Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Rob Small

Mavs hold off Kings 102-100

2011-02-11T05:21:49Z

The Sacramento Kings hosted the streaking Dallas Mavericks, who were riding a 10-game winning streak going into Wednesday night's game.

The Kings fought valiantly to erase an 11-point deficit, but Jason Terry and José Barea helped spark the Mavs to an 11th straight victory, beating the Kings 102-100.

Terry stepped up off the bench in the wake of Dirk Nowitzki’s poor shooting night by scoring a game-high 20 points. Barea, who averages nine points per game from the bench, scored 15 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help hold off the Kings.

“He’s one of the quickest players in the league,” Kings coach Paul Westphal said of Barea. “He can shoot. They set a lot of screens for him. He can get going like that sometimes.”

Both teams had great production from their bench. The Kings’ bench produced 42 points while Dallas’ bench had 58 points. Terry and Barea tied the point production from the Kings’ bench.

Kings guard Tyreke Evans was one assist shy of a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds and a team-high nine assists. Samuel Dalembert finished with a team-high 20 points.

DeMarcus Cousins finished with 19 points and a team-high 15 rebounds, but he received the first ejection of his career. Cousins was tangled with Mavs center Tyson Chandler and became heated.

A double technical foul was assessed to both players for the altercation but it was second technical foul of the night and he was ejected. Cousins said that the officials did not explain why he was given the technical fouls.

“I didn’t say anything,” he said regarding the first technical foul. “I don’t know what I (did). I mean, if they felt it was a technical, then it was a technical.”

Since beating the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Hornets on back-to-back nights, the Kings lost four straight games at home to playoff-caliber teams, keeping the score close in three out of four games.

Dallas outscored the Kings by 17 points in the second quarter to take an eight-point lead into the half. The Kings had the chance to tie at 100 near the end of the game, but Evans’ contested lay-up didn’t fall.

Evans said he was fouled on the wrist by Chandler, but there was no call.

“How (the officials) look at us, we’ll never get those type of calls,” Evans said. “We’ve just got to get better and keep moving on.”

The Kings will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday before leaving on a three-game road trip leading into the All-Star break.

Kings announce 'Here We Rise' campaign

2010-09-16T22:31:35Z

The Sacramento Kings are looking to keep fans excited throughout the upcoming season by launching the season-long "Here We Rise" campaign Thursday afternoon.

Recently, they hung up the largest banner in the history of the Sacramento area on the side of the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) building in West Sacramento that can be seen from Interstate-5.

The 177-foot banner, which features last season's Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans and rookie DeMarcus Cousins, is part of the team's new campaign called.

"'Here We Rise' is a tribute to the Kings and the Sacramento Kings community coming together," Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said in front of the CalSTRS building. "The team and the city have very bright futures, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. Our best days are definitely ahead of us."

Kings head coach Paul Westphal and President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie were also present for the announcement and shared their thoughts.

"We're looking forward to rising together with the community and bringing back the wildest arena in the NBA," Westphal said about bringing back fans to Arco Arena."

Petrie, who orchestrated the Kings drafting involving Cousins and Evans, talked about his players.

"Our guys have been in, working out consistently over the last couple weeks," he said. "We have a frontline that's bigger, badder and better. We definitely beieve that the seeds of revival have been sown here. We're going to be young, but we're going to be exciting and we're going to be committed."

The "Here We Rise" campaign has already seen online support. The Kings are encouraging fans to use #HereWeRise on Twitter to show their suport of the campaign.

The Kings are also supporting CalSTRS in another way, other than hanging up a nationally recognized banner on the side of the building. The Kings will have a "California Educators' Night" on Nov. 10 when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It should also be noted that the banner is lit by solar-powered lights for travelers to view at night.

The Kings also announced the "Here We Rise Full Season Pass," for $440, the lowest season ticket price in team history. There are only 500 of these passes available.

The team also announced that they'll once again host an open scrimmage on Oct. 3 and bring back "Kings Paint the Town." on Oct. 16 and 17, where fans can meet players at different locations.

In addition, there will be a Kings caravan that will cruise around Sacramento next month.

The Kings are doing a lot of work before the season begins, but they see a bright future ahead.

Kings invite pair of guards to camp

2010-09-04T01:59:31Z

According to a pair of reports from Yahoo! Sports writers Marc Spears and Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter, free agent shooting guards Luther Head and J.R. Giddens will be attending the Sacramento Kings training camp this fall.

Head, 27, is a 6-foot-3-inch, 185-pound guard who has spent five seasons with the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.

His sophomore season was his best, averaging 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and one steal per game during the 2006-07 season.

Last season, he played 47 games with the Pacers averaging 7.6 points on 43.8 percent shooting 17.3 minutes per game.

Giddens, 25, is a 6-foot-6-inch, 215-pound guard who spent one and a half seasons with the Boston Celtics before getting traded to the New York Knicks last season. He played only six games his rookie season with the Celtics.

In 11 games with the Knicks Giddens averaged 4.1 points on 48.7 percent shooting and 2.8 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game. He made 73.3 percent of his shots at the rim but missed almost all of his shots outside of the paint.

He also had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in February.

Head and Giddens will fight for the team's fifteenth and final roster spot but playing time won't come easy for either player who makes the roster. The Kings have capable shooting guards in Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, Francisco García and Antoine Wright.

Video: One-on-One with Mountain Lions QB Daunte Culpepper

2010-08-27T19:01:28Z

Interview with Sacramento Mountain Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper was a star with the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL and also played for the Oakland Raiders.

NBA suspends Evans for reckless driving

2010-08-27T18:54:28Z

The NBA has suspended Tyreke Evans for one game without pay for reckless driving after he was caught speeding up to 130 mph by the California Highway Patrol on Memorial Day.

Evans, who won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award last season, will miss the Kings' first game on Oct. 27 at Minnesota against the Timberwolves but will still be able to play in the preseason games.

Evans was sentenced to three years of informal probation, 80 hours of alternative sentencing and his driver's license was suspended for 30 days after pleading no contest to the offense.

He is also scheduled to appear in one more CHP Smart Start Driving class after participating in his first.

Photo by Vincent Fernandez.

Kings tweak uniforms

2010-08-18T00:06:49Z

Revealed by the NBA on Twitpic, the Sacramento Kings's uniforms will have a different look from the previous two seasons.

The picture shows Kings rookie big man DeMarcus Cousins wearing a Kings road uniform with the numbers centered and a different neck style from last season.

The new look slightly resembles the uniforms the Kings wore from 1995-2002, while keeping the same letter scheme that was used on the previous uniform.

According to Akis Yerocostas from Sactown Royalty, who received an e-mail in April from Kings New Media Manager Andrew Nicholson, the Kings will be participating in a Hardwood Classics night in the upcoming season and the team is working on creating an alternate jersey.

Sacramento is one of seven teams to either change or tweak their uniforms. The other six are the Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks.

Photo by Nathan Carter.

Three Kings preseason games announced

2010-08-07T20:50:35Z

Although the Sacramento Kings haven't announced their preseason schedule, three teams haven revealed their games against the Kings.

The Phoenix Suns will play against the Kings here in Sacramento on Oct. 5 at Arco Arena.

The Kings will travel to Las Vegas, where they will play the Los Angeles Lakers in their annual preseason game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Oct. 13.

The Utah Jazz will wrap up their preseason against the Kings in Salt Lake City on Oct. 22 at EnergySolutions Arena.

Breaking down the new Kings roster

2010-08-04T16:56:39Z

What a difference one off-season makes. In a span of three months, the Sacramento Kings lost six players from last season’s roster and gained seven new players.

It’s a welcome change for a team that’s trying to climb back into the NBA playoffs after being absent the last four years.

Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie and the rest of the staff were busy this summer what the team’s transactions looks like:

Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Samuel Dalembert.
Drafted DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside.
Signed undrafted guard Donald Sloan.
Signed-and-traded Jon Brockman to the Milwaukee Bucks for Darnell Jackson and a 2011 second-round pick.
Signed Antoine Wright and Pooh Jeter.
Did not re-sign Dominic McGuire, Sean May and Ime Udoka.

Overall, the Kings drafted two players, traded for two players and signed three players.

The Kings returning players include Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, Francisco García, Donté Greene, Omri Casspi, Carl Landry and Jason Thompson.

Head coach Paul Westphal has a new team to work with. Here's an early look at the team's roster:

Key

Positions: PG = Point guard. SG = Shooting guard. G = Both guard positions. SF = Small forward. PF = Power forward. F = Both forward positions. C = Center.

Statistical Categories: PPG = Points per game. RPG = Rebounds per game. APG = Assists. SPG = Steals. BPG = Blocks. MPG = Minutes. (SL) = 2010 Summer League.

RETURNING PLAYERS

Tyreke Evans, G, 6 feet 6 inches, 220 pounds, second year, 20.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.5 SPG.

Evans had a phenomenal rookie season. Not only did he win the Rookie of the Year award, he became the fourth player to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in his first season.

Only 20 years old, he was able to take more shots at the rim per game than any player in the NBA, averaging 8.3 attempts. He averaged five made shots per game at the rim, tying LeBron James at first place.

What’s missing from his offensive repertoire is a jump shot, which is one of his focuses during the summer. If he develops a consistent jumper in his NBA career, he will be unguardable one on one.

An ankle injury knocked him out of contention for the Team USA roster for the FIBA World Championships in Turkey, but he will be ready to go when training camp begins.

Carl Landry, F, 6 feet 9 inches, 248 pounds, fourth year, 16.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG.

Traded to the Kings last season from the Houston Rockets, Landry, 26, is training this off-season to be able to defend the small forward position. At his height he may be an undersized power forward, but he’s proven to be an effective one.

He’s an efficient scorer who can finish at the rim with a dunk, a skill the Kings haven't had in a while. Landry's size and quickness enables him to get past defenders and to the basket.

He also has a good mid-range jump shot inside the arc. He doesn’t rebound the ball well, but the additions of Cousins and Dalembert well fill that void.

Landry is in the last year of his contract, so he should pick up his play like any player looking to land a big payday next summer. Living in a house instead of a hotel room should help too.

Beno Udrih, G, 6 feet 3 inches, 205 pounds, seventh year, 12.8 PPG, 4.6 APG, 1.1 SPG.

Udrih ,28, made an unbelievable 180-degree turn in his performance. He went from his worst season in 2008-09 to his best season in the next.

In the 2008-09 season, his scoring decreased and his turnovers increased, but he enjoyed a career year the season after. He also proved the he could stay healthy, missing only three games last season.

He shot well from just about everywhere on the court, shooting 49.3 percent from the field, tying the New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul for No. 3 in the NBA among guards.

He was also No. 4 in two-point field goal percentage among guards at 53 percent.

His shooting gives him the ability to play both guard positions while Evans is on the floor, and as he enters his third season, it would be a welcome sight for him to improve on his success.

Jason Thompson, PF/C, 6 feet 11 inches, 250 pounds, third year, 13.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1 BPG.

A surprise lottery pick in 2008 by the Kings, Thompson, 24, had a great first two months last season, averaging 15.3 PPG and 9.2 RPG. His play, however, became sporadic, averaging 10.6 PPG and 8 RPG the rest of the season.

Injuring his back and losing the starting power forward job to Landry didn't help either, but he's a potential double-double machine in the future.

Thompson has shown that he can score the ball and rebound and stay healthy throughout the season. He's only missed five games due to injury in his career. He played in all 82 games in his rookie season.

He rebounds the ball well and has a good mid-range jumper, but he needs to work on it from certain areas of the floor.

Through only two seasons, Thompson has shown that he can be an effective player in the NBA.

Omri Casspi, F, 6 feet 9 inches, 224 pounds, second season, 10.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG.

Casspi, 22, came in as a surprise in the NBA. He became the first Israeli to play in the league, the team's best small forward and a superstar back home.

Casspi has shown that he shoot from the wings beyond the arc and on the inside, although his shooting on the left of the basket needs help.

He had a hot start, but fatigue set in as the season progressed. Casspi will have to improve his conditioning to stay on the floor longer.

He’ll also have to improve his free throw shooting, which is odd considering he shoots well from everywhere else on the floor.

Casspi said he feels stronger, having gained 15 pounds, and now weighs 224 pounds, though he's listed at 225 pounds on the roster. His strength gain gives him confidence that he can even guard power forwards.

Recently, Casspi had a sensational game playing for the Israeli national team against Great Britain. He posted 27 points, five rebounds, four steals and five blocks in his team's 86-82 win.

Israel is trying to qualify for EuroBasket 2011.

Donté Greene, F, 6 feet 11 inches, 226 pounds, third season, 8.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.7 BPG.

Traded to the Kings in the summer of 2008 from the Houston Rockets, Greene, 22, has shown progress from his rookie season with the Kings. With the exception of free throw percentage, his stats went up across the board.

He also opted to shoot more shots inside the arc instead of catching and shooting for a three-pointer. He spent time at the shooting guard and power forward positions last season, but he's best suited to play at small forward.

His length and mobility allows him to guard those three positions. He's noticeably taller than the he was the season before as well.

Despite his height and athleticism, he rebounds the ball poorly, but the additions of Cousins and Dalembert will make his rebounding a non-priority.

He and Casspi will battle for the starting small forward job in training camp, but it's a battle that will be good for them and the team.

Francisco García, SG/SF, 6 feet 7 inches, 195 pounds, sixth season, 8.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG.

Drafted in 2005 by the Kings, García, 29, is the last player remaining from the 2006 playoff team, which shows how much the team has changed since he was a rookie.

In the 2009 preseason, he broke his right wrist in a freak weightlifting accident that limited him to 25 games last season. He's missed 74 games in the past two seasons.

Only time will tell if García can play like he did in the season before and be a valuable shooter off the bench.

He made a few key three-point shots in late-game situations in his breakout 2007-08 season and filled in well during the absence of Kevin Martin and Ron Artest.

Even during his own absence on the court last season, García was Casspi's mentor off the court and is known as a vocal leader on the team.

He'll be hoping to take his vocal skills next season not only in the locker room but on the court as well.

THE NEW GUYS

DeMarcus Cousins, C/PF, 6 feet 11 inches, 270 pounds, rookie, 14.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.2 BPG (SL).

There’s no other way to put it. Cousins was a beast in the Las Vegas Summer League.

He showed a variety of skills: scoring in the post, in multiple ways, and from mid-range, rebounding, defending, passing and running the floor. It's no wonder he likes how Pau Gasol plays.

He even hit a game-winning hook shot with 2.9 seconds left in his fourth game. His conditioning came into question after he was noticeably tired, and his performance faltered after playing six games in seven nights.

