The Kings, seeking a defensive veteran for the small forward position, took on Desmond Mason in advance of training camp. That didn't turn out so well: Mason has been beyond awful on offense (surprising no one who has watched Mason play at any point over the past four years) and didn't make much of a difference for the league's 29th ranked defense.Five games was enough for the Sacramento front office, as the team waived Mason a day after signing former Blazer and Spur Ime Udoka to a non-guaranteed minimum salary contract. Like Mason, Udoka is known for his defensive skill, having been signed as a sort of Bruce Bowen replacement two summers ago. That didn't really work out, and Udoka was left teamless for opening day after Portland waived the swingman at the end of the preseason.
Mason started Sacramento's first four games before Paul Westphal elevated Andres Nocioni to the spot Wednesday. Nocioni has created another problem: the Argentine veteran was arrested on suspicion of DUI in downtown Sacramento early Thursday morning. He has a court date Monday, and can expect a compulsory two-game suspension by the NBA at some point in the future (though potentially not until the start of next season).
Udoka is a year younger than Mason, which is to say Udoka is still a bit too old for the tastes of this Kings fan. The Kings boast a young roster, with three starters and five rotation players under the age of 23. Team star Kevin Martin is only 26, and Nocioni is the elder statesman of the starting five at 29.
Udoka does have a solid defensive reputation, and in his best pro season (2006-07 with Portland) he shot well from the corners. Martin (who was found to have a hairline fracture in his non-shooting wrist today, and as such could miss a few weeks) has really stepped up his defense this season, but the Kings continue to allow easy shots in the paint and too many open threes. Hopefully Udoka can help there.
