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.

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.

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.

Top 10 Rookie Debuts

There were a lot of big rookie debuts in the NBA for the past 2 days, and the only one of note who hasn't played yet is the Bobcats' D.J. Augustin. The best debuts, however, were from the most unexpected rookies.

Mario Chalmers had the best debut performance of any rookie. The numbers say that he can flourish in a fast paced game like he did running against Mike D'Antoni's fast paced game. 17 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast.

Arthur had the best defensive performance. One of 3 rookies to get a double double, all who are on this list. With his athleticism, rebounding can be a strentgh for him in the future. 11 pts, 15 reb, stl, blk, 2 blk.

Jason Thompson, wasted lottery pick for the Kings? Apparently not. He was the only rookie to even come close to a 20-10 game. He could be the real deal and is already better than starting power forward Mikki Moore. 18 pts, 10 reb, blk.

Derrick Rose had the first big rookie performance of the season giving coach Vinny Del Negro and the Bulls their first win. He shined in pre-season and the #1 pick will definitely be dangerous in the future. 11 pts, 4 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl.

Kevin Love was a huge on the offensive boards with 4 of them along with 2 blocks. He might not be the definition of athleticism but he gets the job done. 12 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, stl, 2 blk.

Rebounding, it's in the family. Unlike his brother Pau Gasol, Marc is said to be more physical and that is a huge advantage. He'll be one of the best rookie big men in the NBA. 12 pts, 12 reb, ast, 2 blk.

Russell Westbrook will eventually take the reins from Earl Watson at point guard. He's fearless going to the basket, which should help his playmaking ability when he drives into the lane. 13 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, blk.

Rudy Fernandez is an all-around guard who can play both guard positions as well as small forward. Already a fan favorite in Portland, he's a fast rising star in the NBA. 16 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl.

It's safe to say that he had a better outing than twin brother Robin Lopez. Brook should see a lot of playing time with the rebuilding Nets and was 2 points and 2 rebounds away from a double-double. 8pts, 8 reb, ast, stl, 2 blk.

There are high expectations for him, and some people think who should be ROY. Shooting 5-20 won't cut it in the NBA, but as talented as he is, it'll all be a distant memory by next week. 10 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl.

The Memphis Grizzlies had 3 players on the list with Arthur, Gasol and Mayo. Throw in Rudy Gay and Mike Conley and they have a talented line-up for the future ahead of them.

Some rookies, like Greg Oden or Michael Beasley, didn't make the list because they just didnt play well in their debut. Not that they're not talented, they're expected to compete for ROY.

Looking at the draft class of 2008 right now, hopefully there will be performances like these all season long and better ones for many years to come.

Trade Possibilities for Al Harrington

Rumor has it, Harrington wants out of Goledn State. Where to?

There's a report by the Mercury News in San Jose that Al Harrington doesn't want to play under Don Nelson. Just as he was made the last tri-captain of the team.

So, Al doesn't want to play for Nellie anymore? Tough for him because he just signed a 2-year extension with the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs really don't need him anymore. By getting rid of him, sophomore Brandan Wright and rookie Anthony Randolph will have the chance to get more playing time, not to mention more floor time for veteran Ronny Turiaf. Oh, and more cap space.

They have a youth movement at power forward with a veteran which makes Harrington expendable. Harrington, though, is a really tough player to shop. Who wants an undersized power forward that averages 5.4 RPG and 0.2 BPG? He also jacked up 408 three pointers and made only 153 (37.5% shooting, not good). He shot more 3 pointers than he did in both of his stints in Indiana comined (172) and more than what he put up in the previous 2 seasons (193). Many teams are looking to get ready for the magical year of 2010 and some for 2009. Harrington's contract would be over by then and perfect for their plans.

So with over $19 million due to him over the next 2 years if he doesn't opt-out next year, where can he go and who and what can the Warriors get in return?

Chicago Bulls: Packaged with Marcus Williams/C.J. Watson for Kirk Hinrich

Derrick Rose will be the point guard of the future for the Bulls. Ben Gordon wants to start. The Warriors need a point guard. Their depth at that position starts at undrafted rookie DeMarcus Nelson followed by Watson and Williams. Despite a horrible season, the recently benched Hinrich is on another level compared to any point guard the Warriors have.

