First game, not much change

I attended the first preseason game last night. Going in, I didn't expect to see much out of the Reggie Theus-led squad. I got what I came for.

I know it is the first game of the season and the team and new coaching staff have some "getting to know each other" to do but the Kings looked exactly the same against the Seattle Sonics. Miller has slimmed down a little and does look slightly quicker yes, but what I saw was one-on-one basketball and opposition scoring at will in the paint.

Sound familiar???

Mike Bibby looked as if he may focus on trying to run the team a little more this year instead of just scoring. Ron Artest did drive to the lane a few times but unfortunately, he still insists on shooting three pointers at the wrong time. Theus left his starters in a lot more than I expected, which did bode well for Kevin Martin who scored 27 points on limited minutes.

Martin, as he should be with 55 million in his pocket, is going to have an even better season this year. He looks as though he has bulked up a little and his shot is even smoother. He scored those 27 points on 11 shots and also said that he is expecting to get to the line at least eight times a game.

Another bright spot was Quincy Douby who has had a great off season and will likely get more minutes this year. He looked quick and his shot looked smooth and will really be a boost off the bench. He ran the point a few times and looked to be in control.

Mikki Moore looked awful.

The arena issue popped into my head, while sitting in the stands. This wasn't just a thought that randomly presented itself while staring off into space, I had a visual display of what the clunky Arco represents in this day in age. The whole row of seats in front of me unlatched and tilted forward with fans sitting in them! The fans were almost lifted off their backside and thrown to the ground. After regaining their balance the entire row continued to swing back and forth like a porch swing. Enough said. Let's get the new arena approved and get on track Kings fans!

Francisco Garcia did not play, but may play on Thursday against the Suns. Draft pick Spencer Hawes is having surgery during the pre season on his knee. He should be ready to go around the start of the season but will have some work to do to get prepared for the NBA.

The new kings kingdom

So Cal Expo is the new proposed site for an arena. The first thing that came to my mind is where is all that traffic going to go? After visions of that bottle neck on I-80 along Arden faded I realized I didn't care when it came down to it, as long as the Kings stay in Sacramento.

Measures R and Q failed mainly because the tax payers didn't want to fork the buck over, but another underlying theme was the debate between keeping the arena in Natomas or putting it downtown for the sake of traffic. That debate roared on and all the while I was begging for it to pass and assure a 30 year contract extension between the city and Maloofs. As you know, it didn't happen.

Now we have the NBA involved and from what it sounds like, they are going put a lot of their pocket book into the project. Because of this, I think we should let them put the arena anywhere they want and worry about the traffic when it comes. I know I could tolerate a little extra time to get in and out of a new arena if the Kings put together another championship run and my tax dollars were being used for other things such as schools.

Thought I feel that residents of Sacramento have become immune to the threats of the Kings leaving by now, I know for a fact everyone would breath a sigh of relief the minute that first shovel is dug into the ground by David Stern and the Kings open up the 2008-2009 season with a new world class facility. The traffic hurdles I am sure can be engineered to function but there is one remaining factor should Cal Expo be the spot for the Kings. Where is the fair going to be???

Oh fellow citizens of the Sacramanento area...are we ever happy?

In with the new..bring back the old?

Last week the Kings signed Kevin Martin to a five-year, $55 million deal. This is something I have been waiting for for a while now and I think it is a good move for the franchise.

Martin was the leading scorer for the team last season during his tour as a full time starter. I doubt he is going to be the player that a lot of fans want him to be (the next MJ) but he is a solid player that can benefit the team for years to come.

Most likely, Mike Bibby or Ron Artest will be gone by the end of this season and hopefully the Kings can lure a superstar to share the load with Martin.

Seeing his incremental improvements in play (he finished second in the contest for most improved player last season) have been fun and I hope he can keep it up.

As for the old...Doug Christie has been talking about making a return to the league. As much as I would like Doug to come back to Sacramento, it is highly improbable for him to play for any team in the league.

At 37 years old and a few major injuries later, Doug is likely a shadow of what he was during the "golden years" of the Kings. His supreme talent was defense and to be a solid defensive player you need speed and quickness. He isn't Reggie Miller who could just casually run up and down the court and shoot jumpers if he needed to (Miller has ended rumors that he will return to the NBA to play for the Boston Celtics).

The point is, Miller could do it because his talent was shooting three pointers, Doug's is stopping players like Kobe Bryant. The time away from the game, mixed with his injuries and his age are against him.

We miss you Doug, even with your crazy hand nod to your wife all game long, but you must remain a memory to us or forever tarnish your reputation.

To the new, let's do this K-MART!

Ron Artest eats ostrich testicles

No the headline isn't wrong or taken out of context, the man recently was fed ostrich testicles by native Africans.

"It tastes like pork," Artest said in an online interview.

This is one of the many things the Kings forward experienced on his recent summer trip to Kenya, Africa. He also viewed a completely different way of living, outside the world of basketball and rap music that is. In a recent interview released on the Kings Web site, Artest talks about African history, feeding those who are hungry, being attacked by a monkey and about watching the natives drink animal blood because "that's how they live."

The trip by Artest is refreshing from a fan's perspective, depending on what his intentions were. One would like to believe the man had a keen interest in heading over seas for the summer to get a glimpse at what life is like and how fortunate he really is to live a lavish life in the states. That is the hopeful and understand side of me. The other side of me wonders if it was a PR ploy by a man who is attempting to revamp his tarnished character.

