NBA FanHouse

Kevin Martin Sidelined Indefinitely

Tom Ziller — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:13:00 EST

What a night for Kevin Martin. The dynamic guard for the Kings -- and currently the league's No. 3 scorer -- learned Thursday morning his sore wrist was actually a fractured navicular bone, a pretty brutal injury in terms of risk and recovery. Sources tell FanHouse Martin was strongly recommended by at least two doctors (including Sacramento's team doctor and a separate hand specialist) to undergo reparative surgery or to put the in a cast for 6-8 weeks. The franchise, however, left the decision to Martin, who kept a third option -- play through it wearing a soft cast -- open temporarily.

Martin told reporters he'd sleep on it and make a decision Friday. Sanity has prevailed over machismo, and Martin told the Sacramento Bee's Sam Amick today that playing with a soft cast has been ruled out. Martin will either put a hard cast on the arm, or undergo surgery.

A league insider with specific knowledge of Martin's injury tells FanHouse that doctors told Martin a navicular bone fracture which doesn't heal properly can lead to early onset arthritis, which tends to be problematic to a professional basketball player. Martin is signed with Sacramento through 2012. The Kings, currently 1-4, aren't expected to challenge for anything more notable than the No. 1 pick in the draft this season.

Martin suffered the fracture in Monday's home opener against Memphis. He finished that game with 48 points, and followed it up Wednesday with a 28-point, 11-rebound performance in a losing effort to Atlanta. That Martin played so well before knowing the severity of the injury likely contributed to the guard's consideration of putting off rehab and/or surgery.

Coach Paul Westphal has not announced who will start in place of Martin. The Kings signed Ime Udoka Wednesday, before Martin's MRI. Udoka, 32, has primarily played the two forward positions through his brief NBA career, but is sized like a two-guard. Westphal has attempted to feature rookie starting point guard Tyreke Evans in line-ups with Evans's predecessor Beno Udrih early this season, and that remains a possibility as well. The other option is rookie small forward Omri Casspi, who started in place of Martin for two preseason games.

Martin's actual backup -- fifth-year pro Francisco Garcia -- broke his shooting wrist in a freak exercise ball catastrophe during the preseason. Garcia isn't expected back on the court until February.

Kevin Martin Sidelined Indefinitely originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kings Swap Out Mason for Ime Udoka

Tom Ziller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, NBA Injuries, NBA Police Blotter, NBA Transactions

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.

Kings Swap Out Mason for Ime Udoka originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise

Rob Peterson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Spurs, NBA Videos

Looking back at the first week of the 2009-10 NBA season, someone missed a golden opportunity for a Halloween costume.

Wouldn't it have been great if two Lakers fans had gone as Shannon Brown and Josh Powell with the fan who was Brown holding onto a rim (a Nerf rim would have been fine) and sitting on Powell's shoulders?

"Whatever do you mean, Professor Stinkface?"

You know what I mean. Video after the jump.

Could you imagine the looks on people's faces if two guys walked into a party like that? Their faces would probably mirror the collective look on everyone's faces at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 when Brown yanked down a dunk so ferocious, so nasty we had wished Doug Collins had been announcing just so he could go all 2000 on us.

Just look at what Brown does in this video. He's at the top of the square when he lands on top of Powell's noggin. While Brown's ups are impressive, what's even more so is his timing. Remember, he's doing this off a long, missed 3-pointer. To measure the shot, the carom and then his steps? Incredible.

The four-letter network also was kind enough to do everything we would have done had we had the DVR running -- pause, slow mo, pause. The only thing they didn't do was rewind, and with the Mavericks up 12 at the time, they should have. No one would have complained. Except maybe Phil Mushnick.

Melo on Millsap

Poor Paul Millsap, he of the large contract and one more year of apprenticeship under Carlos Boozer. If riding the pine behind Boozer wasn't bad enough, Millsap suffered greviously when Carmelo Anthony unleashed all the fury of West Baltimore on his head.

Thanks to his own ill-advised and errant pass, Millsap was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Wednesday, Oct. 28 as Melo monster mashed in his mug.

'House's Brett Pollakoff covered this one quite well the night it happened and judging by the tweets, even Melo's peers couldn't help but ooh and ahh. I'll let it lay. You click the link and get your stink on.

Manu v. Bat

We've posted mulitple times on the Spurs' Manu Ginobili taking down the bat on Halloween night. And what the heck, we'll do it again because for the first time in NBA history we have "bat stinkface."

Don't believe me? As FanHouse NBA poobah Matt Watson pointed out, check out Kevin Martin's reaction at about 35 seconds. That's an epic flinch right there. It's tough to blame Martin, though. The bat was headed right for him and Manu saved him from multiple rabies shots. I think a thank you note or at least an iTunes gift card should be in the offing, don't you?

And finally...

A quick shout out to Alexe (or as he's known on YouTube as spankissimo) for not only responding to the first Stinkface post, but for being inspired enough by it to create this video, which went viral big time last week when multiple basketball blogs linked to it.

Congrats, Alexe. We look forward to more.

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Manu Ginobili Getting Up More Shots ... All Over His Body

Rob Peterson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Spurs, NBA Injuries

When it comes to protecting yourself from rabies, it seems as if hand sanitizer won't cut it.

San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili -- three-time NBA champ, Olympic gold medalist, NBA All-Star, exterminator extraordinaire and scourge of PETA -- has been required to get shots for rabies, the San Antonio Express-News reports, because of his quick reflexes and a chance encounter with a bat on Saturday night:

Ginobili took four shots Monday in the hip and arm, and he is scheduled for four more such sessions over the next month. "It was pretty funny at the time," Ginobili told the San Antonio Express-News. "Now it's not. I got like a million shots for rabies."

If you haevn't been living in a (bat) cave, you know by now a bat flew into the AT&T Center during the Spurs-Kings contest, causing a slight delay and more than a couple of freak-outs. Ginobili, in one of his best on-court moments since finding Robert Horry all alone at the 3-point line in overtime of Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals, swatted the bat to the court, scooped up his prey and handed it to a clearly skittish security guard.

What happened next was a matter of debate.

PETA thought it was dead, and they let the world know that Ginobili should have taken pity on the poor creature. But Ginobili didn't kill the bat. Turns out, he stunned it (and the crowd, who gave him a standing O for his Manu-a-mano defense), which is the reason he was getting precautionary rabies vaccinations.

Because someone released the bat into the wilds of central Texas, no one could do a test on the bat to see if it was carrying the disease. Hence, Ginobili will be subjected to series of shots for the next month. On Monday, he sported bandages covering the vaccinations.