Gordon can fill in for the departed Hinrich. He can score starting and off the bench. So shipping Hinrich would be no problem, except that they have no point guard to back-up Rose, and injured Larry Hughes is not point guard. Williams or Watson could be packaged with Harrington. Watson or Williams will easily get playing time being the only true point behind Rose. Harrington, on the other hand will battle for time behind starting forwards Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas. His competition: Andres Nocioni and Joakim Noah.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Rodney Carney, Jason Collins

The T'Wolves are spending over $80 million on their players. They'd love to have him, if they knew that he'd opt-out. Harrington doesn't fit in the rebuilding T'Wolves' plans with Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Ryan Gomes and Corey Brewer set for significant frontcourt minutes.

Carney and Collins would find their way to the Warriors bench. Carney could possibly find some playing time behind Sthephen Jackson and Corey Maggette, but once Monta Ellis comes back in January, he's done. Collins is injured but could provide size at 7' and 255 pounds. When he comes back he can help against certain teams. Both are free agents next year.

New Jersey Nets: Stromile Swift, Maurice Ager & Cash

Swift turns 29 next month and has no future with the Nets because of the youth movement in the frontcourt with Yi Jianlian, Josh Boone and Sean Williams. Swift is thin for a power forward at 220 pounds, much less a center and his stats have gone down since his first stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. If given minutes, he's shown to put up better numbers, but not much better. He's a good shotblocker with 0.9 BPG in only 14 MPG. So if defense is what the Warriors need off the bench, Swift could just come in and get a block. After this season, he'd be off the books.

Harrington could also fill in as a small forward for this team because he's certainly better than Eduardo Najera. It's a pretty good line-up of veterans and young guys with him, Vince Carter, Williams, Boone and Devin Harris. It's probably not enough to get into the playoffs though. Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Toronto, Washington (in that order I'm predicting) have the 1-7 slots locked up and Indiana and Miami will be competing for the last spot. It might be a good place to land for him for a couple of years. He'll be off the books before the Nets move to Brooklyn, leaving plenty of room for LeBron.

New York Knicks: Malik Rose

The Knicks don't need 33-year-old Rose anymore and really they never did. A straight-up Harrington for Rose trade would work out for both teams. Not only do the Warriors shave off almost $ 2 million immediately, they have over $7 million more after the season when his contract is over. He'd do nothing but sit at the end of the bench. Harrington, on the other hand, has a chance to be part of coach Mike D'Antoni's fast tempo.

Harrington already knows how to play uptempo. Add him to a frontcourt of David Lee and Zach Randolph, he could possibly take Quentin Richardson's spot at small forward. Depending on chemistry, Harrington could help the Knicks.

Sacramento Kings: Mikki Moore, Quincy Douby/Shelden Williams & Cash

The Kings needed a power forward ever since Chris Webber left. The best one they had after him was recently retired Shareef Abdur-Rahim when he played well in 2006. Harrington doesn't do much, but it gives them a bigger body and better overall talent in the paint compared to the 225 pound Moore. On the other hand, Moore's taller, outrebounded Harrington last season and shot better as well (57.7% FG). He has a $2 million buyout option. Douby or Williams would be thrown in to make the trade go through but could bring something to the team if needed.

Douby can play well in an uptempo pace like the Warriors did. After working out with the likes of Baron Davis and Paul Pierce in Las Vegas, he had a great summer league and training camp until an ankle injury marred his pre-season. He can fit well into Nellie's small ball system as an undersized shooting guard. Williams is a wide body back at his playing weight of 250 pounds. Despite his size, he's also accustomed to an uptempo game playing for Coach K at Duke and could give the Warriors size. All players can become free agents.

If Harrington wants to be traded, he could end up anywhere. Anywhere except Indiana that is. He doesn't need a thrid stint with them. But Harrington will be in for a ride wherever he goes.

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.

Rudy Fernandez Back Door Reverse Alley-Oop Dunk

Kevin Martin didn't have the only impressive dunk of the night. Rudy Fernandez goes backdoor on the Kings and hooks up with Sergio Rodriguez for an alley-oop reverse dunk. Spanish Air Flight #5 takes off.

David Lee Won't Get Extension

The New York Knicks' David Lee, along with Nate Robinson, will become restricted free agents July 1 of next year, according to the New York Post. The 25-year-old Lee is set to have a career year starting at power forward since new head caoch Mike D'Antoni benched an out of shape Eddy Curry and moved Zach Randolph to center. The 6'9, 240 pound Lee averaged 10.8 PPG and 8.9 RPG in 81 games last season, 52 games off the bench. He's more than capable of averaging double doubles when he averaged 10.7 PPG and 10.4 RPG.

