Kings Center DeMarcus Cousins Is No Head Case

Article first published as Kings Center DeMarcus Cousins Is No Head Case on Blogcritics.

Over the summer, DeMarcus Cousins’ maturity and work ethic were constantly under fire by the media, being labeled a head case even before he was drafted.

Yes, it’s true that the 6'11'' 270-pound center did have some problems while attending high school in Alabama and showed some immaturity while at Kentucky, but he can‘t be held responsible in the NBA for something that‘s happened in the past.

It’s funny that a 20-year-old rookie who hasn’t played one game gets treated like he's the next Ron Artest or Derrick Coleman. He hasn’t played a preseason game, was stellar in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 14.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, and earned Rookie of the Month honors.

Five NBA Players to Watch: Pacific Division Edition

This is the first of a six-part series that I'm working on finding five players from five different teams to watch in each division.

Rather than start with the Eastern Conference I'm working backwards, starting from the Pacific Division, home of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.

Crowned Hoops: My new Sacramento Kings blog

I just started a new Sacramento Kings blog called Crowned Hoops. Not only will it be hosted on Blogger but it will also be a feature on Blogcritics.

You can check out the the introductory post and the training camp story that are live on the site. I'll still be writing here. It's a way to cover the NBA and the Kings separately, though it doesn't mean a Kings story won't show up on this site.

So be sure to watch Crowned Hoops as well as this blog. Thanks.

Can the Bobcats go back to the Playoffs?

For the first time since the team was created in 2004, the Charlotte Bobcats made the playoffs for the first time last season, finishing with a franchise-best 44-38 record and clinching the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. They were swept by the Orlando Magic, however, in the first round, 4-0.

The Bobcats' core consisted of Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, Raymond Felton, Tyrus Thomas, Boris Diaw, D.J. Augustin, Larry Hughes, Nazr Mohammed, Tyson Chandler and Theo Ratliff.

Felton, Chandler, Hughes and Ratliff are gone but the team has brought in seven new players to their roster. Erick Dampier, who is one of those new players, could be on the trading block with his completely non-guaranteed contract worth $13 million.

Along with Dampier, the Bobcats also brought back guard Matt Carroll in a trade, signed Kwame Brown, Dominic McGuire, Eduardo Najera and Shaun Livingston, and drafted Sherron Collins. The Eastern Conference won't be as easy as last season.

Why Jamal Crawford for Ben Gordon Works

Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford will request a trade from the Hawks if he’s not signed to an extension, according to an ESPN report by Chris Broussard.

Crawford, who won last year's Sixth Man of the Year award, was traded to the Hawks by the Golden State Warriors and has also played with the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

Even though they added him last summer the Hawks were swept in the second round for a second time in a row.

If the Hawks aren’t willing to sign the 30-year-old scorer to an extension, maybe they’ll be interested in trading for Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon, who has three years left on his contract.

I'm Back! New Name, Better Game

It's been a long time since I used this blog for Yardbarker, and a lot of things have changed since then, including Yardbarker and my writing skills.

In the past 15 months I joined Sacramento Press to write for the Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans Rookie of the Year (RekeROY) campaign, where I met and got to know some of the best basketball writers in Sacramento and from around the country.

Evans won the ROY Award.

After the campaign ended I continued to write for Sacramento Press, mainly about the Kings while earning my Associate's Degree in Journalism at Sacramento City College.

Now I'm rebooting my basketball blog as I prepare to leave for Azusa Pacific University in January. Pre-season doesn't start for over a month but there's always a story in the NBA, no matter how quiet and boring it may seem.

Carmelo Anthony reportedly heading out of Denver, Team USA and the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey, Jamal Crawford wanting to be traded if he doesn't get an extension (more on him later), there's always something, which is why you should check back here often.

There's plenty of ways to follow me and my work in basketball and other sports as well. You can follow me on Twitter and like my fan page on Facebook to keep up with all of the latest updates of when and where I post my stories.

You can also subscribe to this site where it says "Subscribe to Rob on Hoops" in the top-right corner of the page to get my stories via e-mail or use Google Friend Connect on the lower-right side of the page.

My resume blog on Wordpress, The Archives, holds all of my journalistic work from high school up until now. You can find my writing on Sacramento Press, Sactown Royalty and Sac Midtown.

I also post videos on YouTube and pictures on Flickr. Many of the pictures you see on The Archives are on my Flickr account.

Feel free to comment and share my stories if you like it. All I hope is that you'll enjoy your time here, starting on my next post explaining why a Jamal Crawford-Ben Gordon swap would benefit both the Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons.

