Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "basketball"

Kings loss to Mavs on Friday illustrates season of discontent

2013-04-06T20:29:10Z

It’s frustrating when -

1. A player that averages 11.6 points per game scores 25 and has 12 boards.

The big scorer - Shawn Marion, a guy past his prime that rarely puts up those types of numbers anymore.

2. Your team shoots horrible from beyond the arc.

The big culprit - shooting 6-for-26 from three-point land, including Isaiah Thomas' 0-for-7.

Add it up and it’s not recipe for success - you probably lose that game nine times out of ten.

That’s exactly what happened on Friday evening at Sleep Train Arena when the Dallas Mavericks came to town and beat the Sacramento Kings 117-108 in a game that the home team had under control at the end of the first quarter.

“I knew we had to get a good pace in this basketball game and I thought our guys that started the game did a great job with that,” said Coach Smart from the podium in the press room after the game. “But then we had a big drop-off in the second - gave up 41 points in the second quarter.”

Boy, I’ll say!

But that’s a pattern in this Kings/Mavs rivalry this season.

On December 10, in the first meeting between the two teams this season, The Mavs outscored the Kings 29-14 in the second quarter. On January 10, it was a 33-23 besting in the final frame to tie the game eventually win it in overtime. Then, on February 13, in the second game in as many days, the Kings got blasted again in the second quarter 29-17.

Considering all those numbers, Coach Smart wasn’t surprised at all.

“We’ve had a hard time with this team all year,” said Coach Smart. “This team has done a number on us no matter how we’ve tried to play them.”

You still have to give the players some credit. Tyreke Evans and Isaiah Thomas knew that without DeMarcus Cousins starting (coaches decision) and also realizing one of their volume scorers - Marcus Thornton, would play less than six minutes.

Cousins played nine minutes in the second but never returned to the game.

When Smart was asked about his decision, he was short and to the point in his response.

“It was my decision, a coach’s decision,” said Smart.

Cousins didn’t have an answer either.

“It was his decision,” said Cousins.

Because of Smart’s decisions, Evans and Thomas probably felt like they had to do a little more to pull this one out.

Evans, who visited his brother Doc’s house in the morning to have some green tea as he was feeling a little sick, still put up 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting and had six assists and nine boards.

“Yeah, I’ve been a little under the weather,” said Evans. “I still managed to come out and play and try to help the team win. We had them in the beginning - we wanted to get out to a fast start and we did that, but we just couldn’t hold the lead.”

Thomas understands some of the criticism on the games where his assist total is not where some think it should be but on Friday, he knew he had to be aggressive to make up for the lack of scorers used in the game.

“I felt like I should be in attack mode today just knowing and seeing that DeMarcus wasn’t playing too much and Marcus Thornton wasn’t playing too much and those are our top scoring threats besides Tyreke, so I just felt like I needed to be in attack mode and be a little more aggressive to make plays.”

The Kings closed it to 94-90 Mavericks at the 10:23 mark of the final quarter but then gave up nine straight to put the game out of reach.

Frustrating? Yes.

But what has to get worked out prior to next season?

Either making sure everyone’s happy with the rotation and their role on the team or find players that will accept their position and work as one unit on the floor.

Evans was asked about the rotations and gave an honest answer.

“It’s a little frustrating, everybody’s frustrated,” said Evans. “For us, we have to be professional . . . When he (Smart) doesn’t make the right setup tonight, you can’t get mad. Whoever’s out there - you just gotta work.”

Evans is right.

Whatever the root of this season’s discontent, playing together and having each other’s backs is truely the answer.

KINGS NOTES: Jason Thompson had another solid game with 16 points and 16 rebounds . . . Toney Douglas added 14 off the bench . . . James Johnson saw his first action since missing almost a month for the birth of his son

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

GEORGE YOUNG

Thomas still working on weaknesses, has made great strides this season

2013-04-04T22:18:13Z

When asked at the beginning of the season who I thought should start at the point for your Sacramento Kings, I said Aaron Brooks, no questions asked. For me, starting Isaiah Thomas was not even an option.

Fast forward to the present and, not only have I softened my stance against “The Pizza Guy” starting, but am finally seeing the reasons Coach Keith Smart has stuck with him since inserting him into the starting lineup in the first week of the regular season.

Let’s be honest here. After watching Tyreke Evans run the show for SacTown for nearly three years, I really struggled watching ‘Reke play the small forward late last year. I got the concept, but didn’t think it was the best way to utilize Evans.

Enter Aaron Brooks.

So now I’m thinking that Brooks is the answer and Thomas would be a solid backup. Considering that the Kings also signed James Johnson, moving Tyreke to the two made sense.

After not getting off to the start Coach Smart wanted, he benched Brooks and inserted Thomas into the starting five.

Of course, Thomas brought the flair and excitement that made him a crowd favorite right away at Sleep Train Arena.

But I was reading between the lines, so to speak.

Think about this. This team went from the fans and the players thinking that Evans was the savior and leader to DeMarcus Cousins being the next big thing to the last pick in the draft - and maybe the shortest - Isaiah Thomas being the one to lead Sacramento to the promised land.

That’s not only a tough transition for the loyalists that follow the team, but for the players themselves. And I think that some of that animosity has shown itself on the court this season.

Nonetheless, things are starting to settle down at the old barn and Thomas is finding his way.

Early on, my biggest issue with the second year player out of Washington was that he was hunting for his shot before looking to include his teammates in the action. Exactly the opposite of a point guard’s job. There were many games in which Thomas had 15-20 points and barely registered an assist.

Then there was the Philly game on March 24. One look at Thomas’ line and you would immediately notice. The super sophomore put up 25 points and hit four triples along the way. Did you see the rest of his numbers? Zero assists and zero steals. On paper, one of the most selfish games a point guard could have.

But not so fast says Coach Keith Smart.

“When I went back through the film, there were several occasions where he dropped the pass off to a couple of guys under the basket and they didn’t finish plays,’ said Coach Smart. “He made the plays to a couple of guys at the perimeter and they didn’t make their shots. As you see, the stat sheet says zero, but he did have six or seven plays he made where guys just simply didn’t make their shot.”

“He had a couple of plays where Tyreke came off on a screen right toward the elbow - all he had to do was throw up a jump shot, he was wide open - but he caught it and put it down. A couple times he dropped a pas of to “Cuz but he caught it and put it down two times and went to the basket.

“He was making plays, but that donut just stood there.”

Since then, Thomas has been much more consistent with his assists totals and Smart knows why.

“I think it (the zero assist game) it really stood out to him,” said Smart. “I keep telling him, you’ve got to have a plan for your assists. Kidd, Stockton, Nash - they get out of the gates fast. They get five assists in the first quarter or the first half. Now your on track for ten.”

The issue at hand now seems to be the same issue I’ve ever had with Tyreke Evans. Trying to do too much on his own. Forcing his way into the paint - even attempting to barrel through three guys in the middle - with little to no success.

Thomas’ weakness is very similar in that at times he dribbles and dribbles and dribbles and dribbles and dribbles - you get my point? - until there are either five seconds left on the shot clock or he has it taken away by one of the big guys clogging the lane.

Both are unacceptable and kill the teams momentum every time.

Both Smart and Thomas are aware of this and Smart had a suggestion for the player.

“He has to keep understanding space is his best friend on the floor,” said Smart. “He has a high dribble and he has to get to that point to where he can control that dribble. When guys like Nash and Steph Curry get into tight spots, they get real, real low with the basketball. He’s still at that stage where he is a very high dribbler.”

Thomas, who has corrected or is working on fixing the earlier issues I’ve brought up, understands that this may be the one that puts him over the top.

“If I can get as low as I can get, they don;t want to get as low as they can get because I’m already lower to the ground than they can get,” said Thomas.

How hard will it be for Thomas to learn a shorter, lower to the ground dribble?

“It’s not going not be that much harder,” continued Thomas. “I just have to watch film and really work on it, especially when I’m in the paint. Staying low and finding the cuts and openings to so I can make plays for myself and my teammates.”

“Once the season’s over, I’m going to watch a lot of film and really try and work on it and come back next year even better.”

So for you Pizza Guy lovers, I get it. He is exciting to watch and brings a needed intensity to the club.

If Thomas can truly stop forcing the issue at times and keep all his teammates involved (and hopefully happy - not all on him), the next growth spurt Thomas makes will be one into the national spotlight.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

RON NABITY

http://www.nabityphotos.com/index.htm

Numbers Never Lie: Tyreke Evans continues to make strides in his game

2013-03-22T22:41:05Z

For the second game in a row, Tyreke Evans was an integral part and the catalyst of two Kings comebacks that resulted in wins.

On Thursday evening, March 21, at Sleep Train Arena, the Sacramento Kings toppled the Minnesota Timberwolves 101-98 in front of 12,176 riled up fans.

Make no mistake about it. Ever since the Brothers Maloof’s secret sale became uncovered, the attendance at the ole barn has increased and the fans there are getting louder and louder with their collective “Sac-ra-men-to” and “Here we stay” chants at each game.

With Evans’ contract running out at the end of the season - the club does have the right to match any offer for next season - there is lots of speculation and opinion whether he should be resigned.

For anyone that has followed this team since 'Reke came onboard, the answer should be an easy one.

Yes!

Evans has made many improvements since he’s arrived in town.

From a reporter’s point of view, Evans has gone from a very quiet guy that rarely looked reporters in the eye when answering questions in the locker room after the game, to a guy that looks and speaks directly at you for every query thrown his way.

His quiet demeanor when landing in Sacramento was somewhat misunderstood as arrogance by some. Mostly those who never get a chance to have a real conversation with the guy. Once you do, you realize that he is a little reserved and not cocky at all.

Besides his I-80 speeding incident, Evans has remained out of trouble and in the good graces of the team and fans.

In Tuesday, March 19's game versus the Clippers, Evans got the team cooking early in the fourth when he became the primary ball handler with Isaiah Thomas on the pine. After hitting four free throws in a row to tie the score at 86 with 8:25 remaining in the game, Evans hit two tough driving layups in a row to really give the Kings the feel that they could win this game.

He really clamped down on Jamal Crawford late in the game, and held him scoreless the last 5:15 of the game.

Evans credited Toney Douglas’ defense as his motivator for clamping down on his man late in the game.

“He’s pressuring at full court and making the guards work,” Evans said. “When I see that, it kind of gets me going to pressure my guy and trying to make him work. We’re just all out there having fun and playing defense. It’s always good to get a win when you're having fun playing defense.”

In the fourth quarter against the Wolves on Thursday, Evans took over again. With 8:48 left this time, Evans again was the main ball handler throughout the fourth. Evans would then score 9 of the next eleven points to give the Kings a confident margin.

Evans, who scored 11 of his 21 in the final frame, talked about how he stays ready after having such a quiet first three quarters.

“I just stay ready,” Evans said. “It’s a long game - 48 minutes. Every chance I get, I just try and be patient and make the right play. When it’s time to attack, I attack.”

A further look at Evans' stats fills in more of the picture and shows why he should be a King in the coming years.

His field goal percentage is at 46.8 - the highest in any season so far. He’s shooting 35 percent from three-point land - over five points higher than his previous best. His turnovers are down from three per game in his rookie season to only two each contest this year.

When you delve deeper into some of the more complicated stats, as they say, the numbers never lie. According to Hoopdata.com, he’s at an all-time high in true shooting percentage, percentage of field goals assisted and total rebound rate.

Coach Smart sees the improvement and is trying to put Evans in more successful situations. After taking a bit to accept his new role, Smart says the kid has started to flourish.

“His whole life, he’s been a guy that had the basketball in his hands,” Smart said. “I had to share with him, that what needed from him was defense and developing his shot. He knew it was important for him to do that, but I don’t think he ever really took it serious until this past summer.”

Smart noticed and Evans agreed that early on this year, when the mid-range jumper wasn’t falling, he would resort back to his old form. But neither gave up his shot. And his shot started to come together.

“With his ability to drive the basketball and making those long-range jumpers, it only helped his overall game,” Smart said. “Now, he has the ability to shoot the long shot, drive to the basket and then make plays off the dribble. That’s what a two guard in our league needs to be able to do. He’s done some of those things this year and that’s just the steps he’s making to help solidify our team.”

Both Smart and Evans agree that the only real thing to work on is the mid-range pull-up shot. And when that comes, watch out opposing guards!

“His balance is still not there for that shot, but I think he understands where his spots on the floor are to shoot the long ball,” Smart said. “Having that mid-range pull-up jump shot to now not only with the shot, but also it puts defenses in a decision-making time by saying, do I come to help? If I help, he can drop off the pass.”

So naysayers, still wanna get rid of a truly talented guard that nearly breaks ankles each and every game?

Sure, once or twice a game he turns the ball over while making one of those plays that just takes your breath away.

For my money, no one can drive to the rack like ‘Reke.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

RON NABITY

http://www.nabityphotos.com

Patterson adds range and professionalism to new team

2013-03-11T18:05:55Z

He was supposed to be Buster the third.

I mean, everyone in the family expected it to happen once they found out Tywanna was having the baby.

That is, everyone but Tywanna.

“She refused for me to be another Buster,” Patterson said. “The whole family wanted me to be Buster, but they lost the argument.”

Patrick Patterson is the cornerstone in the trade that also brought Cole Aldrich and Toney Douglas to the Kings on February 20 of this year in exchange for Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia and Tyler Honeycutt.

In Patterson, the Kings get a more experienced power forward that can also spread the floor with his outside shooting ability.

For “P-Pat” - as he’s known - it was quite a benefit to be shipped to Sacramento along with Douglas as they had shared the floor on numerous occasions.

“It helps whenever you transition to a new team with a bunch of players in whom you’ve already been comfortable with in Toney (Douglas) and Cole (Aldrich),” Patterson said.

Besides that, Patterson feels close to many on the Kings roster.

“I’m definitely fortunate that I came into a team with players that I’ve already had friendships with like DeMarcus (Cousins), Marcus Thornton, Chuck Hayes, Isaiah (Thomas) and Tyreke (Evans). Just guys whom I’ve already had relationships with, guys I’ve already been around before, guys I pretty much know, so that transition made it a lot smoother and comfortable for myself.”

It’s great that Patterson already has a sense of comfort in the Sactown.

But also important is that in Patterson (and Douglas), Coach Smart sees a high basketball I.Q.

That basketball knowledge was on display immediately after their acquisition.

Smart had given both players a mini-playbook to digest quickly. But even a guy with high expectations like Coach Smart was impressed with how quickly the new guys picked up on it.

“The other night Golden State went into a zone,” Smart said, “and I instinctively called a play that we run against the zone. Both Douglas and Patterson jumped right into their spots. So obviously those guys had looked through their package a little bit, but that’s what pros do. Pros get information, they look at it, they pay attention to it and they try to apply it.”

Ah, if it’s one thing this team needs more of is pros - true professionals.

Some of the key things Patterson brings to this team are rebounding and his defense.

Jason Thompson loves the way he spreads the floor because the other team’s big men have to come out and guard him away from the basket.

“It opens the floor up for everybody and makes it tough on their defense,” Thompson said. “Any time a guy like that - a big guy - can hit some three’s like that, it’s only gonna help.”

Toney Douglas thinks the Kings have just started seeing what Patterson has to offer.

“Rebounding, his shot - he’s a pick and pop player, he’s a smart player, he can screen, knows when to screen and when to post up, great passer and he takes pride in everything he does out there on the floor,” Douglas said. “That’s all you can ask for in a guy like that.”

I guess you could have asked for him to be named Buster.

But then his mother wouldn’t have been happy. And a happy mother makes for a happy Patrick.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

GEORGE YOUNG

PHOTOS: Kings topple Suns in high-scoring affair - four players score 20+

2013-03-10T00:51:54Z

Phoenix rises over Sacramento

2013-01-24T19:18:03Z

The Sacramento Kings hosted the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night at Sleep Train Arena. Sacramento held the lead up until the beginning of the fourth quarter when a Kings season-high 25 turnovers eventually took its toll.

Mayor Kevin Johnson sat on the sidelines and watched the Suns quickly change the momentum of the game in the fourth quarter and ended up winning by the score of 106 – 96.

Hoops raises food for needy

2013-01-23T01:54:54Z

Multiple basketball teams took part in the Hoops for the Hunger event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Natomas Charter School.

Teams consisted of ten players and each participating player brought two canned goods for the single-game elimination tournament.

Event organizer Carl Gayle discusses the tournament and future plans in the following video:

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

In Kings victory, the issue of playing time starts to simmer

2013-01-18T04:04:34Z

When you’re the Sacramento Kings (15-24) and a team like the Washington Wizards (7-29) come to town, you really should be feeling like a win is in the near future.

Like now.

But if you look at the Kings’ wins this season, they have compiled up just as many wins against good teams - Lakers, Warriors, Blazers, Jazz and Knicks than they have against the bottom of the league - the Torontos, Orlandos, Clevelands and the Washingtons of the world. So gauging the meaning of a single victory is hard these days.

All Kings head honcho Keith Smart knows is that now is the time for W’s - wins to be chalked up onto the big board.

On Wednesday evening at Sleep Train Arena the home town put out the fire of another mediocre team’s attempt at a last-minute comeback win over them with a 95-94 win over the Wizards.

Tyreke Evans hit one-of-two free throws to give the Kings a one point lead with 11.4 seconds left on the clock and that was enough for the victory and to give Sacramento their fifteenth win of the nearly halfway gone season.

Sure, you had the usual suspects having a solid game as DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points, had 16 boards, five assists and three steals. Also, a somewhat surprising John Salmons kept his high level of play by also scoring 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

But it’s the two guards that brought their “A” game to the floor on Wednesday that had me asking some important questions after the contest.

Evans scored 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, had eight assists and eight boards to go along with three steals.

Jimmer Fredette also played well scoring 12 points, hit a couple of three’s and had two assists.

Face it. The facts are the facts. And its finally starting to rear its ugly head.

With Evans, Salmons, Thomas, Brooks, Thornton, Fredette and even throw Garcia in the mix, there are too many guards that can score on this team to (a) keep everyone happy and (b) form a solid rotation so Smart doesn’t have to answer the same question after every game.

“Why didn’t so-and-so start, or why didn’t so-and-so play more minutes" are inevitably the words that come out of some reporters mouth after each contest and rightly so!

After the win on Wednesday, upon seeing that Aaron Brooks and Marcus Thornton, two guys signed to bring the team more scoring and consistency, played only a total of 15:39, the question laid itself at Smart’s feet again.

“I was trying to maybe get certain guys in the game, but every possession was critical,” Smart said in the postgame presser. “I didn’t want a guy to be cold or not really into the game and I thought our bench did a decent job when they came in and played.”

On this night, Smart said he didn’t see enough energy from Isaiah Thomas and admitted that maybe he didn’t see enough off Brooks to judge him as well but was trying to get the floor spaced out wider and bringing in a solid long-range shooter like Jimmer Fredette does that exactly.

In doing so, Smart broke one of his own rules by letting a player play in the second half when he saw zero minutes in the first half.

This brings up probably the hardest thing for the players involved to swallow - limited playing time.

When Sean Cunningham of CBS 1140 Radio asked if Thornton was hurt or something, Smart let us behind the curtain, if ever so briefly.

“I was just focused on the game and I’ll deal with the issues I have to deal with tomorrow,” Smart said. “But, tonight, we won the game. We can get out of the building and get on the road and then I’ll face the issues that I have tomorrow. Tonight we won the game and we’ll work on that.”

That was clear enough for even Helen Keller to understand.

Guys that were brought into town to score are not going to be happy for too long if they don’t get whatever time they think they are due.

Evans looks better than ever after returning from his injury. His shooting percentage has improved, he’s not driving into a jungle of three or four players at the rim nearly as often and you can actually feel that he wants to be a part of running this team.

In Thornton, you got a guy that can score in bunches but when not hitting his shots, may be a liability on this team.

Salmons bring consistency - night in and night out.

Garcia will be fine in coming off the pine at this stage of his career.

Brooks brings instant energy and excitement. And he’s mastered those tough shots that Thomas is still working on.

Thomas is the gun-slinger of the bunch. Whenver he feels froggy, he’s gonna jump at a chance to shoot the ball. A little to loose with the ball if you ask me, but he’s making strides in his overall game.

And then there’s fan-favorite Jimmer Fredette. A guy that every time he comes into the game scores and then scores some more.

Too many players for the allotted time.

Who will be left without a chair in this sometimes painful and always confusing game of Kings Musical Chairs?

For fans, and I’m sure the players involved, let’s hope it’s not Game 82 until a logical, consistent rotation is finally formed when the music finally stops.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

RON NABITY

http://www.nabityphotos.com/index.htm

Kings hold off Wizards to win 95-94

2013-01-17T08:43:56Z

The Sacramento Kings denied a last-minute scoring attempt by the Washington Wizards, winning 95-94 in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Sleep Train Arena on Wednesday evening.

DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans and John Salmons each scored 21 points for the Kings.

Photos by Ron Nabity

Johnson hits game-winner versus Knicks in crazy game home game

2012-12-30T00:08:31Z

Amazing!

Incredible!

Unlikely?

Yeah, that’s it. Unlikely.

Of all the words you could use to describe the way Friday night’s Sacramento Kings game ended, unlikely probably suits it best.

In a game that saw the Kings get a 27-point lead, lose that lead and then have a guy hit his first three-pointer of the season just as time ran out for the win - yeah, very unlikely.

The Kings beat the visiting Knicks 106-105 on a buzzer-beating shot by James Johnson at Sleep Train Arena on Friday evening in a game that kept every fan on edge of their seats until the finals clicks on the clock ran dry.

“That’s all I’m rolling on right now is confidence,” Johnson said. “As long as I can continue working on my game and dropping shots, I think my confidence is going to keep getting bigger for this team.”

With the 21-8 New York Knicks in town, the home team was hitting on all cylinders in the first half and had forged their way to a huge lead at one time.

With all that said, this is the 2012-13 Kings we’re talking about and no lead is safe this season.

Everything they had built up in the first half came crumbling down like a house of cards in the second half as the Knicks shot 60 percent in the third and 50 in the fourth while the Kings shot 35 and 29.2 percent respectively.

Even though no one was quite fleeing towards the exits like a cattle stampede, you could feel the air start to leak out of the arena. Kings fans have seen this game way too many times in this and recent seasons.

With all that said, the man who has had the most controversy surrounding him this campaign, DeMarcus Cousins, made the defensive play of the day.

On the final offensive play by the Knicks, Jason Kidd held the ball far above the three-point line as Isaiah Thomas guarded him. Kidd waited until their was eight seconds left on the shot clock and made his move towards the key.

When Cousins came out to double - as Kidd had hoped - Kidd tried to dump a lob pass into Tyson Chandler who had peeled off of Cousins and was heading to the hoop.

Cousins saw this, backed up and jumped in time to intercept the ball and save the day.

With 15 clicks left on the clock, the Kings scrambled to the other end of the floor. Thomas missed the first attempt with nine seconds left, then grabbed a long rebound and found John Salmons in the corner for what looked like an open three attempt. Kidd covered the spot in time and Salmons was forced to toss it to Johnson who just did what he’s supposed to do - catch and shoot.

He did and the rest, as they say, is history.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

We here at the SacPress, in our third year covering the Kings, have tried to give you more than game stories this season.

I mean, you can read those on numerous sights these days, and besides, we think you want to know more about the players than the game itself.

You see, I decide who I’m going to write about way before the game even gets started.

On Friday, I got very lucky.

As I scurried through the Kings locker room before the game looking for an angle for my piece like a rat looking for cheese, I decided to highlight James Johnson because of all the hard work he’s put in lately in improving his shot.

And wouldn’t you know, all that hard work paid off as he hit the game-winner on his first three-ball of the season.

But let’s go back to when Johnson, who had come here trying to steady his career, was removed from the starting lineup and relegated to the bench only a handful of games into the season because of his lack of scoring.

“Just like you were saying, I wasn’t hitting my shot,” Johnson said. “This is a game of making shots. We were having a slow start in the first quarters, not getting past 25 points and Coach Smart thought I was one of the reasons why so I came out.”

Johnson never stopped working on his shot and grinding away at making himself more valuable to this team.

But it was when he took some extra time with Alex English and Bobby Jackson, two of the Kings assistant coaches, that he found what he was looking for - consistency.

“My shot has been looking good for me,” Johnson said. “When I get open, I’m gonna take the shots because I know that I have a great opportunity of making them. I’ve been working after practice every time with Bobby Jackson and (Alex) English with his expertise in scoring the ball. I’ve tried to take a little bit of that from him, but all-in-all, I’ve just been working on my game.”

English said that he didn’t have to do much to help Johnson, but he did bring up one key word - consistency.

“James has got a lot of skill,” English started out. “With his jump shot, it’s just a matter of being consistent with it and doing it one way all the time.”

English has worked with many guys on their shot and, it seems, everybody has a different idea of what the perfect jumper should look like. English denies this and says you can shoot it any way you want as long as you are, you guessed it, consistent.

“If you ever watched my shot, it’s not orthodox,” English said. “I kept working on it and working on it and that’s what I’ve tried to instill in him. You listen to all of these different things that people tell you what to do and you change your shot every two or three weeks. You can’t do that. Just do it! Shoot the shot. The only thing you have to do with your shot and doing it the same way every time is your follow through. Making sure you hold it up long enough for the ball to go through.”

If you watch Johnson lately, that’s exactly what he’s been trying to do. Shoot the shot without thinking about it and keep the same follow through each time.

Lately, Johnson has been seeing some quality time at the power forward position. Most times, coaches see the mismatches only one way. That is to say the coach is more worried about matching up to the opposing team instead of making the opposing team matchup to his lineup.

When you put Johnson out there at the four, it creates a great mismatch in which the Kings are starting to take advantage.

“I know that there are a lot of fours out there that have great footwork in the post, but at the same time, they have to come down and guard me on defense,” Johnson said.

Here’s to the hard work James Johnson has put in this season and to me getting lucky again during this Kings campaign!

AWESOME PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF:

DARREN HALL

http://www.darrenhallphotography.net/

https://www.facebook.com/DarrenHallPhotographynet

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Kings find no nuggets against Denver

2012-12-17T03:56:48Z

Denver Nuggets came into town and made light work of the Sacramento Kings minus Marcus Thornton who remained with his sick mother. Denver never looked back as they had a lead as big as 19pts in the first half. Nice contributions from Fredette and another 20pts from Thomas wasn't enough to see the Kings lose this one 97-122.

All Photos courtesy of Darren Hall Photography.net

Website: http://darrenhallphotography.net

Facebook Page: http://acebook.com/DarrenHallPhotographynet

In his fifth year, Jason Thompson proves to be a model of consistency

2012-12-08T23:24:17Z

In a finally nearly filled Sleep Train Arena on Friday evening, the Sacramento Kings beat the visiting Orlando Magic 91-82 to win two games in a row for only the second time this frustrating season.

DeMarcus Cousins had a big night scoring 17 points, grabbing 14 boards and had three steals, two blocks and four assists. Not a bad night for the Kings’ big man. Four other players scored in double figures including Isaiah Thomas (17), Jimmer Fredette (15), Jason Thompson (12) and Aaron Brooks (11).

So far in the early going of the 2012-13 campaign, the Kings have not got the engine humming smoothly down the tracks.

The early culprits were trying to find the right combo at guard, the suspensions to both Cousins and Thomas Robinson and now the M.I.A. Tyreke Evans.

Evans has missed three of the last four games with a sore right knee, which he thinks he picked up when he banged knees against Andrei Kirilenko of the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 27. Evans had an MRI prior to the game on Friday with results coming back negative - no damage.

With all that is seemingly wrong with the Kings, the one constant bright spot is Jason Thompson.

Thompson has been a model of consistency early this season. Considering the team rarely runs plays his way, his numbers are very satisfying.

In 18 games, Thompson is averaging 11.1 points per game, 1.1 blocks, 7.2 rebounds and is shooting at a .506 clip. In 11 of the 18 games, he has scored in double figures. In three of the six wins he has nine or more rebounds also.

J.T., as he’s affectionately known, is all hustle. He’s the first one down the floor on a fast break. He often takes the ball out to start a possession and still not the last one down the floor and setting up for offense.

For those watching closely, and I have since I’ve been a big fan of him since he joined the team five years ago, even though he has been asked to do and has been used in so many different ways by his many different coaches, he still finds a way to improve each and every year.

The numbers may not show it just yet this season, but Thompson is really starting to reach his true potential.

“I think that it (his game) is coming along,” Thompson said. “I think that I can even be better. I think that I am my toughest critic. So I’m never satisfied at what is going on. The thing is to be consistent and stay healthy. I think I can still do more on the team like stay out of foul trouble and even take some more shots when I have them.”

Fouling out is a facet of the game in which Thompson has certainly improved. He has only gotten tagged with four fouls or more four times this season and only once has he fouled out.

“I’m just trying to improve and making sure that as much as I’m improving, that we can get some wins out of it as well.”

In the search for a vocal team leader, the names Evans and Cousins come up all the time. Sure, it’d be great if either of those guys would step to the plate and become the leader we as fans think they could become. But Evans may be too quiet of a guy and Cousins may not yet be consistent enough.

On the other hand, you’ve got guys like Aaron Brooks, Francisco Garcia, Chuck Hayes and John Salmons that either have the experience or have been on a playoff contender.

In Brooks and Salmons, both guys are more the quiet guys; the ones that show it on the court and not speak it in the locker room. In Garcia and Hayes, neither guy gets enough playing time to be considered a force to reckon with in the locker room.

Enter a guy like Thompson. Thompson is kind of in the middle stages now of becoming a true team leader. His experience level is almost what it needs to be and Thompson’s game is nearly there also.

Does Thompson think he can blossom into one of the voices the team tunes into?

“I think so,” Thompson said. “It’s one thing I can expand in my game. Like you said, with Chuck (Hayes) and ‘Cisco (Garcia) what makes or breaks them is obviously their longevity in the league and also that they’ve experienced the playoffs. For guys to be a voice in here, they really have to have experienced the playoffs and winning consistently.”

For Coach Smart, it’s a blessing to have such a receptive guy on his roster.

“I loved coaching him last year,” Smart said. “I saw him transition into a guy that goes out and plays - you don’t have to run plays for him, although he wants more. He does his job hard every single night. He practices at the same rate every single night, the same pace. And then just watching him stabilize his game.”

The stabilizer, this season, has been Kings big man coach Clifford Ray.

“Clifford Ray has done a great job with slowing his game down at little bit,” Smart continued. “We talked to him about not getting involved with officials or players from other teams that is going to pull his off of his game.”

“They see the guy works extremely hard,” Smart said. “He doesn’t complain. And that’s great for your team. That’s great for any team at whatever stage your team is in. If your in a developmental stage of trying to become a winner, in a team that is in the middle of the pack or a team that is eventually winning consistently.”

“He’s one of those guys fits every stage of a team as they try and become winners . . . He can stabilize all of those things.”

For DeMarcus Cousins, it mean almost more than he can put into word having a guy like J.T. on his team.

“I definitely lucky to have him on my team,” Cousins said. “J.T. Is probably one of the most unselfish players that I have eve played with. He accepts his role. He doesn’t mind playing that role. He goes out and does his job to the best of his ability every night. That’s definitely a player that you want on your team.”

“He’s always willing to play his role and be that catalyst on the team. That’s what every team needs!”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

DAVID ALVAREZ

Who starts at point is settled for now, but backup still not set in stone

2012-12-02T00:45:12Z

Although not on display Friday evening at Sleep Train Arena during the Kings/Pacers matchup (Tyreke Evans sat with a bruised left knee), the recent on-court pairing of Evans and Aaron Brooks seems to have helped Sacramento get it’s offense back on track.

The win totals may not be piling up but it sure is promising to see the team score more points lately.

The decision by Coach Keith Smart to insert Brooks into the starting point guard role to replace Isaiah Thomas coincided with the fact that Evans jumper was finding it’s mark.

Since the change, Evans is averaging 21 points, 4.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds. Brooks’ average has also increased to 10.8 per game.

I caught up with Coach Smart before the game and he explained why Brooks didn’t get the job out of training camp.

“I saw things in training camp where I didn’t think he was himself from when he played in the league before,” Smart said. “I knew it was going to take some time for him and even he said and suggested that he’d been out of it for a while. Sometimes you go and play overseas and you will do things that are necessary for that team at that moment not knowing that you are going to have to do things to get yourself ready to play back in the NBA game.”

Brooks knew how to excel in the NBA game which is one reason why Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie had a soft spot in his heart for Brooks for many years and acquiring him was something Petrie had tried to do a number of times.

With all that in mind, it was just a matter of time.

“Slowly and slowly, he started to get a little bit better, a little bit better and you can see his game is now caught up with him,” Smart said.

Brooks is happy the team is playing a little bit better and thinks that he and Tyreke just click.

“I think we feed off of each other,” Brooks said. “When he shoots a shot, he always has a rhythm and I’m a guy that doesn’t really need the ball as much.”

For Brooks, it’s being in the starting role and knowing he is going to get a chance to establish himself at the point that matters.

“As far as starting or coming off of the bench, you’re playing the same amount of minutes, you just know when you’re playing. That consistency kind of helps you, kind of delegates your game a little bit.”

Both Evans and Brooks credit John Salmons, the crafty veteran, for knowing where to be on the floor and how to help both Evans and Brooks get the ball where they like it.

“We’ve opened up the floor a lot,” Brooks said. “Not just me. A lot of it is John (Salmons) as well. You have to respect his (Evans) outside shot a little bit more so I think that has helped him out and given him some driving lanes as just let him be the athlete that he is.”

“I don’t want to say it was just me or anything like that, but I think we’ve done a collective job of sharing the ball and spreading it out and getting easy shots.”

-----

So that leaves only enough minutes for one more point guard type of player. And the Kings have two.

Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette now seem to be locked in a battle for the remaining minutes.

You may have noticed lately that both players have at least once received the dreaded DNP-CD - the did not play, coaches decision tag. This is something Smart says he’s going to have to figure out going forward.

“What I’m desperately trying to find is that guy,” Smart said. “I’ve got to give those guys some consistent minutes to find out for sure and that means probably eliminating one guy for a period or time. That’s always going to be difficult because both guys (Thomas and Fredette) can play. Both guys bring something completely different.”

The hard part, Smart says, is making sure both guys are always ready to play.

“Let’s say a guy is out of the rotation,” Smart said. “Here comes a night where you need that guy but mentally he may not be there. So I kind of sprinkled one in here and one on there because on any given night I may need something from one of those two guys and I keep their minds clear, but at the same time how to give them the consistent minutes to see if this is the guy or that is the guy.”

-----

For my money, I think Jimmer should get the call to backup Brooks.

And I’m a guy that at the end of last season, Fredette would be a non-factor entering the 2012-12 campaign.

Fredette has done everything that has been asked of him and more. He is one of the few guys on the team that you can tell how much work he put into improving his game in the offseason. He no longer forces his dribble into the land of the giants. He keeps his dribble alive more often than not. And I really like the way he directs traffic when leading the team.