He's shown everyone in the Knicks' franchise that he deserves an extension. When he started for the Knicks last year his 13 PPG and 10.3 RPG were identical or near identical to Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion and Emeka Okafor. Sure, 2010 is coming and all those superstars, including NY friendly LeBron James, will be on the market, but if you don't lock up a double double, someone else might. New GM Donnie Walsh is not convinced.

Mark Bartlestein, Lee's agent, said this about Walsh's decision in the New York Post.

"I don't anticipate getting something done. As it stands, I don't think it will happen. Donnie is still in the evaluation process with this team. I think he understands David has great value in the league, but is cautious to make a long-term commitment before he gets a feeling what direction his team is going."

Walsh agreed with this response.

"I don't want to make a flat statement, but I don't think we're at a point I can say we're going to extend him. I definitely want to keep Dave and Nate, but you don't have to do it now, you could do it in the summer."

They're plenty of teams in need of a promising young power forward that can throw some money after this season.

• Chicago Bulls
• Denver Nuggets
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Sacramento Kings
• Utah Jazz (if Carlos Boozer bolts)

If any team throws more money than the Knicks are willing to match or if they're unwilling pay for Lee's asking price, unless Lee really wants to play for the Knicks, he's gone. By 2010, Stephon Marbury, Quentin Richardson, Jerome James and possibly, but not likely, Curry will be off the books. The Knicks have also been trying to shop the troubled Randolph, but couldn't get a deal done with the Memphis Grizzlies because of a dispute over next year's first round draft pick from the Grizzlies.

By then, the Knicks could be spending between $35-50 million before free agency, depending on who's there or not. They could be spending at least $5-15 million more if they keep Lee and/or Robinson. That would destroy the Knicks plans for 2010. Robinson averaged 16.2 PPG and 3.5 APG in 17 starts, but Lee is still a more valuable player. The Knicks might have to let Robinson go.

Lee is a must have for the Knicks' future. They're sure to land a free agent 2 years from now, LeBron or not. If you can only keep one, keep the one who gets double doubles off the bench.

Kings Lose to Blazers 112-98

It's been a while the last time I went to a game, but I couldn't pass it up when it was right on my 20th birthday. It was a game of highs and lows as the Kings took on the Portland Trail Blazers for the last time in the pre-season.

1ST QUARTER

My first look at Greg Oden. A 7'0, 285 pound manbeast that you have to see to believe. He won the opening tip against Spencer Hawes. The Blazers got off to a hot 9-2 run led by Steve Blake's 5 points. The Kings had a sluggish start when Hawes picked up 3 fouls and committed 2 TOs in less than 6 minutes to bring soon to be suspended Brad Miller into the game. LaMarcus Aldridge was impressive from the start, scoring 8 points in the period. Kevin Martin, who would be the star of the night got an alley-oop lay-up from the starting point guard Bobby Brown.

The Kings tried to get their rythym going with John Salmons and Mikki Moore scoring 4 points each and Bobby Jackson hit a buzzer beating lay-up at the end of the quarter, but after review it was no basket as the Blazers led 27-19.

2ND QUARTER

The Blazers took off again Channing Frye and Rudy Fernandez hitting two straight 3-pointers. Kenny Thomas looks like he'll be getting regular rotation minutes with the regular season nearing. He scored his only 4 points in the quarter. Martin had the highlight of the night crossing over Fernandez and dunking over Oden and Aldridge sending excitement around the whole arena. Fernandez would go on to make two straight 3-pointers later in the quarter, but the Kings were making a run, trailing 57-50 at the half.

3RD QUARTER

Martin would be on fire. He scored 13 of his 27 total points that he had up to that point. Through 5 games this pre-season he's shooting a scorching 60.9% from the field. Aldridge was hot too as he put up 8 of his 23 points. The Kings were down by as much as 11 points and were within 2 points of the Blazers, they failed to capitalize as the Blazers led 80-76, and it stayed that way.

4TH QUARTER

The Blazers took off running when Fernandez got a alley-oop reverse dunk from Sergio Rodriguez, and it was all downhill for the Kings after that. The Kings came within 3 points but the Blazers went on a 27-12 run to close out the game as the Kings dropped to 1-7 in a 112-98 loss while Portland closed out their pre-season 3-2. Salmons was the only help to the Martin with 27 points.