"It wasn't so much fun," Ginobili told the Express-News. "But the bat survived. I'm fine. I'm not going to have rabies."

Phew! Though the thought of a rabid off guard caught the Spurs, well, off guard.

"Everybody was worried about H1N1," said Richard Jefferson to the Express-News. "Now you've got rabies to worry about."

Don't worry about swine flu, Richard. You have plenty of hand sanitizer for that.

Manu Ginobili Getting Up More Shots ... All Over His Body originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iranian and Israeli Players Could Face Off For First Time

Chris Tomasson — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:52:00 EST

Filed under: Grizzlies, Kings, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- Forget about a Tar Heel against a Dukie or a Kentucky Wildcat against a Louisville Cardinal. This is a lot different.

On Monday night in Sacramento, an Israeli player could face a player from a rival Middle East Muslim nation for the first time ever in the NBA.

Kings forward Omri Casspi is the first man from Israel ever to play in the NBA, and has three games under his belt. His team at Arco Arena next plays Memphis, which features center Hamed Haddadi, a second-year man from Iran.

Before his Grizzlies met Denver on Sunday night, Haddadi told FanHouse he never has faced an Israeli player on the court because teams from his Iran, which does not recognize the Jewish nation, are not allowed to play Israel. In 2005, Haddadi said his Iranian team was not allowed to go to Argentina for the 2005 FIBA World Championship for Young Men because of the possibility of Israel being an opponent.

But Haddadi has no problems with facing Casspi.

"It is just a sport,'' he said. "I don't know what happened with the two countries. I don't care. I just do my job. I don't think about politics ... I do not think what the two positions of Iran and Israel is.''

But Haddadi realizes the high-profile position he is in as an NBA player. In order to make a statement that this is indeed just sport, he was asked if he would shake Casspi's hand before the game.

"Why not? Which is his number? Haddadi said of Casspi, who wears No. 18. "I think it could be good (to make a positive statement).''

Casspi could not be reached Sunday. However, he was asked last July at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas about the possibility of facing Haddadi this season.

"It's not a problem for me,'' said Casspi, whose Kings and Haddadi's Grizzlies both were in the summer league but did not meet. "I don't know about him.''

There are players in the NBA from Turkey and Senegal, but both those nations have diplomatic relations with Israel. Iran is the world's only predominately Muslim country that has an NBA player and does not recognize Israel.

"As one of the biggest cliches regarding the Israel-Arab conflict would say, 'It's not the people of Israel and Iran who hate each other, it's the leaders,''' said Eran Soroka, basketball writer for the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv. "A lot of people emigrated from Iran to Israel during the last decades, and you can find Israeli and Iranian citizens dancing to the same music in clubs in, for example, Turkey. The NBA is also a frame which is completely different from the Middle East tension: Haddadi, for that matter, is an Americanized Iranian... He already accepted the challenge of playing for his country's nemesis (the United States).''

Tensions between Iran and Israel have risen in recent years due to Iran attempting to develop nuclear technology. Iran refers to Israel's government as the "Zionist regime'' and the land is referred to as "occupied territories.''

In 2006, Iranian president Mahmoud Admadinejad said he wanted to "wipe Israel off the map'' and was said to have called the Holocaust, Nazi German's extermination of 6 million Jews during World War II, a "myth.'' He later denied he made comments that the Holocaust did not happen.

Haddadi has tried to steer clear of all this.

"I don't want politics into sports,'' said Haddadi, 24. "I think it should be separated.''

In 2005, Haddadi learned the hard way that it isn't in Iran. He was ready to go to Argentina for international competition until the trip was abruptly canceled.

"We don't go to Argentina because (Israel was playing),'' Haddadi said. "I was young. I was (20). I didn't know about politics or anything. I can't say, 'I want to go to Argentina.''

But Haddadi opted to push politics aside at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Even though Iran insisted its representatives have no contact with Israelis, Haddadi was among Iranian players who shook hands with David Blatt, the Israeli coach of Russia's Olympic team. It happened after Russia easily beat Iran 71-49 in a first-round game.

"After the interview, I shake his hand,'' Haddadi said of the post-game media session. "I don't care. It is just sport.''

After the game, Blatt told Israel's Sports Channel, "That's the beauty of Olympic Games. They go beyond the issue of nationality. Only here can an Israeli coach shake hands with the players and coach of the Iranian team.''

But there hardly has always been harmony at the Olympics between Iranians and Israelis.

"The most famous cases happen in the Olympic games and big international tourneys,'' Soroka said. "In 2004, an Iranian, Arash Miresmaeili, was one of the surest bets for a gold medal (in judo), but then, the draw confronted him with Israeli Ehud Vaks. Arash withdrew (he officially was disqualified due to being overweight but it's generally believed that was intentional), and became a hero in the eyes of the Iranian leaders. Vaks won by forfeit.

"In Beijing 2008, swimmer Mohammad Alirezaei pulled out of a heat with Israeli Tom Be'eri because of (what Alirezaei claimed was) illness... This is the Iranian formal policy of athletes who represent that country. Haddadi is representing mainly the Memphis Grizzlies in (Monday's) game, I believe.''

There is plenty of international harmony in the NBA. The league announced last week that opening-day rosters feature a record-tying 83 international players from 36 countries.

It is no certainty Casspi and Haddadi, both reserves, will take the court at the same time Monday. Casspi is averaging 18.0 minutes in his three games while Haddadi is averaging 3.7 in Memphis' first three.

But the teams will meet again Nov. 23 in Memphis and March 22 in Sacramento.

"I don't know,'' Haddadi said when asked whether people in Iran will care if he plays against Casspi. "The government, they don't like to play (Israel in sports competitions).''

One thing is for sure. Like the Kings' previous three games, Monday's game will be watched closely on television in Israel even though it starts at 5 a.m. local time.

Hopefully, Casspi and Haddadi will shake hands before it begins. After all, it is just sport.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Iranian and Israeli Players Could Face Off For First Time originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu

Tom Herrera — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Spurs, NBA Videos

Manu Ginobili is many things: versatile guard, lover of alfajores, and now you can add "bat swatter" to his growing list of roles. As the Spurs and Kings played on Halloween night, someone had the bright idea to release a live bat at the AT&T Center. The bat tried to dive into Kevin Martin on a breakaway layup, and later delayed the game by flying low around the court before fluttering by Ginobili.

Bad move, bat. (Update: PETA Responds, Comparing Manu to Michael Vick. Seriously.)

