Kings-Rockets Recap, Pre-Season Recap

This isn't a normal recap I usually do since I'm focusing on the whole pre-season as well. Just a heads-up.

THE GAME

Pre-season or not, any time you score 25 points and grab 16 rebounds over Yao Ming, that's impressive. Twenty-year-old Kings center Spencer Hawes did that. Prediction: I got him making the Sophomore team on all-star weekend.

The Kings showed their potential of how they can play early on in the second quarter and early on in the third quarter. How good were they playing? 6'1, 35-year-old Bobby Jackson was shutting down 6'8, 29-year-old Tracy McGrady. Most of the team was doing good without injured players Beno Udrih and Francisco Garcia.

They forced T-Mac to make 14 points on 14 shots. Hawes grabbed 6 offensive rebounds. Rookie power forward Jason Thompson finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes. Bobby Brown, although he had a horrible shooting night, finished with 6:1 assist-turnover ratio for the night. Unfortunately, after outscoring the Rockets 35-21 in the second quarter, they couldn't finish the job, again. Despited being tied at 80 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, the Kings were outscored 57-37 in the second half. Capping off a (1-7) pre-season.

PRE-SEASON RECAP

The only pre-season win that they had was a 94-85 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, where Brown put on his best Mike Bibby imitation by scoring 12 points in the 4th quarter. Hawes came off the bench for 21 points and 7 rebounds and showcased a barrage of post moves and shooting with range. Before that, they were embarassed by the Blazers. The night ended on a better note when Donté Greene scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the 4th quarter.

Thompson scored a game high 15 points and got 7 rebounds in a 94-89 loss to the Lakers. Kevin Martin dropped 29 points in 21 minutes on 9-11 (near 82%) shooting before the bench gave up a 116-112 loss to the Clippers. There was nothing good about giving up 29 points to Gerald Green losing 124-109 to the Mavs. John Salmons finally woke up and dropped 27 points. with K-Mart's 34 in a 112-98 loss to the Blazers. K-Mart did drop a huge dunk on Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge. Then, last night. Ron Artest made his first trip back to ARCO Arena since being traded, and won. That, however, was overshadowed by Hawes' monster game over Yao Ming.

The thing every Kings fan is relieved about, it's only pre-season and the games don't count. Still, the same things continue to haunt the Kings. Rebounding, defense and assist-turnover ratio. They'll also start the season with injuries and a 5-game suspesion for Brad Miller. Udrih's hip is hurt, but he should be ready for the season opener at Minnesota on Wednesday. Garcia should be out for 1-3 more weeks, but he says he'll try to play in the opener. After a great summer league, Quincy Douby, who will most likely not have his option picked up, missed all of the pre-season. Shelden Williams won't have his option picked up also.

Martin was the most impressive King. For the first six games he played in limited minutes he averaged over 20 PPG on 60.9% shooting, making him the best offensive player in the pre-season. He was also more agressive, more vocal, he had intensity that no one has ever seen before. He's playing angry. Mikki Moore really has to watch his back this season. Hawes can grab the starting PF spot easy being the leading rebounder. Not to mention, Thompson not only scored the same amount of points, but also outrebounded Moore and had less turnovers.

Projected Regular Season Rotation
Bold = Significant Minutes
Center: Brad Miller, Spencer Hawes
Power Forward: Mikki Moore, Jason Thompson, Shelden Williams, Kenny Thomas
Small Forward: John Salmons, Francisco Garcia, Donté Greene
Shooting Guard: Kevin Martin, Quincy Douby
Point Guard: Beno Udrih, Bobby Jackson, Bobby Brown

Whatever the Kings saw wrong in the pre-season they better improve in that area right now, because starting the next game, they count. No one's counting out the Heat (1-5) or the Cavs (2-5), so there's still hope for Kings fans yet.

Travelin' Man Bobby Jones

Bobby Jones is the most traveled NBA player in the least amount of time. He was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves but played for the Philadelphia 76ers his rookie year. He was traded and cut by the Denver Nuggets last year and signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs on 10-day contracts. He re-signed with the Nuggets, traded to and cut by the New York Knicks in the summer, claimed and cut by Miami and picked up by the Sacramento Kings in training camp.

In three years, that's nine teams, 30% of the NBA. He's been moved 11 times and gone through the Nuggets and Heat twice. That doesn't include his D-League stint with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Do you know how many uniforms he has?