HIGHlLIGHTS

Team High=*

Game High=**

(R)= Rookie

KINGS

Martin: 34 pts** (10-13 FG), 2 stl, blk, 4 TOs*

Salmons: 27 pts (10-18 FG), 5 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl*, 2 TOs

(R) Jason Thompson: 6 pts, 6 reb, (4 off.)

Moore: 6 pts, 6 reb, stl

(R) Brown: 8 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, stl, 2 TOs

BLAZERS

Aldridge: 24 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl**, blk

Brandon Roy: 21 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, stl, 2 TO

(R) Oden: 13 pts, 9 reb** (6 off.**), 3 ast, stl, 2 blk, 5 TOs**

(R) Fernandez: 16 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, stl, blk, 2 TOs

Even without starting point guard Beno Udrih and 6th man Francisco Garcia due to injury, it was a pretty bad loss for the Kings because they had the chance to win. The same problems have been plaguing the Kings for two years now. Defending the perimeter, rebounding and assist-to-turnover ratio. The Blazers let loose with wide open three pointers shooting 12-25 from behind the arc. They outrebounded the Kings 41-29 and the Kings had 14 assists and 20 turnovers.

Sacramento will have trouble getting 35 wins this season if they don't change their habits. The run game was not there last night, which could have been a game changer. Every time the Kings gave-up the ball to another player, they just tried to penetrate. They also have no one underneath the basket to try to get an offensive rebound almost every time. They're going to disappoint fans who watch them every night playing like that every night. Until they learn how to play defense, fans have to remember they're still in rebuilding mode.

Martin, Gordon Hot, Clips Beat Kings, 116-112

The Sacramento Kings' starters looked real good in the first half, considering the fact that they started Francisco Garcia and rookie Jason Thompson while sitting regular starters John Salmons and Mikki Moore for the night. Their bench, on the other hand, showed a very poor defensive outing playing a majority of the second half.

Even with Baron Davis, Marcus Camby and Al Thornton out, the Los Angeles Clippers' bench, mainly rookie guards Eric Gordon and Mike Taylor, just flat out outscored them in what should have been a win for the Kings in the Spanos Center at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.

1ST QUARTER

Kevin Martin was just unbelievable in his 22 minutes of play from start to finish. He led everyone in scoring with 14 points on 5-6 shooting. Garcia was showcasing his passing skills with 3 assists. The Clippers' big men Jelani McCoy and rookie DeAndre Jordan scored 6 points each with some impressive dunks down low as they led 30-28.

2ND QUARTER

Gordon was starting to get hot scoring 9 points in the quarter, but then, Martin was pouring it on. He made 9 unanswered points and scored 27 of his 29 points in the first half on 8-9 (88.9%) shooting. He finished with a schorching 9-11 (81.8%) shooting in less than 22 minutes. Another King impressed Kings fans who attended the game at UOP was, believe it or not, Kenny Thomas. The man who hasn't played a regular season game since January had two impressive three-point plays, getting fouled on both circus shots. He also had 3 assists in the quarter and a block that quarter.

With the starters in place everything was going the Kings' way as they held onto a 64-51 lead at the half.

3RD QUARTER

The first unit stayed in for half of the quarter with Garcia and Beno Udrih leading the way combining for 12 of the Kings' 24 points that period. Then, a turn for the worst happened. The second unit came in. Brad Miller was replaced by Spencer Hawes, Martin was replaced by Bobby Jackson, Udrih replaced by Bobby Brown, Garcia replaced by Donté Greene and Jason Thompson replaced by Shelden Williams. With a 17 point lead the Clippers seemed harmless with their key players out. They went on a 17-6 run at the end of the quarter led by former King Cuttino Mobley's 11 points in that run. Things would only go from bad to worse as the Kings led 88-80.

4TH QUARTER

This is where Gordon caught fire, hitting 4 three pointers in the period and 6 treys that night. Taylor, who was hot all night, had 8 points in the quarter and finished with 21 points. It's not like the Kings gave up, they couldn't defend the perimeter. They had 5 treys that quarter and 9-25. Without Martin's 2 three pointers, the Kings would have been 0-9 on the night. That and turnovers would lead to the bench's downfall. Even though they made a late substitution with Garcia, Sacramento was held scoreless the last 2:54 of the game, losing 116-112 from a stunning comeback led by rookie guards Gordon and Taylor.

