Sacramento Kings News

Stern keeping close tabs on all things Sacramento
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February 9
Sacramento Bee
 
"NBA Commissioner David Stern didn't offer any revelations during an hour-long conversation at his office early Monday, but he continues to closely monitor arena developments in Sacramento. How closely? While watching the Super Bowl on Sunday (and pulling for New Orleans), he was interrupted by a phone call from John Moag, the arena consultant working with the Gerry Kamilos' downtown arena/land swap plan. Weather permitting (another snowstorm was approaching), the Baltimore-based Moag planned to travel to Sacramento and address tonight's City Council meeting. "The development of the Kamilos proposal was a pleasant surprise to me," Stern said. "The idea that was brought to us by the mayor ..."
Rumors: Martin, Iguodala, Butler, McGrady
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February 8
ESPN.com
 
"Kevin Martin, Andre Iguodala and Caron Butler continue to be the three swingmen most frequently linked with Mark Cuban's trade-seeking Mavericks, who have been stonewalled in their attempts to pry Martin away from Sacramento and thus have not ruled out a move for Butler. Sources say that Washington and Dallas have maintained a Butler dialogue while the Wizards also continue talks with Houston in a larger deal for Tracy McGrady. As stated previously in this cyberspace, Martin tops the Mavs' list in their search for a dependable second scorer to flank Dirk Nowitzki. Sources say, however, that Dallas would likely have to recruit a third team to present the quality big man presumably needed to ..."
Kings can't win, even outside U.S.
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February 8
Sacramento Bee
 
"They were awake. Oh, they were plenty awake. The issue with the Kings on a clear, nippy Canadian afternoon, on a day their slump stretched to six consecutive losses, had nothing to do with the noon tipoff (Eastern) and everything to do with missed free throws, missed opportunities and not enough misses by Toronto's Chris Bosh. "This is one of the more ridiculous pieces of scheduling," coach Paul Westphal said Sunday before the Kings dropped a 115-104 game at Air Canada Centre. "I don't know if anybody's done this before. They don't have to send someone from the West. Send Detroit!""
Thompson returns after death of cousin
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February 8
Sacramento Bee
 
"Jason Thompson rejoined the team after missing two games following the death of a 25-year-old female cousin. The second-year forward said the cause of death remains uncertain, so he was unable to offer details. "We were very close," he said, "only a few years apart. It's a very tough situation. We just don't know enough. All I know is that she was taken from us too soon." Thompson, who spent time with relatives in Philadelphia, came off the bench against the Raptors. Coach Paul Westphal started forwards Donté Greene and Omri Casspi."
Poised Raptors crown Kings
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February 8
Toronto Star
 
"There is a quiet confidence oozing from the Raptors these days, nothing too brash or openly boastful or overly demonstrative. It's a professionalism that comes from confidence and a feeling that they will win games rather than a hope that they will. It was there again on Sunday, some patience and lockdown defence and a simple knowledge that they would take care of business. "I think we believe," coach Jay Triano said after the Raptors put away the Sacramento Kings 115-104 at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto's seventh straight win at home. "This is a group that believes and throughout the game sometimes you might wonder but down the stretch I think that there's a real comfort level that we ..."
Raptors beat Kings with 4th-quarter comeback
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February 7
Toronto Star
 
"Chris Bosh scored 36 points as the Toronto Raptors used a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Sacramento Kings 115-104 on Sunday. Andrea Bargnani added 22 points, while Antoine Wright and a masked Hedo Turkoglu had 16 each for the Raptors (28-23) before a crowd of 18,007 at the Air Canada Centre. Kevin Martin scored 24 for the Kings (16-34). The Kings led by three points entering the fourth quarter and quickly stretched their lead to seven before the Raptors went on an 8-0 run to take a 92-91 lead with 10:07 left. Wright made it 102-96 on a turn-around jumper and followed that up with a three-pointer. Bargnani added a nine-foot jumper to give Toronto a 107-97 lead with 3:28 to play. The ..."
Jewish Casspi gets "rock star" treatment
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February 7
Denver Post
 columnist Benjamin Hochman
"Amid a powder blue sea of Denver fans, a young boy in Section 130 cautiously applauded the opponent while proudly locking eyes with his smiling mother to his right. And as the Sacramento reserve walked onto the Pepsi Center court, Asaf Shraiber in Section 106 put aside his Denver allegiances to pledge allegiance with the flag - he and friends joyously waved Israeli flags featuring the Star of David, while cheering Israel's best long- range slinger since, well, David. "He's Israeli, I'm Israeli," said Shraiber, who lives in southeast Denver. "This is our homeboy.""
Time off may aid Thompson, coach says
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February 6
Sacramento Bee
 