He's only got a taste of what it means to be with one team when he played 41 games with the Sixers. Eight moves later he's wearing #25 for the Kings. The experience he's had constantly joining and leaving teams, that's all the motivation he needs to grab the Kings' last roster spot, not be cut with Noel Felix or join China's Zhang Kai, who's already been cut.

Jones shined the most during his 6-game stay with the Heat where he averaged 8 PPG on 53.1% shooting and 4 RPG. Even though the Heat could use any player they could grab during during their horrible 15-67 season, they don't sign him. In over 23 minutes of play per game, it was shown that even off the bench, if he was given minutes he can produce as a role player.

If he does make the team, he won't be getting much playing time. He stands behind starting small forward John Salmons, 6th man Francisco Garcia and rookie Donté Greene, who also looks at limited minutes. Greene, however, was impressive with 12 of his 18 points in the last 4:31 of the game against the Blazers. Even so, every position would be filled if he makes the roster (as shown below paragraph). The Kings could use help at the small forward position, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to add another swingman to the roster. If anyone got hurt there, he could at least fill in for a few minutes.

PG: Beno Udrih, Bobby Jackson, Bobby Brown
SG: Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia, Quincy Douby
SF: John Salmons, Donté Greene, Bobby Jones
PF: Mikki Moore, Jason Thompson, Shelden Williams, Kenny Thomas
C: Brad Miller, Spencer Hawes

How I met Jones, I walked into the Kings' Fandemonium at ARCO Arena and saw him right in front of the doorway inside, asked a security guard who he was, because I didn't know if it was him or Felix. It was Jones, and I told him that I heard a lot about him and that I hoped that he made the team. Of course, he said that he did too. "You have the opportunity to play and show this team that you belong here," Jones said in the Sacramento Bee. "So, am I nervous? Yeah, but it's basketball at the end of the day, and I've been doing it awhile."

Coach Reggie Theus mentioned that the team might be trimmed to 15 within the week and Zhang was already cut after the loss to the Blazers, so Jones has to step up his game and score against the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 0 points, 3 rebounds and 2 TOs in 9:30. Hopefully, he'll get himself going and finally land on an NBA team that he can call home.

Rockets Match Bobcats' Offer to Landry

The Houston Rockets did the smart thing by keeping Carl Landry by matching the Charlotte Bobcats' offer sheet. The earlier post on the Bobcats going after Landry explains why. According to the team website rockets.com, they'll be keeping him long term. "Because we didn’t have mid-level we weren’t able to get that done," Rockets GM Daryl Morey said. "So now we’re excited to get that done and we’re going to have a great set of players in for training camp."

Money was an issue for when they thought about it, since they were already over the luxary tax. "We had a lot of time obviously to think about what range of money we would match and this fell into that," Morey explained. One problem, however, is his right knee, but Morey said that he believes in taking risks to get the best players possible. That would explain trading for Ron Artest too.

Fortunately, the Rockets kept a piece of their future and a player who should develop into a very good big man in the NBA for many years to come. As for the Bobcats, they might need to re-think their strategy on getting a big man. Last season they tried to get the Cleveland Cavaliers' Anderson Varejao by signing him to an offer sheet, only for the Cavs to match it. The same result this year with Landry.

As for the Rockets, Morey expects the upcoming season to be special. With almost a month away from the start, we'll find out soon enough.

Bobcats Extend Offer to Carl Landry

The Charlotte Bobcats are trying to pull an Anderson Varejao again by extending an offer sheet to the Houston Rockets' F-C Carl Landry. The Bobcats are less than $4 million under the salary cap and are in financial position to offer him a contract. The Rockets, who are over $1 million over the luxary tax, have already offered a contract, which GM Daryl Morey calls a "fair offer." The Rockets have every right to match the Bobcats' offer, but it might be a matter of how much luxary tax they want to pay, depending on how much the offer is, which is unkonwn right now.

Landry, the first pick in the 2nd round of the 2007 NBA Draft, averaged 8.1 PPG on 61.6% shooting and 4.9 RPG in 41 games off the bench in his rookie season. He averaged 5.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 1.2 SPG in the first round of the playoffs against the Utah Jazz. Landry's best game was against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 11th where he posted 15 points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes after not playing since December 10th. He was also a big contributor to their 22 game winning streak.