HIGHLIGHTS

Team High=*
Game High=**
(R)= Rookie

KINGS
Martin: 29 pts* (9-11 FG), 2 reb, 4 ast, 3 TOs, 21 min
Udrih: 12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast*, stl, 2 TOs, 24 min
Garcia: 15 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl**
Hawes: 13 pts, 7 reb*, 4 ast, 3 blk**, 6 TOs** (bench)
Miller: 8 pts, 7 reb*, 5 ast*, 19 min
Jackson: 13 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 2 TO (bench)
(R) Thompson: 6 pts, 5 reb, 18 min
Thomas: 6 pts (2-2 FG), 3 ast, blk (bench)

CLIPPERS
(R) Gordon: 33 pts**, 2 reb, 2 stl, 2 TOs
(R) Taylor: 21 pts, 4 reb, 9 ast**, 3 stl**, 3 TOs*
Paul Davis: 11 pts, 8 reb** (5 off.**), 3 ast, 3 stl**
Mobley: 17 pts, 2 ast
McCoy: 12 pts, 6 reb, stl, 2 TOs
(R) Jordan: 7 pts, 4 reb, 2 blk*

Now I know what the +/- is good for. The Kings' starters had double digits on the + side. Their bench countered it with double digits on the - side, destroying the 17 point lead the starters worked hard for and giving the Clippers an opportunity to win. Another reason why they lost, 3 point shooting and TOs. Without Martin, they never would have hit anything from downtown. Spencer Hawes accounted for 6 of the Kings 24 TOs. That's 25% of them. The Clippers hit 9-25 from downtown and only had 16 TOs.

It's not like the Kings weren't scoring all night. They shot 61.2% from the field compared to the Clippers 46.7%. They also had 31 assists. The Gordon got hot from downtown at the right time and the Kings couldn't respond the same way. Him and Taylor could have a bright future in the NBA. I'm not surprised if Gordon contends for ROY, since he's supposed to be a better version of Ben Gordon. As for the Kings, the starters did everything right. The bench didn't. It's that simple. Fortunately, it won't be this way this season because since it's pre-season, the bench does not get the majority of playing time.

Speaking of playing time, Martin looked like he was in mid-season and was on fire. Not only did he score, he distributed as well. He had only 2 rebounds and 3 TOs, but his scoring was phenomenal and rebounding wasn't a team problem when he was in the game. His game really flourishes in the new run-and-gun triangle offense Reggie Theus put in. In other words, Martin looked like an all-star. If he plays like that this season like he has in his limited minutes this pre-season, you can see him in Phoenix this February and in the future.

Brown, Hawes Shine in 94-85 Win Over Thunder

After getting dominated by Oden against the Blazers, Hawes took out

his frustration and dominated the big men of the Thunder with a big game.

After getting hammered by teammates Beno Udrih and Mikki Moore and head coach Reggie Theus in the Sacramento Bee, after one bad pre-season game against Greg Oden and the Portland Trail Blazers, Spencer Hawes redeemed himself and re-established his post game. Not only that, Bobby Brown shined in his impressive home debut and Oklahoma City native Shelden Williams showed us, and his fianceé Candace Parker in the front row, why he was nicknamed "The Landlord."

In what seemed to be a game that was over, the Kings would have to hang on to their lead as the Thunder, playing without ROY Kevin Durant came rolling back. And Oklahoma City's road unis look like a D-League design.

1ST QUARTER

Kevin Martin sported his new mohawk after rookie teammate Donté Greene bet him $100 that he wouldn't get a mohawk like his. Greene lost. Martin came out strong scoring the first 4 points for the Kings in the debut of their new home uniforms. John Salmons got off to a strong start with 7 points. They kept the Thunder at bay with a 26-18 lead at the end of the quarter.

2ND QUARTER

The Kings got somewhat of a scare when Jeff Green led the Thunder with his 5 points at the beginning of his to cut the lead to 32-28 By then, Hawes already started what would be a big quarter. He re-established not only his jump shots, but also his post-scoring which makes him different from being "the next Brad Miller," but instead "the next Vlade Divac." He scored 12 points in the quarter and basically regained the faith of his teammates, coaches and fans who doubted him.

Bobby Brown also got his game going with 6 points in the quarter and Damien Wilkins, son of Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, led the Thunder with 9 points, but that was only the beginning for them as the Kings took a 55-39 lead at the half.