"Ideally, when Jason Thompson meets up with the Kings this weekend, he'll be in a new frame of mind. Thompson missed the first two games of his NBA career this week to attend a funeral for a family member on the East Coast. The Kings leave for Toronto today. Thompson will meet the team there in time Sunday's game against the Raptors. "I'm hoping this break will be good for him," Kings coach Paul Westphal said Friday. "I think that maybe when you're too close to things … he gets a chance to step back and remember what makes him effective and focus on those things." Thompson, like a lot of his teammates, has struggled to find his flow on the court lately. He was solid with 12 points and 16 ..."
Hot Suns beat down on worn-down Kings
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February 6
Sacramento Bee
 
"Amar'e Stoudemire already has several reasons to avoid Sacramento if he shops for a new team this summer. The Suns forward seeks a championship contender with a pass-first point guard in a big market; the Kings don't qualify on any of those fronts. But in Phoenix's 114-102 win Friday night at Arco Arena, the Kings gave Stoudemire another reason to pass on them if he becomes a free agent: He wouldn't get to face their porous defense anymore. The most talked-about player in trade circles scored 30 points in a vintage performance, dunking over and around anyone in his path and burying a barrage of jumpers as Sacramento fell for the 19th time in 22 games. He hit 10 of 16 shots against the ..."
Suns continue surge with win over Kings in Sacramento
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February 6
Arizona Republic
 
"The Suns not only have recaptured the essence of their play but they also have found the spirit that December and January's mounting losses had sucked out of them. Phoenix played efficiently well at both ends of a 114-102 victory Friday night at Sacramento's Arco Arena but also showed as much hustle and joy as ever in controlling a fading Kings squad for the game's duration. After going winless on their last four-game road trip, the Suns completed a sweep of this four-game one for their first road sweep of at least four games since December 2006. Phoenix has won a season-high five games in a row, showing that they can get the easy one against a bad team just as well as they had in beating ..."
Team isn't fully in top gear
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February 5
Sacramento Bee
 
"If winning cures all, as they so accurately say, then the opposite also holds true. Such is the state of these Kings. They are far from fixed at the moment, with complex issues continuing to surface largely because the losses are on the rise, as well. It's 18 defeats in the last 21 games entering tonight's game against Phoenix. The slide is severe enough for even the most optimistic of coaches to turn critical out of concern. "I told the team today, 'As long as we get better every day, that's all we can ask; that's the least we can ask,' " Kings coach Paul Westphal said after Thursday's practice. "(But) I think some guys are getting better every day. And others, maybe right now, are ..."
Udrih, Westphal differ over playing time
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February 5
Sacramento Bee
 
"No Kings player has seen a more drastic role change lately than Beno Udrih, the backup point guard whose playing time decreased significantly since the return of Kevin Martin on Jan. 15. But Wednesday night was something altogether different, as Udrih didn't play for just the second time this season while facing his old San Antonio team, and coach Paul Westphal opted for Sergio Rodríguez in the backup point guard role. And while Westphal continued to cite Udrih's sore right foot and plantar fasciitis that he believes has slowed him, Udrih said that's not the case. "(Trainer) Pete (Youngman) may have told (Westphal about his foot) for the first time (recently), but I had that problem the ..."
Long faces abound after Kings' loss to Spurs
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February 4
Sacramento Bee
 
