Marty Mac's World

Cousins-Westphal combo needs Divorce Court

2012-01-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

Jan. 2, 2012

If Kings coach Paul Westphal and his young center DeMarcus Cousins were married, it would be time for a divorce.

Since they aren't married, maybe it's time for Cousins to be traded or Westphal to go - or both.

Better players than Cousins have been traded and better coaches than Westphal have been fired.

Clearly the grounds exist for a quick separation on the grounds of irreconcilable differences.

Even Rodney King would agree, "We all can't get along."

It's one thing to be in love with each other, but that doesn't mean you can live comfortably with each other.

They've each basically accused each other of lying. Westphal said, in an unusual press release, that Cousins twice demanded to be traded. Cousins denies that.

I found it interesting that the coach used the word, 'demanded', as opposed to 'requested' or 'asked.'

Westphal knew that particular word usage would put Cousins, 21, in a terrible light. Now, if Westphal was being direct and accurate in his assessment of what Cousins said, so be it.

Westphal says Cousins first said he wanted to be traded on Dec. 24. That day there should have been a meeting between management, Westphal, Cousins and his agent, John Greig.

That's before the season's first game.

I've been covering the NBA since 1978, 12 years before Cousins was born and six years after Westphal's rookie season with the Boston Celtics.

I've seen two players (together) on a championship-contending team walk, not knowing a reporter was there, into a coach's office after a game and tell him they wanted to be traded to his team.

Granted, the times of today have changed over the years. The NBA is comprised of much younger and lesser-prepared players.

Cousins is legally an adult, but two years ago, homeboy was in high school. In terms of being capable of merging his physical and mental components, I dont' see it, yet. Nor should he be, considering his basketball inexperience.

He's got to learn his craft during on-the-job training. And there is no way I believe Westphal knew what he really was in for when the Kings decided to draft Cousins.

Cousins' inability to get along with some authority figures in high school, one year of college and one year of NBA action have been well-documented.

Yet, Westphal has his own history with stubborn, forceful and talented performers as Gary Payton and former Kings guard Vernon Maxwell.

During the past few days, it has been suggested the coach may be incapable of mentally reaching these young players of today.

If that's true, it wouldn't be the first time. And not just for Westphal.

Sometimes I feel incapable of truly reaching my son, two months younger and 14 inches shorter than Cousins.

Kings President Geoff Petrie said Tuesday he wouldn't truly divulge every one of his thoughts when it was suggested the best move for all would be divorce court.

"If I was to believe that or say that...," he said, "what we're trying to do is put this thing together and make it work."

Greig, of course, is supportive of his client and said Tuesday Cousins has been unfairly singled out.

The situation that led to Cousins missing Sunday evening's victory over New Orleans began after Saturday night's loss to the New York Knicks. The agent said Westphal called Cousins 'selfish' and said he was the team's problem.

Clearly, Cousins is a problem, not 'the' problem.

Cousins later went into the coach's office, Greig said, and asked Westphal why he singled him out.

Greig said Westphal told Cousins, "I don't have time to talk to you about this."

If all this is true, it speaks to why these two need to be separated permanently.

And a Happy New Year to you.

Everyone has to wait to see who these Kings are

2011-12-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

Dec. 28, 2011

Predicting what to expect from the Sacramento Kings at this juncture of an abbreviated NBA season is a sucker's fantasy.

An improved product is not too much to expect from a young, talented squad led by head coach Paul Westphal. The Kings finished the 2010-11 season with a 24-68 record for a .293 winning percentage.

Westphal admits he doesn't know what to expect from his young squad. His assistant coaches say the team has worked and played hard, but how that translates to the regular season is an unknown.

Initially, the Kings have to create an identity. Who are they? On what are they going to hang their hats? They talk of establishing a defensive focus, but that comes possession by possession, not sentence by sentence.

Heading into tonight's home game against the Chicago Bulls, the Kings (1-1) have shown that improved defensive focus. Actually, the Kings scrambled offense againat Portland Tuesday night consistently put the defense into a trick bag.

Certainly, the re-acquisition of veteran strongman and leader Chuck Hayes has helped.

Hayes brings an understanding of the game's nuances. He has a willingness and know-how to do all the little things most young players will not.

Kings center/forward DeMarcus Cousins said before Hayes had returned that the veteran had begun to support the defense by talking and helping the younger players recognize the need for improved communication.

As much as defense represents an individual devotion to slow your personal assignment, ultimately it's about a team-wide ability and commitment to protect the basket and contest shots.

Currently, the Kings have shown they'll play hard. Now, can a young team also play smart? One without the other breeds inconsistency.

Westphal said Wednesday his team's offensive woes stemmed from a lack of patience and a failure to execute the offense's second and third options. It seems simple to move the ball from one side of the floor to other.

However, teams, not only the Kings, consistently fall prey to defensive pressure early in the possession and quickly jack up shots. Good offenses make opposing defenses work to guard.

Yes, the Kings are virtual neophytes, but back when Sacramento was hanging out atop the Western Conference and had one of the league's most potent offenses, former coach Rick Adelmsn's major lament was his team's offensive impatience and unwillingness to move the ball from side to side.

That was a veteran crew known for its team-wide ball movement. Today's edition is exactly the opposite - young and without an established offensive presence.

These Kings, like their predecessors, play without a traditional pass-first point guard. The two starting guards, Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton, are more scorers than playmakers.

However, more of the league's teams have gone that route in recent years. There is more than one way to run an offensive attack.

In order for the Kings to quickly approach their potential, moving the ball to the open man must become an offensive staple. Everybody can get their shots - and good ones, at that - without selfish play.

It's more than preseason game at the No-Name Arena

2011-12-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

Dec. 20, 2011

The Sacramento Kings meet the visiting Golden State Warriors tonight at the No-Name Arena, also formerly known as Arco Arena and never truly known as Power Balance Pavilion.

Yet, the lone Kings' preseason home game likely will be different than any other. This will be the first time Kings fans return to the No-Name Arena since many of them left following the final home game of the 2010-11 season believing the franchise was headed to Anaheim.

Thanks to the efforts of many, including Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, the City is attempting to land financing for the construction of a new downtown arena to house the Kings.

That proposition remains a work in progress. However, the Kings are here for the moment and their fan base likely will be highly enthusiastic (read: wild as hell) for tonight's contest as well as next Monday's season and home opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Kings are attempting to fast-forward the compilation of their team in the midst of the makeshift post-lockout training camp and preseason.

Sacramento's plans took a major hit this week when free-agent signee Chuck Hayes failed his physical due to a heart abnormality. The Kings subsequently voided his reported four-year/$21 million contract.

Said President Geoff Petrie, "(Monday) morning, in one of the most heartbreaking moments of my professional or personal life, Chuck Hayes was notified that he failed his physical exam with the Sacramento Kings. Subsequent to that, the contract signed on Dec. 9 has been voided. At Chuck's request, we will have no further comment at this time."

Management informed the team of the situation following Monday afternoon's practice. Coach Paul Westphal's eyes displayed the hurt he felt by the loss of more than just another player.

Hayes, a beast of a man at 6-foot-6, 238 pounds, was expected to bring mental and physical toughness as he had for six seasons with the Houston Rockets. Hayes already had taken a leadership role during his brief time with the Kings.

Westphal said, 'Hayes already had established himself as what you are looking for a man who would give everything of himself for the team and of himself.

The Kings likely will pursue free-agent center Samuel Dalembert in hopes of having him rejoin the crew and provide support in the middle. Suffice to say acquiring Dalembert has become more important and costly with Hayes' inability to play.

Most importantly, Hayes, who had signed the most lucrative deal of his career, now has neither the contract nor a job. Now, he has the questions of how to deal with the heart abnormality and an uncertain athletic future.

All that in a week. Let's hope this serves as a massive lesson to a group of primarily young group of young Kings how fragile their careers and lives are.

Most of the Kings are so young, they did not get the opportunity to play with former Kings shooter extraordinaire Peja Stojakovic.

Stojakovic retired Monday primarily because of back and neck problems at 34. He'd still be, if healthy, the best shooter on most teams.

Stojakovic answered his phone Monday and said, "I feel good physically and about my decision."

He and his family are living in New Orleans, "because the kids really like the area and we're comfortable here."

Stojakovic easily was one of the easiest guys to cover during my stints working the league. He was honest and always available for a comment. As a journalist, one can't ask for more.

Jimmer Fredette looks capable of one day challenging Stojakovic, Eddie Johnson, Jerry Lucas and Oscar Robertson as one of the Kings' best shooters. What an immediate review of Fredette's game shows is a need to stop leaving his feet 35-to-40 from the basket.

Fredette appears to be the real deal because of his shooting prowess, ballhandling and toughness. We'll see.

Westphal said Monday rookie guards Fredette and Isaiah Thomas are two of the more heady players on the team.

High praise for two players a week into their professional careers.

NBA Comissioner Stern goes too far: Time to go

2011-12-09T11:22:00.001-08:00

Dec. 9, 2011

NBA Commissioner David Stern’s ludicrous decision to veto Thursday’s three-team trade between New Orleans, the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets is the most bodacious, outrageous, egotistical and ridiculous move in league’s history.

It’s time for Stern to say goodbye. Retire. He’s always ruled with a heavy hand. He’s always been as close to a bully as a brilliant strategist. He’ll probably go down as the best league leader in professional sports.

But for a New York City native, this smacks of stuff we’d hear about the Mafia. It’s like this the National Basketball Association of David Stern.

It’s time to see and hear Stern say, “I was wrong.”

This decision was so unfair in many different ways.All-Star point guard Chris Paul was slated to join the Lakers. L.A. would have sent all-star power forward Pau Gasol to Houston and valuable sixth man Lamar Odom was headed to New Orleans.

The Hornets also would have received guard Kevin Martin, forward Luis Scola, guard Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round draft choice Houston had acquired from the New York Knicks.

The league said the trade was knocked down because of ‘basketball reasons.”

Presumably, that’s opposed to volleyball or curling reasons. That’s it? Basketball reasons?

No one knows what that means, but there have been perhaps 100(conservative estimate) worse trades consummated in the league’s history. Shoot, maybe since the turn of the century.

Certainly, when the NBA last season took control of New Orleans franchise ownership, the potential for all types of trouble became possible.

The Hornets then were placed into a different category than every other franchise.

The details of that arrangement between the league and Hornets are unknown to the general public.

Moreover, who knows who knows, if anyone knows.

Hornets general manager Dell Demps seemed to have made a pro-emptive strike to prevent Paul, who can become a free-agent following this season, from opting out of his deal and leaving the team with no compensation.

It would seem the league told Demps he couldn’t do his job and did so, after he did his job well.

Looking forward, one wonders where David Stern’s iron fist stops. There were rumors that small-market owners applied pressure on Stern to crush the deal.

So is Demps now incapable of making a trade with any team or just a team Stern and/or the other owners OK.

Stern said Paul was more valuable in New Orleans. Stern omitted to mention to whom this increased value belongs.Stern has made enough money over the years to shut it down, say goodbye and look back at how the league has grown under his management.

Yo, my man, let it go. It’s time.

From this view, it appears he’s lost it. At least, back in the day, he’d have couched his decision with a real explanation.

Basketball reasons?

Really, Dave?

Maddbacker Celebrity Basketball Game

2011-07-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

One of the most difficult tasks in today's sports environment is putting together a celebrity basketball game.

Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Adrian Ross continues to try to raise money for local Sacramento-area charity causes such as Shriners Hospital; The Center for Fathers and Families; Roberts Family Development Center and the True Grit Sports Academy.

Ross, an Elk Grove High School graduate and San Jose native, is hosting his Maddbacker seventh celebrity contest July 9th at the Capital Christian Center beginning at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $10 with all of the proceeds going towards helping the local charities and causes his Maddbacker Foundation supports.

Quite naturally, Ross' NFL background suggests a heavily-weighted cast of hoopers from the football realm.

NFL wide receivers and defensive backs often also performed at elite levels on the basketball court. Stevie Johnson of the Buffalo Bills and Lavelle Hawkins of the Tennessee Titans are expected to play as well as Arizona linebackers Joey Porter and Clark Haggans.

Other NFLers who prepped in SacTown expected to display their hoop skills are Tampa Bay's Sammie Stroughter and Washington's Brandyn Thompson. Former NFL all-star running back Corey Dillon and offensive lineman Ephraim Salaam are slated to throw down.

Ross said Miami Dolphins wide receiver Marlon Moore will enter the contest of the mindset to score 40 points. He'll also be going against former Florin High star and current filmaker/producer Deon Taylor and entertainers Rick Ross and BSmoove.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.maddbackercelebritygame.com.

Webber still hoping to help Kings stay in Sacramento

2011-04-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

Sources indicate former Kings all-star forward Chris Webber was seen in Las Vegas talking with members of the Maloof family Saturday afternoon.

Webber did not return a phone call this weekend.

Amidst the madness and uncertainty of the Maloofs attempted Kings’ relocation to Anaheim, a meeting between Webber and family members could mean nothing, something or everything.

Webber, now a TNT NBA commentator, last week surprised many with statements regarding his desire and attempts to assist the efforts to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

Sources within the past month told Marty Mac’s World Webber had been working with a group that wanted to buy the Kings from the Maloofs.

However, the Maloofs steadfastly have insisted the franchise is not for sale. Webber’s group was unable to get a meeting with the Maloofs.

Clearly, there are more questions than answers regarding the attempted relocation. Following last week’s two-day NBA Board of Governors meeting Commissioner David Stern said the Kings deal had changed during the past few days.

That’s why the league granted the Maloofs another extension – this time May 2 – to apply for the move to Anaheim.

The NBA wants more information from the Anaheim group pursuing the Kings franchise as well from the Maloofs.

Commissioner David Stern said NBA owners have an incomplete understanding of the deal. That means the owners, who ultimately must give their majority blessing to the move, have the same understanding as you and I.

Stern indicated the league’s relocation group needed more information about potential TV revenue, any necessary upgrades to the Honda Center arena and relocation costs.

We all know the Maloofs want to move the franchise to Anaheim. We assume they believe this move will reap increased financial benefits. The common belief is the Maloofs expect a great increase from a new TV contract in a larger market.

The Maloofs have not spoken publicly about their business financial condition. If they indeed are struggling, any information of desperation only lessens any leverage they believe they possess.

Reports during the past year have suggested they are in danger of losing control of the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

They have denied the accuracy of those reports.

More indicative of their financial peril was the sale of their family-owned beer distributorship last year. Not only was it the foundation of their business portfolio, it was a prized possession because of ties to their father and grandfather.

Moreover, if anyone owns a beer distributorship in America, why the heck would you sell it unless somehow pressured to make that move. Even in times of depression, beer consumers find a way to get their suds.

I’ve been telling folks for months that no one truly knows the specifics of this deal. That’s because as big-time deals are concerned, this one is being thrown together.

There have been people talking two months ago about how it was a done deal the Kings were leaving. Here we are in the middle of April and that remains an uncertainty.

Bibby says Hawks did him dirty, but he's happy to go to Heat

2011-03-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

Mike Bibby may not always say something but he is often an attentive listener and reader.

So Tuesday as he made preparations to leave Atlanta Wednesday and sign with the Miami Heat, he paid attention to what the so-called experts said about him joining the high-profile squad.

“I couldn’t pass it up,” the 32-year-old said of the opportunity to join Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and his brother-in-law, Heat guard Eddie House.

Bibby said Boston and Portland had shown interest.

Bibby normally plays with a chip on his shoulder. On the court, his confidence level borders arrogance as it does with most of the league’s clutch performers.

After listening to pundits decry any positive effect he will have on the Heat, Bibby will be even more determined.

“People told me I was too short and too slow when I came to the league,” he said. “13 years later, here I am. But you know me; I don’t care what nobody says.”

That’s not exactly true.

Bibby was not enthralled by the words Atlanta had to say the day he was traded to the Washington Wizards. Four days later, Bibby’s agent, David Falk, worked out a buyout

“We were in Phoenix,” he said, “and I saw everybody in the organization that day. I think I deserved the respect to at least tell me they are working on something. They had me come to the team meeting and then one hour before the game, I get a call saying they’ve worked out a trade.

“They said it’s 99 percent done, so don’t come to the game.”

Bibby said he anticipates things will be different in Miami than they were in Atlanta.

“I didn’t have the ball in my hands in Atlanta,” he said, “and that’s not saying I’m gonna have it in Miami. But I think things will be different.”

KIngs more of a mess off the court than on

2011-03-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Presumably, when Kings coach Paul Westphal asks you where you’ve been writing, that means your hiatus has been a bit pronounced.

However, if you don’t feel it, then it’s better to wait until you do feel it, instead of just writing some garbage. As my man legendary funkster George Clinton says, “If you fake the funk, your nose will grow.”

Thinking of Westphal and looking at how this season has unfolded for him, made me think of Detroit head coach John Kuester’s situation.

As jacked up and uncertain as things are for the Kings, at least there have been no reports of boycotts and uprisings.

On virtually every life level, whenever it seems as if things aren’t going your way, look around. There’s likely someone close by who has similar or worse problems.

Kuester Monday received the dreaded support of Pistons President Joe Dumars. Often times, that’s a coach’s kiss of death. However, Kuester’s Pistons are 5 1//2 games out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and that’s close enough to keep him around until season’s end.

There would be nothing served positively by replacing Kuester.

As for Westphal, he and the Kings receive credit for being consistent. Sacramento is 8-22 at home and 7-21 on the road. Unfortunately, the Kings have been consistently poor.

With 24 games remaining, there is plenty of time for improvement, individual and team.

Forget not knowing whether the Kings will continue playing in Sacramento or be moved to Anaheim or elsewhere for that matter.

From a team standpoint, the Kings have displayed the ability to effectively perform every facet of the game. It’s their inability to sustain a high level of efficiency that has left them with a 15-43 record.

Yet, unlike those semi-experts such as Hall of Famer and TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley who believe the Kings talent is totally subpar, that’s not the case.

Certainly, it’s not equal to the level of the league’s best, but the Kings have proven capable of competing.

Many, if not most, of the Kings difficulties have been born from inexperience, immaturity and unfamiliarity.

If you’ve listened to Westphal all season, his comments are so similar to those out of the mouths of other coaches whose teams lose close games.

And these teams are far deeper and more experienced than the Kings, yet the methods of winning games are all the same. Teams have to protect their lane and basket. They have to consistently execute their offense.

And perhaps most importantly, teams have to play with heart and ferocity. They have to take advantage of opportunities and minimize the opportunities they present to the opposition.

Rookie DeMarcus Cousins has struggled since the All-Star break and that’s not highly surprising. Cousins is shooting 32 percent (16 of 50) from the field and averaging 5.5 turnovers during his past five games.

No. 1, all players have their struggles. No.2 Cousins still hasn’t scratched the surface of learning his game.

That’s before mentioning the 20-year-old still is trying to figure out who he is and what he truly wants to become. If you are older than 20, then you might be able to remember what those thoughts were then and how life has run its ever-unfolding misdirection plays.

Look at Monday night’s starting lineup and only center Sameul Dalembert and guard Beno Udrih have a strong knowledge of their respective games and themselves. Hence, that’s hardly a logical prescription for nightly success.

As the Maloof family and their plans, those appear far shakier than the team’s prospects. It seems to me as if the Maloofs don’t know what they are going to do.

If they know they are going to relocate the team in Anaheim, the easiest and most humanistic thing to do is say that’s the deal.

That’s more so for their employees if not just for their devoted and loyal fans, many of whom I’ve had the privilege of meeting and getting to know.

Throughout my 13 years of dealing with them, I’ve always said the Maloofs are the most down-to-earth millionaire business folk I’ve met. Yet, what’s real is once the family decided to sell their Coors distributorship, that was a major sign their financial situation was approaching dire straits.

From a bottom-line perspective, until prohibition hits, beer likely always will be consumed. So desperation had to factor into that decision.

Moreover, that was their late father’s business – not something easily kicked to the curb.

Not knowing the family’s financial standing, it’s impossible to truly know how the Maloofs will play their hand. Shoot, we don’t even know what cards they are holding.

And I wonder if they do.

Kings making moves to become relevant

2011-01-08T05:13:00.000-08:00

It has taken nearly three months, but the Sacramento Kings have become worthy for time spent viewing.

Actually, the Kings (8-25) only were unworthy of watching if you were looking for victories. Winning was the game’s feature they couldn’t decipher.

Now, they’ve won three of their past four home games and with Thursday night’s 122-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento earned its first win over a plus-.500 team.

Moreover, the Kings recently have begun to receive productive play from four, five and even six players. That was not happening a month ago and still isn’t something coach Paul Westphal can wake up in the morning and count upon.

Really, though, counting upon major nightly, consistent production from five or six players only is a dream/fantasy for coaches on any level.

Yet, when you are the Kings, it’s time to appreciate blessings. Seeing patience and nightly growth from DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, ages 20 and 21, respectively, is a blessing.

Surely, Evans has played a number of excellent games during his brief time as a King, but this performance was as complete as I’ve seen. His scoring (27 points) was timely and impactful and against solid defensive guards in Aaron Afflalo and Chauncey Billups.

More importantly, Evans looked to make plays for his teammates. He had a season-high 12 assists, in part, because the Kings made a season-high 56.4 percent of their field-goal attempts.

However, it also was because Evans made timely deliveries to give teammates layups, dunks and wide-open jumpers.

Include five rebounds, two steals and only one turnover in more than 41 minutes and there is the type of performance Westphal needs to get his team on the right track.

Cousins continues to show more poise and composure. His shot selection is improving and subsequently, his field-goal percentage rises.

By the way, when you see Cousins get excited over referee’s calls, keep this in mind. He received a technical in the third quarter for his reaction over a non-call.

He also heard Denver’s Carmelo Anthony threaten in front of an official to beat up Omri Casspi and go without a word.

That’s the type of stuff NBA officials need to clear up. It’s one thing to give stars calls non-stars don’t receive. Yet, stars often are allowed to say things other players are not.

All that does is give stars more belief they are untouchable and make others believe they are not getting a fair shake.

Think Cousins needs to feel that anymore than he already does?

Cousins, though, consistently reveals more facets of his skill set. It’s always important to remember he’s 20 years old.

There are parts of Cousins’ game that barely have been touched. There are things he’ll soon learn he can do that he never imagined himself capable.

That’s what growing up as a player and a person is about.

Now, as a team, the Kings have to prove they take their show on the road. They begin a six-game East Coast road trip in Toronto.

Certainly, it’s easier to play at home, but if Sacramento can use its longest trip of the season to display consistency of performance and focus, it can continue to improve.

They’ll need continued production from Omri Casspi, Francisco Garcia, Beno Udrih, Pooh Jeter and Carl Landry.

Samuel Dalembert and Jason Thompson need to continue pounding the boards to help the Kings continue to lead the league in second-chance points (16.4) per game.

Dalembert wants the Kings to show him more time, but he’s got to show he can score consistently around the basket to earn that.

No doubt he is a defensive impact guy, but missing six-footers is not the way to increase playing time.

Side note: Dalembert’s decision to attend the recent funeral of long time Philadelphia sports Phil Jasner was as classy a move as I’ve seen from a player during 32 years in the game.

And I’ve seen many classy acts unlike others who lump all young athletes into one group of knuckleheads with no sense and awareness of how fortunate they are.

Indeed, I’m aware how many knuckleheads populate, but I’m also aware of how many chumps there are in my profession and many others.

Kings win back-to-back home games, but what does it mean? We'll see

2011-01-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

It’s important to attempt to discern what we’re seeing.

It’s not just that the Kings have won two of their past three games.

Or that they’ve won their past two home games over Memphis and Phoenix, respectively.

Or that their 7-24 record results in the NBA’s worst winning percentage at .226. Or that the Kings currently are grouped with the L.A. Clippers (10-24); Minnesota (9-25); New Jersey (9-25); Washington (8-24); Detroit (11-22); Toronto (11-22) and Charlotte (11-20).

Basically, these are the worst of the worst. And Sacramento’s .226 winning percentage comes on the heels of two victories, while uplifting in nature, that surely rank as remarkable, if not downright miraculous.

Actually, the Kings could have lost those games more easily than they were won.

Teams usually do not win with 55-foot shots, buzzer-beaters as the Kings did with Tyreke Evans bomb against Memphis.

Nor do they normally outscore their opponents, 19-2, during the game’s final six minutes by limiting a team to one basket in its final 10 possessions as they did against Phoenix.

There can be no sugar-coating where the Kings and the rest of these teams reside in the NBA’s hierarchy. We’re talking way on the outside hoping to get into a position in which they can look.

While assessing the Kings, the surroundings cannot be ignored. The teams whom share Sacramento’s early-season struggles have youthful bases.

New Jersey (Avery Johnson) and Washington (Flip Saunders) are considered first-class coaches. Larry Brown almost is universally acknowledged to be one of the world’s best coaches, yet he’s already been replaced in Charlotte by Paul Silas.

Others such as the Clippers, Minnesota, Detroit and Toronto have relatively young, new and/or inexperienced coaches.

The league’s most successful coach – the L.A. Lakers’ Phil Jackson – has his own problems at this time. Granted, the two-time NBA champion Lakers’ problems are relative and totally unlike those of the bottom-barrel group.

Yet, problems are problems and as Kings coach Paul Westphal alluded to following the victory over Memphis, the season can be described as attempting to plug leaks in a dike. Just when a hole is filled, another arises.

Many of the teams struggling to win also struggle to score. The Kings rank sixth from the bottom in scoring at 94.1 points per game. The inability to score usually indicates a lack of prime-time talent.

Yet, New Orleans averages 93.9 points with all-star point guard Chris Paul running the show. There are no givens when teams struggle other than all teams will. Some just will do it more and longer than others.

Clearly, the recent performances of rookie center DeMarcus Cousins have given the Kings reason for optimism. While Cousins figures his way, the Kings should be realizing their course of patience with the 20-year-old must be followed.

Cousins’ youth and inexperience will be a factor, but his growth cannot be denied. Cousins understands his growth also requires patience. As much as he’d like to be an immediate dominant presence, he has to learn the league, his teammates and himself.

Said Westphal of Cousins, “He’s cutting down some of his impatient mistakes and doing a better job of getting a wider base. He’s reading the defenses better, before he makes his move and he’s staying out of foul trouble.”

Cousins has a unique and distinctive game. He’s listed at 6-foot-11, yet at times he plays the game as if he’s a 6-footer. He’ll attempt to push the ball upcourt via the dribble or lay in the backcourt to try to poke the ball away from a guard.

These aren’t particularly smart moves, but they are part of what makes him who he is. Cousins isn’t scared and that heart in a big man has been needed around here a little longer than virtually forever.

He plays as if he‘s a big guy who grew tall relatively late instead of always being a big guy. He says that’s not the case.

“For me, I was never afraid to try stuff,” he said Sunday night after scoring a career-high 28 points, grabbing eight rebounds and handing out season-high and team-leading six assists. “When I first started playing ball, I used to take off dribbling the ball and coaches would flip their (lids). I’d just keep going and I guess I’ve benefited from it.

“My shot has been messed up, but I’m comfortable shooting (15-footers).”

The extra bonus Sacramento gets with Cousins is he is naturally silly and funny. It’s difficult ever imaging an uptight locker room with him roaming with walk-bys.

When told most of the Phoenix players believed he’d walked on a key fourth-quarter, three-point play, he said, “I took eight steps because I had a guy (Robin Lopez) on my back and I couldn’t control that.”

What Westphal and the rest of the Kings coaching staff and front office have not been capable of controlling is the players’ inability to make shots. It’s the coaching staff’s job to help their players get good shots. The coaches can’t make the shots for them.

Perhaps the players need to put in more work and control what they can control.

Witness 23.1 percent field-goal shooting (6-for-26) in the first quarter against Phoenix and 35 percent shooting in the second quarter. Then the Kings shoot 61.1 percent (11-for-18) in the third quarter and 10 of 20 in the fourth.