It makes perfect sense that the Bobcats would go after Landry. Last year, they went small with Emeka Okafor at center, Gerald Wallace at power forward. Jason Richardson at small forward, Raymond Felton at shooting guard and Jeff McInnis at point guard. After Jeff McInnis was waived and Gerald Wallace suffered a serious concussion, one which I personally saw live and it wasn't pretty, to Wallace's request he moved back to small forward and Nazr Mohammed was named the starting center.

Bobcats' GM Rod Higgins believes that Landry can play both big man positions at 6'9 at 250 pounds, so the Bobcats can keep Okafor at center or put Landry there. If Landry can perform well off the bench in limited minutes, a starting role could jumpstart his potential. He's never played more than 31 minutes in a game, and that came in Game 4 in the playoffs, where he scored 13 points, 2 steals and 6 rebounds, all offensive rebounds.

The Rockets need to keep Landry because they need to think about the future of the franchise, not just the present. They have enough firepower to finally get out of the 1st round after they traded for Ron Artest, and that's if Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady are both healthy come playoffs. After this year, Artest will be a free agent, T-Mac will be another year older and a year away from being a free agent. Yao Ming also have an early termination option in 2010.

Luis Scola, their starting power forward, is already 28 years old and is a sophomore and Shane Battier is 30. Chuck Hayes, an undersized PF at 6'6, hasn't played well on the team. They also traded next year's 1st round pick to the Kings. Put simple, the Rockets are built for the here and now, not so much towards the future. Landry is their future and they can't afford to let him go, luxary tax or not. They need him for this year and beyond.

Yao Benched in 91-77 Loss to Greece

Yao Ming, benched. There's something you don't hear about every day, especially when it's the Chinese National Team. Yao lost his cool, only playing 16 out of a possible 40 minutes. In the time he played, he had 16 points and 5 rebounds. Yao was angry and didn't talk to the media, but Titan Sports Weekly's Yang Yi managed a quick conversation. "I talked with him only a moment and what he said I could not print in the press," Yang said.

The coaching staff, led by Jonas Kazlauskas, decided to sit Yao to rest him up for the quarterfinals against Lituania. A win, however, would have gave China their best finish in men's basketball history of 6th place. If they lose to Lithuania in the quarterfinals, they will tie their best of 8th place, the last finish they had at the Olympics.

In a Channel NewsAsia article, Coach Kazlauskas defended the decison to bench him. "There was no reason to keep him on the court," Kazlauskas said. "Yao fought, he wants to play and wants to help us as much as possible, but he is a player and I am the coach. I make those decisions."

Also according to the article, Chinese sports media was raving about how Yao brought the team back twice after trailing by as much as 24 points. Kazlauskas wanted a fresh team going up against a Lithuanian team he knows well. "We played Lithuania when I was (China's) assistant coach in Athens 2004," he stated. "I know those guys, and this is my job, we have to do as best as possible."

If China loses to Lithuania, he has a right to be upset. When he was in the game against Greece, he was the game-changer. He's one of China's greatest athletes playing in his home country with the chance to finish the highest his country has finished in Olympic Basketball. Until then, Yao has to get over this dispute with his coach, move on, and go play with motivation.

He can't let his emotions with his coach get in the way of his country. If he doesn't settle it and let's it effect his game in the quarterfinal, it's his fault because he still had a chance to earn it. Now Yao faces a critical decison for his team. Let go of his emotions against his coach and play, or stay angry at his coach and not be at his best.

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/369568/1/.html

Breaking Down Both Sides of the Artest Trade

With the Rockets getting Ron Artest, along with Sean Singletary and Patrick Ewing, Houston looks like they're ready to launch a deep playoff run. With the Kings getting Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene, next year's 1st round pick and $1 million cash, they're speeding up the youth movement. Either way, it's a win-win for both teams.

ROCKETS

There is no reason whatsoever that the Rockets cannot get out of the first round this year, unless Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are both hurt at the same time, and yes H-Town you got a steal. Looking at a team of Yao, T-Mac, Artest, Shane Battier, Rafer Alston, Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Dikembe Mutombo if they come back, a developing Luther Head, and sharp shooer Brent Barry, there is no reason that they can't get past the first round of the playoffs. Houston has the potential to be a top 3 team in the West and a potential 60-win team.

