Lessons learned part of process for young Kings

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.”











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No A,I. or J-Will likely for Kings

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.