3RD QUARTER

The Kings held a 19 point lead when Salmons hit a 3 pointer to start off the quarter. After Garcia came in for Martin, things went downhill for the Kings. The Thunder, with a balanced attack through 7 players outscored the Kings 25-14 in the quarter. No one player stood out from the pack. Even with Garcia on the floor, he didn't get nearly enough touches to make a difference. Only one shot attempt the whole quarter. Bobby Jackson, who is usually a spark plug for any team who needs to get it going, just couldn't get it going. After the Thunder's 14-3 run, the Kings found their lead cut to 5 points, leading 69-65 through 3 quarters.

4TH QUARTER

The Kings looked like they were going to give up the lead like they did to the Blazers in the game before. After Johan Petro scored, Green scored 5 straight points for the Thunder cutting the lead down to 72-71. After a missed jump shot from rookie Jason Thompson, Garcia found himself a rebound wide open behind the 3 point line. He nailed it, showing he can still make a three pointer when the team needs it the most. After that, both teams started playing sloppy.

It was up to Brown to come in and be the difference maker of the game. The way he did it, it looked like he was Mike Bibby. After missing his first shot, Brown hit 4 straight shots, including two 3 pointers and 2 free throws, scoring 12 of his game-high 22 points in the quarter. Hawes hit a rare, but clutch 3 pointer earlier in the quarter and sealed the game with a dunk, finishing with 21 points, a career high on an NBA court. The Kings put away the Thunder in a 94-85 wire-to-wire win.

HIGLIGHTS

*= Team High, **= Game High

(R)= Rookie, (S)= Sophomore

KINGS

Brown (R): 22 pts** (64% FG**), 2 reb, 4 ast*, 2 stl**, 4 TOs**

Hawes (S): 21 pts (58.8% FG), 7 reb, stl (bench)

Salmons: 16 pts (62.5% FG), 4 reb, 3 ast, blk

Williams: 7 pts (7-10 FTs), 11 reb**, 2 blk**, 3 TOs (bench)

Jason Thompson (R): 5 pts, 6 reb (bench)

Martin: 8 pts, 3 ast, blk, 13 min

Garcia: 8 pts, 4 reb (bench)

Jackson: 3 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, stl (bench)

DNP: Beno Udrih (injured), Quincy Douby (injured)

THUNDER

Green (S): 19 pts*, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl**, blk*

Wilkins: 14 pts, 6 reb, blk*

Johan Petro: 8 pts, 10 reb*, 2 stl**

Nick Collison: 8 pts, 6 reb, stl, blk*

Earl Watson: 4 pts, 4 reb, 7 ast

Westbrook (R): 8 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, stl, 3 TOs*

Desmond Mason: 10 pts, 4 reb

Joe Smith: 4 pts, 5 reb, blk*

DNP: Kevin Durant (rest)

The Kings (1-1) were dangerously close to collapsing again, but Brown was the reason they won. He shot 4/4 after missing his first shot of the last quarter. Even with Hawes going off in the 2nd quarter and clutch in the last quarter, Brown was the real hero of the game. He was very athletic getting to the basket and put a lock on Watson when it came to scoring. The only real problem of his game that he had was turnovers. Being that this was his first start at the NBA level filling in for the injured Udrih, Brown showed that he may have a future in the NBA.

Hawes showed his maturity level by coming back with a big game. It was a statement game to remind people why he was the #10 pick in the NBA in 2007. Green was the best player of the team that night scoring 9 of his 19 points in the last quarter. The Thunder (0-2) came back like a storm surge, but the Kings held on despite being only one point away from blowing a 19 point lead. I called a radio show when Martin was a guest and took questions on air. I asked him how he could get his assists up. He responded by saying when he gets more touches he'll be able to distribute the ball more. He was right. He had 3 assists in 13 minutes.

The Kings have the triangle offense working, but once they shut it off, their game goes too. If they can find a way to keep it on for a full 48 minutes, they can score over 100 a game. They did last year. They were outrebounded and outdistibuted and their interior defense was still bad. They still need to find a way to improve in those areas. Otherwise, the team is on the right track offensively.

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.

Rookies Make Marks Around the NBA

Some of these rookies have been impressive already. Only four days into the pre-season. The Blazers, especially Rudy Fernandez, have made the most noise.