There's no reason they can't give the Lakers, Jazz, Spurs, Suns or Hornets a run for their money in the West. On that roster, you have every position filled, including 2 of the best defenders in the NBA, the 2nd best center in the league who is a 20-10 2 BPG player, 3 of the best scorers in the league, two great 3-point shooters.

A starting line-up of Alston, AKA Skip to my Lou, T-Mac, Artest, Scola and Yao is dangerous to play for any team in the league. Add the supporting cast of Battier, another great defender, Landry who's shown his potential, Head, a young combo guard, and reliable veterans in Deke and Barry and you have a deep bench.

The Rockets deserve to be seen as contenders with their All-Star line-up and at the end of the year, I want to see coach Rick Aldelman's team with an NBA Championship.

KINGS

Trading Artest means kissing a 40-win season goodbye. Now rebuilding and the youth movement is really underway. Going into next season they have 4 of the top players from summer league in #12 pick Jason Thompson, recently signed Bobby Brown, #3 scorer in the SL Quincy Douby and #2 scorer Donte Greene. Not only that, the Kings are working to trade veteran Brad Miller back to the Bulls for Andres Nocioni and Cedric Simmons/Joakim Noah. If the Bulls trade did happen and the Kings landed Noah, Nocioni will be seen as a valuable trade piece to other teams. There's no way they keep him for 5 years with 2010 coming up.

Jackson, who's 35 years old, will probably retire after this year, and what other way could he go out than finish with the team that embraced him the most. The fans would love to see the former 6th Man of the Year play here again, he was my 2nd favorite player on the team next to Chris Webber. He has a special place in Sactown and if he plays, it will bring more fans into the stands.

For the future, their line-up would be C- Spencer Hawes, PF- Jason Thompson, SF- John Salmons, SG- Kevin Martin and PG- Beno Udrih and their bench, C- Joakim Noah, PF- Shelden Williams (if he proves himself) SF- Donte Greene SG- Francisco Garcia and PG- Bobby Brown. Looks like a pretty good core of young players. All they need to do is give the rookies playing time throughout the season and these players could develop into some good roles.

For both teams, this is a good move. The Rockets have a solid team for a championship run, while the Kings get some cap space and more young talent. All we have to do is wait for tip-off this fall.

Donte Greene Goes off for 40 on Day 4

Rockets (1-0) v. Suns (0-1)

We got our first 40 point performance, thanks to Donte Greene leading the Rockets past the Suns 100-97, the highest scoring game yet. Greene, who also had 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, shot 12-20 from the field, 5-10 beyond the arc, 11-12 free throws and 36 of his points came from the first 3 quarters. Mike Harris also played big with 21 points on 9-14 shooting and 13 rebounds while Maarty (with 2 A's) Leunen had 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench. Aaron Brooks had 13 points and 4 rebounds.

D.J. Strawberry, son of former baseball player Darryl Strawberry, put up 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, a block and a steal. Alando Tucker also posted 22 points and 6 rebounds, along with 2 assists. In his debut, Robin Lopez, twin brother of Brook had 19 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks while Iowa State's Jiri Hubalek had 10 points and 3 rebounds off the bench.

Knicks (1-0) v. Cavaliers (0-1)

In another thriller, Wilson Chandler led the Knicks to a 97-94 win, putting up 26 points, 8 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Alan Roberson had a great night with 22 points, 2 assists and a block while Mardy Collins had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Danillo Gallinari made his debut with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.

Rookie J.J. Hickson also had a solid debut with 26 points and 9 rebounds for the Cavs, and Clay Tucker had 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks off the bench. Darnell Jackson 10 points and 8 rebounds, Mike Green had 4 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, a block and a steal, and Robert "Tractor" Traylor had 8 points 3 rebounds and a block after spending some time out of the NBA recovering from heart surgery.

Blazers (1-0) v. Wizards (0-1)

Jerryd Bayless scored 28 points (with the help of 18 free throws made) and 4 rebounds in his debut to help the Blazers edge the Wizards 78-73. Finland's Petteri Koponen pitched in 19 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal, while Josh Davis added 10 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks and Bernard Robinson had 7 points, 7 rebounds and a block.

Andray Blatche came in and dropped 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and a block for the Wizards and Nick Young chipped in 17 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Wake Forest's Frank Elegar had 10 points and 4 rebounds while both Dominique McGuire and Vladimir Veremeenko each had 6 points 5 boards and a block. JaVale McGee had 11 points and 3 blocks.