As much of a fan favorite he may be, Thomas is not yet at the level Fredette has attained.

Jimmer has shown remarkable patience this season in his limited time of the floor. And when he gets consistent time on the floor, the spark Fredette brings will only shine brighter and brighter in the future.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

DARREN HALL

https://www.facebook.com/DarrenHallPhotographynet

http://darrenhallphotographynet.zenfolio.com/

Tyreke Evans on the missing ingredient so far - the jump shot

2012-11-19T14:03:28Z

THE SHOT

By now, unless you’ve been living in a cave somewhere in the Maldives, you know that Tyreke Evans has spent countless hours during the offseason and into the season working on his jump shot. A shot, unless explained to you, you’d think Evans would or should have in his bag of tricks. Now here’s the explanation.

Let’s, for a moment, compare Evans to another primary ball-handler from his college days, Jimmer Fredette.

Fredette was in an offense that had him not only as the primary ball-handler, but as its main scorer too. His money shot was from the outside - a silky, smooth jumper - from anywhere on the court!

Evans didn’t have to hone his jumper, as in college no one could keep him from charging the hoop for a rim-rattling power dunk or a whirling dervish magical lay-in.

Fredette sees the improvement in Evans’ jumper, but at the same time, understands that it’s a work in progress.

“The biggest thing is that sometimes he still hesitates, but he’s not hesitating as much,” Fredette said. “He just has to trust in his jump shot. You got to come off a screen and if you’re open, shoot the ball. Don’t even hesitate. That mindset will get you to where you’re not thinking about it and you’re just shooting the basketball. I think you’ll get better results that way.”

Fredette went on to explain the mental aspects of shooting.

“It’s got to be more of a natural thing. Shooting is a lot mental. A lot of people shoot the ball really well in practice and they can make a hundred in a row. But once you get out in the game, you start thinking about it. That’s why you can’t shoot the ball as well. You really have to just relax, let your mind go and just shoot the basketball and not worry about the miss or make you just had.

“You gotta have short-term memory loss and not worry about that next shot. Just go to the next one and once you see one go in, things can completely change. You just have to be confident in yourself.”

This seems to be where Evans’ head is at now - gaining confidence.

“My shot is looking good right now,” Evans said. “It’s falling a little bit so I’m shooting with confidence, that’s all I can keep doing.”

I tossed Evans a couple of possible reasons his shot had been hard to find, but one stood out as the main culprit: Falling backwards when rising for his jumper.

This is not as easy to adjust as one might think.

Evans had his way in college and even in his rookie year with the Kings. No one knew how to stop “‘Reke.” But now into his fourth year, most every opponent knows his modus operandi and has an answer to stop his incessant driving in the lane.

Now it’s up to him and his ability to fashion a reliable jumper to make his driving capabilities effective once again.

Evans has run into a wall of guys in the key so many times over the last three years that he had to start falling backwards to give his shot a chance to go in. The problem is that it started to become normal procedure for Evans. He started falling back on every shot he took which resulted in most of his jumpers ending up short.

Prior to the game, Evans was hard at work with Clifford Ray on coming off screens and keeping his form straight up and down when shooting his jumper.

“I have a habit of kicking my leg out,” Evans said. “I’m doing a better job at it. I think I did a good job tonight of going straight up and down and hopefully I can keep it that way.”

It paid off on Friday as Evans was 5-of-11, with the last shot being a “what the hell” three attempt. In essence, he shot 50 percent from the field. Not bad considering half of his attempts were from the outside.

Besides the tireless hours Evans has put in during the offseason honing his jumper, he often finds himself in the gym during the off-hours also.

“I just came in today shooting with confidence,” Evans continued. “I came here last night getting some shots up before the game. I just want to keep working on it because I know I can shoot. I also want to be aggressive and keep driving.”

Coach Keith Smart has noticed Evans’ shot getting better. At the same time, he reminds us that changing a guy’s habits takes longer than just a few games.

“He’s worked so hard and you can obviously see there is a change in his shot, his mechanics and delivery,” Smart said. “Now the biggest focus for him is, how do I harness my instinct - which is to drive and at the last minute take a shot while off-balanced - that’s what he’s wrestling with now.”

“We are taking a young man who is trying to do something completely different than he’s done his entire career and having him harness that instinct to not attempt to drive and just take the shot. He’s caught in between those two worlds right now.”

“Teams are going to still play him the same way right now,” Smart continued. “He may not have that complete part of his game for a month, maybe two months, maybe not until next year.”

What would Evans like to have accomplished in furthering his game by the end of the year?

“Be an improved shooter,” Evans said. “That’s the knock on me, so every day and every night I come back and work on my shot. The hard work you put in is what you get out. So that’s what I keep doing.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

DARREN HALL

https://www.facebook.com/DarrenHallPhotographynet

http://darrenhallphotographynet.zenfolio.com/

Tyreke Evans on staying focused during tough times and finding his shot

2012-11-18T01:09:22Z

When the Sacramento Kings met up with the Atlanta Hawks on Friday at newly crowned Sleep Train Arena (sounds good to have Arena back in the name), a couple of goals must have been in mind.

First, play better than they did the week before and second, hope Tyreke’s jumper was coming into form.

I guess you could say they went one-for-two as they lost to the Hawks 112-96 in a game that had the loyal fans on their feet booing in the closing moments, but on the bright side, Tyreke Evans' shot is looking better one game at a time.

THE PLAY

Booing at the obvious lack of effort and an insufficient amount of offensive movement at times shows the fans in attendance (only 11,814 on a Friday) still care.

The question they must have been asking was, does the team care?

In short, they do.

After the game, Coach Keith Smart was in the media room earlier than usual and addressed the masses. It should have been a sign of what was to come. Once Smart was finished, the media throng headed towards the locker room as usual but was met by one of the media relations guys and told that the players weren’t done talking amongst themselves just yet.

Great! This team finally isn’t going to wait until the season is halfway over to focus on the issues at hand.

“We’re just tired of losing,” Evans said. “They just came in here and did whatever they wanted and got easy baskets. We just have to be better as a team. We work hard on defense in Colorado and then we come out here at home and lose by 20 or 15 every night. That’s not gonna get it for us. So we have to be better.”

A players only meeting. Frustration was the word on everyone’s mind after the loss.

Veterans like Chuck Hayes are “very frustrated” right now.

Evans said the fans aren’t the only disheartened folks in the building.

“It’s a little frustrating right now, but we just have to keep playing together as a team and try to figure it out,” Evans said. “We can’t keep coming in here at home and losing by 20. That’s not gonna get it! We have to be aggressive for 48 minutes.”

Evans is not the only one feeling the sense of urgency.

“Everybody is frustrated I think,” Evans said. “I don’t think it’s just me, it’s everybody. We know we’re a better team than that. This is my fourth year. A couple of others guys have been on the team for a long time and we are just tired of losing.”

Evans knows this could be a tipping point. It would be a shame to see the hard work they’ve put in during training camp and the teamwork focus that Coach Smart has tried to instill during that time amount to nothing.

“We have to keep focused,” Evans said. “That’s the main part (of it). Once we hang our heads and point fingers, that’s where we go bad. We have to just play. Other teams go out there and play. They don’t argue. They don’t fight with each other. We just have to be like that. Be a family. We say we’re a family, we gotta play as a family.”

Family. It was Coach Smart’s secret ingredient to success.

The time away from everybody and everything in Colorado prior to preseason starting was meant to be a fresh start, a new beginning.

In that time, the players swore to have each other’s backs and play like a team for an entire season and then judge their performance.

And it started with defense.

When Coach Smart was emphasizing defense during the entire training camp, he thought eventually the offense would catch up, so to speak.

So far this season, the offense has been missing in action.

“We are all having problems with it (offense) right now,” Evans continued. “Last year, we scored the ball so easy. Now this year, it’s a struggle for us. It’s still early, but we have to get it better in practice.”

Evans threw the gauntlet down during the closed door session.

“It starts with practice,” Evans finished. “(No more) joking around. We got to be serious every day from here on out. That’s what we talked about really. Just be serious in practice and it starts tomorrow!”

Part Two on Sunday as Evans and others discuss his effort in finding the perfect jump shot.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

DARREN HALL

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/DarrenHallPhotographynet
SITE: www.darrenhallphotography.net

PHOTOS: Spurs 97 - 86 Kings

2012-11-11T02:24:22Z

Photos by Darren Hall - see his work at darrenhallphotographynet.

PHOTOS: Sacramento Kings defeat Golden State Warriors

2012-11-06T15:35:38Z

The Sacramento Kings won their first home game of the season on Monday night against the Golden State Warriors. With a 16-point run in the third quarter, the Kings managed to hang on as the Warriors fought back in the fourth, finishing at a close 94-92.

Post game press conference via Cowbell Kingdom:

Sacramento Press community contributor and photographer Ron Nabity (see his work at nabityphotos.com) was there to capture the night and sent us these shots:

Opening ceremony included glow sticks for everyone.

Golden State's Harrison Barnes takes a shot in the first minutes of the game.

DeMarcus Cousins moves into rebound position during a free throw in the first period.

Rapper Future watches the game from the sidelines.

Richard Jefferson (Golden State) takes a jump shot over Travis Outlaw.

Coach Keith Smart paces along the sidelines.

Warrior Stephen Curry drives around Chuck Hayes in the second period.
Isaiah Thomas goes airborne for the layup.

At the end of the third period, the crowd cheers their approval of the Kings' lead.

The crowd get more excited during the last seconds of the game.

Kings get their first victory of the season

Chuck Hayes shares the victory with fans on his way out of the arena.

Video: The Sacramento Kings' Thomas Robinson slams over Lakers' Dwight Howard

2012-10-22T06:50:56Z

Thomas Robinson has had his first YouTube moment in a Kings jersey, and better yet, it came at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Sacramento Kings rookie power forward had what the Bleacher Report referred to as a "nasty" putback dunk over Dwight Howard, who debuted for the Lakers in their 99-92 preseason loss to the Kings.

For an analysis of the game and the latest on Coach Keith Smart's roster moves, go to Cowbell Kingdom.

Beyond the Castle Walls - Thomas or Brooks, who's the Smart choice?

2012-10-19T02:18:09Z

It was one of the ugliest starts I’ve ever seen in a Kings’ game—regular or preseason.

Less than five minutes into the game, the Kings’ starting center and point guard, DeMarcus Cousins and Aaron Brooks, had picked up two early fouls each that took the team completely out of their up-tempo game.

The Sacramento Kings never could recover from—at one point—a 15-point deficit, and lost to its rivals the Golden State Warriors 98-88 at Sleep Train Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 17, in front of 10,708 fans.

After closely watching the position battle at the small forward spot during the Monday, Oct. 15, contest against the Trailblazers, I thought I’d focus my attention toward what is quickly becoming the most talked-about and healthy battle of them all.

Who will open the season at starting point guard? Will it be Brooks or the super rookie Isaiah Thomas?

Surprisingly to some, Brooks got the start for the second game in a row for the Kings.

What was the reason?

“I just need a little more data on them,” Smart said. “I know (the way) Marcus, Tyreke and Isaiah (play) —I had 66 games with those guys last year. I need to see how Travis (Outlaw) responds, how he plays. You see how he responded in the third quarter after having a so-so first half, and I thought he did a good job. I wanted to get a better understanding of who Aaron Brooks is. I knew who he was a couple of years ago, but I want to get a feel for him, and you see some flashes there.”

Brooks put himself in a hole when he picked up his second foul less than five minutes into the game and had to be replaced by Thomas.

After the game, Brooks knew exactly what happened.

“I didn’t react to the way the game was being called,” Brooks said. “They were calling it pretty tight in the first half, and I was still playing ‘China’ basketball out there. They made some good calls, and it was just my fault for not adjusting well to it. We just got off to a bad start, period.”

He’s right. No one in the starting lineup seemed to be particularly fired-up to start the contest. It’s the main reason they found themselves down 10-1, 15-3 and finally 29-20 at the end of the first quarter.

When Thomas checked in less than halfway through the first, he immediately hit a three-pointer, then shortly into the second, he hit another. Besides that, Thomas was very quiet, even on defense.

Although Stephen Curry was held scoreless in the first, he and Jarrett Jack seemed to get to where they wanted to be on the floor very easily.

Jimmer Fredette replaced Thomas with seven minutes left in the first half. Fredette will probably only see point guard action in cases like this, which should be rare.

Even though he hit a runner at the rim and had another solid drive through the lane, which picked up a foul, the hard truth of the matter is that Fredette can’t guard anyone.

Several times Fredette’s man easily shook him and found himself open. Fredette’s other major issue is too often trying to take the ball into the forest of big men that are awaiting his arrival at the rim. What’s the outcome? Fredette is either on the floor or has his shot blocked. It’s a problem that doesn’t seem to bother Brooks or even Thomas that much, although Thomas does enter the lane too often when it’s all clogged with defenders.

Brooks seemed to be his old self once the second half began. The Kings opened the half behind by 14, but the energy of Brooks and the rest of the starters brought the team back to within six points. The Kings only found themselves down by seven entering the final quarter.

One reason is that Brooks stopped playing what he called “China” basketball. What is that?

“It’s not as physical in the NBA,” Brooks said. “It’s like playing football in China. A lot of stuff you get away with, such as grabbing and all that, and it doesn’t fly here. The guys are a lot quicker. I’m just making that adjustment. It’s like riding a bike once you get out there.”

Thomas was back in to start the fourth, but didn’t make some of the plays he should have. He made a bad pass almost right after checking in that almost resulted in a turnover, and then shot an ill-advised three when he had plenty of time on the 24-second shot clock.

Shortly after that, he was called for a travel that stopped what little momentum the Kings had rallied.

The offensive flow; that elusive fast-paced flow was missing on this day. Thomas talked about how hard it is to find your rhythm and get into the up-tempo game that Smart is looking at running.

“It is, especially when you’re not getting stops, it’s hard to get out on transition and be aggressive like that,” Thomas said. “It’s more of a half-court game when you’re not getting defensive stops. We just have to watch film and learn from it and move on.”

This is the position battle that, I believe, will come down to the last minute. It is the toughest decision he will make to open the season.

Do you start the guy that opened so many eyes last year while garnering several Rookie of the Month honors? Or do you let the more experienced guy, the guy who Geoff Petrie has wanted for several years, get the opening day nod?

LeBron James thought he had issues a couple of years ago with his "Decision."

It seems that this season, it’s Coach Smart that has a big decision to make. And he only has two weeks to figure it out.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

DAVID ALVAREZ

Beyond the Castle Walls - The battle at the small forward position

2012-10-17T04:08:45Z

In the second preseason game of the 2012-13 year, the Sacramento Kings beat the visiting Portland Trailblazers 117-100.

Behind 23 points from Marcus Thornton, DeMarcus Cousins putting up 20 along with seven boards and three assists and 16 from Aaron Brooks, the Kings beat up on the Blazers for most of three and a half quarters and won a game that means nothing in the standings.

What really matters in these next six or seven games for the men in purple and black?

As the Kings get a few preseason games under their collective belt, the battle for a couple of starting spots seems open for the first time in quite a while.

There is a great competition going on for the starting point guard spot between the incumbent Isaiah Thomas and newcomer Aaron Brooks, but the one that’s really piqued my interest is the campaign to see who will start at the small forward position.

Assuming that Tyreke Evans will hold down the shooting guard position and not play much of the three like he did at the end of last year’s season, the dogfight for playing time comes down to three guys.

Let’s look at all three and how they did in the second exhibition game on Monday at the newly named Sleep Train Arena.

Travis Outlaw started the game at small forward and played almost 17 minutes, scored four points on 2-of-5 shooting and had one rebound.

Not a truckload of numbers for Outlaw, but that’s not what Outlaw gives you on a night-to-night basis. He’s going to get you the occasional triple and some boards, but what Coach Keith Smart likes is his defensive intensity.

“I thought Travis and Tyreke did a great job of setting the defensive tone early on two guys - in Batum and then Aldridge,” Smart said. “Those guys have the ability to score and have big games.”

Outlaw played most of the first quarter and started the second half as well, possibly the most consistent minutes he’s received since arriving in town.

“It felt good to go out there and get back in the rhythm of the game,” Outlaw said. “Tonight, I just really tried to concentrate on my defense and being there at the help position.”

Overall grade for Outlaw: B. He did what the coaches asked of him and played great defense against Nicolas Batum.

Next up was newly signed James Johnson.

Johnson played just over 17 minutes and scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, had four boards, an assist and two turnovers.

Johnson came in at the 2:20 mark of the first and immediately made an impact. Just moments after replacing Outlaw in the lineup, he grabbed an Aaron Brooks miss and jammed it home for the power dunk and his first two points of the night.

Included in his run were some nice buckets, some key boards and more solid defense on the Blazers’ big men. Watching Johnson go almost coast-to-coast for a dunk makes you very cognizant of his ability to handle the ball on the run.

Johnson would play only a little more in the second half, with Smart making it a priority this preseason to give every possible combination a chance to be seen.

Johnson is very aware that this game meant nothing as far as wins and losses go, but means a lot in the focusing and building of this team.

“This is preseason,” Johnson said. “We haven’t won nothing yet and we haven’t gone anywhere yet. All we can do is build and keep building and hope these wins don’t get to our heads, being young and all.”

What will Johnson do to show Kings fans, coaches and fellow players that he can be a mainstay in the rotation?

“I’m just playing basketball, man,” Johnson said. “I don’t have any handicap in my game. I like defense, I play offense and I’ll take the challenge… I feel that there is no man whose heart is going to be pounding more than mine, more aggressive than mine for the win.”

Smart warned not to sleep on Johnson’s defense just because he can find a way to score.

“James has been providing defense all throughout training camp,” Smart said. “He has great principles defensively and he’s a skill player. When he comes into the game, the game changes, right away. He changes a basketball game.”

Overall grade for Johnson: B+. Johnson’s athletic ability is off the charts. He will be able to find many ways to score, but could pick up his defense near the baseline.

The final candidate is longtime fan-favorite Francisco Garcia.

Garcia played 20 minutes and scored four points on 2-of-4 shooting, had two rebounds and two assists.

At first glance, Garcia seems to be the odd man out, but not so fast.

All Garcia did was hit his first two three-point attempts less than a minute after entering the game.

Garcia plays such an intense defense that he can’t keep it up over an entire 48 minutes.

Heck, no one could! Watching him get up in a guy’s face for a couple of hotly contested possessions in a row is priceless. No one gets under a guy’s skin like ‘Cisco.

“I shared with the team about ‘Cisco being ready to play,” Smart said. “He had an incredible practice on Saturday. He shot the ball extremely well. He didn’t play in the first quarter. He got in the game and hit two threes right away. He brought energy right off the bench.”

The battle for the majority of the minutes at the three may come down to Coach Smart using a three-headed monster of sorts. With Outlaw playing solid defense, Johnson running the floor and scoring at will, and Garcia playing that tight, in-your-face defense and hitting some key triples, the team seems to have the spot covered.

Later in the week, come back to find out more about the point guard dilemma that faces the second-year coach.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

DARREN HALL

http://darrenhallphotographynet.zenfolio.com/

Sacramentans react to renaming of Power Balance Pavilion to Sleep Train Arena

2012-10-16T00:40:34Z

View the story "Sacramentans react to renaming of Power Balance Pavilion to Sleep Train Arena" on Storify

Sacramento Kings' Media Day 2012 - Coach Smart's life system at work

2012-10-02T02:27:46Z

Buckle up, ladies and gents, as it’s that time of the year again!

The time to cheer like madmen and madwomen for your purple-and-black court warriors is just around the corner.

The Kings kicked off their 27th season in Sacramento with their annual Media Day on Monday afternoon. The event saw many new faces in the royal purple, black and white, along with the returning core from last year, as they get ready for their second season under the leadership of head coach Keith Smart.

With the influx of several new players — Thomas Robinson (first-round draft pick), along with Aaron Brooks and James Johnson (free-agent signees) — comes the chance to change up the starting rotation, or find a puzzle piece that fits better into what the team is trying to do in their style of play.

Combine that with the fact that Coach Smart understands that the Kings are still building, and nothing is locked down as far as the position battles are concerned.

It’s a problem that Smart welcomes with open arms.

“Having good players at multiple positions is only going to push the next player to grow and get better,” said Smart. “I look forward to a camp that can possibly be real productive, because it’s going to be competitive. I’m going to share that with them. That I want them to compete against each other. At the same time, when we finish training camp, however the chips fall, I want them to know that we are all in this together. That’s our goal for this team.”

The most telling thing, Smart said, related to how determined he is to not trying, but actually turning this team.

“Until we get that five or eight guys every night for the next five years, that I can say every year they are coming back and I know who the one is, know who the two is, the three and so forth, that’s the approach I’m going to take during training camp.”

For a new guy like James Johnson (6 feet 9 inches tall and 248 lbs.), Media Day signals a fresh beginning for a guy that got off to a nice start in Toronto, but after a couple of years of admittedly realizing that you have to work harder to be someone in the NBA than you do in getting here, it seems like the light has finally kicked on the high beams for Johnson.

“I’m not going into camp trying to show them anything different than what they already have seen,” said Johnson. “They know I’m a hard worker. I know they know my play from last season. That’s all it is. It’s competition. We’ve been doing that our whole lives. We’ve been playing basketball and competing for a spot and I feel like it’s no different now.”

Keep checking in over the next couple of weeks, as I’ll have more interviews with the players and coaches of your Sacramento Kings as they open the 2012-13 season and try to make a push for the playoffs.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

RON NABITY
http://nabityphotos.com/

Sacramento Kings fans hope renewed: Virginia Beach arena plan has a long way to go

2012-08-29T16:52:35Z

Media reports were buzzing from coast to coast about a plan being pitched in Virginia Beach to build a new arena and possibly make it the new home of the Sacramento Kings – but when the proposal was unveiled to the Virginia Beach City Council Tuesday, no mention was made of the Kings, leaving fans to breathe a sigh of relief.

“They didn't present a financing plan, provided only a cost estimate and – most importantly to Sacramento basketball fans – didn't mention any potential sports teams as tenants,” Ryan Lillis reported in The Sacramento Bee Tuesday.

Although the rumors remained unsubstantiated after the weeklong worry-fest leading up to the City Council presentation, questions linger about what has been happening behind the scenes.

Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette spoke with Travis Waldron, a writer with the influential liberal think tank ThinkProgress, in a Sac Press Live chat Tuesday about the Virginia Beach arena proposal and the possible political maneuvering going on in the background.

“It’s not like franchises moving from city to city is a new development – it’s happened in baseball and hockey and football for as long as those leagues have been around,” Waldron said during the chat. “But this idea now of using new arenas and the types of deals they can get from taxpayers as pawns against each other in this big chess mach is, if not a new phenomenon, one that is becoming increasingly prevalent in sports.”

For the moment, Sacramento Kings fans can be certain of one thing: The Kings will play at Power Balance Pavilion at least one more season. Beyond that, it might take a crystal ball to discover what’s next.

Fans and foes of the Kings and the team’s owners, the Maloofs, were all over Facebook and Twitter this week sharing thoughts and opinions – and projections – for the future of the team:

View the story "Is there a real deal in Virginia for the Kings?" on Storify

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Keep up with our political coverage with our weekly newsletter, Sacto Politico. Sign me up!

Are the Sacramento Kings a pawn in Virginia Beach corporate welfare chess game?

2012-08-28T17:04:38Z

There has been much ado in recent days about a potential Sacramento Kings move to the coastal town of Virginia Beach, Va. – but as more information is revealed, a writer with an influential liberal think tank said it is starting to look like Sacramento is little more than a pawn in a larger corporate game.

As the Virginia Beach City Council prepares to hear a presentation from a group of corporate executives interested in building a new arena in its region, Travis Waldron, a reporter from the liberal forum blog ThinkProgress, presents a different take on the situation and what may be happening behind the scenes.

“Connecting the dots in the roll-out of this story,” Waldron wrote, “makes it look like little more than a coordinated attempt to get Virginia Beach’s city council to finance an expensive arena project for a hypothetical NBA franchise that may never come to the city.”

[Update: Here's our live chat with Waldron:

For live updates from the meeting, check Sacramento Bee reporter Ryan Lillis on Twitter, @Ryan_Lillis ]

The pitch is being made to the council by execs from corporate giant Comcast-Spectacor, which owns NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Waldron noted that the group will head to the council with a plan already in place.

Aaron Applegate reported in the Virginian-Pilot that Comcast-Spectacor has promised the city the company would bring a major professional sports team to town if an arena deal goes through.

The company failed to specify WHICH major team, however – a crucial piece of information, according to Waldron.

“Enter the Kings and their billionaire owners, the Maloofs, who are so desperate to extort a state-of-the-art arena from someone that they seem willing to move virtually anywhere on Earth to do it,” he wrote.

The combination of Virginia Beach’s need for an infusion of taxpayer dollars into its economy, the Maloofs' craving for a new arena and a corporate entity ready to cut a deal creates the perfect setup for what Waldron referred to as “the corporate welfare chess match that has become professional sports” and an “arena-extortion prom.”

How will this game play out? Will there be any real winners? The Virginia Beach City Council is slated to convene at 3 p.m. Pacific time, and the Sacramento Business Journal reported that an announcement regarding the future of the Kings may follow.

Waldon will be chatting live with The Sacramento Press today at noon to talk about the situation and the possible outcomes for Sacramento, Virginia Beach and Sacramento Kings owners, the Maloofs. [The live chat will be live streamed in this article/URL]

Let us know what you think – share your comments or questions for Waldon in the section below.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Keep up with our political coverage with our weekly newsletter, Sacto Politico. Sign me up!

Rumors fly about possible Kings move, Maloofs deny claims – sort of

2012-08-24T15:35:09Z

It’s all over mainstream media: Virginia Beach is making a pitch to steal Sacramento’s beloved Kings, and team owners, the Maloofs, are buying in – but a spokesman for the Maloofs said in an email yesterday not to believe all the hype.

“The franchise is not going to discuss which cities have approached the organization and are not going to comment on every rumor,” Maloof spokesman Eric W. Rose said in the email. “The sole focus of everyone within the Sacramento Kings organization continues to be to put a winning team on the court as we look forward to what promises to be an exciting 2012-13 NBA season.”

Wait. What?

Notice that Rose makes no commitment with his statement beyond the current season – and that may be worrisome to Kings fans who pushed hard this year to keep the team.

A simple omission? Perhaps, but it wouldn’t be the first time words have been carefully crafted for the sake of positive spin in the years-long Kings saga: Remember the “we have a deal!” announcement in Orlando? That statement quickly morphed into, “It was a handshake deal,” before finally being denounced by the Maloofs as “insulting. We did not have a deal there.”

The most recent round of Kings-may-be-relocating scuttlebutt started with a report in the Hampton Roads Business Journal in Virginia that the Maloofs were “in talks” to propose moving the team to Virginia Beach.

The report cited unnamed sources that confirmed a presentation to the Virginia Beach City Council about the possible move, and an expected formal announcement from the Maloofs on Aug. 29.

NBA officials responded that they had not heard of any planned move from the Maloofs. The team is required to remain in Sacramento for the 2012-13 season because no relocation request was filed or approved by the deadline earlier this year, however team owners once again have until March 1 to file for relocation with the NBA for the 2013-14 season.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who heard the news as he was traveling to New York City for the Obama Classic basketball fundraiser, tweeted “I spoke w/h the NBA, neither they nor my office has been contacted by the Kings. At this point there is nothing new to report.”

R.E. Graswich, Johnson’s former special advisor and current member of the Think Big Sacramento coalition, also responded to the news via Twitter, saying, “Kings & Virginia Beach chatter all assumption, not fact.”

When contacted, George Maloof would not confirm or deny that his company was in talks with the city of Virginia Beach, according to the Hampton Roads article, and Joe Maloof denied Thursday that he had any talks with Virginia Beach, according to The New York Times.

Local fan reactions on Facebook and Twitter have ranged from disbelief to disgust – including a few “colorful” remarks about the Maloofs' integrity – and some former season ticket holders tweeted that they have either returned their tickets or refused to purchase any this season because of the uncertainty surrounding the team staying in Sacramento.

What do you think? Is it just one more rumor, as Rose said in his email, or will the Kings really be on their way out this time? Take our poll and let us know your opinion in the comments section below.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

You might not have time to check the site every day, but you can still keep up with our coverage with our weekly newsletter. The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Sacramento Kings chat with James Ham: Thurs. at 12:15 p.m.

2012-08-14T22:44:35Z

As yet another summer of arena drama for the Sacramento Kings comes to a close and the team prepares to hit the court this Fall, I'll be hosting a live chat Thursday with one of this city's experts in all things basketball: James Ham (@James_Ham) of the Cowbell Kingdom blog.

The chat will be streamed live on SacramentoPress.com on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. You can participate by posting questions in the conversation below this article. We'll also be joined by our King's blogger, Mark Needham. The chat will be emebed here:

The documentary Ham and Blake Ellington produced in 2010 about the arena saga, "Small Market, Big Heart," will be screened the next day, Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Crest Theatre as part of the Sacramento Film and Music Festival. It is also available on YouTube.

During the chat, I'll ask Ham about how he thinks the Kings will do this season, what he's keeping an eye on and how he views the film in light of the collapse of the arena deal earlier this summer.

Ham blogs about the Kings for his own site and ESPN. Most recently, he covered the team's summer league in Las Vegas.

Jared Goyette is the editor of The Sacramento Press.

Kings move to Seattle less likely, battle heats up over Prop 32

2012-07-31T14:44:52Z

A Kings move to Seattle less likely as NBA arena deal hits a snag: Things were looking good for Seattle’s bid to get a new basketball arena, Ryan Lillis reports in The Sacramento Bee today – until the city council balked at the plan for sharing tax revenue in the deal.

All eyes were on Seattle recently as a potential relocation spot for the Sacramento Kings, but any move for the team hinged on a deal for an arena. As Sacramentans know well, arena deals can be a tough business, and can blow up. Welcome to the club, Seattle.

“This doesn't appear to be a death blow for Seattle's arena plans,” Lillis writes. “But it's certainly worth noting that the political climate in the Emerald City seems less inviting to Seattle's arena deal than Sacramento was to its own plan.”

Special note: Lillis will be joining City Councilman Steve Cohn for a Sac Press Live video chat Wednesday at noon with editor-in-chief Jared Goyette. Lillis and Cohn will discuss the recent credit card scandal at City Hall (which Lillis first revealed in the Sac Bee last week), and how the East Sacramento community plans to recover from the playground fire at McKinley Park.

Meanwhile... state legislature is considering giving $30 million in disputed redevelopment funds to an NFL stadium for the 49rs.

Ozzie and Harriet... and Will and Grace: A state bill allowing a child to have more than two legal parents has moved from the senate to the assembly and may soon be on the Governor’s desk.

“Democratic Senator Mark Leno of San Francisco says he wrote the bill to recognize non-traditional families,” reports Amy Quinton at Capital City Radio, “where there might be biological non-custodial fathers or surrogate mothers.”

Opponents say the bill could wreak havoc on family law, but Leno says it would only apply in family court “when required to protect the best interests of the child.”

The battle is heating up between business and labor over Proposition 32, according to a report by Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle. The measure would ban unions and corporations from contributing money directly to candidates and eliminate payroll deductions – the primary way for unions to raise money. Yesterday, the National Federation of Independent Businesses in California endorsed the measure.

Local labor leader Bill Camp, executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, said his group is adamantly opposed to the measure.

“It just puts big business and corporations in the catbird seat,” Camp said. “It’s another way to push out the labor movements.”

But Jake Suski, a spokesman for the measure, said in the Chronicle article that the initiative "clearly makes no exceptions. It applies to both corporations and unions.”

More than $12 million has been raised to fund the battle so far, Garofoli reports, and it looks like the fight will keep getting bigger up to November.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Who leaked Maloof emails? Isaac Gonzalez answers Carmichael Dave

2012-07-11T18:25:57Z

It’s a question that’s been on the mind of everyone who has been following Sacramento’s arena debacle: How did Isaac Gonzalez get ahold of that email cache that changed our understanding of how the negotiations between the city and the Maloofs actually played out?

On Tuesday, Gonzalez addressed the question during a Sacramento Press live chat with Carmichael Dave Weiglein.

The context: About halfway through the chat, Weiglein asked Gonzalez to clear up questions about leaked emails and letters that circulated between the Maloofs, their attorneys and NBA representatives, which Gonzales obtained from an unnamed source and made public.

The emails outlined issues the Maloofs had with the “handshake agreement” for the arena deal and proved the Maloofs’ claims that they had expressed these issues well before the council voted to approve the deal.

City officials claimed they did not know about the emails or the Maloofs’ concerns. As far as the city was concerned, all parties had agreed to a bona fide “framework” agreement, and any claim to the contrary from the Maloofs was disingenuous.

The emails had been mentioned in the media [Editor's note: Nick Miller of Sacramento News & Review previously reported the story, but without full document release on April 26.] and partially quoted in a powerpoint presentation the Maloofs and their attorneys gave in New York as the arena deal crumbled – but the emails and letters in their entirety had not been made public until Gonzalez posted them on his site, ranSACkedmedia.com, Wikileaks stye, on May 8.

How did Gonzalez come by those emails and letters? Here’s what he told us during the Sac Press live chat Tuesday:

He refused to disclose his source, but insisted he or she does not work for the Maloofs. He hinted at a city connection, mentioning it was someone who “works on I Street” – where City Hall is located – and said a sheaf of documents was dropped off by the source at his home.

You can view the full conversation here:

This article was co-written by Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Think Big considers possible Major League Baseball stadium for Sacramento

2012-07-09T22:25:25Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson and Think Big Sacramento want to explore bringing a Major League Baseball team to Sacramento along with a Major League Baseball stadium in the downtown railyards – and the future of the River Cats may hang in the balance.

The plan is the next phase for Think Big Sacramento’s efforts to come up with a new future for the downtown railyards after plans for a new arena were scuttled in May, Johnson said.

“There’s no harm in exploring all of our options,” Johnson told media at a press conference Monday.

If the idea is viable, Johnson said, the city would most likely court the Oakland A’s for a move to Sacramento – but, if they move in, MLB rules require the River Cats to move out of their West Sacramento home across the river at Raley Field.

Johnson said the idea is in the beginning stages and conversations with other key groups, including River Cats owners, the Major League Baseball organization and the city of West Sacramento, have not happened yet.

“We first have to get on Major League Baseball’s radar,” Johnson said. “This is our first foray into letting the A’s know we want them.”

Johnson said Sacramento has a lot to offer an MLB team including land, political will and a proven media market – however, Johnson didn’t rule out the possibility of bringing an MLB team to Raley Field instead of the downtown railyards

“The ideal place may very well be West Sacramento,” Johnson said. “We need to look at this from a regional standpoint. If they win, we win.”

Think Big Executive Director Kunal Merchant said Think Big Sacramento will spend 10-12 weeks vetting the idea, and Johnson said no public dollars would be spent on the process.