An alert Ginobili tracked it and smacked the bat out of mid-air, then handed it off to arena staff as the crowd roared in applause. After getting a spray of hand sanitizer, the game proceeded as normal. Earlier in the game, the Spurs Coyote tried to corral the bat with a net, but all they really needed was Manu.

After the Spurs' victory, Ginobili had this to say: "I didn't think it was a big deal. Then the whole arena started chanting my name."

Added Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich: "He's never ceased to amaze me the years he's been here. ... He just did it again."

As Ball Don't Lie noted, this isn't the first time a flying creature stopped an NBA game. "Spirit," the Atlanta Hawks' real-life mascot, delayed a Hawks-Heat playoff game when it swooped down and perched on top of the backboard. One can only assume a hawk-bat hybrid straight out of Star Wars lore will be next to interrupt.

Curiously enough, Brett Pollakoff tried to snag some video of the Manu vs. bat showdown from the League Pass broadband DVR feature only to be denied by censorship. Hopefully no fines will be levied in the aftermath.

Update: On his Twitter page, Sam Amick of The Sacramento Bee provided this one-of-a-kind official Spurs injury report for the fallen bat.

Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ready or Not, Here 'Reke Comes

Tom Ziller — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:32:00 EST

Filed under: Hornets, Kings

Freaky Friday in NOLA. The greatest point guard in the world -- Chris Paul. A festive atmosphere, the home opener for the Hornets. Tyreke Evans, rookie point guard for the Sacramento Kings, had a big challenge ahead. Never mind he was coming off an underwhelming debut Wednesday in Oklahoma City. For the 20-year-old wolf in wolf's clothes, this was the proverbial uphill battle.

And though it didn't end with glass slippers or even confetti, Evans proved he belongs in the NBA.

Through 3-1/2 quarters, Evans matched Paul's play, which is saying something, because Paul was electric. Missing his ol' oop partner Tyson Chandler and relying on fewer snipers on the perimeter, Paul took matters into his own hands much of the game. He finished with 31 points. But 13 of those came in the final six minutes of the game, where Paul shredded Evans around picks and pressed the ball in transition to help the Hornets come from behind to secure the team's first win.

Until that six-minute mark, it was Evans leaving Paul in the dust. Until the final three minutes, Evans had racked up 22 points with Paul guarding him almost exclusively -- or trying, at least. At times 'Reke relied on high screens from Jason Thompson and Sean May. But more frequently, Evans toyed with Paul in an isolated high dribble, waiting for the perfect moment to blow by the All-Star for a layup or a dump pass. (These dump passes added up to little, as frequent receiver Thompson blew ungodly numbers of layups, shooting 4-of-16 for the night while taking only four shots outside of eight feet. This will not typically happen.)

Evans also avoided mistakes through most of the game ... until the final moments struck. In fairness to Evans, the rest of the Kings blew it as well: Kevin Martin, who shared J.T.'s paint misery all night, had a few poor plays in the last five Sacramento possessions, including a blocked three-pointer to seal the loss. The final result relegated Evans to footnote status, but have no doubt that during the game Evans vs. Paul was the story ... because 'Reke made it so.

You can tell Paul understood that. After the final buzzer, CP3 sought out Evans, hugged it out, and spoke in the youngster's ear for several moments. I have no idea what Paul told 'Reke, but I can only imagine it was a bit more than your standard welcome to the NBA. Anyone who watched Evans scorch the world's greatest point guard for 36 minutes of basketball has to believe Evans will be competing with Paul for attention in years to come.

Ready or Not, Here 'Reke Comes originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's What's Jumping Out of (NBA) Box

Matt Steinmetz — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:20:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, Bulls, Kings, Raptors, Wizards, NBA Last Night, Thunder

Couldn't help but notice some interesting box score lines from a busy Friday night of NBA games. Among them ...

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte: 4-for-20 from the field, 0 assists in 53 minutes. You almost have to try not to get an assist in that many minutes. And for what it's worth, five of Wallace's misses were actually blocked. To be fair, we'll mention Wallace's 15 rebounds, but even they come with a caveat. New York, the Bobcats' opponent, shot 38 percent from the field and the game went into double OT. In other words, there were plenty of misses.

Gilbert Arenas, Washington: 23 points on 9-for-22 from the field, 7 turnovers and 4 assists. Arenas made it look easy the other night when he had 29 points and nine assists in a win over Dallas. So ... maybe there are going to be some ups and downs for him.

Nick Young, Washington: 0-for-8 from the field in 12-plus minutes. It's not the eight misses we're focusing on, it's that he got up eight shots in little more than a quarter's worth of work.

John Salmons, Chicago: 2-for-14 from the field. To say Salmons is off to a terrible start shooting the ball is an understatement. He's now 5-for-29 from the floor through two games.

James Harden, Oklahoma City: 8 assists in 16-plus minutes. That's not bad for a two guard, especially when you're talking about a rookie.

Jose Calderon, Toronto: 3 assists and 3 turnovers in 34 minutes. Hey, it's just one game, but we're talking about a player here who had a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season and a 5-to-1 turnover-to-assist ratio two seasons ago. Is the fact the ball isn't going to be in Calderon's hands as much -- with Hedo Turkoglu on board -- going to be a factor?

Kevin Martin, Sacramento: 9-for-29 from the field. No excuse for taking that many shots ... unless you're knocking down more than half of them.

Jason Thompson, Sacramento: 4-for-16 from the field in 39 minutes. That kind of shooting really mitigates those six offensive rebounds.

Here's What's Jumping Out of (NBA) Box originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Omri Casspi Enters the History Books

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Euroleague, NBA Videos

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

When the Sacramento Kings opened the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this week, rookie Omri Casspi officially entered the NBA history books as the first Israeli player to play in the NBA. In his first game, Casspi looked good, dropping 15 points (7-9 from the field) in just 19 minutes of action. In this FanHouse video we talk to Caspi and several of his former teammates from Israel's champion Maccabi Tel Aviv. We also hear from Tony Gaffney, who now plays in Israel and worked out with Casspi all summer, about Casspi's competitive nature.

Check out the video after the jump.

Omri Casspi Enters the History Books originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mason Looking Like Kings' Starting SF

Matt Steinmetz — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, NBA Preseason

SACRAMENTO -- Sacramento Kings coach Paul Westphal continues to maintain he hasn't yet settled on a starting small forward. He talks of possibly using either Kevin Martin there or perhaps rookie Tyreke Evans.

But that's only if he decides to roll out a smaller lineup that would include Beno Udrih as the starting point guard. Westphal has even suggested that rookie Omri Casspi is in the mix, saying he likes Casspi's hustle and competitiveness.