His on-court maturity has been brought up even before he was drafted, but most forget that he's only 19 years old, turning 20 this month.

His play earned him Rookie of the Month honors for the month of July and turned a lot of heads, including Nike. If he plays like he did in summer league, there no doubt that he will be in the running in the Rookie of the Year race.

Cousins made it clear that he wanted next year's ROY award, and he wants to help the Kings win. Luckily, he has Evans to learn from about the ROY race.

With Evans' ability to get to the basket and Cousins' size and skills around the rim, the duo could be a force in the NBA for a very long time.

Samuel Dalembert, C, 6 feet 11 inches, 250 pounds, ninth season, 8.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.8 BPG.

Dalembert, 29, is a big man who’s a defensive specialist. He is one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the NBA, something the Kings needed the most.

His offensive game is limited to alley-oops and cleanup shots, but he said he was never called to do anything more. It's understandable while he was playing with scorers like Allen Iverson and Andre Iguodala and shooters like Kyle Korver his whole career.

For at least one season, he will have players like Evans and Landry to pick up the scoring load while he does what he does best - playing defense - because that's what he was brought in for.

It's what he's known for around the league.

Like Landry, Dalembert is in a contract year. His play should be at its peak this season to ensure himself that he gets one more big contract.

Antoine Wright, SF/SG, 6 feet 7 inches, 215 pounds, sixth season, 6.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG.

Wright, 26, was one of the last serviceable swingmen in free agency, signing a one-year deal. He can defend shooting guards and small forwards and can shoot the long-range two-pointer.

Basically, he’s Ime Udoka’s replacement, only six years younger.

Playing for a bad Toronto Raptors team, he shot 43 percent within 16-23 feet of the basket. While playing for the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks the season before, he shot 48 percent from the same distance.

Wright is good insurance if a shooting guard or small forward goes down to injury. It's always good to fill out the positions on the roster. It's better to have an emergency kit you never use than to need one and not have it.

Hassan Whiteside, PF/C, 7 feet, 235 pounds, rookie, 6.8 PPG, 5 RPG, 2.3 BPG (SL).

Whiteside dropped to the Kings in the second round, where they took him at No. 33. A long, lean, athletic shot blocker, he’s a project player who's only 21 years old.

He’s shown athleticism and some offensive prowess on his post moves, which he has worked on with Hakeem Olajuwon, but he’ll need to gain some muscle to be an even more effective player.

However, gaining weight means that he may lose some athleticism.

He’s in trusted hands with coaches Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Truck Robinson and now Cousins' high school coach and the Kings' new assistant coach, Otis Hughley, to help guide him in his first NBA year.

If he adds muscle and polishes his offensive moves, he’ll be a valuable asset for the Kings moving forward

Pooh Jeter, PG, 5 feet 11 inches, 175 pounds, rookie, 14. PPG, 5.4 APG, 1 SPG (SL).

Jeter, 26, played well in Vegas with the Cleveland Cavaliers and previously played in Ukraine, Spain and Israel.

He hit the game-winning three-pointer with 6.9 seconds left against the Chicago Bulls, finishing with 20 points and 7 assists for the game.

While playing in Israel Jeter has shown to be a good on-ball defender, a good shooter and a good floor general. He needs to improve his close outs on shooters and his small size puts him and a disadvantage, but he's only a back-up point guard.

Jeter had played on the Kings’ preseason roster in 2006 and on their summer league team in 2007, but his play this year earned him a one-year deal with the Kings.

Donald Sloan, PG, 6 feet 3 inches, 205 pounds, rookie, 3 PPG, 1 APG (SL).

Although the Kings had interest in him before the draft and signed the 22-year-old to a one-year deal afterward, Sloan did little in summer league to convince the Kings he deserved it.

Sloan was unimpressive in Vegas but he could be on the training camp roster. Reportedly, only $10,000 of Sloan's contract is guaranteed. Maybe that’s why the team brought in Jeter.

The Kings have had mixed results bringing in undrafted point guards at the beginning of the season.

Although they brought in Ronnie Price, who has an established role with the Utah Jazz, Mustafa Shakur has had trouble staying and playing on rosters since they brought him in 2007, and Bobby Brown, who signed in 2008, has seen four teams in two seasons.

Sloan looks to be heading the way of Shakur.

Darnell Jackson, PF, 6 feet 9 inches, 253 pounds, third season, 0.8 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 4.4 MPG.

Jackson was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks for Jon Brockman. At 6 feet 9 inches, Jackson is an undersized power forward whose contract is completely non-guaranteed.

He could be waived by the team at any time for any reason, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he stuck around for training camp. After all, he did pick out No. 41 as his uniform number.

After being drafted by the Miami Heat and traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers the same day, Jackson has seen little floor time in his career. He only played one game for the Bucks after he signed with them.

Looking at all of the new players the Kings have acquired, it's a dramatic change from last season's team, especially from the team the Kings started with at the beginning of the season.

Kings Roster Early November 2009:

C - Spencer Hawes, Kenny Thomas

PF - Jason Thompson, Jon Brockman, Sean May

SF - Desmond Mason, Andres Nocioni, Omri Casspi, Donté Greene

SG - Kevin Martin, Francisco García

PG - Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, Sergio Rodriguez

Kings' Roster May 2010:

C - Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson

PF - Carl Landry, Jon Brockman, Sean May

SF - Andres Nocioni, Omri Casspi, Donté Greene, Dominic McGuire

SG - Tyreke Evans, Ime Udoka, Francisco García

PG - Beno Udrih

Kings Roster August 2010:

C - Samuel Dalembert, DeMarcus Cousins, Hassan Whiteside

PF - Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, Darnell Jackson

SF - Omri Casspi, Donté Greene

SG - Tyreke Evans, Francisco García, Antoine Wright

PG - Beno Udrih, Pooh Jeter, Donald Sloan

With this roster, the Kings most likely won't make the 2011 playoffs in the highly competitive Western Conference, but the team is taking a step in the right direction.

Ryan Thompson, Jason's younger brother, could be part of the roster too. He was invited to the Kings' training camp this fall, but he's still considering other options.

With a lot of cap space available and an impending lockout next summer, the Kings could be in position to makes some significant moves next summer.

The last time the Kings became competitive in the West was during the NBA Lockout of 1998, when they drafted Jason Williams, traded for Chris Webber and signed Vlade Divac.

After that, the Kings were pretty good and only got better.

Until they do become playoff contenders, the Kings have to build their team, but they've got some good pieces to start with.

Donté Greene photo by Johnathan Mendick.

Rest of the photos by Rob Small.

Kings sign Wright, Jeter

2010-07-24T01:58:58Z

Antoine Wright (above) signed a one-year contract with the Kings.

The Sacramento Kings didn't make a huge splash in the biggest free agent market in NBA history, but they brought in two guards.

First reported yesterday by Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News on his Twitter account, the Kings signed Antoine Wright to a one-year deal today.

The team also signed Eugene "Pooh" Jeter (pronounced Jetter), who played with the Kings summer league team in 2007.

“Antoine Wright and Pooh Jeter are two solid players at their respective positions who will add to our roster’s depth,” Kings’ Vice President of Basketball Operations Wayne Cooper said. “Wright has five years of NBA experience under his belt, and Jeter is coming off of a great summer league showing as he played for Cleveland’s team in Las Vegas.”

Wright, 26, recently played with the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 6.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game last season.

A swingman listed at 6 feet 7 inches and 215 pounds, Wright was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 2005 and traded with Jason Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks two seasons later.

Although he's known as a defender and hasn't shot the ball well behind the three-point line, Wright made 46 percent of his two-pointers last season. He also made 45 percent of his long-range two-pointers, something the Kings lacked outside of guard Beno Udrih.

Wright did shoot three-pointers well from the wings, making more than 42 percent of his shots from those those areas.

Jeter, 26, played overseas the past four seasons. A 5-foot-11-eleven-inch, 175-pound point guard, he recently played on the Cleveland Cavaliers' Las Vegas Summer League team, where he averaged 14.8 points and 5.4 assists per game.

These two players are the second and third free agents signed by the Kings this season, but two of seven new players. The team signed undrafted point guard Donald Sloan, who had an unimpressive showcase in the Las Vegas Summer League.

They also traded for Samuel Dalembert from the Philadelphia 76ers and Darnell Jackson from the Milwaukee Bucks and drafted summer league standout DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside.

Here's a look at what the Kings' roster looks like now.

CENTERS: Samuel Dalembert, DeMarcus Cousins, Hassan Whiteside

POWER FORWARDS: Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, Darnell Jackson

SMALL FORWARDS: Omri Casspi, Donte Greene

SHOOTING GUARDS: Tyreke Evans, Francisco Garcia, Antoine Wright

POINT GUARDS: Beno Udrih, Pooh Jeter, Donald Sloan

Video: Sneak peek of fountains at St. Rose of Lima

2010-07-20T06:48:30Z

Wondering what the new fountains on the corner of 7th and K Streets at St. Rose of Lima will look like when it's turned on? Here's a glimpse of what you will see when the fountains are on.

Kings-Bucks trade in the works

2010-07-20T01:39:45Z

First reported by Dave "Softy" Mahler of Sports Radio 950 KJR-Seattle, the Kings are on the verge of trading undersized power forward Jon Brockman to the Milwaukee Bucks.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Kings would receive forward Darnell Jackson and a future second-round pick in return.

Brockman, 23, was extended a qualifying offer by the Kings, but he never signed the offer, missing all of the Kings' summer league action in Las Vegas. He was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers No. 36 overall and traded with Sergio Rodriguez to Sacramento.

Brockman was one of the NBA's most efficient rebounders last season. At six-feet-seven-inches he grabbed an average of 4.1 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game. He also averaged 2.8 points per game on 53.4 percent shooting.

Given the nickname "The Brockness Monster," Brockman's hustle and scrappiness made him a fan favorite in Arco Arena.

Jackson, 24, was drafted No. 56 overall by the Miami Heat in 2008 and was traded on the same day to the Cleveland Cavaliers. After playing 78 games in two season with the Cavs, he was waived. He was claimed off waivers by the Bucks but only played one game.

Jackson is 6-feet-9-inches and has career averages of 1.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in seven minutes of play per game.

Kings hit Las Vegas for summer league

2010-07-12T06:04:32Z

The Sacramento Kings held its second day of summer league mini-camp Saturday; camp ended Sunday. The team is preparing to play in the Las Vegas Summer League

Omri Casspi, Donte Greene and newly signed Donald Sloan were the only players on the Kings’ regular season roster to participate in the first practice of the day.

Notably missing was the Kings No.1 pick, DeMarcus Cousins. He was hit by Steven Hill in training camp on Friday, resulting in a cracked tooth and a cut lip.

He showed up for practice later in the morning and worked on his shooting. Summer league head coach Mario Elie said that he Cousins would participate in the second practice on Saturday.

Wayne Chism didn’t practice either, because of an abdominal strain.

Although Sloan has a contract with the Kings, Devan Downey said he is glad to have a chance to showcase his skills for the Kings.

“I can show my speed and quickness,” he said. “My ability to shoot the ball, score the ball, be a pest on defense, but mostly just my speed and quickness.”

Sylven Landesberg, a 6-foot-6-inch guard, put his ball-handling skills on display when he switched from shooting guard to point guard.

He said that although he didn’t shoot the ball well, he was able to make good plays. He noted that the two guard positions are different.

“When you’re running shooting guard, you’re making plays from the wing,” he said. “Running the point guard, you have to see the whole court from the top of the key. You have to be more careful with the ball. Those little guards, they‘ll be pressuring you the whole way up.”

Landesberg will be one of eight players on the team competing not only for an invite to the Kings training camp this Fall, but for an invitation to any team.

Before the end of the Saturday, the Kings cut Hill, Tyren Johnson and Jason Ellis from the summer league roster. The roster now stands at 13 players. The team has its first game Monday against the Detroit Pistons.

Sacramento Kings summer league schedule

Kings draft DeMarcus Cousins

2010-06-25T13:33:02Z

The Sacramento Kings selected Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins with the fifth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Cousins, a 6-foot-11-inch 290-pound center, spent only one year with the Wildcats averaging 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in 23.5 minutes per game. He was a first-team All-American, named to the John R. Wooden All-American team, and was named SEC Freshman of the Year.

Cousins had 20 double-doubles out of 38 games. His best game as a Wildcat came against Sam Houston State posting career highs of 27 points and 18 rebounds. He'll add size to the Kings, a team whose big men include Jason Thompson, Carl Landry, Jon Brockman and newly acquired Samuel Dalembert.

Cousins hopes he'll become a physical presence for his new team and hopes to be the 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year.

"I'm trying to bring the team back to (the) Chris Webber and Mike Bibby days," Cousins said on the phone from New York City. "I think I'll fit in pretty good."

He also said that he and Kings guard Tyreke Evans, who's college coach was John Calapari in Memphis, will make a great inside-outside combination. He's also glad that many of the fans want him in Sacramento.

"It feels great," Cousins said. "If the fans have your back, you got to have the fans back and try to come in and give them what they want."

The Kings also drafted Hassan Whiteside with the 33rd pick in the draft.

Whiteside, a 7-foot, 227-pound forward/center from Marshall University, was considered to be a lottery pick last month. Concerns of his maturity and Attention Deficit Disorder caused him to slip into the second round, where the Kings drafted him.

Whiteside averaged 13.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and an NCAA leading 5.4 blocks in 26.1 minutes per game. He also had the third highest maximum vertical reach in the draft, reaching 12-feet-one-half-inch.

Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, who trained Whiteside for a week, thinks he can pan out.

"He has all the tools, said Olajuwon. “If he gets the right coach that knows that he is a talent and will play him and encourage him, he can come along quickly.”

Kings work out final prospects

2010-06-24T01:32:32Z

As the 2010 NBA Draft approaches the Kings will have some decisions to make regarding who they will take with the fifth and the 33rd picks.

The team hosted Duke's Jon Scheyer, Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, USC's Mike Gerrity, Tulsa's Ben Uzoh, Arkansas' Michael Washington and Azusa Pacific's Dominique Johnson in this morning's workout. All of them were college seniors.

Scheyer played for this year's Duke team that won the 2010 NCAA National Championship. Last season he averaged 18.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

He missed his first workout with the Kings because he had strep throat but the 6-foot-six-inch 180 pound guard says that after his workout with the Phoenix Suns tomorrow, he'll have a total of 10 workouts. He also said that he can play both the point guard and shooting guard positions.