View the story "Mayor, Think Big look into the Big Leagues for Sacramento" on StorifyMayor, Think Big look into the Big Leagues for SacramentoHere's how the announcement – and public reaction – played out via social media:Storified by Melissa Corker · Mon, Jul 09 2012 15:28:10 RT @CBSSacramento (Sac Mayor Kevin) Johnson said he realizes any talk of bringing the A's to Sacramento would involve West Sacramento and the River CatsAww yeah!Victor Calderon "MLB in Sacto" pitch is strange. This is supposed to be a Think Big effort to bolster city revenue, but MLB team could go to West Sac???Nick Miller .@KJ_MayorJohnson: Believes different parts of Sacramento should compliment each other. If West Sacramento wins, entire region wins.FOX40 News Not everyone is convinced that Think Big or Johnson are really serious about the idea of a stadium:
@FOX40 @KJ_MayorJohnson is it even possible? Or is this re-election #pillowtalk?@copayment .@KJ_MayorJohnson - admits there is a big "if" - if Sac will be considered for an MLB teamFOX40 News Mayor says this is not "gamesmanship" to put pressure on Maloofs or NBA to act or lose that 250-mil that would have gone to arena.Rob McAllister @Rob_McAllister This is the part of the Sac-Kings relationship breakup when one person tries to prove they are better off without the other.Trip McNeely ... and some say baseball isn't the only sport to consider for Sacramento:
@KJ_MayorJohnson Why pitch a fit with MLB & bench the AAA? Did u strike out on the NBA? GO GLOBAL & recruit MLS!! RT http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/08/4617398/sacramento-mayor-turns-attention.htmlPC Larsen @KJ_MayorJohnson Soccer specific stadiums are much cheaper, reach out to @mls because Sac is a golden opportunity. Perfect fit for our townBrian Riley @JimCrandell I think baseball,football or basketball will always go good in Sacramento...it's time for are city to get bigger & better!Jamie Vaughn

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Possibility of MLB stadium for downtown railyards

2012-07-09T13:51:49Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson and Think Big Sacramento leaders held a press conference Monday morning to announce a new effort for the future of the downtown railyards: the possibility of building a baseball stadium and bringing a Major League Baseball franchise to the city.

The press conference was streamed live.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Thomas Robinson Welcomed by Sacramento Kings fans

2012-07-01T09:13:22Z

Thomas Robinson, the #5 pick by the Sacramento Kings, was welcomed warmly by fans at the annual Rookie Rally held at Arden Fair Mall. The former Kansas Jayhawk had just finished a press conference at PowerBalance Pavilion and a meet-and-greet with Season Ticket Holders.

Scheduled for 3:00 p.m., a late arrival made the crowd even more anxious. A stage was set up in the center of the Arden Fair Mall, in front of Nordstrom's. Fans crowded the floor, as well as the railings and bridges overhead. Posters were handed out, and the crowd filled every square foot of the floor area behind the ropes. The number of Kansas signs, hats & shirts made sure that the former Kansas sophmore would get a taste of home.

To warm the crowd up, the Sacramento Breakers dance team dazzled the crowd. Scott Moak, Kings Public Address Announcer, further pumped the fans up by hosting a dance contest, using brave volunteers from the audience. Kings miniballs and teeshirts were tossed into eager hands, as everyone's anticipation grew.

Coach Keith Smart took the stage and shared his feelings about the Draft Day experience, as well as his optimism for the new season. He saw a bright future with the new Kings power forward, pairing him with DeMarcus Cousins.

Robinson walked onto the stage amidst thunderous chants of "T-Rob", his nickname back at Kansas. It was obvious that the warm welcome affected him, as tears of joy were visibile. After posing for photos with some Kings fans who had been among the first to buy a number "0", Thomas Robinson jersey, he told the fans how grateful he was for their welcome. His tears of joy were replace by a smile that wouldn't stop, as he realized how much he was loved by Sacramento.

Welcome to your new neighborhood, Mr. Robinson!

Disclosure: Semi-pro photographer who's followed the Kings since 2005.

Kings grab stud power forward, Thomas Robinson slips to the fifth pick

2012-06-30T01:18:49Z

As I sat in the Sacramento Kings media room at Power Balance Pavilion on Thursday afternoon, my heart sank when the Charlotte Bobcats took Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the second overall pick of the 2012 NBA draft.

A small forward that can score at the rim is a burning need for the team and I was really looking forward to watching this kid’s defensive and rebounding skills along with the motor he brings to the table. Guys like him don’t lower their level of play — they make the other players on the team raise their collective enthusiasm and desire for the game.

But when Dion Waiters, a shooting guard out of Syracuse, was picked by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the fourth overall pick in the draft, the possibility of the Kings filling one of their greatest needs — a solid forward that can play right away — came true.

Boom!

The pick came in and Thomas Robinson, a power forward out of Kansas, fell right in their lap.

Robinson, who averaged 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in his junior year and final year, unofficially became a Sacramento King.

“Thank God I’m here,” said Robinson, as he appeared to hold back tears when asked how it felt to be drafted after everything he’s been through in the past year.

Robinson lost his grandmother in December 2011, his grandfather in the middle of January of this year and then his mother less than a week later. All of them passed within three weeks of each other.

You could tell that he yearned for them to be there on this special night, as the young man was overcome with emotion.

“I don’t know where that came from. I worked hard to get here and I’m able to see it play right out in front of me and it really got emotional.”

Sacramento also picked Orlando Johnson with the 36th pick in the draft, but traded him to the Indiana Pacers for cash considerations.

As for Robinson, he wants to wear uniform number zero. By picking that specific number, it’s like he needs and wants to prove it to himself all over again.

“I want to bring my hard work and my ethic back there. The whole attitude of winning again. Just be who I am and that’s a hardworking person.”

Sacramento Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie was not expecting Robinson to fall all the way to the fifth pick.

“Even as of this morning, we were fairly sure that he wouldn’t be at five but that’s why the draft is the draft,” said Petrie. “We certainly have a need there with our depth up front. He’s going to bring a lot of competitive spirit. He’s a ferocious rebounder. He had a lot of quickness, a lot of speed and quick feet. I think he’ll be a great addition to the team.”

His hard work paid off for Kansas, as he earned his way into the starting rotation this season and never looked back. He already understands that this is the continuation of a voyage and not the end of one.

“My journey is not over. I’ve got to come in and work hard again and get back to the top.”

The 21-year-old from Washington, D.C., can’t wait to see what he brings to the dynamic duo of Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins.

“With Tyreke at the guard spot and DeMarcus down low, they are both tough kids and I just want to bring the same toughness to this club with rebounding and energy.”

He’s especially excited to be paired down low with The Big Cuz.

“My biggest thrill is playing besides someone that you know what kind of player they can be,” said Robinson. “In DeMarcus, he’s tough. He’s a young player. He’s gonna play hard. He’s going to help keep my intensity up with no problem because he’s gonna be going hard."

Keith Smart, in his first full season at the helm of the Kings, loves that Robinson has a “live body,” a motor already and some unique skills that made him a great pick.

But again, it was what Robinson has been through in the past six months that set him apart.

“(But) the maturity level that he has,” said Smart, “he’s faced so much already, it let us know that he’s a veteran so to speak coming into our basketball team who is already seasoned.”

Think about it. The kid needs no extra incentive to play his heart out as a pro, after all the loss he’s suffered at such a young age.

“It’s the only reason I’m here. It’s my motivation,” said Robinson.

When asked by NBA TV’s Craig Sager what he would tell his mother if she was there for that moment, Robinson simply said, as he was still visibly emotionally affected, that he had held up his end of the bargain.

“I kept my promise,” said Robinson. “I told her I was going to do it.”

Fans vote for Sacramento Kings Dancers

2012-06-23T16:57:01Z

There’s nothing like the sound of 17,000 roaring Sacramento Kings fans, who have often been called the best fans in the league. Once you experience the energy inside Power Balance Pavilion during a close game, you know why.

I was a Kings Dancer from 2005-2010 when the organization made a rule that limited a dancer to 5 consecutive seasons. I had been given an impressive list of exciting memories - dancing for the troops in Iraq, entertaining sick children at Shriners hospital, teaching underprivileged kids how to dance; and of course, the sound of the Pavilion when we played against the Lakers!

Since 2010 I’ve been working hard to find my passion and niche outside of the dancing world. I’ve put my creativity to use in other professions and found that the years with the Kings made me a better team player and leader. But, I couldn’t shake the idea of getting back into the dancing world- going back to the roar of the Pavilion, the excitement of the crowd and the camaraderie of being a Kings Dancer.

The fleeting thought of returning to the team became an achievable goal. I saw the Kings Dancers audition commercial on t.v. and started getting some pressure from former teammates to give it a shot. At that point it didn’t take much convincing- I was in. But, I knew that 2 years removed from the team had given me some ground to cover in terms of dancing ability and overall fitness. I put my heart and soul into preparing for this exciting new challenge! Could I actually make it back?

The weeks leading up to auditions were grueling. It didn’t take long for me to realize I am not a flexible 20-year-old anymore. It took hard work to get into “audition shape”- daily yoga, dance class and runs. I dedicated myself to being the best returning dancer I could be. After all, I am the first dancer to return to the team after leaving due to the 5 year rule. I’m still feeling the pressure!

Many people have the idea that NBA dancers simply run around in little outfits and kick their feet in the air; but, the truth is we contend with long practices, tough routines, injuries and sore muscles just like any other athlete. Dancers at this level have spent years getting to where they are today and are some of the most talented athletes I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Not only have I found myself back in dancing competition with these ladies but also in competition for votes from our fans.

In a surprising twist, the SKD finalists went to a public vote last year and again this year. All 18 of our faces have been posted on the Kings website for the world to see. As my journey back to the dance team is almost complete, I find myself reaching out to the best fans in the league to place me in a "Top 3" spot, which will secure my return. To be a part of the process, please join other Kings fans and cast your vote for your favorite Sacramento Kings Dancer at www.kings.com. The voting ends Sunday June 24th at midnight.

A conversation with Tyreke Evans' closest advisors -- his brothers -- about his future

2012-06-20T06:09:23Z

When I ran into Tyreke Evans and his brothers, Doc and Reggie last week, the burning question I had was whether ‘Reke was going to start the season at the one or the three position.

More importantly, would "Team Tyreke," the group of family members and friends that watch over him and his career, be happy if the guy who fell in love with the way Derrick Rose handled the rock had to start the season at the small forward spot?

“Do I think that it’s his natural position? No,” Doc Evans said. “Do I think that’s a position that he could play as a relief? Yes. But I prefer him to be at the one and sometimes the two, because with the ball in his hands, it creates a mismatch for smaller guards.”

With small forward John Salmons either injured or not playing to expectations when healthy, and the emergence of Isaiah Thomas at point guard, the Kings made a move that sent shockwaves through some the fan base of the Kings. The Kings brass decided to have Thomas start at the point beginning February 17 and Tyreke Evans was asked to play small forward and give up his beloved point guard position.

As the season went on, sentiment was growing to have Thomas, who was emerging as a possible replacement for Evans at the point, be the starter when everything settled into form.

When I brought up the scenario, “What if Tyreke thought that he would make a better point guard than a small forward,” Reggie informed me that a conversation very close to that occurred near the end of the season. They had a similar conversation with Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

“Myself and his agent got together and had a conversation before the season ended similar to what you just asked, so yes, we will address all of his issues with management, front office people, the coach or whoever to sit down and have that conversation.”

Doc Evans then filled me in on what happened next.

“After that, Reggie, Arn, I and a few others flew into Sac and had a team meeting and told Tyreke that if this is the way you feel, you need to address this to (Geoff) Petrie in a positive way and let him know that there are some things I could be better, but there are some things that I didn’t like the way that they were done and try to make him more vocal and speak up about the things he wants. You know, you can still speak up about what you want and be positive about the whole thing.”

Let it never be misunderstood what “Reke’s quiet demeanor" means.

When Keith Smart asked him to fill in at small forward last year, he essentially said, if that is what you think the team needs, then I’ll be there for you Coach.

“I was just trying to help our team win,” Tyreke Evans said. “Whatever it takes me to do that, I was willing to do it. Coach put me in that position and I got better and better as the season went on.”

“I just want to go out there and be the best I can be," Evans continued. “When I got moved off the ball, I just tried to watch guys like Kevin Durant and other guys that played that position and see how they moved without the ball and they get open shots.”

Some fans still wonder if the move was forced onto Tyreke. Was Thomas just a better point guard than him?

“Here’s a guy that’s a team player and he’ll pretty much just be humble,” said Reggie Evans. “People were talking like it was a demotion or something and Isaiah Thomas was getting his job and it wasn’t like that. It was pretty much the John Salmons situation and they wanted Tyreke to step in and fill that void. It wasn’t a demotion at all and he didn’t take it as such.”

“Certain people that were blogging or the media saying that Isaiah Thomas took his job and now he don’t like him. No, it wasn’t like that at all. He was asked to help out in that position and he’s a team player. He did what the coach asked.”

What did Reggie think of the experience Tyreke received?

“For me, I always loved that idea that my brother got a chance to play the one, two and the three. He’s more valuable than ever! Look at what’s going on in the playoffs right now. Look at all the pieces of the puzzles that are missing. If you can play the one, two and three and you can defend the one, two and three, I think that is a valuable person. I like the idea of his making his resume great by playing all three positions.”

Tyreke Evans has some impressive stats on his side. In each of his first three years, including his second year where he was plagued by plantar fasciitis - a painful inflammatory process on the bottom of the foot - and missed 25 games, he was in the team's top three in average minutes played, steals, assists and points per game.

In the topsy turvy past year - with the coaching changes and position move - he was second in minutes played, third in field goal percentage and third in rebounds. He increased his free throw percentage to a personal high (.779), was third in boards (4.6) and even averaged almost half a block a game.

Those are numbers any player at any position would be happy with considering all he’s been through.

“What player do you know that can go change positions in three years and go through the pain and injuries that he went through and still maintain that high of a scoring average?” Doc asked. “And that’s with him not hitting his jump shot. To me, that’s scary!”

“His confidence in his shot is only gonna grow. His confidence in his game is only going to get better. So when that happens, it’s lights out for everybody else!”

Thinking I knew the answer already, I asked Doc about the possibility of Tyreke starting the season at the small forward position. Would he be upset?

The response caught me off guard.

“I can’t say I would be disappointed,” Doc said. “Because I would be interested to see his growth and maturity. He doesn’t necessarily have to play a certain position. He’s a basketball player first and foremost.”

Doc mentioned his respect for Magic Johnson and his ability to play almost any spot on the floor. He sees Tyreke in a similar way as having the ability to play many spots and guard many different types of players because of his size and strength.

“So if the season started and Coach Smart had him at the three, I wouldn’t be upset. I would be more intrigued to see how he makes the necessary adjustments. Let’s see if he can score his 25 or 30 and still get his teammates involved with the ability he has as a point guard and still find and take his shots in rhythm and move without the ball. I would be intrigued to see that.”

Now the biggest question of all for the fans, and maybe even the player, is what will become of Tyreke Evans during and after season number four.

He would love to stay here and be the starting point guard of this team. Only time, whether he gets traded or not, and Evans' own development will determine the ultimate outcome.

Team Tyreke helps keep 'Reke's life much more simple and in focus

2012-06-18T19:46:15Z

Team Tyreke.

No, this is not a basketball rec league you can join or Evans’ fantasy league team either.

It’s the ultimate story of “it takes a village to raise a child.”

It’s a group of mainly family members that put everything they have to offer into helping a young man focus solely on basketball and charity in a world that demands attention at every turn.

Team Tyreke seems to have covered the bases and consists of several important folks. Reggie Evans, 40, who already had a successful career with Communication Test Design Inc., was the first one to bring up the idea of the family taking charge of their little brother’s career. He handles most of the managerial aspects of Tyreke’s life including travel and discussions with his agent, Arn Tellem, and the management of the Sacramento Kings.

“Doc” Julius Evans, 41, who had a great run with Mars Candy, assists his older brother in some of the management details but is also known as Tyreke’s “shot doctor.” Doc was a playground legend in Chester himself. He makes sure Tyreke gets up several thousand shots every other day or so.

“We both had our own financial situations (covered) and were very successful,” Doc said.

They have since started up Blu Print Inc., with Doc running the musical act side of things and Reggie working on the apparel side.

Then there’s Eric “Pooh” Evans, 34, who readied Tyreke by helping him develop his jab step and most of his dribbling skills.

Other members include Malik, Reggie’s cousin who is part of the support network, and LaMont Peterson, who is his trainer from his days at Memphis and works on his strength and agility.

He’s also got a nutritionalist, a barber and two chiropractors, one on each coast.

“We have an adjustment table right here in the house,” Doc said. “He comes to the house before games and adjusts him.”

All the effort the brothers make on Tyreke’s behalf could be mistaken, by some outsiders, as a group of guys just trying to ride the coattails of a brother’s success. What a joke! Tyreke wouldn’t even be in this position if it weren’t for his loving siblings.

“It’s what we do as brothers, not just management, as brothers because we have kids almost his age and we’d do the same thing for our kids,” Doc Evans continued.

When I asked Doc and Reggie if there was any downside to being a brother and the management team at the same time, Reggie scoffed at the idea.

“We’re family,” he said. “We got the right parenting from my mom first and foremost. She was a great mom. She was a rock!”

“I named him. From day one, I became his guardian. He lived with me since he was ten or eleven years old. I put him in a private school with my daughter so it’s deeper than what this looks like. He’s like almost a brother/son to me. And the whole basketball thing, from day one being four years old, believing that I had a brother with talent. I started off and coached him, then my brothers came along, so we don’t need outsiders coming in and doing what we can do ourselves.”

Doc agreed.

“We know that a lot of people would try to take advantage of people like him. They look at him as a cash cow. We don’t need that. Knowing what his skills could do for him and the potential money they could possibly make at the time - before he was an NBA player - people try to sink their teeth into people like him. We saw that from an early standpoint, that’s why Reggie decided to meet with Nike and start our own AAU team, Team Final.”

“I couldn’t believe, first of all, what a job he (Reggie) did with him in getting him national press and all this, so we just sat down and said this was going to be huge. So we need to all get together and do this and that’s when we did Team Tyreke."

Look for Part Two tomorrow as the brothers discuss Tyreke's move to small forward and what it means for this season.

Tyreke Evans teams up with VSP for free basketball camp & eyeglasses

2012-06-15T01:08:52Z

Not all the Kings players are out of town.

Not only is Tyreke Evans in town, but he’s here doing two of his favorite things — working out and working with kids.

On Thursday, June 14, Evans teamed up with VSP Vision Care at the Dr. Ephraim Williams Family Life Center in the Oak Park section of Sacramento for his second annual free basketball camp for students in need.

The kids were selected by the Family Life Center as well as by VSP partners Asian Resources and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento.

About 100 kids were able to shoot hoops, participate in a Q-and-A session and even get some classroom training alongside Evans and mentors from the Positive Coaching Alliance. Tomorrow, another 100 kids will be getting the same attention.

Evans, who always had his big brothers around to push him and keep him focused in the right direction, enjoys being able to have a positive impact on kids.

“I think it’s great,” said Evans. “A lot of kids don’t have a chance to meet a player at a camp. I know when I was growing up it was a big dream of mine to meet an NBA player or go to one of their camps. To be able to do it for kids at these ages — for free, with VSP’s help — I think it’s a great opportunity for people to come here and get some experience.”

Bill Herenda, the executive director of the Positive Coaching Alliance, was glad to supply coaches for the event.

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity to get out into the community with our message of ‘better athletes, better people,’ and to amplify VSP Vision Care’s mantra of eyesight being critical to the kids’ success and growth on the floor and in the classroom,” said Herenda.

Along with the free hoops clinic Evans and the coaches were hosting, free eye exams were given to those in need, in one of the 45-foot fully loaded buses that VSP owns.

The program was born from a need after Hurricane Katrina. VSP employees traveled to the scene and gave free prescription eyewear to those who either lost everything in the storm or were displaced from their homes.

Since then, the fleet has increased to three, and travels the country in search of others in need.

The eye doctors that give the exams do it all on their own time. On this day, Dr. Russell Ng was the lucky one that got to examine the kids in need.

“The kids in the community need eye care,” said Ng. “It helps them in their academic performance as well as in sports.”

“This is the first time that I’ve been associated with this and I’m definitely going to provide more time going forward.”

Niki Myers is the operations manager for the VSP Mobile Eyes Program. In her time in that role, she’s already traveled the country giving out free exams and glasses, but finds that doing the same in her hometown is also very rewarding.

“We love doing community outreach in our own towns,” said Myers. “We love our partnership with Tyreke. We’ve been working with him for the last three years.”

And then the other shoe dropped.

“Not only does he help VSP put on this basketball camp for the second year in a row, but we also sponsor the city of Chester, Penn., where he came from.”

That’s right. Never say the guy forgot where he came from.

Part of Evans’ deal with VSP is that they go back to not only his school, but also the other schools in the area, and give those kids in need the eyewear and care they may not be able to afford on their own.

Last year, VSP found that about 10 percent of the kids examined needed some kind of correction. Back in ‘Reke’s home town, because of Evans’ encouragement of the local youth to come out and get the exam, that number escalated to between 20 and 30 percent.

No worries, as all the kids that needed new spectacles got them.

Paul Gonzalez was out watching his two boys, 8-year-old Javier and 9-year-old Miguel.

“I enjoy it because I like them enjoying themselves,” said the proud father of two. “They love the game of basketball and are huge Tyreke fans. They both have Tyreke jerseys. It’s an amazing experience to come out here and watch some good coaching and good times with their friends out here.”

Small Market, Big Heart gives Kings fans the whole story - so far

2012-05-15T09:43:34Z

For the never-say-die Kings fan, Jan. 9 was an important day.

It was the premiere of Small Market, Big Heart at the historic Crest Theatre in Downtown Sacramento. A documentary designed, as their promo states, “to share the compelling 26-year story of the people of Sacramento and their battle to get and keep a professional sports franchise”

The film played once more on January 21, on KXTL FOX 40, but then went silent.

On Tuesday, May 15, the outstanding documentary and collective vision of producers James Ham and Blake Ellington as well as director Tobin Halsey, will finally be available across the nation by way of the Small Market, Big Heart website (www.smallmarketbigheart.com) for the first time ever on the Internet. The trailer can be viewed here:

The story didn’t get the happy ending makeover the producers had hoped for, as the new entertainment and sports complex in the Sacramento Rail Yards has been put on ice, at least for the time being.

The updated version being released tomorrow includes a newly filmed epilogue by Sacramento’s Mayor Kevin Johnson that brings the film current.

“A sequel is in the works,” Ham said via telephone, “but we felt this was the proper time to allow the film to be seen by a larger audience. Basketball fans everywhere need to know this story.”

When the trio sat down to discuss the possibility of making a documentary that would, not only inform the masses about the history of the Kings tenuous stay in Sacramento, but look to inject locals with a newfound rabidity for their only professional sports franchise, they looked to a similar situation that had occurred several years before in Seattle, Washington.

The film Sonicsgate shared the gut wrenching story of Seattle’s loss of their beloved basketball team. Call it a model for what Ham, Ellington and Halsey were looking to do, but with one huge difference.

In Seattle, the team was already moving to Oklahoma City and the story was one of “what happened?” and “why did we lose our team?”

For the makers of Small Market, Big Heart, the struggle was just beginning as they built the film as events were still unfolding.

“We saw an opportunity to tell an incredible story in real time,” said Ham. “To try and humanize the fight of the people of Sacramento.”

Ham, an editor of Cowbell Kingdom, an ESPN True Hoops affiliate, took offense to the fact that his local team and major source of passion, could leave town on the same sort of merits that the SuperSonics abandoned Seattle.

“Each of us have our own motivations for delving into a project like this,” stated Ham. “For me, I have two young sons that I want to raise as basketball fans and I have plenty of people I consider friends that work inside the walls of Power Balance Pavilion.”

For co-producer Blake Ellington, the mission was simple - do whatever he could to inform people that, not only that this team should not have to leave, but they darn well better stay.

Ellington is the managing editor of Bleedblackandpurple.com, a Kings blog he set up several years ago. He is also the founder of Here We Stay - a grassroots movement that began in October 2010 as an effort to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

“Here We Stay is a movement that was created and based on the principles that Kings fans needed the opportunity to have a voice in the process of building a new entertainment and sports complex in Sacramento and, in effect, ensure that their favorite NBA franchise stayed in town,” said Ellington.

“I felt that until that point, it was a conversation that was being held by city leaders and the team’s owners, but didn’t really take into account the feelings and passion for the team that the people of Sacramento had consistently shown over the last 27 years.”

Not only was Here We Stay a rousing success, it spawned several other “Here We...” movements, including Here We Stay nights #1 and #2 as well as Here We Build.

But the fight wasn’t over for Ellington, so he teamed up with Ham and Halsey to create Small Market, Big Heart.

“We wanted to put it out there for the Sacramento community, business leaders, politicians and fans that the desire to get something done and the desire for the fans to express their love for the team was something that needed to be seen on a large scale,” said Ellington.

“It needed to be out there for people to see in the form of a story; something that was tangible for others to see and connect with. Maybe people that weren’t involved with the grassroots movements and didn’t know the history behind what has gone on in Sacramento regarding the team, would get a chance to see that first-hand and get involved themselves.”

You can follow the group on Twitter @SMBHdocumentary or on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SmallMarketBigHeart.

Disclosure: I know James Ham and Blake Ellington as we often run into each other at Kings games and practices. As the rabid Kings fan most of you know me to be, I've seen and enjoyed the movie very much and encourage you to see it!

Mayor: Arena ‘plan B’ on hold until after city budget is resolved

2012-05-09T01:42:03Z

Sports fans and arena enthusiasts will have to wait a little longer for word on any “plan B’ for an entertainment and sports complex in the railyards – at least until the new city budget is resolved.

“I was shooting for sometime in May, but it’s going to take a little longer,” Mayor Kevin Johnson told the media Tuesday.

The city spent nearly $690,000 in the past year on consultants and research in preparation for building a new arena in the downtown railyards.

When negotiations with the Maloof family, the Kings’ owners, collapsed, Johnson quickly set off in search of a viable ‘plan B’ – with or without the Maloofs.

Johnson continues to meet with Tim Lieweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the company that was set to operate the new arena, to “keep the door open,” he said.

“(Lieweke) believes in Sacramento, and he’s open to doing something good here,” Johnson said. “It’s going to take a few more weeks to get to the bottom of it to see what the economics of it really look like, and what the financing will look like and what the legal ramifications may or may not be.”

One of the legal ramifications facing the city is the possibility that if a new arena is built without the Maloofs, they might be released from liability on the loan they have with the city – currently about $70 million, Assistant City Manager John Dangberg told The Sacramento Press Monday.

“It poses a significant risk to the city in moving forward independently, but that needs further discussion and analysis,” he said.

Johnson said AEG could not make a commitment to building a new arena without an anchor tenant, which is one of the options Johnson and the city are exploring.

“What (AEG) did in Kansas City was an anomaly in a lot of respects,” Johnson said. “In terms of building a standalone arena, it’s something that is tough for them to do, but we’re still having discussions, and they are open to ongoing dialogue.”

Despite not having a backup plan at the ready for an arena, Johnson said the money spent on the project so far has not been wasted.

“With the intermodal and the parking and with the environmental work that needs to be done, that was a good investment for us,” Johnson said. “We didn’t get a return on every single dollar, but that’s the cost of doing business, and everyone understands that.”

Meanwhile, the city’s budget, including a $15 million shortfall, is the priority now, Johnson said.

“We want to resolve that and get it behind us get, then I think we can continue to work where we left off on plan B,” Johnson said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Mayor Kevin Johnson to discuss arena, Maloofs, Think Big Tuesday

2012-04-23T22:27:39Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson and the owners of the Sacramento Kings, the Maloofs, have crossed paths a few times since the handshake deal for a new downtown arena splintered – and both the arena and discussions with the team owners are expected to be key topics at his weekly press conference Tuesday morning. Here's our Twitter coverage of what they mayor had to say:

The conference occured after tense words were exchanged in the media between Johnson and George Maloof after the tentative agreement for an entertainment and sports complex fell apart last week – but that didn’t stop Johnson from reaching out to the team owners Friday.

According to Joaquin McPeek, spokesman for the Mayor’s Office, Johnson flew out to Las Vegas Friday to meet the Maloofs at their family-owned hotel, The Palms.

McPeek said in an email Friday that “core principles” of the failed arena deal weren’t discussed at the impromptu meeting, but “both sides agreed that open lines of communication would be in everyone's best interest moving ahead.”

Maloof’s spokesman Eric W. Rose issued a statement Friday acknowledging the hour-long meeting between Johnson and George Maloof.

“The meeting was cordial; however, nothing definitive resulted from the meeting,” Rose said in the statement.

Johnson and Joe and Gavin Maloof were at the Kings game at Power Balance Pavilion later Friday night, but – again – there was no discussion of arena business, Johnson told media after the game.

Johnson said that a follow up conversation would happen, however, no one at the mayor’s office could confirm a planned date or time for follow-up meetings Monday.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the group spearheading the arena initiative – the Think Big Sacramento committee – took place Monday in Sacramento, but there has not been a report on the information presented at the meeting.

Johnson was not in attendance at Monday’s Think Big meeting, according to McPeek, however it will likely be another topic of discussion at Johnson’s press conference Tuesday.

The Sacramento Press will cover the mayor’s press conference on Tuesday. If you have a question you’d like us to direct to the mayor, let our political reporter Melssia Corker know via Twitter, @MelissaCorker, or leave a comment below this story.

Kings lose 103-92 to Thunder as The Big Three prepare for playoff run

2012-04-22T00:41:13Z

If it wasn’t enough that it was Grateful Dead night and fans that bought the special ticket package got to talk to the legendary Bill Walton, members of the band and got a special T-shirt to mark the occasion. Then, the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, former Kansas City Royal Oscar Robertson was being recognized. How about that it was Fan Appreciation Night at the ole barn and nearly half in attendance was rewarded with some kind of prize for being a loyal purple-wearing fan. And finally, outstanding Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Isaiah Thomas was honored as this year’s winner of the team’s Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award during the game.

Oh, did I mention that the Sacramento Kings had to play possibly the best team in the league - the Oklahoma City Thunder - on this very special evening?

In a tough battle, it seemed that every time the Kings got close, the Thunder would pull away. They worked hard to pull out a 103-92 victory over the Kings on Friday night at Power Balance Pavilion before continuing their road trip and heading down south to play the Lakers on Sunday.

Again, like in the past several games, the home team pulled out to an early lead and seemed to have some kind of control of the flow of the game.

But when you’re playing against three of the best players in the game today - Kevin Durant (29 points, 14 boards, 7 assists), Russell Westbrook (18 points) and, since he’s averaging 17 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists a game, James Harden (20 points, 6 boards), an early lead is never enough.

Oh yeah. Don’t forget the most intimidating shot blocking presence in the game today in Serge Ibaka (12 points, 6 boards, 8 blocks).

Yeah, the Thunder are for real.

The Kings had their biggest lead of the game - seven - at the halfway point of the first quarter. That’s all it took for the Thunder to put their collective foot down and say that’s enough.

From that point on, the Kings chances of pulling out a win faded slowly like a desert landscape in the rear view mirror.

One fantastic highlight for the Kings was about three minutes into the game when Tyreke Evans split two defenders on the way to the rack but picked up a third defender just as got close to the hoop. That third defender was Ibaka and Evans instinctively knew he was in trouble. As Ibaka jumped to block the shot he thought was coming, Evans spun to his left and found Jason Thompson, who was closing on the basket from the opposite side of the floor. Evans’ pass went between three players right into J.T.’s waiting hands for the two-handed stuff.

For Thompson (13 points, 8 boards, 2 blocks), this year’s journey was in some respects, much like ones of year’s past. The many coaching changes, getting yanked in and out of the starting lineup of the years and a different style of play every year.

In other ways, this has been Thompson’s breakout season. Although many of his numbers are down from a few years ago, his shooting percentage is up and something seemed to click about one-third of the way through the year.

Whether it was Clifford Ray, who was brought in to work with the big men, getting used to Keith Smart’s system or just finally growing into his body and honing his craft, something happened.

“Kind of being in a consistent situation,” started Thompson. “I’ve had four different coaches in four years. It’s tough to get into a certain type of rhythm. I think for the most part, being a starter and knowing my role for some time, it got me at more of a comfort level. I started to get into a groove.”

But it was really slowing his game down and learning not to rush things that have got to have the Kings’ brass thinking about resigning him in the off-season.

“Kind of playing slower,” said Thompson. “Making the game come to me. Using my ability to run the floor and trying to look for the basketball as much as I can. Then when I got the easier ones, the tougher ones get easier.”

You know how much Kings’ fans hate the Lakers and anything to do with them. That hatred was on full display when Derek Fisher entered the game in the first to a chorus of boos that reigned down upon him like rain in a tropical forest. Heavy.

Early in the second quarter, the Thunder threatened to runaway with it as they gained a 14-point lead, but the Kings rallied to close it to an eight-point lead at the half.

To say the officiating was bad on this night would be an understatement to say the least. Right before the end of the half, there was a sequence where several Kings thought they were being hacked under the basket, so much so, that Coach Smart picked up the technical as he almost exploded in his shoes because of the lack of a foul call after the sequence.

“We can’t let that get the best of us,” said Chuck Hayes. “You just have to keep playing. You keep going to the hole strong, looking for contact and just be physical. Eventually, they’re gonna come.”

DeMarcus Cousins (18 points, 9 boards) came out in the third quarter angry and looking to score. Cousins had eight in the quarter and was making an impact early, but the Thunder know how to wear a team down. Late in the quarter, they would push it to a 15-point lead and never look back.

The Kings went shot-for-shot with Oklahoma City in the final quarter but it wasn’t to pull out a win.

Francisco Garcia, who put a hard foul on Durant towards the end of the game, performed well on this night finishing with 11 points, six boards, four assists and, of course, his two obligatory blocks.

Garcia, now the team’s journeyman, hasn’t received consistent playing time this season, but always does his best to stay ready for the call.

“It felt good to be out there,” said the veteran from Louisville. “Like you said, just playing a certain amount of minutes. It felt good just to be out there.”

And what about Isaiah Thomas, the celebrated King of the evening? What did it mean to him to win the coveted organizational award?

“It meant a lot,” said the rookie. “Any award you win, means a lot. But the one from Oscar Robertson himself, it’s a blessing from God. I was surprised I won it.”

GAME NOTES: Kendrick Perkins had a quiet 10 points and seven boards for the Thunder . . . Jimmer Fredette had 11, but only hit one of his five three-point shots . . . Thomas had 12 points, three boards and four assists . . . Marcus Thornton did not play - sore knee . . . Hayes (7 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals) had a solid game . . . The last home game of the year is Thursday against the rival Lakers

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

DARREN HALL

http://www.darrenhallphotography.net/

http://www.facebook.com/Darrenhallphotography

Kings fade in second half, Spurs play like champions without Duncan

2012-04-20T03:06:30Z

As the season winds down, the challenge becomes: How do you keep a 20-41 team still yearning for more wins and team cohesion?