"When Kings co-owner Joe Maloof took his courtside seat at Arco Arena on Wednesday night, the three seats to his right were as empty as the expression on his face. He wore a look of frustration even at the start, the enthusiasm and animation for which he and his brother Gavin are so well known nowhere to be found. More than two hours later, he didn't look any more pleased. As the Kings fell for the 18th time in the past 21 games in a 115-113 loss to San Antonio, the air of disapproval continued to grow from the highest levels. That much was painfully evident during the Kings' furious late rally that didn't truly threaten the outcome, as the announced crowd of 12,934 enjoyed the temporary ..."
Westphal targets lackluster passing
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February 4
Sacramento Bee
 
"The Kings have shown a propensity for stretches of stagnant offense in many of their losses. This tends to happen when the opposition picks up the defensive intensity and the Kings respond with timid passes or excessive dribbling that lead to rushed shots or turnovers. Fixing that isn't solely the job of the player bringing the ball up, according to coach Paul Westphal. "It's both the passer and receiver's responsibility to get open and start the offense fast and then look for your options," Westphal said. "We tend to let (opponents) take (us) out of our offense a little too easily with relaxed execution when you need intense execution at those times." To eliminate those situations, ..."
Injuries sideline Kings' three-guard scheme
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February 3
Sacramento Bee
 
"Four months ago, there was a lot of talk about the Kings using Tyreke Evans, Kevin Martin and Beno Udrih together. The setup made sense. Put the rookie, Evans, on the floor with two experienced guards who could also relieve him of having to always initiate the offense. But when Martin was lost to injury after five games, that left Evans and Udrih working often as a tandem. Udrih flourished, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and helping the Kings get off to a surprisingly good start. Martin's return to the lineup last month meant Udrih would have to adjust because his playing time was likely to decrease. What's complicating matters is the fact Udrih is playing with a bad ..."
Bitter taste of the Rockies
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February 2
Sacramento Bee
 
"If ever there was a prime opportunity for a Kings morale booster, this was it. The new team motto of "a win is a win" remains staunchly in place, meaning no one would deem a victory cheapened simply because Carmelo Anthony was out for Denver with an ankle injury. After all, the Kings were without their young star in Tyreke Evans, meaning it was a chance for much-needed confidence to be gained by those who remained. Instead, the Kings found yet another way to keep their slide alive in a 112-109 overtime loss on Monday night at the Pepsi Center. They were impressive and inept all in the same game, blowing a lead that was once as large as 16 points with a 10-turnover third quarter in which ..."
Evans toppled by injuries for night, Curry for month
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February 2
Sacramento Bee
 
"It was a tough Monday for Tyreke Evans. The first wave of bad news came in the morning, when the Kings rookie guard learned he wouldn't play against Denver that night at the Pepsi Center because of injury. Not long after, Evans learned that he wouldn't be Rookie of the Month for the first time this season, the January honor going to Golden State's Stephen Curry. His health is the priority, of course, and Evans said he expects to play Wednesday against San Antonio despite various maladies. He suffered a bruised left hip against Utah on Friday and was limited by it against Charlotte on Saturday. By Monday morning, a new problem arose: his right ankle was sore. "I put too much pressure on my ..."
Nuggets rally to defeat Kings in overtime
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February 2
Denver Post
 
"Mr. Big Shot couldn't make a thing. The Nuggets trailed by 17 points (at home!) to the sub.-500 Sacramento Kings. Their coach said his team approached the game like it was preseason. It's games like these that you remember in April. But Denver won, doggone it, 112-109 in overtime Monday night. The Nuggets dug deep and dug out of the hole, making key shots and stops, forcing overtime without Carmelo Anthony active. Arron Afflalo, not Chauncey Billups, hit the big shot. Best comeback of the season. Such is the optical illusion that was Monday's win. "I'm not sure I liked a lot about tonight, other than winning," said Denver coach George Karl, whose team is 33-15. "There's some numbers on ..."
Jason Thompson has King-size growing pains
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February 1
Sacramento Bee
 columnist Ailene Voisin
"Jason Thompson is one of those people who laugh at the people who consume pots of coffee for energy. He can't sit still long enough to experiment with relaxation techniques. He is all atwitter about social networking. His life is a chronic race between mind and body, and when his size-20 sneakers slap across the finish line ahead of his brain – when he gets ahead of himself – that usually means trouble. He commits too many fouls. He drops too many passes. He bobbles too many rebounds. He muscles inside against double-teams, launches jumpers out of his range, becomes so discombobulated that he forgets about defending his man. And then he gets benched, furthering his frustration, and ..."
Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace leads team to win over Kings
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January 31
Charlotte Observer
 