Nuggets (2-0) v. Raptors (0-2)

Taurean Green led his team with 17 points on 3-3 shooting and hitting 9 free throws, along with 3 rebounds and 4 assists, leading his team to a 90-79 win over the Raps. Elton Brown had a double double with 11 points and 10 rebounds while Dhantay Jones posted 16 points and 3 rebounds. Bobby Jones, Mike Hall and Curtis Sumpter, all had 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Joey Graham had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists for the Raptors and John Lucas had 11 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Coleman Collins 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. C.J. Giles put up 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks and a steal.

Mavericks (1-2) v. (0-1) Timberwolves

Reyshawn Terry starred off the bench with 15 points, 4 rebounds and a block in the Mavs first summer league win 88-74. Jajuan Smith had 19 points and a steal while Shan Foster had 17 points and 3 rebounds. Pape Sow had 6 points, 6 rebounds and a block and James Singleton had 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. Gerald Green did not play.

Kevin Love debuted in the T'Wolves first games, with 18 points, 13 rebounds and a steal. Sophomore Corey Brewer had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal while Blake Ahearn had 17 points off the bench. Chris Richard had 4 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal and Pooh Jeter had 9 points and 5 assists.

Spurs (1-0) v. Grizzlies (2-1)

Ian Mahinmi helped the Spurs fend off a late Grizzlies rally to win 78-76 in their summer league debut. Mahinmi led the team with 18 points and 8 rebounds and George Hill put in 17 points and 8 rebounds. Anthony Tolliver had 13 points and 4 rebounds and Devin Green had 12 points, 4 rebounds and a steal.

Darrell Arthur had a bounce back game and led the Grizzlies with 23 points, 6 rebounds and a block while O.J. Mayo had 18 points on 5-17 shooting, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. He also hit a 67 foot shot. P.J. Tucker 12 points, 9 rebounds off the bench, 2 steals and a block while Ebi Ere had 11 points and a block off the bench. Javaris Crittenton had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Day 4 had the best performance yet from Donte Greene. Hopefully, the best is yet to come.

Artest, Martin Fuel Kings Past Rockets 99-98

It was an exciting game from start to finish, with the Kings coming out on top. The loss to the Houston Rockets meant that they would stay in 6th place instead of tying the Los Angeles Lakers for 3rd place in the ultra compemtive Western Conference. The win didn't come easy though, because for the second straight game the Kings had to play with another starter getting ejected in the third quarter.







1ST QUARTER

The game started off white hot when the Kings made 5 straight shots with the rockets making 4 of 6. Tracy McGrady was letting Ron artest know that he was not letting him shut him down this time. The first meeting between the two, T-Mac dropped 40 points in a losing effort at Sactown. The second and third time, T-Mac was held to an average of 13 PPG. Despite great defense from John Salmons and Artest, both games were wins for the Rockets in Houston. This night T-Mac would take every jump shot he could instead of putting the ball on the floor.

Dikembe Mutombo was called for a technical when he did his famous finger wag. A call that really shouldn't have been called. On the other side, the Kings were dealing with rookie center Spencer Hawes nursing an ankle he thinks is ready to get back on the court. This gave 2nd year power forward Shelden Williams the opportunity to get more minutes. Kevin Martin was having a great start with 9 points to start in front of Brad Miller and Artest's 6 points each. At the end of the quarter, T-Mac's 13 points would give Houston the lead 28-29.

2ND QUARTER

Former King Bobby Jackson made his way into a low scoring quarter, and it seemed that nothing could go right for the Rockets who only made 17 points, making 8/20 FGs to go with 5 TOs. Meanwhile, the Kings shot only 9/20 for 21 points, staying on top of the Rockets with their defense. Things would only go south for the Kings in the next quarter as they led 49-46.

3RD QUARTER

T-Mac went off for the first 8 points for Houston and finished with 10 of the first 12 points and 14 points in the quarter. If that wasn't bad enough for the Kings, starting center Brad Miller complained about getting fouled with no call, which eventually led into getting ejected. He later apologized for getting ejected on the Kings' postgame radio show. That left the Kings shorthanded with no real back-up center except for the seldom used Lorenzen Wright, acquired from the Hawks in the Bibby trade.