And Westphal also claims he hasn't ruled out Andres Nocioni -- despite acknowledging that he likes Nocioni off the bench. But if you've been watching the Kings in the preseason, it's starting to seem apparent who's going to get the nod for the regular-season opener against Oklahoma City: Desmond Mason.

When asked if Mason was his starting small forward after the Kings defeated the Warriors 101-94 in a preseason game on Saturday, Westphal responded: "He was the last two games. Let's see where it goes."

The small forward free-for-all was brought on by the fluke forearm injury to Francisco Garcia, who is expected to be out approximately four months. After missing the first two preseason games because of a bad back, Mason has begun to assume the starter's mantle.

"I don't really like to change (starting lineups) too much depending on opponents," Westphal said. "Doesn't mean that we might not be forced to do that in some respects. But every first quarter we've played with Desmond starting has been an excellent first quarter."

What Westphal likes most about Mason is that he's found a way to contribute despite shooting poorly from the field in his two games. Mason is just 2-for-13 in the preseason, but it's all the other stuff that seems to be winning him the job.

After Saturday's win, Westphal was quick to point out that he liked the job Mason did on Warriors' forward Corey Maggette in the fourth quarter.

"He's a proven pro and he gives us a defensive presence at several positions," Westphal said. "I like what I've seen a lot."

Which is what Westphal also says about Casspi, the raw and excitable rookie who wasn't afraid to take on the Stephen Jackson challenge. Casspi played a role in Jackson's 6-for-19 shooting performance and didn't seem out of place with some back-and-forth chippiness.

"He came in and was instrumental in getting this win," Westphal said. "He was tentative a few times, got a few sloppy traveling calls, but I like the way he keeps coming back. He's getting better all the time. What the future holds with the development of that spot, who knows? But I kind of liked the rotation tonight."

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Mason Looking Like Kings' Starting SF originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Francisco Garcia's Ball Pops, Causes Broken Arm and a 4-Month Absence

Tom Ziller — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, NBA Injuries

The Kings, as the myths go, are cursed. There's a tale locally that ARCO Arena was built on an Indian burial ground, but the same could probably be said for any number of Costcos or housing developments in the area and you don't see stuff like this happened to anyone outside the Purple and White jerseys.

By "stuff like this," of course, I mean "wrist fractures when the exercise ball you're lifting weights on explodes." That's what will cause Kings wing Francisco Garcia to miss the next four months of action.

The first word Friday had Garcia with a fractured arm after a weightlifting mishap. Then the Kings reported that there was an equipment failure. And then it went public that the equipment which malfunctioned was an exercise ball. Garcia had been lifting hand weights (with a spotter, the Kings insist) while laying on the exercise ball. You see this commonly at civilian gyms -- balancing on the ball helps keep the core muscles of the midsection tense during the lifts.

But there's a secret danger, as Garcia has learned. Eddy Curry had a similar experience last fall, though the Knick's situation could be termed "user error" as Curry's ball popped as soon as he sat on it. Curry suffered only a scrape. Garcia was not so lucky.

There's no word on whether Garcia's ball was properly inflated, how old it was, or whether the Kings will investigate legal action against the (heretofore unknown) manufacturer. Garcia's $30-million, five-year contract goes into effect this season. Garcia missed a portion of last season with a torn wrist ligament. He also broke his finger late in the season, but played through the injury. He then re-aggravated the finger injury during the FIBA Americas Championship in August, causing Garcia to miss two vital games for his Dominican Republic team. The D.R. just missed out on qualifying for the 2010 FIBA World Championships.

Garcia has started at small forward in both of Sacramento's preseason games, and was expected to compete with Desmond Mason for the job in the regular season. With this injury, it seems likely that Mason will be the starter, with Andres Nocioni backing up both forward positions and either Omri Casspi and Donte Greene rounding out the small forward rotation. Garcia had also been considered the primary back-up for shooting guard Kevin Martin. You can expect some double point guard line-ups with Beno Udrih and rookie starter Tyreke Evans in Garcia's stead.

Garcia is the team's best deep threat other than Martin, and a valuable ball-handler. Garcia's point guard skills (which he displayed in a Final Four run for Louisville in 2005) would have been particularly helpful for Evans, who has a lot on his plate this season.

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 10: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dunks in front of Marcus Thornton #5 New Orleans Hornets during a pre-season game on October 10, 2009 at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Russell Westbrook;Marcus Thornton

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Phoenix Suns' Louis Amundson, right, shoots as Golden State Warriors' Andris Biedrins defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Indian Wells, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Francis Specker)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) and teammate Shaun Pruitt (55) grab the rebound away from Phoenix Suns' Goran Dragic during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Indian Wells, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Francis Specker)

Golden State Warriors' Anthony Morrow, left, pushes off Phoenix Suns' Leandro Barbosa during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Indian Wells, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Francis Specker)

Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash, right, drives to the basket past Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Indian Wells, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. The game is being played outdoors at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. (AP Photo/Francis Specker)

Spectators watch the Golden State Warriors play the Phoenix Suns during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Indian Wells, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. The game is being played outdoors at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. (AP Photo/Francis Specker)

Milwaukee Bucks guard Charlie Bell and center Andrew Bogut joke around in the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. Milwaukee won 98-86. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Hakim Warrick, top, gets caught up with Chicago Bulls defends while going after a rebound in the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. Milwaukee won 98-86. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, right, shoot over Milwaukee Bucks forward Hakim Warrick in the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. Milwaukee won 98-86. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich (12) shoot over the defense of Milwaukee Bucks center Kurt Thomas (40) and guard Luke Ridnour (13) in the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. Milwaukee won 98-86. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) tries to defend Chicago Bulls forward Derrick Byars (7) in the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. Milwaukee won 98-86. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Francisco Garcia's Ball Pops, Causes Broken Arm and a 4-Month Absence originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player to Watch: Spencer Hawes

Tom Ziller — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kings

FanHouse previews a player to watch from each NBA team in advance of the 2009-10 season.

Spencer Hawes is many things to many people. Well, perhaps I should say the name "Spencer Hawes" is many things to many people. Folks who won't watch a losing team remember the skinny, pale kid (pre-Sunset Tan!) of the 2007 draft, and imagine another Chris Mihm-Todd Fuller-Raef LaFrentz-Paul Davis Great White Stiff. But Hawes isn't that.

Others remember the news that Hawes was a big (huge!) George W. Bush fan at the time it was least popular to be one, driving a car emblazoned with a W sticker around Seattle, a town where W stickers were not particularly popular. And so Hawes becomes a caricature, the prototypical big, white, conservative lug who can't get along with teammates.