Blazers' Rudy Fernandez, Greg Oden & Jerryd Bayless

The Blazers have the most talented rookie nucleus than any other team. Fernandez stole the show in the 2nd half of the first game with 6 points and 5 assists, including a back door alley-oop dunk and an alley oop reverse lay-up high off the glass. Even though he shined playing 36 minutes in his second game, his night ended earlier than expected when he sprained his ankle. He finished with 15 points with 3 three pointers, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals in his first start.

In 20 minutes, Oden posted 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists and blocks each for a nearly sold out Rose Garden, who witnessed a 110-81 blowout of the Kings. His second game against the Warriors, 14 points and 9 boards (5 offensive) in the loss. Bayless put up 5 points and 3 rebounds and assists each his first game. Starting in the place of Sergio Rodriguez the next game, he had 13 points and 2 rebounds, but struggled as a point guard with no assists and 5 TOs.

Heat's Michael Beasley & Mario Chalmers

Beasley had an impressive 3rd quarter against the Pistons, scoring 13 of his 16 points in the loss. He also grabbed 6 boards in 21 minutes off the bench. Chalmers came off the bench and didn't do as well. He put up 4 points, 3 rebounds and assists each, 2 steals and 4 TOs in 24 minutes off the bench.

Kings' Donté Greene & Jason Thompson

Even with the massacre they took that was the Blazers, Greene was one of the few bright spots for the Kings. He scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the final 4:31 left in the game and grabbed 2 boards. JT showcased his quickness and put up 6 points, 4 rebounds and a block. Unfortunately, he also fouled out.

Grizzlies' O.J. Mayo & Marc Gasol

Mayo did a solid job in his 30 minutes, putting up 14 points, 3 rebounds and a steal. He did have 4 TOs though. His second game against the Wizards, not so good with 7 points, 2 rebounds and a steal in 31 minutes. You can't blame Marc when his first game in the NBA is against Yao Ming. He put up 5 points, 2 rebounds and assists each and a block. His second game against Etan Thomas, he had 10 points, 9 rebounds and a block.

T'Wolves' Kevin Love

He didn't start in front of scoreless Mark Madsen, but he should have. Love had 13 points on 6-10 shooting and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes of play. His second game off the bench, 10 points, 5 boards, an assist and a block in 28 minutes. Expect him to start by the regular season.

Celtics' Bill Walker

In limited minutes, Walker did an excellent job. 11 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds.

Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute & Joe Alexander

That's a long name. In his first game he had 9 points, 2 rebounds and assists each, a steal and only one foul in 26 minutes of play. In his first start against the Pistons, he had 4 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 5 TOs in 43 minutes. Lottery pick Alexander hasn't even stepped onto the court yet.

Wizards' JaVale McGee

McGee did a decent job in his first game with 7 points in his first game against the Mavs, but he went for 20 points in his second. With Antawn Jamison's injury, his playing time could increase.

Magic's Courtney Lee

He didn't do much his first game. In the second game against the Bobcats, he had 9 points 4 rebounds and a steal on the night in a blowout win over the Bobcats.

Pacers' Roy Hibbert

Hibbert did good in 14 minutes of play with 6 points and 2 boards. He also got hit with a flagrant foul in the 105-71 loss to the Hornets.

Cavs' J.J. Hickson

He had a good debut with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and a block in 22 minutes. A solid start.

Thunder's Russell Westbrook

Westbrook had an okay debut with 13 points, 3 rebounds and assists each, but also had 5 TOs.

Warriors' Anthony Randolph

Randolph put up some good numbers. Six points and rebounds each along with 2 steals in 18 minutes. He also had 4 TOs. It got worse for him in his second game. He scored nothing in 10 minutes of play, getting only 3 rebounds 2 assists and a steal.

Raptors' Roko Ukic

The point guard made his debut against the Knicks after coming overseas. He had 7 points, 2 assists, a rebound and a steal.

Sixers' Marreese Speights

Speights played well in the Las Vegas Summer League. This game, he had 8 points, 2 boards and a steal in 19 minutes, but he also had 3 TOs.

Suns' Robin Lopez

Lopez didn't do well against the Hawks. He fouled out in 16 minutes, finishing with 5 points, a rebound and 2 TOs.

We'll see the best rookies of the year at the rookie game during All-Star Weekend in Phoenix this year. The starting line-up for the rookies look like it'll include at least Fernandez, Oden, Beasley and Mayo. In the second half of the season, who knows who could break out? It should be an exciting season watching to see which rookies shine.