"I played point (guard) in the last two years," Scheyer said. "I feel comfortable playing both (positions) especially with the Kings. A guy like Tyreke Evans can play either spot. You just want to complement guys and play off the other guard, I feel I can do that."

Harangody spent all four years at Notre Dame as a power forward. He averaged 21.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last season.

His workout with the Kings was his 11th and final workout. At six-foot-eight-inches and 240 pounds, Harangody says that teams say that he may have to play as a small forward at the NBA level. His height and build are considered undersized for the power forward position in the NBA.

Although he says he can play power forward in the league, he's ready to take on a new challenge.

"I feel very comfortable," he said about playing power forward in the NBA. "Obviously, there's going to be nights when there are match-ups are going to be harder than some, but I feel like I can work my way into anything."

Gerrity played under current Kings head coach Paul Westphal when he coached at Pepperdine during the 2005-06 college basketball season. He transferred to Charlotte and played for the team for the 2007-2008 season. He sat out next season after he transferred to USC, where he finished his college career last season.

Gerrity, a six-foot-one-inch 180 pound point guard, averaged 9.3 points and 3.6 assists per game in his one season at USC. He said that he liked reconnecting with his old coach in his only workout.

"It was awesome," he said. "It felt good to just talk to him, catch up and be able to at least have an opportunity to play in front of this organization."

Uzoh, a six-foot-three-inches 196 pound point guard, had his second workout with the Kings. In his senior season he averaged 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Washington, a six-foot-nine inch 239 pound forward, averaged 12.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game as a senior.

Johnson, a six-foot-three-inch 185 pound guard, averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season.

As the draft workouts come to an end tomorrow, many players will feel what Scheyer says he will feel on draft night.

"I'll be a little nervous Thursday night," he said about waiting for his name to be called in the draft. "I think I'll get an opportunity and that's what matters most to me."

Kings trade Nocioni, Hawes for Sixers' Dalembert

2010-06-17T21:14:56Z

The Sacramento Kings have traded disgruntled forward Andres Nocioni and third-year center Spencer Hawes to the Philadelphia 76ers for center Samuel Dalembert.

Dalembert, an athletic center known for his rebounding and shot blocking, made NBA headlines this season after his native country of Haiti was struck by a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake in January.

He briefly left the Sixers to visit the country and donated $100,000 to UNICEF to aid relief efforts but he played all 82 games of the season as well as the previous three seasons

There were only two games he didn't start in over 328 games the past four seasons. Those games were the 2009-10 season.

Dalembert averaged 8.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game this season. His best year came during the 2007-08 season, when he averaged 10.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He is one of the league's best rebounders, finishing 12th in the league in rebounds.

He was set to make $12.9 million but will make $14.8 million because of a 15 percent trade kicker in the final year of his contract. He is currently the only Haitian-born player in the NBA.

Nocioni said recently that he won't return to the Kings on the Spanish language website Ole. He had the worst season of his career averaging 8.3 points on 39.9 percent field-goal shooting and three rebounds per game last season and expressed his desire to play for a contending team.

Nocioni was acquired from the Chicago Bulls along with Cedric Simmons in 2008 for Brad Miller and John Salmons. He is slated to make $13.4 million the next two years with a $7.5 million team option the Sixers can pick up in 2012, which is unlikely.

Hawes was drafted by the Kings in 2007 with the 10th pick in the draft at 19-years-old. His play regressed last season after showing promise the season before. He averaged 10 points and 6.1 rebounds per game compared to 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game the season before.

He will make nearly $3 million next season. He will also be a restricted free agent after next season and will have a qualifying offer of $4 million.

The Kings have lacked rebounding and shot blocking from their center and power forward position and fortunately, Dalembert can provide both. He has a nose for the ball when rebounding his own team's missed shots.

He finished 10th in the league in offensive rebounding with 2.9 offensive rebounds per game, three spots behind the Kings' Jason Thompson, who averaged 3 offensive rebounds per game.

The trade will instantly improve the Kings' defense in the aspects of rebounding and shot blocking. Dalembert may not score much but the Kings' undersized, yet efficient power forward Carl Landry can provide points for the frontline. He averaged 18 points per game in 28 games with the Kings.

Landry doesn't particularly rebound well for his position with 6.5 rebounds per game with the Kings but that's where Dalembert helps. Dalembert and Landry could very well complement each other.

Overall, the Kings got the better part of the deal in terms of immediate help. Hopefully, like Cornstein said, Dalembert will be a "perfect fit" for the Kings.

Cats’ six-run inning silences Sounds

2010-05-27T05:36:48Z

The Sacramento River Cats had a strong performance at home in an 11:35 a.m. start at Raley Field today, defeating the Nashville Sounds 8-1.

The children participating in U.S. Bank AAA School Day, as well as the rest of the 8,846 fans in attendance, were in for a treat as the home team took on the PCL American North Division leader.

The Cats (20-27) scored six runs on five hits in the bottom of the third inning, putting the game out of reach for the Sounds (26-19) early in the game. The Cats’ Michael Affronti started the inning off with a home run to left field for the first run of the game. Eric Sogard followed up with an RBI triple driving left fielder Corey Wimberley home, extending the score to 2-0.

Josh Donaldson continued the Cats' hot streak by hitting an RBI single, with Sogard reaching home plate. Matt Carson hit a three-run home run to left-center field with Donaldson and Carson on the bases. For Affronti and Carson, both had their first home run of their career
with the River Cats.

Pitcher John Halama had a good showing as well in his River Cats debut. In seven innings pitched he allowed six hits, had five strikeouts and finished his first start with a 0 ERA.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Cats’ right fielder Corey Brown had a 2-RBI triple, with Carson and Anthony Recker reaching home plate. At that point, the Cats were up 8-0.

Out of nine hits the Sounds had in the game compared to the eight hits the Cats had, Nashville’s only run came in the ninth inning on a walk by Brad Kilby with the bases loaded on a 3-2 count with two outs.

The Cats will finish its only series against the Sounds this season tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. The team leads the season series 2-1 and have won three of the last four games.

New Zapata Park playground to open at noon tomorrow

2010-05-25T21:18:23Z

Two children were greeted by a chain link fence surrounding Zapata Park's brand new playground Tuesday afternoon.

The park at Washington Square, located in Alkali Flat on 905 E St., was scheduled to open yesterday after the cement foundation solidified.

Maria Kernan, a representative of the Community Housing Opportunities Corporation regarding the park, said that the fence would be removed at noon tomorrow.

Home Depot and KaBOOM!, a non-profit organization that builds playgrounds across the nation, teamed up on a project for the park that took over two months to complete.

The playground was erected and the park was rejuvenated last Thursday with the help of over 250 volunteers. The playground was created for childrien ages 2-12.

While the rest of the park is still open, including the repainted basketball court, a few hopscotch areas and a swing-set for two, the playground is still off-limits.

There was also a large dirt mound on the side of the playground outside of the fence that has not been removed since the project's completion.

By tomorrow afternoon, the playground should be open to children for the first time.

For more information on Zapata Park, call Maria Kernan at (530) 757-4444 ext. 111.

Volunteers revamp Zapata Park, video of ceremony

2010-05-21T03:28:53Z

More than 250 volunteers from Home Depot and KaBOOM!, a nonprofit organization that builds "playspaces" across the nation, showed up at Zapata Park today to assemble a new playground designed by children and refurbish the park.

The playground, located in Alkali Flat on 905 E St., was the 1,764th playground constructed by the two companies and was built for children ages 2-12. Workers also filled the playground with brand-new sawdust, painted hopscotch squares, repainted a picnic area and repainted the lines of the basketball court. The Sacramento Tree Foundation also came out and planted some trees.

Kenny Altenburg, a project manager at KaBOOM! said that the project has been in the works for more than two months.

"To me it's like the most important thing we can have," he said about having an organization like KaBOOM! in the community. "The kinds of bonds you can form with that, the kind of work that you can get done and the impact that you can have on these kids lives, I think it's unmeasurable."

Larry Snyder, a Home Depot store manager in Folsom, said his employer donated $65,000 to the playground and that a project like this is done at least three time a year.

"There will be a nice, safe place for kids to come out and play," Snyder said. "We also built some planter boxes and some benches just to make the area a little more enjoyable for the kids."

Altenburg said he loves to see kids play on the playgrounds he helped build.

"It never gets old to me," he said. "These kids had a dilapidated playground here that was half the size two months ago, and what we did over the past couple of months is work on getting that structure out, expanding the site (to where it's) twice as big and putting a new state-of-the-art playground that they actually helped design themselves."

Altenburg also said he likes the fact that more than 100 employees from Home Depot came on their day off, but having the community show up was even more important.

"For the residents to come out, that's what means the most," he said. "When they come out and help build something like this, they really take ownership in it, and it really builds up the community bonds that are there waiting to be built."

Sacramento City Councilman Ray Tretheway paid a couple of visits to the newly refurbished park, but he was not present at the "board-cutting" ceremony. The playground will be sealed off for the next three days for the cement in the foundation to dry, but the children who helped design the park will be ready when it opens. The two swings at the park are still available.

Watch video of the board-cutting ceremony on TwitVid for more information on who helped with the project.

Read Agnus-Dei Farrant's coverage of the event.

Kings get No.5 pick in the draft

2010-05-19T05:08:54Z

Despite appearances by former Sacramento King Bobby Jackson, the team’s co-owner Gavin Maloof and the team’s new sideline reporter Jim Gray, the NBA’s Greatest Draft Lottery Party hit a sour note when the Kings received the No.5 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

The Kings had the third best chance of receiving the No.1 overall pick after finishing with a record of 25-57 last season and sent NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans to represent the team at the NBA Draft Lottery in Secaucus, N.J.

The Washington Wizards received the first pick in the draft, followed by the Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves in that order.

The disappointment rang from New Jersey to Sacramento as Evans shook his head at the same time Kings fans were giving a collective groan at the block party.

Out of all of the NCAA college basketball players, Kentucky’s John Wall has been considered the consensus No.1 pick in the draft since last year.
Ohio State guard Evan Turner, Georgia Tech forward Derrick Favors, Kentucky center DeMarcus Cousins, Syracuse forward Wesley Johnson and Wake Forest forward Al-Farouq Aminu are also considered as being top picks in the draft.

Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal has faith that they’ll still get a quality player in the draft.

“We got a good pick,” he said. “We’ll start doing our homework. There’re always good players to draft. I don‘t see any instant franchise changers out there, but there are very good players.”

Kings forward Donte Greene knows that choosing a high draft pick is critical for the team.

“We’re looking to get back into the playoffs,” he said. “We played so well last year. We’re trying to get back to that (and) bring life back to Sacramento. We got it (going) last year and try and get it going next year.”

The Kings are already hard at work looking at candidates for the No. 33 pick. Rider guard Ryan Thompson, brother of Kings big man Jason, Cal point guard Jerome Randle and Houston guard Aubrey Coleman, the nation’s leading scorer, were among 12 players hosted by the Kings so far.

Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie flew overseas to scout players in the Euroleague Final Four.

The 2010 NBA Draft Combine will take place in Chicago , Ill., where draft prospects will be weighed, measured by their height, reach and vertical leap and undergo various drills to test their skills.

After that, teams will continue to bring in draft prospects to determine which players are right for its team.

NBA Draft Lottery Order

Washington Wizards
Philadelphia 76ers
New Jersey Nets
Minnesota Timberwolves
Sacramento Kings
Golden State Warriors
Detroit Pistons
Los Angeles Clippers
Utah Jazz
Indiana Pacers
New Orleans Hornets
Memphis Grizzlies
Toronto Raptors
Houston Rockets

My day at the Amgen Tour of California

2010-05-17T21:29:54Z

It was an exciting day in Sacramento as Stage 1 of the Amgen Tour of California (ATOC) rolled through. It kicked-off in Nevada City and returned to the river city with cycling's biggest superstar and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (seen above).

The Tour de France is the world's premier cycling tour. The ATOC is the Tour de France of North America. Besides Armstrong, the free food and free schwag at the MBT (Shoes) Lifestyle Festival wasn't bad either.

I'm not a huge fan of cycling, but I'm drawn to the ATOC since I first went in 2008. Knowing that cycling's biggest star, Armstrong, would be in the race drew me back since I missed it last year. This could also be my last time seeing the race in Sacramento since I'm transferring to Azusa Pacific University in the fall.

I was planning on going to the ATOC just for the experience but I decided to help out KCRA's Leticia Ordaz as well. My internship with KCRA 3 ends this week.

When I arrived on 10th Street there were vendors as far as the eye could see. Crowds of people were streaming into the tents full of merchandise.

You couldn't walk anywhere without seeing a bicycle and many of the fans at the event were knowledgeable about the sport of cycling. Many of them took advantage of the free bike parking on the State Capitol grounds. It was a great atmosphere even before the race reached Jackson Highway.

Bob Hammond was one of the many fans enjoying the festival and he was glad that Sacramento was getting a taste of professional cycling.

"I really like the fact that it's drawing high quality, professional riders," Hammond said. "The city of Sacramento is really going to benefit. It sees a lot of people coming from everywhere, not only from Northern California but sees people from the western United States."

Local cyclist Luiggi Zuniga, who hails from Peru and recently won a local race with Team Kinetic Cycles was also in attendance.

"(I came) to see the top riders in the world riding around our lovely Sacramento," he said. "Lance Armstrong, of course, he's the best rider in the world."

At the festival activities ranged from buying official ATOC merchandise, taking a picture with Armstrong using a green screen, spinning a wheel to win prizes and keeping up-to-date with current race results at the Radio Shack tent.

I took advantage of anything that caught my eye. Signs, stickers, free samples, you name it, I grabbed one. I even got my body fat checked at the Herbalife tent. I tested at 15.6%, which is considered underweight. Not a surprise to me since I'm five-feet-nine-inches and weigh 156 pounds.

As soon as I heard that the cyclists were coming, I tried to make it back to the KCRA live truck, but the road had been sealed off. I made the mistake of going back to 10th Street when I should have stayed on the Capitol Mall and ran around the border of the route.

To get a decent view of the race on L Street between 10th & 9th streets I had to balance myself on top of a CVC pipe next to a palm tree. A fan's crazy idea for me worked and I got some great photos of the race as the cyclists zoomed by.

Unfortunately, you could hear the reaction of the crowd when U.S. national road racing champion George Hincapie and Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen both crashed.

Britian's Mark Cavendish of HTC-Columbia finished in first place with Argentina's Juan Jose Haredo right behind him for second place. The favored winner of the ATOC, Levi Leipheimer of Team Radio Shack, came in 42nd place and teammate Armstrong finished in 69th place.

