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Ailene Voisin: Criticism of bench fires up Songaila
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, November 15, 2004
His complexion is the color of milk, revealing every scratch, bump and bruise. His strawberry hair is close-cropped, his curious eyes cobalt. His boyish features suggest someone considerably younger than 26 years. Were it not for his physique - 6-foot-9 and 248 pounds of thick, toned muscle, and featuring massive hands - and the traces of a Lithuanian accent, Darius Songaila could easily be mistaken for an Iowa farmboy.
Yet his appearance is deceiving.
This is no softie.
Having overcome the culture shock of attending an American boarding school, obtained a college degree in the Bible belt, briefly earned a living with one of the more dynamic professional teams in Russia (CSKA), and all this while basically fending for himself, the second-year Kings forward becomes visibly annoyed upon hearing the club's bench critiqued in less-than-flattering terms. He takes the slights personally, takes the insults to heart. But his response is to seethe in silence, then pounce at the first opportunity.
"It's good to hear what people have been saying about us," Songaila said after a solid outing Sunday night against the Denver Nuggets. "It gives you motivation to prove people wrong. On the other hand, I could care less as long as I know what my teammates and coaches think of us (reserves). They know I'm going to go in there and try to do what I did last year. Play defense. Bring energy. Make things easy for the other guys. It felt great to get out there and get something going."
Nights like these, the Kings need Songaila to produce. The sheer volume of the NBA's 82-game regular-season schedule is physically exhausting, and back-to-backs are especially problematic for Chris Webber or anyone else laboring on a surgically repaired knee. While Rick Adelman historically relies heavily on his starters for significant minutes, no matter what anyone says, the Kings will turn around this season only if two, three, perhaps four of the reserves contribute consistently.
Bobby Jackson has to stop forcing shots and start scoring in the flow of the offense. Matt Barnes has to be productive in his brief bursts behind Peja Stojakovic. Greg Ostertag has to get a grip on his game - a difficult task given his recently fractured hand. And Songaila has to be, well, Songaila, the same guy who impressed during Webber's 58-game absence a year ago, and when called upon during that critical second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs, swung the momentum with his willingness to muscle for rebounds, lunge onto the floor for loose balls, and attack the basket whenever neglected by defenders more concerned with his more celebrated teammates.
"Somebody's got to do the dirty work," Songaila allowed with a grin. "Why not me?"
Against a Nuggets team without the injured Marcus Camby and Nene, and with the normally active Kenyon Martin slowed by a sore knee, Songaila was especially effective during the deciding third quarter. In a flurry that enabled the Kings to gain control, the former Wake Forest standout was active, aggressive, eager. He cut underneath for a layup off a Brad Miller pass, tossed in a half-hook from eight feet on another Miller assist, and moments later triggered and completed a nifty fast break by blocking Andre Miller's layup, sprinting downcourt, and converting on the other end.
Songaila would walk off the court to a rousing ovation, the sellout crowd appreciative of the return of a familiar figure. This was the Songaila of last season, not the Songaila of this early season. And while he bristles a bit at the reminders, the native of Marijampole, Lithuania, concedes that, yes, he has been a little off his game - a development he suspects is somewhat attributable to his offseason commitment to Lithuania's Olympic team and the ensuing hangover of failing to medal for a second consecutive Games. If his best memory was capturing a bronze at Sydney in 2000, one of his greatest disappointments was losing to Larry Brown's USA squad in a wild, fast-paced scramble for a third-place finish in Athens. Noting his nation's passion and long tradition of international success, Songaila says he reacted strongly, first sulking for a week on the Greek island of Mykonos, then returning to Sacramento, where he brooded some more. "I felt sluggish when I came to camp," Songaila said, "and it was probably a combination of mental and physical exhaustion. My legs felt dead. I wasn't sleeping. It has taken me awhile, but I think I've finally gotten over it. I am starting to feel pretty good again."