Darius Miles Works Out For Clippers

Look who's trying to come back to the L.A. Clippers? Darius Miles. The Clippers really have nothing to lose with signing him with an open roster spot. Head coach and GM Mike Dunleavy is interested in Miles coming back:

"We have an extra roster spot. He is starting to work out for teams. And so, we're just looking into the situation."

No one has anything to lose, except the Portland Trail Blazers. If Miles plays 10 games, after he serves his 10-game suspension, the Blazers will have his $9 million salary on their cap. Miles signed with the Boston Celtics to play on their pre-season roster. He hadn't played since the beginning of the 2005-06 season. The C's didn't have a spot on their roster and had to cut him. He scored 11 points through 6 games with the team.

The Clippers are a team no one ever thought possible. They have Baron and Ricky Davis, Zach Randolph, Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman and possibly Miles. They have as many potential and former all-stars on the team as they do wins. They're 4-17. They've got nothing to lose in what is already a dismal season. On top of that, the Clippers have been hit with injuries all season. Both Baron and Ricky Davis, Kaman and Camby have been hit. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a full roster. If Miles is good enough to play, they should sign him.

J-Rich Traded for Bell, Diaw, Good Move for Both Teams

Bigger than the 3-way trade that happened earlier today, Jason Richardson has been traded to the Phoenix Suns for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. The Charlotte Bobcats denied trying to trade Gerald Wallace. We just found out that it was J-Rich that's gone. With J-Rich to the Phoenix Suns, we're looking at a line-up of Steve Nash, J-Rich, Grant Hill, Amaré Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal. Who would have ever thought of that line-up 2 years ago?

Richardson, 27, played the best basketball of his career with highs of 21.8 PPG, 0.7 BPG and 40.6% from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, it was with the Cats. This season, his stats have dropped to wher he's scoring 18.7 PPG. The last time a dip in his production happened, he was traded from the Golden State Warriors for Brandan Wright.

Richardson is not at the peak of his performance yet but with another scorer on the Suns, maybe they could make a run. It definitely gives them scoring, athleticism and more production, if they can work together. Maybe they can finish somewhere between 4-7.

Bell, 33, is still probably a better defender than Richardson. What he brings to Charlotte is a veteran presence with post-season experience. Even with Diaw, 26, coming with him, that still won't spark this team into the playoff hunt because they need time to gel. Diaw has been used less and less since coming to the team in 2005 and continued to see his numbers dwindle. There's a few line-ups Larry Brown could use getting these guys.

D.J. Augustin
Raja Bell/Raymond Felton
Gerald Wallace
Emeka Okafor
Sean May

D.J. Augustin
Raja Bell/Raymond Felton
Gerald Wallace
Boris Diaw
Emeka Okafor

It was a cap-clearing move too because Charlotte will see $3 million in 2010 that they wouldn't have seen if they kept Richardson. They're probably trying to land a big free agent with Okafor and Wallace in their prime. Not to mention Augustin getting better. Not a bad idea for a team who'll be way under the cap come 2010.

Good move for both teams.

Trade Between Hornets, Wizards and Grizzlies Helps Every Team

A 3-way trade went down between the New Orleans Hornets, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. The trade looks like it'll benefit every team involved. It gives Chris Paul a back-up, the Wizards a replacement until Gilbert Arenas gets back and the Grizzlies another building block for the future. Here's what it looks like:

Hornets Get: Antonio Daniels
Wizards Get: Mike James, Javaris Crittenton, Waive Dee Brown
Grizzlies Get: First Round Pick back from Wizards

Daniels would be a boost for the Hornets. Devin Brown, who returned to the team after playing for the Cavs, has been backing-up Paul after Jannero Pargo left for Russia. Brown is more of a shooting guard and a lack of depth at the point probably has contributed to their slow start. Mike James was traded to the Hornets from the Rockets and was getting the least playing time this season. Daniels, 33, played well getting near 5 APG last season in place of the injured Gilbert Arenas. The Hornets also get a future 2nd round draft pick from Memphis.

James, 33, has proven that he can be a good player when starting. In the 05-06 season, James averaged 20.3 PPG and 5.8 APG in Toronto but only 10.1 PPG and 3.6 APG the year after in Minnesota. Since then he's been on the decline but now he has a chance to be the starter for the Wizards until Agent Zero comes back. It's also a chance to see how much does he have left in him. Crittenton, 20, will also come in and it'll force Dee Brown off the team.