"Gerald Wallace is being a little greedy, and in this sense that's a good thing. Asked if he would have accepted 3-3 -- the worst the Charlotte Bobcats can now do -- at the outset of this Western Conference trip, Wallace said he'd risk what he has to find out what's behind Curtain No. 2. "The way we're playing, we're capable of winning all these games," Wallace said after roughing up his former team with 38 points and 11 rebounds in a 103-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings. "This is the time for us to make a statement, particularly going into the All-Star break." The statement for now is they're on a 3-game road winning streak and are two games above .500 at 24-22. Wallace sounds more ..."
Former King Wallace thrives as Bobcat
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January 31
Sacramento Bee
 
"The days of being a benchwarmer on a contender are long behind Gerald Wallace. The forward started just nine of the 138 games he appeared in with the Kings from 2001 to 2004. Back then, he was a high-flying youngster buried on the depth chart behind Peja Stojakovic and Hedo Turkoglu. Wallace eventually was left unprotected in an NBA expansion draft and scooped up by the Charlotte Bobcats. In the years since, Wallace has become a capable scorer for the Bobcats. And this season, Wallace has added prolific rebounding to his skill set. That ability helped Wallace earn his first NBA All-Star selection. Wallace, who will be a reserve for the Eastern Conference squad, is the first All-Star in ..."
Wallace to former team: King me
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January 31
Charlotte Observer
 
"Gerald Wallace is being a little greedy, and in this sense that's a good thing. Asked if he would have accepted 3-3 -- the worst the Charlotte Bobcats can now do -- at the outset of this Western Conference trip, Wallace said he'd risk what he has to find out what's behind Curtain No. 2. "The way we're playing, we're capable of winning all these games," Wallace said after roughing up his former team with 38 points and 11 rebounds in a 103-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings. "This is the time for us to make a statement, particularly going into the All-Star break." The statement for now is they're on a 3-game road winning streak and are two games above .500 at 24-22. Wallace sounds more ..."
Martin-Evans backcourt stars, but Kings fall
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January 30
Sacramento Bee
 
"Newsflash from Kings land: The backcourt isn't the problem, after all. Though that might not have been crystal clear until Friday night's 101-94 loss to Utah at EnergySolutions Arena, it was evident by the time it was over. Despite Kevin Martin breaking out of his career-worst slump for 33 points and Tyreke Evans adding 25, the Kings fell for the 15th time in 18 games. "When it comes to me and Tyreke, in my opinion, that's the least of the Kings' worries," Martin said afterward. "We're going to be fine. We know how to get it done." The Kings' frontcourt, however, remains in disarray. On a night when the Kings were gift-wrapped a competitive edge with the absence of point guard Deron ..."
Gaines, Millsap pick up slack
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January 30
Salt Lake Tribune
 
"The wait for Paul Millsap has been going on 31/2 seasons, compared to two weeks for Sundiata Gaines. Neither one, though, needed to be reminded about seizing the opportunity Friday with the Jazz missing Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams. Millsap matched his career-high with 32 points, plus 14 rebounds and seven assists, while Gaines posted 12 points, three steals and played the entire fourth quarter in a 101-94 you-gotta-love-it-baby victory over the Sacramento Kings. It was a feel-good night all around at EnergySolutions Arena as the Jazz raised a banner in honor of longtime broadcaster Hot Rod Hundley and extended their current winning streak to a season-best five games, while improving ..."
Sundiata Gaines has strong showing at point guard
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January 30
The Deseret News
 
"With star point guard Deron Williams away from the Jazz so he could attend his uncle's funeral in West Virginia, the responsibility to run his team's offense against the Sacramento Kings on Friday fell on the shoulders of backups Ronnie Price and Sundiata Gaines. Both arguably made impressions during the Jazz's 101-94 victory, but it was Gaines who clearly made the right one. While Price struggled to make any substantive impact offensively — he went 0-for-4 from the field with one assist, two turnovers, two steals and two blocks in 24 minutes — Gaines was productive and solid in the career-high 24 minutes he got on the court. Gaines played every minute of the fourth quarter for the Jazz, ..."
Millsap explodes for 32 points
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January 30
The Deseret News
 