How about play the San Antonio Spurs (45-16) in front of a nearly packed house and learn from the seemingly simple way the team from Texas goes about its everyday business?

The plan worked for 24 minutes. After halftime, the Spurs decided to lay the smackdown and really show the Sacramento Kings (20-42) how the formula translates on the floor by outscoring the home team 69-42 in the second half on way to a 127-102 rout at Power Balance Pavilion Wednesday evening.

The good news was that the Kings took an early 6-0 lead on the backs of Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson scoring and rebounding.

The bad: That would be the biggest lead the home team would have the entire contest.

After the opening run by the Kings, the balance of the quarter was played very evenly.

For Sacramento, Marcus Thornton (20 points) was on fire. He hit six of seven shots, hit two from beyond the arc and finished the quarter with 14.

One amazing highlight from the first was when, with about eight minutes left, DeMarcus Cousins snatched a rebound and threw the ball more than half the distance of the court to a sprinting Isaiah Thomas, who was being shadowed by Danny Green. Already down on defense for the Spurs was Kawhi Leonard, so, even on the great pass from the Big Cuz, Thomas was essentially already double-teamed.

Luckily for Thomas (21 points, eight assists), Thornton was trailing the play. Without looking, Thomas jumped in the air and, with his back turned to Thornton, dumped an over-the-shoulder, one-handed pass into the waiting hands of Thornton, who made a sweet reverse lay-up for the bucket.

The final play of the quarter seemed to give the Kings a lift. Cousins, after missing a layup, grabbed the rebound and the bucket to give the Kings a 29-28 lead after one.

The second quarter was nearly identical to the first with the teams taking turns leading. At the midway point of the quarter, the Kings went on an 8-0 run, which was immediately followed by an 8-0 Spurs run.

About halfway through the second, “Magic” Cousins, as Jerry Reynolds like to call him on occasion, grabbed a rebound and went coast to coast for a driving layup that brought the crowd to its feet.

Even though the Kings found themselves down by one at the halfway point, it was a great game with both teams shooting over 50 percent. The only real noticeable difference was that the Spurs got to the line 21 times compared to only seven for the Kings.

As they have been lately, the Kings came out in the third trying to establish Cousins inside. Unfortunately, he missed his first four shots which helped the Spurs go on an early 13-4 run and acquire a 10-point lead.

The Spurs interior defense is stifling. Combine that with them shooting almost 64 percent in the third and nearly 59 percent for the game, and they are a tough team to beat.

You could just feel the air come out of the team once the fourth got going. The Spurs opened with a 13-4 run that doomed the home team’s chances of pulling out a win.

A scary situation for Thornton occurred when he banged knees with Manu Ginobili (13 points, five assists) late in the third and had to be helped off the court. It was almost the same spot he was hurt a few weeks back. Word spread that he wouldn’t return, but you can’t keep an angry man down. When will he return to the game?

“Right away, man, right away,” he said. “I’m a competitor first. Pete (Youngman) asked me if I wanted to sit out, and I said no. As it went on it started stiffening up, and they told me to ice it up and try to get ready for Friday.”

He joked that he told Kings trainer Youngman to “make him a whole body armor suit next time.”

Thornton expounded on why the Spurs are such a hard matchup for many teams in the league.

“They’re tough. They’re the best team,” he said. “They’ve got players at every position, and they can go out and be productive, not just on the offensive end but one the defensive end, too. That’s the mark of a great team.”

Playing defense in the paint against the Spurs is a tough challenge for any team, as witnessed by Cousins fouling out and Chuck Hayes picking up five himself. They run the same stuff repeatedly and do it so well, you can’t effectively stop it.

“They have great spacing,” Hayes said. “Everybody knows their roles, and we always got stuck in a position where we were always behind, and that’s how we got into foul trouble.”

Hayes says the Kings can learn from the way San Antonio spreads the floor and sticks with the plan.

“Run your stuff!” he said. “Don’t break the play. Don’t try to be a hero. Run your stuff. And that’s all they do. They don’t do nothing special. They don’t do nothing crazy. They run the play.That’s why they always say it’s boring basketball. But they win. That’s all that matters.”

GAME NOTES: Thomas was acknowledged for his fine play this season by Reebok handing out an autographed pair of shoes and an “I.T.” T-shirt to everyone in Kings Row One . . . Even though he fouled out halfway through the fourth, Cousins ended with 18 points and nine boards . . . Seven players scored in double figures for the Spurs, including Leonard (13 points), Green (11 points), Tony Parker (15 points, eight assists), Stephen Jackson (13 points), Gary Neal (17 points) and Tiago Splitter (17 points, seven boards).

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

NICK HUNTE and MARK NEEDHAM

Railyard site plans unveiled – arena optional, officials say

2012-04-17T04:31:09Z

Despite the battle between the city and Sacramento Kings’ team owners over a new entertainment and sports complex, City Councilman Steve Cohn is adamant that plans for developing the railyards site for an intermodal transit facility will continue uninterrupted.

“Yes, there is absolutely an intermodal without the arena,” Cohn said Thursday at a workshop on the project at City Hall.

More than 100 people attended the workshop hosted by the city to discuss the site orientation of the proposed arena at the downtown railyards along with current and future transportation facilities at the site.

Until the recent arena deal fell apart, the intermodal project at the downtown railyards was slated to include a 675,000 square foot entertainment and sports facility located next to the existing historic Sacramento Valley Station.

“The intermodal is our No. 1 infrastructure priority, no matter what, with or without the arena,” Cohn said. “The (current site plan) study allows us to determine the footprint for the different facilities (included in the project) so we can plan the intermodal.”

City officials and staff unveiled three potential site plans at the workshop – designated the “west option,” the “east option” and the “hybrid option” by city staff – and invited public feedback on the proposals.

“These are not alternatives, these are concepts – they are still very raw and still being developed,” said presenter Andre Brumfield of the AECOM/Fehr and Peers Design Team.

AECOM/Fehr and Peers Design Team are consultants hired to work with city staff on pre-development aspects of the proposed arena at the railyards.

“We want everyone to understand what has been worked on so far and to get feedback about what (people) feel works or doesn’t work (with the concepts),” he added.

The three plans were prepared by a design team after numerous meetings with transportation specialists, Amtrak, Caltrans and other interested parties, according to Cohn.

“They met with historic preservation groups and business groups and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership,” he said. “(There are) a lot of people who have a stake in this particular site and in the intermodal, not just the arena.”

Design team members worked with consultants brought on by the city in the past week to go over site plan options that would integrate a new arena on the railyards site with the various parts of the intermodal project, Cohn said.

The west option situates an arena on the western edge
The hybrid option puts an arena on the west side of the site and the transit facility on the east side. In between the two would be a public plaza to allow people to move freely between the facilities.

“The hybrid plan is the favored plan so far,” Chandler said. “We are trying to create more of a of the 13-acre site, with the intermodal transit portions – including railway platforms, light rail connections and bus areas – situated on the eastern side of the site, according to Senior Architect Hinda Chandler.

The east option essentially flips the west option plan, putting an arena on the eastern portion of the site, Chandler said, but the transit portions of the plan are spread out more, with buses to the west and light rail to the south.
pedestrian district with the hybrid plan. It would create a nice public space.”

Each potential site plan includes space for an entertainment and sports complex, however, city officials said that if an arena doesn’t materialize, the city will still move forward with other aspects of developing the railyards site.

“The ideal situation is that we are doing both at the same time, but if the arena doesn’t go forward for any reason, this (site plan work) enables us to go forward with the intermodal knowing that, if an arena gets financed later, we have a place for it,” Cohn said.

If an arena never happens, Cohn said, the area reserved in the site plan for it could easily be developed in some other way.

Some workshop attendees expressed concerns about keeping the historic nature of the original depot intact while trying to build out the railyards.

“It’s been here a long time, and we need to keep the historic nature of it in mind,” said James Battles, 45, a Sacramento resident.

Battles said a lot of his questions about the intermodal project were answered at the workshop – but he didn’t know if everyone else got the information they needed.

“(The city) needs to have more workshops like this so others can get the information, too,” Battles said.

The intermodal project will be under continuous construction in one stage or another for the next few years, Cohn said, and the majority of the first phase of work should be completed by the end of 2012.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Kings end losing streak in final seconds

2012-04-17T02:42:06Z

There were a few storylines surrounding Sunday’s matinee at the Power Balance Pavilion where the Sacramento Kings hosted the Portland Trailblazers.

1) Coming into the first of a three-game home stand on Sunday, the Kings had lost seven straight games. 2) There was the return of former King J.J. Hickson, who played very little for Sacramento earlier in the season before being waived and claimed by the Blazers where he's played well. 3) Sunday’s game was the first since Friday’s news of the arena deal falling apart, which was followed by a weekend of bitter statements from George Maloof and Think Big’s Chris Lehane.

The Kings were able to avoid the outside distractions and end their losing streak in dramatic fashion as they used a come-from-behind victory to beat the Blazers by a final score of 104-103. This was Sacramento's 20th win of the season and the victory evened up their home record at 15-15.

After trailing for much of the game, and by as many as 11, the Kings earned 14 fourth quarter points by Marcus Thornton, who also hit the game-winner with three seconds left. Thornton had scored just six points through the first three quarters.

A highly spirited crowd of just over 16,000 also showed great energy throughout the game. There was much speculation as to what the mood inside Power Balance Pavilion would be like following the weekend's arena news, but Sacramento once again showed that it still loves this team by coming out on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

The Maloofs opted to watch the game from their suite at midcourt instead of taking their usual courtside seats. Those were occupied instead by a family of three. Word around the arena was that the Maloofs entered the Pavilion through the front doors alongside fans instead of coming in through the private security entrance.

Former King Hickson has fit in well with Portland, and he hit the game's first basket. He finished with a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Like Thornton, Portland guard Wesley Matthews also overcame a slow start to lead all scorers with 31 points. Each time the Kings got within reach of the Blazers, Matthews seemed to hit the clutch shot and end the Sacramento rally. Several of these shots were of the three-point variety, as Matthews hit eight of his 10 attempts from downtown. Portland shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 16 of their 32 three-point attempts.

In addition to Thornton's 20 points, Tyreke Evans added 20, DeMarcus Cousins scored 23 and Isaiah Thomas had 18 points.

The Kings doubled up on Portland in the points in the paint category, winning that battle 58 to 30. Going into the fourth quarter trailing 81-79, the Kings finally received their first standing ovation when they tied the score at 93 on a steal and layup by Thornton. Following an offensive foul by Matthews, the Kings had two chances to take the lead, but Evans and Chuck Hayes each missed easy shots from close range. It was a Cousins layup that put the Kings ahead for the first time at 95-93.

Down 102-100, the Blazers called their final timeout of the game with 10.7 seconds left. When play resumed, Matthews overcame tough defense by Kings forward Francisco Garcia to create just enough room to shoot and nail a three-pointer from the corner with 5.8 seconds left.

The Kings then called their final timeout to set up what would be the game winner.

Oftentimes a team will use their tallest player to inbound the ball, but on this play the Kings used 5-foot-9 Thomas. He fed the ball to Thornton, who came off a screen to catch the pass, turn and hit the shot from the elbow to send the fans into a frenzy. The Blazers still had three seconds left, but with no timeouts they had to go the length of the floor and rush their final shot, which was not close.

Think Big ponders next move

2012-04-17T00:45:47Z

Think Big Sacramento Executive Director Chris Lehane said Monday that Friday’s spat with the Maloof family does not spell the end for an arena deal in downtown Sacramento, but that it was a setback that can be overcome.

“First of all, we’ve continued to believe that a downtown-based entertainment and sports complex makes tremendous sense for the city and the region for jobs creation and economic development,” Lehane said. “All of that continues to exist, and I think we need to explore alternative ways to move forward.”

Lehane said one option would be to follow the model of Kansas City, in which an arena was built without having a professional sports team as a partner. Another way could be to present the National Basketball Association with an alternate ownership group to replace the Maloofs.

“From the perspective of how we deal with the Kings right now, ultimately they are owned by the Maloofs, and that is what it is,” he said.

In a letter sent to Think Big Sacramento members on Sunday, Lehane outlined the arena effort over the past year, from initial talks of moving the team to Anaheim to exuberant collaboration with the city to Friday’s dissolution of the Feb. 27 handshake deal that provided the framework for an arena financing plan.

“The letter was a very straightforward effort to explain to people in layman’s terms how (the whole process) went down,” Lehane said.

In the four-page letter, Lehane wrote that the Maloofs attempted to renegotiate a deal that had been struck, then falsely claimed they sent a reworked term sheet to the city before the City Council approved the original term sheet March 6.

“One of the many reasons in a series of different reasons (the Maloofs) gave for backing out was that the deal was financially bad for the city,” Lehane said. “Then they offered a marked-up term sheet that would have been worse for the city.”

Think Big Project Manager Jeremiah Jackson told The Sacramento Press on Monday that Lehane’s letter clearly lays out the process, and he agreed with Lehane’s remarks about the Maloofs’ changes to the term sheet. Both Lehane and Jackson said the changes to the term sheet were not revealed before the City Council vote on March 6.

“On the one hand, they say the deal will be bad for the city financially, and they’re worried,” Jackson said. “On the other hand, their problems with the current deal are that the city is requiring collateral (for the loan), and they didn’t want to do a 30-year lease (on the facility) or pay predevelopment costs. Those are all things that put the taxpayers in a worse position.”

In one of the more strongly worded sections of the letter, Lehane took on the Maloofs’ financial concerns for the city.

“And then, on top of all of this, they asserted that the proposed deal was not in the best interest of the city, which coming from the Maloofs is a little like getting weight loss advice from Fat Albert,” Lehane said in the letter.

Downtown Sacramento Partnership Executive Director and Think Big Committee Member Michael Ault said Monday that the letter shows frustration with the current state of the deal.

“Chris obviously has been the driving force behind the leadership of the Think Big efforts,” Ault said. “I think what you’re reading is in large part based on personal frustration with the way this has transpired, but I think a lot of people are disappointed.”

Ault added that the local business community felt a sense of momentum generated by the process, and the death of the proposed deal is a setback, but not an end to efforts to build a downtown arena.

“From day one this has not been about the Kings or the Maloofs,” Ault said, echoing Lehane’s sentiments. “While they were an important piece, this is about the region’s desire, and building a state-of-the-art entertainment and sports complex is still a priority.”

Representatives for the Maloof family did not return phone calls on Monday.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Group gathering signatures for vote on arena issue

2012-04-16T23:55:35Z

Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork (STOP) announced Monday that they will continue gathering signatures on a petition that would require large public expenses on a project in the downtown railyards such as an arena to be approved by a public vote.

“We’re going to get this thing qualified for the ballot,” said spokesman Richard Tolmach. “A lot of people are stepping up and want to help us.”

The group began gathering signatures over the weekend, and Tolmach said there are currently about 1,000 signed petitions. To qualify for placement on a ballot, the petition must have about 21,000 signatures.

Placement on the November ballot was previously a top priority – and STOP would have needed to gather the signatures by May 31. After the proposed arena deal fell apart on Friday, Tolmach said, the campaign can take its time, placing it on the next city election.

“I think we will get the signatures in two or three months,” he said Monday.

If the signatures are gathered, he said, the initiative will appear on the next regularly scheduled election, which according to the Sacramento County Elections Office is in June 2014, unless there is reason to push forward with a special election.

“If the city wants to push things with the arena, then maybe we’d be put in a position like that,” he said.

For more information on the STOP petition, read about its announcement by clicking here and about its update from Friday by clicking here.

Officials disappointed, but moving forward with intermodal facility

2012-04-14T00:36:27Z

City officials had the last word of the day Friday on the failed arena deal between the city and the owners of the Sacramento Kings – and that word was “disappointed.”

“We are profoundly disappointed that the entertainment and sports complex project is not moving forward,” City Manager John Shirey said Friday. “We had great hopes, and there was great jubilation just a few weeks ago that a deal had been struck.”

Assistant City Manager John Dangberg and City Councilmen Rob Fong and Steve Cohn joined Shirey for an impromptu press conference Friday in response to the sudden failure of a deal between the city, the Maloofs, arena operator AEG and the NBA to build a new arena in Sacramento.

“The project was not just about the Kings, and not just about basketball,” Shirey said. “It was about the future of our city. It would have been the anchor for a very important project downtown and the development of our railyards.”

Calling the scrapped arena deal a “setback,” Shirey said he remains hopeful that the Maloofs will have a change of heart and return to the negotiating table with the city.

“They weren’t calling for the moving vans to pack up and go just yet,” he said. “They are going to be here next year, so something may still be worked out.”

Shirey said the city has halted all work on the arena project in light of Friday’s events, including work that would have been completed as early as next week.

“We had quite an array of experts put together to move us forward on this project, and we had limited money from the NBA committed by (NBA Commissioner David) Stern. We will be winding down those activities for the time being,” Shirey said.

In a press conference earlier in the day, George Maloof and attorney Barry McNeil said that for weeks they had been trying to raise some of the contentious issues that led to the break in negotiations, but the city didn’t respond.

An economist hired by the Maloofs to review economic impacts of the deal also said that he believes the city was biting off more than it could chew with the agreement.

Shirey said he did not believe the Maloofs’ claims were valid criticisms.

“We feel that we had addressed every issue, and we were still addressing issues in Orlando when we were trying to get down to final words of the agreement that we struck there,” Shirey said.

At an earlier press conference, George Maloof indicated that the Kings might be interested in revamping the current Power Balance Pavilion in Natomas – a suggestion that Cohn called a “red herring.”

“It’s not a serious proposal in my view,” Cohn said. “Why would we put money into something that they have said for years won’t work? If the Maloofs want to put their money into it, that’s great.”

Although Shirey said he felt the city would be ready to listen if the Maloofs wanted to talk about the arena deal again, Cohn said he was not as confident that all of the City Council members shared that feeling.

“I find it a little ironic that, with the Maloofs in the financial situation they are in, they say they are concerned about ours,” Cohn said.

Shirey, Cohn and Fong told media that plans for the intermodal transit facility will go forward at the railyards site, despite the failed deal with the Kings.

“We have a dynamic city to run,” Fong said. “We have a lot of issues to deal with, (whether) it’s the railyards or the riverfront or the budget. We have plenty to do still.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

NBA Commissioner: 'Nothing more to be done' to save arena deal

2012-04-13T20:55:55Z

After a year of negotiations, economic reports and financial cartwheels by city officials and Sacramento Kings owners, NBA Commissioner David Stern said it appears the deal for a new Sacramento arena is dead.

“I am extremely disappointed on behalf of both the Maloofs and the city of Sacramento,” Stern said at a New York press conference Friday, “but I think there is nothing further to be done.”

Stern said the NBA Board of Governors met Thursday with the Sacramento Kings team owners, the Maloofs, and – after hearing a “detailed and thorough” presentation – Stern said the board came to some simple conclusions.

“(In Orlando) we had an agreement in principle – a framework, a handshake deal you could call it,” he said. “In my view it was always subject to any party saying they didn’t want to do it. It was always non-binding.”

At an earlier press conference Friday, George Maloof, attorney David McNeil and economist-for-hire Chris Thornberg outlined the reasons the Maloofs were no longer interested in the handshake deal that took place Orlando.

The concerns included issues with profit-sharing, naming rights and signage, approval rights on contract agreements and pre-development costs.

“The terms under which we would be required to make financial commitments were wholly unworkable,” George Maloof said.

Stern said he felt the area deal failed because the Maloofs re-examined certain assumptions underpinning the deal and – upon closer review – they grew increasingly uncomfortable with it.

“They recognized that (since) it was necessary to bring in a third party, AEG, because we needed their funds to finance the deal – together with their existing debt load – it would further burden the team,” Stern said. “They ultimately decided this isn’t a transaction they want to go through with.”

Stern said that it would have saved everyone a lot of angst if the Maloofs had said they wanted out of the deal “sooner and simpler.”

George Maloof suggested at the earlier press conference that a better idea than building a new arena might be to revamp the existing Power Balance Pavillion, where the Kings currently play.

“If they choose to do that, that’s up to them,” Stern said.

Stern told media that, in Orlando, the NBA agreed to advance $63 million to the Maloofs to help finance their portion of the deal – and that the NBA would make an additional $7 million contribution to the Maloofs for other costs associated with the arena deal.

“I don’t think we have anything further to give, to cajole, to yell at or to do any of the various things I tried to get the parties on track to a workable deal,” Stern said.

Stern commended the city of Sacramento, the fans and Mayor Kevin Johnson for the effort to make a new arena deal work.

“We asked the city of Sacramento to step up and they did so in an extraordinary way,” Stern said. “They couldn’t have done so in a finer fashion.”

Johnson was in New York Friday to meet with the Maloofs to discuss the arena deal, however Stern said he was “hopeful but not optimistic” about the potential outcome of that meeting.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Maloofs: 'No arena deal if mayor won't negotiate'

2012-04-13T18:08:52Z

Sacramento Kings owners and their attorneys told media Friday that not only was there never a solid deal with the city for a new arena, but – if the mayor isn’t willing to negotiate – there never will be one.

“The mayor said he’s not negotiating? Then he killed the deal on his own terms,” team owner George Maloof said at a press conference in New York. “It’s over.”

The morning press conference opened with Kings attorney Barry McNeil giving a detailed timeline of events in the “arena saga,” starting with the Maloofs’ initial proposal to move the Kings to Anaheim in 2010.

“We want to demonstrate to you that the Kings have exercised their best efforts over the past 12 months to get a new arena built,” McNeil said. “The Kings and the NBA have done all they can to create the best deal possible.”

McNeil said the agreement reached in Orlando between the city of Sacramento, arena operator AEG and the team owners was non-binding and all parties were aware that there were numerous issues to be worked out.

George Maloof said he sent the NBA – which was negotiating in the deal on the Maloofs’ behalf – an email listing at least 13 points of contention the team owners had with the proposed term sheet.

The list included concerns about pre-development costs and the city’s assumed revenue projections for the project.

“The terms of the deal that we were presented with (on Feb. 19) were insulting. It’s clear that we did not have a deal there,” Maloof said.

In an email response dated Feb. 29, NBA representatives told the Maloofs that several of the owners’ desired changes to the deal would be agreeable to the city, however, “They say they cannot put the provisions into the document for political reasons,” the email stated.

McNeil said that the term sheet posted by the city and voted on by the City Council March 6 did not include any revisions from the team owners – despite having received the detailed revisions from the NBA the day before.

“The City Council saw a term sheet that was inaccurate and largely irrelevant,” McNeil said. “They voted on a term sheet that they assumed we had agreed to.”

Economist Chris Thornberg, a partner at Beacon Economics, said he was hired by the Maloofs to review the city’s economic impact report on the new arena – and the results of the review were disappointing.

“The revenue projections and estimates for this agreement are highly overblown,” Thornberg said.

Thornberg questioned the basis for the financial assumptions in the report, largely because it relied on a “rosy” economic picture.

“This project would put the city right on the edge of fiscal disaster,” he said. “There is very little room for error.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson and NBA representatives were not at the press conference, however, in an open letter to the Maloof family Thursday, Johnson expressed his concerns about the Maloofs’ intentions.

“Any representation that a deal was not reached is simply not consistent with the perspective of every other party to the negotiation nor the actual statements of the family,” he said in the letter.

“Under no circumstances will the city make material adjustments to the current terms of the deal,” he said. “Put simply, we have done our part.”

Johnson agreed to meet with the Maloofs Friday in New York City, but in his letter Thursday he said there should be “no expectation” that the deal is subject to further negotiation.

When asked about the scene at the Kings game March 6 with team owners and Johnson on the court, shaking hands and celebrating after the City Council voted to move forward, George Maloof said it didn’t mean they had a solid deal.

“No, there were still negotiations to be done,” he said. “Everyone knew it.”

Read Johnson's letter here.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Bounty hunter Padilla runs for mayor for a fifth time

2012-04-13T00:34:53Z

Self-described “world-famous” Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla is making his fifth bid for mayor – and this time he intends to win.

Padilla, 72, said Wednesday that the decision to run for mayor has always been an easy one for him to make because running for political office brings a valuable opportunity to candidates.

“You have things that you want to say publicly, and the mayor’s race gives you that ability,” Padilla said. “It gets you out there to where you keep up with what’s happening in the city, and you are forced to learn about sewer rates, water rates, garbage and the budget. It forces you into a situation where you have to just learn.”

The key difference for Padilla in his decision to join the current mayoral race is that – this time – there is a significant and publicly divisive issue at the forefront of the race: the proposed entertainment and sports complex.

It is an issue that Padilla is “vehemently, completely and unequivocally” opposed to, he said.

“In the other (races) there wasn’t a situation as imposing on the city’s funding as what they want to do with a half a billion dollars,” Padilla said. “It’s not going to be just $390 million – everyone knows nothing ever gets built under budget. It’ll be $500 million or more before it’s done.”

Padilla said that, among other problems, the city would be making a mistake to sell off the city parking assets for 50 years and risk an increase in parking rates.

He said he believes city officials and city staff would be more effective if they weren’t distracted with the arena deal.

“I’m not saying (Mayor Kevin Johnson) has been a waste of time, I’m saying he has been distracted for four years with this arena business,” Padilla said.

If he is elected, Padilla said, he will not focus on the arena – he’d rather see the idea fade completely from the city’s attention. Instead, he said, he will turn his attention to more pressing city business.

“The one salient point people keep forgetting about is that the Maloofs already have an arena. Let the Kings go play there and let city staff get back to paying attention to what’s really important for the city.”

Issues that Padilla would like to address include cutting back at City Hall to save money, finding a housing solution for the city’s homeless population and creating an incentive program for police officers to live within the city limits.

“I want people who are eager to make it safe to live in the city of Sacramento, especially the ones who are protecting the city of Sacramento,” he said.

Padilla said he believes that having police officers live in the neighborhoods they serve makes a difference in how residents feel about the level of safety in their city.

Padilla said he started bounty hunting in 1974 when a friend working for an insurance company asked for his help finding someone who jumped bail.

Padilla realized it was something he was good at – and he got paid more than he expected – so he kept doing it.

“It made things comfortable enough to get me through law school and take care of my family – not extravagant, but comfortable,” Padilla said.

He and his family turned a part-time gig into a slew of bail bond agencies along with his bounty hunting business.

“They get people out of jail, and I put them back in when they don’t go to court,” Padilla said.

Padilla is running against Johnson, municipal finance manager Jonathan Rewers and insurance broker Richard Jones.

All of the other candidates, Padilla said, are either in full support or the new arena – or at least “cautiously optimistic” about its potential success.

“I have no problem with having an arena, I just don’t want to see the city spend what it can’t afford,” Padilla said. “If we are tenacious about living within our budget, we’ll do much better.”

Padilla said he would be comfortable debating Johnson or any other candidate if given the opportunity – but he thinks the prospect is unlikely.

“I was told that I’m too glib and I don’t have a political future at stake, so I’m not concerned about the comments I make,” Padilla said.

“They want a debate with someone who’ll speak cautiously,” he added. “That’s not me.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Kings lose a tough, physical game against the Clippers 93-85

2012-04-07T01:25:55Z

One would think, in a game billed as the “Throwdown Showdown,” a battle between a couple of the game’s best dunkers in Donte Greene and DeMarcus Cousins for the Kings and DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin for the visiting Clippers, that there would be a ton of action at the rim.

Not the case, as Sacramento’s front line did a solid job of protecting the paint against the bigs from Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, it was the guards of the Clippers who did the damage in the key on various drives to the basket by Chris Paul, Randy Foye, Nick Young and Eric Bledsoe. Each of them scored in double figures and constantly pushed the ball into the lane as the Kings lost 93-85 Thursday evening at Power Balance Pavilion.

Coach Keith Smart had Francisco Garcia starting in place of the injured Marcus Thornton. It was the third different starter Smart has used since having to replace Thornton, and Garcia had an immediate effect.

‘Cisco was all over the court early on, garnering two steals and a block in the opening quarter. His defensive presence, along with Cousins and Jason Thompson, filled the middle, keeping Griffin and Jordan from getting to the rim very many times.

Offensively, it was Thompson who led the way, scoring nine and picking up six boards in the opening period. He really performed like he was before he twisted his ankle a couple of weeks ago. Thompson finished with 15 points, 16 boards and a couple of blocks.

Trouble arose when Cousins acquired his fourth turnover late in the first quarter and then his fourth foul very early in the second and had to go to the bench for the rest of the first half. Several of the big man’s turnovers came from trying to put the ball on the floor too close to the basket and Clipper players guarding the paint. Cousins lost the ball several times, which led to him getting frustrated, thus picking up more fouls than usual.

In his absence, Chuck Hayes and Thompson did a great job of limiting the number of easy slams by Clipper big men by closing down the key and keeping them out of the lane.

But it was the “little” guys of Los Angeles that gave the Kings fits. Foye had 20 points, Paul 13 and even Bledsoe had 13 off the pine. It was the pesky Paul’s five steals that kept being the thorn in the collective sides of the guardians of the Kings' castle.

After finding themselves down by 10 with two minutes left in the third, Jimmer Fredette got the crowd back into the contest by nailing a three. The shot brought the 14,411 strong to their feet and started Sacramento on the comeback trail.

After a couple of hustle plays by Terrance Williams and Fredette, the team was down by three with 10:15 remaining in the game.

Isaiah Thomas (17 points, five boards, only one assist) gave the team its first lead since early in the first quarter.

After a Jimmer three and a Thomas jumper, the team stalled out. With a loud “Beat L.A.” chant going in the background, the last lead the Kings had was with 3:42 left on the clock.

Tyreke Evans had his shot with 45 seconds left that would have kept it a one-point game roll around and out. Thirty seconds later, Evans made it a one-point game again with 18 clicks left on the clock by sinking two free throws.

After Evans just missed a steal attempt on the inbounds pass, it was all trips to the line for the Clippers as they capped the victory from the charity stripe.

Just to show you that these teams are starting to not like each other, Kenyon Martin waited until the clock was about to strike zero before launching a long ball that went in as if to rub the Kings’ faces in the loss.

Evans explained after the game about how tough it was to guard the Clippers guards.

“Chris Paul, Foye and Bledsoe, they are all fast and good guards,” Evans said. “They attacked the basket off the break a lot, and they have some crafty guys that play defense. We just have to be better in the paint when we’re down there.”

It was a very physical game with lots of fouls that weren't called along with the ones that were. The uneven refereeing was a topic in the locker room after the game.

Griffin didn’t want to get into the topic, saying they would play again soon, but Cousins had no problem addressing the issue of the day.

“Of course, that’s what Blake is going to say,” Cousins quipped. “He’s in L.A. where actors belong. He’s an actor.”

Cousins also said that if the refs were going to let it be physical, then it’s usually that way on both ends.

Friday morning, Cousins was fined $25,000 for his post-game comments about the officiating.

The Kings play the Clippers Saturday in Los Angeles.

GAME NOTES: Even though the Kings had nine blocks and 10 steals, the assist-to-turnover ratio was poor with the team having 19 assists to 18 turnovers . . . Cousins only had eight points and three boards . . . Evans finished with 14 points, three boards, six assists and two blocked shots . . . Hayes had the second-most boards on the Kings with seven . . . Speaking with Thornton after the game, he said he’s unlikely for Saturday’s rematch with the Clippers.

Photo credit: David Alvarez

Council moves arena work forward as Maloofs balk at sharing costs

2012-04-04T05:48:52Z

Even as the Sacramento Kings’ owners backpedal on a deal struck with the city and arena operator AEG, Mayor Kevin Johnson and the City Council voted 7-2 in favor of spending nearly $13 million on pre-development work associated with the new arena – $200,000 of that advanced from the NBA on behalf of the Maloofs.

Less than one month after Johnson returned from Orlando announcing a deal had been struck, the Kings’ owners, the Maloof family, started balking at paying a share of the pre-development costs, which include development of the site plan for the arena and preparing for environmental reviews.

In a March 20 letter to the city, the Maloofs expressed doubts about the city’s ability to get a new arena built in the projected timeline – raising questions about the team’s commitment to staying in Sacramento.

Johnson spoke about the situation at a press conference Tuesday, saying he hesitated to speak publicly about it because he was “dumbfounded” by the possibility.

“I’ve been trying to figure it out for the past few days,” Johnson said. “Did I misinterpret what was said (in Orlando)? I don’t think so.”

According to the terms of the agreement made after a week of intense meetings in Orlando in March, Sacramento is responsible for 50 percent of the pre-development costs, and AEG and the Maloofs are each responsible for 25 percent.

That comes to $6.5 million for the city and $3.25 million from AEG and the Maloofs, respectively.

The city’s share of pre-development costs includes $5 million from the Master Owner Participation Agreement (MOPA) funds resulting from the sale of the Sheraton hotel and $1.5 million from the city’s parking fund, according to the city staff report.

But the Maloofs said in the letter to the city that they do not feel a responsibility to share those costs because they would only be tenants in the arena.

"Pre-development costs are not the responsibility of the tenant. The Sacramento Kings organization will continue to work with the city to seek solutions to the unresolved issues," Maloofs spokesman Eric Rose said in a March 30 statement.

Johnson was quick to point out at the press conference that the Maloof's claim that tenants don’t pay pre-development costs didn’t “add up” for him.

“Orlando was a ‘tenant only,’ and they paid pre-development costs,” Johnson said. “If you look at other arenas, tenants have paid predevelopment. For the Kings, as tenants only, tenants don’t normally get naming rights and other concessions. We are all in this together.”

After a lengthy discussion that included 12 speakers during public comment, council members ultimately voted 7-2 in favor of moving forward with the project.

Johnson and City Council members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn, Rob Fong, Jay Schenirer, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted in favor of the resolution to start the pre-development work on the arena.

Council members Sandy Sheedy and Kevin McCarty voted against the resolution.

“I need to know that we have partners willing to go the distance with us,” Ashby said. “We are on the front end of this process, and we have a long way to go. Tonight is a chance for us to vote to move forward and live up to what we said we would do.”

Sheedy said she opposed the resolution because she felt it was being unnecessarily rushed.

“I don’t understand why we’re giving this so much urgency,” Sheedy said. “The NBA is meeting April 12. We could come back after that with the knowledge of what (the Maloofs) are really going to do.”

No one from the Maloof family was present at the council meeting Tuesday.

Members of a local group trying to force a public vote on the financing of the arena showed up in force at the council meeting, passing out fliers encouraging voters to join the effort to get the initiative on the November ballot.

“Basically, it boils down to priorities,” Sacramento resident and Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork campaign founder Julian Camacho said. “We have an education system that is failing, and parks and schools that are closed, and (we have) an aging sewer system that needs work. To put in a minimum of $255 million into this sports complex – it just means our priorities aren’t right.”

The initiative language – which states that use of public financing for an arena should go to a public vote – was validated by the City Attorney Monday, and supporters will now begin to collect the necessary signatures to qualify the initiative for the November ballot.