Explain that! Moreover, the Kings made eight of their last 12 shots in the fourth, so that means they missed six of their first eight. Explain that, too!

We’re still waiting to see what the Kings look like if they play a solid 48 minutes. It was nice Sunday, however, to see Sacramento receive workmanlike performances from Francisco Garcia, Omri Casspi, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson as well as Cousins. For once it didn’t matter that Evans and Beno Udrih stunk up the joint.

And it didn’t hurt that Pooh Jeter contributed four points, four assists and no turnovers during the fourth quarter, his only 12 minutes of action.

Kings lose again; Evans talks foot procedure

2010-12-28T00:26:00.000-08:00

Imagine attending an NBA game with the Sacramento Kings playing host to the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night at Arco Arena and what evolved before you was an entertaining, competitive – OK, not always well-thought out – contest with both also-rans showing promise for the future.

Ultimately, the outcome came down to the luck of the bounce.

And as things usually go when you’ve lost eight straight and an almost unbelievably-bad 22 of your past 24 games, bounces aren’t exactly flowing on the positive for Sacramento.

Kings’ guard Tyreke Evans hurried a one-handed tap of a missed rebound and tip by rookie DeMarcus Cousins. Evans’ shot rolled off the rim at the buzzer and left the Kings on the negative side of a 100-99 defeat.

Evans began that portion of the possession when it was ruled he’d was in the act of attempting a three-point shot when fouled by Clippers forward Ryan Gomes with 1.9 seconds left.

The whistle appeared to come before Evans stopped dribbling to raise for the shot, but with L.A. holding a 100-97 lead, the second-year guard was awarded three free-throw attempts.

Evans swished the first two attempts, but slightly short-armed the third and it bounced off the rim. Cousins appeared to have an opportunity to tip in the miss, but never left the floor.

“(Clippers’ rookie) Blake (Griffin) pulled me down,” Cousins said of the explosive second-year performer who lined up with inside position on the attempts. “I could have tipped that ball in. But the ref didn’t call it so there is nothing I can do about it. It was a great effort by Blake.

“A sneaky play,” Cousins said of Griffin, “but he did a tough thing.”

Kings coach Paul Westphal said he had a chance to view the replay before entering the post-game media session, but said he didn’t want to comment for fear of being fined.

“Report what you saw,” the coach said.

Once again, the Kings appeared to have defied the odds while leaving the floor in defeat when signs pointed to victory.

The Clippers (10-22) committed 22 turnovers to minimize their their 48-34 rebounding advantage. Sacramento made a season-high 13 three-point field-goal attempts and shot 50 percent from behind the arc.

Evans scored a season-high 32 points during a sweet battle with Clippers guard Eric Gordon (31 points). Evans shot 11 of 24 from the field (including three of six from three-point range) and then dropped another bomb post-game.

Evans said he and agent Bob Myers had discussed possibly undergoing a procedure on his left foot that hopefully would correct the plantar fasciitis giving him problems.

“I talked to my agent about getting something done,” Evans said while admitting he didn’t know much about the procedure.

Evans said it was possible the procedure could be done following the all-star break. He also said the procedure might disable him for three to four months. He did not say why he said last week his foot no longer an issue. Nor did he say why he might wait until mid-February before undergoing the procedure.

Evans appears to be in a quandary about how to get his foot treated.

He also said his agent was supposed to get back to him with more information.

Perhaps the most informative stance Evans took was his foot felt pretty good Monday night and he’s cleared his mind over the weekend aided by an hour-long conversation with his mother visiting from Chester, Pa.

“I didn’t really want to talk to anybody, not my brothers or anybody,” Evans, 21, said. “My mom knocked on my door and I didn’t want to let her in, but I did.”

Smart move, No.1, Evans said because his mom doesn’t play with the cane she uses to help get around.

“I’ve always been pretty laid-back,” he said, “and I usually don’t talk about stuff with people. All this losing has been tough, so I’ve just been trying to go out and have fun. I was trying not to let it show. I talked with my mom and grandma and I’ve got to put it behind me… put it in the past.”

Evans never did get specifically into what has been bothering him over the past couple of months.

“It’s something between me and my family and I’ll just leave it at that,” he said.

Evans also said he was fouled by Clippers guard Baron Davis while attempting a short baseline jumper with about nine seconds remaining and the Kings trailing, 98-97.

“Baron Davis fouled me but (the referees) didn’t call it and we haven’t been getting calls like that all year,” Evans said truthfully.

Perhaps the saddest situation is the Kings realize even the Clippers are getting calls they are not.

It’s clear the officiating crew of Derrick Stafford, Leroy Richardson and Gary Zielinski –already gave all-star status to Griffith, a soon-to-be all-star. Griffith, whose picture can be found in the dictionary next to athletic, beast-like human, scored 24 points, grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and had four assists.

“It’s not hype with that guy,” Westphal said of Griffith, “he’s really that good.”

His presence was a major reason why the Clippers held a 50-26 advantage in points scored in the paint.

And it didn’t hurt Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro to bring in former Kings forward Ike Diogu, who scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds during 22 minutes.

Said Westphal truthfully and perhaps self-incriminatingly, “I can’t remember a team that has held a fourth-quarter lead recently as many times as we have with nothing to show for it.”

Kings put 'F' in futility

2010-12-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

Marty Mac’s World – 12-22-2010

If you’ve come looking for answers, you’re in the wrong place.

I’ve been watching the Sacramento Kings (5-21) consistently for the past 20 years. NBA veteran observers such as me like to believe and say nothing surprises them.

Yet, I was perplexed when walking out of Arco Arena Tuesday night following Sacramento’s come-from-ahead 117-109 overtime loss to Golden State.

What was that I’d just seen? As I said, I’ve seen the Kings since 1990 and just knew I’d seen pretty much every possible type of collapse. I’ve seen the Kings lose more than 40 consecutive road games as well as get out-shot from the free-throw line by Shaquille O’Neal at home in Game Seven of the 2002 Western Conference Finals.

Almost inevitably included in every collapse are the losing team misses free-throws down the stretch. The Kings, read Beno Udrih, made each of his four attempts during the final 14.3 seconds.

Meanwhile, Golden State (10-18) twice in five seconds during the game’s final 19 of regulation was fouled attempting a three-point attempt. Then the Warriors missed three of the six free-throw attempts.

And because they did, amazingly they gave themselves a chance to win.

The Kings wouldn’t let Golden State lose. They committed nine fourth-quarter turnovers and that doesn’t include one of the dumbest shots ever. With Sacramento leading, 98-93, the Kings inbounded following a Dorell Wright foul with 31.1 seconds left and veteran swingman Francisco Garcia inexplicably hoisted a wide-open three-point shot.

Perhaps even scarier than the ill-timed attempt was Garcia saying after the game he took the shot because he wanted to stick a dagger into the Warriors.

Garcia is one of the team’s best free-throw shooters and the intelligent play would have been to take time off the clock. Had Garcia just held the ball, Golden State likely would have had to foul. If Garcia makes two free throws, the Kings are up seven points with approximately 20 seconds remaining.

There’s the dagger, ‘Cisco.

Instead, Garcia became part of the team-wide dagger the Kings shoved into their own chest. DeMarcus Cousins lost the handle on a Reggie Williams free-throw miss with two seconds. Golden State turned that possession into Vladimir Radmanovic’s 27-foot, game-tying three-pointer.

Udrih scored a career-high 34 points, but fouled Williams on a three-point attempt. Then Carl Landry did the same thing four seconds later when he Wright to the line.

Coach Paul Westphal could have inserted Samuel Dalembert to perhaps get the rebound Cousins did not. The coach could have stationed five smaller players around the arc on the last play of regulation and told them to ignore every player inside the three-point line.

Perhaps the craziest thing of this crazy game was how many times Golden State failed to take advantage of opportunities and still won.

Ultimately, though, where do the Kings go from here? Do you change the coach? How soon will the calls for talented, but quirky also-rans Larry Brown and Don Nelson begin? Do you gut the entire project starting from President Geoff Petrie?

Does Petrie stay and begin to shake up this roster? The addition of one, possibly two more veterans would do a world of good for all things Kings.

Do the Maloofs get so scared and frustrated they open their checkbooks and say we have to pay the cost to the be the boss and improve the product they are putting out to a dwindling fan base?

Their record is the league’s worst and the Kings are coming off one of the worst defeats imaginable.

From a franchise perspective, one has to go back to the 1958-59 Cincinnati Royals to find a team that was 5-21. The’73-74 Kansas City-Omaha Kings were 6-21 before finishing 33-49.

As a team, the Kings seem to be sticking together as they should. Since they are stinking it up together, they might as well stay together.

The Kings have more issues than LeBron has haters

2010-12-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

The Sacramento Kings have lost five straight and 11 of their past 12 games. They are 4-12 overall and an incredibly poor 2-8 at home.

Friday night, the Kings travel to play the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers who (in the words of late comedian Robin Harris) will be ‘pissed to the highest of pisstivity’ (no, that’s not a word) after losing four straight games.

The next night the Kings host the Dallas Mavericks, who currently share the NBA’s longest winning streak (with Utah) at seven.

Coach Paul Westphal felt the need Monday to kick the team’s first-round draft choice, DeMarcus Cousins, out of practice.

Tyreke Evans, last season’s Rookie of the Year, for the first time of his 21 years, is having difficulty scoring.

Moreover, judging Evans from his words, he’s feeling like some of his teammates think he’s at times playing selfishly.

“I’m thinking team-first,” Evans said. “If I score and guys (aren’t) getting touches then that’s when they just stop playing and think I’m selfish. So I try to go out there and get my teammates involved and to play hard.

“I’m just trying to figure out, whether it’s score or get assists, how to get us going.”

That some of his teammates feel Evans plays selfishly comes as no surprise because at times I’ve felt the same way.

Evans clearly is feeling the weight of the constant losing. Evans is a talent trying to lead when in a best-case scenario he would be the one being led. As we know, though, this is far from a best-case scenario.

Cousins, meanwhile, is another talent attempting to find his way. He’s in a new place and time. He’s a first-time professional dealing with, and seeing new situations.

A lot is made of Cousins’ immaturity and at 20 years and three months he’s hardly a finished product. He’s got a lot to learn and he doesn’t know as much as he thinks.

The kid should be focused only on himself and improving his game. Yet, he thinks he knows so much he feels entitled to question his coaching staff. Looking back on my life, one of the most important things to learn is when to shut up.

And 55, I’m much better at it, but sometimes I falter.

Cousins said Tuesday before the game he’d said nothing to Westphal and the coach had said nothing to him.

“I haven’t said (anything) to him and he didn’t say anything to me,” said Cousins, who then scored 20 points on nine of 16 field-goal attempts and grabbed eight rebounds in nearly 23 minutes of the 107-98 loss to Indiana.

“It’s a new day. I didn’t dwell on it. We’ve got to move on.”

When asked why he didn’t talk to Cousins the day after tossing him from practice, Westphal said with a laugh, “He heard enough from me (Monday).”

That may have been true, but it may not have been the whole truth. There is the possibility that the rookie doesn’t like the coach. Cousins probably doesn’t know Westphal well enough to know if he likes him or doesn’t.

Truthfully, it’s neither here nor there. Cousins is an employee and has to find a way of dealing with his boss respectfully. I haven’t liked each of my supervisors but I never was intentionally disrespectful. That’s unprofessional and learning to be a pro is one of the new obstacles Cousins faces.

It might help the young boy to realize Westphal wants nothing more than to consistently help him uncover more of his talent.

Westphal was asked if dealing with Cousins will compare with any past player-coach relationships.

“Oh, yeah,” the coach said with an incredulous look. “Have you looked at who I’ve coached?”

I hadn’t, but I now have. Over the years while coaching Phoenix and Seattle, Westphal had 3½ seasons of Charles Barkley and 2½ seasons of Gary Payton. Throw in Tom Chambers, Oliver Miller, Dale Ellis, a sometimes intoxicated Vin Baker, Ruben Patterson and my main man, the incendiary Vernon Maxwell.

That’s one special group of players and hardly a mouth monitor between them.

Yeah, Cousins has a long, long, long way to go before he gets into that neighborhood of mind-speak.

Westphal says neither he nor the organization had blinders on when they drafted Cousins. The Kings knew Cousins was a vocally emotional talent.

“I love the guy,” the coach said of the player. “We’re going to have ups and downs and we’re going to have some more downs. We’re going to butt heads.

“We knew that when we drafted him. He’s our guy. We’re going to keep working with him. And he’s going to get better. And someday, we’ll look back, hopefully, and I’ll say, ‘You sure were a knucklehead.’

“And he’ll say, ‘I know, but thanks for sticking with me.’

“I mean, he’s got passion. And he also can be impatient and misplace his passion. And we’re trying to help him.”

But you also have to be respectful.

“I’ve heard a lot worse than DeMarcus has given me, believe me. I love DeMarcus and he’ll either love me know or he’ll love me soon again.”

In my opinion, Westphal Tuesday in that loss to Indiana went way beyond sensibility in the third quarter of the loss to Indiana, to show Evans he had his back during these tough times.

The Kings were going through one of those once a game tough stretches that kill them. Evans was turning the ball over and generally playing poorly. Luther Head scored the team’s only field goals during first 10 minutes of the quarter.

The situation called for Beno Udrih, who made each of his six first-half field-goal attempts on the way to 15 points, to replace Evans. Yet, the coach waited nine minutes before he subbed in Udrih.

Personally, I’d have squatted Tyreke’s butt with the quickness while the Kings were being outscored, 17-2, to start the quarter.

Said Westphal, “How can a young guy get to know how handle situations until he plays the minutes. I’m not going to take Tyreke out if misses a couple of shots or makes a couple of bad plays, like he’s no good., because I think he’s very good.”

Meanwhile, Evans says his team has to find a way to play a solid 48 minutes, and a team meeting last week didn’t help. Yet, he believes the team remains confident.

“Definitely,” he said. “We’ve got the players. (A lack of) execution is what is killing us. We’ve got to stay together.

“We’ve had a meeting, but it was like in one ear and out the other. It was without the coaches. I think it was Sunday.

“We’re just frustrated right now and we’re trying to find a way. It’s tough right now.”

On an entirely different front, Lebron James goes back to Cleveland for the first time and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

If I was James, I’d be trying to get 50 in our victory. If I’m playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, there’s little I wouldn’t do to drop an ‘L’ on his way out of town.

Intense feelings on both sides – not to mention the crowd - should make for a great game.

Kings always have one up their sleeves

2010-11-30T02:37:00.000-08:00

The 2010 version of the Sacramento Kings is setting up to be quite interesting.

And it is just 15 games into the 82-game regular season. Already, the Kings have had major defensive, offensive and on-court chemistry issues.

Word is they’ve got a bunch of young talents, who are not showing an inclination to listen to the coaching staff or showing a collective dedication to hard work.

Until there is an acquisition of those two required traits, it will be difficult for the Kings (4-11) to maximize their strengths.

They’ve got 10 losses in their past 11 games entering tonight’s home game against the Indiana Pacers as an example of what not to do.

Other teams are experiencing problems of a similar nature to those of Sacramento. Consider the Miami Heat, a team many believed capable of contending for an NBA title this season after the free-agent signings of LeBron James and Chris Bosh and the re-signing of Dwayne Wade.

The Heat’s problems aren’t exactly like Sacramento’s, yet attempting to mesh its considerable talent into a consistent force is very much akin to what is going on here.

Tyreke Evans, last season’s Rookie of the Year, is struggling. Of all the problems one would have imagined, Evans having difficulty scoring was not one.

Yet, that’s been a major problem early into his second pro season.

First-round draft choice, DeMarcus Cousins, was tossed from practice Monday afternoon, reportedly for running his mouth to the coaching staff. Like Evans, Cousins has had problems scoring and is shooting just 38 percent from the field.

It’s likely these players are experiencing these difficulties for the first times in their lives.

The Kings are coming off a weekend home loss to the Chicago Bulls that displayed their season in a microcosm. Sacramento was superb during the first half while establishing a 57-44 lead.

The Kings held a 71-57 advantage with 3:23 left in the third before their game disintegrated into basketball mush.

Then their fourth-quarter performance was so putrid it had to be seen to be believed.

Sacramento made just three of 21 field-goal attempts, committed eight turnovers and was outscored, 27 to nine.

That nine-point mention is not a typographic error. The Kings scored nine points during 12 minutes despite having 29 possessions.

Coach Paul Westphal still is attempting to find the right combination of players to invest in basics. Moving the ball to the open man, covering for teammates defensively and following the team’s principles would be an excellent beginning.

No one is expecting the Kings to consistently perform at a playoff level. Yet, the Kings clearly can play better than they have.

Antoine Wright was waived Monday and Hasaan Whiteside was sent to the NBDL to play with Reno.

Kings president Geoff Petrie said the team doesn’t plan to add any more players in the short term.

“We’ve got to find a way of playing better together,” Petrie said Monday. “We’ve got to generate a more consistent offense.”

There is another one of those basics the Kings must adopt.

Kings can't handle ball or New Orleans

2010-11-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

The Sacramento Kings played their best defensive game of the season and still lost, 75-71, Sunday afternoon at home to the New Orleans Hornets.

That’s how things can go for a team, now 4-8, attempting to find its way. The Kings lost a four-point game because they made just 60 percent (9 of 15) of their free-throw attempts.

Conversely, New Orleans (11-1) missed just one of 16 free-throw attempts.

Sacramento lost because it had 13 possessions during the fourth quarter’s final six minutes and made just two of 10 field-goal attempts and committed three turnovers.

That usually will not result in victory.

The Kings committed 22 turnovers that New Orleans turned into 23 points. That's nearly one-third of the team's scoring.

It was a team-wide Kings turnover fest. Three players committed three turnovers and three committed four.

Coach Paul Westphal said half of those turnovers were unforced and shouldn't have occurred.

“What we’re doing is very simple,” he said of the team's offense, “and we’re not running something different at the end of the game that we’re running all through the game.”

So the Kings aren’t executing. That statement also could be taken that perhaps they need to do some things differently down the stretch to give defenses other options to consider.

However, moving the ball to the open man truly is what the Kings need. Many times during the game, the Kings fail to make the simple pass to the open man. It’s not rocket science.

The Kings would like to play an up-tempo offense and passing, not dribbling, the ball up court is a key. Then making the next pass to the open man is key to offensive success. Often, that will be Tyreke Evans making that first pass to the open man. And until it is, the Kings offense will not smoothly function.

Granted, the Kings are a young squad, but youth has nothing to do with playing unselfishly and intelligently.

Certainly experience on New Orleans’ behalf and inexperience on Sacramento’s side played a role in the game’s final minutes. The Hornets basically kept the ball in the hands of point guard Chris Paul and forward David West. Those are two experienced and proven closers.

That’s two more than Sacramento has right now. Paul set up two plays off pick-and-rolls that led to West making two open wing jump shots. West made his last two shots to finish eight of 19 from the field.

However, no matter what plays are drawn up by any coach, a player has to make shots.

Additionally, the Hornets lead the league in defensive field-goal percentage at 42.5. So it’s not a complete surprise the Kings struggled offensively. The true surprise was Sacramento limiting New Orleans to 32.2 percent shooting.

The Kings have improved defensively in their past two games heading into Monday night’s game at Utah.

And as Westphal said, “It’s just a shame to play that well defensively against a team with one of the best records in basketball and walk out of the gym with a loss.”

It also was a shame to waste Donte Greene’s 15-point, 10-rebound performance in 32 minutes.

Indeed. The Kings, however, will not win many games with 14 assists and 22 turnovers. That’s unacceptable.

The overall concept is playing consistently at each end of the court and that’s what the Kings still are striving to reach. Playing on the road in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz is not the ideal situation, but it's what the Kings have before them tonight.

Little things keep Kings from improving

2010-11-19T05:25:00.000-08:00

It seems as if it were just 2½ weeks ago the Sacramento Kings were 3-1 and preparing to play the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was.

Fast forward to Wednesday night against the New York Knicks, the Kings had lost five straight games, four at home and three to teams struggling as badly if not more than themselves.

The Kings raced to a 15-point lead near the end of the first quarter against New York, which had lost six straight, and the early consensus was Sacramento was moving toward stopping the bleeding with a reconfigured starting unit including Luther Head and Jason Thompson.

Wrong! Now the Kings have lost six straight entering tonight's home game against the New Jersey Nets.

The Kings went to their new second unit and allowed points so quickly, the term point-shaving entered the mindset. The Knicks scored so easily, it was like the Kings just had to be letting them, right?

After the game, coach Paul Westphal said this same second-unit Tuesday had battered the first unit so badly he almost felt sorry for his starters.

Against the Knicks, the second unit received what it had given in the previous day’s practice because during a 20-2 New York run I felt sorry for what predominantly was the Kings second unit of DeMarcus Cousins, Omri Casspi, Darnell Jackson, Francisco Garcia and Beno Udrih.

Or maybe it was that they were sorry. It was one of those two, well, maybe both.

The Kings twice ran away from players with the ball in the half-court. Those are a couple of moves that likely inspired Westphal to later compare their performance to ‘sub sixth-grade basketball that was indescribably bad.’

Now that was an accurate description. Include an incorrect traveling call on Cousins; an accurate traveling call on Cousins, an unnecessary 20-footer by Jackson, who appears to have 15-foot range at best; and a missed layup by Udrih; and the Kings had handed momentum to the Knicks like a friendly black jack dealer with an eight on a 13.

Check out this Kings defensive possession midway through the second quarter with four of the five starters in the game. Carl Landry had just made a jumper over Amare Stoudamire to cut New York’s lead to 38-37.

Then New York’s Toney Douglas (defended by Udrih) runs a high angle screen-roll with Stoudamire (defended by Samuel Dalembert). Stoudamire rolls and on the move gets stopped by Landry. Stoudamire goes to the floor.

Douglas passes to Ronny Turiaf at the top of the key with Stoudamire still on the floor. Turiaf takes one dribble and passes back to Douglas who has faded beyond the three-point line. He makes one hard dribble left to elude Udrih (yes, it was that easily done) and rises for a three-point attempt. Landry steps out to challenge the shot because Udrih now was behind Douglas.

The shot misses badly. Dalembert moves over to box out Turiaf. That leaves Stoudamire, who had risen from the floor, a wide-open path for a two-handed tap dunk and a 40-37 lead.

Now the Kings had spaced the floor on the opposite side with Danilo Gallinari (defended by Garcia) up top and Wilson Chandler (defended by Tyreke Evans) in the short right corner.

Evans remained in a four-foot area throughout the possession and basically did nothing. He didn’t go for the rebound nor did he attempt, maybe not even think about boxing out Stoudamire.

More importantly, Evans (last season’s NBA rookie of the year and 20-5-5 guy, yada, yada, yada) let his teammates down. He certainly could have and should have had Dalembert’s back when the center had Landry’s back who had had Udrih’s back.

On one possession, Udrih and Evans stunk it up defensively. In a five-man game, that’s 40 percent of your defense giving you nothing and the opposition everything.

It was just one possession, but the line between NBA success and failure can be that fleeting. Just like 17 days can turn into a 2½-week trip to hell and just like four minutes can turn a 31-18 Kings lead with 10:35 left in the second to a 38-35 Knicks lead with 6:30 left.

Heck, it wasn’t even four minutes of game time, but in real time it seemed less. And Westphal during one stretch called a time out with 8:59 left and followed with a 20-second time out 45 seconds later.

Now, the Kings had ample opportunities later to win this game, but this one stretch of play, low-lighted by one defensive possession, was an indicator of why they didn’t. It is a possession such as this that leads to Sacramento allowing a league-high 49.2 defensive field-goal percentage.

Moreover, it’s an example of how a team has to work in concert and trust each other defensively if it is going to be successful.

It’s not rocket science but it is a thinking man’s game.

Simply, though, let’s get back to Marty Mac’s theory of needing five or six players performing near or above their potential against the Knicks.

Landry, who is making me re-think his potential of scoring with his back-to-the basket, had 21 points and nine rebounds and played well.

Westphal credited his team with doing a better job of getting Landry the rock. Perhaps the Kings can begin to go inside to Cousins with more diligence and success, too.

Cousins committed a team-high five turnovers, but scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds.

Moreover, he played so hard, it was noticeably different than most of his teammates. The dude is intense. He plays as if he doesn’t want to lose. He sells out. I’m not sure I can say that about each of his teammates.

Donte Greene played 20 minutes, all in the second half and never came out of the game once he entered.

It could just be me, but his quickness and athleticism are needed on this team. He’s going to make mistakes, but when he’s playing really hard and relaxed, the Kings are a better team.

That’s three out of 12 who played well and that will not get the job done.

Evans scored a team-high 23, five of which came after the outcome had been decided. He added five rebounds and five assists, but soon must figure out how to stop leaving his feet and passing.

Being one who was guilty of the same thing, Evans has to stop taking off from so far away from the hoop and not knowing what he’s going to do. He’s got to get one dribble deeper on drives so he can fully take advantage of his strength and body control.

Moreover, he and Udrih both have to stop jumping into the air and passing almost blindly backwards. Those passes usually start the opponents’ fast break.

Udrih scored 18 and helped fuel the Kings fourth-quarter comeback with 11 points, but his recent defense has been embarrassing.

As Head said after the game, “This is so disappointing because we can play so much better than we’ve been playing.”

This is true and in the darkness, you’ve got to look for a little light somewhere. Sacramento’s light from one vantage point is it can play better. Maybe the Kings will when they truly get tired of getting their butts kicked.

Coaches have to coach and players have to play

2010-11-16T07:22:00.000-08:00

A couple of thoughts come to mind after watching the Kings Sunday afternoon lose their fifth straight game, this time to the Detroit Pistons.

This is a question, more than a thought, but why are the Kings trying to make tuna fish salad out of chicken?

Luther Head is not a point guard, but that’s where the Kings are trying to play him.

Jason Thompson is not a small forward, but his natural position is power forward. This may not be a revelation, but play the dude at power forward.

If you still want him on the floor and don’t want to play him at power forward, play him at center. That’s probably his second-best position, but small forward is his third-best/worst position.

Actually, Westphal’s use of Thompson at three is a compliment, albeit a dumb one. The coach was trying to get him onto the floor. The same minutes Thompson played at three, he could have played at a position we used to call Bench.

Here’s a key that I can’t accurately assess, but J.T. wears size 20 shoes. Small forwards don’t have feet that big. If you wear 20’s like Bob Lanier’s 22’s (back in the day) or Shaquille O’Neal’s of similar size, make the mistake of putting him in the paint.

Let the man bang. Reportedly, he had one of the Kings’ best training camps. Everyone said no one came into camp in better shape. Play the man.

Coach Paul Westphal says there is a frontcourt logjam with Samuel Dalembert, Carl Landry, DeMarcus Cousins, Darnell Jackson and Thompson. And I guess this means we’ll never see Hassan Whiteside in anything but street clothes in the near future, so the NBDL likely is screaming at that youngster.

I’m with that, but someone has to sit. Westphal has to sit one of these cats. Two games ago against Phoenix, it was J.T. Last game, it was Jackson. Perhaps the coach is moving toward breaking up the logjam.

Donte Greene is a small forward, a long, athletic small forward whom I see as one of the team’s better defensive players. He’s not great, but he’s good enough to get time on this squad.

Westphal obviously has not seen it this way. Yet, he will. Omri Casspi and Greene should be getting the small forward minutes. It can be argued Greene should be starting over Casspi – and it has been.

I had a discussion with former Kings star guard Mitch Richmond about that Jackson receiving time over Thompson. For the record, I’ve seen each of the Kings games, some twice. I’d bet Richmond likely has not seen any from start to finish.