Ailene Voisin: Criticism of bench fires up Songaila
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, November 15, 2004
His complexion is the color of milk, revealing every scratch, bump and bruise. His strawberry hair is close-cropped, his curious eyes cobalt. His boyish features suggest someone considerably younger than 26 years. Were it not for his physique - 6-foot-9 and 248 pounds of thick, toned muscle, and featuring massive hands - and the traces of a Lithuanian accent, Darius Songaila could easily be mistaken for an Iowa farmboy.
Yet his appearance is deceiving.
This is no softie.
Having overcome the culture shock of attending an American boarding school, obtained a college degree in the Bible belt, briefly earned a living with one of the more dynamic professional teams in Russia (CSKA), and all this while basically fending for himself, the second-year Kings forward becomes visibly annoyed upon hearing the club's bench critiqued in less-than-flattering terms. He takes the slights personally, takes the insults to heart. But his response is to seethe in silence, then pounce at the first opportunity.
"It's good to hear what people have been saying about us," Songaila said after a solid outing Sunday night against the Denver Nuggets. "It gives you motivation to prove people wrong. On the other hand, I could care less as long as I know what my teammates and coaches think of us (reserves). They know I'm going to go in there and try to do what I did last year. Play defense. Bring energy. Make things easy for the other guys. It felt great to get out there and get something going."
Nights like these, the Kings need Songaila to produce. The sheer volume of the NBA's 82-game regular-season schedule is physically exhausting, and back-to-backs are especially problematic for Chris Webber or anyone else laboring on a surgically repaired knee. While Rick Adelman historically relies heavily on his starters for significant minutes, no matter what anyone says, the Kings will turn around this season only if two, three, perhaps four of the reserves contribute consistently.
Bobby Jackson has to stop forcing shots and start scoring in the flow of the offense. Matt Barnes has to be productive in his brief bursts behind Peja Stojakovic. Greg Ostertag has to get a grip on his game - a difficult task given his recently fractured hand. And Songaila has to be, well, Songaila, the same guy who impressed during Webber's 58-game absence a year ago, and when called upon during that critical second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs, swung the momentum with his willingness to muscle for rebounds, lunge onto the floor for loose balls, and attack the basket whenever neglected by defenders more concerned with his more celebrated teammates.
"Somebody's got to do the dirty work," Songaila allowed with a grin. "Why not me?"
Against a Nuggets team without the injured Marcus Camby and Nene, and with the normally active Kenyon Martin slowed by a sore knee, Songaila was especially effective during the deciding third quarter. In a flurry that enabled the Kings to gain control, the former Wake Forest standout was active, aggressive, eager. He cut underneath for a layup off a Brad Miller pass, tossed in a half-hook from eight feet on another Miller assist, and moments later triggered and completed a nifty fast break by blocking Andre Miller's layup, sprinting downcourt, and converting on the other end.
Songaila would walk off the court to a rousing ovation, the sellout crowd appreciative of the return of a familiar figure. This was the Songaila of last season, not the Songaila of this early season. And while he bristles a bit at the reminders, the native of Marijampole, Lithuania, concedes that, yes, he has been a little off his game - a development he suspects is somewhat attributable to his offseason commitment to Lithuania's Olympic team and the ensuing hangover of failing to medal for a second consecutive Games. If his best memory was capturing a bronze at Sydney in 2000, one of his greatest disappointments was losing to Larry Brown's USA squad in a wild, fast-paced scramble for a third-place finish in Athens. Noting his nation's passion and long tradition of international success, Songaila says he reacted strongly, first sulking for a week on the Greek island of Mykonos, then returning to Sacramento, where he brooded some more. "I felt sluggish when I came to camp," Songaila said, "and it was probably a combination of mental and physical exhaustion. My legs felt dead. I wasn't sleeping. It has taken me awhile, but I think I've finally gotten over it. I am starting to feel pretty good again."
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