The Grizzlies will get another potential lottery pick to continue to build their team. Their starters incluede third year player Rudy Gay, sophomore Mike Conley, and rookies Marc Gasol, O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur. A very young team, they'll continue to gain chemistry this season and maybe compete for a playoff spot in a few seasons.

Every team wins in this situation.

Breaking News: J-Rich traded to Suns for Bell, Diaw

Wittman Fired By T'Wolves, McHale Takes Over

After a 4-15 start, Randy Wittman becomes the fourth head coach to lose his job, joining Eddie Jordan (Wizards), P.J. Carlesimo (Thunder) and Sam Mitchell (Raptors). VP Kevin McHale will return as a head coach. Owner Glen Taylor explains from an article on ESPN:

"I am disappointed in our record and believe that we have more talent than our record indicates. It is my expectation that Kevin will be able to get the most out of our team and our players in his new role as head coach."

McHale will not work in the front office to focus on coaching. The team isn't feeling good about the firing of Wittman either. Rookie Kevin Love put it best:

"We have hit rock bottom."

Crawford Should Run Point For Warriors

The line-up just got shook up for the Warriors. They just traded Al Harrington to the New York Knicks for Jamal Crawford. In my opinion, this should be the line-up the Dubs should be running when he gets there.

PG-Jamal Crawford

SG-Anthony Morrow

SF-Corey Magette

PF-Stephen Jackson

C-Andris Biedrins

Crawford should run the point for the Warriors like he did most of last season for the Knicks, despite having Nate Robinson. Sure, he's really a shooting guard, but here's the thing. Not only did he score 20.6 PPG last season but he also had 5 APG. This season, he's averaged 19.6 PPG and 4.4 APG alongside Chris Duhon, who has 7.2 APG this season. Plus, Crawford's numbers are a whole lot better than what C.J. Watson, DeMarcus Nelson and Marcus Williams are putting up.

Having one more guy on the floor to distribute won't hurt. Stephen Jackson leads the team with 6.5 APG. The line-up may be small still, but they'd have height at the point.

When Monta Ellis comes back, assuming that he's at full strentgh, Morrow or Crawford goes to the bench depending on their play. When he comes back, it should be interesting how their minutes are set-up. They'll be stacked at the guard spot. Ellis, Jackson, Crawford, Morrow, Magette, Marco Belinelli and Kelenna Azubuike can all play shooting guard. I'm not surprised if one of them, Belineli most likely, gets traded. He almost got traded for the Nets' Sean Williams.

It's going to be fun to watch how the Warriors mix it up this year as the team keeps on changing.

Players Getting Paid More

It's players like LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett and, of course, Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant that has Luke Walton and every player in the NBA thanking them for getting an extra $25K from their licensing check in the mail. James, Iverson, Garnett and Bryant were the top four in jersey sales worldwide.

"Thanks, Kobe Bryant. Thanks, LeBron James," Luke Walton said, laughing. "You open the mail and have a check you don't even count on, that's beautiful."

President of the NBA Player's Association, and also Lakers teammate, Derek Fisher is thankful to those guys and is also to thank for getting this done, reported by the L.A. Times. Fisher helped

"The good part about it I think -- at least for most guys -- is that it's evenly distributed," Fisher said. "We recognize that our star players, they carry the load, in terms of the face of our game and the jersey sales that go on. So we're appreciative of the fact that they're in it too."

Thanks to Fisher and the top four jersey sellers in the world, everyone playing in the league will get the same amount, whether it'd be a superstar in Dwyane Wade, a bench player in Kyle Korver, a rookie in Anthony Morrow or Antoine Walker, who hasn't even played a minute. Way to spread the wealth.

Stackhouse Wants Out of Dallas

Less than a year ago, Jerry Stackhouse tried to find a way to come back to the Dallas Mavericks after almost being traded to the New Jersey Nets for Jason Kidd. Now he's trying to get out and he's unhappy with new coach Rick Carlisle. Out of the Star-Telegram, Carlisle's offense doesn't mesh well with Stackhouse's style. His agent, Jeff Schwartz, is seeking a buyout or trade. Schwartz is also the agent of teammates Josh Howard and Jason Kidd.

Stackhouse, 34, is averaging career lows of 5.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG 1.3 APG in 17.6 MPG through eight games with the 3-7 Mavs and didn't play in the OT win against the New York Knicks. He was disappointed that he didn't play in the game because he played Wilson Chandler, Quentin Richardson and Jamal Crawford over the summer and that they were "scared" to guard him.