To say Jackson hasn’t earned playing time with his performances is unfair. When presented the opportunity, he’s performed well so I can understand Westphal giving him time. The man is trying to win and Jackson, during the season’s first few games, outplayed Thompson.

Yet, if you give Jackson credit for doing well early in the season, then Thompson should receive kudos for playing well at times during the last two seasons.

Richmond can’t understand Jackson outplaying Thompson, but Jackson reminds me of former Kings tough man Michael Smith. Jackson doesn’t rebound like Smith, but the Animal didn’t make shots like Jackson, either.

Kings President Geoff Petrie said he’s not having trade discussions regarding Thompson. If that’s true, then Petrie needs to pick up the phone.

The Kings are 3-6 and have lost five straight. They’ve lost to Detroit, Minnesota and Memphis, each of whom also is struggling.

Yet, they are not alone with their struggles. Consider the Atlanta Hawks just ended a four-game losing streak with a victory over Minnesota.

The Los Angeles Clippers are 1-10 (1-5 at home). Charlotte (4-7) is 1-4 at home, like Sacramento and Cleveland (4-5).

Miami (6-4) has different expectations, of course, but struggles are struggles.

The struggles of Washington (2-6) and Philadelphia (2-8) are along the same line of Sacramento’s. These teams have average, at best, talent bases and are trying to find their respective ways.

Just for the record, when things go poorly, coaches always catch a lot of flak and not undeservedly. They usually receive major accolades when things go well.

That’s the situation for which they signed the dotted line.

However, and this is a major however, coaches don’t play. There’s not a guard on the Kings who shot as well or even played as well as did Westphal or Mario Elie. Give either one the looks these current day cats are getting and the Kings are not shooting a league second-worst 29.5 percent from three-point range.

Only Oklahoma City at 25.3 percent shoots worse. Only Omri Casspi (38.3) and Francisco Garcia (37.8) are shooting above 25 percent.

However, the Thunder leads the league in free-throw shooting at 88.1 percent. The Kings are 28th out of 30 at 70 percent.

That’s a bad combination, folks. The Kings currently would lose every western in which they’ve appeared.

They are the gang that can’t shoot straight. Beno Udrih is shooting 17.4 percent from three, but check out the percentage of these dudes: Orlando’s JJ Redick (12 percent); Golden State’s Vladimir Radmanovic (29.6 percent). These are shooters who have gotten off to slow starts. It happens.

Westphal, like most all coaches, encourages his players, particularly shooters to take open threes. Sacramento went two for 18 in Sunday’s loss to Detroit on the same night Phoenix made 22 of 40 in a road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Westphal was asked if 18 attempted threes were too many.

“If they don’t go in,” he said after they didn’t. “It’s always easy to look at the stat sheet after the game and say we took too many threes, if they are not going in. But what we tell our shooters, guys lot ‘Cisco, guys like Omri, Luther Head, who ever they are (that) if you are a good three-point shooter and you are open, you have to take it with confidence.”

Players also have to realize they don’t have to take every wide-open three-pointer they get. There are nights when you stink up the joint and have to make adjustments.

At some point, players have to play to their levels. It’s too much to expect a higher level of production of which they are capable. It is not, repeat not, too much to expect professionals to produce and earn their loot.

In the case of Sacramento, there are players who haven’t had enough of a career to determine a level. However, there are some who have and until the young boys get their acts together.

So we shall see what we shall see.

Kings have more pressing problems than Cousins' mouth

2010-11-13T22:37:00.000-08:00

Rookie big man DeMarcus Cousins’ temperament and tendency to woof are just two of the Sacramento Kings problems Sunday as they look to halt a four-game losing streak.

The Kings begin a four-game home stand against Detroit and it could get late really early in this season if Sacramento coach Paul Westphal’s crew doesn’t quickly get its act together. The Kings are 3-5.

Cousins reportedly has been talking back to coaches and doing so to the point where he has required special attention. To the point, where a source says, Westphal has had to step away from his personality to deal with the rookie.

Really? Has the big 20-year-old kid whom the Kings were able to pick with the No. 5 choice because he likes to run his mouth been running his mouth?

As it consistently has been said in this space, the early part of the season is a feeling-out process. Westphal and his staff have to figure how to deal with this team and vice versa.

Recently it came to light Cousins flapping his gums had become a distraction. Word is Westphal has been hearing verbiage from more than just the rookie. Again, that’s not a news flash.

The Kings have a squad littered with youngsters who really don’t know what they are doing, yet believe they do. That’s often what being young is about.

I know. I have a 20-year-old son.

Moreover, I’ve been there and didn’t know that.

Cousins, for the most part, has to figure out when to talk and when to shut up. For the most part, he has accomplished that during games and practices. He's just done dumb stuff like most young folks - and quite a few older folks - including those who have painted Cousins as a bad person or a loser or a troublemaker.

Certainly Cousins has fed the fire of those inflammatory assessments. The guess here is he doesn't care, but he should. Image really isn't everything, but education inside your craft is and if your behavior hampers learning, it needs to be adjusted.

Don’t try to read his sour-puss faces and grimaces. One of the worst things people do is try to look at another’s face and discern thoughts. Nobody is that smart. Some faces tell everything. Others tell nothing. Some appear to reveal one emotion when the reality is totally different.

Cousins has to understand there is a time to talk and a time to listen. And he always has to recognize the coaching staff is attempting to help him grow as a player and person. The Kings need him to move toward maximum production, like yesterday.

Coaches make mistakes, too, and if they don’t recognize that, they are moving in the wrong direction.

It’s likely the Kings coaching staff should share some of the blame because it usually takes two to beef. Additionally, if their dealings with Cousins have been unsuccessful and aren’t designated to be effective in the future, the directions need alterations.

More importantly, Westphal has more pressing issues.

The Kings need low-post point production as well as ways to score easy buckets. The former should much easier to locate.

Cousins, who has come off the bench in each of the past four games (all losses), is Sacramento’s low-post threat. The Kings have not used him in the post nearly as much as they should; as they need.

Carl Landry is a face-up, mid-range jump shooter. If he scores around the basket, it usually is off an offensive rebound or a fast break.

Jason Thompson has the size to play with his back to the basket, but doesn’t finish sufficiently. Besides, currently he can’t make consecutive free-throws with any consistency.

Westphal has not settled on a lineup or rotation at this point, so we might as well see Cousins at power forward alongside Dalembert. Foul trouble is not a concern since it has been a constant, anyway.

The bottom line is most teams cannot score with perimeter-oriented offense. The Kings likely would reside near the bottom of that list.

Include a defense permitting far too much penetration to be effective and there needs to be a more efficient offense to compete. Don't look for those points to come off effective manuvering on the break. The Kings often look as if they've never run a three-man weave, much less worked on spacing and passing in advantageous situations.

The Kings, however, have been in position to defeat New Jersey, Memphis, Minnesota and Phoenix. So, all is not lost. Despite how ineffectively and unsightly, they’ve performed, the conversion of a few timely possession combined with similar defensive stops.

Yes, easier said than done.

Just about as easy as figuring out how to deal with young men who think they know it all.

Yo, while we're at it - can a brother get some Pooh Jeter?

The painful education of growing up - the Sacramento Kings

2010-11-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

It has been disappointing watching the Kings in their past two games. Collectively, they’ve stunk up the joint.

When Sacramento meets Phoenix Friday night, it’ll be a match up of two of the NBA’s worst defensive squads, so look for many, many points to be scored.

However, the Kings are youth-laden while the Suns are a veteran crew. When in doubt, take the experience.

When you can’t take care of the ball (19 turnovers in a 98-89 loss Wednesday night to Minnesota), you can’t muster consistent offensive production and you can’t find a way to keep an admittedly ultra-talented Michael Beasley and clearly improved Sebastian Telfair from dominating your squad, disappointing is the word that comes to mind.

Here’s another: $#@@&%%!!

Once again, the basics of Basketball 101 in Marty Mac’s World are a team usually needs four or five players doing what they do to snatch a victory.

It would be a good thing if one of those players was your best player.

However, Tyreke Evans was as terrible against the T-Wolves as Minnesota’s defense was determined to keep him from the basket. Omri Casspi scored 17 points in 27 minutes, but he was the first victim of Beasley’s assault.

Beasley treated Casspi as if he were his little brother. The second-year forward is an amazing talent but he was allowed to get off early, as almost every Kings opponent has been.

By the time, Donte Greene, yes, that Donte Greene, came off the bench for 3:40, Beasley was so hot, he’d have lit up an in-prime Dennis Rodman, the 6-foot-8 forward who already should have defended and rebounded his place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Francisco Garcia, Samuel Dalembert and Antoine Wright followed in the procession of torches, uhh, defenders to get some from Beasley on the way a career-high 42.

Only Dalembert, Darnell Jackson and Beno Udrih (other than those four turnovers) played well.

That’s not enough to overcome missing 12 of 32 free-throws, committing 19 turnovers (many sloppier than unforced) and making just five of 20 three-point field-goal attempts.

That left the Kings with three straight home losses during a stretch eight home games in nine. It’s extremely early in the season; however, this is where habits are formed.

This is where identities are created and established.

Remember, identities can be negative. It’s important for a team to establish difficult-to-discern and measure qualities like toughness, confidence, teamwork and chemistry.

Yet, without those qualities, a team has no shot at success.

Right now, the Kings have none of these qualities.

And it’s the team’s composition that is most responsible for that status.

Minnesota assistant coach Bill Laimbeer was discussing talented young forward Kevin Love and working with a young team.

He was speaking of the Timberwolves and Love, but his words equally could be applicable to the Kings and Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins.

Laimbeer was asked how Love can improve.

“By learning the game, how to get more involved in a team structure, which all of our young guys have to learn,” he said of the T-Wolves. “Defensive wise he has to learn how to short cut things and take away other guys opportunities and discourage passes coming into the post because he’s not the tallest guy or the strongest guy.

“He has to do his work early in order to discourage his guy from getting the ball.”

Laimbeer, one of the league’s great intangible players as well most despised, said many dynamics go into team and individual growth.

“When you don’t get to grow up as a unit,” he said, “it can be frustrating. That takes a few years. As far as Kevin, he’s going to learn his way. When you are young like this, you are thinking about how I’m going to get mine and how I’m going to establish myself as a player. And unless you are surrounded by intense veterans who are winners, you are going to stub your toe along the way and these guys are no exception.

“He’s very young, yes, and that’s a positive and a negative. You are so young you want to get out of the bad habits you pick up because you don’t know any different. And quite frankly being on a team where he hasn’t won that’ll wear you down and you don’t want to get into that rut early in your career.”

Youth means learning how to make the most of one’s ability and skills. It means avoiding one’s weaknesses and mostly, how not to defeat yourself.

We have yet to see how long this process will take, or if will occur. And tonight against a veteran Phoenix team, we’ll get one more indication.

Wayman Tisdale's Fonk Record release party was a smoker

2010-11-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

Former Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns forward Wayman Tisdale was a special, special person.

How many folk are talented and fortunate enough to become stars in two professional environments? Basketball and music demand such high skill levels and the competition is so fierce.

For those who didn't see Tisdale play ball, he could be an unstoppable low-post force. His flipper, as he called it, was a left-handed jump hook that was so effective that people like me criticized him for not using more. Shoot, everytime he touched the rock would have been enough for me.

The answer to the aforementioned question about multi-professional excellence is very, very few, but Tisdale did it with a flow of smooth in his hoop game and jazz game.

He died May 15, 2009 but last Sunday night his spirit was alive, bumpin’ and fonkin at Harlow’s Nightclub in Sacramento.

The occasion was a celebration/CD release party of Tisdale’s posthumous project called Wayman Tisdale – The Fonk Record featuring Tiz and the Fonkie Planetarians.

And trust, there is very little smooth about The Fonk Record. The CD, which I’ve been jamming and sharing since the day I received it from producer/bassist Derek (DOA) Allen, is straight funky to the core.

Tisdale is a self-admitted country boy from Tulsa, Oklahoma so out of respect for my man, with who as a Kings beat writer, I spent day after day after month after month. So I roll in this piece with 'fonky' instead of 'funky.'

Much love Wayman’s longtime friend and ace-boon-coon (since we’re making it fonky), drummer Arthur Thompson was the co-producer.

Thompson was down with Tisdale like pores to skin.

“Art was with him when he took his last breath,” Allen said.

The Fonky Record couldn’t help but be dirty, nasty and stinky personified with contributions from the ultimate funkmeister Parliament/Funkadelic orchestrator George Clinton and legendary keyboardist George Duke, who also firmly straddles the funk-jazz line.

So get your toilet paper, handi-wipes, towelettes or whatever your choice before succumbing to Tisdale’s Fonk Record.

A number of prime-time musicians on the club’s stage turned a quiet evening into a funkafied, hot, sweaty, basement party minus the crib.

It was a party that back in the day likely would have moved a neighbor to call the police and tell them to make those loud people go home. Where were John Witherspoon and the late Bernie Mac when you needed them?

If you were without a handkerchief, face or body towel, you were under dressed and ill-prepared.

Actually there were so many big-time musicians and entertainers on the stage, the mentions were too numerous to make, but the appreciation of talent and time given by all only could be understated.

Former Sly and Family Stone and Graham Central Station Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trumpeter Cynthia Robinson could have been legitimately accused of trying to bring the club into ill repair with her nocturnal funkiness spraying throughout the joint.

She took me back to 1968 or so when I saw her and Sly on a 90-plus degree summer day at Harlem’s Mt. Morris Park. I was sporting my knit shirt, silk and wool pants and playboys (shoes). If you don’t know about that, you’d better ask somebody. I was hot as hell, but cooler than cool waiting for Sly to show up an hour and a half late, as usual. Then they turned out the joint.

It was kind of late Sunday evening when former Tower of Power lead singer Lenny Williams took the Harlow's stage and broke into his soulful and inimitable style that has stood and over-run the test of time.

Even with the likes of saxophonists Mike Phillips and Kim Waters, percussionist extraordinaire Sheila E, actor-bassist poet and entertainer Malcolm Jamal-Warner, keyboardist/bassist/singer ChuckII Booker, Sacramento bassist (DOA) Allen performing in a ridiculously funky and soulful jam session, two stars of the night shined more brightly.

Those were Regina Tisdale, Wayman’s wife, and his daughter, Danielle, now an Atlanta resident. They continued the legend and legacy of class and style Wayman had established as a major basketball star. And Danielle jumped on the stage and blew as well.

The night began with TV Judge Judy bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd emceeing the festivities and providing an introductory funk education to those who didn’t know.

For Gina, the night was another step towards closing a circle after losing her husband to leukemia at the age of 44.

Mrs. Tisdale spoke of how she and husband often discussed how badly and determined he was to take his hugely successful smooth jazz in another direction if only for one project.

“We grew up in Oklahoma listening to Charlie Wilson and the Gap Band and Funkadelic and Wayman always dedicated part of his shows to soulful funk,” she said. “He wanted to get as funky as he always has been and many people didn’t know.

“When Wayman was going through chemotherapy sessions, he’d be sitting down and clowning around with the funky stuff. He’d be clowning so hard, there were times if I wondered if he was serious. But he’d say, ‘No, baby, I’m going to do this.’ “

Wayman would take his wife into the studio connected to their home and share just how serious he was.

“I’d go out there and listen and say, ‘Wow, this is something real. This dude really is serious.’

Allen talks about how the project was put together through sharing and exchanging computer files across the country.

He spoke of Tisdale thinking of the concept of donning an afro wig, sideburns and high heels. He’d walk down Hollywood Blvd. into the offices of record executives, let them see the gold tooth in his mouth and put his music on for them to see.

“He would introduce them to the Fonky Planetarians in that way,” said Allen, who in addition to working as the project’s producer, over the years had performed the same role on other Tisdale projects.

There was a reason why Allen and promoter Mike Dailey decided Sacramento was the spot to introduce Tisdale’s Fonk Record.

“Wayman’s whole professional music career started here in Sacramento,” Allen said. “(The late) Robert Brookins played a major role in convincing Tis that he could do this. He clearly was able to transform from basketball star to jazz artist, but his love of funk always was there.”

Allen said getting three performers – Duke, Clinton and singer Ali Woodson - to contribute to the Fonk Record was integral to Tisdale.

“The thing was that we never had all of these cats in a studio at one time,” Allen said. “And it was no thing to get Duke to contribute, but Clinton, that was something different.”

Allen said he and a few folks literally had to chase down Clinton, whom shall we say, can be a bit unpredictable.

“We went to Reno and hunted him down. George had given Tis his word and I knew we had to hook it up,” Allen said. “We couldn’t have done it without the help of Ray Grady, who had long worked with Clinton.

On a video associated with the project, Allen and his people can be seen literally stopping at gas stations and randomly asking folks if they’d seen Clinton. In fact, if you know of Clinton’s unusual flair for independence dress, et al., once you’ve seen him it’s clear he won’t be confused with anyone else on this planet.

Clinton, a Plainfield, New Jersey, has said he’s not of this world and as a lifelong Funkateer, I’m convinced.

At the same they were chasing down Clinton, Allen, with the help of a Sacramento engineer, Brian Porter, was trying to secure studio space to do their thing with Clinton.

“There was a spot called Granny’s House Studio in Reno where Fleetwood Mac and Michael Jackson had done some work,” Allen said. “So we tried to hook that up. We couldn’t find the joint and figured we’d go to where the concert was that night and talk to some stage hands and roadies. We’d gone to one big house in a residential area and knocked on the door for about 15 minutes before we decided to go to the venue.

“Once we got there, they told us we needed to hook up with this big ol’ brother and talk to him about his studio,” Allen said. “We hooked up with him and he said it was cool, but he needed $2000 a day.

“We couldn’t do that and we decided on a price of $300. He said he’d let us use his studio and on the way there, we noticed we were going in the same direction we’d just come from. He took us to Granny’s House Studio, the same big house where we’d been banging on the door.

“We ended up paying him a little more than the agreed upon price. We hooked up with George. He did his thing and it all worked out. We all had to feel that Wayman was there the whole time.”

The completion of the project was something Allen felt had to be done. Tisdale had passed on and the day after the funeral service, Allen approached Tis’ wife about the project.

“Derek was in the kitchen and told me he wanted to finish the project because Wayman wanted it so badly,” she said. “He told me to take my time and do what I had to do and let him know.

“I said at the time, ‘Absolutely,” Mrs. Tisdale said. “Give me a couple of months and then we get talk about it and start handling the details.”

Mrs. Tisdale said she was amazed by what she’d heard.

“I really began to believe we’d get it done after I heard the fourth cut or so. And I was amazed by how good Ali Woodson (a former singer with The Temptations) sounded. Like Wayman, he’d had throat cancer, but he sounded so strong and forceful. At first, Wayman had wondered if he should even ask Ali because he was sick.”

Woodson, like Tisdale, passed away before the project was completed.

Mrs Tisdale said, “But we talked about how music had helped Wayman get through some very tough times after his chemo treatments and how this might have that same effect for Ali.”

Indeed Woodson’s performance on ‘Been Here Before,’ is one that has made me repeat the cut over and over and his passionate, from-the-heart words regarding his love for Tisdale and how he’s always been there for him.

Regina said she received the completed project a couple of weeks ago, but initially didn’t listen to it

“I was giving them to people but I didn’t listen to it,” she said. “I couldn’t until last week. I was laughing and crying. There was a bitter-sweet excitement. It’s just like (Sunday night). It was bitter-sweet because it was like Wayman was there.”

Regina said she hadn’t been to Sacramento in far more than a decade.

“Even seeing his buddies was something special,” she said. “Wayman always was going to think you were a good cat until you proved otherwise.”

Yes, Tiz and the Fonky Planterians and the Fonk Record are all special.

And during these times of athletes speaking of legacies and legends, Tisdale has established another level to which they can aspire. However, most of them might want to put on some MC Hammer because they can’t touch this.

More information on the project, the cartoons, the video and all that can be found by googling Wayman Tisdale for a start.

Two things are for sure. If you weren’t at this party, you missed a stoned cold blast. Secondly, Wayman didn’t miss it. You could feel him.

Fire Westphal? Hold your water!

2010-11-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

People are absolutely nuts. Maybe that should read fans are nuts.

I’m reading now how the Sacramento Kings should fire Paul Westphal.

This is after they go 3-3 to begin the season. Hold your water, people.

Granted, I’ve got many questions regarding what the Kings are doing and/or trying to do.

Those things I’m trying to figure out and from the looks of, so are they, coach Westphal included.

One thing I’d ask of those who believe Westphal should be fired. Did you think he should be fired when the Kings were 3-1.

If so, then OK.

If not, then shut up and quit being reactionary to a couple of losses.

One of those came against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The other defeat was by a Memphis Grizzlies team one year ahead of the Kings in the growth process and definitely more athletic and talented at this point.

It doesn’t make a difference if the Grizzlies played two overtimes the night before. If it was six or seven overtimes, then OK, I’d see the point.

These are basically 22 to 30 year-old cats, who played 10 minutes longer than regulation. What? They can’t hoop two nights in a row. People, please?

Often times, I wonder if people who write some of the bizarre stuff they post ever really, truly laced up sneakers and competed. Most of the time, the answer I came up with is hell no.

Did you ever consider how pissed off, motivated and determine that team might be after just throwing away a game they'd dominated the night before? Isn’t that a factor?

You want to fire Westphal? Didn’t the Kings just hire homeboy? Can the man get more than one season and six games before kicking him to the curb?

Can he work with the same group of players for a minimum of two seasons so it’s clear to all what he’s trying to do? Or maybe it won't be clear and that'll also be a revelation.

An organization has to have stability and firing a coach every year or even every other year does not inspire stability.

There is no way a team can become a team without learning its rules and regulations and disciplines. Just because you have 12 players or 14 for that matter, doesn’t mean you have a team.

Teams go through adversity and become stronger as a result of lessons learned. What the Kings have is a nucleus that consists, in part, of Tyreke Evans (21 years old), DeMarcus Cousins (20), and Omri Casspi (22). Include Donte Greene (22, and his status is another discussion point), Hassan Whiteside (21) and there are five players, who still are shy of their 23rd birthdays. Add Darnell Jackson, who is 25 and has six games under his Sacramento belt and there is a collection of characters who don’t really know what they are doing.

They can’t because knowing what you are doing requires know-how. You know, doing it over and over again, like most of us have done in our given jobs/professions. And not when we were 20 or 21 or 22.

Just because these guys are tall and highly-paid doesn’t make them any different mentally or maturity-wise than others their age.

They have differing levels of maturity, intelligence and willingness to accept teaching or even acknowledge the need to be taught.

Westphal surely still is attempting to learn how to teach and reach these guys. The Kings have improved talent and size, but its collection by no means is so commanding that it is dominating.

OK, I could spend another four hours with the questions that surface with Westphal’s actions and decisions.

So, I’ll chill with those for the moment. Some of those might be answered, say, in the second or third weeks of the season. That was a joke for those of you taking this Kings thing a bit too seriously.

However, here’s a couple I hope to get the coach to answer by next week.

How many plays do you call a game? How many of those are pick and roll plays?

The Kings half-court offense often appears to have no direction. Is that because players fail to execute their roles? Or is it because it lacks direction.

How much time during practice does your team spend on defense? Is there a way to improve how stay in between your man and the basket? You know the basic concept of keeping one’s man in front of you?

So far, the Kings should be renamed the excavators since all they do is dig holes for themselves. That’s the most difficult way to win games.

Ahh, we'll get to Greene another day.

Lakers show Kings how far they have to go

2010-11-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers strolled into Arco Arena Wednesday night delivered all that is real.

Clearly, it was too real for the young Sacramento Kings.

It wasn’t just the 12-point victory margin. It was the team-wide defensive intensity combined with a self-knowledge, championship confidence and swagger combined with a discipline of execution that overwhelmed the Kings’ youthful intentions and desires.

The Lakers are what every team wants to be and where every team is attempting to get.

They’ve already won back-to-back titles and nothing was apparent last night to reveal they now aren’t on a similar course.

Could they become better this season than last? Only a season’s evolution and development can lead to that determination.

Yet, as the new-and-still improving almost 31-year-old (Nov. 6) Lamar Odom said, “Better? I hope so. That’s our goal. It’s always realistic, when you strive. Being perfect is like a realistic goal for us. That’s our way of thinking, our thought process.”

Can you get to that? Other teams are attempting to get into the playoffs, perhaps get a high playoff-seed, even. Meanwhile, the Lakers have begun the season 5-0 and have yet to put 23-year-old 7-foot talent Andrew Bynum on the court.

The Lakers seek perfection. Odom sounded like Denzel Washington in “Remember the Titans”, but the sincerity in his delivery and eyes, showed the versatile swingman was deadly serious.

Just as Kobe Bryant always is serious when he steps onto the floor, the Lakers carry themselves with an air of invincibility. That quotient never should be underestimated.

In some ways, Bryant’s presence and dominance manifest themselves in each of the Lakers. That goes the same for legendary coach Phil Jackson.

They don’t get shaken and there never is a situation in which they feel a loss of control.

Listen to how Odom and Derek Fisher speak of Bryant, who had off-season surgery on his right knee for the third time.

Said Odom, “Kobe is coming off surgery. He’s going to will the basketball game to kind of go his way. So, this is nothing different than what I’ve seen since I’ve been playing with him.”

Fisher and Bryant joined the Lakers together in 1996.

“I thought he might start off struggling to find some rhythm,” Fisher said of Bryant, “and he might build some rhythm as things went. But to see him playing this well, this early, he’s on my team, so that’s good for me. But that’s not good for everybody else when he’s playing this good this early.

“It’s not surprising. Nothing that he does surprises me. I’ve just seen too much, too many times. He’s capable of doing pretty much anything and everything.”

That’s the sound of reverence, of ultimate respect and confidence. The Lakers are a finished product that somehow still has an upside.

Meanwhile, the Kings are attempting to find their way with games such as the Lakers contest serving as monitoring levels. Sacramento’s leader on the floor is 21-year-old second-year guard Tyreke Evans.

Evans couldn’t stay on the floor against the Lakers and much of it was his own doing. He picked up his third foul with 1:08 left in the first half while defending Bryant’s shot attempt.

Evans’ fourth foul came with 8:42 left in the third quarter. He was caught reaching 20 feet from the basket as Bryant attempted to catch a pass. He was replaced 34 seconds later and sat the rest of the third.

It was no coincidence the Lakers quickly raced to an 82-62 lead as the Kings offense went ka-put.

Kings coach Paul Westphal didn’t mention Evans by name, but it was apparent the guard’s absence during the third quarter’s final minutes was a crucial factor.

“I thought it was an offensive breakdown in the third quarter,” the coach said. “I thought we were missing a lot of shots in the third quarter and let them get out. They’re too good of a team to let them get (into) transition and just miss, miss, miss over and over.”

Westphal knows how much the Kings (3-2) collectively have to improve to even approach the neighborhood in which the Lakers reside.

“The Lakers don’t even know who we are right now,” he said. “We would like to build a rivalry with the best team in the world, but to answer that question as if there’s a rivalry, that’d be an insult to them.

“We’ve got to win some games before there’s a rivalry. They are where we want to be.”

Kings get early test Wednesday against Lakers

2010-11-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

It is perfect timing for the world champion Los Angeles Lakers to show up in Sacramento earnest.

No more exhibition games and no more regular-season games during which the Kings could spend the first halves looking like they wanted to give up 80 points.

Sacramento (3-1) gets the Lakers Wednesday night at Arco Arena and it’ll be something serious. Granted, serious and special come in different packages for the teams, Sacramento has an opportunity to prove something to itself.

This will be Sacramento’s first opponent destined for the 2011 playoffs. That’s a bit of a guess, but anyone betting against a Lakers post-season appearance is on for double-double wager at your local cheeseburger establishment.