Still others look at Big Spencer and see a future NBA Talisman, and evolutionary pivot whose name will demarcate avenues all over the world when his career ends. If you think this subset of the population is filled with lunatics, this post may not be for you.

The skinny, pale kid is a smooth, lean Man now. I mentioned Sunset Tan, but it bears repeating: Spencer Hawes made a guest appearance on Sunset Tan! Also, he has been photographed chilling with rapper Juelz Santana. This is not your typical lily white hard-ass, a la old mentor Brad Miller. This is the new White NBA Star, in the mold of Luke Walton rather than Chris Kaman.

That's all just personal style: his game is different, too. And I'm about to get a little superlative, a little out on Planet Neptune. You should know, if you already do not, that I am a Kings fan. I live on Hope and Nostalgia. If you take my Hope, dammit, I'm going to starve. So be kind. Please.

Hawes is young -- he turned 21 after last season ended. As such, it's hard to grade him out: so few comparable players were playing substantial NBA minutes at age 20. (This is further compounded by the fact that to be a 20-year-old 7-footer playing major minutes, you must have S.T.A.R. written all over your scouting report. I can't exactly toss a Patrick O'Bryant into an analysis, you know?)

So I took the three closest matches my brain could conjure. The rules: slim 7-footers who can shoot and also do center/power forward duties, and who played major minutes at age 20 or 21. I came up with Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki and Andrea Bargnani. (I would have included the aforementioned LaFrentz, but he got no burn until age 23.)

Gasol is a bit of a concession, as he doesn't shoot threes often, unlike the others. But Pau's age 21 statistics are fairly close to Hawes's age 20 statistics, so I felt he merited inclusion. It's not like we're writing canon here. (Or are we?)

First, let's measure Hawes against the others with good ol' box score entries. I adjusted everything to a "per 36 minutes" number to get apples and apples. It should also be noted here that Hawes was in his second season, while the others were in their rookie year at these ages (age 20 for Dirk, age 21 for Gasol and Bargnani). The three international players did have overseas professional experience, though.

As we can we see, Hawes lags the others in per-minute scoring, but is the best rebounder of the bunch, and trails only Gasol slightly in per-minute assists and blocks. Like Pau, the combination of rebounding and passing skill is impressive.

But a knock on Hawes has been his shooting touch: he gets points, but not efficiently. How does his shape up there?

Again, Hawes lags only Gasol in two-point shooting at this stage. Hawes's interior shooting improved as the season went on last year: after the All-Star break, Hawes shot 53.8% on two-point attempts. His post work, while pretty, is still inefficient -- he thinks he has a hook, but it rarely goes down. His best bet is usually to face up and fire an unblockable 15+ foot "jumper." (He doesn't jump on 15-footers.) Or, he can hang out around the perimeter, where he hits threes at a far greater clip than Dirk did at this age (though Bargnani, who is now one of the league's most accurate deep shooters, was better).

But the face-up jumper and the perimeter play have drawbacks. You can see a glimpse in the True Shooting percentage comparison. True Shooting is a composite shooting score that is basically the equivalent of "points per shooting possession," taking into account twos, threes and trips to the free throw line. Hawes is second among this group in two-point shooting and three-point shooting, yet his TS% registered a good deal lower than Gasol and Bargnani. Which can only mean ...

The free throw line is not Hawes's friend, for two reasons. First of all, he never gets there! Hawes has drawn a shockingly low number of free throws as a pro. When he gets to the line, he inexplicably misses them, shooting just 66.2% from the stripe last season. We're used to centers -- Shaq, Duncan, Dwight -- suffering at the line. But those centers don't have legit three-point range! Seven-foot gunners should be able to nail free throws. It wouldn't have made a huge difference here if Hawes had made a higher percentage of freebies. The bigger problem is how few fouls he draws. But if Hawes somehow improves his foul-drawing, it will be problematic if he does not also improve his FT shooting percentage.

That lack of made free throws really affects Hawes's scoring and True Shooting percentage. And, obviously, it could affect the Kings ... if they didn't have one of the top foul-drawing shooting guards in the galaxy (Kevin Martin), a rookie who figures to live at the line (Tyreke Evans) and a frontcourt mate who draws an exceptional number of fouls for a non-notorious, mostly anonymous youngster (Jason Thompson). The Kings might not actually need Hawes to draw fouls too much in order for the offense to be solid in that category. It wouldn't hurt, of course, but if increased foul-drawing hurts any other part of his game, it might not be worth it.

Even if it means ceding "Myth of the Next Pau" or "Myth of the Next Dirk" ground to that Italian magician up in Toronto. Hawes has his own name to make anyway.

Player to Watch: Spencer Hawes originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: Kings

Tom Ziller — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, NBA Preseason, NBA Previews

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

Every season, the NBA is filled with a few abjectly awful teams. These squads trudge through their affairs, offering spirit in infrequent spurts while otherwise counting down the days until summer vacation. You take bad players and strip their motivation, their energy ... and it's ugly quickly.

And somehow, the Kings were even worse than that.

Sacramento sold off two of its five best players at midseason, shedding the better (John Salmons) to lose the onerous 2009-10 contract of the lesser (Brad Miller). The Kings were the worst team in the league with Salmons and Miller; the pair was replaced in the starting line-up by Francisco Garcia (a poor man's Salmons, awkwardly) and Spencer Hawes (a poor man's Miller, doubly awkwardly).

The Hawes ascension wasn't bemoaned -- in fact, the opportunity to free Hawes (and free up some to-be-unused cap space) came with the cost of Salmons, who performed well as an Alpha character while team star Kevin Martin nursed a bashed ankle through the winter. Hawes did well once Miller moved, but promoting Hawes left a hole in the corps of frontcourt reserves. Kenny Natt, who mercifully replaced an overmatched Reggie Theus yet somehow became the definitive definition of overmatched himself, ignored midseason acquisition Ike Diogu until the final week of the season. Diogu certainly could have filled the gaping gap behind Hawes and Jason Thompson, and perhaps that result would have gotten Sacramento to 19 or 20 wins. A boy can dream, yes?

Obviously, wholescale change is in order after such a disaster. However, the Kings had already traded or cut everyone they could: Salmons and Miller went to Chicago in February, while Bobby Brown and Shelden Williams were sent to Minnesota for Rashad McCants (who has since become a free agent) and Calvin Booth (who has since joined a cult devoted to the art of the German Expressionists). Sacramento cut Quincy Douby and bought out Mikki Moore before the season ended, and let Diogu scat off to New Orleans. Change basically came in three forms: hiring a new coach (apparently scarlet-lettered Paul Westphal), drafting some excitement (Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman), and ... well, let's say there was a serious antibiotic scrub at the start of training camp for all returning Kings. Can't be bringing the Desperately Awful virus back to the gym.

