that could become the norm if Martin is out for two months.
Westphal's plans to play Udrih and Evans together before the season were about flexibility, now that backcourt could become a necessity.
Then again, Westphal could opt to keep Udrih as a reserve, as he did when Martin missed two exhibition games. Rookie Omri Casspi started in place of Martin in both games.
New addition Ime Udoka will be in uniform for Saturday's game in Utah, but it's hard to envision Westphal starting Udoka after two days of practice.
There will probably be minutes for Sergio Rodriguez and perhaps Donte' Greene if Martin is out.
We'll have a better idea when Martin wakes up in the morning.
***
By the way, don't forget to vote by clicking on the link if you want to see the Kings vs.Oklahoma City on NBA TV.
The Kings-Thunder (28 percent of the vote) is trailing Denver at Chicago (30 percent).
--Jason Jones
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
]]>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
]]>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
]]>Follow Sam and fellow hoops scribe Jason Jones on Twitter - sam_amick and jejones_sacbee.
***
Many of you might have learned via Sam Amick's Twitter account (more than would have learned from mine since I have way fewer followers than he does) that he hears Spencer Hawes will start at center tomorrow night when the Kings host the Atlanta Hawks.
Kings coach Paul Westphal was mum as to whether Hawes would start tomorrow. After Hawes impressive stat line Monday night (21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists) it seemed logical Westphal would replace Sean May with Hawes in the starting lineup.
Monday night Westphal said he'd sleep on a decision, which he did.
But he still didn't want to reveal his decision after today's practice.
"It will be announced at the appropriate time unless you can tell me Atlanta doesn't read the paper and watch the Internet," Westphal said. "Why should I tell them?"
Well, for Westphal's sake, here's to hoping none of the Hawks read The Sacramento Bee or follow Sam or myself on Twitter.
As for what Hawes has done to improve his game at this early stage of the season, Westphal didn't mind chatting about that topic.
First thing, no one is asking Hawes to be he second coming of Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn or any other Bad Boy from the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Sure, Hawes bulked up in the offseason. But no one wants him to ignore his skilled game.
"I think that what we want from Spencer is to maximize who he is," Westphal said. "We're not asking him to be some kind of an enforcer, but he needs to be a physical presence, both offensively and defensively."
Last night Hawes did that without knocking anyone's teeth out.
"One thing I was really excited about and we've been emphasizing is he really set some good screens and he held them," Westphal said. "That's been an adjustment we've asked him to make and he's made ... He's concentrating on making contact on the boards, he's doing a better job with that. Sometimes he would go to the boards but not go to his man to box him out. He's doing better on that."
--Jason Jones
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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
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
KINGS
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
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