Those who have watched the Kings win three of their first four games should be aware of how slim the margin can be between winning and losing. The Kings just as easily could be undefeated as winless.

Victories are not to be undersold, no matter the method of achievement. The ‘W’ is the bottom line.

And there is certain strength in being able to come back from double-digit deficits to get a win, even if a similar ugliness exists in the abhorrent performance that takes a team to such depths.

For example, the Toronto Raptors, in Monday night’s Kings home season-opener, literally conducted fast-break drills that ended in dunks and lay ups throughout much of the first half.

It wasn’t exactly the way the new-style Kings wanted to greet their sellout crowd. However, led by Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih, the Kings were able to hang around in the second quarter and eventually outscore the Raptors in each of the final three quarters.

Evans is a statistical phenomenon. He’s perhaps on his way to becoming the most unusual player I’ve had the opportunity to watch.

The guy can look like one of the most devastating drivers I’ve ever seen. Therefore, passing the ball, particularly in a one-on-one situation, is unnecessary, if not even foolish.

Then Evans can attack a defense, either in a half-court situation or on the break, and appear to be one of the most selfish cats ever. He has no problem driving into a group of three or four defenders and forcing up an off-balance attempt that seemingly has nary a chance of conversion.

On a similar possession, Evans can draw all of that attention and somehow find an open teammate he seemingly has no apparent ability to locate and hit for a basket or at the least, an easy opportunity.

And just like Monday night, despite the distractions of receiving his 2010 Rookie of the Year award before the game and missing the start of the second half with an upset stomach, Evans finished the night with 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a blocked shot in nearly 37 minutes of action.

It was another night at the office for 21-year-old.

Not to be overlooked was the contribution/on-the-job training of center DeMarcus Cousins. The 20-year-old is on the early road to becoming a low-post, go-to-guy. Without him they become a jump-shot reliant, Evans-penetration dominated offense.

Cousins quickly is showing his mettle as a beast. Clearly, he’s ferocious on the boards and is capable of getting rebounds the Kings have struggled to get for years. Cousins rebounds in traffic. He rebounds with people on his back or on each shoulder. He rebounds with the hands of others on the ball, at least momentarily.

Yet, on this night, it was possible to watch him grow. He had two low-post moves blocked virtually before they left his hand by seven-foot non-shot blocker Andrea Bargnani.

Cousins, who played just 17 minutes, scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half. Ten of those came during the fourth quarter where he played Bargnani like an oboe.

The education taught in the first half already had been eaten, digested and evolved into a learned lesson in the fourth quarter. Cousins is an amazing case. Among all the words of critics heard about him during the draft, I can’t remember any of them mentioning his considerable intelligence.

Its clear Samuel Dalembert is rounding into shape. Dalembert grabbed a Kings’ season-high 14 rebounds in a little more than 22 minutes. His career-high is 23 boards. Dalembert’s tremendous length did not result in a blocked shot on the stat sheet, but if there was a stat for altered shots, he’d have had a couple.

What the Kings have lacked in recent years are players of impact - those who change the directions of a game with intelligence or heart in addition or independent of talent.

Omri Casspi didn’t do much in the first half, but his steal and driving dunk with 1:16 left in the third quarter was dynamic and quickly sent the crowd into a frenzy. Casspi outran the Raptors defenders and quickly forced down a surprising two-handed dunk.

“I just said, ‘(bleep) it,” Casspi said after the game.

Casspi clearly is unafraid of the moment. He scored 12 of his 14 in the second half and nine of those came on three of three three-point shooting in the fourth.

What Casspi appeared afraid of on this night were rebounds. He didn’t have one in nearly 33 minutes. Perhaps it was a positional thing. Toronto small forward Linas Kleiza had just one rebound during 34 minutes.
On a night, where Carl Landry’s jump shot was harassed by Reggie Evans (game-high 19 rebounds, 10 offensive), Darnell Jackson (eight points), Jason Thompson (seven points) and Luther Head (nine points, three assists) made impacts off the bench.

Donte Greene was the lone active player to receive a DNP-CD (Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision). Coach Paul Westphal said after the game Greene has done nothing wrong.

“There is no problem with Donte,” the coach said of Greene, who started at small forward in the season-opener but has been replaced by Casspi. “There are only so many minutes. We had so many bigs out.

“I’ve found out Luther and Darnell can come off the bench with energy and I don’t need Omri to come off with his energy. But it’s nothing Donte has done. Right now, Omri is the answer to the equation. It’s more of the contributions of Luther and Darnell than it is a slam on Donte.”

Greene opted not to discuss the situation following the game.

Who are the Sacramento Kings destined to become

2010-11-01T03:13:00.000-07:00

It’s anybody’s guess what the Sacramento Kings ultimately will become this season.

They could end up in the playoffs or the lottery. Currently, more folks likely would wager their valuables on the lottery.

Yet, three games into their campaign, the schedule indicates we’ll likely be receiving a GPS-type directional indicator before we sit down for turkey.

The Kings not only play their next four games at Arco Arena, but eight of their next nine and 10 of their next 13.

Sacramento opens its home campaign against the Toronto Raptors tonight before games Wednesday and Saturday nights, respectively, against the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.

Statistics don’t mean much at this juncture; nor do records.

However, there are a few indicators, if proven to be reasonably legitimate, that prove somewhat telling.

So far, the Kings appear to have nine to 10 players capable of playing productive ball. One of the many questions surrounding them will be how consistently they can perform. Another will be what type of defensive mentality they can establish as a unit.

Sacramento has just one set of back-to-back games – Nov. 21 home vs. New Orleans and Nov. 22 in Salt Lake City against Utah.

The Kings were the lone NBA squad to begin its season with three road games, yet the schedule presents an opportunity for Sacramento to establish itself capable of successfully competing – or not.

There are a couple of phases the Kings immediately will have to correct if they are to take advantage of the early schedule.

The Kings won two of three road games despite consistently committing dumb, careless fouls. It’s one thing to foul defensively in an attempt to prevent a player from establishing good position or easily penetrating its defense.

Fouling to prevent lay ups or dunks are good because they are the last line of defense.

It’s another thing to foul by needlessly reaching or gambling to make a steal, particularly in the backcourt. Those fouls merely fuel the opposing offense as well as weaken the Kings.

Sacramento’s ability to convert fast-break opportunities has to improve. Three-on-two advantages are basic basketball plays that have to be converted at a high rate if the Kings are to continue as a high-scoring squad.

It would help if the Kings get the ball into the hands of Beno Udrih at every opportunity. Tyreke Evans may be listed as a point guard, but at this stage of his career, the talented second-year guard goes for his better than creating opportunities for others.

It is easier for a team to improve offensively. Everyone wants to score, but few want to make the mental and physical commitments required to defend.

Individually, the Kings have to be impressed by rookie DeMarcus Cousins, Carl Landry, Francisco Garcia, Samuel Dalembert, Luther Head, Udrih, Darnell Jackson and Evans.

Cousins has been a force offensively and has been the lone back-to-the-basket post weapon. Additionally, the 20-year-old can and will pass.

Landry has been its most dependable scorer, but does most of his work facing the basket.

Garcia and Omri Casspi have combined to shoot 12 of 23 from three-point range, while the rest of the squad is six of 23. Casspi was incredible with six of seven in the win over Cleveland, but was zero of six during the previous two games.

Hence, there is a level of consistency yet to be established. As good as Casspi was offensively, his hustle and toughness defensively were equally important to the win.

Dalembert, in a combined 23 minutes during two games, has shown he can anchor the defense and provides a badly-needed shot-blocking presence. Like most defensively-oriented centers, he wants to prove he can be a scorer.

Dalembert has been in the league too long to become something new. His offensive game should be limited to put-backs and rolling to the hoop on screen-roll plays. That’s it. Jump shots should be a rarity for Dalembert.

If Head and Jackson can continue to produce at relatively similar levels, they will provide coach Paul Westphal options one month ago he had no reason to believe existed. The pair has been solid and consistent, characteristics only a coach truly can appreciate.

Jason Thompson has to figure out how to become more effective offensively. The guy misses more four-to-six footers than normally imaginable. Meanwhile, exactly what the deal is with Donte Greene is unknown to me at this point. I’m interested in asking a few questions this week to try to get a clue.

Organizationally, the Kings did not expect Jackson to make the team entering training camp. Head was a question mark at best. So his current assist-to turnover numbers of 10-to-one certainly qualify as a surprise.

It’ll be fun to see what other surprises the Kings have to offer this month.

Baby steps work for newbie Kings

2010-10-31T03:59:00.000-07:00

Three games into their 2010-11 NBA season, the Kings have displayed enough positive traits about which they can feel good entering Monday night’s home opener against the Toronto Raptors.

Sacramento came home Sunday morning with two victories in three road games to open their season. The methods of victory likely won’t become the blueprint for success.

Yet, the Kings have one of the league’s youngest teams. Any victory is a good one and any road victory should be appreciated that much more.

Ultimately, it won’t make a difference if the opponents - Minnesota, New Jersey and Cleveland – prove to be weaklings. As the Kings attempt to establish themselves as a solid team, one of the keys is defeating teams the league’s weaker teams.

Those are teams against whom confidence can be built and lessons to be learned.

Moreover, the Kings have a four-game home stand over the next 10 days during which they can use practice time to work on weaknesses.

The best way to look positively at the season’s first three games is consider the alternative. The Kings, who certainly could have won Friday night’s game in New Jersey, also could have lost each of the three games.

Perhaps the trip’s most impressive feature is getting two victories without playing particularly well as individuals.

Tyreke Evans missed the first game due to the league mandated suspension stemming from his reckless driving arrest this summer. Evans played erratically in both games, yet remains capable of taking over contests.

Evans’ growth will be a major determining factor in how quickly the Kings improve. There has been a constant harping on his perimeter shooting. His shot does look much better, but ultimately it will be his shot selection and decision-making that most influence his and the team’s advancement.

Evans has to find the fine line between being aggressive and trying to do too much. It is a line only supremely talented players encounter.

People question his shooting ability, yet it must be remembered he’s 21 and working with just one season of college. It’s no coincidence other young guards of similar experience – Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings and John Wall – also have similar mountains to climb.

Consider Hall of Fame guard Walt Frazier came out of Southern Illinois in 1967 incapable of making open 18-footers. Frazier played three years at SIU and ultimately became a seven-time NBA All-Star because of his ability to get where he wanted on the floor. Frazier worked on his shot and became one of the league’s best scoring guards because he combined shooting ability with getting the shots he wanted when we wanted them.

Currently, Evans, even in most half-court situations, relies on physical and natural ability. The sooner he learns how to survey situations and take advantage of defenses and defenders, the more prolific he’ll become. He won’t have to work as hard to score.

The Kings don’t need Evans attempting 19 and 20 shots as he did respectively against New Jersey and Cleveland, especially when many of them are forced attempts.

However, it merely is one important factor in the team’s overall learning process.

There are many basics upon which the Kings must improve to begin maximizing their potential. It’s clear to see they have improved team athleticism and depth.

Yet, running their offense more efficiently begins with making hard cuts. It includes developing the offensive patience to work for good shots and thereby forcing defenses to work.

The Kings want to run so they must secure defensive rebounds and run the floor hard collectively. However, they must work at converting fast-break opportunities. Right now, simply put, they stink on the break.

Perhaps more important is the Kings need to run hard to get back on defense. That commitment is paramount to becoming a sound defensive team.

They’ve taken a few baby steps towards becoming a viable team by winning a couple of road games they easily could have lost.

Momentarily, that will suffice.

Kings' Donte Greene can show he gets 'it'

2010-10-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Now we get to see if Donte Greene can handle the opportunity and responsibility of being the Sacramento Kings’ starting small forward.

Greene, 22, can begin to legitimately establish the direction of his NBA career. He has the opportunity to show what type of player he wants to become.

At 6-foot-11 and what he said last week was approximately 245 pounds, Greene has a heretofore untapped world of athleticism, talent and potential.

His ability to add constant focus, desire, intensity and work ethic to the package will determine how quickly he can turn potential into production.

Greene is capable of becoming an essential and highly valuable piece of any ascent the Kings can make in the upcoming season and beyond.

Greene’s ability to defend different styles of players at small forward and shooting guard as well as some power forwards can make him a special and unique commodity. His speed, quickness and jumping ability afford him the option of being a tremendous weak-side defender with the understanding of intelligent and timely rotations.

Greene’s physical abilities combined with increased experience and understanding of the game affords him the opportunity to carve a niche on the team and in the league. And that’s before his offensive skills and talents are discussed.

He has to learn how those who excel in the NBA do so with mental toughness and discipline.

Moreover, they don’t do it once a week. Consistency is what evolves into excellence. Consider, back in the day, at his age, he’d just be coming out of college, presumably a more finished product talent-wise and from a maturity perspective.

Greene’s offensive game currently consists of making perimeter shots, running the floor and converting fast-break opportunities.

He has to become more productive in half-court possessions. Greene has to learn how to use the threat of his long-range shooting to get the basket where his athleticism can be utilized.

He has to learn how to get into the lane and take advantage of smaller and less athletic defenders. Playing off Tyreke Evans is a must since the second-year guard often will have the ball.

Greene, armed with this starting position, has to understand how to best indoctrinate his skills into the team concept at each end of the floor. He must recognize growth is a process that will not always transcend into immediate results, particularly on an individual statistical pace.

Greene, like the rest of his young teammates, must judge growth by improved team defense, increasingly productive and efficient team offense and victories. Most NBA veterans will speak to the desire of young players being more focused getting their games off more than a team-wide focus.

By subjugating any individual goals and making the team his primary focus, Greene can help turn talk of making the playoffs into more than just conversation.

However, he’s got to recognize how becoming a great free-throw shooter, more aggressive rebounder and defender and doing the little things that help games are more valuable than the occasional highlight dunk.

Kings roster makeup is fluid - D-Block may have a shot

2010-10-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

The best laid plans of mice and Sacramento Kings coach Paul Westphal have gone astray.

Certainly, the coach and front-office had an image entering training camp of what they wanted their team to look like when it opens its regular season Oct. 27 in Minneapolis.

Center Samuel Dalembert’s left adductor strain has come as a huge surprise as did the diagnosis this week that he’ll likely miss four to six weeks. The guy had played every game in each of the past four seasons.

However, he’d been a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, not the Kings. And as former Sacramento Bee colleague R.E. Graswich mused, there is that concept of Arco Arena being built on ‘Indian burial grounds.’

Dalembert didn’t make it to the preseason before sustaining his injury. The seven-footer was expected to contribute a badly-needed defensive and rebounding presence in the lane.

However, currently it appears first-round draft choice DeMarcus Cousins appears to be the man in the middle with Jason Thompson and perhaps Darnell Jackson seeing time in reserve.

Kings President Geoff Petrie said Friday morning his team likely will not keep the maximum of 15 players.

“It’ll be difficult for us to keep more than 14 given the design driven by necessity,” Petrie said in his inimitable way.

Translation: The Kings aren’t paying for a 15th roster man who likely wouldn’t see a lot, if any, playing time. And there is no guarantee the Kings will keep 14.

Jackson could be the benefactor of injuries that have sidelined Dalembert and second-round pick Hassan Whiteside.

All concerned indicate Jackson has been impressive.

“He’s been very consistent day-to-day,” Petrie said of Jackson, who has played with Cleveland and Milwaukee since attending the University of Kansas. “He’s obviously been well coached. He’s another guy who hasn’t had much of an opportunity. So other than your draft preparation, it’s been hard to get a read on him. But he’s a man in there.”

Jackson’s new teammates enjoy playing with him.

Francisco Garcia says Jackson is more fun to play with than against.

“He goes hard all day, everyday,” Garcia said of Jackson. “He’s just a beast. That’s why we call him ‘D-Block’ because he plays defense on that block. He’s a good teammate, too. He’s always looking out for you. He’ll have your back on and the court.”

At that point, Cousins walked by on his way out of the locker room and Garcia was asked if that’s who banged against Jackson.

“He doesn’t want to bang with D-Block,” Garcia said of the rookie. “Nobody wants to bang with D-Block. (Cousins) doesn’t want any of that.”

The Kings acquired Jackson and a second-round draft choice from Milwaukee July 21 for Jon Brockman.

Jackson was claimed on waivers March 25 by Milwaukee from Cleveland. Bucks General Manager John Hammond spoke highly of Jackson’s work ethic. That’s somewhat unusual for an executive to be so effervescent in the praise of a player just traded.

Jackson, who is listed at 253 pounds, said he weighed 290 pounds when he joined Milwaukee. He credits the Bucks’ staff from head coach Scott Skiles on down for helping him regain focus.

“I know what my role is,” Jackson said this week. “I’m not going to go out and jack up 10 shots in the first quarter. My job is to play defense and if I’m open, knock down that jumper, because I can make that shot. I need to try to get my teammates extra possessions.

“When I first got (to Milwaukee), I was like, 290 (pounds). Coach Skiles, coach (Adrian Griffin), coach (Bill Peterson) and coach (Joe) Wolf had me in their facility every day.

“The biggest thing I have taken from there from coach Griffin and coach BP is I have to stand in a defensive stance every time. I have to move my feet and coach BP used to always tell me I have to master the little things.

“So when I’m out there on the court, I’m not worrying about getting a shot off. I’m thinking about stances, and sliding my feet, blocking out, showing on the screen and running the floor hard every time. They helped me develop my game there.

“I like to win, so I’m going to do the things that help the team win. I’m just trying master the small things. I don’t need highlights. My job is just to play hard every time.”

Jackson sounds like a keeper as does Luther Head, a young veteran guard. Like Jackson, Head is trying to make the team. Neither has a guaranteed contract.

The Kings have a need for perimeter shooting and Head’s lowest three-point shooting percentage in five NBA seasons is 35.1 with a high of 44.1 percent in 2006-07 with Houston.

Head has been solid with the Kings and Westphal has delivered strong reviews.

“Luther has played well,” the coach said. “He’s been a pro.”

Said Petrie of Head, “He’s been productive off the ball and he has a history of making shots.”

Head said he’s establishing a comfort level.

“I’m starting to get comfortable with everything,” said Head, who’ll turn 28 Nov. 26. “I’m getting comfortable with the team, the offense and with myself. I’m just playing. A couple of years ago, it might have been different. But now, I just play. I’m not thinking about not being on the team. I’m on the team. I’m in the game. So just play.”

That’s what the Kings are attempting to do – just play – and they’d like to do it with as much good health as they can acquire.

Kings just work now - progress to come later?

2010-10-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Early NBA preseason games often provide more questions than answers.

There were times during Sacramento’s game Sunday night in Oakland against Golden State when it seemed as if the Kings didn’t want to play.

Now, we always must be careful of what we think we see and be capable of maintaining an open mind to all the circumstances involved.

Confusion can appear to be disinterest.

Coach Paul Westphal during his post-game comments did not implicate his team’s effort or lack thereof. He pointed towards his team’s lack of experience on the floor and indicated at times it made his team appeared disorganized.

“It’s hard for us to find the rhythm with a lot of key players out that we need to have on the floor,” Westphal said. “But that’s part of training camp. So it looks disorganized like we’re trying to learn our offense, so our offense is not effective at all.

“We’re not functioning smoothly. We’re not getting the ball inside. And that’s a problem.
I’m sure we’ll get better. We’ll get on the same page as we start getting some guys back.”

Center Samuel Dalembert, who has the NBA’s third-longest active games played streak with 354, has yet to play during the preseason because of a left adductor strain. The Kings miss him dearly at the defensive end.

“I don’t go to the trainer for an update every day,” Westphal said after Sunday night’s game, “but I’m hopeful to see him this week. I really don’t want to rush him, but at the same time, you can see that we can use him.”

The Kings Sunday also played without forward Carl Landry (eye injury) and guard Beno Udrih (sprained right shoulder). Westphal said he thought both could return to action this week.

Sacramento begins the regular season Oct. 27 in Minneapolis against the Timberwolves. It has four preseason games remaining, with tonight’s return engagement against Golden State at Arco Arena the only one at home.

Tonight’s contest should provide a more realistic indication of what the Kings will be working with this season. However, these upcoming games are dwindling opportunities for players (Luther Head, Darnell Jackson, Joe Crawford and Marcus Landry) to show they belong on this team.

Neither Marcus Landry nor Omri Casspi nor Donte Greene nor Antoine Wright has distinguished himself enough to win the wide-open starting small-forward position. The entire training camp body of work will be considered, yet making due with the minutes received during the next two weeks likely will go a long way to claiming that position.

Then again, Westphal has numerous frontcourt options. He could opt to go with Dalembert at center, Jason Thompson at power forward and Carl Landry up front. Francisco Garcia also factors into the mix at small forward.

It may not be fair to call this a work in progress at this juncture.

We must wait to see how it evolves.

Kings need to make defense a priority

2010-10-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Two games into their 2010 preseason, the Sacramento Kings may have shown us more of who they will become than anyone suspects.

Certainly, at this juncture for every NBA team, it’s difficult to recognize what is real and what isn’t.

We’ve yet to see shot-blocking center Samuel Dalembert play for the Kings, so there’s no true measure of his defensive effect.

The Kings need to be it large and immediate.

Sacramento’s defense against Phoenix and the L.A. Clippers in the respective first quarters of their two preseason games has been porous and soft.

It’s easy and natural for observers to assess the offensive end of the floor. However, it’s the defensive end where teams establish themselves.

There has to be a consistency of effort and commitment defensively for a team to compete, particularly on the road.

Most often, the ability to function in harmony defensively comes last in a team’s development. Perhaps Dalembert’s shot-blocking ability and defensive focus will permeate the squad.

That’s not something we’ll likely learn tonight when the Kings travel to Golden State for their first road preseason game. Yet, at some point, it’s the most important factor overall for the Kings to begin working towards.

Sacramento coach Paul Westphal and his coaching staff have the difficult job of highlighting the importance of playing physically, intelligently and coherently at the defensive end.

There is a reason teams attempt to establish a core group of players and keep them together. Why they want that core to be committed defensively thereby proclaiming with action what the team is about.

A common axiom around the league is young teams think about getting their personal games off before focusing at the defensive end.

Experience only is gained through taking a few lumps and going through historical progression.

The Kings have yet to display a penchant at the defensive end for consistently challenging movements with or without the ball. That’s where defense begins. Individually, you challenge where your assignment wants to move. You re-route him, if only temporarily. If you are defending a rebounder, work is done early and boxing out that player becomes a priority.

Defending individually as well as from a team standpoint means combining subtleties and nuances not often recognized by outside observers. It’s adhering to and recognizing how the team wants to attack offenses.

Actually, the NBA’s best defenses attack offenses. The Kings have to begin acquiring that mentality before they can establish consistency on a nightly basis.

Kings' Cousins and Evans can learn from Suns' Hill and Nash

2010-10-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Juxtapose the situations of Phoenix veterans Grant Hill and Steve Nash with Sacramento’s young duo of Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins.

Therein sits tremendous perspective for observers and the Kings neophytes alike.

Neither Hill nor Nash has been able to corral that elusive NBA title, but there’s not much individually they’ve been unable to accomplish.

Hill, who turned 38 Tuesday, is beginning his 17th NBA season. Cousins, 20, was four years old when Hill began his march towards sharing the 1995 Rookie of the Year award with Jason Kidd.

Nash, 36, is entering his 15th NBA campaign with statistical achievements that pale in comparison to none. He’s a two-time Most Valuable Player and a seven-time all-star.

For the record, Nash averaged fewer than 10 points in each of his first four NBA seasons. Meanwhile, ankle problems prevented Hill from playing in more than 29 games in four different seasons.

Hill and Nash, despite decidedly different and distinct paths, have been places where Cousins and Evans only can dream of walking.

In Tuesday night’s first preseason game for both teams, Cousins and Evans predictably logged approximately 30 and 28 minutes, while Hill and Nash combined to play just 12.

Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said the Kings have a strong duo in Cousins and Evans.

“I like Cousins,” Gentry said. “I think he’s going to be very good. He’s a skilled guy and I think he’s a pretty cerebral player, just watching him out there (Tuesday night). And they’ve got Tyreke, who I think is one of the top five point guards in the league.

“And they’ve done a good job with the support players around these guys. It’s just a matter of getting some experience. But they’ve got a nice solid team.”

Hill also is a Cousins fan.

“I like Cousins,” Hill said of the rookie who had a game-high16 rebounds and 16 points. “That was his first game and they’ll have to learn to fit him in with Tyreke. He should be better after having his first year. (But) mixing in all the pieces together is the thing.

“They have good size and they are crashing the boards. Now it’s a matter of blending it all together.”

Hill said Evans, the 2010 Rookie of the Year, will benefit from his rookie year’s experience.

“I was a lot more comfortable in my second year,” Hill said. “I think having a year under your belt, a summer to reflect on it, a summer to work on your game and knowing what to expect makes your second year a little easier.

“Really, I think the third year really is the big year, but I think he’ll have a good year this season.”

2010 Preseason Game One Fast Breaks

Arco Arena – You can put lipstick on a pig, but the first sounds still will be ‘Oink, Oink.’ The Kings need a new arena.

Shaquille O’Neal’s longtime personal security man, Jerome Crawford, now works for the Phoenix Suns. Crawford said the Celtics initially agreed to him accompanying the Diesel and then balked. Former Phoenix team security director Kevin Tucker now works with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Former Kings head coach Garry St. Jean scouted the game for the New Jersey Nets.

The first time Cousins touched the ball in the low post, the Suns immediately double-teamed. That was Sacramento’s first possession and should provide an indication of how many teams will attack the Kings defensively.

The Kings no longer will be at a disadvantage when it comes to athleticism and size. This is their most athletic team since Keon Clark, Bobby Jackson and Jimmy Jackson came off their bench.

If it’s possible, Cousins has a power game that also can flow into a finesse game.

Right now, swingman Marcus Landry appears pointed towards not only a battle for a roster spot, but a surprise small forward starter. He’s been more impressive than older brother, Carl.

Power forward-center Jason Thompson had been extremely active during practices and continued that approach in game one. Thompson and Cousins on the floor together showed the promise of a team capable of physically battering opponents.

It’s hard to believe I just typed that about a Kings squad.

There still were too many times the Suns got to the rim with little or no Kings challenge. When shot-blocking center Samuel Dalembert gets healthy, it will be interesting to see if he can close down some of that.

Sacramento’s first-half defensive rotations consistently were too slow.

If Evans is capable of stroking his jump shot as he did Tuesday night, he’s going to become even more lethal offensively. Evans clearly can learn from backup Pooh Jeter about pulling up and taking mid-range jump shots on fast breaks.

When Jeter goes up straight on his jump shot and does not fade away unnecessarily, he shoots extremely well.

Antoine Wright clearly knows how to play and his defensive ability and skill stand out.

Beno Udrih easily can play with either Evans or Jeter. Francisco Garcia did not play in the first preseason game because of personal reasons. However, he appears capable of contributing more at shooting guard than at small forward.

Early look at Cousins shows big, talented, emotional young man

2010-10-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

It’s safe no player in the 2010 NBA Draft attracted more attention than Kings’ first-round draft choice DeMarcus Cousins.

Granted, it’s early. Cousins’ professional career begins tonight with the Kings’ first preseason game tonight at Arco Arena against the Phoenix Suns.

However, so far, and again, it is so early, what I’ve seen from Cousins is a determined, fearless, highly-intense competitor on the floor and a big, soft, friendly, thoughtful teddy-bear type of young man off the court.

He’s emotional and it doesn’t take long for his feelings to reveal themselves externally. He’ll likely be one of the early tests for the NBA’s attempted cut down on players’ outwardly visible reactions to officials’ calls.

Does being an emotional young man and wearing said emotions on his sleeve make him a bad person? No, at the worst, potentially it might make him Rasheed Wallace Lite.

For whatever the value of initial impressions, perhaps Cousins should be Pooh Two, since Kings rookie point guard Eugene Jeter's grandmother already tagged him with the moniker.