Stackhouse on his options of leaving the team:

"I’m exploring options. The team is always going to protect itself. I can’t force their hand to do anything. I don’t really know all the options right now. I think it’s to the point now where it’s time to start researching some things and seeing if there’s other possibilities that make more sense for me right now."

President Donnie Nelson explains the problem and what he plans to do:

"Our first choice would be for what Jerry brings to the team, with his experience and playoff skins, toughness and intensity. Those things are valuable. It’s just that during this period of time, we’ve got to be able to bring some of our younger players along as well. Therein lies the conflict. With our relationship and openly and honestly communicating, we’ll be able to come up with a game plan and hopefully that game plan will be one that includes Jerry in a Maverick uniform. If it’s just not a comfortable situation, if it’s a situation where the minutes are just not there, then we’ll work together with his agent and see if there’s some win-win together for both of us."

There's no bad blood between him and Carlisle, but Stackhouse has made it clear that he's ready to move on:

"The key part is there’s really no conflict with us. It’s understood that it’s his job to coach the team, but it’s my job to protect my future. I’ve got to have some say-so and dictate with the role that I’m kind of in now, that I’m ready to accept that. I don’t think I’m ready to fully accept that at this point."

It's not like he knew that he wanted to get out when Carlisle came, but Stackhouse had at least a couple of opportunities to get out of Dallas before. The first being the Jason Kidd trade, where he said he would come back after getting traded. The NBA then stepped in and said that any trade the Mavs make for Jason Kidd must not include Stackhouse. If he was, he couldn't go back. The second was over the summer where the Sacramento Kings were shopping Ron Artest and the Mavs offered Stackhouse and Brandon Bass. The Kings wanted Josh Howard and the talks fell through.

He isn't demanding a trade, but he hopes to return to the franchise with a coaching or front office position. In an e-mail to the Star-Telegram, owner Mark Cuban, who's going through legal troubles unrelated to the team, said that Stackhouse could be valuable to the team "on and off the court." The article also says that the Mavs hope for Stackhouse to mentor Antoine Wright and Gerald Green.

Stackhouse, a 14-year veteran, is no stranger to new teams. In his career he's played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards. If he does move, he'll try to go to a contender, such as the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers or maybe his old team the Pistons, with recently acquired Allen Iverson.

The Celtics lost James Posey, but Tony Allen has stepped up. What if Stackhouse went there? What if the Lakers got another good player in addition to Kobe and Co.? What if the Cavs fit him into their second unit with Wally Szczerbiak, Anderson Varejao and Daniel Gibson? What if Stackhouse went back to the city that embraced him the most and teamed up with Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and A.I.?

All four of those teams could go after Stackhouse. The Cavs made a move for Mo Williams over the summer and are rumored to go after Vince Carter again. The Pistons traded Chauncey Billups for A.I. this year. Every team except the Pistons made moves before the trade deadline last year. Stackhouse could be the difference maker on any of those teams if he's done in Dallas. If he is done, expect him to look for a ring.

Nuggets Looking at Randolph

So far, Zach Randolph hasn't caused any problems for the New York Knicks. That could be one of the reasons they're 5-3 under Mike D'Antoni. He's drawn attention from the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and now the Denver Nuggets, according to The Knicks Fix on New York Newsday. Every one of those teams are looking for a power forward. Chicago has Tyrus Thomas and Drew Gooden, the Cavs have Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao and the Nuggets have Kenyon Martin.

After landing Chauncey Billups and Cheikh Samb from the Pistons for Allen Iverson, the Nuggets could make another move by moving Martin to the Knicks. They're still trying to move Randolph for cap space in 2010 and the Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony, Nené and head coach George Karl all agree that they need another big man, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Nuggets' Owner Stan Kroenke rejcted Karl's plea to re-sign Juwawn Howard because of salary cap issues. Another note, the Knicks traded Renaldo Balkman to Denver over the summer for Taurean Green and Bobby Jones, both waived after the trade.

Randolph has three years left with $48 million on his contract. He's been an effective center for the Knicks thus far. Martin also has three years left on his contract with a player option for 2010, so both can be traded for straight-up. The Knicks would have to trade him again before 2010 or involve a third party like the Charlotte Bobcats because Martin most likely won't want to give up over $16.5 million in 2010. The Bobcats have been shopping Gerald Wallace, but his contract has four years left, so the Knicks might not want him unless they see him as a good trade piece.

If you package Wallace with Sean May (one year left on contract) to the Knicks, Martin could go to Charlotte and Randolph to Denver. It could work. Randolph could make an instant impact for Denver with Anthony, Billups, Nené and Dhantay Jones. Another big man, capable of going 20-10 any night could help the Nuggets into the playoffs. Out of the first round, maybe not. He could also break this team if he goes back to his old attitude instead of his new one. It's all up to him.