The Kings lost all of their momentum as the Rockets went on a 7-0 run which finished as a 10-2 run. Mikki Moore's dunk changed the pace and sparked a 8-3 run for the Kings. Artest capped off the quarter to hit a fade away jumper with 0.01 left on the clock to give the Kings the lead 77-76.

4TH QUARTER

For the first 5:35 of the quarter, no field goals were made between either team. The only points that were scored during that time was 2 free throws each by McGrady, Luis Scola, Martin and Williams. Rafer Alston broke the silence with only the second 3 pointer of the game for the Rockets. Martin made the first FG of the quarter for the Kings followed by a huge Artest 3 pointer to tie the game at 89. T-Mac and Scola made both of their free throws again but what would happen next gave the Kings the fight to keep on playing.

Artest would get his 5th steal, causing McGrady to have his 5th TO. Martin got the ball and passed it to a wide open Francisco Garcia up court for a poster on Shane Battier. Pause it at 41 seconds and you got the poster. http://youtube.com/watch?v=XihKmPw8WF0

The game wasn't over yet. Battier banked a desperation 3 pointer from the top of the key to avoid a shot clock violation to put the Rockets up by 2 points. Artest answered back with another clutch 3. Martin drained 2 free throws and the Kings won a jump ball between Moore and Alston. The Kings were on their way to a victory when Artest tried to give a bad lob to Moore on the inside. Scola stole the ball and gave it to T-Mac. Garcia and Williams jumped in front of him at the same time. His shot was 1 inch short of winning the game, but it missed and the Kings won 99-98.

HIGHLIGHTS

Team High=*

Game High=**

Season High=+

KINGS

Artest: 30 pts*, 4 reb (2 off.), 5 stl**, 3 ast*, 4 TO*

Martin: 27 pts, 3 ast*

Miller: 10 pts, 7 reb*, 3 ast*, blk*, (ejected mid 3rd qtr)

Moore: 11 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, blk*

Williams: 8 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl (bench)

Garcia: 8 pts, 4 reb, stl, ast (bench)

Salmons: 2 pts, 4 reb, blk* (bench)

Anthony Johnson: 3 pts, 3 ast*, stl

Quincy Douby: Block* on Alston, forced TO on shot clock violation) (bench)

ROCKETS

McGrady: 32 pts**, 7 reb, 4 ast, stl, 5 TO**

Scola: 20 pts (10-10 FT**), 8 reb, 2 ast, stl

Battier: 9 pts, 9 reb** (6 off.**) 4 blk**, 4 stl*, 2 ast

Alston: 16 pts, 8 ast**, 4 reb

Mutombo: 11 pts+, 7 reb (3 off.), 2 blk

Jackson: 6 pts, 2 reb, ast (bench)

Chuck Hayes: 2 pts, 5 reb (4 off.), 2 blk, 2 stl (bench)

Carl Landry: 0 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl, 2 ast, blk (bench)

The one thing the Kings are going to look back at is rebounds, offensive rebounds. The Rockets had 21 offensive rebounds, the exact number the Kings got outrebounded by, 28-49. Offensive rebounds lead to second chance points and lucky for the Kings, they got away with a win. They found a role to play after denying the Rockets their 50th win and tied for 3rd place and a chance for homecourt advantage in the Western Conference. Their role is the spoiler.

Kings Head Coach Reggie Theus said, "I’m very satisfied because it’s nice that we can play a role in the Western Conference. The guys understand that we have a role to play, and if our role is to mess it up, then that’s what we do. It gives us something to play for and it’s a big win for us down the stretch here.”

He also said that this was the Kings playoffs. It might as well because 6 of their laszt 8 games of the season are against playoff teams including Nuggets, Warriors, Hornets, Spurs and the Lakers twice. As for the Rockets, since their epic 22-win streak was snapped, they've gone 3-5. So win #50 will have to wait.

Look Ahead for the Western Conference

Ever since the Pau Gasol trade, the West has been loading up with talent. Shaq goes to PHX, Damon Stoudemire to the Spurs, and before all the trades, Kyle Korver to Utah. It's going to be a fight to the finish for any position in the West. There are 10 teams that are contenders for a playoff spot, but 2 teams are going to be pushed out.