Perhaps the pair can be Little Pooh and Big Pooh.

Preceding the draft, Cousins’ personality and demeanor were the objects of more direct hits than your local drinking establishment's dartboard.

Cousins, who turned 20 Aug. 13, was considered, even by his critics, to be the draft’s second-most talented player behind his Kentucky teammate John Wall, the overall No. 1 choice, selected by the Washington Wizards.

Yet, the size-desperate Kings were criticized across the board for selecting Cousins with the draft’s fifth choice overall.

On the court, Cousins has much as much to learn as he brings to the table. As with most young players, it’s important to consistently remember, he just turned 20 years old.

Back in the day, players had the luxury/reality of college years and experience. Cousins spent just one season at Kentucky. For perspective, check out your life at 20.

Imagine it being on stage for everyone to see. On second thought, personally, I'll pass on that concept.

Here's Cousins speaking with reporters following Monday’s practice. Cousins, listed at 6-foot-11, 270 pounds, chased a loose ball Sunday night at Arco. He ended up in the crowd.

“I really wanted to send out an apology,” Cousins said when asked about the incident. “I tried to dodge the kid and ended up mushing the lady in the face. I had to choose who I would rather hurt. I want to apologize to them. I felt bad for doing that.

The Sacramento Bee reported the pair’s names to be Erin Thurman and Tyner, her four-year son. They might want to call the Kings media relations staff to see if they can score a pair of tickets for a future game and perhaps even procure the chance to meet Cousins.

I'm guessing Tyner and Cousins would enjoy each other. Cousins possesses a wonderful sense of humor and clearly doesn’t take himself too seriously. I’m guessing Cousins likes and gets along well with kids.

“I’m trying to get the ball,” he said of the pursuit into the front row. “I thought I broke the lady’s neck. I was really scared that I’d hurt the lady’s neck. I guess that comes with courtside seats.”

That it does, but I’m guessing the pair would go for the same opportunity again.

Coach Paul Westphal complimented Cousins’ performance in the scrimmage and also said he’s done well in previous scrimmages.

Cousins said his major preseason goal is to find his role on the team.

DeMarcus, allow me to give you a little insight. Be a beast around the basket. Continue to display your wide array of skills and play hard.

Said one NBA executive who asked for anonymity, “Cousins is more than just a scorer and rebounder. He really can pass the ball and he seems like he likes to do it. In some ways, he’s similar to (Chris) Webber. I don’t think he can shoot the ball as well as Chris, and I don’t think he’s as long. But as far as the unselfish mentality, I think they are very similar.”

Cousins said Monday he’s excited about playing his first preseason game.

“I am looking forward to it,” he said of going against the Suns. “We’re tired of looking at each other’s faces, guarding the same players. It’ll be nice to get a change.”

Cousins and Jason Thompson likely will log many of the minutes at the center position. Samuel Dalembert, an off-season acquisition from Philadelphia for center Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni, will miss the game with a strained left adductor muscle.

The adductor is a group of muscles around the thigh and hip.

Connor Atchley, 6-foot-11, also likely will get playing time. Seven-foot rookie center-forward Hassan Whiteside is out for a few days with a strained left patellar tendon. Darnell Jackson, 6-9, of whom Westphal has spoken highly in recent days, also will not play because of a strained right hip flexor.

Westphal said Thompson will receive minutes this season at center, and particularly tonight.

“I think he will play some ‘five’ for us this year,” the coach said of the 6-foot-11 particularly (tonight) with Jackson and Dalembert both out. We’ll see him quite a bit.

“It might be kind of ugly if DeMarcus had to play 48 minutes, or 40 minutes or 30 minutes,” Westphal said with a laugh.

Rookies normally receive few breaks from referees with big, aggressive rookies receiving even fewer. It’s part of the learning process that Cousins already understands is coming. That doesn’t mean he’ll remember that in the heat of battle.

Westphal announced J.R. Giddens and Donald Sloan were waived. That leaves 17 players on the roster with the team currently looking to keep, “somewhere between 13 and 15,” according to the coach.

“I hope (Suns all-star point guard Steve) Nash doesn’t play as far as winning” the coach kidded. “I don’t even care who we play. We’re more in the mode of evaluating personnel.

“We want to do certain things against anybody we play. We want to take care of the ball. We want to get the ball inside. We want to play good defense and rebound and certainly, you play good defense, you have to have good transition defense, which you have to have every night.

That’ll be interesting to see how that holds up.”

It will be interesting to see how Cousins fares during his introduction to NBA battle.

Kings Jeter is little man making huge impressions

2010-10-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

It’s impossible to know how good Kings rookie guard Eugene (Pooh) Jeter (that’s Jet-er, not as in Derek Gee-ter) will become.

However, two facts so far are undeniable. Jeter will not be out-worked. And he has impressed, personally and professionally, everyone who has been around him.

Kings coach Paul Westphal may have seen Jeter up close and personally more than anyone in the organization. Westphal was coaching Pepperdine when Jeter was playing for Portland State.

The coach said he didn’t know Jeter, but did recognize his talents.

“He was a great scorer,” Westphal said of the 26-year-old Jeter. “He’s always had a beautiful jump shot and he’s got that great speed. He’s a handful.”

Westphal said Jeter’s speed can be utilized particularly in a couple of ways.

“In the open court, especially,” said the coach, “but in high-and-pick roll situations is where a player like Pooh can be effective. I think the place Pooh’s improved the most since college is his leadership. He has improved his ability to get other players involved and be more than just a scorer.”

It’s good to see Jeter listed at 5-foot-11 because that means I’ve grown. After being measured my entire life at 5-9, I’m looking the Southern California native dead in the eyes.

Unfortunately, Jeter’s 175-pound listing is doing nothing for my 215 pounds.

Jeter said he's carried the nickname, Pooh, since birth.

"When I was born, my grandmother said I looked like a little black Pooh bear," he said.

Jeter was in 2006 Kings training camp and when asked what he’s done since, it didn’t take long to answer.

“I’ve been in the gym,” said Jeter, who has played in the NBDL and all over in Europe, including Spain, Ukraine and last season in Jerusalem.

Jeter said his European trip was no vacation, but it was enjoyable.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “In Europe, they have two-a-days (practice) the whole season. The (maximum) you can play is two games a week, so you play European competition and then you play in your league. There’s a lot of shooting.”

His elongated journey to the NBA unquestionably helps make him a favorite of Kings assistant coach Mario Elie.

Elie, a seventh-round pick in 1985 (back when the NBA draft was more than two rounds), played in Portugal, Argentina and Ireland before stints in the USBL, WBL and CBA.

“I love Pooh,” Elie said. “I love his command of the court and his work ethic. He sort of reminds me of me. He’s a guy who has been around. He’s an older player who has a good feel for the game and brings a lot of leadership out there.

“The boy works his butt off. He’s the first one (to practice) and the last one to leave. He’s always working on his game. I’m excited for him and for him to get the opportunity to play.”

Elie said he believes Jeter will get playing time. And that makes sense. Numerically, Jeter likely would be listed as the third point guard behind Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih.

However, they likely will be starters. So, it’s conceivable Jeter, with solid early play, could be the first guard off the bench.

“You’ve got to love guys like him,” Elie said of Jeter. “You’ve got to love this (basketball) thing here and he loves it. He’s always asking questions and what he needs to do to get better. I think he’s going to get some minutes on this team. He’s made a good case for himself. He came into camp in terrific shape.

“You never see this guy breathing hard,” said the assistant of Jeter. “He’s picking up (defensively) and he’s very vocal.”

Jeter’s penchant for quickly advancing the ball up court, via the pass as well as the dribble, could lead to easy baskets.

Moreover, his ballhandling ability makes him a perfect compliment to move Evans or Udrih to shooting guard.

Evans was asked if he and Jeter can play together.

“Definitely,” the Rookie of the Year said. “The coach and everybody on the team like him. He makes smart decisions and he’s really smart. He knows how to play the game the right way.”

Evans struggled when asked who in the league was as small as Jeter.

“Is Earl Boykins in the league?” Evans said with a chuckle. (He’s) probably the closest one. Oh, yeah, Nate Robinson, yeah.”

Should Jeter simulate Robinson’s impact (minus winning the dunk contests), the Kings should be very content.

Francisco Garcia said Jeter and Jason Thompson came into camp in the best shape, other than himself, of course.

“That’s what I do,” Garcia said. “I’m always in great shape.

“Pooh is going to be a very good player. He’s a good player, who works hard. He just doesn’t get tired. He’s going to be around this league a long time if he keeps doing that.”

The Kings will be happy with that and so will Jeter.

Lessons learned part of process for young Kings

2010-10-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

The Sacramento Kings are in the midst of an overhaul and coach Paul Westphal realizes keeping life real is more important to their growth than worrying about their feelings.

Tuesday night, they open the 2010 preseason at home against the Phoenix Suns, so things are about to get real. Well, as real as the preseason can get.

Reality comes in different shapes and forms to different people. The Kings will open the regular-season as one of the NBA’s youngest teams.

They’ll also be one of the most inexperienced. Only six of the current Kings were here for 2009 training camp.

Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi were rookies last season. Now they are relative Kings veterans just because they’ve been here before – once.

Westphal said Saturday he read a quote from Utah coach Jerry Sloan describing his Jazz players. Westphal liked the message, so he brought the sentiment to his players.

Sloan told the Salt Lake Tribune, “At this stage, they’re probably a little but tired, but I don’t really care. From that standpoint, they should be in better shape when they get here. If you’re going to spend your time getting conditioned in training camp, then you’re probably going to be trying to play catch-up the biggest part of the time.”

Westphal was not dogging his team in any manner. In fact, following Saturday’s long afternoon workout, he spoke of how his team had been fortunate to have few players miss practice.

He was asked how his team was holding up physically.

“Pretty well, really,” he said. “Five days of training camp, a lot of times you can expect more missed practices than we’ve had. They are tired and they are sore, but that’s to be expected.”

Said Westphal of Sloan's quote, “I read that and told that to our young guys today. That’s the way it is. If you don’t come (into camp) in great shape, don’t complain about being sore. It’s time to pay the piper.”

The NBA season is a long, long journey and it’s conceivable the Kings will begin the regular season with seven players (possibly more) with fewer than three seasons of experience.

Center Samuel Dalembert, acquired this summer from Philadelphia, is the most experienced with eight NBA seasons. Beno Udrih is next with six and Francisco Garcia is entering his fifth season.

Conversely, Boston’s Shaquille O’Neal has 18 years of NBA experience all by his large lonesome.

So, many of the team’s key performers will balance the positives of younger legs against on-the-job education.

One of the lessons Westphal hopes his players acquire is respect for the game. All the players truly need to do research the fervor and aggression with which Westphal and assistant coaches, Mario Elie and Leonard (Truck) Robinson played the game.

Check out the sideline antics of 80-year-old assistant coach Pete Carril. He could be a veritable mad man when his passion and competitive nature was unleashed.

Sloan’s Utah teams usually display his intensity. It’s one reason why Sloan ranks among Westphal’s most respected coaches.

“There are a couple of coaches that I think really respect the game in a way I admire,” the Kings coach said. “(Those are) Larry Brown and Jerry Sloan.

“Both of them, I think, would rather have a game called correctly than in their favor. At the same time, they’d fight for every advantage they could get. They love the game and they have a good perspective about competition.

“I don’t want to slight anybody else, but those guys have been around for a long time and I think it’s because they have such a great love for the game.

They’d do anything to win, but at the end of the game, they’d shake your hand and mean it.”

.

James was accurate in race assessment

2010-10-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

CNN's Soledad O'Brien recently asked Miami's LeBron James if he believed race played a role in how his decision to join the Heat has been received.

Said James, "I think so at times. It's always, you know, a race factor."

That response has attracted a lot of attention. Attention, in its own right, that reveals James may have been correct.

I think, what James attempted to convey is as an African-American, he sees race playing a role in the perceptions of a great many scenarios. That includes how the performance of the country's first African-American President, Barack Obama, is perceived.

It includes how the mere mention of race in almost any scenario can be viewed as stepping out of bounds. It includes how my opinions are viewed.

Unquestionably, it's dangerous to attempt to assess how an group feels about a topic.

However, I like danger, at times. I'd guess a large portion of African-American agree with James' assessment of the negative reaction to his decision. Personally, there were many things about James' delivery of his decision that I didn't like.

However, deciding to play in Miami never was a problem for me.

Remember the question was did race play a role. There was no percentage attached to how large or small a role that may have been.

It could have been zero percent, one percent or 65 percent. No one knows. Actually, the question was a set-up because there is no true method of measuring the role race may have played.

The speculation here is many African-Americans believe race relations and understanding will affect the emotions in the minds of some white Americans in virtually every scenario.

Let's be real. Even with an African-American President, race relations has not exactly been a U.S. strong point. Many strides have been made over the years, but there is much ground to be covered.

One posture I can never assume to totally know is how it feels to be a white American. That concept also goes in reverse. White Americans also generally are incapable of seeing and living life as an African-American.

That's why conversational exchanges between all races are so important to our nation's growth.

So I'm glad James spoke his mind when asked the question. I wish he'd been capable of expressing his feelings more precisely. I wish he'd have been given more of an opportunity to express those feelings.

Consider though, James will turn just 26 December 3oth. Is he fully equipped to answer such a deep question? I doubt it. I'm 55 and I doubt I'm fully capable of accurately assessing such a broad question.

It's not as if the question was put to Dr. Cornel West. It wasn't asked of Dr. Harry Edwards or USC professor Dr. Todd Boyd, who is considered to be an expert on popular culture.

However, when you accept the name, 'The Chosen One,' and proclaim your desire to become a billionaire, responsibilities can become quite encompassing.

Maloofs determined to find a solution to arena snafu

2010-09-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sacramento Kings owner Joe Maloof admitted Thursday morning to extreme frustration after another failed attempt to get a new arena built.

Arco Arena has outlived its usefulness, but finding a way to pay for a new arena has proved impossible heretofore.

"I'm very, very frustrated," Maloof said. "But we're not ready to quit. The frustration is in trying to find a solution."

Maloof said the organization - even when former owner Jim Thomas was running the show - has been trying to work towards building a new arena for more than a decade.

"We've tried a number of approaches during the past 11 years," Maloof said, "and even before our ownership took over, Jim Thomas tried for two years before that."

Maloof said ultimately, "We have to figure out how to get it done on our own."

There's always been a respect for what is best for the community, Maloof said.

"It's not just about the Kings," Maloof said. "There are 135 events a year in Arco. It's a community arena and always will be. It's an entertainment center."

Maloof said he reads the comments that follow stories written about the Arena situation.

Personally, I've never consistently read comments after stories because of the power and freedom I believe anonymity provides idiots and cowards.

Yet, I have consistently read comments regarding stories on the Arena situation.

"We like to try to see what the public is feeling and saying," Maloof said.

If the Maloofs continue to read those comments, it tells me they are extremely thick-skinned and somewhat masochistic.

It's rare to read comments sympathetic to their plight. Rare to see recognition of their attempts over the years to have an arena funded and constructed.

Nor do I ever read about any apologies from those who swore up and down the Maloofs had one foot out of the door and another on a banana peel.

They were sure to go Anaheim, San Jose, Kansas City, Las Vegas or Albuquerque said these know-it-all know-nothings.

After covering the Kings for more than a decade, I know how many e-mails I received stating the opinion that the Maloofs were just waiting for opportunities to move.

I was, at times, chastised for not agreeing the Maloofs would move the Kings.

If I thought were the case, I'd have said so. But I never did. My conversations with Joe and his brother, Gavin, always led me to believe they viewed Sacramento as fertile ground and a place in which they felt extremely comfortable.

And unless I'm a complete idiot and have lost my ability to read people accurately, I've always seen the family as very down-to-earth millionaires who usually wear their feelings on their sleeves.

Maloof pointed out his group has paid likely around $3 million to consultants and attorneys, not to mention putting their heart, blood, sweat and tears into the efforts.

Maloof quipped, "Remember, the Good Lord Jesus Christ could come down and he's not going to get it done with a public-private enterprise."

The owner said he had only love for the convergence group that put together the most recent proposal involving the Cal Expo land, the land around Arco and downtown.

"I know everybody worked very hard on their respective ends," he said. "I think ultimately there were too many moving parts, too many agencies that had to come together."

Maloof said his family remains committed to NBA Commissioner David Stern.

"As a family, we're going to take our direction from commissioner Stern," Maloof said. "We have a lot of respect for him and he's tried to help us as much as he can. We'll talk to him, but we haven't had a chance to do yet."

Maloof said his family has a game plan.

"Our game plan is don't give up, yet."

Easier to stop Chris Paul than get an interview with World Wide Wes

2010-09-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

For a hot minute Wednesday, I had thoughts of snatching an interview with NBA juice-meister William Wesley.

Then reality smacked me like an old girlfriend's right hand.

Wes, as I was introduced to him by former Kings forward Lionel Simmons about 17-18 years ago, might as well be the NBA's deputy commissioner. That's if you believe he's responsible for half of the occurrences with which he's been linked.

I'll keep referring to him as Wes. This whole World Wide Wes thing is relatively new to me. Reportedly, my man Jalen Rose, now an ESPN analyst, claims to have given him that moniker. And it does fit since when you are on the NBA beat, there's no city in which the brother might not be found.

I've heard him referred to as Uncle Wes. Call him what you want, but Wes is known in Commissioner David Stern's office, Michael Jordan's inner circles and as being the right-hand man of such NBA stars as LeBron James, Chris Paul and most recently, Carmelo Anthony.

In fact, one of the goals for contacting Wes Wednesday was to find out what role, if any, he was playing in Anthony's current travails with the Denver Nuggets.

Anthony is represented by agent Leon Rose and the powerful Creative Artists Agency. Rose and Wes have been linked since they both grew up in South Jersey.

There were reports earlier this year Wes had filed to become certified as an agent. If he did, he says that has not yet happened.

"I'm not an agent," Wes said Wednesday.

Wes is a cat whom has more hookups than Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile put together.

He's also a dude who consistently keeps his cards close to the vest.

"Man, I don't want to do any interviews," he said Wednesday as he's told me before. "I see so much crazy stuff out there that ain't hardly correct."

Wes is a mystery to 99 percent of the world. Clearly, he wants it like that and it's likely why so many athletes are comfortable with him. They know their business won't be in the street.

It's also why many of those who don't know him question his motives and duties. Then again, I don't know him in any depth, but I've seen no reason or proof to think he's done any dirt.

This is a dude who once had to move out of the way on the Dallas Cowboys sidelines while players gave then coach Jimmy Johnson a Super Bowl dousing.

That's juice and we ain't talking Gatorade.

Quick story: I'm in the visitor's locker room at Arco Arena a couple of years ago talking to then New Orleans head coach Byron Scott, assistant Paul Pressey and I think Kenny Gattison also was there. Somehow the conversation turned to Wes, and in walks Paul.

I think we'd been talking about how Wes seemed to be everywhere and how everybody knew him.

Said Paul, "Y'all talking bout Uncle Wes?"

We just started laughing as the point was made. Paul, now entering his sixth NBA season, still was a serious young boy at the time.

However, Paul, 25, said he'd known Wes for years. Paul also is represented by Rose and CAA, which also reportedly represents big ballers like Oprah and Will Smith. Rose also represents Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi.

Wes said he had to do a quick dash off the phone, so I never got to ask him anything about 'Melo's situation.

I think it's safe to say I probably ended up with the same information I would have gotten had the questions been asked.

However, I'll trade any and all stories I can do on Wes, for the book deal. My man is a success story of the highest and most unique order.

Once again, I may have better odds at hitting a lottery than getting Wes for a tell-all.

However, right now I'll settle for a tell-some. Dos Equis might want to re-check their most interesting man in the world commercial.

Since I went to the 'Melo concept, imagine how nice life is when you are 26, have a standing offer of three years for $64 million from the Nuggets, and things are so sugary, you can just leave it there for some reason.

Now that's 'Melo.

I also talked Wednesday with former Kings draft choice Anthony Johnson, who played the past two seasons with the Orlando Magic.

Johnson, the 39th pick of the 1997 draft out of the College of Charleston has played with eight teams. Johnson, who will turn 36 Oct. 2, was not re-signed by the Magic but still wants to play.

"I'm working out, staying in shape and waiting to see what happens," Johnson said. "I want to try and go out on my own terms. I know that doesn't happen for everybody, but I still want to play before I shut it down. I'd like to go into coaching as an assistant if nothing comes up."

The NBA currently is going around the league and airing what it calls "NBA Real Training Camp" where practices are televised.

One of the teams featured is the New York Knicks so obviously success is not a prerequisite.

Vice President of Media Relations/Basketball Operations Troy Hanson said NBA Entertainment has plans to feature Evans, Casspi and first-round pick DeMarcus Cousins.

Donte Greene and Kings have much to prove

2010-09-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Say what you will regarding Tyreke Evans, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, and 2010 first-round draft choice DeMarcus Cousins.

The Kings are third-year small forward Donte Greene.

Greene is a physical specimen at 6-foot-11, 251 pounds. He's 22 years old, can jump out of the gym and possesses the agility and foot speed to at least deter the offensive prowess of Los Angeles Lakers' star Kobe Bryant.

Greene has the potential to one day grow into one of the NBA's best players just as the Kings this season have the capability to grow into one of the league's most improved squads.

However, for both Greene and the Kings, wanting to do it and doing it are completely different animals.

Folks, we're talking Yorkshire Terriers and Gorillas.

Greene is entering his third NBA season and is contending with Omri Casspi for the team's starting small forward position. Establishing consistency in shooting, rebounding, decision-making and playing solid defense will be the keys to winning the battle with Omri Casspi.

Greene certainly would like to establish himself as the team's starter, yet he says filling the team's needs for role players is what he's about.

"A lot of guys can’t accept their role," he said. "With me being traded here (from Houston in August 2008) and really not knowing what to expect and last year being my first year playing, I came out and wanted to be a defensive guy.

"I knew we needed a defensive guy – especially after John Salmons got traded in my rookie year – I tried to fill that role. Scoring, I have my nights, but mostly I was just worrying about defending."

Greene started 50 games last season and played small forward, power forward and shooting guard.

Since the Kings have re-arranged their frontline with the additions of Samuel Dalembert, Cousins and fellow rookie Hassan Whiteside, Greene likely will see more playing opportunities at small forward and shooting guard.

There are match ups that could play out where his quickness and agility could prove valuable at power forward.

Greene's 251 pounds mark quite a change from the 215 to 220 pounds at which he began his NBA career. He said he put on 15 pounds during the off-season by eating and lifting weight.

" I loved (playing four)," Greene said. "I was looking forward to it (again this season). KG (Kevin Garnett) talked trash to me last year. Amare (Stoudamire) talked trash to me. I was going to have something for them, but what ever it takes to get on the floor. (I'll play) 1-2-3-4-5 ... it doesn’t matter."

The spirit is appreciated, but seeing Greene at point guard is not something to which I look forward.

As a starter last season, Greene shot 43.5 percent overall from the field and 36.5 percent from three-point range. Both those marks should improve with a higher comfort level that comes from experience.

Greene is too good a shooter to repeat 64 percent from the free-throw line and he should accept nothing lower than 75 percent. His improvement will come through increased concentration and focus. Those factors often are the most difficult for young players to grasp.

Not much is expected nationally of the Kings or Greene. Like Denver's Carmelo Anthony, who has been the subject of many recent trade rumors, Greene hails from Baltimore after being born in Munich, Germany and spending some of his childhood in Japan.

Greene was asked what he knew about those 'Melo rumors and what it would be like for his friend to become a teammate.

Greene smiled and joked (I think), "If 'Melo comes here, send me to Denver. With him and Tyreke, it would be a wrap here."

Yes, the opportunities to score surely would be diminished, but since Greene freely believes he can become a role player, that scenario might not be all bad.

Petrie without a plan?

Kings President Geoff Petrie said he hadn't read a recent ESPN assessment that noted he nor the Kings had a plan for development.

Personally, it's difficult for me to believe Petrie had not read the analysis, but I guess it's possible.

However, he unveiled his sharp tongue when responding to the attack.

"We still go into the season with a tremendous amount of salary cap room and all our future picks and all that. So there’s always the potential to be involved in things other teams are trying to do."

Said Petrie with an ultimate sarcasm, "I’ve always been a plan-less guy. Sometimes you have to consider the source."

Over the past 18 years, I venture to guess no media member has spoken with Petrie more than I. No wonder he looked me dead in my face while issuing the 'plan-less guy' comment.

Petrie always has plans. They haven't always worked, but he's got a drawer full of them.

Said Petrie regarding the team's unsuccessful quest to nail down a new arena, "I'm not really the guy to ask about that. It’s clear that Arco (Arena) is getting near the end of its useful life and at some point, the community and the city and the team need a new facility."

Kings' 2010 Media Day is a little different, but so are they

2010-09-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

You walked into Arco Arena Monday afternoon for Kings Media Day and it seemed to be a little bit of a mess.

There were a number of media folks in the hallway near security that leads past the Kings locker room to the floor. The hallway also had a number of players milling around.

My first thought went to the words of late Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi, 'What the hell is going on here?'

However, the access to players was fine and for a media person, that's all that counts.

Moreover, the hallway set-up was somewhat consistent with the Kings squad as it heads into the 2010 season. The Kings are a new collection of question marks with more talent and skill and heart than seen around these parts in a while.

How and if they can come together is the overwhelming question.

NBA success certainly is related to talent, yet strength of mind and discipline under pressure play highly underrated roles. It's as underrated by young ballers as it is to many media members.

I've not yet decided whether I was shocked more by how old I am or how young these cats are. An unofficial count was this was my 19th consecutive Kings Media Day . I believe only broadcaster extraordinaire Gary Gerould and Jerry Reynolds (whom I did not see) can get with that.

However, since I'm not hooping, it's the team's youth that will be on stage for all to see. That will be both good and bad, as it always is with youth.

This edition of the Kings is young enough (Francisco Garcia, at almost 30, is entering his team-high sixth season with the crew) to believe that a playoff berth is within reach.

In the Western Conference, that goal is realistic, but if achieved would rank among the season's biggest upsets. So many situations would have to positively unfold it's nearly beyond conception.

For starters, who will become the team's starting and finishing small forward and shooting guard?

More importantly, can this team become interested and committed enough to make sharp strides defensively? Can they recognize the detail-oriented focus required to take advantage of their offensive talents?

That's likely too much to ask.

Said coach Paul Westphal, "It's a matter of trying to climb up that ladder. I look at the teams who finished ahead of us and all of them have gotten better. I believe we’ve gotten better. Have we gotten better enough to jump over those teams? We’ll see.

"I think we’ve made a lot of changes that give us a chance to compete because we have more size. I think that’s a very important start."

Forward Jason Thompson said his squad must change.

"We can't be the same young team we were last year," Thompson said. "We must have lost 15 games by five points." Yes, we're young, and we're going to be young for years to come, but that can't be the excuse."

Actually, the Kings lost what I consider to be 10 games by five points or less. I've included back-to-back overtime defeats around Christmas to Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. Those losses ultimately were by 13 and nine points, respectively.

When thinking of Thompson, the thought of the league's impending cutdown on player reaction to officials' calls came to mind. In fact, when I first learned that overt player reactions will draw technicals, Thompson was the first player who came to mind.

"I've been trying to improve on (reactions to calls)," said Thompson, who last season had just two technical fouls. I guess this is as good a time as any to concentrate on it."

For the record, Tyreke Evans and Andres Nocioni led the Kings last season with five technicals each. Spencer Hawes had four. Newly-acquired Samuel Dalembert also had five with Philadelphia.

Said Geoff Petrie, " “I guess that’s fair in terms of some of the trials and tribulations Jason’s had over the first year or two, he’s got a long list of associates."