David Lee would have to step up for the Knicks in place of Randolph. After starting for the first few games, he was benched when Wilson Chandler played very well off the bench. Eddy Curry hasn't hasn't seen any time this season, getting benched and out with and injury. It'd be fun to see the super-athletic Wallace in the mix with Lee, Chandler, Chris Duhon and Jamal Crawford.

Martin getting in with the Bobcats with Emeka Okafor, Jason Richardson, Raymond Felton should be interesting. They might have to move Okafor to center and put Adam Morrison in the starting line-up at small forward. It should be interesting how Larry Brown would incorperate him into their game.

Randolph is gathering some attention from at least three teams with his play and the Knicks early success. Eventually, he'll be traded, but for now, it looks like he's turned over a new leaf. When asked if he'd have any hard feelings towards the Knicks if he was traded, it sounded like a more mature person.

“Nah, it’s a business, it’s not personal. I learned that from a lot of older guys...Whatever do happen, I’m going to be ready.”

So as he wonders which team will land him as his agent keeps him updated on who wants him, Randolph will have to keep his new attitude, play hard, and reap the benefits he's been missing out on for a long time.

2009 NBA All-Star Ballots Open (My Selections)

The 2009 NBA All-Star ballot has just been released and the voting is under way, so I'm picking up what I did last year by picking who I vote for and why. Two teams. Two guards, two forwards and a center each, and a write-in. It's not about the top talents like Chris Paul LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. They're already getting in. It's about getting other all-star talents recognized.

You can vote online everyday until January 19. You can vote on nba.com, or you can do it right here, using the NBA All-Star 2009 widget on the top-right side of my blog. T-Mobile will be helping out the Phoenix community by donating $1 for every ballot you cast in a T-Zone or T-Mobile's wireless web portal. So if you can, do it.

Enough talk, let's get it on.

WEST

FORWARD: ANDREI KIRILENKO Utah Jazz. He's coming off the bench now as one of the best sixth men in the league. He's getting 14 PPG on 55% shooting, 6.8 RPG, 2.9 APG 1.1 SPG and 1.4 BPG. He's an all-around player, efficient on both sides of the ball helping his team to a 6-1 record, which includes winning five straight. If he keeps this up, he'll make his first all-star team.

FORWARD: LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE Portland Trail Blazers. Aldridge, in only his third year, will be a dominant force in the NBA with his ability shoot. His numbers are 18.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.4 BPG. He has the ability to have a 20-10 game and he's had a 24 point, 13 rebound outing this year already. In the future when he's working with Greg Oden, the Blazers frontcourt will be a force to be reckoned with.

GUARD: KEVIN MARTIN Sacramento Kings. K-Mart looks like he's back with a vengence. He's come out as more agressive and has made his case on a 4-game homestand after starting 0-4 on the road. He's averaged 28.7 PPG on 53% shooting, 3 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.6 SPG, leading the Kings on a 3-game win streak at home. Unfortunately, he re-sprained his ankle against the Warriors, but he should be back in a week. Otherwise, with some all-star moves early on in the season he's sure to make his case to get on the team again this season.

GUARD: STEPHEN JACKSON Golden State Warriors. Since Baron Davis left for the Clippers and Monta Ellis was injured and out until January and now Corey Maggette injured, Captain Jack has taken charge of the team with the best numbers of his career so far. He's averaged 23.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.6 APG and 1.4 SPG. Even though the team has struggled with a 2-5 record, he's doing everything he can to get his team through some tough times.

CENTER: ANDRIS BIEDRINS Golden State Warriors. Biedrins has been very good early on. Averaging 16.8 PPG on 53% shooting, 14.3 RPG 1 SPG and 1.8 BPG, Biedrins is an unstoppable force on both ends on the floor. He fights for every board, which is why he averages nearly five offensive RPG. There's no other way to put it, he's the best center in the West on the ballot.

EAST

FORWARD: ZACH RANDOLPH New York Knicks. So far, he's stayed out of trouble. Maybe Mike D'Antoni straightened him out. He's averaging 19 PPG, 11.5 RPG and 1.5 SPG as the Knicks' new center at 6'9. He's also helped lead the team to a 4-3 record. As long as he stays out of trouble and puts up some good numbers, I'll vote him. If he's really changed, there's a spot on the team for him.