How will all the change shake out? Westphal can obviously coach -- he's been to the NBA Finals, and even took Jordan's Bulls to six games. It wasn't apparent that Theus could be an effective NBA head coach, and I'd argue it was rather apparent Natt cannot be an effective NBA head coach. Evans will start at point guard for the Kings in the team's preseason opener. While analysts and fans are split on whether Evans can play the position long-term, the Kings need more energy, more power and more talent than Beno Udrih offered last season. Evans should offer all three. As you'll read in our Player to Watch piece, the Kings desperately need big things from Big Hawes to get back on course. Hawes is a bit of an enigma, while Thompson is expected to produce solid results every night. The Kings will take that while praying Hawes, he of many rare skills, can occasionally offer superlative performances.

And of course, there's Martin, he of the stunning and shocking offense, racking up points and points on so few shots. Any analyst or fan chiding Martin for a lack of health last season might need to be reminded how hard the task Martin faces every night is -- before accounting for the fact one leg was borderline unusuable for basketball purposes for 90 percent of last season. Martin's injury is not chronic and he has lit up the gym during camp. He'll be ready, and Praygod he'll avoid misfortune. If he does, the Kings at least have a chance at not being completely and utterly disgusting. And a chance is all I can ask for.

Last Season By the Numbers

Record: 17-65 (6-18 under Reggie Theus, 11-47 under Kenny Natt). Finished 5th in the Pacific Division, 15th in the Western Conference.

Offense: 105.5 points per 100 possessions, 25th in the NBA. 22nd in shooting, 25th in turnover rate, 26th in offensive rebounding, 5th in free throw rate.

Defense: 114.7 points per 100 possessions, 30th in the NBA. 28th in shooting defense, 16th in opponent turnover rate, 29th in defensive rebounding, 27th in opponent free throw rate.

Top Performers: Kevin Martin scored 24.6 points per game. No other player who finished the season with the Kings scored more than 14 points a game with Sacramento. Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes each averaged just more than 7 rebounds per game. Beno Udrih averaged 4.7 assists per game; no other player who finished the season with Kings averaged as many as three assists per game. Martin (19.2) was the only guy in Kings purple at season's end with a PER better than average, though Rashad McCants finished at 17.2 in fairly limited minutes.

All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.

Player to Watch

FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Ziller's post on Kings center Spencer Hawes.

Still others look at Big Spencer and see a future NBA Talisman, and evolutionary pivot whose name will demarcate avenues all over the world when his career ends. If you think this subset of the population is filled with lunatics, this post may not be for you.

The skinny, pale kid is a smooth, lean Man now. I mentioned Sunset Tan, but it bears repeating: Spencer Hawes made a guest appearance on Sunset Tan! Also, he has been photographed chilling with rapper Juelz Santana. This is not your typical lily white hard-ass, a la old mentor Brad Miller. This is the new White NBA Star, in the mold of Luke Walton rather than Chris Kaman.

See Ziller's full post on Hawes.

Offseason Tracker

IN: Tyreke Evans (draft), Omri Casspi (draft), Jon Brockman (draft), Sergio Rodriguez (trade), Sean May (free agency), Desmond Mason (free agency).

OUT: Rashad McCants (free agency), Ike Diogu (free agency).

FanHouse Preview: Kings originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kings Won't Be Next Team to Relocate

Tom Ziller — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Kings

You can sum up the nearly decade-long Sacramento arena crisis much like you can sum up the existence of the Sacramento Kings these days: long stretches of boredom spliced intermittently with bits of deep panic. ARCO Arena is busted, as the Maloofs have been saying since 2001, and the city is no closer to a new gym than it was then.

Every now and then, progress looks so far off that someone -- an agent of the Maloofs, a mayor, a bunch of fans -- cranks up the wailing and the Evil Advent Calendar begins its countdown to a relocation. The Maloofs, at this point, actually have good reason to yell "Fire!" as the latest plan (hatched by the NBA itself) isn't making progress.

But to the shock of nearly all, the Maloofs have done the completely opposite: they have assured Sacramento the Kings will remain in town for the long haul.

Last spring, the NBA unveiled a plan to build a new arena at the site called Cal Expo, also known as the annual host of the California State Fair (and the more-than-occasional RV/gun/doll/garden/Phish show). The economy didn't exactly cooperate with the NBA's timing, and developers, while impressed with the plan, have told the league that it can't happen until the region is back on track.

Given that NBA representative John Moag said he'd be looking for progress within a year, and that the region's economy is expected to be in the tank until 2011 at the earliest, and that a year from the unveiling is early 2010, and that the deadline to apply for relocation in the NBA is in the spring ... you can see why the panic spread. And why it became imperative for reporters to hover around Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof Wednesday.

Maloof's answer to whether a relocation app would be filed is ... refreshing. The Sacramento Bee:

"No, no, no. There's no way," Maloof told The Bee Wednesday, waving his arms emphatically. "We love the market. We love our fans. This is the only place we want to be."

The Maloof reputation isn't impeccable, but the family has been seen as trustworthy. I feel confident in believing that quote, and -- given time -- the league should be able to get something done. (This is the NBA, after all.) We just need to wait.

Considering how the product on the court has gone over the past three seasons, a return on this issue to boredom rather than panic ... that sounds good to me.

Kings Won't Be Next Team to Relocate originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kings' Beno Udrih Blames Coaching For 17-Win Season

Tom Ziller — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:42:00 EST

Filed under: Kings

A lot of Kings fans, myself included, spent the 2008-09 season bemoaning the inability of Sacramento starting point guard Beno Udrih to cleanly pass the ball. But let me assure you: Beno has no problem passing the blame.

A candid, borderline cheerful Beno discussed the abominable 17-win season with Sacramento media Monday. And his opinion on what went wrong was impossible to misinterpret: blame coaches Reggie Theus and Kenny Natt.

"Sometimes last season, I didn't know if I was a small forward or a point guard," the 6'3 Udrih said. "We were definitely confused. We didn't have roles."

The Kings signed Udrih to a five-year, $30 million extension before the 2008-09 season kicked off. Udrih had joined Sacramento as a minimum salary free agent the season prior when Mike Bibby went down with a sprained thumb and the back-up plan at the point guard position -- current New Zealand league stud Orien Greene and swingman Francisco Garcia -- didn't work out. The fan and media perception was that after inking his big contract, Udrih lost the fire that drove his solid 2007-08 Kings debut.