The oft-injured Garcia said he is healthy after an off-season.

Technical and mental difficulties prevent me from quoting him directly. I messed up using my Blackberry storm to record for the first time.

However, Garcia said after playing with DeMarcus Cousins and the rest of his teammates for a couple of weeks, he is surprised to have heard of the rookie being tagged as lazy and having a poor attitude.

"The guy has played hard and worked hard and asked me questions," Garcia said. "I don't know people were saying those things."

Ronnie Lott should give knucklehead fans the finger

2010-09-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

So Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott was catching flak from San Francisco 49ers fans this week for talking to the New Orleans Saints before the two teams met Monday night.

Lott should give those fans the finger. No, not the middle finger, but the left pinky on which the tip is missing. He had it amputated in 1985 after suffering an injury playing against Dallas.

That's right. People talk about leaving 'it' on the field. Playing with blood and guts and giving their all for the team. Lott's pinky was mangled when it got stuck between a helmet and a shoulder pad as he tackled Cowboys running back Timmy Newsome.

Lott, who said the finger was split wide open, had it temporarily treated so he could play the following week. After the season, Lott had the tip of it taken off after doctors suggested that was the best course of action to continue his career.

As for this recent criticism regarding Lott speaking to the Saints, he merely was honoring a request from Saints coach Sean Payton. The Saints are attempting to repeat as NFL champions and Payton believed Lott's experiences with the Niners, who went back-to-back in 1988 and '89.

Honestly, I don't know the entire story or what criticism has been expressed. However, I got into the car Wednesday evening, turned on the radio and heard Lott speaking with KHTK-1140's Mike Lamb.

Lott basically was explaining how he came to speak Monday with the Saints, whom he'd twice spoken to last season, upon request by Payton.

I recognized Lott's voice on the radio immediately because we go way back, though not in depth. I covered the Niners off and on during his early years, lived around the corner from their Redwood City headquarters back in the day and often frequented some of the same night time establishments on the San Francisco peninsula.

We also used to hoop at Stanford during the Niners' off-season. Actually, I was closer to cornerback Eric Wright than Lott. However, Lott always has been the picture of class and respect in any situation or scenario. Win or lose, he brought the real.

I've spent enough time around and with Lott to know few people live their lives with more class and integrity. To question Lott is an exercise in self-incrimination or an indication that one is unaware of what the man is made.

It's not as if Lott was sharing defensive schemes or secrets with the Saints. Or if he ever would consider sabotaging the Niners' efforts.

The man won four Super Bowls with the 49ers and was the team's unquestioned leader. And mind you, this was a team rolling with Hall of Famers, quarterback Joe Montana and Jerry Rice and coached by Hall of Famer Bill Walsh.

Once again, the man had the tip of a finger removed so he could continue playing for the 49ers with as much heart and courage as anyone who ever put on their uniform.

Ultimately, any condemnation of Lott's intentions is a testament of our society's deterioration. It's so easy for many people to criticize others without knowing of what they speak.

However, anyone who calls themselves a 49ers fan or considers themselves knowledgeable about football should reassess how they look at the game and what competition truly is about.

Then and perhaps only then will they realize Lott had more competitive spirit and nature in the amputated pinky tip he surrendered to the game than they'll ever have.

Recognize!

John David Washington is making his own way

2010-09-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

Determination and focus is apparent in his voice.

While old heads such as myself chide young folks in following generations, conversations with

cats such as John David Washington restore faith in what often seems to be a withering, eroded

and corroded society.

Washington, 26, is one of three Sacramento Mountain Lions' running backs attempting to

further his craft in the United Football League.

The Mountain Lions open their season Saturday afternoon in Hartford against the Colonials.

The game will be telecast nationally on the New England Sports Network (NESN) and broadcast

locally in Sacramento on 1140-AM (KHTK) beginning at 11:30 a.m.

The Mountain Lions open their home season Sept. 25 at Hornet Stadium against the Florida

Tuskers.

Washington, the son of Academy Award-winning actor Denzel and Pauletta, played collegiately

at Morehouse (Ga.) College and was not drafted. He signed with the St. Louis Rams and spent

the 2006 season on their practice squad.

Washington played for coach Dennis Green and the UFL's California Redwoods last season.

Washington had 25 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown last season without a reception.

The Redwoods have become the Mountain Lions this season and Washington is glad to be back.

"I'd die for coach Green," Washington said Wednesday afternoon. "He demands respect and he's

a phenomenal human being. Coach Green has given me a chance to play and an opportunity to

earn his trust."

Washington clearly loves football.

"Considering all things," he said, "I'm blessed to be in the position I'm in. I'm just trying to

maximize my potential."

Washington said there is no phase of the game he doesn't enjoy.

"I'll do whatever is needed to help the team," he said. "I love catching the ball out of the

backfield and yes, I play special teams."

Of course, growing up the son of one of the world's most recognizable movie stars, is a little

different childhood than most.

However, Washington says he's fortunate to have such great parents.

"To have a father and mother who care and support me, and to be an African-American male,

especially, I'm extremely blessed and lucky.

"Everything else is what it is, plus they are great football fans," Washington said of his parents.

Washington is looking forward to having a home field. Last season, the Redwoods never had a

home-field advantage.

"We played at AT&T and we flew in the day of the game," Washington said. "I'm glad we don't

have to do that this year."

Washington said he has been impressed by quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who will start

Saturday for the Mountain Lions.

"I met him in mini-camp," Washington said of Culpepper, a three-time National Football League

Pro Bowler. "He's a great leader by example and vocally. And he's easy to follow."

Washington, who majored in sociology, said you will get two different explanations for the names

John David.

"I'm the only one in the family without a middle name," he said. "My mother says I'm named

after my great-grandfather and uncle. My father says I'm named after (former NFL running

back) John David Crow."

Personally, I'm rolling with Pauletta on this one. Denzel, grew up in Money-Earnin' Mount

Vernon, N.Y. John David is lucky his name isn't Yelverton Albert after New York Giants

quarterback Y.A. Tittle.

My, have times changed

Boxer Floyd Mayweather, who seems to go out of his way to dominate the knucklehead division,

Thursday had two felony counts of coercion added to his ledger by Las Vegas police. He

previously faced grand larceny charges for the alleged theft of a phone from his baby's mama.

These coercion charges reportedly stem from him threatening to beat his 10-year-old son to

prevent him from calling 911 and leaving the house.

Somewhere my late pops and moms are shaking their heads. And I hardly ever had hands laid

on me. But threats, those came weekly.

Kings getting ready to line up

2010-09-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Sacramento Kings, like all NBA teams, are attempting to finalize their training camp roster.

According to Kings President Geoff Petrie, the Kings have 18 commitments for the start of camp Sept. 28, preceded one day earlier by media day.

"We have 18 committed and we may add one or two more before camp starts," Petrie said Tuesday afternoon. "We're still two weeks away and there's always the possibility that someone could go to Europe or elsewhere."

Elsewhere has become a major option for players over the past 15-20 years. Back in the day, there weren't options of going to play all over the world.

Now, it's nothing for a player to take guaranteed money in Italy or Lithuania or Japan or China or Australia over the non-guaranteed opportunity to make an NBA team.

So far, the Kings expect the usual suspects - Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, Francisco Garcia, Samuel Dalembert, DeMarcus Cousins, Omri Casspi, Hasaan Whiteside, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry, Donte Greene, Pooh Jeter and Antoine Wright.

Then there are the hopefuls - Darnell Jackson, Donald Sloan, Luther Head, Joe Crawford, J.R. Giddens and Connor Atchley.

Any of the hopefuls could be swayed by guaranteed loot elsewhere. However, Head, Crawford and Giddens likely will see openings with the Kings for anyone who consistently can make perimeter shots.

Petrie estimates, "close to 30 percent of the league's players are from other countries."

That's an amazing change from 25 years ago when the number of NBA international players was in single-digits.

Bush to surrender his 2005 Heisman Trophy

New Orleans Saints and former USC running back Reggie Bush is taking a hit for a whole lot of people.

Bush announced Tuesday he will return the 2005 Heisman Trophy he won following reports he and his family received hundreds of thousands of improper benefits while playing at USC.

Bush's family reportedly lived rent-free in a home and received substantial cash gifts from two different agent groups positioning themselves to represent him in the NFL.

Bush, 25, was 20 years old in 2005. Since he's opted to return the Trophy, in my eyes, he's admitted wrongdoing of some extent.

However, clearly the adults (i.e., parents, any advisers, agents Mike Ornstein, Michael Michaels and Lloyd Lake) also were at fault in a major way and were at least as responsible for the chicanery.

I'd love to hear from Bush's parents about what they did. I'd love for Ornstein, Michaels and Lake to come clean about their parts in the entire deal.

Plane tickets, free hotel stays and cash would seem highly difficult to bypass, especially for a 20-year-old.

In a related thought, I'd still have the Trophy if I was Reggie. Five years later, they are coming to get it? C'mon now.

Just a thought. Had Reggie Bush been in a car accident and died, would the Heisman folk still have wanted their Trophy returned? As my son and sister say, I'm just saying.

Five years? Come now. What's up with that?

The Barry Bonds trial should be something special at this rate.

Straight bouncing

2010-09-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life and sports has neither rhyme nor reason and that's all good.

Here in The World, we can hang.

First, though, why does it seem as if rulings in all sports are designed to make us believe we didn't see what we saw?

Maybe that's what legendary broadcaster Jack Buck really meant after limping Dodgers star Kirk Gibson hit a pinch-hit, game-winning home run off of Oakland in the 1988 World Series.

The late Buck said, "I don't believe what I just saw."

Me, either - I don't believe I watched Detroit's Calvin Johnson catch a football with two hands over his head.

Then put the ball into one hand as he fell to the ground on his butt.

Catch complete to qualify the legitimacy of the rule since quoted by numerous knucklehead talking heads explaining how the correct call was made.

Detroit was cheated, deprived of a victory it earned.

The NFL would be out of a lot of footballs if I was a wide receiver or runner.

I'd take every football back to the bench after I scored, and then into the locker room.

Secondly, why must there be different rules for a catch in the end zone and the field's other 100 yards.

A catch is a catch, isn't it? Shouldn't it be? Hail, yes.

I've seen Johnson criticized for getting up to celebrate.

He's a young receiver on a team that won two of 32 games during the previous two games.

He made what he thought and what should have been a great catch to win a game.

We're lucky homeboy wasn't spinning on his back like one of the Bronx Rockers in 'Beat Street.'

Hitting and quitting

I've long since maintained their are many scouts who wouldn't know talent if it punched them in their mouths.

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster is a case in point.

The man came out of Tennessee in 2009 and wasn't drafted.

He spent all but six games last season on Houston's practice squad.

He gained 231 yards and scored three touchdowns in Sunday's 2010 season-opening victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

I've said it before, I'll say it again and I'll say it until I die.

Pete Rose should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

How can the man with the most hits in the game's history not be in the Hall of Fame?

Don't give him an induction ceremony.

Prevent him from further employment in baseball.

However, once again, don't tell me I wasn't watching one of the best hitters in the game's history when I was busy disliking him because he was one of the best and toughest clutch hitters and I was neither a Cincinnati Reds nor a Philadelphia Phillies fan.

Write on the man's plaque that he was a low-down dirty dawg who bet on baseball and lied about betting on baseball.

Just don't tell us Rose wasn't one of baseball's best hitters when those of us old enough to see him play have seen differently.

Let those who didn't believe the USA basketball team would bring home the gold in the FIBA World Championship stand up.

The 2010 team was the most talented in the tournament and Kevin Durant is one of the world's top three players.

Until LeBron James can consistently make jumpers, I'll take Durant every day.

And I love James' talent, so that's saying something.

'Melo to the Kings? Of course, if possible

2010-09-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Talking trade reports with Sacramento Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie always is a little dicey.

Actually, it's usually an exercise in frustration because Petrie usually gives up less information than love from your pops after a bad report card. He did say he's been on a bit of vacation and merely monitoring life via e-mail.

However, since folks have been writing and talking about the merits of pursuing Denver Nuggets all-star forward Carmelo Anthony, I figured I'd weigh in.

Of course, the Kings should attempt to acquire Anthony.

Even according to Petrie, Anthony is one of the NBA's top 15 players. I'd put him among the top 10 and I'm not a huge 'Melo fan. He's a bit of a gunner and he'll not win any defensive player of the year awards.

Yet, as a scorer (still a fairly important quality in this game), the boy is about as competent and versatile as there is. Anthony has a lethal mid-range game and at 6-foot-8, can score inside and out.

No one on the Kings has established themselves as a consistent producer, so to add a player of Anthony's ilk would be a no-brainer.

Of course, you don't give up respected unless it's possible to ensure you can lock up Anthony and build around him. However, Tyreke Evans, Anthony and DeMarcus Cousins is a trio around which I can work.

Anthony is the oldest at 26 and his acquisition, if pulled off quickly, immediately would make the Kings a playoff contender. They'd be a team few would want to play.

No doubt, a trade of such magnitude would be tough to make happen, much less quickly.

Now, there are all types of factors to be considered, but some would answer themselves.

Anthony, whom I've yet to be heard from, reportedly wants to be traded to New York. ... Or Houston. Whatever. Anthony's unspoken words have come through the failure to sign a three-year/$65 million extension.

That seems to indicate he no longer wants to play in Denver, unless the kid has mental issues of which I've never heard. Bypassing $65 million for three years at age 26 almost makes me want to question his sanity, particularly entering a season after which a lockout, in my opinion, surely is to follow.

Following the lockout, it's conceivable new rules under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement could prevent a similar offer.

But what does Anthony want? Is it a title? Does he want to help hook up his wife, La La's career? Which is the priority?

If he's all in on a title, then the Kings should be all in on acquiring him. If not, then make sure that real cap room is spent on a player dedicated and committed to winning.

Meanwhile, the Kings are expecting most of their players in town around Sept. 15. Petrie said second-round pick Hasaan Whiteside has been working with assistant coach Shareef Abdur-Rahim at the team's practice facility while first-round choice DeMarcus Cousins has been working out in Mobile, Al. and now in Washington, D.C.

"So there is some surveillance going on," Petrie said with a laugh.

The NFL is back and few things are sweeter

College football is all right, but there's nothing better than the NFL.

Things are on the uptick in the San Francisco Bay Area with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.

Imagine that, the Raiders legitimately have a shot at a wild-card berth with luck and good health. As much I've liked Jason Campbell since his days at Auburn, I'm also down with backup Bruce Gradkowski.

As for that offensive line and head coach Tom Cable, there are the places of uncertainty. If the line can protect and the wideouts catch passes, it'll be up to Cable to prove he can lead.

Leadership is no problem for Niners coach Mike Singletary. He's the man and everyone knows it. Singletary's squad has a great chance to win the NFC West and that's should be the goal. The Niners need to protect QB Alex Smith. I say Smith will be just fine.

The Niners finished 8-8 and lost three games by four points or less last season.

However, seeing as I'm and Giants/Jets fan, the major concerns are lines with the Giants and QB Mark Sanchez with the Jets. His inexperience is glaring. If the Jets can run the ball, they'll be fine. However, there's no track record of Sanchez being able to pass and lead the Jets to victory under duress.

As for holdout cornerback Darelle Revis, the Jets need to give up the cash. They made their bed by consistently calling him the best cornerback in the league. So pay the man.

For all the ridiculousness that has been the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre, they did get their man into camp. That's the bottom line.

Bobby Jackson not only played with heart, but has it, too

2010-08-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Few situations ever will touch us as deeply as the loss of a parent.

Former NBA guard Bobby Jackson watched his mom, Sarah, succumb to cancer in 2003 and since has attacked the disease as if it were a retreating defense.

As a player, Jackson was known for his desire to accept a challenge and he did so again Monday while hosting the Bobby Jackson Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament at the plush Catta Verdera Country Club in Lincoln, Ca.

The tournament was designed to provide financial support for Camp Kesem, a free overnight summer camp for children ages 6-13 and teens 14-16 of all races, religions, nationalities and financial status with a parent who had or has had cancer.

"My mom passed away seven years and I didn't have anyone to lean on while she was going through it," Jackson said as he sat in a golf cart at Hole 2. "So that's something I can relate to, especially for kids.

"Seeing what cancer did to my mom helps make it a passion that is related to almost everything I do. I just want to give back because I've been blessed and you know it's more difficult for kids to understand when a parent goes through something like that."

Jackson's words rang true after having my father die from cancer at age 53. As I think back, the final weeks of my pops life were more of a daze than anything else. Perspective was gained in retrospection.

However, any help provided to those, particularly children, dealing with cancer at any level only can be lauded.

Jackson's efforts received support from 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans; former Sacramento Kings Mitch Richmond, Scot Pollard and Matt Barnes (now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers); former N.Y. Jets', Minnesota Vikings' and Jacksonville Jaquars' wide receiver Matthew Hatchette; and entertainers Petri Byrd (the bailiff/comedian from TV's 'Judge Judy Show, and Christopher Martin and Christopher Reid (aka Kid n Play or shall I say, Play n Kid), actor Tyrin Turner (Menace to Society) and filmmaker Deon Taylor.

Some played golf. Some didn't play. Some played and still didn't play, if you feel me .

Said Byrd, "I got a call and specifically was asked not to golf. So I tried to adhere to the request."

Byrd instead conducted an all-day comedy corner near the clubhouse. "I saw one guy hit a buzzard-leg right. Can't kill nothing and nothing won't die."

"I hit two of my best balls earlier - I stepped on a rake."

Byrd performs an accomplished impersonation of late actor/entertainer Bernie Mac. And while Bird and Kid n Play sat near the clubhouse, I was pleased and pleasured to sit with these cats.

Most of the time, it was four brothers from different parts of New York, me and Kid n Play who grew up in Queens and Bird the Brooklyn outsider discussing everything under the sun with the foreground of some California hills.

Who'd a thunk it?

Moreover, how the heck did this occur? Imagine the twists and turns in each individual's lives that put us in that situation. That's what made it sweeter than sweet. Christopher Martin now teaches Hip Hop History at North Carolina Central University.

For me the sports nut, I think of NCCU and the Penn Relays when quarter-miler Larry Black turned out the '72 event that Phillip Atwell and I rode Amtrak down to see. So from Larry Black to Play, it's all good.

And it took me five minutes to recognize that Kid was Kid. The high-top has so faded, but the wit and flavor brought me back with quickness.

Life and time separated Kid n Play for a while, but it was great to see the pair together again. They've reunited and performed at the Jamie Foxx Comedy Show in Sacramento the night before and hung out to support Jackson's efforts at the tournament.

It was a day in which groups of athletes and entertainers belied the overwhelming accepted reputations of selfishness and mindlessness that run rampant throughout our society. The effort was sparked and originated by Jackson, who showed most of all, it was not all about him.

As for this golf thing, it's obvious I don't get it. Even during a celebrity tournament in which scores really don't mean a thing, it seemed as if there might have been a little fudging on the scores.

And what kind of sport is this thing when a ball-striker needs absolute silence to do his thing. It's interesting to see athletes, many of whom are not true golfers, put themselves in uncomfortable situations to offer support. Believe me, some of those swings were uncomfortable.

However, none of them were as comfortable as I was after continually bumping into the Hole 11 and the accompanying margaritas. Comfort eventually turned into discomfort as the heat and non-tequila flavored lemonade turned my legs into brown jello shots.

Luckily, my man Chris, who drove me around all day in a golf cart, recognized the weebles- wobble-but-they-don't-fall-down circumstances and helped me to air conditioning and an ice-soaked towel in the club's admin building.

Being a guy who drinks water, well, like water, hearing from EMT's that I likely was dehydrated sounded funny. However, I learned margaritas are no substitute for water.

So thanks to the folks who stepped in to assist as well as the many who came to check on a brother.

On the news side, Barnes said reports that he'd last week slapped a coach during a San Francisco Summer Pro League were erroneous.

That was good to hear. Certainly, summer league games aren't that serious. I've known Barnes, who hosted his own charity golf tournament two weekends ago, for close to ten years now and I only hoped he didn't put himself into a situation where a law suit soon was to follow.

An NBA spokesman recently said the powers-that-be were waiting to receive the official paperwork regarding Evans' Memorial Day Speed Racer episode. Evans likely is to receive at least a one-game suspension, it says here.

Hopefully, Evans learns his lesson

2010-08-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Youth often goes unappreciated until it's gone.

Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans has many gifts and talents, but none can help or accelerate life's learning process.

It's unavoidable, yet valuable.

Evans on Memorial Day used up a lifetime worth of luck while driving up to 130 miles an hour and weaving through traffic on a Sacramento freeway.

Fortunately for him, the worst fate he suffered was getting arrested for reckless driving and the subsequent legal penalties.

The embarrassment and criticism he's incurred and deserved from having the video recently released is nothing in the big picture.

And at 20, the big picture for many of us, can be as invisible as Casper, the friendly ghost. And as untouchable and unreachable as grabbing a handful of mist.

Hopefully, Evans recognizes Memorial Day he received a tremendously underrated opportunity.

He received an opportunity to live and those are not to go unappreciated.

Evans has untold potential as a basketball player. As young as he is, I'd wager he doesn't yet know how good he can become even two years from now.

Evans turns 21 Sept. 21. Give him an improved 15-foot jump shot - not to mention a three-pointer - two more years of competing against the world's best combined with deeper self-understanding of himself and his game.

Evans' capabilities are limitless.

His reckless driving, once again, was dangerous not only to himself, but to others. It's a situation he never should put himself in again.

However, it has no connection with his ability to play basketball or lead the Kings.

Evans needs to comprehend the good fortunes he has received. The basics - height, weight, strength, competitive nature and fearlessness - are blessings.

Blessings to be cherished and maximized and only he possesses the ability to put it together.

Let's hope this transgression soon becomes a forgotten misstep along the sometimes rocky road to growth.

Evans previously escaped another incident when he drove a car in which his cousin eventually charged for shooting and killing a man.

Incidents as serious as these could be seen by many as exhausted good fortune. I've never had a car that went 130 miles per hour, much less had that much power at my disposal.

I have been a passenger in a Volkswagen golf that was driven directly into a tree. The tree won and luckily, it was the first and hopefully, last time I ever moved to see if I was alive.

That good fortune always has been appreciated.

Let's hope Evans appreciates and recognizes the gift he received Memorial Day.

I know I plan on telling him the story of the late former Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills, who tragically died in 2000 while racing his car.

Evans only was 10 years old at the time.

However, he's now old enough to learn and appreciate. Evans more than enough information and experience from which to gather.

Kings sign Cousins' high-school coach

2010-07-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Sacramento Kings announced Thursday evening they added an assistant coach, Otis Hughley.

Hughley was DeMarcus Cousins' head coach at LeFlore High School in Mobile, Al.

No way that is mere coincidence. The Kings billed it as a replacement for Bryan Gates, but it's difficult to imagine Hughley would be on board if Cousins were not.

Kings President Geoff Petrie acknowledged Hughley's previously established comfort level with Cousins played a role in the hiring.

"We brought him to Las Vegas for the summer league," Petrie said, "and he had a chance to sit and talk with Paul (Westphal). He's had a lot of success at the levels on which he's worked and obviously he's had a relationship with DeMarcus.

"We'd talked to DeMarcus' mother and she said he'd been a positive influence on DeMarcus. (Hughley) worked well at summer league with the rest of the coaching staff, so we thought it would be a good idea to bring him in. It was a good opportunity for us and him, too. He'd spoken to others in the league about moving to this level."

Hughley's hiring is a sign the Kings are trying to do whatever they can to ease Cousins' transition to the pro game.

Shoot, John Calipari didn't even make this move at Kentucky.

Hughley clearly was hired to help Westphal deal with Cousins and that's not a bad thing, although it does make one think.

Wow, the kid got his own coach after six summer-league games. What's the plan for mid-January?

We joke because we're half-serious. The initial reaction was the Kings think Hughley can help with Cousins. If that's the case, that's all good.

Anything the organization can do to help this kid flourish should be done.

However, there are the secondary thoughts the Kings were scared by Cousins' actions during summer league. Perhaps Westphal immediately recognized he was incapable of dealing with the talented rookie.

It's not as if Hughley comes with no credentials. He worked more than 10 years at Pete Newell's Big Man Camp and if Cousins' advanced footwork is any indication of Hughley's teaching skills, he needs no further resume updates.

Hughley also coached at Wright State (Ohio), Liberty (Va.) and Southern (La.) before spending the past seven years at LeFlore.

This is an unconventional move for Petrie's Kings, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

Just like everything Kings these days, we must wait and see.

Wright's death signals more than just one life gone

2010-07-29T02:57:00.000-07:00

Explaining life's twists and turns becomes more difficult as every day passes.

When Memphis police found former NBA player Lorenzen Wright's body Wednesday in a wooden area, it signified one more twist of life gone astray.

Wright, who played for five teams, including Atlanta twice, leaves a reputation of playing hard and tough wherever he suited up as well as being a loved and respected teammate.

On a larger scale, the 34-year-old Memphis native left behind six children whom he loved greatly and a family searching for answers they'll never receive.

At some point, the facts behind his death will surface.

However, how Wright, who was as far away from being a 'thug' or 'hoodlum', ended up in a violent-death situation likely never will be answered.

Wright was here in Sacramento briefly with the Kings. He came Feb. 16, 2008 along with former Kings guard Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue and Shelden Williams as well as a 2008 second-round pick in a trade for Mike Bibby.

Wright played just 13 minutes in five games with the Kings, so there is no Sacramento basketball legacy.

More importantly, as a man, Wright, even during the uncomfortable position of joining a team in mid-season, displayed only class and a smile as he sat in front of his locker.

I didn't know him before he arrived, but I'd been told by Memphis Commercial-Appeal beat writer Ron Tillery that he was as good a guy as would be encountered.

Tillery was absolutely accurate. I used to go out of my way to speak to Wright because he appeared somewhat lost. He'd joined a bad team at a bad time. He was a basketball player who wasn't playing, a position only totally understood by those who have been there.

Often times we look at players as mercenaries, as pieces of flesh, as chattel who perform professionally. We don't see them as fathers away from their families. Rarely do we think of them as sons carrying the weight and responsibility of caring for their parents, families and often times, friends.

Yet, that's who they are. Yes, many players make big-time money and some like Wright wear nice jewelry and drive pretty cars, traits by which they are judged.

Wright's life had gone south. He'd had homes foreclosed on in Memphis and in Atlanta and recently had gone through divorce from his wife.

One wonders if his financial troubles played a role in his death. Yet, ultimately, his death at 34, puts his wheelchair-bound father in the position of burying a child. A father, who had been confined to that wheelchair because he'd been shot.

That's a position, particularly during these crazy times, in which parents far too often find themselves. Wright already had been in that situation when his 11-month-old daughter, Sienna, died from Sudden Infant Crib Syndrome.

Some folks will not or can not understand others seeing Wright as more than a man gone, but also as an African-American man gone before he turned 35.

They'll see it as an unnecessary factual inclusion.

However, as an African-American, it's impossible to ignore this fact because in our society it occurs so frequently, and to families with children far younger than 34.

And it was impossible not to think of LeBron James since I learned of Wright's disappearance. Wright spent the 2008-09 season as James' teammate with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James recently signed a contract that will pay more than $90 million over the next six years. Surely, James had heard of Wright's financial difficulties. One only can wonder if James ever had reached out to Wright to help.

James cannot serve as rescue LeBron for every one he knows going through a similar situation. The same goes for Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert, who likely has more money than he can spend during his lifetime.

It also has been impossible to think about the agents who have represented Wright during his career. Part of their responsibility while representing Wright has been to help him establish and maintain financial stability.

His agents over the years may have tried to do just that, just as James may have reached out to help in Wright's time of need.