Stage 2 started today in Davis, home of the United States Bicycle Hall of Fame, and ends in Santa Rosa. Even though it lasts less than a day, ATOC remains one of Sacramento's biggest events of the year.

From left to right: Paul Mach, Alexander Kristoff, Mark Cavendish and Maarten Tjallingii.

Kings host six draft prospects at practice facility

2010-05-14T05:13:41Z

The Sacramento Kings welcomed six college seniors hoping to make the jump into the NBA this summer.

Jerome Randle from UC Berkeley (Cal), Houston's Aubrey Coleman, Kansas State's Denis Clemente, South Carolina's Devan Downey, Tasmin Mitchell from LSU and Michighan State's Raymar Morgan are preparing for the 2010 NBA Draft, competing for a spot on one of the league's 30 team rosters.

Six other players, including the Kings' Jason Thompson's brother and Rider product Ryan and Seattle University's Charles Garcia, dropped by the practice facility on Tuesday.

Out of the six players who participated in today's workout, Randle, who played about 80 miles away from Sacramento, is the only player who is projected to be drafted in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft. The rest are projected to be undrafted.

Randle averaged 18.6 points and 4.3 assists per game last season. He played with current Magic forward Ryan Anderson. Anderson played at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills two years ago. Although Randle said his role at Cal was to score, he wants to lead a team as a point guard.

"I'm really comfortable," the speedy guard said about being a leader on the court. "One thing is you have to take your time. A lot of people just want to speed up the game. If you just take your time and take it possession by possession, I feel like I'll be alright.”

Coleman led the nation in scoring, finished second in steals per game and shot an average of 15 free throws attempts last season. Although he's listed at six-feet-four-inches, he fits the mold of undersized shooting guards in the NBA like Eric Gordon of the L.A. Clippers, O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies and Ben Gordon of the Detroit Pistons.

Coleman, however, was tired after flying from a workout with the Miami Heat across the country.

"The Heat, they really wanted to see if we were in shape," he said. "This workout was a little lighter than the Heat’s was."

Coleman was the top scorer in NCAA college basketball last season, scoring 25.6 points per game, and finished second in steals with 2.7 per game. He also rebounded the ball well for his height with 7.4 rebounds per game.

Although he was one of the best scorers in the nation, Coleman said he could set up his teammates as well and that he'd fit well with the Kings.

"I'm a playmaker when my shot's not falling," he said. "I lead the nation scoring and No.2 in steals, and I (rebound) too. I took a look at this team, and I think they could use a scorer."

Clemente, a Puerto Rican native, was the second-leading scorer for the Wildcats, averaging 16.6 points and 4.2 assists per game. He said he models his game like fellow Puerto Rican and Dallas Mavericks guard Jose Barea and Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis.

"I want to be there," Clemente said about making the NBA. "To be there, you've got to work, you've got to be dedicated to play basketball. I'm ready to be at this level."

Clemente is familiar with Kings swingman Francisco Garcia, who is from the Dominican Republic.

"That's an inspiration for me to see somebody who came from the (Caribbean islands) and play in the NBA," he said.

There are 450 roster spots in the NBA and most of them are already taken. If any prospects aren't drafted this summer, they still have a chance to make a roster by playing for a team in a summer league or surviving a training camp roster in the Fall. They can also try out for a National Basketball Developmental League team as well and hope to be called upon by its NBA affiliate.

Just because a player doesn't land on a roster before the season starts doesn't mean his career is over. Former King and current Chicago Bulls player Brad Miller was not drafted in the 1998 NBA Draft, and he played in Italy.

The Charlotte Hornets, now in New Orleans, picked him up as a free agent after the NBA season began. Later in his career, he became one of the only five undrafted players in history to play in the NBA All-Star Game. He played in back-to-back all-star games from 2003-04 with the Pacers and Kings, respectively.

Sacramento is one of many stops across the country for these prospects. Maybe one of them might be back to play at Arco Arena, right next door to the practice facility where they were trying to make that dream a reality.

Evans makes all-rookie team, Casspi gets votes

2010-04-30T18:53:34Z

Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans was a unanimous selection to the T-Mobile NBA All-Rookie First Team.

This news comes less than a day after he was presented his 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

All 30 head coaches had five first team votes (worth two points each) and five second team votes (worth one point) to use. Coaches were not allowed to vote for a rookie on their team.

Evans, Golden State's Stephen Curry and Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings were unanimous choices for the first team, all three receiving 58 points. Kings rookie swingman Omri Casspi, the first Israeli-born player in the NBA, missed the second team, finishing with 13 points and three first place votes.

New Orleans' Darren Collison (46 points) and Chicago Bulls' Taj Gibson (41 points) were also chosen for the first team.

The NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of New Orleans' Marcus Thornton (31 points) and San Antonio's DeJuan Blair (30 points). Oklahoma City's James Harden, Minnesota's Jonny Flynn and Detroit's Jonas Jerebko were all tied, receiving 22 points to finish the second team.

Evans averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Casspi averaged 10.3 points 4.5 rebounds,1.2 assists and 0.7 steals per game.

Photo by Johnathan Mendick.

Evans receives ROY trophy, scenes from the rally

2010-04-30T03:54:55Z

As the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year, Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans was presented the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy in an afternoon press conference today at Arco Arena.

The press room was jam-packed with local and national media and applause for Evans' achievement.

He received 491 points, with 67 first-place votes worth five points each, 50 second-place votes worth three points and six third place votes worth one point. A panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada cast their ballots, and Evans came out on top.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry finished in second place with 391 points, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings finished in third with 204 points and New Orleans Hornets guard Darren Collison finished fourth with 17 points. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jonny Flynn and Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson tied for fifth with two points each.

Evans, of course, became the fourth rookie to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.

He also became the fifth rookie in franchise history and the first in the team’s Sacramento era to win the award. The Kings haven't had a player win a major award since Bobby Jackson won the Sixth Man award in the 2002-2003 season.

"It's just one of the awards that I had to go for," Evans said after being introduced. "I wanted to dream of it since I was little, and (I) finally got a chance to make my dream come true."

Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie said that Evans receiving the award was exciting for Evans, the team and the community.

"This was a season for Tyreke which unfolded like few others," Petrie said. "We took him at No. 4 in the draft last year because we thought he had a chance. He had star potential and had a chance to develop into a star. I think in his first season he has proven to be every bit of that and even more."

Co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are glad that President Barack Obama saw star potential in Evans too. Evans met the President when the Maloofs invited them both to dinner in Las Vegas.

"Well, I guess the President was right," Gavin said. "We want to thank President Obama for his recommendation of drafting Tyreke Evans with our fourth pick. So, thank you Mr. President."

The crowd shared a laugh after Gavin's opening statement. He continued about Evans and the future of the Kings.

"It's a great day for us and our organization," he said, "one that I've been waiting for for a long time. It's great for our fans around the country and the world to finally see that this is a person who can take us where we need to go. Tyreke has only scratched the surface. His potential's unlimited."

Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said that although there were other rookies that could have won the award, Evans was at the top of the class.

"It's something we felt, right from the start, was in his destiny," he said. "He earned it. There was a great group of candidates this year. I think Tyreke stood out and won this award because of his consistency.

"The first day he walked into our training facility, the veterans, as soon as he started playing, they started deferring to him. It's like he has this ability to inspire confidence, that he knows what he's doing out there and is there to win. He's all business."

While today was all about him, Evans didn't forget about the players who helped him get to where he was.

"I couldn't have done it without my teammates," he said. "They started it from the beginning. I had a lot of fun playing with them."

Evans also said that he will sign up to participate in Team USA Basketball's mini-camp in Las Vegas, where he will have the chance to be added to the roster for the FIBA World Basketball Championships in Turkey.

Evans was one of three players invited to join the roster. Curry and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green were also invited.

No one knows which rookie will have the better career down the road, but Evans proved that he was the rookie of the year.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

THE RALLY AT ARDEN FAIR MALL

Tyreke Evans wins NBA Rookie of the Year award

2010-04-29T20:34:04Z

After a historic season averaging 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans will be named the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY).

The 20-year-old Chester, Pa. native became the first Kings player to win a postseason award since Bobby Jackson won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2003 and the fifth rookie in franchise history to win the ROY award.

Maurice Stokes of the Rochester Royals, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas of the Cincinnati Royals and Phil Ford of the Kansas City Kings were the first four. Evans is the first of to win the award in the Sacramento era.

He also became the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game (20-5-5). The first three were Robertson, the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James.

Robertson and Jordan became basketball hall of famers, and James is one of the top players in the NBA.

Evans became the second-straight Memphis University alum to win the award. Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls won last year's award.

He also beat the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brandon Jennings, who were contenders for the award.

Before Evans won the award, Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie explained what the ROY award would mean for him.

"I think it's certainly a validation of Tyreke's play over the course of the entire year," he said. "He certainly helped elevate our team and give it some great promise for the future going forward. Hopefully, his play at both ends of the court will be rewarded."

The Kings had the best chance at the No.1 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft but fell to the No.4 pick in the lottery, the worst-case scenario.

The Kings picked Evans after Blake Griffin was taken by the Los Angeles Clippers, Hasheem Thabeet was taken by the Memphis Grizzlies and James Harden was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Griffin never played a game due to a knee injury, Thabeet became the highest drafted player to be sent to the National Basketball Developmental League and Harden became a role player for the Thunder.

Evans impressed in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and a steal per game for five games.

Evans earned the starting point guard job, replacing incumbent Beno Udrih. In the home opener, the Kings’ leading scorer, Kevin Martin, was injured.

The team learned after the next game that his wrist was broken and the injury forced him to miss the next 32 games.

During the very next game, Evans exploded for 32 points and seven assists in a 104-99 upset win over the Utah Jazz.

He won two Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards for October/November and December, leading the Kings to a 13-13 record since Martin's injury.

Evans has been the best player on the Kings and became a go-to player late in games. He scored the game-winning lay-up on Dec.19 in Milwaukee with less than a second remaining in the game.

Two nights later, he scored the last nine of 11 points of the game for the Kings and helped his team come back from a 35-point deficit in Chicago to defeat the Bulls 102-98. It was the second-largest comeback in NBA history.

The largest comeback occurred in 1996 when the Utah Jazz overcame a 36-point deficit against the Denver Nuggets.

On Jan. 9, Evans hit his second game-winner of the season to help beat the Nuggets.

Evans and with teammate Omri Casspi were the first Kings since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic in 2004 to participate in an All-Star event.

Both were selected to start for the Rookie team in the T-Mobil Rookie Challenge in Dallas. The Rookies beat the Sophomores for the first time in eight years by a score of 140-128.

Evans won the Most Valuable Player award for the game, posting 26 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Evans also played with Team Sacramento in the Haier Shooting Stars competition with former King Chris Webber and former Sacramento Monarch and current New York Liberty forward Nicole Powell. Team Sacramento finished in third place.

After All-Star Weekend, the Kings traded Martin to the Rockets in a three-team trade with the New York Knicks for Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey, re-enforcing their belief in Evans as part of their future.

On March 10, on a night dedicated to him called Rally for RekeROY (Tyreke Evans for Rookie of the Year) Night, Evans earned his first career triple-double against the Toronto Raptors with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113-90 win.

Only 17 other players recorded a triple-double this season, including Evans' teammate Beno Udrih.

"It was really exciting to see Tyreke have such a fitting night," Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said after the game. "There are a lot of (good) rookies this year. For this year, it's not even close (for the rookie of the year award)."

In a poll of 173 NBA players conducted by "Sports Illustrated", Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest were voted the two toughest defenders in the league.

On March 16, Evans was guarded by both of those players in different times of the game and played exceptionally well.

Evans had a near triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the 106-99 loss to the Lakers.

In his first match-up against Evans on Dec. 26, Bryant was already impressed by him.

"Tyreke Evans is going to be a hell of a player," he said after he first played against. "(The Kings start) with him, so he has a really bright future."

For most of the season, Evans was on pace to average 20-5-5. On April 12, he secured that milestone in the second-to-last game of the season by scoring 24 points in a 117-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, but it wasn't easy for him.

"That was the hardest basket I ever had to get in my life," he said after the game. "I was trying to get it done in the first half and get it over with. I never knew that I would come into the NBA and average 20-5-5.

"I watched the game a lot growing up, watching (Anfernee) "Penny" Hardaway. Now actually being here, seeing what it's like, it's just a dream come true."

Only two other players in the NBA finished with 20-5-5 this season – James and Bryant.

After the season was over, Evans was one of three players to receive an invite to Team USA Basketball's mini-camp for a chance to compete in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey this summer.

Evans was consistent from the start of the season and has become one of the players in the NBA, earning the respect of 16-year veteran point guard Jason Kidd.

"He has all the skills," the Dallas Mavericks point guard said. "He has the talent to take over the game in scoring and being able to find guys."

Although there was debate that Curry and Jennings were also deserving of the ROY award, the Kings rookie would be the one to receive his crown.

Read Martin McNeal's thoughts on the ROY award here.

Season Highs

Points: 34 Jan. 18 at Charlotte Bobcats

Rebounds: 11 rebounds (4 times) last March 16 vs, Los Angeles Lakers

Assists: 13 (twice) last March 31 at Minnesota

Steals: 4 (twice) last March 30 at Indiana

Blocks: 3 (3 times) last Jan.18 at Charlotte Bobcats

Statistical Rankings

Category: Rank, (Rank Among Rookies)

Points per game: 16th (1st)

Rebounds per game (among guards): 4th (1st)

Assists per game: 15th (2nd)

Steals per game: 16th (2nd)

Blocks per game (among guards): 15th (1st)

Awards/Accomplishments

Oct./Nov. 2009 NBA Rookie of the Month

Dec. 2009 NBA Rookie of the Month

2010 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge Most Valuable Player

2010 Haier Shooting Stars Participant

Fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game

Team USA Basketball 2010 mini-camp invite

2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year

Photo Credit: Jonathan Mendick

NBA ROY Award: What’s taking so long?

2010-04-27T00:35:51Z

While 16 teams battle to reach the NBA Finals, nine awards are handed out during the playoffs.

So far, six awards have been given out, but fans of the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks ask the question: When is the Rookie of the Year (ROY) award going to be announced?

When the award was given out last year, it was given to the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose one day before Game 3 at Chicago in the first round of the playoffs.

Although ROY contenders Tyreke Evans of the Kings and Stephen Curry of the Warriors aren’t in the playoffs, Brandon Jennings’ Bucks have already played Game 3 in Milwaukee.