In the meantime, pre-development work on the arena will continue. City officials said the project will be undergoing environmental review starting this month.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Kings open final month of season with a win

2012-04-04T01:14:51Z

On Monday night the Sacramento Kings opened up their second straight back-to-back set with a home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The shorthanded Wolves kept the score close but in the end it was the Kings, following a strong performance from Tyreke Evans and another solid night from DeMarcus Cousins, who took the 116-108 victory to open April.

Evans led all scorers with 24 points on an 8-for-14 shooting night and came up three assists short of recording a triple-double to go with his 10 rebounds. Evans nearly put down a ferocious one-handed dunk in the first half after he exploded through the defense in the paint, but the ball appeared to slip out of his hand at the basket. Still, the sudden burst drew plenty of ooh’s and ahh’s from the fans.

Earlier in the day, Kings guard Isaiah Thomas was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for the second consecutive month and he continued to show why he deserves some consideration for the league’s Rookie of the Year award. Thomas added 17 points on the night including a pair of three-point shots in the game’s opening quarter.

Fellow rookie Jimmer Fredette also played well for the Kings as he received quality minutes and took advantage of the opportunity by scoring 19 points in 25 minutes of action. Fredette had a couple of chances to put the game away late in the fourth quarter but he missed two good looks from three-point land.

“That young man has been working his tail off and he has been doing things to get himself to be a really good guard, point guard, off-guard, whatever it might be, whatever he develops into,” coach Keith Smart said when asked about Fredette’s contribution.

Cousins, who has been putting up double-doubles on a nightly basis, missed that mark tonight by coming up one rebound short. He scored 20 points, but it was his defense that helped force Wolves big man Kevin Love to work hard for his 23 points.

Minnesota came into the game missing four players due to injury and things got worse late in the third quarter when point guard Luke Ridnour appeared to roll his ankle underneath the basket. Ridnour remained on the ground in severe pain for well over a minute before play was stopped so he could be helped off the floor.

Wolves center Brad Miller was given the start by coach Rick Adelman. Of course, Kings fans remember them both for the good times back in the earlier part of the 2000’s. Miller, who announced he’ll be retiring at the end of the season, received a nice ovation from the Sacramento fans during player introductions. This was likely Miller’s final appearance in Sacramento and he reminded fans that he still has the touch when he hit three three-point shots in the first quarter. During a timeout in the second quarter the Kings played a video tribute to Miller which was well-received by the fans.

Late in the first quarter Kings guard Marcus Thornton was kicked in the calf and left the game with what is being called a bruised calf. It is not certain if he will play Tuesday when the Phoenix Suns come to Power Balance Pavilion.

Photos taken by Darren Hall, www.darrenhallphotography.net

Kings continue Smart play with help from Thornton, Cousins and J.T.

2012-03-22T00:48:27Z

In this year of ups and downs, consistency has been the Sacramento Kings missing piece.

After losing two games that the Kings should have won against lesser opponents last week, the team then beat two upper-echelon teams with relative ease. A win would give the team three in a row and would seem to have them on track in digesting and displaying coach Keith Smart’s system. A loss, and the roller coaster ride would continue.

So when the Memphis Grizzlies came to town Tuesday evening, the question was, which Kings team would show up?

The short answer: the good one.

The Kings took over in the first quarter by scoring 37 points and never looked back in downing the Grizzlies 119-110 at Power Balance Pavilion, winning three in a row for only the second time this shortened season.

The home team got out early behind the scoring of DeMarcus Cousins, Marcus Thornton and Isaiah Thomas, who collectively accounted for 31 of the team’s first 37 points.

Cousins’ footwork is improving every game as evidenced by his relentless scoring at the rim. Thomas is finding cutters and hitting his jumpers better and more often. And what can you say about Thornton?

Quite simply, he’s been doing it all.

In the last three wins, Thornton has had 36 against Boston, 24 in the Minnesota matchup and 31 against Memphis. Besides the scoring barrage he has been on, Thornton has been all over the court. Against Boston he had four boards, four assists and five steals. Versus the Timberwolves, he had five rebounds, four assists and four steals. And on this night, seven boards, six assists and three steals.

Marcus Thornton just plays angry.

“Yeah, I do,” Thornton immediately agreed. “When I’m out there on the court, there’s no friends. We can all talk after the game, but when I’m out there on the court, it’s all business.”

And on Tuesday, business was good.

Like in the past two wins, every time the visiting team made a run, the Kings came back with one of their own.

Just before the halftime break, with Memphis on a 13-2 run, the Kings only had a two-point lead. It was then that Cousins made a drive to the hoop and had a one-handed stuff that brought the faithful fans to their feet in roaring applause, so much so that the cheering lasted over a minute as the crowd stood in awe.

Memphis only scored two more in the half.

After taking a halftime lead of 10 to the locker room, it was more of the Thornton and Cousins show. Thornton had 11 in the third and the Big Cuz had nine.

The unsung hero in this current Kings run has to be Jason Thompson. Over the last three games, Thompson has averaged 18.3 points, 13.3 boards and is shooting 83 percent.

Against the Grizz, the Kings’ big man’s run continued. He had 14 points, 13 rebounds and four assists and, as always, was hustling up and down the court on every play. Thompson, after four years, is settling in and blossoming into the player he always thought he could become.

“One, it helps that I’m not in foul trouble”, Thompson said. “Two, that I’m consistently on the floor and that I’m picking and choosing my spots and running the floor. I’m just having fun out there and not worrying about things that I can’t control.”

What he and the other Kings bigs have been controlling has been the paint. The Kings out-rebounded the Celtics 45-28, had 42 boards versus the Timberwolves and garnered 10 more boards than the Grizzlies.

In the second half, Cousins left the floor twice, the second time from a bloody nose after getting smacked in the face hard by Dante Cunningham. While Cuz lay on the floor, he wondered if it was broken because, as he said, “I felt something pop.”

Cousins went to the back to make sure it wasn’t broken and returned in the final quarter.

But it was the unselfish Tyreke Evans, along with the rookie sensation Thomas, who controlled the fourth as they both scored nine points in the quarter to help mop up the Grizzlies.

When asked about why he told Smart to let John Salmons start, since the team seemed to be playing so well, Evans said the decision shows some real growth for this team.

“I want to be the leader of this team, so I have to step up and make decisions,” Evans said after the game. “That’s the decision I wanted to make to help us win more games and to keep John’s confidence going, because he’s been doing a great job.”

GAME NOTES: All five Memphis starters scored in double figures . . . Thomas finished with 18 points, five boards, seven assists and two steals . . . Evans had 13 off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting . . . The Kings assist to turnover ratio was solid again as they had 28 assists to only 13 turnovers . . . The team shot 53.4 percent . . . The Kings signed free agent guard/forward Terrance Williams to a 10-day contract.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

Steven Chea

http://www.stevenchea.com/index.html

Kings hit on all cylinders, outrun Mavericks on way to 110-97 blowout

2012-03-10T23:37:31Z

What a difference a couple of months make.

It was back on January 14 when the keepers of the castle were in Dallas and getting blown off the court. They only scored 23 points in the first half, 60 in the game and shot twenty-six percent in possibily the most disappointing performance of the season.

Fast forward to the present.

Coach Smart has had more quality time to spend with the team, thus the cohesion and his style of play are finally taking shape.

On Friday night at Power Balance Pavilion, the Kings put on display the collective knowledge that Smart has infused into the team as they put a whooping on the visiting Dallas Mavericks 110-97 in front of a nearly-packed house.

For the first time this season, almost everything seemed to go the Kings way. They shot over fifty percent, forty percent from beyond the arc, made all 13 free throws, had 25 assists and only 14 turnovers. A complete game in anyones book!

Early action had the game close, but the Kings were clearly setting the tempo.

On the back of what is becoming one of the most entertaining three-guard combos in the league - Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and Isaiah Thomas - the home team acquired a 13-point lead several times in the opening quarter.

Every time in the first half the Mavs made a run, the boys from Sac Town pushed back as if to say 'not on this night.'

As the game kept moving along, the scenery stayed the same.

Jason Terry was doing everything he could to keep Dallas in the contest as he had 12 points, a couple of long-range bombs and two steals by halftime.

The Kings big men - especially Donte Greene, who got the start because of the Dirk Nowitzski matchup, kept the leagues former MVP under wraps most of the game. Nowitzki finished with only 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting and a lot of that credit goes to the coaching of Keith Smart, who kept putting guys in the right position to shut him down.

Whether it was Chuck Hayes, Jason Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins or Greene, the Kings frontline kept the first European to ever score 20,000 points in the NBA in check by staying in front of him and making him take shots from many different angles.

The Kings offense was running like a dream. It was like watching a hot Ginsu knife go through butter. Players that sliced through the lane were found by willing passers all game as witnessed by the teams 25 assists.

Coach Smart has done a great job in getting everybody involved as every player that hit the floor in the first half in a white and purple uniform scored. For the third game in a row, the team had over 20 dishes.

Each time the Mavs got close, the Kings turned up the speed of the game. The Kings would get up by 13, then Dallas would cut it to six, then back up to 10. It was like that until the halfway through the third when the Kings would push it to a 19-point lead and never look back.

With six minutes left in the game, Coach Rick Carlisle threw in the white towel as he took all five starters off the floor and let the bench clean up the mess.

All night long, the Kings made the Mavericks look old and slow. It was like they were moving through quicksand and the Kings were skating on ice.

Coach Smart talked about getting these players to think as a team instead of individuals.

“If I see that you are hunting, like we did earlier in the year, then this guy hunts and he goes for his shots and wants his numbers. He looks up at the scoreboard and sees he has eight points and decides he wants to score, I got to get him out of the game. But they understand that. But I think overall, what our guys are doing now is trusting each other and cutting hard.”

“I am proud of these guys because they are buying in to what we are trying to preach to them. When you have a game like this against a really good team, on the things that you are doing and preaching every day in practice, it works out.”

Donte Greene, who Smart started in place of Thompson because of the Nowitzski matchup, can feel this team starting to bond.

“Team chemistry man, just building that team chemistry,” said the 6’11” forward out of Syracuse. “A lot of guys really didn’t get a chance to hang out with each other during the lockout, so during the season (we’ve been) hanging out and learning each other’s games.”

Rookie point guard Isaiah Thomas sees things the same way. The guys are starting to click.

“We’re trusting each other,” said Thomas. “If we do that a lot more, we’ll be a better team. You guys see it. If we play together, hit the open guy and make the extra pass, we always play a lot better. That kinda motivates us to play even better defense. We’ve just got to be consistent with it and once we are a consistent team with the way we did today with our offense and our defense, we’ll be a pretty good team.”

GAME NOTES: Francisco Garcia (10 points, 2 3‘s, 3 steals and 2 blocks) was everywhere on the floor . . . Cousins, who was still a little sluggish from the food poisoning, had 5 assists to go along with 15 points . . . Evans was the teams leading rebounder with 9

Kings get first last second victory of the season, beat Hornets 99-98

2012-03-09T02:28:55Z

Unlikely.

If you would have asked almost any Kings fan before the game, they never would have used that word to describe the chances of a win against the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday evening at Power Balance Pavilion.

Not only likely, but darn well better win.

But when it came down to the final moments of the game, the chances of a home victory seemed very unlikely.

With the Kings trailing by one and 14.9 seconds left in the game, Marcus Thornton (25 points, four boards, four steals) missed a runner and the collective breath of the old barn let out a sigh. It seemed a loss was in the near future until an incredible steal from rookie point guard Isaiah Thomas, who then passed to John Salmons for the game-winning bucket as the Kings beat the Hornets 99-98 in a true nail-biter of a game.

The fun didn’t stop there as the Hornets still had 6.8 clicks left on the clock to beat Sacramento. On the final play, great defense by Tyreke Evans on Trevor Ariza made his shot fall short, and the Kings ran off the court victorious.

In a game that saw DeMarcus Cousins out due to food poisoning and J.J. Hickson still nursing his hip, it was last month’s Co-Rookie of the Month Thomas (12 points, two three-pointers) who provided the early spark by scoring seven of the first nine points for Sacramento.

Thomas picked up two early fouls and had to give way to Jimmer Fredette, who played well with 11 points and five assists.

The Kings gained a five-point lead several times in the first quarter only to have New Orleans get the game close every time.

Sloppy play in the second by the reserves gave the Hornets a chance to grab the lead before most of the Kings starters returned. Once they settled back in, the Kings took a 58-54 halftime lead.

By halftime, the difference in rebounding was increasingly noticeable. With Cousins out, the team was missing at least 12 to 15 rebounds per game. As the halftime stats would reveal, the Kings were out-rebounded 22-13.

In the third, the Hornets continued the hot shooting. They followed up their 64.7 percent shooting in the second quarter by shooting 52.6 percent in the third, giving the Kings all they could handle.

Curiously enough, after playing only 4:49 in the third, with no foul trouble, coach Keith Smart sat Thomas. At that point, the last pick in last year’s draft had 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting with two long-range bombs and seemed to be playing at a high level. Thomas did not return until there were 58 seconds left in the game.

Considering Thomas made the game-saving steal, it was the first question asked at the post-game press conference.

Why didn’t Thomas play in the fourth quarter until there were 57 seconds left in the game?

“Jarrett Jack is a powerful point guard,” Smart said. “I knew I had to buy some time right there, because he was doing an incredible job of trying to force his will to the basket, so I thought our bigger guards (would do a better job). I needed size on him first, and I thought Salmons did a great job on really defending him in the second half.”

Salmons looks to be settling into his role as the team’s point guard off the bench. Besides the game-winning layup, he had 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Salmons admitted that, after disappointing losses to Phoenix and Denver on the road, this one would have been tough to swallow.

“In coming off of that Denver loss, the way we lost, I think it was good for the guys to get one like that,” he said.

Jack was killing it. He finished with 25 on 11-of-17 shooting and seemed to hit every crucial shot the Hornets needed.

The fourth quarter belonged to Thornton as he scored seven on 3-of-5 shooting. Even though he missed a jumper with 15 clicks left on the clock, he did score five of the last seven points.

When Thomas was asked if he though he could have guarded Jack more in the game, he quickly said yes, but that Salmons was doing a great job, and whatever the coach wants, the coach gets.

“Size isn’t a problem with me,” Thomas said. “I felt like I could have guarded him a little better than I did in the first half. I had two early fouls, so I was a little timid. Coach wanted Johnny and we got the win. You can’t be mad at that because he made a decision and we came out with the win, so I’m happy with it.”

GAME NOTES: Trevor Ariza (20 points, six assists) also had a good game . . . Chris Kaman posted a double double with 18 points and 11 boards and only needed two more assists for a triple double . . . The Kings only had 13 turnovers but had 20 assists . . . Jason Thompson had12 points and 8 boards

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

Ron Nabity Photography
http://nabityphotos.com

City Council says 'yes' to new arena plan

2012-03-07T15:13:52Z

With a triumphant shout, Mayor Kevin Johnson cast the final vote in a 7-2 decision in favor of a financing plan to build a new entertainment and sports complex and keep the Sacramento Kings in town for another 30 years.

Cheers, applause and chants of “SAC-RA-MEN-TO” broke out among the more than 250 people in council chambers Tuesday at the end of a four-hour-long City Council meeting that culminated in what Johnson called “a historic vote.”

“Every one of you in the community did not give up,” Johnson said. “People far and wide all played a role and came together. I think we met every milestone along the way, and we made every minute count.”

Johnson and City Council members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn, Rob Fong, Jay Schenirer, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted in favor of the financing plan.

Council members Sandy Sheedy and Kevin McCarty voted against the plan.

More than 500 people came to City Hall Tuesday – filling the overflow seating in the lobby and a room in Old City Hall – to hear the details of a $400 million financing plan developed over the past year by members of the Think Big Committee, city staff and private consultants hired by the city.

After the first hour of public comment, the opposition to the arena was outnumbered by support by three to one, according to the speaker count from City Clerk Shirley Concolino.

“The financial world is crashing around you, and you are looking to add more public debt,” said Bob Blymer, executive director for the Sacramento County Taxpayers League.

Many speakers opposed to the arena echoed Blymer’s comments, saying the public portion of the financing – which would come largely from a proposed parking monetization plan – would be a mistake.

“We won’t be able to continue (this project) without additional funding,” Sacramento resident John Burger said during public comment. “Your treasurer said you’re considering ‘evaluated risk’ in this situation – well, your risk managers need risk managers.”

Supporters of the arena included business owners, Kings fans and longtime Sacramento residents who encouraged council members to vote in favor of the financing plan.

Linda Budge, vice mayor of Rancho Cordova, encouraged council members to support the recommendation and to move forward with the entertainment and sports complex.

“It’s important for our region and for our citizens. We want people to grow and thrive,” Budge said. “The last thing we want to do is foul out at the end of regulation.”

Lee Perkins, a former radio personality, said the arena is not just for sports, but for children’s events and music events as well.

“We are talking about building a world-class city and a world-class facility,” Perkins said.

Johnson said at his weekly press conference Tuesday morning that he expected “a robust discussion” at the council meeting, and he said after the meeting that he was not disappointed.

“It feels like we’re having our own Super Tuesday here in Sacramento,” Johnson said.

When public comment concluded, Sheedy opened the discussion of details of the financing plan with questions directed to Assistant City Manager John Dangberg.

“There are a lot of assumptions built into these numbers,” Sheedy said. “Aren’t these funding sources really volatile? My feeling is, if something goes wrong with one or two sources, the money just won’t be there.”

Sheedy asked Dangberg questions about the method for calculating the number of jobs that would result from building the arena, as well as questions clarifying how revenue from the sale of public land could be used – other than for an arena.

“When you start taking the people’s land – that is a use of public funds that could be used elsewhere,” Sheedy said.

A staff report released by Sheedy’s office Monday questioned the reliability of the estimated financing numbers in the term sheet, and some speakers – both in support of and in opposition to the arena – referred to it in their comments Tuesday.

“Shame on any council member who would put their interests ahead of the best interests of the city,” said one Sacramento resident who didn’t state his name. “If you do, you will be doing a very Sheedy job.”

Ashby, Schenirer and Rob Fong each spoke briefly in support of the financing plan, yet each acknowledged the risks involved in building an arena.

“We need to strike a balance between not losing a team, doing the best for Sacramento and not letting Natomas be forgotten,” Ashby said.

When Darrell Fong and Pannell announced their support, they were met with loud applause from the audience.

City Manager John Shirey told council members that, with their approval of the financing term sheet, city staff can move on to the next steps toward building the arena.

Those next steps include continuing the search for a parking operator to take over the city’s parking assets and starting the “predevelopment” stage – which includes the design of the new facility and laying the groundwork for getting construction under way.

Included in the final vote was authorization for $850,000 from the city’s parking fund to pay for consulting services to take the city through the predevelopment stage to groundbreaking, which is proposed to begin in late 2013.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MeiissaCorker.

Kings let frustration affect game, lose to Clippers 108-100

2012-03-03T02:20:41Z

Playing against the “Lob City” crew and an arsenal of good long-range shooters, the Kings’ task at hand, on this Thursday night, was a tough one.

Add in Kenyon Martin, who just made it back from China, and the Clippers are finally a legitimate contending team in this shortened season.

With that said, the Sacramento Kings hung tough until a bad stretch in the fourth quarter that was initiated by some — as the venerable Bill Walton would say, “horrible” — calls and non-calls by the officials. In the end, the Kings fell too far back late in the game to mount a comeback and lost to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 108-100.

After the Kings got out to a early 6-0 lead on shots from DeMarcus Cousins (23 points, 10 boards, three blocks) and Tyreke Evans (18 points, six boards), things started to even out over the next 10 minutes.

The Blake Griffin dunkfest was on display early as the Clippers big man had 10 points in the opening quarter. About half of those wouldn’t have ended up in dunks had it not been for some poor ball-handling and turnovers by the home team.

The Kings starters played the entire first quarter, as it looked like coach Keith Smart wanted to take advantage of a short window of time when the Clippers starters were resting. Maybe he thought the bench would have a hard time keeping up with the Clips starters.

Smart was right. Once the entire Kings starting five were replaced, Los Angeles mounted a 10-point lead early in the second and, for a minute, looked like they would rack up a huge lead. A three from Jimmer Fredette (11 points, three assists, three threes) got the rest of the team fired up and helped get them even. Add in a couple more long-range bombs for Fredette and one from Francisco Garcia, and the Kings pulled to an eight-point lead late in the first half.

Fredette’s second three blew the roof off the Pavilion and had every player on the Kings bench jumping up and down like madmen. Ex-King and Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro had to call a timeout just to quiet the crowd.

The Kings were outscored 13-4 in the final moments of the first half which pushed the game to a tie after two quarters.

At the half, the Clippers had 18 assists to only two turnovers compared to the Kings 10 assists and nine miscues, a statistic that haunted the Kings for the entire game.

The Kings came out flat in the third and fell behind by nine early. It wasn't until halfway through the third that they started to hit some shots and got the game tied at 72 a piece.

That was the last time Sacramento came close in the game.

“A top-level team made a lot of plays”, Smart said in his post-game presser. “They ratcheted their defense up a little bit. We turned the ball over. We had 18 turnovers that led to 27 points.”

Well said.

What coach didn’t say, and can’t without a hefty fine from the league, is that the officials in this game, particularly Bennie Adams, were terrible. They missed a goal-tend call and several hard fouls by the Clippers that would have at least led to some foul shots by the Kings.

They even let Del Negro walk halfway onto the court and yell at the officials without calling a technical!

The non-calls and turnovers were the catalyst for the wheels falling off as the frustration took the Kings completely out of their game.

Smart agreed but said that they would have to learn to overcome such issues.

“They’ve got to fight through that,” Smart said, admitting that the calls were getting to the team. “We’re not going to get the benefit of calls here and there. We’ve got to be strong with the ball, and we have to attack the basket with a serious purpose until we can establish ourselves as a team that can play physical back with another team.”

Late in the third, J.J. Hickson took a nasty fall while attempting a rebound. He had to go up at an angle to have a shot, and as he came down he skipped off a Clipper and fell about four feet right onto his keister. Hickson was helped off the floor and didn’t return. The media was told after the game that he injured his left hip. He was seen on crutches in the locker room in a lot of pain.

The final score was not indicative of how close the game was, as the Kings were down by 19 with 2:46 left in the game.

Cousins spoke about the Kings faltering down the stretch.

“A lot of open shots we gave up,” Cousins said. “Players that aren’t big pieces on the team, we let them make big plays tonight. That’s what really killed us. Just some mental breakdowns.”

GAME NOTES: Six Clipper players scored in double figures, including Caron Butler (13 points), Randy Foye (16 points and three threes), Chris Paul (22 points, nine assists), Mo Williams (18 points, four threes) and Bobby Simmons had 13 points . . . Marcus Thornton had 18 . . . Co-Rookie of the Month Isaiah Thomas had his worst game since becoming the starting point guard with only 10 points, four assists along with six turnovers . . . Good stat: King won rebounding battle 40-33 . . . Bad stat: Clippers had 30 assists to only 14 for the Kings.

Photos courtesy of Darren Hall, Darren Hall Photography

New arena renderings released

2012-03-02T23:27:48Z

City officials released two new conceptual images of the proposed entertainment and sports complex at the downtown railyards Friday.

Populous, the architectural firm that is part of the ICON-Taylor development team for the arena, completed the renderings, according to a press release.

“These images show just how much potential the (arena) and railyards have to revitalize downtown,” City Councilman Steve Cohn said in the press release. ”We’re a long way toward making final design decisions, but I love how these images preview the kind of smart design and transit-oriented development we are striving for at the railyards.”

Cohn opposed previous arena deals but supported the current plan at a press conference on Tuesday.

“This is a preview into Sacramento’s bright future,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said in the release. “We’ve always known the entertainment and sports complex can be a catalytic project for our railyards and downtown. Now we’re beginning to visualize what the 4,100 jobs created by the project might lead to.”

For more information on the arena financing and term sheet, which will go before the City Council on Tuesday, click here.

City to pay lion’s share of cost for an arena fit for Kings

2012-03-02T00:24:51Z

The city will be responsible for the majority of the cost of a new entertainment and sports complex, according to the much-anticipated financial term sheet released Thursday – a total of nearly $256 million.

The contribution from Anschutz Entertainment Group, the new arena operator, will be $58.75 million, according to the terms of the agreement, and the Sacramento Kings owners, the Maloof family, is bringing in $73.25 million.

The term sheet outlines the specifics of who pays for what to get a new arena built downtown and provides a framework for negotiations with potential parking operators – the linchpin in the city’s ability to meet its part of the deal.

Representatives of the Think Big Committee, the group spearheading the arena effort for the city, have said they expect to get more than $200 million up front for agreeing to a 50-year lease of the city’s parking operations.

“We think that is a fairly conservative number,” Kunal Merchant, Mayor Kevin Johnson’s chief of staff, said of the estimate.

That dollar amount is negotiable, however, and will depend on a number of factors including the length of the parking lease and concessions made to protect parking rates from escalating.

Merchant said the team owners are going to work with the city to pay their current loan in full with the help of new bonds issued by the city to retire the existing loan.

“(The Maloofs) would still pay the old loan until new bonds are issued,” Merchant said. “To their credit, they have always made their loan payments.”

A new loan will release the current arena and land in Natomas as collateral on the current loan, making it possible for Power Balance Pavilion and the surrounding land to be sold or reused.

“This is great for Natomas, too,” Merchant said.

“We get three more years of economic activity thanks to the Kings being there, and (meanwhile) the community gets to ask a cool question, ‘What’s next? What’s the right way to redevelop and reuse this land?’ ” Merchant said.

City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, who represents the Natomas area in District 1, declined to comment, she said, until she has time to fully review the term sheet.

The new arena plan includes a 30-year commitment from the Kings to stay in Sacramento, and a 30-year operating lease with AEG.

There is also a guarantee by the ICON-Taylor team to deliver a completed facility by September 2015 – in time for the start of the 2015-16 basketball season – and cost overrun protection, assuring the city of a $391 million final price tag.

Another detail in the term sheet is a revenue-sharing plan between the city and AEG from operating profits at the entertainment and sports complex.

The tiered revenue-sharing plan gives the city 15 percent of the first $10 million net operating profit from the facility, and 30 percent of the next $5 million of profit. The city would get 50 percent of all net profit after that.

A primary concern expressed by City Council members has been protecting the general fund through the process of financing and building a new arena.

Merchant said Wednesday that the financing plan addresses that concern.

“Long term ... we’re going to back-fill the general fund, by and large, through revenues generated by the facility – user fees, ticket surcharges, things like that,” he said.

“Before the facility opens, there won’t be those revenues, so, as we move forward with the parking opportunity – which we hope will generate a lot of upfront dollars – part of those dollars will be separated out from the arena project to back-fill the general fund in those first few years,” he said.

City representatives have been briefing City Council members on the details of the term sheet since Tuesday, Merchant said, and Johnson encouraged council members to “poke holes” in the plan to make sure all of their questions are answered.

The City Council will discuss the full term sheet March 6. If the council votes to approve the deal, city staff will pursue a potential parking lessee, and the arena project will move into the design stage – the first step toward breaking ground on the new facility.

To read the term sheet for the Sacramento Entertainment and Sports Complex, click here.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Followher on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

The Sacramento Press on 'Insight': Getting closer to a new arena

2012-02-29T00:48:52Z

Tuesday on Insight on Capital Public Radio, I spoke with host David Watts Barton and Think Big Sacramento Executive Director Chris Lehane about the tentative arena deal brokered in Orlando that will keep the Kings in Sacramento.

The framework of the agreement was negotiated over the three-day NBA All-Star Weekend during numerous closed-door discussions between Mayor Kevin Johnson, a delegation from Sacramento, Kings’ owners and NBA officials.

The exact terms of the deal will be revealed Thursday, but early reports from the mayor’s office indicated it includes an estimated $75 million contribution from Kings’ owners, the Maloof family, and an estimated $60 million from arena operator Anschutz Entertainment Group.

The Maloofs are reportedly putting up an additional $75 million over 30 years in ticket surcharge revenue from Kings games at the new entertainment and sports complex.

“(This agreement) is the result of everyone stepping up to get (a deal) done,” Lehane said Tuesday. “Arena supporters and Kings’ fans can breathe a sigh of relief now that the team has shown their commitment to staying in Sacramento.”

The deal is far from locked in, however. After the exact terms of the agreement are released Thursday, the City Council will have until March 6 to review the details and prepare for a discussion and vote on the issue.

City Council members have expressed concern about unanswered questions in the financing of a new entertainment and sports complex – primarily related to the potential impact on the general fund from leasing the city’s parking inventory.

If the city completes a lease agreement with a private parking operator, the city stands to lose approximately $9 million in parking revenue annually.

Johnson and Think Big Sacramento representatives have said that there would be no parking deal without a way to replace that lost revenue in the general fund. The means of “backfilling” or recouping that revenue loss have not yet been identified, however.

Another concern that some council members expressed was a desire for regional contribution to the financing of the new entertainment and sports complex.

The County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to contribute evening and weekend use of three county-owned parking facilities near the downtown railyards site, and to contribute the revenue from that use toward the financing of the new arena. That contribution is expected to be approximately $3 million annually.

Five City Council members stood with Johnson at his weekly press conference Feb. 21 as he discussed an adjusted timeframe for delivering an arena financing term sheet to the public.

It seemed to be a show of support from council members for an arena deal – with the caveat that they still need to see the specifics of a deal before they cast their votes.

Johnson has not confirmed that he has the necessary votes to move forward on the arena, but he said in an email statement Monday that the arena deal would not be possible without the support of city staff, the community and the City Council.

“And that's what we've got in Sacramento,” he added.

The City Council will discuss the entire term sheet March 6 and vote whether to continue moving toward a new arena.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

City, NBA, Kings reach arena deal: Here they stay

2012-02-27T21:17:26Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson headed back to Sacramento Monday from Orlando with news that an agreement has been reached to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

"Today is a new day for Sacramento and a defining moment for our community,” Johnson said in an email statement Monday.

The terms of the agreement include an upfront contribution of nearly $75 million from the Kings’ owners, the Maloof family, and an additional $75 million over the life of the deal through ticket surcharges.

The exact terms of the agreement are expected to be made public by Thursday – the original deadline set by the NBA to have a deal in place.

Johnson, the Maloofs and NBA representatives had been in discussions throughout the weekend in Orlando attempting to piece together a deal that Johnson called “a win-win” for all parties.

A City Council vote on an arena agreement was initially set for Tuesday – ahead of the March 1 deadline – however, city and NBA representatives revised the timeline last week, pushing the scheduled discussion and vote to March 6.

“None of this would be possible without support across the board – from the (City) Council to city staff to the entire community,” Johnson said in the email. “I am as proud as I have ever been to be from Sacramento."

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Mayor, NBA Commissioner release adjusted arena timeline

2012-02-22T22:31:50Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson and NBA Commissioner David Stern released a joint statement today outlining an updated timeline for finalizing terms of a new arena deal for Sacramento.

According to the release, the city of Sacramento and the NBA are continuing “constructive discussions” on the details of a financing plan for a new entertainment and sports complex.

Johnson said at his weekly press conference Tuesday that details of a completed financing term sheet were expected to be available to the public by Thursday, in advance of a Feb. 28 City Council discussion and vote on the plan.

Wednesday’s press release, however, offers an adjusted timeline in an effort to “ensure adequate time for public and City Council review of any proposed financing plan,” Johnson said in the release.

The new timeline – called the “work plan” – follows this nine-day outline:

Feb. 22 – Feb. 25: City officials and city representatives continue to review terms with NBA officials and representatives.

Feb. 26: Johnson and select city representatives will meet with Stern, other NBA officials and representatives of the Maloof family in Orlando

Feb. 27 – Feb. 29: Final discussions and briefings.

3/1: If a plan has been agreed to, Think Big committee representatives will publicly announce in the form of a proposed term sheet

After the term sheet is made available, the public and City Council members will have until March 5 to review the proposed financing plan, the release states.

The City Council will consider both the proposed term sheet and a companion plan at the March 6 council meeting to ensure there is no impact to the city’s general fund, the release stated.

The council will also consider public-private parking partnership options and other funding opportunities at that meeting.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Dr. Jekyll beats Mr. Hyde as Kings top Thunder in national TV game

2012-02-11T03:37:11Z

Plain and simple: It was one of the best, most exciting games ever played at the old barn.

With a national television audience watching on Thursday evening and the place filled to the rafters with ready-to-burst-with-applause black-adorned rabid fans, the Sacramento Kings pulled off the improbable and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 106-101.

From the opening tip to the final buzzer, this game had it all.

Consider this. Kevin Durant, one of the league’s outstanding players, scored 27. Russell Westbrook had 33. And the Thunder had a franchise record 17 blocks, including 10 from Serge Ibaka.

Add that all up and, on a normal night, it would seem the home team was destined for doom.

Ah, but this was no normal evening.

From the moment the Kings took an early 6-0 lead, it was obvious to even Helen Keller that this was no ordinary contest.

The Kings got out to an early 11-2 lead before the Thunder came fighting back. But even though Oklahoma City took a brief lead in the opening quarter, the Kings held the advantage after the first 12 minutes.

DeMarcus Cousins came out on fire hitting his first four shots and ended the first quarter with eight points but also had three personal fouls. Even though Cousins had to come out and didn’t play a minute of the second quarter, he stayed positive and continued to support his teammates from the pine.

“My team is a lot better when I’m on the floor,” Cousins said on his way to the shower. “I got to find a way to stay out of foul trouble so I can help my team more.”

With the team’s big man on the bench and the starters needing some rest, it was up to the Kings reserves to keep the game tight.

The non-starters did their job and helped the Kings keep the advantage at the end of the first half by scoring all but eight of the 34 points the Kings scored in the second, with Chuck Hayes (eight points) and Donte Greene (six points) leading the way.

The third was all Westbrook as he lit it up for 16 points in the third on 7-of-11 shooting.

With eight minutes left, the “defense” chants from the home crowd were as loud as I’ve ever heard in that building.

Things started to get a little out of hand when the Thunder had a 95-87 lead with just under six minutes left in the game. Coach Keith Smart brought back Greene, Thornton and Evans while Isaiah Thomas, Hayes and Jimmer Fredette, who hit some key shots in the period, all headed back to the bench.

Once the changes were made, the Kings scored seven straight points and cut the lead to one point with 2:45 left.

After a couple of key turnovers by the Thunder, the Kings mounted their final comeback.

Thornton finally heated up with two critical long-range bombs, and Cousins and Evans hit some crucial free throws as the Kings held off the team with the best record in the league.

The Kings took the lead for good with 1:05 left in the game. Every foul shot by the home team brought incredible cheers and added enthusiasm to the arena. As Cousins, then Greene, then Evans, then Cousins and then Evans again made it to the line and made eight of ten of their final free throw attempts to ice the game.

The building was so packed with anticipation and excitement that many of the Kings faithful didn't want to leave or the fun to end.

For Cousins, growth is coming in buckets under Smart. How many previous games would he have three personal fouls by halftime and only pick up one more the entire game? Umm, like never!

Smart looks forward to next season when he can look back and tell Cousins how far he’s come.

