"In the days leading up to Kevin Martin's return from injury, Kings coach Paul Westphal conveyed a simple message to his players about the changes to come: Be ready for anything.

Yet just two games into what basketball president Geoff Petrie dubbed "Phase Two" of their season, it is quite clear that nobody was ready for this.

It's the stagnant offense, the absence of rhythm, the disappearance of the chemistry and style that had re-engaged Kings fans and garnered respect around the league. And though Martin has played in only two of the 10 losses in the Kings' last 12 games, his presence hasn't provided the offensive upgrade for which they had hoped. If anything, it has only complicated matters.

While Martin and Tyreke Evans have meshed just fine in the backcourt, nearly everyone else on the roster is struggling to understand their role.

"I think what's made us so tough to defend all year is that it has kind of been different guys on different nights - whoever has a mismatch, whoever is feeling it," center Spencer Hawes said. "We were hard to prepare for in that sense because we have a lot of guys who are capable of putting up big numbers."

And now?

"It is (tricky) because you don't know when you're going to get in (the game), and when you do get in, you try to stay in the flow or get in the flow," small forward Donté Greene said. "It can be tough at times."

As Jason Thompson sees it, the Kings need to get their "swag" back and remember how potent their entire team can be.

"I think we're thinking about it too much," Thompson said. "But guys just can't be thinking about it. They've just got to play the game, get a stop, get an easy transition bucket and then get things going and get into a rhythm.""