Off court problems have continued to be Artest's problem throughout his career and even his life. I'm going to stick with the first option only because I want to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. He could quite possibly be a little mentally unbalanced but he has shown some signs of remorse and forgiveness (although the allegations against his wife and dogs are unacceptable if they are both completely true).

So let Ron go over to Africa with a Swahili translator and make a difference in some child's life, and at least try to imagine it being a sincere gesture. Apparently within three years he is going to get a park built over there for all of the children to use because "they have nothing to play with."

He is also opening an AIDS clinic in September as well as having a school named after him. PR stunt or not, the fact is he took the time and effort to make a difference in a country that is in dire need of financial and health assistance. For that, the troubled basketball star should be recognized.

To view the entire interview go here: http://www.nba.com/kings/features/Ron_Summer_2007.html

Falling to the basement

The Kings won't be seen too much by the rest of the country next season.

According to the NBA's 2007-2008 schedule, released Thursday, August 2., the team will only be on national television three times next season.

Two of those appearance likely won't even be watched because they are on NBA-TV. The only chance the country will have to view the Reggie Theus-led Kings will be on Nov. 9 on ESPN when they play the Eastern Conference champs Cleveland Cavs.

Don't take this too personally though. In the past, when a game has been on both national television and Channel 10 I watch the local broadcast anyway. There is something refreshing to watching Grant Napier and Jerry Reynolds make their goofy comments and spar back and forth. It is much more entertaining than listening to Charles Barkley on TNT rant about how Sacramento will never be good and that we are nothing without Chris Webber. Not to mention all of those graphics of him with a baby bib on or of his head on a fat white guy's body.

The lack of acknowledgment is a tad flustering however though for one reason; the fans. The NBA often touts the Sacramento fans as the most loyal and as the loudest. TNT will often have several takes that scan across the crowd during games and timeouts to show the rest of the NBA just how loyal we are. Apparently that isn't enough for rankings though.

To put this in perspective though consider this. The Memphis Grizzlies have the same amount of games on national television as the Kings but at least one of them is on TNT! The Cavs have over 30 nationally televised appearances scheduled for next season.

Yup folks, we have met the floor mat of the league but this shouldn't discourage us. Kevin Martin and the chance at rebuilding will keep the passion for purple thriving!

.....

It has been a few weeks now since any whispers have been made about next year's roster. Though I know there is plenty of time for moves to be made, time is ticking away and I am getting slightly concerned about the lineup next season.

Jeff Petrie has consistently said he thinks patience is the key, so this could be just me becoming too wary too soon. But what if my concern is real and no more changes are made? Is Reggie Theus a well-rounded enough coach to turn the dysfunctional group of last season into a positive winner?

I know that if I see Mike Bibby and Brad Miller both in the starting line up next season my hopes and dreams for a second round playoff birth will be shattered before the ball is tipped into play. Both have offensive talent yes, and are the two Kings players with the longest tenure, but come on someone has to play defense. I'm still waiting for Petrie to fulfill this dire need.

In all likelihood, Ron Artest will be back for lack of decent trade value. His defense is a need, but if Theus can't keep him under control we could be in for it again. There is always Kevin Martin to brunt the burden of the lack of offense. Martin will more than likely return as the team's leading scorer and could quite possibly be in all-star contention if a trade happens to put a few more pieces around him.

Let's hope something is done sooner than later so we can get pumped up again.

Until then all I have to say is ..........

Back In Black

If there is one thing that isn’t devastating to remember about that 2002 season when Robert Horry ruined our parade downtown, it must be the black.

Yes the black jerseys the Kings sported when they were on the road. They were sleek and solid and represented Sacramento well to other cities. These days the team is either draped in a light purple that isn’t far from Barney’s skin tone or those hideous gold things that look like a Vegas cocktail waitress’s outfit on a Wednesday night.

Maybe it was the idea that forgetting that shot by Horry and the shot they had at the title would be an easier accomplishment if the same uniforms were forever put to rest. I’m here to say, bring them back! They looked like champion jerseys and are far better than the options we have today.

Those gold jerseys are the second worst in the league behind the gold and black ones the Washington Wizards bring to the court every now and then. At least in their case, they get to have Gilbert Arenas putting up close to 50 a night. If the Kings had a player like that and a team that was capable of winning on a nightly basis, there would be no complaints from me about their attire. But here we are coming off a draft-worthy season and it just reminded me of how much I miss the black.

This isn’t to say I’m one of those fans I have often commented on. The ones who relish in the “golden years,” excuse the pun, and aren't willing to support the team unless Vlade comes back from retirement to slow up the center position even more. I just want our team to look sharp when we take the floor in LA and New York. If those gold uniforms are blinding the crowd it gives them one more reason to stick up their nose to our cow country.

I know the team is low on cash; the Maloofs are facing some hard economic times right now obviously (joke). If the team is trying to turn the corner and look to the future why not get a new identity? You don’t have to bring the exact same jerseys back from 2002 but something close would be cool. Put black jerseys with purple lettering on the troops, at least on the road. The home jerseys of white and purple aren’t all that bad but could use a few tweaks.

Just no more flashy gold, the team isn’t flashy…..yet.