However, the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) and the NBA soon will undergo negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Let's hope there are discussions aimed at intensifying efforts to provide education for players like Wright to prevent them from falling into financial hell.

Let's hope Wright's situation is a sign to young athletes when they sign with an agent.

It's not only an agent's job to get a client a good contract, but to have a system established to help his clients take care of that money and himself.

Brockman gets security in Milwaukee

2010-07-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond had his eyes on hard-working second-year forward Jon Brockman for a while.

So when Brockman's one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings ended, Hammond made his move with a three-year deal that exceeded Sacramento's cost-saving limits.

Toss in the Kings draft that netted big men DeMarcus Cousins and Hasaan Whiteside and the Kings decided to let Brockman go.

"Where was he going to play?" said a Kings insider of Brockman. "We want to give Whiteside some minutes if we can and we have (Samuel) Dalembert, Cousins, (Jason) Thompson, (Carl) Landry and Whiteside.

"We liked Brockman, but the days of having guys on the roster who you can't find time to play are over, not when you are cutting costs."

Hammond said the Bucks liked Brockman when he was acquired by the Kings in a 2009 draft-day trade with Portland.

"We followed him in Sacramento and appreciated him for what he was and who he is," the GM said Saturday morning.

Hammond said he expects Brockman to thrive in coach Scott Skiles' system.

"Scott holds players, all players accountable defensively. But when players get open, he encourages them to take open shots. I think Brockman can make 15-foot shots when he gets the chance."

Hammond said the Kings were getting a hard worker in Darnell Jackson. The Kings also picked up a 2011 second-round choice.

"We only got him from Cleveland with a month or so left in the season,' Hammond said of Jackson. "He's similar to Brockman. After the season ended, he was at our facility every day working on his game. He's very motivated to find a place in the league.

"And there is this thing called 'Basketball Karma' that says when a player works hard he is rewarded with success. Jackson had a good game in our first summer league that showed he'd been working."

Jackson's contract is not guaranteed this season, a source said, so he'll have to show something special to make the Kings suddenly crowded frontcourt.

Athletes vs. Cancer golf tournament first-class affair

It was a virtual Kings reunion at Woodcreek Golf Course Saturday for Matt Barnes' 2nd annual Athletes vs. Cancer celebrity golf invitational. It was a fund-raiser as well as a celebration of the life of Barnes' mother, Ann, who passed away in 2007 from cancer.

Former Kings Chris Webber, Bobby Jackson, Scot Pollard, Doug Christie, Brad Miller, Harold Pressley and Henry Turner were among the celebrities who joined Barnes, Vince Carter and Roger Craig on the scorching hot day.

The vibe was friendly and upbeat as fans mixed with the celebrities and home owners around the course had barbeques and parties.

I only wish I had photographic skills to show the outfit worn by Pollard. It was an amazingly, colorful matching top and shorts outfit that words cannot accurately describe.

However, Huggy Bear could have sported it comfortably in the old '70s TV show, 'Starsky and Hutch.'

In fact, the only thing more colorful than the outfit on the 6-foot-11 Pollard is his consistently unique look at life. The colors I remember were green, yellow, black and orange in a somewhat mosaic delivery.

"It's an outfit that (befits) a game like (golf)," he said with his normal deadpan delivery.

Kings add Wright and Jeter

2010-07-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

It was late Thursday night when Kings President Geoff Petrie's words continued bouncing around my head.

'Pretty close to adding a couple of guards,' was how Petrie described the Kings situation.

That's Petrie-ese for having a deal done, but he's not discussing it until it is done.

The Kings signed swingman Antoine Wright and point guard Pooh Jeter Friday morning to hopefully bolster their backcourt.

Will it work? That will be an unanswered question until the fall. Jeter is an extremely quick, 5-foot-11 lead-guard capable of pushing the ball and increasing game tempo.

Moreover, since Jeter played with the Kings in the 2007 Summer League, he appears to have acquired a consistent perimeter shot. Combined with his speed and quickness, that could make him a major contributor coming off the bench.

Remember, there is little defense for athleticism and skill. Jeter is hungry to prove his worth and establish a place in the NBA. While playing with Cleveland during the recently completed summer league, Jeter consistently got into the lane and made plays for teammates.

Yes, if he can play at that level consistently - another unanswered supposition - Jeter is what the doctor ordered.

Wright is a player whom I've not seen enough to truly assess. He's played sparingly at New Jersey, Dallas and Toronto and yes, there is a reason for that.

His situation sounds eerily similar to that of Doug Christie.

Wright is a good defender at both shooting guard and small forward and the Kings hope he can add depth at both positions.

Said Petrie of the signings, "Pooh is a third point guard, while Wright is a 2-3 with a decent handle. He gives us depth and versatility at both positions.

Sacramento clearly is not down with spending its cap room on anything other than bringing in a major star. That's the way it should be.

The last time the team made a major score in free-agency was in 1999 following a lockout.

That's when Vlade Divac came walking through the door.

There is going to be a lockout following the 2010-11 season, so we'll see if history repeats itself.

Overtime

Petrie was asked about unrestricted free-agent guard Shannon Brown.

He said, "We've talked to everybody who is available. That's not something that's doable right now."

Translation: Brown wants more money right now than the Kings are willing to spend.

Things have a way of changing over the course of a summer as reality sets.

Petrie says Kings will add guards soon

2010-07-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

Kings President Geoff Petrie and head coach Paul Westphal went to Las Vegas Thursday morning to see second-year star guard Tyreke Evans.

Evans is hoping to land a spot on the USA Basketball squad that participates in the 2010 World Championships. Evans, however, sprained his left ankle earlier this week and it's difficult to impress when your best move is to the ice bag.

Petrie said the team is edging closer to adding to its backcourt after a Vegas Summer League during which it went 4-2.

"We'd like to add a couple of backcourt players," Petrie said, "and we're pretty probably getting closer to doing that. After that, we'll see what falls the rest of the summer and maybe even fall camp."

Petrie said the additions will come from free-agent signings.

Free-agency always is a game of chess where players and agents attempt to get as much money, then available playing time, usually in that order. Teams are attempting to find the best fit for their team chemistry while as Petrie described it, "keeping our future salary cap clean."

The Kings should look to free-agent combination guard Shannon Brown. He just won two championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the 24-year-old may have seen his spot taken with the signings of Matt Barnes and Steve Blake and the re-signing of veteran Derek Fisher.

Brown can play both guard positions and has the potential to become a contributor in the mold of a young Bobby Jackson. That may not be the case, Brown's abilities to handle and shoot from the perimeter are improving. That's kind of player the Kings, who are thinking about 'that clean cap', would be lucky to add.

Petrie said the trade of popular power forward Jon Brockman to the Milwaukee Bucks for power forward Darnell Jackson also was a by-product of that financial goal.

Clearly, Brockman would have had a difficult time earning playing time with the additions of Samuel Dalembert, Cousins and Hasaan Whiteside.

Since Jackson plays the same position as Brockman, it would figure he will have the same playing time challenges.

"He's a tough-minded guy," Petrie said of Jackson, 25, "who hasn't had too much of a chance to play. He had a pretty good career at (the University of) Kansas."

Petrie could have used the same description for Brockman, so there is more to find out regarding the trade. Had the Kings acquired a guard, the reasons behind the trade would be more clear.

Petrie pointed to the additional acquisition of a second-round pick. Perhaps that along with a Brockman replacement is enough reason to make a deal. Perhaps the Kings see a higher ceiling with Jackson than they did with Brockman.

I still see more to the deal than meets the eyes and ears right now.

Center DeMarcus Cousins showed glimpses of stardom in three summer league games. Cousins also displayed perhaps the league's leading sad puppy dog face when things went against him.

That was enough for some observers to predict his emotional makeup will prevent him from fulfilling his potential.

What I saw is perhaps the NBA's most talented 19-year-old (20 on, Aug. 13). All day long, give me the talent and let me work with the puppy-dog face, too.

"He was mediocre in one other game and he struggled in two of them," Petrie said of Cousins, 19. "It was one step along the way and there's no reason why we should think he's going to be anything else but a very good player."

Remember Cousins is 19 - there is a process

2010-07-17T04:03:00.000-07:00

Kings fans are crazy.

That seems to be a statement out of the blue. It is not.

After covering this team daily for about 13 or 14 years for the Sacramento Bee newspaper through the worst and the best of times, I thought I knew how crazy Kings fans were.

However, I didn't.

Actually, I didn't even have a clue.

And since I've come to recognize a truer level of insanity that drives Kings fans, it's important to continue to bring doses of reality to those who follow this squad.

That's where Friday evening's Vegas Summer League performance by DeMarcus Cousins becomes applicable.

I know Kings fans come in all sizes and ages. Over the years, I've met Kings fans in many places.

Supermarkets, schools, churches (and I rarely, I mean, rarely attend) and liquor stores in other states. I've met you guys and ladies on planes and answering the door at my house.

I've met Kings fans on Maui and in Tokyo. So I thought I had a decent fix on Kings fans. Wednesday, I found out differently.

Recently, I've become aware of websites called SactownRoyalty.com and CowbellKingdom.com. They are virtual hangout for Kings fans to chat, inform and become informed for many things Kings.

I used to receive goo-gobs of e-mails at the Bee when covering the Kings and I tried to reply to as many as I could.

In addition to merely replying because folks had cared enough to take the time to get with me, I found reading the e-mails provided story ideas of which I'd never have imagined.

So, Wednesday, I ended up on Sactown Royalty after Wednesday's Kings summer-league game. Beyond my amazement, it seems as if more than 1,000 comments came into the site during the game.

One thousand comments during a freaking summer-league game as the fever of Kings fans about Cousins and Hasaan Whiteside and Tyreke Evans intensifies daily. Incredible!

I'm unsure how one can fully concentrate on watching a basketball game on TV and chat online, but clearly it can be done.

But back to the matter of The Big Potential; aka the Big Po'; aka the Big Sweetness - Cousins had set the Vegas Summer League on its butt during Sacramento's first three games.

Cousins' assortment of skills and talents are ridiculous. He's got tremendous court vision; varied passing deliveries; a feathery soft shooting touch and deft footwork. Combine that big booty and those broad shoulders with huge, strong hands and Cousins, who turns 20 August 13, often makes this NBA stuff appear so easy.

Yet, what Cousins doesn't have - experience - is a process that cannot be accelerated. Neither Bill Russell nor Wilt Chamberlain could accelerate it. That goes for Nate Thurmond, Willis Reed and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

So Friday evening's zero-for-10 first half against the Toronto Raptors was part of the process. It was a lesson in humility that came precisely at the necessary time for Cousins and his new legion of followers.

Cousins probably had a little bit of the big-head syndrome after his early domination of the VSL and needed a little bit of a reality check.

To me, it's akin to understanding, in part, why LeBron James keeps the big head. With more than half the world jocking his mercurial talents, it would be more surprising if he didn't believe all the hype that has come his way.

Cousins struggled against Toronto and he'll struggle again and again. That's what sports and life are about.

We all have bad days. Some of us have bad weeks, months and years, but it's our abilities to shake off those struggles that test our resolve.

Cousins took a major - and necessary - step in the second half against Toronto when he went five for eight.

Moreover, he got his first professional triple-double - points, rebounds and fouls.

One more point. Trainer David Thorpe recently was critical of Cousins' willingness to respond verbally to opponents conversations.

I don't know where Thorpe grew up hooping, but talking and handling talking is part of the game. I wonder if Thorpe was critical of Boston great Larry Bird responding to verbiage that came his way.

Some people talk trash while playing the game. Some don't. People use various ways to deal with it, but part of the process is learning which method is most effective. Cousins must learn which is best for him.

Kings fans, enjoy the process. Preliminary indications are it will be special.

Cousins is a big man with a lot of game

2010-07-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

After watching the Sacramento Kings first-round draft choice DeMarcus Cousins during his first two summer-league games, it's likely coach Paul Westphal will have a difficult time keeping the rookie on the bench.

Yes, it's mid-July, but with the No. 5 pick overall, the Kings lucked into a 6-foot-11, 280-pound skilled basketball player.

Moreover, Cousins enjoys playing the game and utilizing his skills.

His enjoyment of playing is not to be overlooked.

Not all big men, particularly, have the love of the game. Some big men play the game just because they've been told they should. Cousins has a skill diversity that suggests he played on the perimeter and/or wing before a growth spurt turned him into a post player.

He can handle the ball comfortably, although many times he'd be better off finding a guard and running the floor. He sees the floor well facing the basket and with his back to the basket.

Cousins has quick feet and and strong hands. He looks to attack offensive on the perimeter and in the post. Even when the opposition improves during the regular season, he'll quickly require a double-team in the post because of his array of moves.

Like all rookies, especially those with just one college season, Cousins will have to slow down and allow his moves to take effect.

However, Cousins has a feel for the game that suggest he'll play better as he plays with improved talent. Certainly, he'll need to use his feet as well defensively as he does offensively.

He likes to reach and rely on his hand quickness. That will keep him in foul trouble, especially as a rookie.

However, the kid has a soft shooting touch and an offensive repertoire that with intensive work and experience, could make him a tremendous force.

Memo to Samuel Dalembert: Get your work in this summer and bring your lunch to training camp.

Cousins appears capable of legitimately challenging for the starting center position.

Quick hits

Hasaan Whiteside is a major work early in progress, but has length, agility and athleticism, qualities that can't be taught. He can impact games with his shot-blocking ability and pursuit of the ball. Unlike Cousins, Whiteside does not have good hands.

Ryan Thompson likely will be brought to veteran's camp because he has size, activity and shooting ability.

Donte Greene, 22, is showing signs of settling down and learning how to best utilize his considerable skills and talents.

Sylvan Landesburg will have to show he can make perimeter shots to have a chance of making the team. His current strength is taking the ball to the basket. The Kings need shooters.

Donald Sloan is not a natural point guard, but has the size, desire and physical skills to defend. He needs to show he can control a team.

Tyreese Rice is a point guard, who needs to dribble less and look to make plays for teammates as often he looks to score.

Devan Downey can impact a game as a tempo changer with his speed and ballhandling. He, too, must show he can make perimeter shots.

Omri Casspi must recapture the fire with which he played the first half of last season. Casspi has played selfishly in the first two games and looked to score far more than make plays. He must find a happy medium.

Wayne Chism is a talented big man, who could be trying to make the wrong team. Clearly, he's skilled enough to play on this level, but incredibly, the Kings have become a team with big-man depth.

Dionte Christmas is a solid scorer and must show he can be a consistent perimeter shooter. Christmas is a decent defender and plays hard. He needs to have at least one big game during this competition to separate himself.

Stern does the right thing - smacks Gilbert

2010-07-13T08:19:00.001-07:00

One of my good friends - Curtis Bunn - a former journalist at the New York Daily News. Newsday and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution often would ask the same rhetorical question.

"What is going on in this world?"

Monday night, I asked the same question when NBA Commissioner David Stern announced he'd fined the Cleveland Cavaliers $100,000 for owner Dan Gilbert's comments after LeBron James announced he would sign with the Miami Heat.

Wow! Stern and I finally agreed on something. Stern has only one way- that's his way - and I've had a beef with him that he'd likely never remember and I'll never forget.

However, Stern and I are one on recognizing Gilbert's comments were way out of line and he had earned a huge fine and discipline.

I began covering the NBA before Stern became commissioner, so I've seen the amazing progress and success the league has experienced under his heavy-handed direction.

I've also seen Stern - a relative little guy among the sea of giants who play in the NBA -run the league as if it was his domain. Those who work for him in the league recognize his intelligence as well as his ability to seemingly know what occurs at every level.

Stern is a bully. That doesn't make him too different from many great leaders. It doesn't lessen the damage his mannerisms exact.

He's also a brilliant businessman and has a sound idea of what is positive and negative for the league. As commissioner, he governs the league, but works for the owners.

Yet, he didn't hesitate to spank Gilbert when required. Stern did so because Gilbert's stupid, fan-like reactions resembled something one might read among the idiotic comments following an internet story.

When Rev. Jesse Jackson reacted publicly to Gilbert's comments, I wondered what took him so long. Jackson's comparison of Gilbert's reaction to that of an owner to a runaway slave was similar to one I'd heard from many of my friends.

Stern said Monday night that he disagreed with Jackson's assessment, but as the commissioner he almost had to say that. And comparing a 25-year, multi-millionaire basketball player to a slave on any level certainly leaves Jackson open to skepticism.

However, I understood where Jackson and my numerous friends were coming from. Just as I understand where many white friends and observers where coming from with their disapprovals of the analogy.

Quite often, african-americans and white-americans will see the same words and react differently. That's a tremendous generalization, but one I feel accurate.

The groups of people also will include many varied assessments and opinions, race perhaps not as integral as influential as environments and experiences by which we've been shaped.

I'm guessing Jackson was speaking for himself and not representing the entirety of black america. And because the comments of Jackson and Al Sharpton often are lightning rods for who they are as much as what they say, understanding of their comments sometimes go astray.

Personally, as I wrote the night James made his announcement, Gilbert's reactions sounded like a jilted lover. I didn't attach any racial significance to his response. He just seemed like a spoiled little rich kid, not the owner of a major professional sports franchise.

Ultimately, we're all just people. Some more emotional and calculating than others. Just because an owner has oodles of money doesn't mean he or she is incapable of acting irrationally or stupidly.

Moreover, I still believe there still is more to the James-Gilbert relationship than we know. Perhaps a $100,000 fine will discourage Gilbert from further rants, but one never knows.

There'll never be another like Steinbrenner

I'm 100 pages into Bill Madden's portrait of George Steinbrenner and his death at age 80 today affects me a little differently than it would have prior to reading this book.

The first time I remember crying connected to a sporting event was in 1960 when Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski hit a home run to beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.

I was five years old and a hard-core Yankees/Mickey Mantle fan. There were no New York Mets at the time. My late father hated the Yankees for two reasons - they were one of the last teams to sign an african-american player and he lost money on them in a World Series, I'm guessing in 1942.

Fast forward to my early days as a sportswriter in 1978 as I remember seeing Steinbrenner for the first time. I was in the Yankees' press box and when walking to my seat, Steinbrenner was walking directly towards me.

I realized how large and imposing a figure he was. I only knew what I'd read about him - he was a bully with an undying quest to win. He didn't care who you were and what you were about. If you could help him win, he'd be down with you - until you no longer could.

Under Steinbrenner, the Yankees spent money and he demanded excellence. I sat in the auxillary press box directly next to the glass-covered booth in which he sat. Steinbrenner wore his feelings on his sleeve and you could see him stand up and wave his hands at a play or an umpire's call.

Through the glass, you could hear him scream.

However, Steinbrenner was a great businessman and recognized that spending money was one way to keep his team in the mix every year.

The Yankees, during his leadership, always have been accused of buying championships. And I can almost hear Steinbrenner saying, "So what?" Baseball has no salary cap and since there was nothing he wouldn't do to win, Steinbrenner was going to spend.

If it meant signing players such as Steve Howe, Darryl Strawberry and/or Dwight Gooden, each of whom had highly-public problems with drugs, so be it.

Steinbrenner indeed had heart and compassion. You just had to work to find them.

Losing public address announcer Bob Sheppard and Steinbrenner the same week signals a change of eras for the Yankees.

I'm out. I'm going to read to read some more of "Steinbrenner - The Last Lion of Baseball."

James polarizes himself

2010-07-09T00:22:00.000-07:00

No one need ever, ever, ever again compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan.

With James' decision to leave Cleveland to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, basically that was his request.

James may have made the move to put himself in the best position to win, but in the deepest regions of your imagination can you envision Jordan making a move like this?

Hail no!

Forget that King stuff as well. Kings don't follow, they lead.

Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert's comments about James quitting in Games 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston truly don't sum up the abandonment of the 25-year-old.

James quit on Cleveland - on Akron- and on Ohio.

It's not like the Cavaliers were a terrible team and an organization that didn't make moves to try and provide a supporting cast for James.

No doubt Gilbert's open checkbook the past few years was at least part of the genesis of his post-James departure rant.

What we don't know now are the conversations James and Gilbert have had.

We do know if there have been covers for James' actions and behavior over the years, Gilbert has been the man with the huge umbrella.

So for him to go off like a spurned lover is a bit ridiculous.

Gilbert verbally busted out the windows on James' Bentley and his Range Rover. The owner tried to spit in James' face.

And there is more. I say there is no way we've heard the last from Gilbert, either directly out of his mouth or dropped Watergate style.

It also has to be a must that Commissioner David Stern comes down historically hard upon Gilbert.

No owner ever has been more disrespectful and venomous as was Gilbert with comments regarding a player.

Now, Gilbert has heard stances and requests from James of which neither the public nor the media are privy.

However, it's difficult to imagine it won't be long before the curtain is pulled back.

It still seems imaginable Gilbert burned a No. 23 jersey or two himself last night. Gilbert might retire the jersey when the Heat comes to Cleveland for the first time.

Gilbert made a larger fool of himself than any fan could achieve by 'personally guaranteeing the Cavaliers will win an NBA championship before the self-titled former 'King' wins one.'

What, is Gilbert have James assassinated on the NBA Finals court during a game? Is Gilbert going to go Tonya Harding on the 'former King?'

I sure wish I hadn't misplaced former Cleveland coach Mike Brown's number because it would have been great to hear his reaction shortly following the announcement.

Moreover, for James to say, winning a championship in Cleveland wouldn't be sweeter than winning one in Miami, may have been the biggest snub possible.

The kid's ego was so evident when he spoke about how 'He' had brought so much to the franchise and 'He' had taken the organization places it had never before been.

Last I checked, James had a myriad of teammates supporting the efforts. Yet, only once do I recall him referring to teammates while mentioning achievements.

No matter what moves the Heat makes before the 2010-11 season begins, they will have to deal with Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and Chicago just to get out of the Eastern Conference.

And James certified, he'll either be hated or loved. Middle ground has been eradicated.

James is a hot mess, isn't he?

2010-07-08T03:06:00.000-07:00

LeBron James clearly is what I think he is.

No, he's not. Yes, he is.

Tonight, during a one-hour television special orchestrated by James and his people, he'll make his decision known. Personally, I think he'll decide to go to Miami.

In one sense, I put living in Miami on one hand and Cleveland on the other and say the one holding Cleveland gets chopped off. That's a no-brainer.

James is perhaps the NBA's most talented player and definitely its largest egotist wrapped in a 6-foot-9, 265-pound, 25-year-old package.

The fact that James and his people decided to choose broadcaster Jim Gray to moderate this 60 minutes of LeBron suggests they see life totally different than do I. Actually, that's no different than the Maloofs choosing Gray to work the sidelines for the Kings.

Gray is a pompous knucklehead who thinks he's worth more than he is. Then again, that's just my opinion and I'm sure he could care less. I could feel that way because twice he tried to step over me as if I wasn't there to speak to the person with whom I was conversing.

As you might see, rudeness is a no-no and I had let the dude know it could be hazardous to his health if he again pulled that garbage.

However, Gray was linked to noted con-man Don King for the longest time. Need more be said?

But back to James. I've always thought James could show how much heart he has by staying in Cleveland and winning a championship. He would be hanging when things are tough and showing his total dedication to his hometown.

Part of me says if his ego is as large as it seems, he'd say I'm winning one for Cleveland and y'all can't stop me.

Ultimately, though, there's no way James can leave Cleveland without folks in that area hating his guts.

Perhaps the funniest and sickest comment regarding former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell was that he had a heart attack and didn't die.

Man, that's cold until you see the comment followed it up by 'I'll hate LeBron 10 times as much.'

Whoa! That about sums it up.

Should James leave Cleveland, that's it. It doesn't make a difference when, where or how he announces it. He's not insulting Cleveland with this manner he chosen to deliver the news. He's insulting his fans by leaving, if anything.

Most Cleveland fans will hate the air he breathes.

Ultimately, he won't care and nor, should he. He's got to do what he feels is best for him. James clearly wanted to stay in Cleveland, but should he go to Miami, then he believes that's where his best chance to win exists.

Being hated and loathed is part of the territory, particularly when your ego invites it with moves like this hour-long announcement.

However, it's not like James only will be hated in Cleveland. It's just the intensity of that hatred will be more intense.

In New York, New Jersey and Chicago, he'll be booed as never before.

Share the hate.

That James is handing over proceeds from the telecast to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America is solid.

However, with his loot, he merely could just write a check. I think that check would clear.

Then again, he's said his decision would be about winning. And if James chooses to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, it's a decision that seems to follow that thinking.

It would be a decision that would shut up so many so-called experts who said there was no way James would or even could play with Wade because his 'ego' wouldn't allow him to make that concession.

That part of James' decision I love.

I've played basketball much of my life. And at its essence for me, it was played in the park, or the YMCA, or in New York (at night centers in local schools open at night).

That was where you might find the toughest competition because that's where you'd find half of the dudes who were good enough to play for their schools, but didn't attend class enough to qualify.

Never once, not one time, have I ever seen a group of five decide they weren't going to try load up the bomb squad.

The concept when playing in the win-and-stay situations that exist in the park is getting on the court and dominating until you don't want to play anymore.

Granted, it's a long way from Cambria Park or PS 15 or Hempstead's Kennedy Park or Roosevelt Park to Madison Square Garden and the NBA.

However, I can't blame James deciding to load up with Wade and Bosh and trying to dominate the NBA.

How many hoopers who have had 'next' decided against choosing the next best four players for his squad?

You might take one of your boys (and I've been one of those) who wasn't one of the best available because he was your boy.

On the other hand, there was nothing more satisfying than playing against the bomb squad and kicking their butts.

Beating them with back-door plays and moving the ball and defending as if their lives depend upon a victory.

I'm hearing former Kings guard Jon Barry say James and Wade can't play together. It's not the first time Barry has said something stupid. It's just the most recent time he's done it.

Barry also has there was no way James' ego would allow him to play with Wade. Barry said it with absolute certainty without any inkling of proof. It's a red flag when I hear statements like that.

These are two of the world's most talented and skilled players. They've both got more than enough handle to play together. They looked very comfortable playing together on the 2008 gold-medal winning team.

Granted, that was a two-week deal as opposed to doing it for a season and more. However, it seems to be the longer they do it, the more the comfort level will grow.

Now, it's not a done deal that the James, Wade and Bosh crew would race to a championship.

First, we nor they have a clue with whom they'll play.

Second, they'll have a larger bullseye on their chests than the two-time world champion Los Angeles Lakers and that's saying something.

Third, there is something to playing together and establishing a rapport and a rhythm that cannot be produced without time.

Fourth, the scrutiny these guys will endure will be enormous. But that's part of the territory.

Say what you will, but those who criticize James' announcement tonight will be just like me, sitting and watching.

No A,I. or J-Will likely for Kings

2010-07-07T01:42:00.000-07:00

The operative word was 'wait' Tuesday during brief discussions with an agent and Kings President Geoff Petrie describing the team's current posture regarding free-agency.

"We're still in a wait and hold situation," Petrie said. "It's still in effect. We're getting ready for (the Vegas) summer league. We'll definitely have (first-round pick) DeMarcus (Cousins) and (Hasaan) Whiteside signed before we start practicing on Friday."

Agent Aaron Mintz from the Priority Sports Management firm said the Kings have been keeping in touch.

"We've been talking to them but I think they are kind of in a wait and see scenario," Mintz said.

Actually, quite a few teams have assumed the patient approach during the first few days of free-agent conversation. After all, teams cannot sign players until Thursday.

Once signings begin and money commitments reveal themselves, it's easier for teams to recognize what competitors for players can extend. And once players and agents see which teams have money available and are willing to make deals, the action and conversations become real.

Petrie will be looking to fortify the Kings backcourt, but said he didn't anticipate pursuing either Allen Iverson or former Kings point guard Jason Williams.