"When asked, Paul Millsap said it wasn't a statement game. Hot Rod Hundley, though, would have called it "unbelievable, baby." Because Millsap sure did have a mind-boggling peformance Friday night, scoring a career high-tying 32 points and pulling down a season-high 14 rebounds in 43 minutes to lead the Jazz past Sacramento 101-94 at Energy Solutions Arena. Andrei Kirilenko added 18 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots — including a key one at the end — while free-agent rookie point guard Sundiata Gaines came up big off the bench as 28-18 Utah won its season-high fifth straight game and for the ninth time in its last 10 outings. Millsap also finished three assists shy of a ..."
With Williams and Boozer absent, the 2 reserves propel Utah to victory
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January 30
Salt Lake Tribune
 
"The wait for Paul Millsap has been going on 31/2 seasons, compared to two weeks for Sundiata Gaines. Neither one, though, needed to be reminded about seizing the opportunity Friday with the Jazz missing Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams. Millsap matched his career-high with 32 points, plus 14 rebounds and seven assists, while Gaines posted 12 points, three steals and played the entire fourth quarter in a 101-94 you-gotta-love-it-baby victory over the Sacramento Kings. It was a feel-good night all around at EnergySolutions Arena as the Jazz raised a banner in honor of longtime broadcaster Hot Rod Hundley and extended their current winning streak to a season-best five games, while improving ..."
Evans, Casspi up for Challenge
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January 28
Sacramento Bee
 
"For the past five years, the casual NBA fan who took notice only during All-Star Weekend may have thought the Kings were no longer part of the league. They not only didn't have any All-Stars voted in by the fans or selected by the coaches, but they couldn't even garner an invitation to the peripheral events like the three-point contest, skills challenge or the rookie-sophomore game. That finally changed Wednesday, as Kings rookies Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi were informed that they'll play in the Rookie Challenge on Feb. 12 in Dallas. For Evans, it was an obvious selection, considering the player picked fourth overall out of Memphis remains a leading Rookie of the Year candidate. After ..."
Kings' slide ends at 7
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January 27
Sacramento Bee
 
"The time for Kings introspection will come today. Having broken their seven-game losing streak with a 99-96 win over Golden State on Tuesday that surely made James Naismith roll over in his grave, they will roll the tape and dissect the two-hour, 32-minute affair that could easily result in a five-hour film session. But in the moment, these frustrated Kings simply wanted to enjoy the welcome change of pace. Progress be darned. "It obviously wasn't the prettiest win anyone has seen in this league… (but) I'm not going to (worry) about that," Kings coach Paul Westphal said. "We're off the schneid." Barely. Through three quarters, the Kings led by as many as 21 points against a Warriors team ..."
Petrie says team would look at sensible deal
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January 27
Sacramento Bee
 
"With a little more than three weeks remaining before the NBA trade deadline, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie on Tuesday hardly talked like a man hell-bent on doing a deal. He shrugged at any notion the team's recent losing streak increases the need to make a move. He chuckled when asked about the recent flood of trade rumors tied to Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin. "If there's something that makes sense for us, we'll take a hard look at it," he said. Yet that does not appear to include scenarios involving Martin, who returned Jan. 12 and has been the subject of increasing interest from teams ever since. Those teams that covet the sixth-year player are hoping the Kings look to ..."
Warriors lose ugly in Sacramento
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January 27
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Warriors started Tuesday night's game looking like a team that hadn't played together before, and they ended it looking like a team that didn't want to play together anymore. They scratched back from their worst first half of the season and a 21-point deficit to make it close, but, by the time Sacramento was wrapping up its 99-96 win at Arco Arena, Corey Maggette was yelling at his coach. With the Warriors trailing 96-92, Maggette thought he was fouled when Donte Greene blocked his layup attempt. Maggette argued, was whistled for a technical, and, as he walked toward the bench, he pointed and screamed at coach Don Nelson. "They've been fouling me all game," Maggette yelled. "You've got ..."
Blame is spread for Kings' swoon
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January 26
Sacramento Bee
 