FORWARD: TAYSHAUN PRINCE Detroit Pistons. In 2005, Ben and Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups were all-stars. Prince was the only one of the starting five who wasn't chosen. I think it's time he became one. He's averaging 18.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.6 APG and 0.9 BPG. He's really coming into his own. Don't worried about him being injury prone, he's an iron man. He's started in all 82 games for four straight seasons. He's played in all 82 games for five straight seasons. Even with Allen Iverson coming in, it's still Prince's time to shine.

GUARD: JOSE CALDERON Toronto Raptors. The Spanish Sensation up north, Calderon is starring beside Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal. He's averaging 13.5 PPG and 9 APG and has over a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was a big part of the Spanish National Team in the Olympics before he was injured, missing the gold medal game. Calderon came out of nowhere last year when T.J. Ford was injured. Now with the starting role he continues to shine.

GUARD: JOE JOHNSON Atlanta Hawks. JJ has led this team to 6-game winning streak to start the season, and he was questioned by Paul Pierce last year on why he made the team last year over Ray Allen initially. He's averaging 24.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.9 APG and 1.6 SPG in an effort to make sure the Hawks finish better than an eight seed. He and the Hawks are making sure that the whole NBA knows and Johnson is the perfect canidate for the Hawks.

CENTER: ANDREW BOGUT Milwaukee Bucks. He's probably one of the most balanced centers in the East right now when it comes to stats, but he's done better in the past. Averaging 10.1 PPG, 10 RPG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG, he's ready to prove that he earned his extension. He's playing with two very good scorers in Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson, but if he gets rolling like he did at the end of last season, the Bucks can start see some wins coming their way.

WRITE-IN: NENE Denver Nuggets. Filling the void Marcus Camby left at center when he was traded, he's bounced back from testicular cancer to play one of the best seasons of his career so far. He's avveraging 15.6 PPG on 67.2% shooting, 8.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 2 BPG in a bounce back season when it looked like his career may have been over. Now it's about staying healthy for his team because he's a key piece. Without him, even with Chauncey Billups they can't think about the playoffs. Nené is that important.

LAST THOUGHTS: There's a few newcomers on the ballot. Yi Jianlian, after getting a lot of votes as a write-in last year, is on the ballot this year. Rookies Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo and Greg Oden have made the ballot as well. If you haven't noticed, there're five international players that I've picked. Kirilenko (Russia), Biedrins (Latvia), Calderon (Spain), Bogut (Australia) and Nené (Brazil). It's amazing how many good players there are from overseas. Rudy Fernandez and Ricky Rubio could be next.

I'm done now, so go vote. There's 67 days left to do it, and you can do it every day. Be on the lookout for Part 2 in a couple of weeks.

Martin Dunks Over Azubuike, Wright

Kevin Martin skies over block-minded Kelenna Azubuike and Brandan Wright for the throwdown from Brad Miller's nice pass behind Andris Biendrins.

Kings Win Three Straight After 0-4 Trip

The Kings would tell you, "There's no place like home."

The road trip, it was horrible. We can blame Disney on Ice for denying the Kings their first game as a home opener since 2003 (LeBron James' NBA debut), or at least a shorter road trip. Four straight losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-96, Miami Heat 103-77, Orlando Magic 121-93 and Philadelphia 76ers 125-91. The last game in Philly, they looked like they gave up and just wanted to go home. Who could blame them. They lost a close game to start off the season followed by three straight 20+ point blowouts. The thing that hurt the Kings fans the most was lack of effort on both sides of the floor.

They didn't start the season pretty. Brad Miller was suspended the first five games. Francisco Garcia strained his calf in the pre-season. Kevin Martin and John Salmons were inconsistent. Beno Udrih and Bobby Jackson didn't look like they knew how to run the point. Mikki Moore, the starting power forward, grabbed four rebounds on the entire road trip. If you started from their last win from the pre-season, the Kings would be 0-10 since then. The only bright spot on the entire trip was the exciting play of sophomore center Spencer Hawes and rookie power forward Jason Thompson.

Hawes averaged 12.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2 APG and 2.3 BPG on the road trip starting for Miller. He had six blocks against the T'Wolves. Thompson averaged 14.3 PPG, 7 RPG, 2 APG and 0.8 BPG on the road trip, coming off the bench. He earned the respect he deserved be ranked as one of the top rookies early in the season (#3 by ESPN, #5 by NBA). It was a welcome sight during a road trip that has much more to forget than remember.

The Kings started the same way last year. Ron Artest was suspended for the first seven games and the Kings went 0-3 on their first road trip, which included the New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs. During the start of the season, Salmons and Garcia played better than expected and the Kings came home to win a couple of games. So far, it's started the same way.

