http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/20935.html
Kings notes: Amundson hopes his tour isn't a whirlwind
By Sam Amick -
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, September 10, 2006
If Louis Amundson acts off the court as he does on it, next week could be interesting for a Sacramento-area property manager.
The 23-year-old forward just might dive through the front door to pick up the keys to his Natomas townhouse, ripping them out of unsuspecting hands and defending his belongings in the moving van all the while.
But for Amundson -- the 6-foot-9 UNLV product who earned an invitation to training camp with his spirited play in the Las Vegas Summer League in July -- signing a lease will do nothing to guarantee a roster spot on the team. He'll have to fight for that when camp opens Oct. 1.
"I'm real competitive, so regardless if I had anything guaranteed, I'm going to come out and play the same way," Amundson said. "There's not too many big guys on the team who are athletic and play the way that I do."
Amundson won't be the only one trying to prove the value of a role player. Loren Woods is coming to town with much the same mantra, selling himself on hustle, athleticism, defense and rebounding, and assuming nothing about his status.
The 7-2 center and five-year veteran signed with the Kings on Aug. 15, but his one-year deal for $950,000 is not guaranteed until training camp ends.
"I'm coming into camp feeling like I've got a lot to prove," said Woods, who has averaged 41.6 games per season. "I've got a huge chip on my shoulder. I feel like I should've been playing every year I've been in the NBA. ... All you can do is go out there and play and produce, or not produce and sit."
There should be no lack of competition, with 17 players invited to camp and room on the roster for between 13 and 15.
Amundson's stiffest challenge likely will come from Justin Williams, a 6-10 rookie shotblocker from Wyoming.
Rookie Pooh Jeter (University of Portland) will push for a point guard spot, though it will take quite a performance for him to stick. Veteran Jason Hart is under contract for $1.68 million this season, and second-year guard Ronnie Price is guaranteed $664,000.
Getaway time -- Just as many new Kings are coming to town, coach Eric Musselman and his staff are getting out.
Although vacation time has been sparse for the first-year Kings coach, he and his staff will head to Lake Tahoe on Tuesday for a two-day retreat. Otherwise, Musselman said he nearly has moved into his new home and is hoping his new players show up to training camp in good shape.
"The biggest thing is the physical condition we want them to come into camp with," he said. "We hope everybody comes in the best physical condition they've been in their career."
The mysteries are few, though, as many players stayed in town during the offseason.
"There's a real good comfort level with Mike (Bibby), Kevin (Martin), Francisco (García), Shareef (Abdur-Rahim), Ronnie (Price)," Musselman said. "Those guys have been around."
And although center Brad Miller spent much of his summer overseas, Musselman has little doubt he's in good shape. He played -- sparingly -- for Team USA in the world championships in Asia.
"(Miller) probably wanted to play a little more, but ... we're happy that he spent the majority of the summer playing with and playing against the best players in the world," Musselman said.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
Kings notes: Amundson hopes his tour isn't a whirlwind
By Sam Amick -
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, September 10, 2006
If Louis Amundson acts off the court as he does on it, next week could be interesting for a Sacramento-area property manager.
The 23-year-old forward just might dive through the front door to pick up the keys to his Natomas townhouse, ripping them out of unsuspecting hands and defending his belongings in the moving van all the while.
But for Amundson -- the 6-foot-9 UNLV product who earned an invitation to training camp with his spirited play in the Las Vegas Summer League in July -- signing a lease will do nothing to guarantee a roster spot on the team. He'll have to fight for that when camp opens Oct. 1.
"I'm real competitive, so regardless if I had anything guaranteed, I'm going to come out and play the same way," Amundson said. "There's not too many big guys on the team who are athletic and play the way that I do."
Amundson won't be the only one trying to prove the value of a role player. Loren Woods is coming to town with much the same mantra, selling himself on hustle, athleticism, defense and rebounding, and assuming nothing about his status.
The 7-2 center and five-year veteran signed with the Kings on Aug. 15, but his one-year deal for $950,000 is not guaranteed until training camp ends.
"I'm coming into camp feeling like I've got a lot to prove," said Woods, who has averaged 41.6 games per season. "I've got a huge chip on my shoulder. I feel like I should've been playing every year I've been in the NBA. ... All you can do is go out there and play and produce, or not produce and sit."
There should be no lack of competition, with 17 players invited to camp and room on the roster for between 13 and 15.
Amundson's stiffest challenge likely will come from Justin Williams, a 6-10 rookie shotblocker from Wyoming.
Rookie Pooh Jeter (University of Portland) will push for a point guard spot, though it will take quite a performance for him to stick. Veteran Jason Hart is under contract for $1.68 million this season, and second-year guard Ronnie Price is guaranteed $664,000.
Getaway time -- Just as many new Kings are coming to town, coach Eric Musselman and his staff are getting out.
Although vacation time has been sparse for the first-year Kings coach, he and his staff will head to Lake Tahoe on Tuesday for a two-day retreat. Otherwise, Musselman said he nearly has moved into his new home and is hoping his new players show up to training camp in good shape.
"The biggest thing is the physical condition we want them to come into camp with," he said. "We hope everybody comes in the best physical condition they've been in their career."
The mysteries are few, though, as many players stayed in town during the offseason.
"There's a real good comfort level with Mike (Bibby), Kevin (Martin), Francisco (García), Shareef (Abdur-Rahim), Ronnie (Price)," Musselman said. "Those guys have been around."
And although center Brad Miller spent much of his summer overseas, Musselman has little doubt he's in good shape. He played -- sparingly -- for Team USA in the world championships in Asia.
"(Miller) probably wanted to play a little more, but ... we're happy that he spent the majority of the summer playing with and playing against the best players in the world," Musselman said.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
)