"The straight-forward answer would be he's not somebody we've talked about," Petrie said of Iverson. "And I don't think Jason is leaving Florida. I think they might be guys who see what happens with teams after (LeBron) James, (Chris) Bosh and (Dwayne) Wade make their decisions."

Contrary to the thoughts of some, Petrie said the team is willing to spend money and would be open to involve itself in a three-way trade.

Petrie always has maintained cash dominates the direction of free-agency.

"I told somebody the other day that free agency was a giant battle of opportunity where the ammunition is cash," he said.

Once the major players of free-agency have committed their real money, the Kings will have as much 'ammunition' as virtually any team on the board.

"I'd be interested in a (three-way) as long as it meets our parameters," Petrie said. "If we're going to take on a lot of future money, it'll have to come down to us acquiring a high-quality player and satisfy a high-quality need."

Three players - Tyreese Rice, Ryan Thompson and Connor Atchley - on the team's summer-league squad are playing in the Orlando summer league before they join the Kings this weekend.

Petrie said earlier this summer assistant coaches Pete Carril and Shareef Abdur-Rahim will return next season. Abdur-Rahim may have been the league's highest-paid assistant last season since he was still under contract as a player.

By the way

Much ado was made by Wade's statement over the past weekend that his decision would be affected by his desire to do what was best for his two sons. Wade has gone through an emotional, contentious and public divorce from his ex-wife.

So, did anyone really think his decision on where to sign would not factor in his two children? And after questioning his wife's mental stability, am I the only one who believes he might want his kids to be as far away as possible from his ex-wife?

James' decision to announce his decision Thursday night on television on his own designed special definitely qualifies as special.

As is his decision to control the advertising for the special and direct all proceeds to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Anyone who concentrates any ego attached to this production rather than the money going to the kids is misguided.

Yo, LeBron: It's time. Let's do this!

2010-07-06T01:59:00.000-07:00

Yo, LeBron! It's time.

Let's do this.

Yes, deciding where and with whom you'll spend the next few years playing basketball is the biggest decision of your life.

And yes, you should make it when you want and how you want and to hell with anyone who can't understand.

There's no guarantee you'll ever have this freedom and opportunity again.

However, now, we're at the point where people are criticizing you for wearing sweats to meetings.

As if anything would be altered if you wore a suit or some pajamas.

What? Did folks think you were applying for a gig at Princeton? After all, you do your work in shorts.

You and your people (aka team) are being criticized for being 25 as if it was unknown that was the age-group before these multi-million recruiting pitches began.

You've got to know where you want to be by now.

The only reason for delaying the announcement is if you are leaving Cleveland and trying to get someone else to join you.

Holla at your fellow free-agents. Discuss your scenarios and make sure the requisite comfort levels exist.

Then you can exhale and stop all the no-nothing commentators from talking loud and saying nothing.

OK, this is a bit of a personal plea. I'm so sick of people putting words and thoughts in your mind and mouth. I understand you have brought some of this on yourself and the rest of us by holding your cards so close.

However, that's your option. And I know you can't sign your deal until Thursday.

Bottom line, though, no matter where you go or if you stay, the most important portion of this summer will be spent in the gym. No player this season will have more on their shoulders than you and no one has more ability and talent with which to maintain.

So, let's do this. Make your call. Go on vacation and then get into the gym and prepare to fulfill your potential.

It's sounds funny to say this about a two-time Most Valuable Player.

However, there is so much more you can do... so much more you can be.

Stoudamire to Knicks - Amare should start here

I've always found Amare Stoudamire to be a good, respectful dude. He's always been accomodating.

Now that he's agreed to a 5-year/$100-million deal with the New York Knicks, here's a minor request from a native New Yorker and former Knicks' fan.

I'm still holding it against the franchise for trading Charles Oakley, one of my all-time favorite folks and players, not to mention the team's heart at the time, to Toronto. And yes, I know the Knicks went to the Finals right after that.

I don't care. I admit to retaining the ability to be a little bit of a silly fan.

But Amare, if you want to show you have some heart and say you'll reach out to LeBron James, start your reaching out with helping out Ray Williams. The former Knicks captain needs help dealing with life.

With $100 million of new money, we're talking about relative pocket change, 'bro.

Kings remain in holding pattern

2010-07-04T00:50:00.000-07:00

Kings Vice President Wayne Cooper said the team continues to monitor the free-agent landscape, but hasn't yet made any direct moves.

"We're trying to see what guys want," Cooper said Saturday of potential free-agent signees. "We're checking in with everybody, but we haven't targeted anyone."

Historically, front-office personnel establish relationships with agents over the years. Often times, those relationships spawn links to players.

Since the Kings consistently have dealt with agents such as Mark Bartelstein, Andy Miller, Bob Myers, Arn Tellem, Lon Babby, Aaron Goodwin and Bill Duffy, it would not be difficult to figure those agents were among the first to receive calls on the fact-finding mission.

The Kings will not be aggressive with restricted free-agents if Petrie's history is any indication. The only restricted free-agents the Kings will pursue are those they believe would not have their offer matched.

That would take a team being hamstrung financially during the course of negotiations with another free agent. So, timing would be everything.

Cooper said first-round draft choice DeMarcus Cousins should be signed this week. Second-round pick Hasaan Whiteside cannot be signed until July 8 when the league's finances have been tabulated.

Unrestricted free-agent and former Kings guard Eddie House said he has not heard of any interest from Sacramento.

An early winner in free agency has been agent Duffy, who reportedly has agreements for clients Amir Johnson (5-years, $34 million with Toronto), Drew Gooden (5-years, $32 million with Milwaukee) and Hakim Warrick (4-years, $18 million).

Word is teams had problems with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh meeting before July 1 to discuss their respective plans. So what exactly does free agency mean?

The Raptors allegedly have been dismayed Chris Bosh has put down tweets describing his enjoyment of the recruiting process. Hopefully, that's not an accurate portrayal of Toronto's stance or would it be cool to Raptors management if Bosh said how much he hated the process.

Another please say it isn't so: We've heard talk that James doesn't want to play with Wade because winning with him would tarnish this so-called legendary status he seeks. I'm not the biggest James fan because of one encounter I had with him, but this sounds more like stupid stuff coming out of the mouths of reporters. However, if James' ego truly is that large, no wonder he's having problems leading his team over the championship hump.

Former Knicks captain Ray Williams needs help - now

2010-07-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

LeBron James should check out the story of former New York Knicks captain and guard Ray Williams.

While the Knicks beg James to take all the money the organization can muster, Williams lives in a car in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Williams played for six teams - New York, Kansas City (now Sacramento), New Jersey, Boston, Atlanta and San Antonio - during his 10-year NBA career.

He signed a four-year, $500,000 contract in 1977 as the 10th pick overall out of the University of Minnesota where he was a teammate of Kevin McHale, former No. 1 pick Mychal Thompson and Washington Wizards head coach Flip Saunders.

At his best, Williams was a physical specimen capable of dominating games with ballhandling, scoring and great one-on-one, full-court defensive pressure.

In 1981, he signed a three-year, $1.5 million deal - his most lucrative contract - with the Nets.

Now he says, he's most recently lived on bread and water.

Williams' tale truly is a sad occurrence becoming far too familiar for former athletes. Mishandling of finances and lifestyles that evolve into struggles for survival in an unforgiving and uncertain day-to-day existence.

Williams, 55, according to a story in the Boston Globe, is searching for help and describes himself as 'desperate.' He needs help, has needed help and doesn't know in which direction to turn.

Williams certainly has made his share of mistakes, but needs a helping hand. He's twice received financial aid at times from the NBA Legends Foundation and also once from the NBA Retired Players Association.

However, he's still in a precarious position. Williams said he's never used drugs or gambled or turned to alcohol.

Williams' brother, Gus, has sent him money for food, but also is going through financial struggles.

Ray Williams is looking for help in a major way before his sad story becomes a tragedy.

A minimal consideration of names such as McHale, Ainge, Saunders, not to mention the New York Knicks organization suggests there are options capable of joining forces and finances to assist Williams in this time of need.

It's not beyond comprehension the organizations for which Williams played combined to figure out a way to help. A veritable drop in the bucket for them would be a godsend.

Granted, there are many folks these days who need aid, but there is too much money currently flying around the NBA for Williams to go unassisted. A job, a place to live and some money to buy food at the minimum doesn't seem like too much to ask.

After all, it only would be to help one of their own.

The NBA Cares is a theme on which the league rests, so it says.

Perhaps James, the wannabe global icon, could share some small percentage of the millions he's soon to receive. Or even suggest to the Knicks, showing Williams love might enhance the team's chances of him giving them a little more consideration.

Kings waiting to watch; watching while they wait

2010-07-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

Kings President Geoff Petrie said Thursday night the team is just like the rest of the NBA world.

It is waiting to see what happens with LeBron James and the rest of the upper echelon free agents.

Petrie said he and Vice President Wayne Cooper combined to make approximately 10 phone calls Wednesday night after 9 p.m. (PST).

"Some of the agents represent more than one player," Petrie said. "We were mostly calling to check on any number of players. The calls were to see what kind of interest there is and we'll follow up and continue to monitor the landscape."

Petrie knows free agents, even during a normal off-season, have their respective agendas and goals adjusted by reality. On a local basis, we can remember the ups and downs of negotiations with Corliss Williamson and Bonzi Wells.

So the Kings wanted to see what type of interest there was in their team as well as let players know of their interest in them.

Petrie said the next three or four days likely will reveal what the top of the free-agent class will do. However, it likely will be longer before the Kings make any moves, if any.

"We made calls of interest," he said, "not calls of proposals. I'd classify our calls as fact-finding oriented. And given our appetite for risk and commitment, it will probably be more than a week or two before we do anything."

So, Kings fans likely must be patient to see how things shake out before they know of any acquisitions.

Petrie expects a quiet holiday weekend in terms of free-agent negotiations.

"It'll probably be pretty low-key," he said, "but the office is wherever your phone is."

It's always something

Reports that Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick somehow had found himself in trouble connected to a shooting at a party he gave himself did not come as a total surprise, did it? Anyone, anyone?

It says here the young man is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. The guy gave away countless millions and two years of his life and career dealing with dog fights and then lying about his involvement.

We only can hope - for his sake - he hasn't done it again. Vick barely was worth a mention last season and now he may become a mention entering this season for all the wrong reasons.

As a journalist, the way the media has been handling free-agency makes me sick. All of these experts are asked what the free agents will do and moreover, what they are thinking and how different factors affect that thinking.

How could anyone know unless they actually talk to these free agents. But people surely seem willing to speak for these guys without any legitimate information.

It'll one day be good to hear a couple of commentators say, "I don't know." That would be enough for me just for the sake of credibility.

There are a number of soccer haters and I'll admit I have my days. Surely, soccer purists would protest, but I'd like to see a World Cup without offsides penalities.

Purists would say, 'OK, let's see the NBA get rid of goaltending.' Perhaps not the same thing, but

a somewhat similarly bizarre request.

Yet, maybe an American soccer league can eliminate offsides for a season. Just a thought.

Sorry to hear of the passing of former football coach Don Coryell.

Coryell, 85, is known primarily as the architect of 'Air Coryell," the dynamic San Diego Chargers offense featuring Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner, Wes Chandler and running backs, Chuck Muncie and James Brooks.

However, Coryell also coached a St. Louis Cardinals squad (yes, they existed during the '70s) that was similarly effective with an offense featuring quarterback Jim Hart, running backs Terry Metcalf and Jim Otis, wide receiver Mel Gray and tight end Jackie Smith.

And yes, that's the same Jackie Smith, who was wide open and dropped a sure touchdown pass in the end zone in the 1979 Super Bowl.

Coryell's teams in St. Louis and San Diego won five division titles. And perhaps his best team in San Diego lost in the 1981 AFC title game in Cincinnati when it was about minus-20 degrees.

Kings look to make moves under radar

2010-07-01T02:34:00.000-07:00

The Kings won't use their entire $15 million queen in this mega free-agent game of chess.

However, it wouldn't be surprising for Kings President Geoff Petrie to use a couple of pawns, knights and bishops to fill a hole or two.

Petrie said Wednesday afternoon he planned to make calls after the 9 p.m. (PST) opening of free-agency.

"I'll probably call any number of different players," he said, "and some agents who represent some pretty large groups of players to get a lay of the land."

Petrie admitted the Kings are more inclined to wait and watch.

"Sometimes it better to stand pat and see how it all shakes out," he said.

The Kings priorities recently have been altered following the recent additions of 6-foot-11 rookie DeMarcus Cousins, 7-foot rookie Hasaan Whiteside and 6-foot-11 Samuel Dalembert.

Amazingly, the Kings' roster now is big-man heavy. The Kings are young up front with the likes of 6-11 Jason Thompson (23), 6-11 Donte Greene (22), 6-9 Carl Landry (26), 6-9 Omri Casspi (22) and 6-7 Jon Brockman (23).

The Kings need more backcourt depth with just Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih and Francisco Garcia as natural guards. And Garcia, who can handle the ball well enough to play guard, might be more of a small forward.

Certainly, the Kings need a backup point guard capable of changing tempo, running the fast break and penetrating defenses to create shots for teammates. Handling his weight defensively would be a nice trait as well.

Said Petrie, "If we were to prioritize, getting more shooters and more depth at the '1' and the '2' probably would be what we'd like to do."

Unrestricted free agents who bring these qualifications are Ray Allen (shooter), Nate Robinson (point guard), Flip Murray (shooter), Jannero Pargo (point-shooter), Earl Watson (point guard), Luther Head (combo guard), Steve Blake (point guard), Rafer Alston (point guard), Carlos Arroyo (point guard), Luke Ridnour (point guard), Eddie House (combo guard), Jason Williams (point guard), Kyle Korver (shooter), Randy Foye (point guard) and Shaun Livingston (point guard).

Actually the guard I'd love to see the Kings get is point Kyle Lowry, but he's restricted and Houston publically said it plans to re-sign him.

Petrie said he's enthusiastically looking forward to watching his team in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Kings won just 17 games in 2008-09 and 25 games last season.

"We've had some pretty lean couple of years," he said of games won.

Petrie also could have been referring to the team's spending as it created salary cap room that can be used to facilitate trades as well as signing free agents.

However, Petrie is mindful of making the most of this money under the cap.

And consider the current 10 highest salaries:

1) Kobe Bryant - $24,806,250.

2) Rashard Lewis - $20,514,000.

3) Kevin Garnett - $18,800,000.

4) Tim Duncan - $18,700,000.

5) Michael Redd - $18,300,000.

6) Pau Gasol - $17,822,187.

7) Andres Kirilenko - $17, 822,187.

8) Gilbert Arenas - $17,730,694.

9) Zach Randolph - $17,333,333.

10) Vince Carter - $17, 300, 000.

How many of those salaries would you like to be paying this season?

If James' heart is as large as his ambition, he'll stay in Cleveland

2010-06-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

Every alleged hoops expert has an opinion regarding the NBA's Mount Rushmore of free-agency, but what do they really know?

They don't know any more than you, I or my main man, Dwight.

You don't know Dwight, but any one and every one you know fits smugly into the equation.

We should all feel comfortable with not knowing which teams or team will sign LeBron James, Chris Bosh and their boys.

It's all good because that's the way free-agency is supposed to evolve.

However, I can tell you how things would play out in Marty Mac's World.

If I were James, there would be two choices - in this order, Cleveland and Miami.

Chicago's situation would make me think, but if I wanted to continue freezing my tuckus off, I can do that at home.

If James remains in Cleveland, virtually the Akron native's psuedo-hometown, he stays with the squad that won 127 games over the past seasons, but couldn't finish the playoff deal.

The Cavs hardly are the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Sacramento Kings.

Cleveland is right there with James, the dancing star.

He should know how close the Cavs are and as the guy who has accepted the moniker of 'The King", if he has the heart of a champion, he'll gather his teammates this summer and help lead them to the title he allegedly craves.

Indeed, this is an old-school mentality that says you start what you finish.

It says this is the squad I grew up loving and I'm not leaving until the job is done. I have built a mansion around the way.

Cleveland is my home. The rest of you can bring it - I'm the baddest boy around and we're going to win.

Virtually every NBA champion had to go through the process of brain-rattling losses on the destination to the title. Why should Cleveland be any different?

The case for going to Miami is as much social as anything.

There is freaking South Beach and when it's -10 degrees in Cleveland in January, it likely will be 75 degrees in South Florida.

Personally, that's a biggie for a guy, who grew up in New York City's snowy winters and now in California, hasn't shoveled snow for 30 years.

Then there is the case of playing with my boy Dwayne Wade, who brings the same fire, desire and talent to the court as do I.

Can we convince one more young star (Bosh, Amare Stoudamire or Carlos Boozer) to join us and then trust President Pat Riley to put role players around us that will enable us to compete for a title?

Each of these free-agents are on the record say all they want to do is win. That's something we shall see before the July 8 signing date.

A guess here estimates 99.999% of us regular folk never will have the opportunity to say, "I can make another $10 million over the length of my contract if I sign with Team X, but I'm going to sign with Team Y because the best chance to win is there."

In LeBron's case, if he's worried about this so-called icon status and winning four and five titles, then there is no way I can get into his cranium.

I know he didn't do college, but he has to know two and three come after one. And he doesn't have one yet. In that instance, he must realize how difficult it is to get it done.

Winning a title will be more difficult than deciding where he wants to cast his lot.

You want how much?

2010-06-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

The game within the NBA game begins 12:01 a.m (EST) Thursday morning. That's when teams officially can make their cases for the services of the league's best free agents.

That's also when teams begin to vie amongst each other for the opportunity to pay these free agents as much money as they have underneath the salary cap.

Teams long since have begun planning and scheming to acquire what they believe is the best combination of talent among the likes of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudamire, Joe Johnson, David Lee and even Dirk Nowitzki and Ray Allen.

However, these late-night/early-morning sessions with the free-agents sound more like opportunities to beg, plead and soul-sell more than anything resembling negotiations.

How can a team like the New York Knicks, who decided years ago it was better to eliminate talent, reduce salary and wait for this night, pretend to do anything but beg James for the opportunity to pay for his services?

The Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets and Chicago Bulls are kidding themselves if they believe they are negotiating.

These rich and, in some cases, glamorous franchise will reduce themselves to money-laden suckers with no pride and/or self-respect. In most cases, they'll just be giving away big bucks with little return other than appearance and possibly improved attendance.

Only one team can win the NBA title per season.

Instead of begging, these teams should be asking these free-agents to show them why they deserve such lucrative future commitments. Only Wade and Allen among the nine aforementioned free-agents have championship rings.

Each of the others are wanna-be stars. As talented and accomplished as is James, he has yet to win a 'ship.

Amare Stoudamire should be asked: "Why should we give you a maximum salary when you play defense like Casper, the friendly ghost? Can we pay you in invisible money?"

Someone should ask Chris Bosh: "If you're so good, why were the Toronto Raptors 40-42 last season and never made it past the first round in the Eastern Conference since you've been their leader."

Joe Johnson should hear each team ask: "How can you ask for the max when you were absolutely terrible against Orlando in the conference semifinals?"

Another should ask Carlos Boozer: "If we give you the maximum for five years, can you stay healthy? In three of the past six seasons, you failed to play in 52 games and in two of those seasons, you averaged 35 games."

Nowitzki likely will remain with Dallas, but he should hear the question: "Dirk, you've been the man for the Mavs, but why haven't you been able to deliver a title? In fact, had you made two free throws in the final seconds of a NBA Finals game against Miami, D Wade wouldn't have a ring."

Ask David Lee: "Shouldn't you pay us for the opportunity to let you see what it feels like to finish .500 since your Knicks never have done it?"

And yes, Mr. James, we have a question for you: "What the hell happened to you in Game Five against the Boston Celtics in Game Five of the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals?

We didn't see any of that dancing Rockettes stuff in that game. Instead, we saw the incredible shrinking egotist.

And why the heck are you changing your number from 23 to 6? To respect Michael Jordan? What about Bill 'Freaking' Russell?"

You can't blame teams for trying to improve their respective lots in one fell swoop. However, years (and not very many) from now we may see this instant gratification money give-away isn't the way to go.

Kings' Petrie staying put - so far

Kings owner Joe Maloof said Monday evening none of the teams without general managers - Phoenix, Portland and New Jersey - have asked for permission to talk to Geoff Petrie, the team's President of Basketball Operations.

"I haven't heard from anyone and I don't think Gavin (his brother) has either," Joe Maloof said. "He would have told me if he had."

Said Petrie, "With all due respect to the question and the questioner, the job I'm interested in talking about is the one I'm doing."

What Petrie also would not discuss are his team's plans for free-agency.

"We'll take a look," he said of free agency, "but I can't really talk about that."

Joe Maloof did speak about how pleased he is with Sacramento's recent big-man upgrade.

"I loved our draft," he said of selecting DeMarcus Cousins and Hasaan Whiteside. "And then we picked up Samuel Dalembert (from Philadelphia in the trade for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni). We transformed our team in a two-week period."

The Kings' entry in the Vegas summer league will feature Donald Sloan, Tyreese Rice and Devan Downey at the point; Dionte Christmas, Ryan Thompson (brother of Kings' power forward Jason) and Sylvan Landesburg at shooting guard; Omri Casspi, Donte Greene, Tyren Johnson and Lee Cummard at small forward; Whiteside, Wayne Chism and Jason Ellis at power forward with Cousins, Steven Hill and Connor Atchley at center.

The team will be coached by assistant coach Mario Elie.

Sacramento Queens are no more

2010-06-27T02:09:00.000-07:00

The Sacramento media was introduced to rookies DeMarcus Cousins and Hasaan Whiteside Saturday afternoon and there is more than one first impression.

1) Coach Paul Westphal, who along with President Geoff Petrie represented the organization at the press conference, has just become a better defensive coach.

2) These two youngsters are as baby-faced as they are long.

3) Whiteside's mother, Debbie can pass as his sister - easily.

4) If Whiteside can defend as fiercely as naturally as he can make a group laugh, there'll be many an opposing player wondering where his shot went.

Said Whiteside, who briefly worked out with Hall of Famer, Hakeem Olajuwon, "He was scoring a lot on me, but I was trying my best."

5) If Cousins is overweight, then what am I? I know he was dressed in a sweet grey suit and all, but this kid is hardly Oliver Miller. He looked svelte and well-proportioned.

And Cousins said all the right things, "I want to work on my conditioning."

From what I hear and have seen, if Cousins becomes well-conditioned, he's going wreak havoc.

6) It was good to relocate my right hand after it disappeared inside the bear claw Cousins used to shake hands. The boy has meat hooks.

7) For the Kings sake, the organization only can hope these two kids remember the darts thrown in their respective directions by untold written and verbal assassins during the entire draft process.

8) There are many different ways lives can change and Whiteside's mother spoke of a terrible incident that she believed played a major role in Hasaan's development.

"Do you remember a couple of years ago when some kids were murdered in a park in Newark (N.J.)?" she said referring to the August 2007 case that became nationally known after three college students were killed and one more was severely injured.

The students were lined up against a wall and shot execution-style. Natasha Aeriel, then 19, survived and was able to identify the assailants. Aeriel, three years later, this May graduated from Delaware State University and also testified in the trial in one of the six linked to the killings.

Mama Whiteside continued, "That was when Hassan was living in Newark and that park where the kids were killed was the one he used to play in when he was living with his father. I used to always tell him to be careful. And he would say, 'Mama, all I do is go back and forth from home to play ball and then back.'

"But I think that situation was an eye-opener for him because after that he wanted to come back to Gastonia (N.C.)."

Hasaan spent one year averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5.5 blocked shots during the 2006-2007 season at East Side High School in Newark.

Then he returned to Gastonia and attended Hope Christian (Charlotte) and the Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C., where he was recruited by UConn, Louisville and West Virginia among others.

That's not the same East Side High School in nearby Paterson that became famous after the movie, 'Lean On Me,' and principal Joe Clark highlighted some of the madness that occurs in inner-city school.

Hasaan Whiteside's NBA bio explains his father, Hasaan Arbubakrr, played with the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arbubakrr was a defensive end, who went to Texas Tech.

In a different situation, Hasaan Whiteside, who just turned 21 June 19, might have been a high jumper. His moves and stride scream 'smooth athleticism.'

The type of athleticism that hasn't been seen around these parts in a seven-footer - ever. Whiteside clearly is highly coordinated. He led the nation in blocked shots last season at Marshall with 5.35 per game and fouled out just once in 34 games.

At Marshall, Whiteside was schooled by assistant coach, Darren Tillis, the Boston Celtics' first-round draft choice in 1982.

Man, I'm old. I covered the 6-foot-11 Tillis in 1983-84 when he played with the Golden State Warriors.

The Kings believe Whiteside is a forward, not a center. They also believe Whiteside has quite a bit of work to do before he can play an integral role.

However, a future pairing of Cousins and Whiteside, say in two, three years when they are, 21 and 23, respectively, looms as a combination potentially lethal around the basket.

A baby-faced wall that could erase all mention of the Queens.

NBA Free Agents - To whom would you give big loot

2010-06-26T01:05:00.001-07:00

The Sacramento Kings have been planning and maneuvering for a couple of years to be active in the 2010 summer free-agency game.

Now, the beginning of the game is four days away and the options appear to be more hype than substance.

To which of these high-profile free agents - LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Dirk Nowitzky, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer and even David Lee - would you give up every dollar of the created salary cap to join the Kings?

Wade and Nowitzky are the two ultimately expected to re-sign with their respective teams, Miami and Dallas.

The others, led by James, are expected to look for the biggest bucks along with what comprises the best situation for them.

Teams may begin negotiating with players on July 1, but cannot sign a player until July 8.

Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie has said his team will explore all options. However, the team will try to use its money as intelligently as possible. That could mean keeping the money in the pocket.

That intelligence might just mean the Kings will hold onto its cap room through the summer and see if using it in a trade during the season might be more productive. When the Kings made moves to bring Vlade Divac into the mix, it was following the end of the last lockout in 1999.

There is expected to be another lockout following the 2010-11 season.

Here's the quick free-agent handicap with considerations of age, talent, leadership, health and heart:

Empty the Bank: James and Wade. Currently, the Kings have approximately $15 million in the coffers. That likely won't be enough to sign either on the basis of money alone.

However, if Cousins developed as the Kings hoped, the inclusion of either one of these stars plus good health would make Sacramento a contender for the next six or seven years.

No D, no Max: Amare Stoudamire is an amazing offensive performer, but his defensive commitment does not warrant getting all the money in the bank.

Moreover, Stoudamire will give up $17.7 million next season to become a free-agent. He's also going to leave point guard Steve Nash, who only gives him five to seven dunks/layups per game.

That just makes me wonder about his thinking.

No Post, no Max: Chris Bosh is a monster talent capable of providing production from many different areas. However, offensively, Bosh seems to do most of his damage with a jumper. Nor does he seem to want to be the man. His words point towards him looking to be the man playing next to The Man. That's not all bad, but at these prices, it's not good enough.

Too Old, no Max: Dirk Nowitzky just turned 32. His talents merit the big bucks, but his age says no. It makes sense for the Mavs to re-do his deal, but not the Kings.

Too Shaky, no Max: Joe Johnson had the opportunities to prove his worth as The Man during these past playoffs, but failed miserably. He's an excellent player, but not worth all the loot that's fit to print at this stage.

Close, but no Max: Carlos Boozer will be 29 in November and has shown the ability to be an able sidekick. Put him on a team with a capable center and strong lead guard and Boozer will be worth big bucks. Not the max, but he'll be able to get by on what he gets paid.

No Way, no Max: David Lee is a solid performer and likely would fit nicely on a number of different squads. Lee is a strong rebounder, runs the floor and can play the game well enough to earn close to double-digit millions annually in the right situation.

The Kings have enough money to be active through a sign and trade deal, but after waiting for a couple of years to get into this position, they will have to feel absolutely positive about making a move this summer.