The Kings came home to win against the Memphis Grizzlies 100-95. They were up by as many as 19 points before rookie guard O.J. Mayo led the team on a 22-8 run to fall short of a comeback. That door was shut when Martin dove to the foor under a pack off Grizzlies' players, tipping the ball to a wide open Salmons for an easy dunk. The Kings got their revenge against the T'Wolves 121-109. K-Mart had an all-around game with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and a block with a sore ankle. Salmons had 23 points, Miller had 11 points, 10 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks, Hawes had 13 points, 8 rebounds and a block and Udrih had 15 points. Six Kings finished in double figures.

Getting Miller back came with a price. Thompson only had 11 minutes and scored 2 points and grabbed 2 rebounds. He was the odd man out despite his great play. The next game, he'd bounce back.

Going against the Warriors, the Kings were tied for 3rd in Pacific Division and 10th place in the West. Coach Reggie Theus has never been within one game of a .500 record. If they won, they could be tied for 8th place in the West. The Kings' accomplished that goal behind Martin's electric play for three quarters, getting the edge over the Grizzlies in the standings and routing the Warriors 117-98. The bad news is that he re-sprained his ankle, but the MRI was negative and he's listed as day-to-day.

The rest of the team did played very well. Hawes and Thompson combined for 21 points and 18 boards. Rookie point guard Bobby Brown had 13 of the bench's 48 points. Miller had 14 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks and the Kings held the Warriors to 17 points in the 3rd quarter and outrebounded them and outscored them in every quarter.

Defense and energy were welcome changes. The Grizzlies' Rudy Gay and the T'Wolves' Al Jefferson and Marc Gasol were non-factors. Gay and Jefferson are the most important players on their respective teams. Shutting down Jefferson and Gasol, two very physical players, was great to see from a team not known for banging down low on defense. Their most physical player on the block is Shelden Williams, who was definitely a help in containing them.

Martin has proved to be a willing passer, which has been a knock on him. He's shown that he has the ability to be an all-around player in a few games this year, but he still needs to work on staying in front of his man. Since the Kings have come home, he's averaged 28.7 PPG on 52.6% shooting, 3 RPG, 3.7 APG. The Kings have scored 111 PPG on the homestand.

Now they have to try to take it on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers and back home against the Detroit Pistons the night before. The Kings went 0-9 on the road before getting their first win. They also struggled against division rival teams. The Warriors and Clippers might not be as much as a problem this year because they just beat the Warriors and the Clippers lost six straight before beating the Dallas Mavericks for thier first home win.

With Dallas and the San Antonio Spurs struggling early in the season, if the Kings keep up the momentum they might be able to surprise a few teams along the way like they did last year. All they have to do is take it one game at a time. By tonight, the Kings could be in 7th place if the Portland Trail Blazers if they lose in Orlando.

Jason Thompson is for Real

For years, Kings fans have had to wait a few years to see how good a player really was. For 2001 draft pick Gerald Wallace, it took a move to Charlotte in 2005. It took a Bonzi Wells injury for 2004 pick Kevin Martin to rise to becoming a near All-Star. For Francisco Garcia (2005), it took a Martin and Ron Artest injury for him to shine last season. Now 22-year-old JT could rank with Jason Williams, Peja Stojakovic and Hedo Turkoglu. All were draft picks that made an instant impact on the Kings.

Thompson, a 6'11 250 pound forward-center from unknown Rider, has jumped onto the national scene ranking #6 on ESPN's Rookie Rankings. He earned it by posting 18 points (64% FG), 10 rebounds and a block in 22 minutes off the bench in his NBA debut against the Timberwolves. He was the only rookie to even think about a 20-10 game. In week 2 he's #3, with only Derrick Rose (1) and Rudy Fernandez (2) ahead of him. He earned that with 10 pts (50% FG), 7 reb and a block in under 19 minutes against the Heat and 12 points (71% FG), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block in 24 minutes against the Magic. Now, he's #5 and "might have been No. 1 in these rankings if the Kings weren't so awful."

Two nights ago, he put up 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assist againts the Sixers in front of 350 screaming Rider fans consisting of family, friends and former temmates. Rider, in Lawrenceville, NJ, is only 47 minutes away from the Wachovia Center. Not bad for a "hometown" debut.