Unlike Rose last year, Jennings didn’t get a trophy.

This seemingly narrows it down to Evans and Curry but it is unknown why the award hasn’t been given out yet.

There were previous events scheduled at Arco Arena during the expected arrival of the award that could have delayed its presentation.

In a mixed martial arts event that lasted over six hours, Jose Aldo and hometown favorite Urijah Faber battled for the World Extreme Cagefighting Featherweight Championship last Saturday among other matches.

The day before, the fighters weighed in at a four-and-a-half hour event.

Evans was attendance at the fight, which Aldo won by unanimous decision.

There were no events scheduled at Oracle Arena in Oakland since the Warriors ended its season.

Curry will be at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. this week for the Quail Hollow Pro-Am golf tournament.

These facts could be a pre-cursor that Evans won the award. Voting for the award ended over a week ago.

This year the schedule for the postseason awards weren't announced so a team whose player wins an award wouldn't know until right before it was announced.

Why the winner of the award hasn’t been announced is still a mystery and the anticipation remains.

Evans to receive invite to Team USA mini-camp

2010-04-16T22:00:02Z

If making history wasn't enough, Tyreke Evans may not be done making accomplishments this summer.

The Sacramento Kings rookie guard is one of three players confirmed by Team USA Basketball's Managing Director Jerry Colangelo to receive invites to its mini-camp, according to the San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami.

The mini-camp will take place in Las Vegas this July.

Evans, along with Golden State Warriors rookie Stephen Curry and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green are set to be invited.

"We want to get them into the system and get them ready to play," Colangelo said. "Whether it's this cycle or the next."

Kawakami hinted, via Twitter, that the decision came due to a roster expansion to prepare for players skipping the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

If he's selected to the Team USA National Team after mini-camp, Evans could play in the championships in August and September.

Evans already has plans for the summer. He's set to train in Hollywood, according to his trainer, LaMont Peterson.

In his first season in the NBA, Evans won two rookie of the month awards, was voted most valuable player of the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge and became the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.

He's also a contender for the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

If he plays in the world championships it could be a sneak peek of Evans' improvement over the summer before the NBA season begins.

Peterson witnesses Evans' growth

2010-04-13T19:57:42Z

Tyreke Evans has been an impact player for the Sacramento Kings. The rookie guard from the University of Memphis has gained national attention for the whole season.

Like all NBA players, Evans had to start somewhere, and LaMont Peterson, part of Team Tyreke, helped him grow into the player he is today.

He joined Team Tyreke along with Evans' older brothers Reggie, Doc and Pooh and cousin Temetrius, along with Evans' best friend, Dwayne Davis.

"I was introduced to his family by a mutual friend," Peterson said. "I thought he was an average 14-year-old. There was nothing physically that stood out about him. He was about 6 feet 3 inches, 165 pounds. It wasn't like there was this great, physical presence."

Then something stood out about Evans that separated him from basketball other prep players in the country.

"I saw where he was ranked," he said. "(He was the) No.1 player in the country, but I didn't see that by just (training) him for the first time."

Six years later, Evans is listed at 6 feet 6 inches and 220 pounds. Coming out of college, he was widely regarded for having an NBA-type body.

After training Evans over an extended time, Peterson saw his talent progress.

"As I got to see him play more and more, I got to appreciate his presence, his savvy, his IQ and what he brings to a team," he said.

After Evans finished high school at American Christian Academy in Aston, Pa. 2008, he played with the Memphis Tigers under head coach John Calapari. Peterson's role would change.

"Coach Calapari had an opening and he hired me as assistant coach on staff," he said. "I made sure the guys were in class. I wasn't allowed on court during practice because of NCAA rules limiting how many staff members are allowed to work on-court during practices."

After a one-and-done freshman season at Memphis, Evans declared for the 2009 NBA Draft. Now, Peterson would have to help Team Tyreke prepare Evans for training in front of NBA scouts across the country. It started by hiring Arm Tellem as his agent.

In Los Angeles, Evans worked out with Tellem's clients, including fellow rookies Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson Henderson and NBA stars Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook.

After traveling all over the country for workouts, draft day finally arrived and Team Tyreke members had one team they wanted Evans to land with.

"We felt that Sacramento was the best place for him," Peterson said. "It was a small town, there wouldn't be a lot of pressure on him. We thought that this would be the perfect place for him to grow and develop and become a go-to guy, franchise-type player."

Evans was chosen No. 4 overall in the NBA draft by the Kings, and Team Tyreke’s members’ wishes came true.

"It's surreal," Peterson said." At times it seems like a dream and (unreal) because this is all we've been preparing for.

"His older brother, Reggie Evans, who's his legal guardian and his business manager, put together a plan what we call 'The Blueprint,' and we've stuck to it for the past four years. So, to see this happen is a fruition of four to five years of hard work and effort."

Evans trained in Chester, Penn., before coming to Sacramento for training camp. They felt that Evans would be a starter from day one, Peterson said about Team Tyreke. After preseason ended, Evans played his first NBA game at Oklahoma City against the Thunder.

"It's incredible," he said after watching Evans step on an NBA court for the first time. "It was finally realization of all your dreams. We shared this dream with him. To know you helped play a part in his success – there's no better feeling in the world."

Evans appreciates Peterson's support through the season.

"He's around every game," Evans said. "He's been a big support."

His brother, Doc, agrees with Evans.

"He's been very influential," Doc said about Peterson’s affect on Evans. "He's been really instrumental in getting (Evans') body ready for the college and the pro level. We've been doing that for a long time, and LaMont's been a major part of that."

After Kevin Martin was ruled out to a long-term wrist injury, Evans exploded onto the scene. Now that Evans' season is almost over, Team Tyreke will have training set up for him in Los Angeles.

"We want him to be able to play 40 minutes every game next year," Peterson said. "We want him to be injury-free. Obviously you can't predict injuries, but we do a lot of preventive (things)."

Peterson has been with Evans preparing him for the NBA. There's no reason that his work with him should end anytime soon.

The history of the NBA Rookie of the Year

2010-04-10T00:22:50Z

At the end of every season, the NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY) Award is awarded to the best rookie of the season.

Don Meineke was the first to win the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy in the 1952-53 season. Of the 56 ROYs, 21 basketball hall-of-famers, from Oscar Robertson to Michael Jordan, have emerged.

More than 53 percent of retired ROYs were voted into the hall of fame.

The next trophy could be coming to Sacramento as Kings guard Tyreke Evans tries to make history becoming the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for a season. The first three were Robertson, Jordan and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James.

Portland Trail Blazers Television Analyst Mike Rice knows exactly how the ROY is selected because he has a vote.

"Rookie of the year is decided by votes from announcers that see the teams, beat writers that see all the teams all the time," he said. "You can't get a vote if you're a columnist or someone who doesn't see every team during the year. It is just distributed through TV and radio analysts, play-by-play men and beat writers."

Voters cast three votes: A first-place vote worth five points, a second-place vote worth three points and a third-place vote worth one point.
Many rookies who have won the award have gone on to lead their teams to bright futures. Blazers Head Coach Nate McMillan knows this firsthand. His team traded for Brandon Roy, the 2007 ROY, on NBA Draft Day 2006.

The team went from being known as the infamous "Jail Blazers" to a young team with championship potential.

"We thought he had a lot of potential," McMillan said. "He has continued to show the potential that he has. Of course, when you do have a guy that comes in and plays well, as Brandon did, and wins the rookie of the year in a situation where you're trying to gain you're fan base back – it's good to have a player like that, to give the fans something to look forward to in the future"

During his rookie season, Roy was focused on winning rather than the ROY award.

“The whole year I wasn't going for rookie of the year," he said. "I was just trying to do my best to try to help my team win. That's always been my goal. I don't want to put that pressure on myself trying to win an award. So I just always go out there, play to win, good things happen."

The season before the Blazers traded for Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge in June 2006, they finished with a record of 21-61. In Roy's rookie season, the team finished with a 32-50 record. Two seasons after building through the draft and trades, the Blazers earned a 54-28 record.

The San Antonio Spurs also know how a rookie can make an immediate impact. When hall-of-fame center and former ROY David Robinson was injured, the Spurs, a perennial playoff team, slipped to the third-worst record in the NBA and grabbed the top spot in the NBA Draft Lottery.

With the No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft, the team drafted Tim Duncan, who became the 1998 ROY. A year later, he earned his first of four NBA Championships and first of three Finals Most Valuable Player awards.

"It was a great season for me," he said. "Better than that, I was on a very good team, and we made the playoffs, it (was) a great year."

His head coach, Gregg Popovich, thought it was a no-brainer to draft Duncan, who is widely regarded as the best power forward of all time.

"It was a thrill and a pleasure because (he was) already a heck of a player when he came to us," he said. "It was just an unbelievable stroke of luck and good fortune on our part."

There have been ROYs who didn't pan out. Damon Stoudamire was the 1996 ROY for the Toronto Raptors, averaging 19 points and a career-high 9.3 assists per game.

After two and a half seasons in Toronto, he was traded to the Blazers. His numbers dropped, and he was never the same player the Raptors had drafted.

The Kings have numerous connections to the ROY award. Robertson, Maurice Stokes, Jerry Lucas and Phil Ford were ROYs during the franchise's days in Rochester, Cincinnati and Kansas City.

Notable former Kings players Chris Webber and Mitch Richmond were also ROYs, both with the Golden State Warriors.

Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie was a co-ROY in 1971 for the Blazers with hall-of-famer Dave Cowens.

"It was really exciting at the time," Petrie said. "To share it with Dave Cowens of the Boston Celtics, coming from an expansion team like Portland, it was a fun season and I think it was good for the franchise and all of my teammates."

Petrie said he thinks that Evans winning the ROY award could have the same impact on the Kings franchise.

Evans feels like he's had a good season, but he didn't know how well he would play.

"I didn't know that I'd be averaging 20 (points per game)," he said. "When you're doing that, I think that's a blessing for me, being a rookie and coming here making a big impact in this league."

In the end, the voters decide who the ROY award will go to. Along with Evans, Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings are also in the running. Rice, who has a vote, has already made up his mind.

"At the start of the year, it looked like Jennings of Milwaukee, of course, was going to be the leader because of his 55-point game," he said. "But once Tyreke Evans got started, he's probably the most consistent of the three rookie of the year candidates. Curry came out late and played well for Golden State.

"I have a vote for rookie of the year, and I'm going to vote for (Evans) because of his consistency, and if you look at his (statistics), no other rookie (is averaging 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game),” Rice said. “That's Oscar Robertson, MJ and LeBron. Those guys did that their rookie year, and that's putting Tyreke in a great category with those guys. I think he's (deserving) of the rookie of the year, which I think he will win."

Evans' shooting struggled coming off injury

2010-04-10T00:12:38Z

After missing five games because of a concussion sustained March 19 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Tyreke Evans returned to the Sacramento Kings' starting lineup.

The rookie guard has averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game in his three games since returning. His scoring has taken a hit this week with his fifth single-digit scoring night of his rookie season on Saturday.

On March 30 against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, Evans had 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the Kings' 102-95 loss. Although the numbers say that he had a productive night, Evans had four of his seven turnovers and 13 of his 17 points were scored in the fourth quarter making all five of his shots.

He made only one of his eight shots through the first three quarters.

The next night in Minneapolis, the Kings lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that had lost 17 games in a row. Evans posted 20 points, seven rebounds, 13 assists and three steals in the game, but shot 36.8 percent from the floor.

Evans’ shooting woes continued on Saturday when long-armed Nicolas Batum guarded him when the Portland Trail Blazers came to Sacramento. Evans only had six points, five rebounds and six assists in the 98-87 loss to the Blazers, making only two of his 12 shots of the night.

He was held out for much of the fourth quarter when the team made a run to keep the game close.

"That's not a Tyreke Evans kind of game," Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said. "I would have liked to seen him get a few more foul shots. It's not like he wasn't driving, but that's the way this league is sometimes."

For the week, Evans shot less than 41 percent from the field. For his first season in the NBA, he's averaging 45.6 percent from the field.

Evans was off pace, by a very slim margin, to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for his rookie season. With five games left, he needed 101 points and 10 rebounds to achieve that goal. He's already guaranteed five rebounds and five assists per game for the season.

He would have to score 20.2 points per game over the next five games to average exactly 20 points in the season.

Photo by Jonathan Mendick.

Kings introduce "Skater Night" ticket package

2010-04-03T02:43:15Z

Sacramento Kings fans can buy a package for "Skater Night" on April 10, promoting the Maloof Money Cup.

For $49, fans get two tickets worth $40.50 each to watch the Kings take on Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, meet professional skaters Ryan Sheckler, Brandon Biebel and Steve Caballero, and the choice of a Biebel skteboard deck by GIRL or Maloof Money Cup hat by Neff.

Fans are invited to bring their skateboards to the outdoor miniskate park before the game, starting at 4 p.m. Skater-themed prizes will be awarded throughout the evening, including a trip to the Maloof Money Cup in Costa Mesa in August.

The Cup, created by Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, is an annual skateboarding festival that hosts the U.S. Pro Men's and Women's Street Championships, and the U.S. Pro Vert and Maloof Money Cup Amateur championships.

This year, the event will take place in Flushing Meadows in Queens, N.Y., on June 5 and 6 and Costa Mesa from August 4-8.

The event, which was started in 2008, will give out $450,000 in prize money, the biggest pot in professional skateboarding history.

The Maloofs also created the Maloof Skateboarding Assistance Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides monetary support for injured skateboarders and builds skate parks.

Tickets for Skater Night can be purchased at the Arco Arena box office or online at Ticketmaster.

Mayor Johnson learns from trip to New York City

2010-03-31T07:00:03Z

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson advice on what makes other cities successful at a meeting in New York City.

Johnson also met with NBA Commissioner David Stern and Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren.

"You have to be responsive to the needs of your city," Johnson said that Bloomberg told him. "You have to not only prioritize, but you have to be able to implement, execute and actualize whatever those happen to be."

Johnson listed public safety, education, job creation and economic development as the city's top priorities. There are other issues that Johnson will be looking at.

"Then he said that (there are) things that aren't your priorities that you should be thinking about," Johnson said. "In Sacramento, we've been hit pretty hard by the foreclosure crisis. So, how are we as a city responding to the needs of people in Sacramento, who are losing their homes?"

When Johnson met with Lundgren, the Macy's CEO assured that he supports his store in the Westfield Downtown Plaza mall.