“I don’t have to motivate him to play — he wants to play, and he wants to practice” Smart said. “This process as the year moves on and he grows, that’s a huge jump. What can you do if you get yourself in Dwight Howard type of conditioning and work on your post game this summer? Where can you go in the next three or four years? That’s the focus for him this summer.”

While Smart acknowledged that Cousins played a huge role in the win, he also called Tyreke Evans “the unsung hero” of the game for continuing to sacrifice his game for the betterment of the team.

Evans never let Ibaka coming in from nowhere to block his shot effect him. He just kept playing hard.

“I didn’t even see him half the time,” the Kings point guard said. “I’m thinking I got a layup, and he comes and swats the ball out of bounds. It was tough. They are a good team. We just went out there and played hard and showed what kind of team we could be.”

KING NOTES: James Harden had 17 off the bench for the Thunder . . . Every Kings player who hit the floor scored at least four points . . . The Kings had 21 assists and only 12 turnovers . . . Jason Thompson had another double-double with 11 points and 10 boards . . . The 10 blocks for Ibaka was a career high and an arena record . . . The Kings have won four out of their last five and play Phoenix at home Saturday at 7 p.m.

Comeback kids pull one out, Kings turn back Blazers 95-92

2012-02-04T02:01:42Z

Since Keith Smart took over coaching duties last month, the Kings have had very little practice time and never had everyone on the roster available for a game.

Things changed this week when the Kings were able to get more time in between games to work on their new game plans. Add that to a healthy Marcus Thornton returning to the lineup and, wham-o!, a team with real possibilities has emerged.

After being down at the half by nine and being throttled by LaMarcus Aldridge the entire time (19 points on 9-of-11 shooting with five rebounds), Smart changed up his formula in guarding the Blazers standout forward which led to a terrific third quarter as the Kings held on the beat the pesky Portland Trailblazers 95-92 on Thursday evening at Power Balance Pavilion.

The Kings came out hustling, but some dumb fouls on the defensive end turned into easy points for the Blazers.

DeMarcus Cousins looked good early but got into foul trouble quickly and didn’t play most of the first quarter.

Aldridge has a great jump shot from inside the circle and put his skills on display early in this one. It didn’t matter who was matched up defensively against him. The way Portland was moving the ball around the court kept Kings players constantly chasing the ball, and Aldridge found himself more open than not for most of the half.

The lone bright spot in the first half for the home team was the ice-cold-as-of-late John Salmons. Salmons had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting that included two three-point bombs.

The wheels almost fell off in the second quarter as a bad mix of players had several defensive breakdowns. With J.J. Hickson, Isaiah Thomas, Travis Outlaw, Thornton and Chuck Hayes on the floor, it seemed that there wasn’t enough leadership or offensive firepower to keep up with Portland.

Smart noticed in time and stopped the bleeding by putting Cousins, Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson back in the game with about 6:40 left in the second. Down by nine, that adjustment was enough to get Sacramento within three, until several Kings misses let the Blazers get the nine-point lead back before the buzzer.

The Kings scored six straight points as Evans and Cousins came out aggressive to open the third, until Cousins picked up two quick fouls that sent him to the pine early again.

With Cousins on the bench, it was time for Thompson to step up, and he did.

Thompson is having his best year to date and is a real force inside now for the Kings. Thompson finished with 13 points and 12 boards and was very active on the defensive end.

Thompson is fully aware of his improved play but doesn’t see it as a surprise. The way he tells it, if he didn’t have four different coaches in his four campaigns, things may be a little different for the man from Rider.

“It’s tough,” Thompson said after the contest. “Four different systems, and every coach wanted something differently out of me. For me, to keep my head and always staying ready for the future and being positive, then things can work out well.”

Good for J.T.! When you break it down, he’s been the most consistent player so far this season.

Once Evans slammed a ball home to tie the game at 63-63 late in the third, you could feel the momentum change. It seems that every time you just give the hometown faithful some hope, they jump out of their collective seats to show their support.

Thursday was no different.

The fans, who sat on their hands until this point, went crazy when Portland called a timeout to collect themselves.

When Salmons open the final stanza with a three, the fans stayed in the game the rest of the way.

Like the fans, Salmons has been waiting for his game to come around. Thursday, he had his best game of the season.

“It definitely feels good to hit shots,” he said. “When you’re not hitting shots like you’re supposed to, you get frustrated. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated. You just have to stick with it, keep going and try to continue to believe and keep working hard.”

The final moments saw rookie guard Isaiah Thomas get a jaw-dropping block and the Blazers miss two game-tying three-pointers.

Thornton had 20 in his return from a deep thigh contusion and said it’s hard to sit on the bench when you want to contribute so badly.

“It was very, very frustrating knowing I couldn’t get out there and help my team do anything,” he said. “It made me realize that me without basketball, I’m basically dead. Basketball is my life and has been my life since I was little, so I was just so happy to be out there with my teammates.”

KINGS NOTES: Evans had another solid all-around game with 18 points, five boards, five assists . . . Jimmer Fredette, Francisco Garcia and Donte Greene all had DNP-CDs (did not play - coach’s decision) . . . Chuck Hayes said he’s still being careful with his shoulder as any type of collision could dislocate it again . . . Former King Gerald Wallace was held in check and had only eight points and three boards.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

Darren Hall at www.darrenhallphotography.net/

Kings lose to Nuggets 122-93 in blowout, no one happy about effort

2012-01-27T02:49:13Z

The fans weren’t the only ones leaving the old barn early on Wednesday evening.

Quite honestly, they weren’t the only ones leaving embarrassed either.

By the time the press got into the Kings locker room after losing 122-93 in a blowout to the visiting Denver Nuggets, most of Sacramento’s players had left the arena also.

No Cousins, no Tyreke, not even Donte Greene hung out long enough to give their side of this ugly one-sided loss.

Keith Smart, the new coach of the 6-13 Kings, was alone at the podium to explain.

“Not what I expected,” Smart started his post-game press conference. “And I’m sure our fans didn’t expect that either. Kind of an embarrassing moment for our fans to watch us play that way.”

After pulling out to an early 7-3 lead behind a couple of Jimmer Fredette jumpers - who started in place of an banged up Marcus Thornton, the flood gates broke and the Kings end of the paint opened up like Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea.

Way too easy.

Drive after drive after drive after drive to the rack. The Nuggets kept coming like the incoming tide - relentlessly.

And the Kings didn’t even put up a temporary barrier to stop the avalanche.

By the end of the first quarter, the Nuggets already had 22 points in the paint on 11-of-17 shooting. And they weren’t done yet. They would finish with an incredible 92 points in the paint! This is the most since the NBA began keeping track of this statistic!

Wave after wave after wave of Denver big men and small reaching the rim with uncanny ease.

By halftime, Denver lead 66-43 and the boo birds could already be heard in the old Arco rafters.

Danilo Gallinari, Nene, Kosta Koufos, Andre Miller, Al Harrington and even Ty Lawson before he got hurt were slicing through the lane without facing stiff competition or even a good knock down.

By the half, the Nuggets were shooting almost 60 percent and the Kings were just over 42 percent from the floor.

It wasn’t that the Nuggets ran the Kings off the floor, that wasn’t it at all. It was just that it seemed almost every time a Nuggets player went into the paint, he either scored or another Nugget player grabbed the board and tired to score.

The only defense at the rim for the Kings came in the form of DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins ended up with 17 points and 15 boards. The only other King with more than five rebounds was Greene who had six.

The shocking stat of the night had to be that Evans, who is usually good for 4.8 boards a game came away with none. That’s right, a goose egg - zero rebounds.

Not the sign of a team that is throwing everything they have into trying to get a win.

Jason Thompson, one of the only ones left to speak after the tough loss, ended with nine points and five boards but knew much more was needed.

“It’s frustrating,” said Thompson from his space in front of his locker after the game. “We didn’t take care of business. We knew what the game plan was. From the start, usually come out to a good start but this time we just went against the odds. We weren’t rebounding and we weren’t playing unselfish basketball.”

That’s it! Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

Thompson’s been here since the beginning. He’s unselfish to a fault most of the time and is finally having the kind of season the front office thought he could have when they drafted him four years ago.

Thompson knows the solution to what ails the team and holds out hope that the players can pull it off.

“We all got to look ourselves in the mirror and say how am I going to guard my man and how am I going to stop my man from scoring. At the end of the day, the great teams play team defense. But first you have to be able to stop your man and then worry about the help.”

The former Rutgers standout felt so strong about his case, he said it again.

“We all got to look ourselves in the mirror and not just worry about everyone getting buckets but worry about getting stops and rebounds and just let everything else come to us.”

KINGS NOTES: Fredette ended up with 19 points and had five three-pointers . . . The Nuggets had seven players in double figures scoring including Gallinari (23 points), Nene (16 points), Andre Miller (15 points, 10 assists), Al Harrington (10 points) and Corey Brewer (15 points) . . . Isaiah Thomas had ended with 16 points and had six assists . . . Ty Lawson hurt his foot or ankle and was seen leaving Power Balance Pavilion in a walking boot . . . To their credit, John Salmons, J.T., Thomas and Fredette were ready to answer questions from the media after the game . . . Thornton could miss another week or so with a deep bruise in his left thigh . . . Chuck Hayes should be on the floor again when the Kings travel to Utah to face the Jazz on Saturday

Harlem Globetrotters at Power Balance

2012-01-16T20:41:51Z

The world renowned Harlem Globetrotters were at Power Balance Pavilion Sunday to take on the International Elite, as they went head-to-head to determine who would be the world champions.

Globie, the team mascot, came out before the show to entertain the crowd with a little bit of magic and some dance moves. As Globie strutted around like Michael Jackson the crowd went wild with some kids jumping up to dance along with Globie.

Even though the stadium was far from sold out, the audience members made up for it in enthusiasm. Throughout the game the crowd was cheering and clapping for the Globetrotters, with a few boos thrown in for team Elite.

As with all Globetrotter games this was an audience participation sport. One couple found out the hard way with the wife having her purse taken and then the husband being dragged out on the court to dance with Big Easy.

Kids joined in on the fun too, with several young kids competing for a team jersey. They had to dash across the court, shoot a basket and then head back to the other side of the court and get into a makeshift bed. The first to complete the task wins. In the end they all were winners.

Some of the Globetrotters were in town earlier to visit with fans. You can read all about their visit here.

Harlem Globetrotters Dribble in to Sacramento

2012-01-13T02:00:11Z

The world renowned Harlem Globetrotters are scheduled to appear at Power Balance Pavilion this Sunday.

As is customary, the Globetrotters have had a couple of players in town before the big event on Sunday. They were meeting with television and radio stations in the area, but more importantly they were getting out to meet their fans.

I was able to meet up with “Handles” Franklin and one of their newest members, “TNT” Maddox. TNT is only the ninth woman in 86 years to play with the Globetrotters and the first woman since 1993.

I found the two at the Project R.I.D.E. facility next to Jesse Baker Elementary School in Elk Grove. The two Globetrotters participated in a bit of horseplay — literally. Project R.I.D.E. offers therapeutic recreational horseback riding instruction to riders with disabilities.
When it came to mounting the horse, I have to give TNT credit. She jumped on as if she did it every day. Handles, on the other hand, was a little timid getting on his horse and looked to be a bit nervous, too.

In between horsing around, TNT talked about what it’s like being one of the few female Globetrotters.

“Honestly, it’s unbelievable to be only the ninth woman in 86 years to play for the Harlem Globetrotters,” she said. “What they’re about is charity, and we’re allowed to go to hospitals, schools and things like that and do things that money can’t buy. That’s something that’s special to me, and I’m happy to be a part of the organization.”

As she talked, she constantly had her basketball in motion, so I asked if she did this while sitting down to watch a little television. She said she has to in order to keep up with the likes of Handles and the rest of the team. Being one of the new kids on the block, the team is continually showing her new moves, so she’s constantly practicing to get up to the caliber of her teammates. Trust me — she’s already there. After only two weeks of training, she said they had her playing at a junior high school.

As for the rest of the team, it looks like this will be an exciting year with 10 new players.

The 2012 rookie class has a total of three 7-footers including 7-foot-4 Jermaine “Stretch” Middleton, the third-tallest player in team history, and 7-foot Anthony “Biggie” McClain. However, Paul “Tiny” Sturgess towers over even the tallest of the tall at a whopping 7-foot-8.
Sturgess was recently recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest professional basketball player. He is also the tallest player in the Globetrotter history.

Not only do they have the tallest player in their history, but the shortest, too. Jonte “Too Tall” Hall is the shortest Globetrotter ever to play at 5-foot-2.

Other team members you may recognize are “Big Easy” Lofton and “Flight Time” Lang who, together, made their way around the world on CBS’ “The Amazing Race.”

If you’ve never seen the Globetrotters in person, you have to get off your butts and get out to Power Balance this Sunday and take in the 1 or 6 p.m. showing. These guys (and gal) are amazing to watch and extremely entertaining.

#SmartBall helps Kings overcome 21-point gap, beat Bucks 103-100

2012-01-07T02:25:36Z

Unbelievable! Amazing! Jaw-dropping! Spectacular!

In sports writing, superlatives are greatly overused. Heck, even The Court Jester abuses the Queen’s English occasionally!

In this case, however, I think not!

After being down 58-37 at the half, being outshot from the floor 60.5 percent to 31.8 perccent in the first half and only scoring 12 points in the second quarter, it looked like another lackluster Kings performance would etch another loss in the standings Thursday evening.

Not so fast, my pretty!

After a day of showing Coach Paul Westphal the door, elevating assistant Keith Smart to the position full-time and holding a players-only film study session before the game, the Kings came out in the second half, scored 66 points and played great defense to pull off the improbable win against the Milwaukee Bucks 103-100 in what had to be the greatest home comeback victory in Sacramento Kings history.

Even though the Kings got out to a 13-6 lead, one could just feel that their recent poor play would be extended at least one more night. Eight turnovers in the first quarter and only shooting 25 percent in the second seemed like it would be enough to doom the Kings once again.

But here’s the thing.

The entire game, the Kings were moving the ball, driving to the basket and making the extra pass: everything Smart asked them to do in his first game as the man in charge. It’s just that the shots weren’t falling, and it seemed like every contested jumper by the Bucks was going through the net.

Tyreke Evans (26 points, 10 boards, 5 assists), Marcus Thornton (27 points, 5 boards) and DeMarcus Cousins (19 points, 15 boards, 2 steals) were the stars of the show.

Early in the game, it was Evans that gave the Kings even a small chance of pulling out a much-needed win by scoring 10 points in the first quarter. Other than that, Cousins was being aggressive, but his shots close to the rim were not going in.

The usually hot-starting Thornton was only one of eight from the field at the intermission. He was so displeased with his performance that he came out early from the halftime break and shot something like 30 three-point shots to try to find a rhythm.

It worked!

Thornton went nine of 15 and scored 25 of his 27 in the second half to help propel the comeback.

Even after the third quarter came to a close, the Kings still found themselves down 82-68.

Yet something was different. Was it just the Westphal firing that put extra energy into a team that was playing its third game in three nights and five in six nights?

I’ll let Cousins explain it to you.

“Everybody said it,” the Kings big man said. “You just felt free out there. You didn’t feel like you had 30-pound bags on your back. You felt good that we were having fun even though we were battling back the whole time. We were having fun working!”

Fun. A little three-letter word that might make all the difference in the world this lockout-shortened season for this team.

The fourth quarter was all Kings.

Despite Brandon Jennings killing it with 31 points and hitting six three-pointers along the way, the Kings pushed the ball hard and laid the smack down on defense. In the end, they outscored the Bucks in the fourth 35-18.

It was either Thornton hitting a jumper, Cousins taking it to the rack hard (and scoring) or Evans driving and getting to the free throw line that made the difference.

Sacramento closed the game on a 22-8 run but wouldn’t take their first lead since late in the first quarter until there was 18 seconds left in the game.

“I just told them to play hard,” Smart said in the post-game press conference. “Just play hard first, and after that your game will kick in. That’s all I said to them. I didn’t go in with a rah-rah speech. I just play hard, and things will start to happen.”

Evans agreed with Cousins in saying that things felt a little different against the Bucks.

“We were just out there playing free,” he said. “He’s a great coach. He’s putting in new things to help guys get looks at the rim and at the basket. We just have to work with him.”

It sounds like the start of a beautiful relationship.

Let’s hope the newly coined hash-tag for Twitter (#SmartBall) catches on in more ways than one! [You should explain this more. What does this have to do with the Kings?]

Kings notes: In the second quarter, Chuck Hayes suffered a dislocated left shoulder in a collision and is expected to be out three to four weeks . . . Despite the slow start and most of his jumpers falling short of the rim, John Salmons scored 13 and had six boards . . . J.J. Hickson had 11 rebounds and seven points . . . Kings went from shooting 31.8 percent shooting in the first half to 48.9 percent in the second half . . . Next game is at home versus the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

Keith Smart named Kings head coach

2012-01-06T01:08:08Z

The Sacramento Kings named Keith Smart head coach Thursday, promoting him from his position of assistant coach after firing Paul Westphal Thursday morning.

“Keith will bring a new perspective to the team as we try to move forward with the season,” Geoff Petrie, chief of basketball operations, said in a press release. “He’s very well prepared and will assume the job with some new ideas and new approaches of his own. We’re all excited and looking forward to working with him.”

Westphal was let go after about two and a half seasons where the Kings’ record was 51 wins and 120 losses. This season began with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers Dec. 26, but the Kings had only won two games going into Thursday’s home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 47-year-old Smart served as head coach of the Golden State Warriors last year, and he has either played or coached professional basketball for 22 years, according to the release.

“I had a chance to work for Paul Westphal in the brief time that I’ve been here and really enjoyed it,” Smart said. “He was very supportive every step of the way. I want to thank Geoff Petrie and the Maloof family for giving me this opportunity. I’m looking forward to implementing a few new things with what we want to try to do with our basketball team. Hopefully, they’ll respond to what I want them to do, and I believe they will. I think our players will be excited with some of the ideas that I have for our team moving forward.”

In the release, Westphal said he asked for Smart to be added to the coaching staff last year.

“When I asked Geoff to add Keith Smart to our staff, I knew that he would be a tremendous asset going forward,” Westphal said. “Keith has my respect and blessing as he assumes the position he is exceptionally qualified to fill.”

Kings fire Head Coach Paul Westphal

2012-01-05T20:22:00Z

The Sacramento Kings fired Head Coach Paul Westphal Thursday, citing a record of 51 wins and 120 losses in a little more than two seasons, team officials said in a press release.

“I want to thank Paul for all of his effort on behalf of the Kings,” said Geoff Petrie, chief of basketball operations. “Unfortunately, the overall performance level of the team has not approached what we felt was reasonable to expect. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Westphal will be replaced by Assistant Coach Keith ~~Kevin~~ Smart, but Kings officials did not say whether the appointment is permanent.

“I would like to thank the Maloof family for the incredible opportunity they gave me to participate in the attempt to bring the Sacramento Kings back to prominence,” Westphal said in the release. “While the job is far from finished, I am proud of the strides we were able to make.”

The season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 26 was a resounding victory for the Kings, but lackluster performances followed, and a tiff played out in the media between Westphal and the Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins over an alleged request from Cousins to be traded, to much criticism from fans.

“Geoff Petrie and his staff have been nothing but honest and supportive throughout my time here,” Westphal said in the release. “They are first class in every way, and I wish them nothing but success. My hope is to see the fans of the Kings and the city of Sacramento rewarded with many years of great basketball.

“Finally, I want to thank my loyal staff and players for their efforts in attempting to climb out of the hole we shared. Nothing comes easy in the NBA, and I know they will not rest in their efforts to rebuild this team.”

Editorial Note: A spelling correction was made to this article after it was published.

Mayor: City is at 'critical juncture' on the road to new arena

2011-12-28T01:41:33Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson spoke confidently Tuesday about the possibility of a new entertainment and sports complex becoming a reality for Sacramento – despite the challenges ahead.

“We are at a critical juncture in this process,” Johnson said. “On the court, our team needs to play well. Off the court, I feel good about the progress we’re making on the new entertainment sports complex and the financing.”

Johnson said that – on the public side of the equation – the city is moving forward with its “due diligence” on a plan to lease out the city parking system as part of the financial plan for a new arena.

“On the private side,” Johnson added, “AEG and ICON and all those folks are doing their part, and we are in negotiations now with the NBA and the Maloofs and all the parties involved. We’d like to be in a good position by the March 1 deadline.”

Proponents of a new sports and entertainment complex have until March 1 to solidify a plan to finance the new arena or the Kings owners will have an opportunity to file a request with the NBA to relocate the team.

At the Dec. 13 City Council meeting, Johnson and council members voted to gauge the interest of investors – through a process called “request for qualifications” – in taking over the city’s parking system as a key component of the finance picture for a new arena.

The RFQs were scheduled to be sent Dec. 22, but city consultants suggested holding off until after the new year, creating a delay in the process.

Johnson said that, despite the RFQs being issued later than expected, he has been assured by the city manager’s office that the delay will not affect the city timeline in a significant way.

“I was a little disappointed because I thought we could get (the RFQs) out even with the two weeks (of holidays) so people would know how things are going,” Johnson said Tuesday, “but I’ve been assured that it won’t slow us down at all.”

Once the city receives responses to the RFQs, the city manager and the City Council will have a better idea of how much the city’s parking assets may net. The initial analysis of the plan to lease the parking system showed a range of $170 million to just over $240 million.

Johnson said Tuesday, however, that he believes the gain from the parking assets for the entertainment and sports complex financing plan may be larger than anticipated.

“It’s not deeply rooted in science or empirical data,” Johnson said, “but I do think we can come in higher than we think – and that’s just my gut feeling.”

Johnson said he thinks the city and Kings fans have come a long way from April 13, when it seemed the Kings were about to play their last game in Sacramento.

“I think we are going to get it done, but there’s work to do,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be very challenging, and there are lots of moving parts (in the process), but I think council will step up, the NBA will step up and we will be able to create a win-win-win for all parties.”

The push for a new sports arena has been ramping up since the Sacramento Kings owners, the Maloof family, announced earlier in the year that they might move the team to Anaheim.

The Sacramento Press will take a more in-depth look Wednesday at how Sacramento has faced the possibility of losing the only major professional sports team in the city.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Kings beat Warriors in last preseason tilt of the season, 95-91

2011-12-22T01:48:51Z

Twelve thousand plus in attendance for a preseason game told you that Kings head honcho Paul Westphal was right.

“It’s nice to have basketball back in this building, isn’t it?,” Westphal started his post game press conference.

It sure was!

A good crowd for the only home preseason game this season saw the Sacramento Kings tighten up the defense in the final minutes of the game and hold on to beat the Golden State Warriors 95-91 at Power Balance Pavilion on Tuesday evening.

Leading the way for the Kings was Marcus Thornton who had 21 points, seven boards and four assists and J.J. Hickson who scored 19 points and had nine rebounds.

Tyreke Evans scored the first basket of the new season on the home court with a net-ripping three to give the Kings an early 3-2 lead.

Tyler Honeycutt, the UCLA product that was one of the Kings second round picks, was hustling all over the court and making the Warriors take tougher shots in his first start as a King. Honeycutt got the start because John Salmons, the projected starter at small forward, is still nursing a thigh contusion.

Both teams love to run. In the first quarter alone, eight of the Warriors 19 points came off of the break.

David Lee was a thorn in the Kings side as the Warriors big man either finished with a dunk on the break or was hacked and sent to the line where he made four of his first five from the stripe. Lee finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds.

Thornton hit a couple of early long balls and a tough layup with two guys draped on him that helped give the Kings the lead after one quarter, 23-19.

With less than a minute to go in the first half, Warrior stud Stephen Curry rolled his ankle while trying to guard Jimmer Fredette. Fredette put a good move on the Warriors point guard and Curry couldn’t keep up and tweaked the same ankle that gave him trouble a good portion of last season. Curry would not return.

One highlight that Kings fans probably didn’t see coming was the two three-point bombs that newly acquired Travis Outlaw made in the second quarter. Outlaw, who is coming off of hand surgery, had a solid game considering he’s only attended a couple of Kings’ practices.

Another was watching Kings guard Isaiah Thomas sprint to the basket, beat two Warriors to the hoop and score on a sweet reverse lay in as the clock expired in the first half.

The second quarter was more of the same as the Kings would outscore the Warriors again by four points and lead at the half by eight, 49-41.

Sloppy play saw the Kings give away their eight point halftime lead in the third quarter. The Kings had 11 turnovers in the third, led by DeMarcus Cousins’ five giveaways.

Cousins has missed some practice time and it showed.

But when it really mattered, Cousins came through.

The second-year big man had a couple of steals and a crucial block in the last minute of the game that made a huge difference.

Cousins knew it was time to contribute in a different way.

“I’m really just trying to find a rhythm, it’s my first game back,” said Cousins after the game. “A tough game for me offensively, so I tried to do some key things on the defensive end to help the team win.”

Evans was another big reason the Kings held off the pesky Warriors. He had 10 points in the final period and, in general, just took over the game.

“It started with defense,” said Evans. I knew they were going to try and go to Monte (Ellis) a lot, so I took on the challenge and tried to make him take tough shots. I think that’s what we have to do to be a good team. We got to play good defense.”

With 27.1 seconds left, Thornton hit a three that blew the roof off of PBP and sealed the game for the Kings.

J.J. Hickson, who also hit seven of nine free throws, said he’s ready to do whatever the Kings need him to do. Whether it’s play the four or the five position, he can handle it.

“With me, I’m the type of player that is going to do whatever it takes to win,” said Hickson. “I’m not complaining what position I play, as long as we get it done. I don’t care who does what, as long as we get better individually and as a team, then that’s all we can ask for.”

KINGS NOTES: All three rookies scored in their home debut . . . Honeycutt had six, Fredette had 12 to accompany three boards and four assists and Thomas had eight points . . . Cousins had 10 boards and nine turnovers, mostly in that horrible third quarter . . . Francisco Garcia, Donte Greene and Hassan Whiteside all could have played but did not due to coach’s decision . . . The home opener is Monday against bitter rivals the Los Angeles Lakers

Photo Essay: Sacramento Kings' Fan Fest - 15 Nov. 2011

2011-12-18T08:43:15Z

The Kings were welcomed to a packed Power Balance Pavilion on Thursday night following their Media Day. They were divided into two teams who played four games up to twenty points each. The crowd was pleasantly delighted by the performance of their Kings, cheering for rookie Isaiah Thomas and Francisco Garcia. The final count of the games broke even at 2-2, but overall the crowd won knowing that their Kings have returned.

The Court Jester - Media Day musings, Cousins keeps 'em laughing

2011-12-16T04:47:25Z

With the season fast approaching, the Sacramento Kings held their annual Media Day on Thursday, December 15 at Power Balance Pavilion.

Every player had various duties on this busy day - multiple media obligations, shooting stand ups and bits for use in-game and even an open scrimmage, where fans across the valley will get their first chance at seeing this version of the new-look Kings.

With the addition of J.J. Hickson (via trade from Cleveland for Omri Casspi), the signing of free agent Chuck Hayes away from Houston and acquiring John Salmons via draft day trade involving Beno Udrih plus the drafting of three rookies in Jimmer Fredette, Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Honeycutt added to the three new assistant coaches added in the offseason. This could be the most changes that any one team has endured during one year.

Everyone that was anyone showed up at center court on the Kings home floor to get their time in front of someone's microphone.

The Court Jester was there and gathered these thoughts about the upcoming season, the new team chemistry and the how the Kings will play during this season.

Coach Westphal on expectations on the season - “We’re going to be better! I don’t have any hesitation in saying that. I like our team and I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

Coach Westphal on the shortened time allowed for camp and the effect of trying to put in his offensive and defensive sets - “There certainly is a lot to put in in a very short period of time. I think it’s important to us not to proceed as if we’re rushed. We need to put everything out there and be solid without rushing all the details. They way I’ve tried to do that is to put in the big picture first and then tweaked the details that need tweaking. If we had a summer and a pre-training camp time and then a month of training camp, we might start with the details and build outward. Now we’re starting with the big picture and building inward. We’re trying to do that so we don’t feel rushed and if we can stay healthy, I think it will work for us.”

Donte Greene on the emotions of the last game of the year last campaign - “A lot of emotions. I had a lot of fans coming up to me crying and saying they hope we stay. I was always one of the guys that was a front-runner for us staying here in Sacramento. I’ve been here going on four years, my family loves it here, it’s a beautiful city, so really wanted to stay. Now that we’re here, we need to make sure we stay here and make sure we start winning.”

Donte Greene on the black uniforms the team gets to sport for a few games this year - “The black uni’s are nice. I think we should have had them before. I ask for them in my second year in the league. We finally got them and I think it’s a perfect time for them.”

Donte Greene on coming into camp in better shape physically and more mature as a person - “Just being a professional athlete. That’s another part of me growing up. Last summer, we weren’t really on top of things, so summer I made sure I staying down on my weight and and in 20 pounds lighter than I did last year. Just trying to stay focused. I’m hungry and I’m trying to get another contract to stay in Sacramento. So hopefully that happens.”

Bobby Jackson on his new role as an assistant coach - “I look forward to it. It’s a learning process for me and I’m willing to learn for both of the Jims (Eyen and Todd), Keith Smart and Coach Paul. For me, I’m the new guy coming in and these guys have years of experience and that’s what I want to gain. Gain that experience, gain that knowledge and just learn from probably the best coaches in the league.”

Tyreke Evans on who has impressed him so far out of the news guys - “John (Salmons) is pretty good. I like the pickup when we got him. He’s a three man who can score the ball and play good defense. I think he is going be a great help to this team. Jimmer and the rookies have come in and played well. So I’m looking forward to see how they will play in a game.”

Tyreke Evans on the improvements the team has made in team speed and overall shooting - “I think that is going to be one of our main focuses this year is to try and run teams out of the gym. It’s a short season so I think the more we push the ball, the better chance we have to win.”

Francisco Garcia on his early training camp impressions - “We look pretty good in training camp. Everybody is in pretty good shape. We’re growing well together and think we are going to surprise a lot of people this year.”

Francisco Garcia on how good this year’s group of guys are - “This is the most talent we’ve ever had since I’ve been here. We have a lot of talent. We’re learning how to play together and are doing a pretty good job in training camp right now. We’re focussing a lot on defense.”

Jimmer Fredette on getting some early time to impress in the scrimmage and maybe the first preseason game after Tyreke slightly tweaked an ankle - “I’m just going to do whatever the coaches want me to do and I’ll just try and earn my spot with the playing time given by showing them that I can play with this team and do whatever it is that they want me to in order for this team to win.”

Jimmer Fredette on early comparisons to Tim Tebow - “I’ve heard comparisons, but I still haven’t stepped foot on an NBA floor. I did some good things in college and he did some great things in college as well. I think one thing that is a little bit similar is the naysayers saying what type of position we are. That we can’t do what we did in college in the NBA or the NFL. That remains to be seen from me, but he’s been proving that the last seven or eight weeks with what he’s been doing. I’m just trying to out there and play well, play me game and be a great player for this organization.”
J.J. Hickson on leadership - “I think I lead by example. I think I’m going to take it upon myself to be more vocal this year. Being that I played in the playoffs and got to the Eastern Conference finals, I know what it takes to be that type of team, to be a playoff team and to be a championship caliber type team. I’m in practice going hard in every drill, getting my shots up before and after practice and just doing things a leader is supposed to do.”

Marcus Thornton on the happiness he shared with his mom after signing the Kings offer - “Tears of joy, not that boo hoo crap. It’s great to have an organization that wants you for long term.”

Marcus Thornton on making a splash last year - “It was great timing. I just tried to sieze every moment of it. I just tried to go out there and play hard and to the best of my ability.”

Marcus Thornton on what he needs to improve in his game - “It’s going to start with my conditioning. Getting myself ready to play night in and night out. Getting my conditioning to where it needs to be. Playing against these guys in this league, there are no days off. I’m just going to get my conditioning better and things will fall into place after that.”

Chuck Hayes on showing the Kings players what it means to be tough - “It’s my will to win. I’m a competitive person and I try my best to teach these guys just the little things - the importance of them. We all have talent and can all play this game, but late in the game, our concentration and execution is going to help us win games and we have to make winning plays.”

Chuck Hayes on his game resembling Charles Barkley’s game - “Charles Barkley was my favorite basketball player. Every since I was younger, I was always built like him. I used to follow C-Webb a lot because I lived in Oakland when he was with the Warriors. Then when I moved to Modesto, he went to the Kings so it seemed like I followed his career as well. I’ve always been an undersized guy, a very powerful player - it’s just the way I am. I’ve played the big position since I was little and I’m going to finish playing this game by playing the big position.”

DeMarcus Cousins on, well, whatever he wanted to talk about. He opened the media session by cracking on the media guys and jokingly answering the early questions directed his way - “So, you gonna all stare at me or ask me questions?”

Someone asked him what the biggest difference between last year and this year has been - “We got black jerseys, hello?? Next question! You can’t scare no one with purple - running down the court looking all majestic.”

Once Cousins settled in, he was his typical charming self.

Cousins on differences between being a rookie and now - “Feels good. I don’t have to carry that pick bag anymore.” (referring to his pink Hollie Hobbie backpack) “We’ve got a talented group. We’ve got some veteran leadership. There is a lot of positive energy in the locker room and around the city, so it’s gonna be a new look, a new year for us.”

Cousins on how he tweak his ankle in practice the other day - “I stepped on the midget’s foot - Isaiah. He was definitely in the way,” he jokingly said.

Cousins on how he stayed in shape during the offseason - “Why would I tell you all my secrets? I’m in shape, that’s all that matters. We good!”

Every time he opens his mouth, the gathered masses are ready to burst out laughing. The guy is extremely funny and intelligent at the same time and a real treat to get to cover.

The Court Jester - A Smart addition to staff brings lots of experience

2011-12-14T01:36:08Z

Trust me, Keith Smart had options.

It was just the way Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal struck him during Westphal’s visit to his Bay Area home.

“Coach Paul was incredible as far as the process of trying to get me to come here,” said Smart after the first of two practices on Monday afternoon. “I mean, he came to my house and we sat in my living room for three hours talking about basketball philosophy. And he didn’t have to do that. When the decision came for them to come talk to me, I thought I would have had to come up to Sacramento. He said, ‘Hey, I’ll come visit with you.’ He came up and we sat and talked and I thought that was pretty good. This worked out perfect because it’s right down the highway from my home and I can see my family. My kids in high school and everything. Just being here and having a chance to get back into it again relatively quickly. When you get let go as a head coach, sometimes it doesn’t happen that fast, but I’m back in the teaching fold and learning mode again.”

“I’ve been fortunate to be around coaches that allow you to coach and Paul is one of those coaches as well. He takes input and information that you have and what you want to add to the team and he’s open to all that. It’s a good fit and it worked out really well with me coming here.”

The former head coach of the Golden State Warriors had a record last season of 36-46. But a worse than the Kings road record of 9-32 and the fact that the team never really got newly signed big man and solid rebounder David Lee to fit into what they were trying to accomplish in the East Bay led to his dismissal.