1. New Orleans Hornets have been an incredible team this especially when you consider that they're in the Southwest division. What makes it even more incredible is that it's in a conference loaded with a bunch talent. Chris Paul has been incredible, maximizing the frontline in Tyson Chandler, David West and Peja Stojakovic. Need to go inside? TC or D-West. Can't get a lay-up driving inside? Kick it out to Peja for three. No wonder he averages 10.9 APG. Paul's also had an MVP caliber season to go along with the Hornets' amazing season so far. If they keep up the pace that they're on, they're definitely title contenders for this year.


2. Phoenix Suns (37-16) Even though they still have one of the best records in the NBA, a lot of people think that the Suns are worse than before. Maybe that's why they made the move to get Shaq in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. The trade gave them the much needed size that they needed since they lost Kurt Thomas, but it's still in question if Shaq can hang with the run-n-gun style of the Suns. Word is that they're not done trading yet. The Suns have missed opportunities to get to the Finals for the past 3 years and time is running out for them. Still, 2 time MVP Steve Nash still has the drive to lead the new look Suns to a championship.


3. Los Angeles Lakers (35-17) Six months ago, many people thought Kobe Bryant was on his way out of L.A. With the rise of Andrew Bynum they've been labled as contenders. Then they go get Pau Gasol and get rid of Kwame Brown. Now they're labled as the best in the west. Bynum's got a few weeks to go until he gets back on the court since injuring his knee, and Kobe just injured his pinky finger and said no to surgery. If Kobe can't perform the way he usualy does while he's injured, as tough as the West is, a bad run can drop the Lakers to a 7 or 8 seed, or even drop out of the race. If Kobe doesn't perform as well, Gasol and Lamar Odom will have to step up their game to stay in the race for at least homecourt advantage. But we've all seen Kobe.


4. Utah Jazz (34-19) The Jazz are back on track to repeating where they finished last year. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer have proven to be one of the toughest duos to match up against in the league, averaging 40.8 PPG. Williams has become an excellent playmaker with 9.7 APG while Boozer has been a 20-10 machine. AK-47's been a stat stuffer, Ronnie Brewer's stepped up his game and with the addition of Kyle Korver, the Jazz get a much needed shooter that could help them still be contenders.
   
5. San Antonio Spurs (34-17) The NBA Champions are still in the mix. Tim Duncan has led the Spurs to 4 championships in 9 years but it looked like they were taking a tumble after losing point guard Tony Parker. Many thought that age would finally catch up to the oldest team in the NBA. When Jacque Vaughn didn't look like enough, they turned to newly signed Damon Stoudmire, where they gained control during their annual rodeo trip. Now they look to do what the Spurs haven't done before, win back-to-back championships.
   
6. Dallas Mavericks (35-18) The Mavs have had what has been the best 2 year run in the franchise's history, but at the same time the most disappointing run. They went up 2-0 to the 2005 Finals only to lose 4 straight. They clinched the first seed in the West last year and Dirk Nowitzki got the MVP, only to get booted out the first round by the Golden State Warriors. Now they look to even up with the top teams by trying to acquire Jason Kidd, only to be blocked by Deavean George. They're still working on the trade but if the Mavs don't get the trade through, it could cause problems with the team's chemistry and emotionally hurt them in the second half of the season. It can hurt the players involved with that trade the most.


7. Golden State Warriors (32-20) The Warriors barely made it in last year. This year, they've been in the playoff picture since they hit the .500 mark after starting 1-6. The Yard's own Baron Davis has helped lead this team to where they are dishing out 8.1 APG, Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson are lighting it up from 3 point land, Monta Ellis' stepping up his game. One bad run for this team can cost them the playoffs, but since getting back Captain Jack, that doesn't seem likely. Hopefully Chris Webber will help give the Warriors the size they were looking for.
   
8. Denver Nuggets (32-30) They're right in the mix for leading the Northwest division, fighting with Utah and Portland. As competitive as the West is, they could get knocked out. With a strong line-up Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin, they're too strong not to make the playoffs. Melo has made it public that he would like to add to the team by trading for the Kings' forward Ron Artest, which will be a major boost in defensive. Seemingly the organization is willing to part with Eduardo Najera, not the up and coming Linas Kleiza. The Kings aren't interested in acquiring just Eduardo Najera with a draft pick or recent cancer survivor Nene. Either the Artest for Kleiza-Najera, Artest for Kleiza-draft pick or Artest for Nene goes through, or they'll go with what they have, which is still pretty good.
   