But Udrih insisted Monday that coaches never really put the team -- or the ball -- in his hands.

"As a point guard, am I just supposed to dribble past half-court and pass the ball? That's how it happened, because everyone wanted the ball, and the coach didn't set roles," Udrih said. "Coaches have to set roles."

The point guard made a point to note how differently the team under Theus -- who was fired in December -- and rookie coach Natt had been run in comparison with the Spurs teams coached by Gregg Popovich Udrih played with to open his NBA career. Udrih never seemed sentimental about his time in San Antonio, where he clashed with Popovich over minutes, until experiencing the dread of a cellar-dwelling team.

Udrih missed out on Eurobasket due to an injury suffered during tournament preparations. His Slovenian team qualified for the 2010 FIBA World Championships. Udrih said Kings medical staff checked out his knee Monday morning, and everything came up roses.

He hardly seems ready to relinquish the starting point guard role believed to be the birthright of rookie Tyreke Evans. In fact, he hardly seemed ready to admit Evans is even a full-time point guard.

"I just see Sergio [Rodriguez] and I as being the real point guards, the pure point guards," Udrih said. "I see Tyreke as playing the one and the two, as a combination." Kings coach Paul Westphal wouldn't commit to a starter at the position, though Evans starting at point guard during Vegas Summer League and Kevin Martin is the incumbent at two-guard.

Kings' Beno Udrih Blames Coaching For 17-Win Season originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: '87 Lakers Sprint to 29-0 Lead Over Kings

Tom Ziller — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Lakers

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Monday, there are 29 days remaining.

The Lakers finished roughly 403 games in front of my beloved Kings last season. But hey, I'm used to it. The Lakers have been sticking it to Sacramento for a long, long time. And one could argue the 2008-09 Kings got off easy. At least compared to the 1986-87 Kings.

That bunch, led by Reggie Theus and Otis Thorpe, suffered utter humiliation in L.A. on February 4, 1987. The Showtime Lakers ran out to an amazing 29-0 lead in the first quarter. Derek Smith finally ended the drought with a pair of free throws late in the quarter, leading to something more amazing: a standing ovation from the Forum crowd ... for the visitors.

Thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can see the full first quarter (Part I, Part II). (Sorry, it's not embeddable.) As a tolerant Kings fan, I have reached the acceptance phase, and I can appreciate all the hilarity of these clips ... including the shutting of the refrigerator door halfway through the first quarter.

Kings coach Phil Johnson (now a longtime Jerry Sloan assistant) got canned after this game (an eventual 36-point loss -- hey, the Kings played 'em even after the first quarter!). Sacramento finished the season with 29 wins, and the Lakers finished the season winning the Larry O'Brien. (Life just isn't fair.)

Tip-Off Timer: '87 Lakers Sprint to 29-0 Lead Over Kings originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three Teams Cheaper Than the Grizzlies

Tom Ziller — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Grizzlies, Kings, Trail Blazers, Thunder

I, among others, have given Michael Heisley and the Memphis Grizzlies some gruff over the franchise's thrift this summer. While the team did take on Zach Randolph's hefty contract and eventually signed Allen Iverson, the perception remains that the Grizz exist only to suck the lives out of anxious prospects and to serve as financial lubricant for the rest of the NBA.

Part of that is, unfortunately, still valid. But with the acquisition of A.I., the Grizzlies find themselves at the threshold of the salary cap. Memphis will no longer be able to help the teams in contention execute swaps as a third party.

Luckily, three teams remain under the cap -- yes, three teams actually look to be cheaper than the Grizzlies this season. Check them out, after the jump.

Oklahoma City Thunder. Barring a major trade or an offer sheet to someone like David Lee, OKC will enter the season with the cheapest payroll in the land. (That's probably good, considering the financial trouble lead owner Clay Bennett has had over the past year.) According to ShamSports (the most trustworthy contract repository on the web), the Thunder have $50.7 million in payroll locked up this season. No Thunder player will be paid more than Etan Thomas's $7.9 million. The projected starting five -- Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic -- will earn a combined $21 million. (By comparison, Boston's starting five will make $61.7 million next season.)

The Thunder are still two seasons away from writing a massive check to Durant. He is eligible to negotiate a contract extension next July, but such an extension would not take effect until the 2011-12 season. OKC is being tagged as a playoff contender in the West this season.

Sacramento Kings. The Kings, however, are not being tagged as a playoff contender in the West this season. Sacramento expects to have the second lowest payroll in the NBA this season, currently tabbed at $52.3 million with second-round pick Jon Brockman still officially unsigned. (When -- not if, when -- he does sign, he'll only add roughly $500,000-$800,000 to the ledger.) Sacramento also expects to have something like 25 wins, an improvement over the 17 wins of 2008-09, but still way far off the rat race.

It remains to be seen what will make the Kings spend, and when. There's the idea the team is seeing what happens with the Tyreke Evans/Kevin Martin pairing, and is waiting to find out if Spencer Hawes and/or Jason Thompson will provide what the team needs long-term, and that the franchise will adjust (with its checkbook) from there. That could take longer than one season to sort out, so here's an opinion that the Kings may not actually be ready to spend in the summer of 2010, and that this team could be back on this list this time next year.

Portland Trail Blazers. It amazes me that Portland, which spent its entire free agency period trying to give away money, ends up with what will be the third lowest payroll this season. What's better is that this team is a legit NBA title contender. Darius Miles will take up the biggest chunk of salary this season -- yes, if not for the Miles stint in Memphis, the Blazers would have had an additional $9 million to fritter under the cap this July -- with Brandon Roy's payday waiting until 2009-10.

All told, the Blazers are in incredibly reasonable position in 2009-10 in terms of salary, too. The team won't likely be under the cap next July, as the extensions for Roy and (perhaps) LaMarcus Aldridge kick in. But the team won't be anywhere near the tax line either. Only Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake will be free agents come next summer, and the team should be able to deal with him (extensions or replacements) without breaking the bank.

This is all to say that the Blazers may be the most brilliantly run franchise in the NBA right now. A team that costs less than the Memphis Grizzlies and might win 60 games? Unbelievable.

Three Teams Cheaper Than the Grizzlies originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mikki Moore Still Hearts Sacramento

Matt Steinmetz — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Warriors

OAKLAND -- You already know that Mikki Moore is a little bit different, what with the hair and the snake collection and the playing of the drums and the restoring of vintage cars and all that.