If you remember, Smart is probably known best for his 1987 Final Four heroics when he made a game-winning shot to lead Indiana to a National Championship over highly-touted Syracuse.

Smart has already looked back at what he could have done different in Oakland and intends on learning from past mistakes.

“You look at that you could have went with plays for guys at a certain situations of the game. Percentage-wise, if you go back and look at all the data from the year, you look at that maybe this guy could have done a little bit better in that situation than another guy that I had at that position from time to time. Maybe I should have gone to a particular player in a post up area a little bit more to kind of force the defense to adjust to us a little more. Little things like that.”

“But from managing the team and running a team, which I had a great coach that allowed me to to do a lot of work in Don Nelson, who gave me freedom to run the team and run practice. To have that experience already, that was a plus for me.”

Keith Smart has coaching in his blood.

Even before Don Nelson let him share the pine with him on an NBA bench, Smart was cutting his teeth in the CBA. In his first year as a head coach at any level, he led the Fort Wayne Fury to a franchise-record 31-win season and a spot in the playoffs.

The next season, he did it again. Playoff bound!

While in the CBA, he had an incredible 21 players signed away to NBA contracts. That just screams great coaching.

Smart, who is 47 now, then spent seven years alongside Don Nelson with the Warriors - the longest assistant coaching stint in Golden State history.

Smart knows he has a lot to offer the young Kings’ roster.

“I think that a coach really needs to be hands on in this environment,” said Smart. “Especially with the young players these days leaving school so early. They are still used to a coach being hands on. Until you get to a veteran team to where they pretty much know what they need to do. We need to make sure that we are holding these guys hands to help them to understand how to be a pro. And when they get to that point of being a pro, most of the time your team is going to be better.”

He also thinks that it’s great timing for him because of the influx of so many new players to the team. Another reason is that he can set an example going forward without having to revisit the past.

“I come in blind to everything that may have gone on,” said Smart. “I come in with the idea of teaching and going forward, not so much of looking back because I wasn’t here last year. We have some new pieces, some new players come in and everything fells like its brand new. So for me, I’m able to come in and just look at it from a coaching standpoint and say okay guys I need to do this, I want to do this and move from there as opposed to what went on and what happened and focusing on the negatives. I’m looking at what we can probably do this year to help turn things around and Coach Westphal has been great with all that.”

Coach Smart already sees that this team is unselfish and it started with the teachings of Coach Westphal.

“I think what Coach has done is try and get this team to share the ball, said Smart. “With a young team, that’s always hard because everyone is looking for their own identity. So what he’s tried to do is try and get the players to share and get the coaching staff to have a philosophy of getting them to play with each other and become a team. If they grow as a team, they will get better as a unit and start winning games. If they can understand how important the next guy is, that’s only going to help the team in the long run. And that is what this training camp here is all about.”

Coach Smart and the rest of the coaching staff will first get to see the impact they’ve had on this young team on Saturday, when the Kings travel to Oakland to play Golden State in their first of two preseason games.

On Friday, a look at Thursday’s Media Day and more insight to the season from Kings players.

The Court Jester - Better late than never, training camp begins anew

2011-12-13T02:43:47Z

The long-awaited, lockout-shortened Kings’ season is finally underway as training camp has opened in Natomas at Sacramento’s training facility in the Power Balance Pavilion parking lot.

Here are some observations from the second and third day of the two-week training camp.

State of the Kings Address

Each training camp, Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ President of Basketball Operations, addresses the media to discuss the offseason and his early training camp observations. This year was a lot different for Petrie as he and the staff are having to cram over a months worth of moves, discussions and preparation for the upcoming season in a two-week period.

Here are Petrie’s comments regarding various items during his stand up before the gathered media.

On how he likes the current makeup of the team - “I think at the moment, we are happy where we are. The team has been reconfigured from the last season, so a new group with the potential for what we think is improvement. They all came into camp in pretty good shape considering what turned out to be a very lengthy offseason. They seem focused and energetic and everybody’s glad to be back playing basketball.”

On major differences from last year’s campaign - “I think we are going to be a better shooting team. We’re going to be a better passing team. And I think we will be better able to attack teams offensively in more ways than we were last year.”

On how much room does the team still have under the salary cap considering the signing of Marcus Thornton (4 years, $31 million) and Chuck Hayes (4 years, $21.3 million) as well as rookies Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Honeycutt and Isaiah Thomas to contracts - “We’re still about a million dollars and change away from the minimum salary.”

On how happy he was with the general shape the players came into camp in - “Yeah, I am. In general, there are probably a couple of guys that need to lose a little bit of weight, but overall DeMarcus is ten pounds lighter than he was at the beginning of training camp a year ago. Tyreke is in better shape than he was at the start of camp last year. Marcus is within a few pounds of his game weight. John (Salmons) is in terrific shape. Fredette and all the rookies are fine. Again, considering the amount of time, we are pretty good shape that way.”

Geoff Petrie also emphasized that the team has a couple of offers out there and wouldn’t be surprised if they added another piece or two to the puzzle. At this point, it seems a backup point guard and maybe another big man could be in the mix.

He also sees the amnesty dominos to fall slowly considering that many teams are waiting to see who drops who and what other late deals some teams may be able to throw together.

The Curtain Rises

At some point during each practice, the long canvas shade that keeps the media shielded from the team’s on-court activities rises to allow the gathered newsmen and women to gaze upon the balance of Coach Paul Westpahl’s training drills.

So far this season, the curtain has risen early to allow the media a long look at will be this year’s incarnation of the Sacramento Kings.

Once practice is over, Coach Westphal give his thoughts on the days workout. Here are some of those thoughts from the second and third days of training camp.

On a potential three-guard set with Jimmer, Tyreke and Marcus Thornton and how it’s looked in practice - “It really worked well. At one point, they ran off about 12 or 15 points in a row. We were picking up full court - we’ll be doing a lot more of that this year - and creating some turnovers and early shots and they got out and were explosive. So that’s a combination that can be real effective.”

On how the young guys have looks so far - “Probably the best of everybody. I thought Whiteside had his moments, and Jimmer, Isaiah and Tyler all were excellent.”

On what might be missing from last year that you’ll need this year’s team to step up and get done - “I just think we are trying to grow as a team. We’ve added some players with some experience and some versatility and ball-handling ability. We’ll be a better shooting team. Hopefully healthier and we’ll have a little more depth.”

On whether the Kings will be more of a running team the season - “I think our personnel dictates that can extend the defense a little more effectively and I think we’re doing to try and do that.”

On how John Salmons is fitting in so far - “I think he’s doing an outstanding job! He’s a real pro and he knows where he’s supposed to be and why and he’s helping the other guys. He’s been real good at both ends.”

On J.J. Hickson - “I see a real athletic, dynamic player. He’s still feeling his way with where he’s supposed to be and why, but I think he’s somebody who can bring an element of athleticism to the game every time he comes in.”

Words from the Crown Keepers

Here are some comment from various players after a couple of workouts under their belts.

Isaiah Thomas on being a leader in college and now learning from leaders in the pros - “Because (in college) I was always was the one to lead and was telling people what to do, but now they’re telling me what to do. At the same time, when I do tell them what to do, they are listening too so it’s a mutual thing with all of us. I’m just trying to learn on the flow and learn everything from the vets and the guys that have been here a while.”

Isaiah Thomas on what the coaches are looking for from him - “Just to play hard and come in and bring energy and that’s what I’m going to do whether it’s score for myself or make plays for my teammates, I’m gonna do whatever I can to help the team win and get more wins. That’s my job!”

Isaiah Thomas on getting acclimated to the Sacramento area - “I’m trying to get lost just to see if I can find my way back to the hotel and things like that. I’m just trying to get more comfortable on the court and off.”

John Salmons on his expected leadership role with the team - “I’m just being myself man. I’m not the real vocal type. I just try to come in and be a professional and lead by example. I try and come in everyday and work hard and play the right way.”

John Salmons on what has impressed him the most so far in camp - “They way they share the ball. They are all looking to find the open guy, hitting cutters. I’ve been surprised by that the most.”

John Salmons on having a former teammate - Bobby Jackson - as a coach now - “I guess the longer you play, the more ex-teammates you have as coaches (laughs). Bobby’s cool. Bobby was cool when I was here. We always got along well so we’ll get along well with him as a coach.”

J.J. Hickson on putting in extra time after practice working on his shot - “It’s very important. I’m trying to get better every day. I’m trying to get better with the team so I think it starts with the individual first. I’m gonna get my extra work in when I need to.”

J.J. Hickson on being traded from Cleveland - “I was real surprised. I started in Cleveland. They taught me everything I know up to now. I’m gonna try and come here and let my defensive principals from Mike Brown and Byron Scott roll over into this team.”

J.J. Hickson on what his best attributes are - “I think I’m best when I’m running the floor. Setting screens against the offense real quick. The scoring is icing on the cake but I’m going to do what I have to do to make me and my teammates better.”

Tyler Honeycutt on what he’s already picked up on from the veteran players - “The movement on the floor, reading screens, staying in space and running. (Francisco) Garcia’s been talking to me a lot so I’m listening to him.”

Tyler Honeycutt on Garcia’s mentorship - “He’s been kind of looking over me like a big brother telling me where to go and making sure I’m on the right spots on the floor.”

Tyler Honeycutt on the speed of the game - “It’s like going from high school to college, now it’s college to the big boys. Everybody’s taller, faster, stronger, smarter and more athletic so I’m just trying to get used to that. Getting in the weight room to get stronger.”

Jason Thompson on the new crop of talent and the future of the Kings - “It’s starting to be good. It’s good that everyone is here and healthy. We’re just getting the reps in and putting in the offense, getting used to our defensive principals and get some continuity.”

Jason Thompson on helping the young guys - “Everyone started mature. We’re easing into things with Jimmer and Tyler and Isaiah and just giving them tips and helping them out as we’re learning as well.”

Chuck Hayes on settling in - “There is a lot of energy in the building with the youth and the excitement. I’m learning. I feel like a rookie. I’m learning guys style of play. Learning where they like to shoot the ball, their strength, their weaknesses and trying to get some kind of chemistry with them on the court.”

Chuck Hayes on if he’s, at 6’6”, always played in the middle - “I’ve always been the center from elementary to junior high a little bit in high school and a little bit in college. So playing the position was never foreign to me. I’ve always been the big kid. If you asked to me play point guard, I’d look terrible, but playing center to me is something I’ve been doing my whole life.”

Chuck Hayes on his defensive mindset going against bigger guys night after night - “Every game is a marathon. It’s a 48-minute game. The point is I just try to outwork and outlast my opponent, my guy individually. I try and wear him down and make him uncomfortable. There will be some moments where he’ll get the best of me, but you got to expect that because everybody is a professional. But throughout the 48-minute game, I have to be able to outlast him when it matters.”

Jimmer Fredette on the rush to get ready - “It’s been really exciting to start my first training camp and to start with the team. Everything is pretty accelerated because our first exhibition game is coming up real soon, but we’re doing a great job of trying to stay focused, get the plays down and get our defensive scheme down and all the terminology. It’s a learning process right now, but it’s going well.”

Jimmer Fredette on what about his game will help this team and it’s cohesiveness - “The biggest thing is just to go out there and play my game. If you show them respect, they’ll show respect back to you. Get them the ball when they’re open and take your open shots and hopefully you make them. That’s how you gain respect by going out there and playing as hard as you can, making the right decisions and being a good teammate.”

Tomorrow in The Court Jester, a conversation with the former head honcho of the Golden State Warriors and new Kings' assistant Keith Smart.

Heatwave loses in close match

2011-12-12T22:30:55Z

The Sacramento Heatwave lost in a close game against division rivals the San Francisco Rumble Sunday evening at Natomas High School with a final score of 105-100.

Despite the loss, and even though the game started two hours later than scheduled due to lack of a referee, the Heatwave put together one of their best games of the season, said Head Coach and team owner Reggie Davis.

The Heatwave went into the game hoping to shut down Rumble point guard Derek Foster, and in that, the team was successful, Davis said. Foster scored just six points in Sunday’s game.

“Foster is a prolific scorer and can put 30 points on the board,” Davis said before the game. “My goal is to not let him be too effective tonight.”

The Rumble took an early lead, and a series of fouls against them sent shooters to the free throw line often. The Heatwave had difficulty passing the ball, and the Rumble took advantage – the first quarter ended with the Heatwave down by 10 points.

In the second quarter, Heatwave guard Jason Washington scored 15 points and he helped to guide his team into the lead for the first time with just two minutes left in the half. The Heatwave scored 38 points in the quarter, while the Rumble added only 20 to its score. The two teams went into halftime with the Heatwave leading 53 to 45.

After the half, the Heatwave players returned to the court, but seemed to have lost their groove, tacking on only 21 points to the Rumble’s 33 points in the third quarter. The team faltered at the free throw line, missing four of six attempts, including two missed shots by power forward Michael Selling.

Sports fan Gary Weinberg, at his very first Heatwave game, said he already noticed a pattern with the team- they would come out strong, but then look lost on the court.

Down by four points at the start of the final quarter, the Heatwave came back strong, but three minutes in, the Rumble led by 10. The Heatwave recovered and were within two points of taking the lead with just over a minute left on the clock.

In the final seconds of the game, Heatwave shooters missed two crucial shots and turned the ball over to the Rumble, which ultimately took the win.

Going into the game, the Heatwave looked to avenge a playoff loss to the Rumble in 2010, said Davis, who called the match last year a “hotly contested game.”

“They played the best they’ve been playing,” Davis said. “I’m very happy with the way they performed this evening.”

The Heatwave heads out on an extended road trip and will play its next home game at 5 p.m. on Dec. 18 ~~7 p.m. on Jan. 27~~ at Natomas High School, located at 3301 Fong Ranch Road.

Editor's Note: The Sacramento Press editorial staff has edited this article to reflect a correction in the date of the next home game.

NBA lockout ends and hundreds return to work

2011-11-30T00:03:59Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson announced Tuesday that with the NBA lockout over – and the Sacramento Kings resuming their season – more than 700 workers at the Power Balance Pavilion will be able to return to their jobs.

“We are excited. With the lockout ended you will see people returning to work,” Johnson said.

Since the lockout began, Power Balance Pavilion employees have lost a significant amount of work, and businesses that rely on the traffic that NBA games bring in have suffered financially.

With the four-plus month lockout and all pre-season games cancelled and a shortened season ahead, employees have missed out on a substantial amount of work.

On Del Paso Boulevard, businesses have reported 20-30 percent losses in revenue due to the NBA lockout, Johnson said. “We need people to be working and we know money needs to be spent,” he added.

The range of employees feeling the impact of the NBA lockout is widespread.

The Hyatt Regency Sacramento, for example, is losing what Johnson speculated to be $50,000 a month due to NBA teams not visiting Sacramento for games and staying at the hotel.

The Kings will start their shortened 66-game season in late December.

Millions of dollars would have been lost if the lockout continued, Johnson said.

“We will be able to say ‘go Kings,’again,” he added.

Plans for the new arena in Sacramento continue to develop as the NBA season kicks off. Johnson said he hopes to get up to speed on all the components of the new entertainment and sports complex this week.

March 1, 2012 marks the date when Sacramento must have its plans finalized for the new arena. If not, the Maloof family, owner of the Sacramento Kings, has permission by the NBA to take the Kings elsewhere.

Dec. 13 is an important deadline in the planning process. According to the City of Sacramento website, the Sacramento Entertainment and Sports Complex must have finalized its “research, evaluations, negotiations on the finance (and) development and operation” plans by the Dec. 13 City Council meeting.

“We are excited the lockout is over and the city will do its best to step up and make a new sports entertainment center,” Johnson said.

Heatwave takes the win

2011-11-21T20:15:12Z

The Sacramento Heatwave took its first win of the season against the Modesto Hawks on Sunday night at Natomas High School with a final score of 132 to 93. Despite the opponent’s strong shooters, the Heatwave players delivered excellent defense, which helped them control the game and take the win.

“Overall it was a great game and our best effort in this season so far,” said Reggie Davis, CEO, owner and head coach of the Heatwave. “The team is really starting to get looser, and the defense effort they put out tonight really made a difference.”

The first quarter started off with a close match. The Hawks scored the first shot of the game and seemed to be carrying the momentum.

Within minutes, power forward Michael Selling of the Heatwave scored the first eight points for the team. Selling scored 24 points for the Heatwave by the end of the game, more than any other player on the team.

With two minutes and 30 seconds to go in the first quarter, the pace of the game picked up. The intensity increased with a close game, with the Heatwave trailing 20-19.

In the last minutes of the first quarter, shooting guard Brian Parker forced a turnover and sank two free throws, putting Heatwave in the lead by one point.

In the second quarter, the Heatwave increased its defense with forcing the other team out of bounds and running out the shot clock. The game really revved up, ending at halftime with the Heatwave leading the Hawks 55-40, giving the Heatwave the confidence to keep up the momentum in the second half of the game.

Only scoring 16 points in the second quarter, compared to 24 in the first, the Hawks were losing the energy they had at the start of the game.

“We played really good defense, and that was the difference between tonight and the last two games of the season,” said Brandon Smith, assistant coach of the Heatwave. “To get the Hawks knocked off put us in a good place in our division.”

In the third quarter, guard Greg Doyle scored two three pointers in a row, and the Heatwave controlled the game. The Hawks lost the strong play that they had in the first quarter.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Heatwave was in the lead, 88-66. The Heatwave led by double digits with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Shooting guard Kendrick Grace tried to get the Hawks back into the game by scoring a three pointer after two consecutive three pointers by the Heatwave. Grace scored 33 points overall, the most of all players on his team and the Heatwave players. However, it wasn’t enough to change the course of the game.

The crowd went wild when Parker of the Heatwave dunked with a minute and 17 seconds left on the clock.

Grace made a jump shot in the remaining seconds of the fourth quarter, ending the game with a solid effort, but the Heatwave took the win with nearly a 40-point lead.

“We were confident that we were going to get the win. We had a lot of big shots tonight and really got it together,” said guard Don Moorman of the Heatwave.

The next home game for the Heatwave is Dec. 10 at Natomas High School when the team goes up against the Richmond Rockets. For more information about the Heatwave, visit the website here.

Elk Grove Force wins Jumpstart 21 Hoops and Alley Oops tournament

2011-11-15T06:49:05Z

The Elk Grove Force beat the Sacramento Donkey Fong, 33-23 in the final match, making Elk Grove the first champion of the annual Jumpstart 21 Hoops and Alley Oops Regional Celebrity Basketball Tournament.

There were more than 250 attendants watching the game Monday afternoon at the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation basketball arena in Elk Grove.

In the final match, Former Monarch Danielle Viglione of the Sacramento Donkey Fong injured her left ankle as she went for a rebound early in the game. In the last six minutes of the game, another Sacramento Donkey Fong player was injured: Rolland Foley III, 20, a Sacramento City College student, injured his knee.

"I'm sad for my teammates," Sacramento City Councilman Rob Fong of the Sacramento Donkey Fong said, referring to his teammates' injuries. "It's kind of hard to enjoy it after that."

He said that the event was for a great cause – Jumpstart 21 – and the game needs to be revisited so that injuries can be avoided in next years' tournament.

Jumpstart 21 is a workforce development and internship placement program for foster youth created by the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.

"The championship game, man, what a game. It was back and forth (and), unfortunately, the other team had a few injuries, we hung in there, and brought the championship for Elk Grove," Professional Water Skier Brian Detrick, 22, said.

In the first round of the tournament, the Elk Grove Force beat the Rocklin Rim Rattlers, 35-12; the West Sacramento Brick Layers won against the Folsom 49ers, 14-12; the Sacramento Donkey Fong secured the victory against the Roseville Annexers, 37-20; and the Citrus Heights Crush beat the Rancho Cordova Magic Makers, 25-20.

In the semi-finals, the Sacramento Donkey Fong beat the Citrus Heights Crush 29-22, and the Elk Grove Force beat the West Sacramento Brick Layers, 35-13.

"Everybody came together for the spirit of helping the emancipated foster youth so we were very excited." CEO and President Patricia Fong Kushida of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce said. The event went well, she said, except for the couple of injuries during the final game.

Vice Mayor of Elk Grove Jim Cooper said that the biggest winners in the game are the youth in the Jumpstart 21 program. He was captain of the Elk Grove Force team.

Donté Greene - Goon Squad Classic and Charity Poker Tournament

2011-11-14T07:57:41Z

I'm very excited that Donté Greene is bringing basketball back to Sacramento. After our community fought so hard to keep the Kings, it will be great to see the players back in town playing the game we love so much! I've already purchased my tickets and am looking forward to the Goon Squad Classic on 12/20. If you haven't gotten yours yet, you can get them at Tickets.com.

While Donté is in town, he'll also be hosting a charity poker tournament which will benefit the American Diabetes Association. More details for the event can be found here and below: www.sacpokertournament.com.

When: Friday, November 18, 2011

Where: Roseville Health and Wellness Center
1650 Lead Hill Blvd., Roseville, CA 95661

Admission: $100
VIP seat at Donte Greene's table: $250

Check In: 4:45 PM - 5:45 PM
Tournament Begins: 6:00 PM

Prizes include signed memorabilia by Donté Greene and Tyreke Evans - including the uniform worn by Tyreke at the USO Hoops for Troops game where he shot the winning basket at the buzzer.

Between both of these events, we'll finally have some fun activities related to basketball this weekend!

Disclosure: Melissa Warren is a board member for the American Diabetes Association.

Eight cities of the Sacramento region to compete in a celebrity basketball tournament

2011-11-08T05:43:29Z

The National Basketball Association might still be in a lockout, but the Sacramento region is set to have a celebrity basketball tournament Nov 14. where eight teams representing Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Elk Grove, Roseville, West Sacramento, Rocklin, Citrus Heights and Sacramento are participating for a fundraising event.

The Jumpstart 21 Hoops and Alley Oops Regional Celebrity Basketball Tournament is a three-on-three half-court basketball tournament fundraising event held by the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce (SACC).

The proceeds will benefit Jumpstart 21, a workforce development and internship placement program by the SACC for young adults recently out of the foster care system, said SACC Director of Events and Foundation Matthew Sumida.

The teams will be captained by an elected official from each of the cities and coached by a graduate of the program. Sumida said that the 12-week training program provides the young adults with basic employment skills, and once training is completed, the graduates are provided internship placement within the Sacramento region.

"This program will help raise funds for those internships," Sumida said,"and it's a great way for the former foster kids to get involved and to interact with high-level community leaders."

The captains for each of the teams are required to recruit their own players, Sumida said, where two have to be female, and one has to be a media person. During the game, a female player is required to be on the court at all times. Also, a member of the team should be a representative of the team’s official sponsor. It is not necessary for the teammates to be residents of the city their team represents, except for the team captain.

He said that some of the players have former professional basketball experience, including Danielle Viglione, a former Sacramento Monarch, who is playing for the city of Sacramento team.

Marcos Breton of The Sacramento Bee will be the master of ceremonies.

Sumida said that it would have been ideal to have Mayor Kevin Johnson included in the event, but he was not available.

The tournament will also have its own version of the Royal Court Dancers – the Jumpstart 21 Dancers – who will be trained by the Sacramento Kings Royal Court Dancers. The dancers are event sponsors and public officials, said Six Degreez President Sharon Gerber, the official event planner of the tournament.

There will be a five-minute warmup time before each of the games. Two fifteen-minute half-court matches will play simultaneously, and the teams will have one 30 second time-out.

"We are planning to have this as an annual event, and each year the trophy will be passed on to the next winner. " Sumida said. "It's a fun event that we came up with to help raise money and also to find out who the best basketball team in the region is."

Hear an explanation of how the tournament will work below:

The event runs from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Registration starts at 3:00 p.m.
The event will be held at the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation, 9040 High Tech Court in Elk Grove Tickets can be purchased here.

What the team captains have to say:

Citrus Heights Crush

Coach: Nicole Miller
Captain: Mayor Jeannie Bruins
Members:
Mel Turner
Paul Robins
Joel Archer
Nicole Garing
Diane Ebbitt

"I am looking forward to (a) faceoff with West Sacramento – a challenge I put out to Oscar Villegas," Citrus Heights Mayor Jeannie Bruins said. "We're going to crush them because we are the Citrus Heights Crush."

She said that her team has practiced once, and the players are ready. Unfortunately, Bruins said, she will not be playing and will stay on the sidelines. She said that she will be the No. 1 cheerleader for the team.

"It is just fabulous what they do," Bruins said of the Jumpstart 21 program.

Rancho Cordova Magic Makers

Coach: Angela Montes
Captain: Councilwoman Linda Budge
Members:
Nathan Dietrich
Bob Shallit
Sam Miller
Adam Lingren
Rebecca Sloan

"We have four dedicated basketball fans in our team, and we have been watching the Sacramento Kings for a long time, and hopefully it rubbed off," said Rancho Cordova City Councilwoman Linda Budge.

Budge said that in order for them to win in this competition, they will have to play like a team. She said that she will make sure that her teammates make some assists.

The team has not had the chance to practice together, but she said the players have practiced separately, with some of them practicing basketball with their kids.

"We are doing this because we are basketball fans, but most of all because it is for a good cause," Budge said."We will be playing for them."

Sacramento Donkey Fong

Coach: Roland Foley III
Captain: City Councilman Rob Fong
Members:
City Councilman Jay Schenirer
State Assemblyman Roger Dickinson
Bethany Crouch
Tim Mech
Sam Luong
Danielle Viglione

"We don't care who we meet in the finals, we just know we are going to win," Sacramento City Councilman Rob Fong said.

He said that they enjoy being the favorite team to win, even though the other teams might not like it. He has not talked with Mayor Kevin Johnson to get some basketball tips, but Fong said he will definitely do so.

"Most of us are rooted to the earth and won't be doing any jumping at all," said Fong, who also said that this should not be a problem. The team practiced Sunday.

"It is for a great cause, and we are willing to take great physical risk to support it," Fong said. "I'm just hoping that when all is said and done, none of us will be heading to the emergency room.”

West Sacramento Brick Layers

Coach: Reyan Reyes
Captain: City Councilman Oscar E. Villegas
Members:
Chris Ledesma
Kristin Marshall
Bob Johnston
Jeff Dorso
Kalyca Seabrook
Bernadette Austin-Bower

"We don't care who we face off," West Sacramento City Councilman Oscar Villegas said. "Bring it!"

Villegas said that a friendly game is always good for the soul. His team has practiced, and he said that it is going well.

"I would bet somebody else's paycheck that we would win," he added. "I can dunk if they lower the hoop to 7 feet,"

Folsom 49ers

Coach: April Redricks
Captain: Mayor Andy Morin
Members:
Matt Dawson
Teo Torres
Ben Porter
Lani Stowers
Shannon O'Neill

"I would like to go against Rancho Cordova in the final match, because they are our friendly neighbors, and if we can beat them, we can have some serious bragging rights," said Folsom Mayor Andy Morin.

"I want to be as competitive as possible, but I am also looking forward to meeting with old friends in a friendly, competitive setting," he added.

Morin said that his team is set to meet up this week for practice, and he hopes that his team will be in good condition for the tournament.

Rocklin Rim Rattlers

Coach: Leslie Lee Jr.
Captain: City Councilman Scott Yuill
Members:
Greg Daley
Tina Macuha
Brian Jenson
Dave Butler
Paul Ackerman

"I am looking forward most to helping supporting the Jumpstart 21 program and having fun doing it with the regional flair," said Rocklin City Councilman Scott Yuill.

He said jokingly that his team has practiced extensively through email and is well-prepared for the tournament.

"I am a much better golfer than a basketball player, and I am a horrible golfer," Yuill said."I'd like to go head-on with Rob Fong because he usually beats me in golf.”

"In Rocklin, we are very humble and polite, and I think it will be out of character to point out our sheer athletic superiority," he added.

Elk Grove Force

Coach: Naomi Mendez
Captain: Mayor Steve Detrick
Members:
Jim Cooper
Drisha Leggitt
Dan Elliott
Keri Thomas
Alex Van Dyke
Brian Detrick

"My team, of course," Elk Grove Mayor Steve Detrick said when asked who will win. "We are the team to look out for."

He said that he is a recreational basketball player, but his team has not had the chance to practice yet.

"I put my best into everything I do, and hopefully our team can come up on top," he added.

"I think it's great that we are taking the cities of Sacramento and participating in such (an) event for a common goal," Detrick said. “The Sacramento region has no boundaries when it comes to fulfilling such goals."

Roseville Annexers

Coach: Olajuwon Curtis
Captain: City Councilman Tim Herman
Members:
Gayle Garbolino-Mojica
Kelly Brothers
Steve Fleming
Daniel Hahn
Steffi Jones

"We did not snag any former Monarch or King, but we will try to be competitive and have a lot of fun," City Councilman Tim Herman said.

Herman said that his team has already practiced once and will be practicing once more before the game. His players are happy and proud to represent Roseville and Placer County, he added.

"Most of us are under-the-basket kind of players. Unless they lower the hoop, I do not think we will be doing any dunks," Herman said.

"It's for a great cause, and to raise awareness and money for the Jumpstart 21 is a victory for all of us," Herman said.

No NBA no problem: Heatwave basketball revs up to start season

2011-10-19T01:59:34Z

While the National Basketball Association is on lockout and preseason and regular season games are canceled, the Heatwave, the Sacramento professional American Basketball Association team, revs up for a full season.

The season will open on Nov. 12 with an exciting double-header against the Richmond Rockets, which defeated the Heatwave in the first round of playoffs last season, and the Bay Area Matrix, last year’s Pacific North Division champions.

“With the NBA lockout, we have a good opportunity to put on some great basketball for the city. We can entertain the people of Sacramento and get them excited about basketball again. No NBA, no problem,” said assistant coach Brandon Smith. “I am looking forward to giving people a reason to believe in basketball again.”

The Heatwave is hosting open tryouts at 10 a.m. on Sunday at Sierra College, 5000 Rocklin Rd., and plans to have its roster put together by the end of October.

The Heatwave has gone to division playoffs for the past two years and is known to have “the noisiest crowds around,” said Reggie Davis, CEO, owner and head coach of the Heatwave. “We are excited about finding new talent and to deliver affordable professional basketball to Sacramento.”

Last year the Heatwave had “a great group of shooters,” Davis said. “This year, we are looking for a balance of defensive and offensive players.”

“We are going to be searching for all kinds of guys this year. We will be looking for maturity, good work ethic, natural leadership, great shooting and some good young legs,” Davis said.

The coaches are looking at players from both Sacramento community colleges as well as players from African and European basketball teams.

“We will put the best professional product on the floor in the region,” Smith said. “Fans can expect high scoring and excitement at every game. People will be on their feet, and it is a family-friendly environment.”

The ABA, founded in 1967, is known for its signature red, white and blue basketball and is the origin of many rules that have been adapted by the NBA, such as the three-point shot.

The ABA also has other unique rules, including the “3D Rule.” This is a rule that rewards a team for having good defense. If a team scores a layup after stealing a ball in the back court, it receives an extra point for stealing the ball before making the shot.

“No lead is ever safe with the 3D Rule,” Davis said. “Even if you are down 20 points, the game can change in the last minutes. Fans stick around until the last seconds of ABA games because a 3-point shot on a stolen ball is 4-points right there.”

The NBA and the ABA serve different markets, Davis said.

“The ticket prices and cost of the overall experience are vastly different,” he added. “You pay $10 for an ABA game and can meet the players and have great seats or pay three times as much to sit in the nosebleeds at an NBA game.”

The Sacramento Kings games start at $13.50 per ticket and go up to $200 while Heatwave tickets start at $5 and go up to $25.

The ABA is less commercialized and more community-oriented. The team hopes to get involved in the community this season and give back any way that they can, said Davis.

“The skill levels and ages of the players are very similar between the ABA and NBA,” he said. “There are many players and teams from the ABA who have gone on to play for the NBA.”

The San Antonio Spurs, New York Nets, Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers are just a few of the teams that were once ABA teams before becoming a part of the NBA.

NBA players are welcome to come play with Heatwave during the lockout. The coaches hope to have a few join the team for the duration of the lockout, Davis said.

Freshii caters for home games at Natomas High School and will provide healthy food options for customers, including various salads and wraps. Classic game food such as burgers, fries and sodas are also available.

The Heatwave is hosting a meet, greet, and eat event at Laughs Unlimited,1207 Front St., at 1 p.m. on Nov. 6. The community is invited to enjoy free food and drinks as well as meet the dancers and players of the Heatwave before the season starts.

Heatwave tickets can be purchased at the door or online. Home games are held at Natomas High School, 3301 Fong Ranch Road. For more information about the Heatwave and to purchase tickets, visit the website here.

NBA cancels 43 preseason games, postpones training camps

2011-09-23T20:19:47Z

The NBA announced Friday that it would be postponing player training camps "indefinitely" and canceling 43 preseason games for the 2011-12 basketball season in a press release.

The text of the press release is below:

The NBA announced today that player training camps for the 2011-12 season have been postponed indefinitely because a new collective bargaining agreement has not been reached with the National Basketball Players Association. Training camps were scheduled to open on October 3.

In addition, the league canceled all preseason games scheduled from October 9 through October 15.

“We have regretfully reached the point on the calendar where we are not able to open training camps on time and need to cancel the first week of preseason games,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. “We will make further decisions as warranted.”

A spokesperson for The Sacramento Kings said Friday he could not comment on the announcement.

Local Sports Illustrated columnist talks sports writing

2011-07-14T06:27:45Z

From Little League to Major League Baseball or punches to knockouts in boxing, it’s important to keep fans and readers up to date on sport results and highlights.

Sam Amick, Sports Illustrated columnist for SI.com, shared his personal experiences Tuesday, giving multiple anecdotes to explain lessons learned, experiences gained and answered audience member questions about the craft.

The single most important skill that Amick stressed was preparation and research. He compared sports writing to a chef saying that one prepares by having the correct ingredients for a recipe.

He encouraged the audience to try to gain as much information about the sports topic, the team, athletes and statistics.

A diverse crowd of 25 interested in sports or involved in sports writing for local papers, a magazine and blogs attended Tuesday’s Sacramento Press Sports Writing workshop.

The workshop attracted Brandon Fleshman, production coordinator for the All Weather Window company in Vacaville. His public relations degree from Sacramento State University prompted him to learn more about sports writing in hopes to launch a sports-related career in marketing, journalism or public relations, Fleshman said.

“I’ve never had a class in sports writing, so I don’t really know the first thing,” Fleshman said. “I have an idea from reading a lot of sports articles. (I’m) looking forward to learning the basics and also a little extra.”

Personal Trainer at Arden Hills Resort Club and Spa Robert Linkul said he was excited to see the workshop offered locally.

“I write for Personal Fitness Professional Magazine, and (take) every opportunity I get to try to get a little bit better at it,” Linkul said.

Linkul said that there are a million things to write about when it comes to the fitness field, so he is “hoping to find some creativity, some distinction between topics, and I want to create more depth on each topic.”

Also in attendance was Bengy Egel, 17, a correspondent for The Davis Enterprise.