"We had a frank and very straightforward conversation," he said. "He's very committed on the vision we have for the Downtown Plaza. I let him know that we value Macy's and we're committed to making sure his stores are successful."

Johnson called the downtown mall "an embarrassment and an eyesore." The mall recently lost an iconic landmark, the Hard Rock Café. He said that changing the mall's format from inward-facing to outward-facing is an idea that is floating around.

When he said that he visited Stern, he had nothing new to report.

"It was really an update on the arena and the entertainment and sports complex in the railyards," Johnson said.

He did bring some good news home about what Stern said about the city and its team the Sacramento Kings.

"He said this time and time again: that Sacramento is an attractive market to the NBA, and that is why they're committed to being here. He is committed to the Kings being here, (and) he's committed to doing everything that he can to make sure that we're successful."

Click here to watch Mayor Johnson's press conference.

Photo by Rob Small

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans could return today

2010-03-30T18:41:01Z

After sitting out five games, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans could play today against the Indiana Pacers.

After sustaining a concussion when the Milwaukee Bucks' Ersan Ilyasova inadvertently hit him with an elbow, he sat out for three games before practicing last Thursday in Boston. When Evans complained of a headache at practice, the team ruled him out for the next two games.

The Kings (24-50) have not done well since Evans' injury, compiling a 1-4 record since then. After beating the Los Angeles Clippers in L.A., the Kings lost at home against the Memphis Grizzlies the next night.

The team left for a five-game road trip and lost to a then seven-win New Jersey Nets team, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team with the league's best record.

The Kings could have Evans back today in Indianapolis, but teammate Beno Udrih has shined in his absence.

Udrih dished out a career-high 17 assists in the win against the Clippers, matching the Clippers' assist total in the game. He had only one turnover while the Clippers had 17. In the loss to the Cavs, he recorded his first triple-double, posting 18 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists.

Udrih became the second player to achieve a triple-double when facing LeBron James. The first to do it was former King Mike Bibby on Jan. 20, 2005.

During Evans' absence, Udrih has averaged 18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 11.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Evans will continue his attempt to become the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. If he plays in the remaining eight games of the season, he needs 104 points, 26 rebounds and only one assist to accomplish this milestone.

Beside the Pacers, the Kings will face the Minnesota Timberwolves the day after in Minneapolis and the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, after the team comes home.

Evans to miss Celtics and Cavs games

2010-03-25T22:08:22Z

Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans will miss the next two games after complaining of a headache during today's practice in Boston.

Evans sustained a concussion last Friday at home when Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova hit him in the head with an elbow late in the fourth quarter.

Evans has missed three games so far and will miss tomorrow's game against the Boston Celtics and Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Swingman Francisco García has started in Evans place for the past three games.

The Kings are 1-2 since Evans was injured, including a loss to the New Jersey Nets, the team with an NBA-worst 8-63 record.

Kings' new Tyreke Evans ticket package: Chasing History

2010-03-25T05:03:39Z

The Sacramento Kings unveiled a new ticket package centering around rookie its phenom Tyreke Evans.

The "Chasing History Ticket Package" is based on Evans trying to reach the milestone of becoming the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a season.

The first three were current NBA superstar LeBron James and basketball hall-of-famers Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.

When a ticket worth $40.50 or higher is purchased, it will also include a Tyreke Chasing History 20-5-5 T-shirt. The package is available for only three games: April 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers, April 6 against the San Antonio Spurs and April 8 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Evans is well above the pace to achieving the 20-5-5 mark. Currently, he is averaging 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.

Tickets can be purchased at the ARCO Arena box office or online at Ticketmaster.

Photo by Nathan Carter.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans cools off before getting injured

2010-03-24T03:25:50Z

Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans was playing the best basketball of his rookie season, but his it took a bad turn during last Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Late in the fourth quarter, Evans was hit by Ersan Ilyasova while he was swinging his elbows. As a result, Evans sustained a slight concussion, a bruised jaw and two cracked teeth. A fractured jaw was feared to be the diagnosis, and it would have been a horrible end to his spectacular first season in the NBA.

He'll miss at least a week, which includes games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Jersey Nets and possibly the Boston Celtics.

In the last two games played until his injury, Evans chalked up 20 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and one steal.

In last Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Evans played against two of the toughest defenders in the league. In a recent poll of 173 NBA players by “Sports Illustrated,” Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest were named as top defenders.

Both of them took turns defending Evans. Both of them couldn't stop him from notching 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists – one assist shy of a triple-double. The Kings lost to the Lakers 106-99.

Bryant was asked about whether Evans or Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was tougher to play against. He was impressed by Evans’ physique.

"I think Tyreke is a grown man," he said after the game.

In the game against the Bucks, Evans had 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a career-high eight turnovers before getting injured late in the fourth quarter. The game went into double overtime, where the Kings lost 114-108.

In the two games without Evans, the Kings beat the Clippers on Sunday in Los Angeles 102-89 and, the very next night lost at home to the Grizzlies 102-85.

Injuries are nothing new to Evans. He's already missed seven games this season and at least the next game. None of his previous injuries have seemed to slow him down.

Evans is still chasing a milestone, trying to become only the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Technically, he could sit out the rest of the season and achieve it. If he were to come back Sunday at Cleveland against LeBron James and the Cavaliers, Evans would need to score at least 164 points, grab 34 rebounds and collect only six assists to achieve what only James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson have done as rookies.

For now, he just needs to rest and prepare to return to the court when he's ready to finish the season.

Photo by Nathan Carter.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans' best week yet

2010-03-16T06:24:31Z

Without a doubt, this has been the best basketball Tyreke Evans has played in his rookie season for the Sacramento Kings

The Kings’ 20-year-old guard has averaged 19 points, 8.75 rebounds, 7.75 assists and 0.75 steals per game since March 9. Since then, the Kings have played the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland and home games against the Toronto Raptors, the Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that span the team has a 2-2 record.

Evans posted 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and a steal in the 88-81 loss in Portland. The Kings were within three points of the Blazers late in the game, but the experience of the Blazers overtook the Kings – the least-experienced team in the NBA.

The team has an average of 2.2 years of experience, with Beno Udrih, Andres Nocioni and Ime Udoka having been in the league for five years. It also features four rookies in Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman and newly signed Garrett Temple.

In the next game, Evans went off for his first career triple-double on a night dubbed "RekeROY Night," where fans rallied to support Evans for rookie of the year on a night dedicated to him. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113-90 win over the Raptors. He became the third rookie this season to register a triple-double, behind the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and the New Orleans Hornets' Darren Collison.

"I came out in attack mode," Evans said after the game. "The crowd was in it. I was going to come out there and try to bring it."

After the performance he put on that night, Evans has locked up the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Two days later, the Blazers came to visit and gave the Kings another loss, 110-94. Evans scored eight of his 10 points and seven of his 10 rebounds in the first 14 minutes of the game. After that, he only scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in the second half. The Blazers’ defense limited Evans' scoring. He missed eight of only 12 shots on the night.

"I thought the Blazers' defense was very aggressive," Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said. "They took away a lot of our first options."
On Sunday, the Timberwolves came into ARCO Arena to play the Kings coming off a tough loss. Evans was one rebound shy of another triple-double with 29 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists and two steals in the 114-100 win over Minnesota.

Evans, so far, has had a great month that rivals LeBron James' March his rookie season in 2004. James averaged 22.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. Evans is averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game through eight games.

After hovering under an average five rebounds per game for part of the season, Evans is now averaging 20.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Critics who have stated that Evans can't be a point guard are being proven wrong. He is No. 16 in the NBA in assists and assists per game.

Evans has proven that he is a spectacular player and will become even better in the future. Only 20 years old, Evans still has plenty of room to improve, but there's no doubt that he will be a great player for a very long time

Photo Credit: Jonathan Mendick

Blazers pummel Kings 110-94

2010-03-13T23:00:08Z

For a team that was on the second game of a back-to-back, the Portland Trail Blazers played like a fresh team.

After beating the Toronto Raptors and a day of rest, it was the Sacramento Kings that were shut down.

The Blazers defeated the Kings 110-94 in a game where turnovers made the difference.

After achieving a triple-double the game before, Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans had a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.

Kings power forward Carl Landry had 18 points and 6 rebounds, while Francisco Garcia had 17 points off the bench.

Portland led by as many as 26 points and scored 21 points off of the Kings' 20 turnovers. Kings power forward Carl Landry said it was obvious to see how his team lost the game.

"You can look at the box score and see that," Landry said about turnovers costing the game. "That's what killed us."

Blazers guard Brandon Roy, who scored 41 points the night before, had 28 points while shooting 76.9 percent from the floor.

Portland's big man LaMarcus Aldridge scored 12 of his 18 points in the third quarter missing only one shot that quarter.

Not only that, the Blazers made 29 out of 32 free throws and its defense was consistent throughout the night.

"The Blazers' defense was very aggressive," Kings Head Coach Westphal said. "They took away a lot of our first options. We responded like a team that's been together for 11 games."

Since acquiring four new players in the past three weeks the Kings have a 4-8 record. Since the NBA All-Star Weekend, the Blazers, a team that is eighth place in the Western Conference, have a record of 9-4.

The Blazers were a more experienced team playing the least experienced team in the league.

"They ran their plays and we just fell apart," Evans said. "Brandon Roy got hot and Aldridge started hitting (shots). They never looked back."

Although the Kings fell to Portland, the team has shown that it can compete against playoff-bound teams in the past. Too many mistakes that led to turnovers cost the Kings the game.

"I think we can compete with anybody," Landry said. "They're a playoff team, but tonight it had nothing to do with them playing a back-to-back (game). It was us."

The Kings will try to regroup Sunday when the Minnesota Timberwolves come to Sacramento.

Reliving Evans' triple-double night

2010-03-12T07:08:28Z

Wednesday night was Tyreke Evans' night at ARCO Arena.

The Sacramento Kings rookie guard had limited-edition T-shirts and printouts of his face on sticks handed out on a night that was used to promote his rookie of the year campaign.

His choice of music was played during warm-ups before the game. There was a special introduction, which included pyrotechnics and a banner rising in honor of his night, for him. An announced crowd of 13,412 was introduced to the rookie of the year chant, "R-O-Y."

By the end of the game, RekeROY night was more than a success. It sealed the award for him.

Evans, the frontrunner for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, notched his first career triple-double with an assist to Francisco García late in the fourth quarter. He finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113-90 blowout win over the Toronto Raptors.

His memorable night also bumped his stats over 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game – stats only LeBron James and hall-of-famers Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan averaged as rookies. Evans is currently averaging 20.3 points, five rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.

After receiving a standing ovation from the fans, he said it was all for them.

"I had a lot of fun," Evans said. "I came out in attack mode, and the crowd was in it. I wanted to come out and have a good night with them honoring me."

Evans had a hot start to the game, grabbing four rebounds in the first quarter. Going into the game, he was averaging 4.9 rebounds per game.

On a drive to the basket, he had an unbelievable shot over the backboard after getting fouled by Toronto's superstar power forward Chris Bosh. The basket was originally waved off, but after a brief meeting they counted Evans' circus shot.

The R-O-Y chants gave him even more motivation after the Kings' slow start in the first half.

"They chanted every five seconds. I just started laughing," he said. "It gave me confidence in the second half."

Evans said he was a little embarrassed due to the fact that he was the center of attention for the entire night, on and off the court.

"They had the NBA all-stars talk about my game," he said about the videos shown on the JumboTron. "I had fun looking up at myself. (The fans) had little sticks with my face."

Another feature on the JumboTron was Mystery Karaoke, where Evans would sing a song, and teammate Beno Udrih would guess it. Both were busy watching it during the time-out.

Evans knew he was close to a triple-double near the end of the game, and he went to García to help him secure it.

"He told me to look for him off the curl," Evans said about the play that gave him the triple-double. "He did it a lot in practice, so I went for him. Hopefully he'd make the shot, and he did."

Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said that he and the rest of the Kings players enjoyed RekeROY night.

"It was really exciting to see Tyreke have such a fitting night," Westphal said. "There are a lot of (good) rookies this year. For this year, it's not even close (for the rookie of the year award)."

Raptors forward and former Kings rookie Hedo Turkoglu also gave Evans praise after the game.

"The kid is going to be a great player in this league," Turkoglu said about Evans. "Already he's making a huge impact as a player and a leader. I wish him the best, and hopefully he becomes one of the greats."

Evans had two near-triple-double games earlier in the season. After rookie point guards Stephen Curry and Darren Collison for the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Hornets, respectively, had triple-doubles of their own, LaMont Peterson, Evans' trainer, said it best.

"It's long overdue," he said.

Mayor Johnson talks about Evans, RekeROY rally

2010-03-10T08:00:04Z

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson – a three-time NBA all-star point guard for the Phoenix Suns – shared his thoughts on Sacramento Kings Rookie of the Year candidate Tyreke Evans Tuesday morning at a press conference.

Johnson officially endorsed Evans last week, and came before tonight’s rally to support Evans.

"He's doing some amazing things," Johnson said about Evans' performance this season. "He's on pace to do something only three other (rookies) in the history of the NBA have done in the past – averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists (per game)."

The three players who Johnson talked about are LeBron James and hall-of-famers Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan. Currently, Evans is averaging 20.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

The RekeROY Rally to support Tyreke Evans for rookie of the year will take place tonight during the game against the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. During the rally, the introduction of the R-O-Y (rookie of the year) chant will be introduced to the fans to be used the rest of the season.

“A lot of people thought that we should have drafted other players," Johnson said about the controversy of drafting Evans with the fourth pick in last year's draft. "If you look at what he's doing, the team has won more games than last year. That's a very important indicator."

The Kings won only 17 games last season compared to 21 wins going into the final quarter of this season.

Evans isn't the only rookie turning heads. In Oakland, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has performed well as of late. Although Curry has had a recent outburst along with New Orleans Hornets point guard Darren Collison, Evans has performed well all season.

"Curry is doing a great job down in Golden State," Johnson said. "But I think we have the top rookie here in Sacramento."

Photos by Rob Small

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans is still learning the game

2010-03-09T06:30:39Z

With four games played in March, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans is still producing, despite his team losing three of the last four games to playoff-bound teams.

Evans put up 17.5 points, 4.75 rebounds, 5.75 assists and 1.75 steals per game since March 2.

He had had a team-high 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that has the sixth-best record in the Western Conference. The Thunder's defense tightened up late in the game, securing a 113-107 home win over the Kings.

Oklahoma City's top two players, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, combined for 69 points.

The next night, the Kings were in Houston to play the Rockets in the second game of a back-to-back set.