9. Houston Rockets (32-20) The Rockets were struggling in the first half of the season with Tracy McGrady injuring himself early, Yao Ming had to help carry the Rockets. During a good run that they had earlier, some were starting to think that the Rockets were better without T-Mac. This was during the time that he wanted to be traded from the team. Luther Head stepped in and had some good games to fill in for T-Mac. But now that McGrady is back, they've won 10 of 11 games to be tied for 7th place and they look better than ever. With Head injured, the team is still doing great and is looking to get even better keeping everyone healthy.
   
10. Portland Trailblazers (28-24) The Blazers were the feel good story of the NBA. Once the hottest team in the league, they won 13 straight games after losing 9 out of 10. Brandon Roy emerged as their leader, LaMarcus Aldridge became a threat, the whole team just performed well with their unbelievable chemistry on and off the court. Since their miracle run, the youngest team in the league cooled back down, losing 4 straght games, going to 4 games over .500 and 4 games out of the playoffs. They're not counted out of the playoffs and definitely not counted out as title contenders in the future, espcially with Greg Oden coming in.
    
11. Sacramento Kings (23-28) Looks like it's time to call it a season, because Mike Bibby just got traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright and Shelden Williams (all but Williams have expiring contracts). It seemed like a bad season from the start for them. Bibby was hurt for over 35 games, Ron Artest was suspended the first 7 games and injured later, and leading scorer Kevin Martin (23.9 PPG) was injured, it all seemed hopeless. Throw in John Salmons and Beno Udrih's breakout year, 3 Francisco Garcia game winning 3 pointers, and throw in beating divisional leaders 7 times, and they have hope for next year. Looking to finish over .500 for the year under new coach Reggie Theus and having over $1 million in cap space for a big free agent, they look to start fresh. And Artest wanting a trade, he's backed off of it.
    
12. Los Angeles Clippers (17-33) After surprisingly starting out a red hot 4-0, they went on to win only 13 more games. Everyone knew that it was going to be a horrible season without Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston. That gave Chris Kaman the opportunity to become a great center in the NBA. With Brand and Livingston due back, the Clippers look to get back on track for next year, hopefully getting back on track to becoming playoff contenders, shaping back into the form they were 2 years ago. Hopefully, both players will play the same way did before their injuries.
    
13. Memphis Grizzlies (14-38) There's not much to say about the Grizzlies now. After letting Pau Gasol and a 2010 2nd round draft pick go to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, brother Marc Gasol and 1st round picks in 2008 and 2010, Memphis is looking to rebuild for the future. Mike Miller may be on his way out too and they bought out Damon Stoudemire. Rudy Gay and Mike Conley are the 2 essential pieces for their future. Gay could be a potential superstar with the way he's performing. He's one of the league's best dunkers and has a great jump shot. To think he's still developing. Who know's, Darko Milicic might be a defensive key with the way he's blocking shots.
    
14. Seattle Supersonics (13-38) The Sonics are right around where they're expected to be. Kevin Durant has been one of the leading canidates for Rookie of the Year. The line-up has shaken up a little bit. Luke Ridnour lost his starting point guard job to Earl Watson, Damien Wilkins earned the small forward spot then lost it to rookie Jeff Green and Robert Swift was marred by injuries again after expecting to start this season (I know, he told me). Add this bad season with a franchise record 14-game losing streak with the controversy of moving out of Seattle, it's a year to forget, except for the fact they got the number one rookie in the draft. It's a rebuilding year, and they look to develop all the young players that they have, and players like Swift and Delonte West might not come back next year.


15. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-41) It was a dead on predicition that Minnesota would be one of the top lottery teams this year. Seven players have expiring contracts, including point guard Sesbastian Telfair, one of their best players. Obviously after trading Kevin Garnett away, this team was in rebuilding mode. Signing star power forward Al Jefferson to an extension gave the team a centerpiece to work with for the next few years. Rashad McCants has put up good numbers. They brought in some experience too by trading for Antoine Walker, while getting rid of Mark Blount and his big contract. In 10 wins so far they've beaten the Suns twice. Before going on their current 5 game losing streak, the team showed signs of development by getting two 2-game winning streaks, winning 5 out of 7 games. They've got a lot of work ahead of them, but under Jefferson, this team has a future to look ahead too.

It's going to be a wild finish for the Western Conference. Many teams have performed well throughout the season but only 8 can make it to the playoffs. There might even be an upset.