"There haven't been any Harold Hill sightings just yet. Don't expect the main character from the "Music Man" play running up and down Truxel Avenue singing "Trouble in River City" as the most loyal of Kings fans enter Arco Arena. But with 14 losses in the past 16 games, there is reason for concern for Sacramento's resident hoops team. And as coach Paul Westphal made clear after Monday's practice, these boys were hitting the wrong notes before the much-talked-about Jan. 15 return of shooting guard Kevin Martin that has fallen so flat. "We're talking about Kevin as if that's the big deal," Westphal said. "(But) we weren't really playing that well the last week or so before Kevin came back, ..."
Kings fail standard NBA chemistry test on 0-6 trip
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January 25
Sacramento Bee
 
"Six games. Six defeats. That's the simple way to summarize the Kings' longest road trip of the season that ended Saturday night with their most lopsided loss of the season, a 31-point beating by the Miami Heat. It's not uncommon for teams to use a long road trip to gauge where they fit in the NBA hierarchy. The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of their eight-game "Grammy" trip. The San Antonio Spurs will begin their eight-game "rodeo" trip next week at Arco Arena. Both have used success on such long trips to propel themselves to NBA championships in recent seasons. For those hanging on to the notion the Kings could turn things around and possibly contend for the final spot in the ..."
Kings shift into reverse to end road trip 0-6
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January 24
Sacramento Bee
 
"Tucked away in the corner sat the personification of frustration. There was Kevin Martin, his face buried in his hands and a white towel covering his head. While his Kings teammates had already begun showering in preparation for their flight to Sacramento, Martin didn't move for several minutes. The angst could be seen on Martin's face during the game, too, in what was a 115-84 defeat courtesy of the Miami Heat. It was the Kings' seventh consecutive loss, and left them 0-6 on their season-long six-game trip. The trip ended with the most lopsided loss of the season for the Kings. For the second consecutive game, Martin was just 1 of 7 from the field. He scored five points. He also had a ..."
Hawes struggles as minutes fluctuate
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January 24
Sacramento Bee
 
"If you glanced at the box score, you wouldn't know Spencer Hawes actually played well while Saturday's game was still in doubt. Considering the Kings fell to the Miami Heat 115-84 at American Airlines Arena, it's hard to imagine they were ever in the game. But with a dunk, Hawes brought the Kings within two points, 33-31, with 9:55 left in the second quarter. The Heat responded with a 19-4 run. So there was nothing to brag about after a 14-point, seven-rebound effort off the bench for Hawes. "No, it's not a very nice consolation prize," Hawes said. Kings coach Paul Westphal didn't offer a harsh critique of Hawes after the game. But he also wasn't going to overreact to good stats in a ..."
Heat's wild week ends with a 31-point mauling of Kings
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January 24
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"For days, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had been casting this as some sort of ultimate challenge, in light of his team's 1-6 record on the second nights of back-to-back games. In reality, this was the ultimate gift, a Sacramento Kings team that entered 0-5 on its six-game trip, having lost 11 of its previous 12. Yes, for only the second time this season the Heat won the night after playing the previous night, this time by a 115-84 margin Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena, its second-largest victory of the season. But what this demonstrated most was not resiliency, but rather the ability to knock an opponent when it is down, just like it did Friday against the Washington Wizards and just ..."
Cold-shooting Kings6th in a row
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January 23
Sacramento Bee
 
"Scribbled on the whiteboard of the visitors' locker room at Amway Arena were the remnants of 24 minutes of bad basketball Friday. The "11-44" written on the board represented the Kings' 11 made field goals out of 44 first-half attempts. Then there was "4-20," for Sacramento's four makes out of 20 first-half shots in the paint. There was no need to write more after the game because it was over by halftime. The Kings fell 100-84 to the Orlando Magic. The Kings (15-27) have lost six in a row, including all five games on this six-game trip that ends today in Miami. The feel-good story the Kings had been to start the season, when they flirted with a .500 record, is long gone. It was ..."
Evans likely is team's lone All-Star hope
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January 23
Sacramento Bee
 