Evans had nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in an 84-81 win over the Houston Rockets. Shane Battier, one of the league's premier defensive players, defended Evans very well. Battier had a career-high seven blocks, blocking four of Evans' shots. Evans' 18.2 percent shooting that game was the worst of his rookie season.

Both teams had forgettable shooting nights. The Kings shot 32 percent from the field while the Rockets shot 39 percent. Carl Landry, playing his first game at Houston since being traded from the Rockets, had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Evans had 20 points (nine in the fourth quarter) and six assists against the Dallas Mavericks, helping to cut a 15-point deficit to two points. Unfortunately, he had a crucial turnover before the Mavericks went on a 6-0 run to close out the game 108-100, winning its 10th-straight game.

Returning home to Sacramento, Evans had 24 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a 108-102 loss to the Thunder, which was similar to the loss in Dallas.

The road doesn't get that much easier for Evans. He will face three-time all-star for the Portland Trail Blazers Brandon Roy tonight at Portland and at home on Friday. After his second game against Roy a week from now, he'll face Kobe Bryant when the Los Angeles Lakers visit next Tuesday.

The RekeROY Rally, Evans' rally for NBA Rookie of the Year, will take place at ARCO Arena when the Toronto Raptors come in Wednesday night and the Minnesota Timberwolves will visit on Sunday.

Evans has shown this week that he makes mistakes like any other rookie. He's only 20 years old, and he'll still be learning to be a point guard, one of the most difficult positions in the NBA. It was a little more than a year ago when Memphis Tigers Head Coach John Calipari switched Evans to the point guard position after playing shooting guard.

He's shown that he can be a go-to player when a big shot is needed on more than one occasion – most recently against the Utah Jazz. He's also shown all season that he can be an all-around player for many years to come with superstar potential.

He's on pace to finish with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. The only other rookies who have finished with those numbers are LeBron James and hall-of-famers Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.

By learning from the mistakes he makes, he'll make strides to propel the Kings to success in the future.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Late-game heroics highlight Evans' week

2010-03-02T06:54:49Z

Finishing out the month of February, rookie guard Tyreke Evans led the new-look Sacramento Kings to two straight wins against the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers.

He averaged 24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals, leading the team to a 2-1 record for the week.

Although he scored 28 points and 13 assists with only two turnovers, the Kings were embarrassed by the Detroit Pistons at home, losing 101-89.

Although the Kings were down by as many as 30 points late in the third quarter, Evans scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to cut into the lead.

The team found out that it lost starting big man Jason Thompson to a back injury until mid-March.

The Kings took an entirely new identity when the Jazz came into town. Beno Udrih was inserted into the lineup, replacing Donté Greene. He and Evans would form a backcourt tandem in a highly competitive game.

Evans posted 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in an uplifting win against an elite team, beating the Jazz 103-99. He had a spectacular crossover dribble near the end of the game against all-star guard Deron Williams to seal the game.

Udrih worked well beside Evans, scoring 25 points and dishing four assists.

Two nights later, the Kings looked to even the season series against a Clippers team that had beat eight days earlier. Evans scored 22 points and notched five rebounds in the game, but he scored two crucial baskets to help the Kings stop the Clippers' rally, winning by a score of 97-92.

For the month of February, Evans has averaged 20.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, seven assists and 1.4 steals per game. It is his best statistical month of his rookie season, despite the Kings winning only four games last month.

Evans also disproved any belief that he can't be a point guard in the NBA. His feat of seven assists per game was ranked No. 12 in the month of February, beating out the Orlando Magic's Jameer Nelson and the Denver Nuggets' Chauncey Billups. Both players have been all-star point guards.

Now, Evans will face the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets' Kevin Martin and Dallas Mavericks' new addition Caron Butler, on the upcoming road trip. The team will face the Thunder again when it returns home.

Each team is jockeying for position in the western conference playoff race.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans shines despite Kings' woes

2010-02-23T23:25:12Z

Despite the Sacramento Kings going 0-4 since the All-Star break, Tyreke Evans is performing consistently.

The rookie guard from the University of Memphis averaged 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and one steal per game since the break. For the week, his shooting percentage was 51.9 percent.

Evans is ranked first among rookies playing 36.9 minutes per game and is No. 24 in the NBA The year before at Memphis he was playing 29 minutes per game.

Having extended playing time isn't the only change Evans has encountered since joining the Kings. His body has taken a beating with injuries as well.

He's fought with a nagging ankle injury throughout the season and suffered a hard fall on his chest, sprained his finger and a hip injury more recently. So far, he's only missed five games and despite the injuries, has been the best rookie this season.

Evans outperformed Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo with a near triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists - all that in 41 minutes, but the Kings still lost, 95-92.

The next night the Kings traveled to Oakland to play against the Golden State Warriors. Evans posted 17 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, but the Kings were blown out, losing 130-98.

After the game, Evans' teammates Kevin Martin and Hilton Armstrong were traded to the Houston Rockets and Sergio Rodriguez was traded to the New York Knicks, just hours before the trade deadline.

In return, the Kings received Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey from the Houston Rockets, Larry Hughes from the New York Knicks and Dominic McGuire from the Washington Wizards. Kings forward Kenny Thomas was waived soon after, while Hughes remains on the east coast to rehabilitate his fractured left hand.

After the trade, the new-look Kings team traveled to Los Angeles to play the L.A. Clippers on Saturday for another back-to-back game.

Evans helped the Kings go on a 30-19 run in the second half to bring the team within five points of the Clippers. He scored 11 of his 21 points during that run and logged 40 minutes, but the Kings came up short again, losing 99-89.

The next night against the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix, Evans finished with 16 points and 6 assists, but all-star point guard Steve Nash was too much as he dished out 17 assists in the Suns' 104-88 win.

The Kings finished the road trip with a 18-38 win-loss record and Evans averaged four turnovers per game.

The team will have time to mesh with its new players with the next three games at home. They'll take on the Detroit Pistons today, followed by the Utah Jazz and the Clippers.

Kings introduce new season ticket package

2010-02-17T05:31:52Z

The Sacramento Kings organization unveiled its season ticket package for next season Tuesday.

Kings Season Ticket Holders will pay less for 99 percent of lower bowl seats in the 2010-11 season.

Ticket prices in the lower bowl will be reduced by six percent, while upper bowl prices will remain the same.

"We believe we created one of the best season ticket value packages in the NBA," Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said in a press release. "Our commitment to our fans has never been stronger."

Prices for the lower bowl will range from $64-140, compared to $67.50-150 this season.

Fans who renew or purchase their season tickets by April 23 will get new incentives, which include free parking for 20 games and VIP lines at concessions.

While the Kings team improves, the organization still puts its fans as one of its top priorities.

"We are as excited about this team and direction of this franchise as we have ever been," Gavin's brother and co-owner Joe said in the release. "The future is indeed bright for the Kings and all of our great fans who have been with us through thick and thin."

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans, Casspi have an all-star weekend

2010-02-16T23:19:24Z

Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans led the Rookies team to its first win in eight years, beating the Sophomores 140-128 on Feb. 12.

Evans earned the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge Most Valuable Player award, posting 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.

Although fans voted Evans as the MVP, he didn't want to keep it for himself.

Evans shared the spotlight with San Antonio Spurs rookie big man DeJuan Blair, who finished with 22 points, a game-high 23 rebounds and 4 assists.

"I think we did a good job of getting the ball and pushing it," Evans said after the game. "But DeJuan Blair set the tone. He got the points and he got the rebounds. I'm (going to) share this MVP with him."

Oklahoma City Thunder sophomore guard Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 40 points to go with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Kings rookie swingman Omri Casspi finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.

The competitions for Evans and Casspi continued to Saturday.

Evans participated in the Haier Shooting Stars competition as part of Team Sacramento.

He, along with former Kings player Chris Webber and New York Liberty forward Nicole Powell (former Monarchs player), eliminated Team Atlanta from the competition by one second.

Team Texas, which also had former Kings player Kenny Smith, knocked Team Sacramento out of the competition in the same round and went on to beat Team Los Angeles in the final round.

Casspi competed in a H.O.R.S.E game against Oklahoma City Thunder forward and reigning champion Kevin Durant and Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo.

Casspi was the first to be eliminated as Durant won the title.

Report: Casspi a participant in H.O.R.S.E. at All-Star weekend

2010-02-09T03:08:04Z

Sacramento Kings rookie swingman Omri Casspi will be a participant in H.O.R.S.E., presented by Geico at the NBA 2010 All-Star Weekend in Dallas on Saturday, according to a report by J.E. Skeets of Yahoo! Sports.

The event is this Saturday at 4 p.m. on TNT. The report also indicates that last year's H.O.R.S.E. champion, Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant, and Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo will also compete for the title.

Casspi has already been selected to the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, where he will play for the rookie team along with rookie teammate Tyreke Evans.

The game is this Friday at 6 p.m. on TNT.

Evans will also compete in the Haier Shooting Stars contest, representing Team Sacramento with former King Chris Webber and former Sacramento Monarchs forward Nicole Powell.

The contest starts at 5 p.m. on Satruday, also on TNT.

If Casspi is selected to play H.O.R.S.E. the Kings will be represented in three All-Star events this weekend. The last time the Kings were represented in an event was 2004 when Peja Stojakovic competed in the Three-Point Contest and Brad Miller played in the All-Star Game.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans has big weekend ahead

2010-02-09T02:55:58Z

Despite the fact that the Sacramento Kings (16-34) are slumping, its rookie guard, Tyreke Evans, has a bright weekend ahead of him during the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas, Texas.

Evans, along with fellow rookie teammate Omri Casspi, will represent the Kings on the Rookies team in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam at the American Airlines Arena, home of the Dallas Mavericks.

The Rookie Challenge is a game where the league's best first-year players (Rookies) of this season compete against the best of the second-year players (Sophomores), who have won the past seven games.

The game will be televised on TNT Friday at 6 p.m.

Evans will also compete in the Haier Shooting Stars contest alongside former King Chris Webber and former Sacramento Monarchs forward Nicole Powell.They will form the first Team Sacramento.

Shooting Stars is a competition where teammates shoot from six spots on the court in order of numbers one through six. The team that finishes with the fastest time wins.

The contest will also be televised on TNT Saturday at 5 p.m., when Team Sacramento faces teams Atlanta, Los Angeles and Texas.

Evans and Casspi will be the first to represent the Kings in the Rookie Challenge since Hedo Turkoglu played as a rookie in 2002. They will also be the first Kings to participate in an All-Star event since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic in 2004.

Although Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry won January's T-Mobile Western Conference Rookie of the Month, Evans won the October/November and December award and is the top candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Through three games this month, Evans has averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, seven assists and 1.7 steals per game. For the season, he's averaging 20.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

This weekend, Evans will make his second and third national television appearance. He impressed many in his first nationally televised game with his superb performance and game-deciding steal against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 16.

Now, Evans has another opportunity to put the Kings back on the map in front of a much larger audience.

Globetrotters bring excitement to town‏

2010-01-19T23:43:37Z

The Harlem Globetrotters made a stop in Sacramento Monday as part of its "2010 'Magical Memories' World Tour."

They wowed the thousands of fans at ARCO Arena and faced its long-time rival Washington Generals, but the game was only part of the show.

The team's dancing, antics, and fan participation showed that the Globetrotters are more than high-flying dunks and spectacular passes. It's also about entertainment.

"That's the best part of it all," Firefly Fisher said about making fans smile. "It's entertainment, plus basketball and you put those two together, it's fun."

The Cordero family experienced the fun first-hand when Laurie and Tim were invited onto the court, while their son, Tyler, watched.

Laurie Cordero was given a purse by the Globetrotters and gave two kisses on the cheek to showman Big Easy Lofton while Tim Cordero was taunted by Lofton.

"It was awesome," she said after the game. "It was definitely entertaining and I had a good time."

After defeating the Generals, the Globetrotters travel to Crown Point, Ark. for a show the next day. Fisher enjoys traveling with the team and hopes to be with the team for a long time.

"It's definitely a blessing and I'm extremely excited," he said. "It takes a lot of hard work. It's a commitment, which many people aren't able to do.

"It feels good to be able to do it with the team, to separate myself from others and be able to put on a good show for all the people around the world."

Whenever they got the chance, the team made sure to make fans feel special.

"That's the best part of it all, especially kids," Fisher said. "But when you add moms and dads as well as other people in the family it makes things that much better."

The Globetrotters have been entertaining fans since 1926 and have traveled the world. The team has also performed shows for various U.S. military bases overseas.

For 84 years wherever the team has gone, excitement and entertainment are sure to follow.

Photo Credit: Anthony Bento

Evans hits game winner, propels Kings to 102-100 victory

2010-01-10T11:17:13Z

After blowing an 18-point lead and losing by seven points to the Golden State Warriors the previous night in Oakland, the Sacramento Kings made a comeback against the Denver Nuggets.

In the last few moments, Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups tied the game with a three-point field goal but Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans made the game-winning field goal with 0.7 seconds left. The basket lifted his team to a 102-100 victory and put a stop to a five-game losing streak.

Evans scored a game-high 27 points while fellow rookie Jon Brockman posted five points, a block and a career-high 12 rebounds in his first NBA start while defending against Kenyon Martin. Brockman is no stranger to Martin with a previous Nuggets defeat on Dec. 28.

"It's a challenge," Brockman said about defending Martin, the former all-star power forward. "He's an unbelievably athletic player, he's got a great touch, he's a fun guy to play against."

Martin finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks while Billups finished with 27 points, shooting 40 percent from the field.

Billups missed the previous match-up against the Kings, but this time the Nuggets were playing without Carmelo Anthony, one of the NBA's leading scorers with 30 points per game.

Billups said he wants Anthony back on the court.

"He's the number one (scoring) option," Billups said about Anthony. "He does everything. I think teams play us differently when he's not playing because they know that they don't have (to guard) that one guy who can score 30, 40 points at any given time. It's a difference when you're playing without him."

The Kings trailed the Nuggets by as much as 13 points during the game, but the team found a way to win by learning from mistakes it made the night before.

"I just thought it was really interesting and gratifying how our players performed in the fourth quarter," Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said. "Everything we did wrong last night, we corrected."

Despite shooting less than 36 percent from the field, rookie swingman Omri Casspi came up big for the Kings with 16 points, eight rebounds and a block, including a three-point field goal to give the Kings a 96-95 lead with 1:04 remaining.

"We lost a lot of other (close) games," Casspi said. "We're 15-21 now and it could easily be (the) opposite. I'm just happy that we won."