But he proved it again on Wednesday when he was in the Bay Area to sign his one-year contract with the Warriors. During an interview he was asked about that other Northern California NBA team he played for: the Sacramento Kings.

Real quick, some background ... Moore was touched by the basketball gods last season when he was waived by the Kings on Feb. 19, then signed by the Boston Celtics less than a week later. That means he went from the worst team in the league to the defending NBA champs.

What a stroke of good fortune, right? What a blessing, no? Well, not exactly.

"It was tough," Moore said of the transition. "I had to leave Sac. To this day, I still do feel like they're my brothers. I've never walked out on anyone when the times get hard, and we were struggling.

"The young guys were trying to learn their roles. We had coaching changes. Some of the older guys were ready to get out because the organization was changing. It was hard for me to go from that group of guys to a group of guys who were already into it. They had just won a championship the year before so I was on the outside looking in."

But still ... c'mon. We're talking the difference between the Kings and Celtics here.

"It was very difficult," Moore countered. "But God works in mysterious ways. It taught me a lot. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I'm trying to bring forth that and what I've learned from that situation to the Warriors."

Moore signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Kings in the summer of 2007, by far the biggest contract he has received during his NBA career. But the last year wasn't fully guaranteed. So when the Kings waived him, there went $4 million.

"I've always fought through the hard times," Moore said. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't have left Sac. It's just the guys, the guys and the fans there ... they're great."

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Mikki Moore Still Hearts Sacramento originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bucks' Mbah a Moute Proves NBA Outreach Really Does Matter

Tom Ziller — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: Bucks, Kings, NBA Fans

When Luc Richard Mbah a Moute meets Africa's top youth players in Johannesburg Wednesday, he'll understand their anxiety and their hopes. Just six years ago, Mbah a Moute was in their shoes.

The Bucks forward is with an NBA contingent in South Africa this week as part of the Basketball Without Borders program. Cameroon native Mbah a Moute has joined Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki and others on the sojourn to lead a group of 60 top African youth players in five days of basketball clinics and life-skills seminars.

In the summer of 2003, a 17-year-old Mbah a Moute was one of those campers. He credits the program with helping him get to the NBA.

Mbah a Moute said while he had watched Michael Jordan rule basketball in the 1990s, the Africa 100 program (which became Basketball Without Borders) brought the NBA into his immediate consciousness.

"It meant so much to us, to see and touch NBA players," Mbah a Moute told FanHouse before departing for Johannesburg. Among the NBA players appearing at the 2003 camp were Senegal's DeSagana Diop, Cameroon's Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje and, of course, Congolese legend Dikembe Mutombo.

Though Mbah a Moute didn't play organized basketball until age 15, the sport was a part of his life from a young age. He'd get up early to watch Chicago Bulls games; like so many children of the '90s (myself included), Luc was enamored with MJ. The soaring leaps, the smooth shot, the ferocious energy.

But the success of Mutombo and Hakeem Olajuwon made the NBA dreams of youngsters from all corners of Africa seem a bit more tangible. That's what Mbah a Moute hopes to offer in Johannesburg this week.

"I just want to bring hope, that if a kid like me can do it, so can they," he said.

Further east, some 48 youth players in Indonesia were recently given the same sort of pep talk, albeit from a non-native player. Indonesia has never produced an NBA player. But that didn't stop the players at the Indonesia Development Camp, put on by the DetEksi Basketball League and NBA Asia, from embracing Kings star Kevin Martin as one of their own.

Martin arrived in Surabaya, Indonesia, in time for the championship game of the DBL, which is Indonesia's top student league. DBL commissioner Azrul Ananda said the 5,000 fans in attendance greeted Martin by chanting his name.

For his part, Martin returned the love. The King, who brought his 75-year-old grandmother Maxine on the trip, ended the development camp by donating his $15,000 NBA stipend back to the DBL to help pay for the students' trip to a competition in Perth, Australia.

These events may not register on fans' radars -- sure, we see the NBA Cares promos and we watch stars hand charities oversized checks during All-Star weekend. I'm sure most of us roll our eyes. "With all that money, you're supposed to give back."

But this outreach really does amazing things for kids all over the world. Ask Mbah a Moute. Ask the kids of the DBL.

Bucks' Mbah a Moute Proves NBA Outreach Really Does Matter originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sacramento's Struggles Won't Slow Down Kevin Martin's Rise

Tim Povtak — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Kings

BRADENTON, Fla. - It's not easy being the best player on the worst team in the league.

It's why Sacramento guard Kevin Martin is wearing blinders this summer -- looking only straight ahead.

"All the losing is tough -- it wears on you -- but this time of year I try not to worry about things I don't control,'' he said. "What I can control is that I can become a better player every summer by working at it.''

Martin, going into his sixth NBA season, has grown into one of the better shooting guards in the Western Conference, a borderline All-Star, but he spent much of last season as the King's punching bag, being criticized for his role in the fall of the franchise.

They won 17 games, fewest in franchise history.

Martin averaged a career best 24.6 points last season -- his scoring output has increased each year in the league -- but he missed 31 games with a bad left ankle, leaving him open to questions about his toughness and commitment.

He scored 50 points in his season finale, an overtime loss to Golden State, but he sat out the Kings last eight games, concerned that his ankle wasn't healing properly.

Martin looked healthy this week during workouts at the IMG Academy, where he has spent time every summer for the last eight years. He sounded enthused about returning to Sacramento for another season, but even he admitted it's tough to be too excited about the Kings chances.

They added first-round picks Tyreke Evans (4th pick from Memphis) and Omri Casspi (23rd pick from Israel), but it is difficult to envision them being anywhere but near the bottom again in the Western Conference. The Kings are preaching patience to their fans, that the building process will be painful. They won't have any room under the salary cap to sign a high-profile free agent until next summer.

"I understand that people sometime don't want to be part of something that takes awhile, but hopefully, we've already hit bottom,'' Martin said. "My first couple years in the league, we were fighting for playoff spots. Now, you've just got to adjust the way you look at things. We've got some nice young players. I have to help them get better.''

Martin is genuinely excited about the Kings coaching change. Veteran Paul Westphal will be his fifth coach in six seasons. Martin will be entering the third year of his five-year, $53 million contract.

"I'm not going to be critical. I'm a professional,'' he said. "I love being in Sacramento, taking this ride. Nothing is going to come in the way of getting better. Sure, you want to speed up the process. You don't want to be scoring for no reason.''

Sacramento's Struggles Won't Slow Down Kevin Martin's Rise originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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