His production might fall with veteran center Brad Miller coming back from suspension with 2 more games to serve, but with starting power forward Mikki Moore struggling, he has a chance to earn minutes. According to Reggie Theus, it'll take an effort "above and beyond" to to take a veteran's spot. Getting 22 rebounds in a combined in a combined 65 minutes is pretty good for a rookie's first 3 games. That's one rebound per 2:57. He ranks #5 among PFs with a 28.26 PER behind Walter Herrmann, Carlos Boozer, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki. He's the top rookie in PER overall.

The Kings took a lot of heat for drafting him after surprising everyone with picking him at #12.

Chad Ford, ESPN,

"Wow! This is the biggest surprise of the draft. Though the Warriors liked him at No. 14, we had Thompson projected as a late first-round pick. He's solid, but that's it. There are much better players on the board here. Perhaps the Kings were shell-shocked after losing out on Bayless and Augustin, the two point guards they wanted. A team should not be criticized just for doing the unexpected. But the Kings made a huge reach for Thompson at No. 12. He's going to be a solid rotation player at best. But it looks like he might be the Shelden Williams of this draft. With solid players like Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers and upside guys like Anthony Randolph and Marreese Speights on the board, I think the Kings blew it."

Sports Illustrated Ranking

"4/10"

Bill Simmons, ESPN

"The Kings take Jason Thompson 12th, which would have been fine if this were the second round. Stern sums the pick up best: "Jason is not here." There's a 75 percent chance that the Maloofs made that pick after downing three bottles of Patron shots at the their VIP table at Rain."

Chris Mannix, SI.com

"Geoff Petrie is smarter than all of us. He has to be. Why else would the Kings' president select a player with the 12th overall pick (Rider power forward Jason Thompson) who was rated in most mock drafts in the mid-20s? A quick glance at Thompson's collegiate career is telling. He averaged 20.4 points and 12.4 rebounds, but was never really dominant against the weaker MAAC competition. This was the biggest surprise of the first round."

Now, JT has one more game to prove that he should be a significant part of the rotation, or in my opinion, start. He's averaging 14.3 PPG (62.5% FG), 7 RPG, 2 APG, o.3 SPG and 0.8 BPG in 23.9 MPG. Not only does his size, speed and skill resemble to a rookie Karl Malone, a comparison he's been getting since summer league, but so does his stats. The Mailman averaged 14.9 PPG (49.6% FG), 8.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG and 0.54 BPG in 30.6 MPG in 1985-86. The rest is history.

JT has a bright future in this league, and so far he's shown more than enough that he belongs on the team and in the NBA. Kings fans are going to have fun watching him for years to come.

Kevin Johnson, Sacramento's New Mayor

Congratulations to Sacramento's Mayor-Elect Kevin Johnson, beating out imcumbent Heather Fargo. He became the city's first African-American Mayor. I couldn't vote for him because I live outside the city limits, but he'll definitely improve the city.

The Sacramento native grew up in Oak Park, right down the street from where I go to school at. KJ was drafted by the Cleveland Cavliers and traded his rookie year to the Phoenix Suns, where he enjoyed becoming an NBA All-Star and a great career. He reached the Finals in 1993. After retiring in 1998, he came back in 2000 to replace the injured Jason Kidd for the Suns in the playoffs. He helped the team into the second round, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

He finished with career stats of 17.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 9.1 APG and 1.5 SPG. One of his many career highlights was his dunk on Hakeem Olajuwon.

After he retired again, KJ helped revitalized the neighborhood he grew up in through St. HOPE, the organization he founded. It created 14 businesses, 282 jobs, and $11 million in development, not to mention involvement with the youth of the community.

In his first interview since being elected mayor with KCRA 3 television station this morning, KJ intends to meet with the city manager, treasurer and each member of the city council. With him in office, he could work on getting the Kings a new arena at Cal Expo, which means a major revitalization of the home of the California State Fair.

KJ has a plan for his and my hometown. He wants it to become a city like Los Angeles or San Francisco. I don't know how it's going to turn out, but with what he's done with Oak Park, I'd like to see with Sacramento. I believe it's a step in the right direction.

Iverson's New Look

Allen Iverson will wear Chauncey Billups' old #1 uniform, since Rodney Stuckey is wearing #3. I can imagine the Chauncey will wear #3 when he gets to Denver, since J.R. Smith wears #1. Underneath are some of the many uniforms AI's seen since 1996 up until now.

Rookie AI 1996

2001 NBA Finals


Alternate Blue Uniform

Retro Syracuse Nationals

Europe Live 2006 (Spain)

Denver Nuggets Home Uniform

Nuggets Road Uniform

Nuggets Alternate Road Uniform