After the Kings face the Orlando Magic Tuesday, the team will leave for its longest road trip of the season, playing six games in nine nights. Every one of those games will be against an Eastern Conference opponent.

Kings have exceeded low expectations

2010-01-08T04:56:49Z

Before the NBA season started, many experts predicted the Sacramento Kings would be near the bottom of the league after finishing with a 17-65 record last season.

This prediction came before star guard Kevin Martin and last season's top bench scorer Francisco García went down with wrist injuries. Many also criticized the pick of rookie guard Tyreke Evans, citing that he was not the point guard that the Kings needed in a point guard-heavy draft. The Kings were bashed for hiring Paul Westphal as head coach, many critics saying that he hasn't coached an NBA game since 2000, when he coached the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder).

It was supposed to be the perfect recipe for a team destined to be the league's worst. But that's not what happened.

With 48 games left the Kings have a record of 14-20, Evans has become an NBA star and a favorite for rookie of the year and Westphal has been mentioned as a coach of the year candidate.

The team overhauled the entire coaching staff, with the exception of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Pete Carril, and hired four new assistant coaches: Jim Eyen, Bryan Gates, Mario Elie and Truck Robinson.

"They're brilliant," Martin said about the coaching staff before the season began. "They have coaches that have been there. (We) got a coach (Robinson) that led the league in rebounding who can teach Jason (Thompson) and (Spencer Hawes) how to do things like that."

"We have a very knowledgeable head coach that can teach even players like myself how to make the game a lot easier and lead this team," he said.

The Kings did not make a blockbuster trade or sign a big-name free agent over the summer. They traded the draft rights of Jeff Pendergraph to the Portland Trail Blazers for point guard Sergio Rodriguez and the draft rights of forward Jon Brockman.

The Kings also signed swingman Desmond Mason and big man Sean May. Mason was waived in favor of signing another swingman, Ime Udoka. May, after starting his first five games, hasn't played since Dec. 12.

They have been the surprise team of the season so far. They overcame a 35-point deficit in a game against the Chicago Bulls and have competed whole-heartedly against the league's elite instead of giving up.

The Kings enjoyed early success in the season because of the rookies' immediate contribution, the development of the young frontline of Hawes, Thompson and Donté Greene, Andres Nocioni's steady production and the re-emergence of veterans Beno Udrih and Kenny Thomas.

The Kings have played well at home and established themselves as one of the best teams in the NBA with an 11-8 record at ARCO Arena.

But the team still has improvements to make. The Kings' road record is 3-12 and they still needs to learn how to close out games against the league's elite teams.

"We want to get to the place the Lakers are," Westphal said after an emotional double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 26. "Where somehow, some way, you find a way to win those games, and we're working hard on it."

The Kings suffered another emotional loss to the same team in Los Angeles when superstar Kobe Bryant hit the game-winning three-point basket as time expired. The Kings blew a 20-point lead that game.

The emotions from the loss carried over to Sacramento the next night, when the Kings lost to a rested Dallas Mavericks team 99-91.

"We're going through some adversity right now," Thompson said after the loss to Dallas. "We've just got to learn from these games and go in and play better."

Even though the team is going through a rough patch right now, it has many positive things to look at early in the season.

The Kings top draft pick, Evans, has been spectacular for the whole season, averaging 20.3 points, 5.1 rebounds 4.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

He's impressed many players in the league and Bryant is no exception.

"Tyreke Evans is going to be a hell of a player," Bryant said after a 112-103 victory over the Kings. "I really love that pick-up. He was my sleeper in the draft. (The Kings start) with him, so he has a really bright future."

Evans has had help from fellow rookies Brockman and Omri Casspi.

Casspi, the first Israeli-born player in the NBA, has become one of the best three-point shooters in the league. Brockman, a former University of Washington teammate of Kings center Spencer Hawes, grabs four rebounds per game in 11 minutes per game.

Casspi has become one of the best shooters in the league while Brockman's work ethic and tenacity has frustrated opposing players. Both players aren't pushovers.

"When everyone's playing as tough as we are, it changes the rhythm of the game," Brockman said.

Last season, the Kings were seen around the league as a soft team, but the entire mentality of the team has changed. The toughness that the team plays with enables them to stay in games.

This season, they have been competitive to the end of games against the league's top teams, despite losing most of those games.

With Martin, the Kings' top scorer from last season, coming back next week and García returning after the all-star break in February, the Kings are looking to get better as the season approaches its midpoint.

Westphal, Bryant applaud Kings fans' support

2009-12-28T03:54:46Z

Inside an electrifying ARCO Arena reminiscent of 2002, the Sacramento Kings (13-16) battled the Los Angeles Lakers (24-15) in a thrilling double overtime game.

The arena was standing-room only for the Dec. 26 game. Lakers fans decked in purple and gold peppered the crowd of 17,345 that night.

After a long and hard fight, the Kings faltered in the end to the defending NBA champions, losing 112-103.

It was an emotional loss for fans and the players and Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal wore the team's emotions on his face.

"We wanted that game so bad," Westphal said somberly. "(The Kings) did everything but get the last rebound with four tenths of a second."

In the last seconds of the first overtime the Lakers kept the ball alive around the rim before it was finally tipped in by forward-center Pau Gasol.

Throughout the game, Kings fans were cheering their team on, chanting "Beat L.A.!" and mercilessly booing the Lakers' superstar Kobe Bryant.

Bryant, however, said he misses the feeling of being booed in Sacramento.

"There was no enthusiasm or passion in the crowd," Bryant said about ARCO Arena the past two years. "It felt like old times (tonight). There was a lot of energy in the crowd. It's good to see the city rallying behind this team."

Westphal said he was grateful to see a sold out game and passionate fans filling up the arena to capacity, and wants more of the same.

"It was wonderful to be in that building tonight," he said. "To have the support of this town rocking like that. Guys played their hearts out, it's so disappointing.

"We want to get to the place the Lakers are (how they win close games). We have a lot of the ingredients. We definitely have the heart and we will get there, particularly with support like that."

Bryant left with good impressions of the team and its fans and said he hopes it stays that way.

"It seems like they're getting behind this team...and what the young crew's doing over here," Bryant said about the Kings fans. "(It) felt good to come out here and get booed."

Kings will have another chance to face the Lakers in Los Angeles Saturday, Jan. 1.

A new game and a new year.

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Evans, Kings earn praise from Cavs‏

2009-12-26T22:36:36Z

The Sacramento Kings (13-15) may have lost to an eastern conference power in the Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8) on Wednesday night, but the team's rookie guard Tyreke Evans impressed all-stars LeBron James and Mo Williams.

Evans posted 28 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, a steal and a block in an 117-104 overtime loss to the Cavaliers.

"He's a terrific young player," Williams said, who defended Evans for much of the night. "Six-foot-six-inch point guard who can handle the ball...has a quick first-step. You know he's a match-up problem waiting to happen."

James always steps up to defend the opposing team's best player down the stretch, and Evans was no exception.

"Tyreke's going to be a great player," James said. "They got an unbelievable guy here in Sacramento. They should be really excited about him. He'll take them to a championship, definitely."

Evans wasn't the only player to impress the Cavaliers. Cleveland head coach Mike Brown said that the Kings played well as a whole, mentioning Jason Thompson, Spencer Hawes and Omri Casspi.

"It's a much improved team," Brown said. "Coach (Paul) Westphal has done a nice job with that group of guys. They have some nice young talent with height and athleticism. They play hard."

Williams agreed with his coach's statement.

"We expected them to come out with a lot of energy," Williams said about the Kings.

The Kings will have to exert the same energy against long-time division rival and defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers tonight.

The Lakers, who are tied with the Boston Celtics for the best record in the league (23-5), will play without former King Ron Artest, who injured himself tripping over a box and falling down a flight of stairs at home.

The team is also coming off a 102-87 loss against the Cavaliers on Christmas day.

Photo by Rob Small.

Kings shock Bulls after trailing by 35 points, win 102-98

2009-12-22T07:49:29Z

The Sacramento Kings trailed by a score of 79-46 points to the Chicago Bulls in the third quarter, Monday night.

Kings fans were most likely turning off their TVs and radios expecting the first blowout of the year.

A sold out United Center was celebrating what was supposed to be a surefire Bulls win.

The ending was the exact opposite.

The Kings mounted an incredible 58-19 run in the final 21 minutes as the team completed a seemingly impossible comeback, defeating the Bulls 102-98.

It was the biggest second-half comeback in NBA history and the second biggest comeback overall. The Utah Jazz had a 36-point comeback against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 27, 1996.

Kings star rookie Tyreke Evans had 16 of his team-high 23 points in the final 14 minutes of the game and added another team-high of eight rebounds.

"It was amazing," Evans said after the game. "We never stopped fighting."

2009 NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 24 points, but shots didn't go in for him or his team in the second half.

"Some of our shots that weren’t falling are shots that we usually make," Rose said. "Sometimes it’s tough playing with a big lead."

Jon Brockman was a crucial part of the Kings' comeback. He had five rebounds in the last four minutes and 19 seconds of the game. Three of the rebounds were on the offensive side.

"The guy who turned the game around for us was Jon Brockman," Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said. "He did everything out there and gave our offensive players a chance to score."

The rookie Brockman missed the first two games of the Kings road trip after injuring his back against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ime Udoka scored 15 of his season-high 17 points in the fourth quarter. He made three 3-pointers in the game, doubling his season total.

Kings forward Andres Nocioni scored three points in his return to Chicago for the first time since being traded with Drew Gooden and Micael Ruffin to the Bulls for former Kings players Brad Miller and John Salmons.

The Kings will return home to ARCO Arena to play the Cleveland Caviliers on Wednesday.

Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images.

Kings rookie Evans among the best in the NBA

2009-12-16T01:51:39Z

He’s one of the quietest players on the team, yet he’s a vocal leader on the basketball court. He’s only played 21 games in the NBA, yet he’s being treated like a star around the league. He’s only played point guard for less than a year, yet he’s performed well against the elite of that position. That player is Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans.

Evans has become one of the best players in the NBA in a short amount of time and even the league’s superstars are taking notice of the rookie from the University of Memphis.

“It feels cool knowing that I’m a threat,” Evans says about his presence in the NBA. “A lot of people doubted me, saying that I was not going to be a good player in the NBA. It just shows my hard work, that it paid off and I’m really happy for it.”

Evans is averaging spectacular stats of 20 points, five rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Only Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade has averaged those numbers this season.

Wade played against Evans in a 115-102 win over the Kings and the rookie impressed him.

"He's a good young player," Wade said after the game. "He has the most complete game, as a rookie in the league. He can do it all. He's a great player. They have a good pick in him."

Evans is leading a team that was predicted to be among the league’s worst for a second year.

The Kings finished with a league and franchise worst 17-65 record last season. The team has shown that it’s a much tougher team than last season.

This season the Kings are 10-12 and have won over half as many games in 22 games as it did the entire 2008-09 season.

“Starting with us (rookies), we all like to play real physical,” rookie forward Jon Brockman says about himself Evans and Omri Casspi. “(Evans has) been sensational. He’s been leading the team and going out there every night with his hard hat.”

He needs a hard hat too. Evans has missed only one game with a sprained middle finger but he also sprained his ankle and took a hard fall on his chest and hit his head separate games.

His tough play was the reason why the Kings picked him. He’s a player who is able to finish at the rim with his strength. In a surprising road win against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 7, Evans posted 32 points and seven assists against Deron Williams, know as one of the strongest point guards in the NBA.

Former Kings guard Ronnie Price in fouled Evans mid-air, but Evans finished with a highlight dunk over him.

Several months before, the Kings were looking for a player like him. The team used the fourth pick on Evans in the 2009 NBA Draft, passing up Ricky Rubio, the Spanish point guard who was perceived as the No.2 player in the draft behind the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin.

Rubio was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the next pick but stayed in Spain.

Five months later, Evans became the NBA Western Conference T-Mobile Rookie of the Month and it fuels his motivation.

“It feels pretty good just to go out there and know all the hard work I’ve done, it paid off,” Evans says.

Many NBA experts criticized his jump shot coming out of college and throughout NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but Evans learning curve has been phenomenal.

He’s has worked with the assistant coaches and improved the form of his shot and it is no longer a problem.

Whether he pulls up for a jump shot, uses his strength to post up point guards or his speed to drive to the basket, Evans has evolved quickly into a star.

“He’s a very versatile player,” Westphal says. “There’s not much he can’t do and the things that he can’t do he’s going to learn and be able to do real soon.”

For years there hasn’t been a player that has grabbed the national spotlight for the Kings. Evans has finally grabbed that spotlight and it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Mayor Johnson: Operation Sellout on track‏

2009-10-31T15:19:30Z

The Sacramento Kings campaign, Operation Sellout, sold out the first home game, Nov. 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

That means the Kings, last in NBA attendance, sold 17,317 tickets for a team that sold out only three games last season.

ESPN reported that the Kings averaged 12,571 fans per game, leaving 4,746 seats empty.

Mayor Kevin Johnson, an outspoken advocate for keeping the Kings in Sacramento, is involved with the campaign.

“I went to Gavin and Joe Maloof and asked them how I can be helpful,” Johnson said. “They said the best thing that would help them right now would be to help them sell out the first two home games, get the fans energized, and rekindle some of the energy and enthusiasm that they used to have.”

The campaign is meant to bring back the once raucous crowds to ARCO Arena despite a team that's coming off its worst season and the franchise record low: 17 wins, 65 losses.

Many players say that fan support is key to their success. Kevin Martin is one of three holdovers from the sellout era that ended in 2007. He had fond memories of ARCO Arena then.

“You know, it’s easy to play with 17,000 fans in ARCO,” Martin said. “The fans around here are still great."

This season, there are six new Kings and a new coaching staff, led by head coach Paul Westphal. Three of the new players, Tyreke Evans, Desmond Mason and Sean May, were in the starting lineup for the first two games of the season.

Geoff Petrie, president of basketball operations, said this is a different team.

“We have a totally different group in a lot of respects,” Petrie said. “We have some younger players from last year that’ll probably get a chance to play. (We have) a new coaching staff, guys like Paul Westphal. So the whole dynamic is different.”

There's one game remaining for Operation Sellout. The goal is no empty seats for the Nov. 4 game against the Atlanta Hawks, featuring former King Mike Bibby.

The Kings will deliver, promised rookie guard Evans.

“They can expect a lot of hustle,” he said. “A lot of heart, a lot of passion, (the will) to win. When I go out there I’m going to leave it on the floor.”