“I hope to understand what I am doing a little better, and understand where the future of sports journalism is headed, and see what I need to do to adjust my focus,” Egel said.

Aside from research and preparation, Amick advised attendees to quickly find a personal strength in the sports writing field.

“Finding your strength, I think, is incredibly important,” Amick said. “Don’t be afraid to shift gears if it is not working out for you. Just be fearless and try again.”

Feature writing, Amick said, allows him to be creative and produce original content from a deeper level, versus a game recap that just tells the audience the highlights.

To do this, he explained that it is important to read many different sports articles and look for style and voice.

Describing his former Kings beat for The Sacramento Bee, Amick added that going to practices and sparking conversations with the players about what is going on with the team can yield new story angles that will engage the reader through descriptions about a player’s injuries, familial circumstances, personal struggles, or team tensions.

Other story-digging tools Amick gave the audience members to help them produce original content included phoning teams’ public relations directors, talking to the coaches or getting lunch with a player.

He advised the crowd to follow athletes on Twitter for breaking news, story ideas and background content for research.

“The danger of modern media (is that) everything is immediate,” Amick said about the innovation of Twitter.

He explained that it has become difficult for reporters to break sport news because Twitter is widely used and reports action as it breaks on the courts, the field, in the ring or any other sport-related setting. For this reason, Amick encouraged using different media platforms, such as having a blog and a professional Twitter account.

A piece of advice on an editing note: Amick said to write the story, then read it out loud, but as a reader, not as a writer, and to ask oneself whether the story is boring or compelling.

He discouraged using cliches in sports writing.

Common sports cliches include: "It's a real pressure cooker. It's a nip-and tuck-game, or It's a whole new ballgame," according to sportscliche.com.

Amick said his former sports editor would often remind him to include a human interest aspect in his writing to attract as many eyeballs as possible by saying, “The 80-year-old grandmother up in Loomis, I want her to read and like your story.”

Confident interviewing skills, Amick said, are key to producing compelling content by asking the athletes and coaches questions others won’t ask, stepping outside the box and “probing them in interviews.”

Amick’s last words of advice to the group included writing as much as possible, getting feedback for the writing and asking questions of people who know the field well.

Arena committee kicks off community rallying effort

2011-07-08T01:18:21Z

Think BIG Sacramento launched an effort Thursday to recruit 1,000 people from Merced to Redding to rally support for a new arena.

The arena campaign committee also announced plans to hold a public design contest for a space adjacent to the new facility as part of that effort.

The committee is asking regional residents and community leaders to help spread information and gather supporters for the drive to build a new sports and entertainment complex, state Senate staffer Greg Hayes, a member of the arena committee, said in a Thursday morning press conference outside the MARRS Building at 1050 20th St.

Later this month, the committee will announce full details of a contest that could enable the winner to design something for an open, public space adjacent to the new arena.

Those who volunteer to rally support will be dubbed "citizen architects" for their role in helping to construct a new arena to replace Power Balance Pavilion, Hayes added.

"It is their support and momentum that has been built that will make this new sports and entertainment complex a reality," he said. "Ultimately, this sports and entertainment complex is, in effect, the civic center for this region – a gathering place for events, meetings and conventions."

During the press conference, Sports 1140 KHTK host "Carmichael Dave" Weiglein, also an arena committee member, applauded the mayor, his staff and the committee for listening to Kings fans' "grassroots efforts" to support an arena and allowing input from the community.

"These promises are being fulfilled, and the trust that is so difficult sometimes to have between citizens and city leaders that was given out in the last few months – that trust is absolutely being backed up by the actions and also the listening to the counsel of the grassroots efforts," Weiglein said.

The committee created by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson wants to attract a diverse group from throughout the six-county region to be part of the citizens' initiative. The deadline to apply online is 5 p.m. July 18. People began signing up on the Think BIG Sacramento website before the announcement, said Hayes, communications director for state Sen. Kevin de León.

Kings fans and others have approached Weiglein to ask how they can support a new facility for National Basketball Association games, concerts, ice skating shows and other events. The citizens' group will be a "fantastic conduit" for people to get involved in a project that will make the area a better place to live, Weiglein said.

"It's something that just expands on the quality of life in this lovely city, (and) it's very difficult to put a dollar amount on," he said.

The NBA and the Maloofs, who own a majority share of the Kings, have given the region until March 1 to undertake a serious effort to build a new arena.

Hayes said residents' most important contribution would be to take part in a design competition, which the committee believes has never been used at another sports or entertainment facility in the country.

Details haven't been fully worked out. However, the contest will be open to everyone, including residents, architects and artists, when it’s officially announced near the end of July.

The committee will ask participants to design some type of feature in an open space set aside next to the arena. Residents will then vote on three design ideas.

Just what that component will be – public art or something else – will be up to participants, Hayes said.

"This truly must be reflective of what the people in this region decide, because this movement was really born out of the grassroots, and as Dave said, it got the leaders' attention," he said.

Report: Arena could bring $7 billion

2011-07-01T00:43:32Z

A new downtown arena could draw 3.1 million visitors to the central city each year and bring the region more than $7 billion over 30 years, according to a report released Thursday by an arena campaign committee.

The 37-page report on an arena’s expected impact to the region was released to reporters at a press conference at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel.

"In downtown Sacramento, there's a considerable economic boost, just by the fact that there really isn't a facility like that," said Cathleen Dominico, author of "The Economic Engine Report: An Economic Analysis on the Regional Impact of an Entertainment and Sports Complex," during the press conference.

"If you can create a downtown core that is a destination, it boosts not only the downtown itself but trickles out to the outlying regions," she added.

Dominico, managing partner at Capitol Public Finance Group, was joined at the press conference by arena committee Chairman Chris Lehane, who also chaired the mayor's arena task force; committee members who included City Councilman Rob Fong, City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, state assemblymen Roger Dickinson and Richard Pan, Downtown Sacramento Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault; and past DSP Chairman Kipp Blewett of Rubicon Partners.

The press conference was held after a report summary was first presented to members of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's arena campaign committee in a closed-door meeting at the hotel. The meeting was announced two weeks ago as one of seven public meetings set this summer for the committee.

The number of visitors was estimated with an average 17,300 people attending 45 Sacramento Kings events and an average 15,000 people at more than 155 other events annually.

Visitors would be expected to spend an average of $20 each, before and after events, on food, drinks, travel and other retail. About 10 percent of them could spend another $102 to stay overnight.

Total spending outside the sports facility, before and after games and other events, was estimated at $93.6 million annually, according to the economic impact report called for by Johnson.

However, after subtracting spending by existing residents and annual spending at the Kings' current arena, net annual spending in the six-county Sacramento region is expected to total only about $24.6 million, according to Dominico and the report.

The arena's operating costs would be covered by revenue generated inside the arena, according to the report, which did not look at arena revenue.

ICON Venue Group President Tim Romani and Sacramento developer David Taylor estimate an arena facility would cost $241 million, with a total project cost of $387 million.

The cost of arena construction will be financed by a combination of public and private investment, which is expected to include Sacramento Kings annual tenant fees.

The ICON-Taylor group is developing an arena financing plan with input from Johnson's 70-member regional arena campaign committe e. The group was introduced a month ago as the Here We Build coalition. The committee's name was changed this week to Think BIG Sacramento.

The ICON-Taylor group was given a late-May deadline to present an arena financing plan to the Sacramento City Council. But that didn’t happen after the Kings’ owners didn’t provide revenue information in time.

The arena campaign committee was then given until Sept. 8 to provide the council with a plan.

The Maloof family, which owns a majority share of the Kings, agreed on May 2 not to move the team if the region would undertake a serious effort to replace Power Balance Pavilion, which was constructed in outlying Natomas in 1988. The National Basketball Association and the Maloofs gave the region until March 1, 2012, to do so.

The drive to build a new arena also creates an opportunity to redevelop the existing arena, Ault said.

"We feel very strongly that this is not about a downtown versus Natomas issue," Ault said. "This is about an opportunity to activate and engage the central city. It's an opportunity to make sure that we're doing everything we can to develop something that is a replacement in Natomas that keeps them whole.

"This is something I think the region will look back on as we finally are having the right discussions and the right opportunity to really engage in a facility that's going to make a difference in this region," he said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

May I have your attention please Sacramento - The Jimmer has landed

2011-06-25T06:27:49Z

As he made his way down the escalator in the inside Terminal One at Sacramento International Airport Friday afternoon, his eye-catching smile was happily stretched across his face upon seeing the masses awaiting his arrival into the Capitol City.

That’s right Kings fans, along with the other two draft picks selected this week, the Jimmer has landed!

A couple of hundred of the Kings faithful patiently waited for the slightly delayed flight and they weren’t disappointed when 2011 draft picks Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Honeycutt and Isaiah Thomas made their way through the crowd - high-fiving fans and shaking hands all along the way.

The Kings had to do some wheeling and dealing to land Fredette. A draft day trade that sent Beno Udrih and the seventh pick in the draft to Milwaukee for former King John Salmons and the tenth pick. Moving down allowed the Kings to land the Fredette with the tenth pick where they may have felt they could pick him without looking like they were reaching.

Even though Jimmer had some off-the-chart numbers in his senior season at BYU - 28.9 points per game, 3.4 boards, 4.3 assists and shot almost 40% from beyond the arc - Fredette was slotted to go somewhere between the eleventh and sixteenth pick in the first round. But after Kings executives saw his impressive workout, they moved him up their draft board and happily took him with the tenth overall pick.

Many Kings fans made their way to the airport to greet the college star and Fredette was very happy to see the large welcoming committee.

“I’m really excited to be here,” started Jimmer. “To be a Sacramento King and to see the reception is really exciting for all of us here.”

Moments later he would say what everyone in KingsLand wanted to hear.

“I’m excited to be a King!”, exclaimed Jimmer.

The moment wasn’t lost on Jimmer’s girlfriend as she was seen looking back at the police behind her in awe of the crowd as she and Fredette made their way down the moving staircase.

Fredette, the consensus Player of the Year in college basketball last season, brings a smooth shot, amazing range and a nifty little crossover move to a team that will be looking to run and gun this campaign.

Also arriving were 2nd round picks Tyler Honeycutt (UCLA) and Isaiah Thomas (Washington). With the three new additions, the Kings become more athletic and will have more guys that can create their own shot. This team could become impossible to guard defensively.

The Kings brass were somewhat shocked when they realized the UCLA product was still around come the 35th overall pick.

Honeycutt talked about leaving school early considering he was projected to be a first round pick if he had stayed for his junior year.

“I felt like I had a solid year and I thought it was the right time for me,” said Honeycutt. “I felt parts of my game were ready to go to that next level.”

From what the scouts are saying, Honeycutt has a great basketball IQ, is an excellent passer and can block a lot of shots for his size.

With the last pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Kings selected Isaiah Thomas. He’s only 5’10” but can jump out of the building. With a 39.5-inch vertical leap, it’s easy to see why the Kings thought he has a shot at making the roster.

Thomas, who averaged 16.8 points and 6.1 assists a contest, really improved his passing skills between his sophomore and junior years.

In his second year in the Northwest, he only averaged 3.2 assists, but by the end of his third season with the Huskies, he increased that average substantially.

Thomas was very happy he was able to stay on the West Coast. He was also a little shocked to see how much Kings fans love their basketball.

“I’m very excited,” started Thomas. “I think everything worked out perfectly. I get to stay home in California. As you can see, we got great fans. I don’t know how many other teams this (airport gathering) is happening to!”

Thomas didn’t stop there when declaring how happy he was to be picked by Sacramento.

“It’s a blessing! It’s a great organization. You can already tell the fans are second to none. This is just unbelieveble!”

For those of you that missed the airport arrival, you can catch the three new draftees at the Rookie Rally at the Arden Fair Mall in front of Nordstrom at 2:30 on this Saturday.

Arena coalition members named

2011-06-14T01:35:04Z

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson released the names of his regional arena coalition Monday, amid hopes the Here We Build campaign will be able to figure out financing options.

But the absence of a representative of Natomas, where Power Balance Pavilion sits, raised protests from the Natomas Chamber of Commerce.

Johnson announced the members of a bipartisan, 15-member executive committee Monday morning. The remaining 45 members of the community coalition were expected to be announced Monday evening, according to the mayor’s office.

No one from the Natomas Chamber of Commerce, which has led a campaign to keep the arena there, had been asked to be part of the coalition as of 5:30 p.m. No Natomas representatives are expected to be in the coalition, Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek said.

Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna was named to the executive committee. He lives in Natomas and represents the area in his supervisor role. But he hasn’t represented Natomas economic interests in the arena process, Natomas Chamber President Ed Koop said.

"He's never been the voice of anything we've been trying to do here, as far as the economic impact,” Koop said. "In my opinion, that's not a good representation of what we've got going on here."

Frustrated chamber members are refusing to provide a letter of support for the arena effort after Johnson recently asked for one. To be asked for support is "absurd," because building a new arena downtown will "cannibalize" Natomas, said Koop, adding chamber members feel their community has been ignored throughout the arena process.

"Natomas seems to be constantly put in the back seat. We're not asked to participate in any of these things going forward," he said.

Chamber officials want the city to set up a task force to focus on reuse of the Natomas site. But no one from the mayor's office has reached out to talk about the site's future, Koop said.

"I don't believe anyone's seriously looking at what's going to happen to Natomas if this arena leaves," he said.

Johnson asked for letters of support at a regional chamber coalition meeting at Sacramento Metro Chamber headquarters on June 3 – a few days after officially announcing the coalition's formation. Representatives of all six counties were there, Koop said.

The mayor and the mayor's office followed up last week with emails asking to get the letters, which were to be addressed to the city, by June 17.

The Here We Build executive committee will be chaired by state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat from Sacramento, and State Sen. Ted Gaines, a Republican from Roseville.

Other members of the committee include state Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon and Sacramento City Councilman Rob Fong.

Also on the committee is San Francisco investor Darius Anderson. He told Johnson at the National Basketball Association team owners' meeting in April he and billionaire Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle wanted to buy the Sacramento Kings or bring another team here if the Kings left.

The full coalition will consist of stakeholders from around the region: elected officials, labor leaders, corporate and small business owners, grassroots organization leaders, developers and religious leaders.

Johnson said in a press conference Monday that the coalition was put together to equitably represent the metropolitan area.

“We knew if we had 22 cities and six counties, we knew we had to have about 30 electeds and maybe 30 non-electeds,” he said. “So, when it came down to the executive committee, we knew we wanted 12 to 15 members – half elected, half non-elected.”

The mayor's office cast "a wider net" to involve a broad base of the community, McPeek said.

"We want to make sure we have a nice cross section, across the board," he said.

The mayor's office is setting up the arena coalition's first public meeting for Thursday. The time and location are still being determined.

The group will be meeting to explore arena funding options and determine the "critical pathway" to financing a new arena, McPeek said.

McPeek could not say what work the ICON-Taylor group is doing to come up with arena funding options, which were due at their presentation to the City Council in late May. It's not clear how the arena experts will work with regional Here We Build coalition members to answer the funding question.

The Roseville Chamber of Commerce has sent in a letter of support commending the mayor for reaching beyond his borders to promote a regional discussion on a new arena, Roseville Chamber Chief Executive Officer Wendy Gerig said.

"It's not just about the Kings and basketball. It's about economic development and the jobs that will not only go to businesses in Sacramento, but to El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Yuba and Sutter counties," she said. "Our region is deserving of such a facility."

A link to the other coalition member names will be added in the comment section below.

Sacramento Press staff reporter Kathleen Haley contributed to this report. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Metro Chamber to support RoundRock 3-on-3 street basketball tourney

2011-05-17T21:43:09Z

The Sacramento Metro Chamber is pleased to join The Downtown Sacramento Partnership and The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau as supporters of RoundRock 3on3 for the first annual three-on-three basketball tournament to be played June 11-12 on the city streets of downtown and Old Sacramento.

RoundRock 3on3 will feature players and teams from throughout Northern California, playing on up to 40 blocks throughout Old Sacramento, Downtown and Midtown. The designated streets, including Capitol Mall, will be sectioned off and organized into a series of half-courts, where the various divisions will play their games. The city of Sacramento has approved the street closures.

“This is a basketball tournament for players of all skill levels, from third grade to 100 years old,” said John Wardlaw, CEO of RoundRock 3on3. “It doesn’t matter if you play every day, or if you haven’t played in 30 years. We really want this to be an event the whole family can come enjoy as we highlight not only basketball, but also the great museums, restaurants, parks and places to see in downtown and Old Sacramento. There will be plenty to do for kids of all ages, kind of like a ‘state fair’ for basketball. We hope to bring the whole community together for fun, friendly competition, and to give back to those who need it most.”

RoundRock 3on3 has identified Shriners Hospital for Children and March of Dimes as primary beneficiaries of this event, with additional charities to be named. During the weekend of the event, Capitol Mall will be named “Charity Drive” and will feature other charities and groups hosting basketball-related contests to raise funds for their organizations. In addition to benefiting local charities, RoundRock’s mission is to identify several areas of continuing need such as park rehabilitation, constructing and building basketball courts for youth activities, and assisting sports organizations that promote health and activity among the area’s youth.

“We have seen recently with the public and business outpouring of support for the Sacramento Kings that our region really enjoys the game of basketball, so the RoundRock 3on3 tourney is a perfect match for fans in the region,” said Metro Chamber President & CEO Matthew Mahood. “We challenge the local business community to get involved on any level from signing up your business as a team or joining the Metro Chamber as a sponsor of the event. This is a chance for everyone in the region to get out with their friends and families to participate and help support our local charities.”

KCRA 3, KQCA My58, Salem Communications and Entercom Communications are the premier media sponsors for this event. The Sacramento Metro Chamber joins California Family Fitness, SureWest Communications, Safe Credit Union and Quick Quack Carwash as tournament level sponsors. For more information, visit www.roundrock3on3.com.

Hal Silliman is communications director for the Sacramento Metr Chamber.

Sacramento mayor stands in for Kings at NBA draft lottery

2011-05-17T00:58:35Z

The first time Kevin Johnson was involved in the National Basketball Association draft, he was passed over by the Sacramento Kings. Now mayor of Sacramento, Johnson will represent the Kings at the NBA draft lottery Tuesday.

The lottery will be televised on ESPN during a pregame show just before Tuesday night's playoff game in Dallas, when the Oklahoma City Thunder takes on the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the Western Conference finals. The draft lottery portion of the show, which determines the order for the NBA draft June 23, could begin as early as 5:10 p.m. Pacific time.

In 1987, Johnson was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who got the seventh pick in the draft. The Sacramento Kings had the sixth pick and could have chosen him. Instead, they drafted Kenny Smith, now a commentator on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”

Last week, the Maloof family, co-owners of the Kings, asked Johnson to stand in for the team after the former NBA All-Star-turned-politician led a full-court press to stop the team from moving to Anaheim. Johnson was honored to be asked to stand in for Sacramento when the league announces the draft pick order at the NBA Entertainment studio in Secaucus, N.J.

"He feels it's an exciting opportunity to not just represent the Kings, but to represent the city of Sacramento and the entire region," mayoral spokesman Joaquin McPeek said.

Johnson left for the East Coast over the weekend and could not be reached for comment.

He was asked to take part out of respect for him and the office of mayor, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said Monday via spokesman Alex Sigua.

“We hope that he can bring some luck to New Jersey and get us that first pick, so we’re depending on him to get it done,” Maloof said.

The 14 teams that didn't make it into this season's playoffs participate in the NBA draft lottery.

The Kings tied with the New Jersey Nets for the fifth-worst record in the 2010/2011 season. The Kings won a coin toss and now have the fifth-best standing for getting one of the top three picks, team spokesman Troy Hanson said shortly before flying to New Jersey for the event.

The actual lottery will be held in a back room, with one person from each team sitting in to watch the process. John Kehriotis, a limited partner in the Kings, will represent the team in those proceedings.

During the televised portion, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver will then unveil the draft order in reverse from 14 to one. Johnson will take a ceremonial role and sit in the Kings' position during that part of the process.

Teams are usually represented by the team president or general manager. However, a player or former player, team owners, executives and coaches have also held the honor. But team owners can choose others to represent the teams as well.The Kings recently had a season ticket holder represent them at the draft lottery.

A draft lottery event for season ticket holders will be held at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K St., Tuesday. Joe Maloof, guard Marcus Thornton, Head Coach Paul Westphal and Player Personnel Director Jerry Reynolds are expected to take part. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

For luck in the draft lottery, the Catholic Maloof said he’s doing a nine-prayer Novena.

“A good friend of mine in Memphis, Tenn., calls me every day and we do a prayer each day for nine days,” Maloof said. “My mother taught me about the prayers many, many years ago. I’ve used them ever since and every once in a while, those Novena prayers come through.”

The team’s dismal standing this year will also help.

"All the teams have chances based on the win-loss record. The more losses you have, the better odds you will have a better pick," NBA spokesman Jon Hammond said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Kings rally planned during ticket drive

2011-05-10T01:06:19Z

The Sacramento Kings' owners hope to build team fever this week with a ticket sales drive and a rally Tuesday.

Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof is expected to join Head Coach Paul Westphal and stars such as Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie and Scot Pollard at a Kings rally at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Cesar Chavez Plaza, Ninth and I streets. Fireworks and a concert by Sacramento rock band Tesla are also planned for the rally, which is co-sponsored by local radio station Sports 1140 KHTK.

Maloof Sports and Entertainment also has hired 30 new sales employees to help with ticket sales after the Maloofs announced May 2 the team would stay in Sacramento for at least another year.

Most of the new employees started work Monday at Power Balance Pavilion. More people needed to be hired to handle a deluge of season ticket renewals and sales to the general public that began last week. Hundreds of season ticket holders have called to renew, Maloof Sports and Entertainment Public Relations Manager Alex Sigua said.

"It's been heartwarming and overwhelming and incredible," he said. "We've definitely eclipsed our pace at this time last year."

Season ticket buyers had until 8 p.m. Monday to purchase season tickets and choose their exact seats at the same time. To do so, fans must make deposits of 17 or 34 percent and agree to a six-month or three-month payment plan, respectively.

Two choice seats near the visiting team’s bench, in Section 112 Row J, would cost $8,624. Under the six-month plan, the fan must make a $1,466 deposit by Monday night. Those fans will be invited to an event in June where they’ll have a chance to check out their seats and switch if needed.

At the Tuesday rally, Maloof Sports and Entertainment officials are expected to announce a second season ticket program allowing fans to make $300 deposits per seat and get on a waiting list to choose their seats at an open house at a later date in mid-June. Fans will be able to choose their seats in an order based on when they made deposits.

Exact numbers of renewals and season ticket holders in the 2010/2011 season were not available.

The sales staff were hired part-time to work with ticket buyers online and by phone. About 300 people applied for the jobs. Interviews were held late last week.

The Maloofs are still taking applications for full-time ticket services positions, Sigua said.

The company did not provide information about pay levels and whether employees are being hired on a temporary or permanent basis.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson met Friday with Gavin Maloof at the arena. They primarily discussed the need to stabilize the team, whose owners had been considering moving the Kings to Anaheim until last week.

The team's revenue statements from the last four years apparently have not yet been turned over to the city of Sacramento and the ICON-Taylor team, which is conducting an arena feasibility study. The study is expected to be completed by May 26.

The study's financial analyses have so far been based on figures from comparable teams in the National Basketball Association.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Kings decision coming down to wire

2011-04-30T00:52:29Z

With just three days to go before the Kings' deadline to file for relocation, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said Friday he's not sure who has the ball – but Sacramento officials hope a regionally coordinated effort to build an arena will make enough of a difference that the National Basketball Association and the Kings' owners keep the team here another year.

Billionaire Henry Samueli, whose company manages Anaheim's Honda Center, upped the ante Wednesday when he offered to personally invest more than $70 million for improvements at the Honda Center and provide a personal loan of at least $75 million to the Maloofs.

Samueli, who owns the Anaheim Ducks hockey team, also revealed $30 million - $40 million in corporate commitments for the Kings and a six-year TV contract worth $144 million from several networks, an Anaheim Arena Management spokesman confirmed.

Since then, billionaire Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle hasn't come forward with any additional financial incentives to keep the team in Sacramento. Johnson said he thinks the Maloofs haven't "engaged" with Burkle to discuss his desire to buy the Kings, but he doesn't know if the Kings' majority owners might be interested in talking with Burkle if the team stays in Sacramento.

Friday afternoon, Johnson described himself and other officials as "hopeful" and "cautiously optimistic" the team will remain here. The Kings' owners, the Maloofs, are facing more of a fight in their effort to relocate the team than expected, he added in a press conference after a meeting with regional elected officials.

"I think it's pretty clear that they're in a situation where it's not as easy to go to Anaheim as maybe they thought it would be before, and that Sacramento has put forth an attractive alternative or counter-proposal," Johnson said after the meeting at Sacramento Area Council of Governments headquarters. "Money can't buy you the love that I think our community has shown this franchise over the last 26 years."

The Maloofs have a deadline of 2 p.m. Monday to file a request to move the team, Kings spokesman Troy Hanson said.

Samueli and other Anaheim Arena Management officials haven't talked with the NBA since Wednesday, when a conference call was held with the Maloofs.

The NBA's Relocation Committee, chaired by Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett, has gathered information about both Sacramento and Anaheim as markets for the Kings. Some of that information was collected by Bennett and others on a fact-finding mission that began here last week.

The committee will report its finding to the NBA Board of Governors only if the Maloofs file a relocation request. The board then has 120 days to vote on relocation, sources said.

NBA officials would not discuss the relocation request process.

About 30 people – the majority of them elected officials – gathered at SACOG Friday morning to get an update from Sacramento's mayor on Kings developments. Attendees included Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna; mayors from Folsom, Elk Grove and Yuba City; Sacramento City Councilmen Steve Cohn, Rob Fong and Jay Schenirer; Downtown Sacramento Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault; and representatives from state and U.S. elected officials.

Sacramento Developer David Taylor also attended the meeting. He told the elected officials Friday that his company and ICON Venue Group have "all the pieces in place" to finish an analysis of how to build and finance a new arena, but they need another month to complete it.

If the Kings stay, regular regional meetings will be held to focus on replacing Power Balance Pavilion with a bigger arena.

Taylor discussed the need to build an arena that fits the Sacramento region’s market. That may mean a 650,000-square-foot arena. That would replace Power Balance Pavilion, which seats up to 17,317 people in 442,000 square feet. Originally called Arco Arena, the facility opened in 1988 at a cost of $40 million.

Johnson said he believes a collaboration by the region's six counties and 22 cities give Sacramento an advantage in a new effort to build an arena.

"It's the regional leadership and coordination of us working together (that) will be one of the things that is going to help us get the ball across the finish line as it comes to a new sports and entertainment complex," he said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Folllow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Seeing purple in Sacramento Thursday: Photo essay

2011-04-22T00:38:03Z

Sacramentans have heart and they aren't afraid to show it. Thanks to all of the people who sent us their Here We Purple photos today. Below you'll find photos of purple shoes, dogs wearing purple, coworkers wearing purple and even a purple zebra. If you have more photos to share, send them to journalism@sacramentopress.com and we'll add them in here.

To read more about the current efforts by city leaders and businesses to keep the Kings in Sacramento, click here.

The Sacramento Press turns purple for #HereWePurple

2011-04-21T05:57:52Z

Thursday, April 21, The Sacramento Press site will be Sacramento Kings purple instead of its normal green color.

We are changing our site's colors to support the #HereWePurple effort. For more information on the NBA visit to Sacramento and the pledges to keep the Kings in Sacramento, read Sacramento Press staff reporter Suzanne Hurt's article here.

We encourage you to take photos of the purple you see Thursday or share photos from Kings games or events you've been to in the past. We will put together a splash page for Friday with some of the submissions.

If you have any questions about how to post, email support@sacramentopress.com.

Dust off your purple clothes, and be on the lookout for businesses supporting Here We Purple by offering specials to purple patrons and being creative with the color purple.

Tell us about what you see in Sacramento Thursday in the comment section below.

Here We Purple!

NBA's Sac meetings will be closed

2011-04-19T21:00:14Z

The public will have to wait for information on this week’s meetings in Sacramento involving two NBA officials as the meetings will be closed to media, Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a Tuesday morning press conference.

The two NBA executives who will visit Sacramento on Thursday and Friday are Clay Bennett, relocation committee chair for the NBA Board of Governors, and NBA Executive Counsel Harvey Benjamin, said Tim Frank, an NBA spokesman.

The closed meetings relating to the Kings’ future were requested by the NBA, Johnson said.

“They felt that they didn’t want a lot of fanfare,” Johnson said.

However, Johnson said he would meet with the local media to communicate information about the meetings after the NBA executives leave town.

“As soon as they leave, we’ll get right back in the room and tell (the media) all that (the NBA) is comfortable sharing,” Johnson said. “Certainly, I want our community, first and foremost, to know exactly where we stand.”

Johnson said that he wants to show the visiting NBA officials three things – that the team has corporate support, the Sacramento market is viable, and the city has a “clear path” for a new sports complex.

“They’re going to look at Sacramento and we get a chance to put our best foot forward,” Johnson said.

The NBA officials will also be introduced to regional Sacramento leaders, he said.

Johnson declined to name the businesspeople who pledged $7 million to the Kings in corporate sponsorships and suite revenues last week. He said he would identify them “at the appropriate time,” and that they will meet with the NBA executives before making any public announcements.

“I think we have an obligation to introduce the corporate sponsors to the NBA delegation that’s out here first,” Johnson said.

Staff reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report. Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

NBA takes more time to study Kings move

2011-04-15T23:53:49Z

Sacramento Kings fans will have to keep holding their breath over a possible team move after a National Basketball Association official on Friday said the league needs time to learn more about the unfolding deal in Anaheim and the viability of keeping the team in the capital.

The NBA Board of Governors agreed to extend the deadline for the Maloofs’ request to move until May 2.

On Thursday, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and San Francisco investor Darius Anderson told NBA team owners that billionaire Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle is leading a plan to buy the Kings or help bring another pro basketball team here if the Kings leave.

Johnson also said he and business leaders have raised commitments for at least $7 million in corporate sponsorships and suite revenues in the last week to create "significant immediate additional revenues" for the Kings, according to the mayor's office.

NBA team owners want to know more about the money available to help the Kings "better compete" and improve economic performance next year in Sacramento if the team stays, NBA Commissioner David Stern said at a press conference in New York Friday.

"Mayor Johnson came in and said ... there will be lots of additional dollars available that would improve the Kings’ performance, the Kings’ economic performance, in Sacramento, if they stay, and that the community had recently been mobilized, and was in a position to (help keep) them there for the coming season," Stern said. "The other things were to find out what the mayor was referring to with respect to additional revenue opportunities that would allow the team to better compete next year and be economically feasible."

While Burkle has a "good reputation," Stern said the sale of the Kings or drawing another team to Sacramento wasn't high on the league's list of priorities.

The key to keeping the NBA in Sacramento is a new arena. Power Balance Pavilion is so inadequate the National Collegiate Athletic Association won't bring its basketball tournament back there, he said.

"The issue first and foremost in Sacramento is whether there's the will and the ability to build a new arena for an NBA team and the other events...." Stern said. "The mayor's vision is for a downtown arena as part of a major redevelopment of 230 acres. You know, we don't know if that's real or a pie in the sky. We don't know whether we can find that out in a couple of weeks, but we are going to knock ourselves out to do it."

A team led by Colorado arena builder ICON Venue Group President Tim Romani and Sacramento developer David Taylor are expected to complete an arena feasibility study in early May.

Stern indicated Johnson's "business-like approach" and thorough presentation about Sacramento's strengths as an NBA market and the current effort to build a new arena were instrumental in getting the league to ask for more time to study the two locations.

Members of the NBA Board of Governors Relocation and Finance Advisory committees are expected to meet with Johnson and Sacramento business leaders to get more concrete information.

Several efforts to keep the Kings or the NBA in Sacramento and to fund a new arena are under way, with new developments still taking place, Sacramento Metro Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Mahood said Friday.

“The Sacramento region’s business community has demonstrated substantial interest in stepping up to ensure we remain viable as an NBA market, with or without the Sacramento Kings," Mahood said in a prepared statement. "Over the course of the next few weeks, we look forward to further defining the business community’s support and commitments."

The idea to extend the relocation request deadline a second time came from NBA Board of Governors Chairman Glen Taylor, who owns the Minnesota Timberwolves; Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett, who chairs the board's Relocation Committee; and the Maloofs.

In a teleconference late Friday afternoon, Johnson said the extension signals the game isn't over in Sacramento yet.

"I'm encouraged by the delay. I'm also encouraged by the fact that the NBA is going to send a team out to investigate the potential of Sacramento," he said. "I'm not declaring victory by any means."

Members of the two committees also want more time to look into the proposed deal between the Kings and Anaheim, especially after the terms of the deal were revised over the last few days. They need more information about loans and investments, television revenue and construction plans that could help increase expected revenue at Anaheim's Honda Center. They also would need to determine the Kings' relocation fee, Stern said.

Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait issued a statement Friday afternoon saying his community is "primed and ready" to welcome a basketball team.

“We understand that the relocation committee is balancing a variety of issues as they make this decision and have decided to take a little more time," he said. "We remain hopeful and optimistic that the NBA will have a franchise playing at Anaheim’s Honda Center in the near future."

The Kings have enough time to move even after the relocation request deadline was extended. The committees’ members are likely to believe Southern California can support three NBA teams, Stern said during the press conference.

"The committee thought that it would be a good idea to do a little bit more fact-finding and determine how this will ultimately play out," Stern said. "There's no agenda here – just to make sure that something as important to all parties as the transfer of a team to another city and the attempts of that city to keep that team was fully understood, fully briefed."

The NBA has declined requests for more information about the relocation vote process.

Neither Anderson nor Burkle could be reached Friday to comment further on plans to buy the Kings or another basketball team. The Maloofs and billionaire Henry Samueli, who owns Anaheim Arena Management, which operates Anaheim's Honda Center, would not comment Friday.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

This Could be the Last Kings Huddle

2011-04-14T18:42:17Z

The Kings huddled with excitement before game 41. Check out my raw footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgir1JNcFDw

Best of the West

2011-04-14T18:05:23Z

The Sacramento Kings Dance Team won NBA Best of the West due to social media. Check out my interview with Jennifer & Katie!

Check out my video -

Kobe Gay Slur Fallout

2011-04-14T17:42:54Z

NBA Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement, "Kobe Bryant's comment during the Spurs game was offensive and inexcusable. While I'm fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated. Accordingly, I have fined Kobe $100,000. Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society."

I attended the Lakers / Kings game and asked fans if they thought $100,00 fine is enough.

Check out my video -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNsUPnU3kjU

Order of appearance:
Phil Jackson - Lakers Coach
Carmichael Dave - Radio Sports Personality
Desire Engle
Christian Barry, Adam McIntyre, Derrick Matheson
Tyrel English
Stacey Petit, Kenneth Williams
George Styles
Doug Johnston
Jason Comstock
Michael Streeval
Mike Provost
Armondo Vialobos

Do you think $100,000 fine is enough?