"The fans have had their say, and now it's up to the coaches to fill out the rest of the rosters for next month's NBA All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. The starters, as voted on by fans, were announced Thursday. If any King has a shot of making the team as a reserve, it's Tyreke Evans, who wasn't on the fan ballot. Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson were the Kings eligible to be voted in by fans. Evans might be the leading Rookie of the Year candidate, and he certainly will play in the rookie-sophomore game during All-Star Weekend. But Kings coach Paul Westphal said the depth of point guards in the Western Conference would make it hard for Evans to be an All-Star. "You go ..."
Jameer Nelson is familiar with rookie of the year frontrunner Tyreke Evans
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January 23
Orlando Sentinel
 
"The Orlando Magic's Jameer Nelson and the Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans go back a long way — all the way back to their hometown of Chester, Pa. Nelson grew up playing summer-league basketball with one of Evans' older brothers. Nelson first played a pickup game with Tyreke Evans about three years ago, back when Evans was in high school. "Even in that game he dominated people that were playing against him," Nelson. "You could see him being a professional athlete back then.""
The Orlando Magic's defense confounds Sacramento's backcourt tandem of Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin
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January 23
Orlando Sentinel
 
"Sacramento Kings guards Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin stood with their hands on their hips during a break midway through the third quarter Friday night. Each of them stared straight ahead with expressionless faces. It's too strong to say the Orlando Magic demoralized Evans and Martin, but the Magic definitely left them searching for answers. The duo never solved the Orlando defense as the Magic cruised to a 100-84 win. The talented backcourt tandem combined to score just 24 points on 7-of-22 shooting as Matt Barnes, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson, Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick and Jason Williams frustrated them all game long. "That was the key for us: trying to keep their guards out of the ..."
Dwight Howard dominant at the line in Orlando Magic's win over Sacramento Kings
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January 23
Orlando Sentinel
 
"As Dwight Howard finished dressing in the locker room, a commercial spot for Valentine's Day flashed on the big screen. "That's my movie," Howard beamed. "Lot of stars in it." Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba and Anne Hathaway, among other A-listers, appear with Howard in the romantic comedy. Well, maybe it's the other way around. It was one of two movies that Howard made this summer. Apparently, contrary to some critics, he also squeezed in some work on his free-throw shooting, and some makes between takes. Howard hit 10 in a row and finished 11-of-12 from the line in the Orlando Magic's 100-84 rout of the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at Amway Arena. Howard has been looking like Larry Bird ..."
Reports: Mavericks interested in Kevin Martin
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January 23
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Dallas Mavericks are interested in Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Martin, ESPN.com reported. Martin is averaging 25.2 points entering Friday night's game. The trading deadline is Feb. 18. Dallas is willing to make Josh Howard available, ESPN reported, citing an anonymous source. The Kings, though, have been telling teams that they are not ready to field offers for Martin. Martin has more than $35 million left on his contract that expires after the 2012-13 season. According to Hoopshype, Howard's contract could expire after this season, because the Mavericks have a team option to bring him back for 2010-11. Eddie Sefko, Dallas Mavericks beat writer for The Dallas Morning News , ..."
Ex-King Williams resurrects career with Magic
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January 22
Sacramento Bee
 
"The Orlando Magic has problems at the moment, all sprouting from a three-week stretch in which it has lost seven of 10 games and hardly looked primed to defend its Eastern Conference title. Jason Williams, however, isn't one of the concerns. The former Kings point guard has enjoyed quite the renaissance this season, having put a brief retirement behind him like a defender on the break. His game is still sharp despite a year away from the court. It's a far cry from September 2008, when Williams signed a one-year deal with the Clippers but promptly announced he would retire instead after 10 seasons. He attempted to be reinstated not long after but was forced to wait a year after six of the ..."
Kings were in trouble before Martin's return
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January 22
Sacramento Bee
 columnist Marcos Breton
"There seems to be a feeling around Sacramento - poison ivy in full bloom - that Kevin Martin is the reason the Kings repeatedly are losing. The twisted theory - alive on talk radio, in the blogs and traditional media - is that the willowy Martin will never coexist with wondrous rookie Tyreke Evans. We have a community of couples counselors convinced that Martin and Evans are a backcourt marriage headed for a divorce in which everyone gets hurt. It's outright paranoia in absence of proof. It's as if the games themselves are being ignored. Are you watching? Is it Martin's fault that Spencer Hawes has as much trouble protecting the paint as I do resisting a good poundcake? Is it Martin's ..."
Jameer Nelson sits out Thursday's practice but expects to play tonight against the Sacramento Kings
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January 22
Orlando Sentinel
 
"Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson sat out the team's practice Thursday afternoon at RDV Sportsplex because his surgically repaired left knee swelled a bit following Wednesday night's win over the Indiana Pacers. "It was just a routine day off," Nelson said. "Nothing to worry about." Nelson said he that he expects to play tonight against the Sacramento Kings at Amway Arena. Nelson had arthroscopic surgery on the knee on Nov. 18 to repair torn meniscus cartilage and returned to the team's rotation on Dec. 21."
Martin gets a scare
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January 21
Sacramento Bee
 
"Midway through the third quarter of the Kings' 108-97 loss to Atlanta, shooting guard Kevin Martin was hit hard going for a layup and went sliding across the Philips Arena floor. When he arose, he was clutching the left wrist that kept him out for more than two months. But what appeared to be a frightening moment for Martin wound up being a welcome one. "I think I needed that fall," he said. "It's a little sore, but it's all right. I was just trying to loosen it up. … It was a pretty hard fall, and I didn't feel anything come loose or anything." The screw that was inserted during his Nov. 9 surgery to repair the hairline fracture remained unchanged. Martin, meanwhile, has not. While his ..."
Goldman Sachs agrees to advise Kings arena task force
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January 21
Sacramento Bee
 
"Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's arena task force announced today that investment bank Goldman Sachs has agreed to offer advice as the group analyzes sites and financing possibilities for a new arena. The firm has experience on numerous public-facility financing deals and public-private partnership efforts, task force officials said. "Goldman Sachs will counsel the Task Force on negotiating with potential private sector partners from a position of strength, a goal set by Mayor Kevin Johnson in the Rules of the Game for negotiations," task force representative Todd Roberson stated in a news release today."
Hawks outslug Kings
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January 21
Sacramento Bee
 
"Of all the Kings to come up with the street-fighting analogy, it was no surprise that it was Jon Brockman. The rookie big man could be a football player in another life, or perhaps a cage-match brawler or maybe even a lumberjack whose Blue Ox is named "Babe." And as he discussed his insertion into the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta, he emphasized the importance of taking the first punch and lamented his team's recent development of a glass jaw. What he failed to mention, it turns out, was the damage done by punching one's self in the gut. That tendency kept the Kings from having their proverbial arm raised in a 108-97 loss to Atlanta. The Kings' fifth loss in a row ..."
NBA's David Stern endorses Sacramento arena land swap plan
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January 21
Sacramento Bee
 
"NBA Commissioner David Stern has endorsed the most complicated of the new arena plans recently submitted to Mayor Kevin Johnson's task force, and not surprisingly, his reasoning relates to funding. Local developer Gerry Kamilos - with financing provided by the Macquarie Capital of Australia and Pacific Coast Capital Partners of California - is proposing a downtown sports and entertainment complex on the city's 33-acre portion of the downtown railyard."
Greene, Brockman earn starts
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January 20
Sacramento Bee
 
"The Kings' starting lineup will change again tonight against the Hawks as Donte Greene takes over for Omri Casspi at small forward and Spencer Hawes is swapped for Jon Brockman at center. The method behind coach Paul Westphal's madness, his 18th lineup of the season, isn't tough to figure out: It's time to get tough again. "We improved (defensively) a lot (against Charlotte on Monday) in the second half," Westphal said. "But it's time that (defense becomes) an all-the-time thing for us. … "I don't think it's any coincidence that our rebounding and defense and overall play is improved when (Brockman) is on the floor." The 6-foot-7 Brockman played 20 of his 30 minutes in the second half ..."