http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13817116p-14658055c.html
Kings' defense is work in progress
Bonzi Wells has been solid, but he is still feeling out the team.
By Joe Davidson
One thing about defensive guys in the NBA. They know the results are going to be mixed.
Take Bonzi Wells.
The Kings' new off-guard will have - and has had - matchups with the most outlandish scorers in the game. He's skilled and determined enough not to get abused regularly. And there will be times he'll feel like a lost soul on an island.
"There are so many tough assignments when you're playing the wing position," Wells explained Friday after practice. "Their job is putting the ball in the hole. There are going to be nights I stop guys and there will be nights I get my head busted in and guys score.
"But I've got to keep plugging away, stick to my defensive principles."
Those principles helped Wells to a record-breaking performance Wednesday night in Houston, despite the Kings' 98-89 loss to fall to 0-2. The 6-foot-5 veteran collected a career-best 18 rebounds, the most by a Kings guard since the team moved to Sacramento in 1985.
And to put his effort in a different context, consider the career-high rebounding totals for some of the game's premier guards: Tracy McGrady (17), Jason Kidd (16), Kobe Bryant (15) and Ray Allen (13). Wells' previous career high for rebounds was 14, set four times. In addition, 15 of Wells' rebounds Wednesday came at the defensive end, with the Sacramento-era record of 17 defensive rebounds owned by the 6-10 Chris Webber (twice).
Jerry Lucas holds the franchise record with 40 set in 1964 against Philadelphia.
"I knew it was something I had to do," Wells said of his effort in Houston. "I had to try and help take the pressure off (the inside players). Dikembe Mutombo and Yao Ming are two of the biggest guys on Earth. I got a lot of rebounds, but I wish I had a few more to help us even more."
Wells said defense remains critical, for the entire team. Of equal urgency is the Kings' lurching offense, for years one of the NBA's most prolific but now one that has failed to produce at least 90 points in back-to-back games for the first time in five years.
Brian Skinner, acquired last February in a trade, said trying to fully digest the Kings' motion sets was akin to "trying to take a drink from a fire hydrant." Players are moving, passes are zipped, shooters find their spots, a thing of beauty when it works.
"We are an unselfish team," reserve guard Jason Hart said. "Guys want to see other players do well, to get others involved. But it's a little tougher than we thought it was going to be. We're still not together, so we took some lumps."
Hart said the Kings are still developing on-court chemistry.
"Tendencies," he said. "Bonzi likes to cut. Peja (Stojakovic) likes to spot up, Shareef (Abdur-Rahim) likes to post.
"We're trying to get into a comfort zone. It's going to come."
Kings' defense is work in progress
Bonzi Wells has been solid, but he is still feeling out the team.
By Joe Davidson
One thing about defensive guys in the NBA. They know the results are going to be mixed.
Take Bonzi Wells.
The Kings' new off-guard will have - and has had - matchups with the most outlandish scorers in the game. He's skilled and determined enough not to get abused regularly. And there will be times he'll feel like a lost soul on an island.
"There are so many tough assignments when you're playing the wing position," Wells explained Friday after practice. "Their job is putting the ball in the hole. There are going to be nights I stop guys and there will be nights I get my head busted in and guys score.
"But I've got to keep plugging away, stick to my defensive principles."
Those principles helped Wells to a record-breaking performance Wednesday night in Houston, despite the Kings' 98-89 loss to fall to 0-2. The 6-foot-5 veteran collected a career-best 18 rebounds, the most by a Kings guard since the team moved to Sacramento in 1985.
And to put his effort in a different context, consider the career-high rebounding totals for some of the game's premier guards: Tracy McGrady (17), Jason Kidd (16), Kobe Bryant (15) and Ray Allen (13). Wells' previous career high for rebounds was 14, set four times. In addition, 15 of Wells' rebounds Wednesday came at the defensive end, with the Sacramento-era record of 17 defensive rebounds owned by the 6-10 Chris Webber (twice).
Jerry Lucas holds the franchise record with 40 set in 1964 against Philadelphia.
"I knew it was something I had to do," Wells said of his effort in Houston. "I had to try and help take the pressure off (the inside players). Dikembe Mutombo and Yao Ming are two of the biggest guys on Earth. I got a lot of rebounds, but I wish I had a few more to help us even more."
Wells said defense remains critical, for the entire team. Of equal urgency is the Kings' lurching offense, for years one of the NBA's most prolific but now one that has failed to produce at least 90 points in back-to-back games for the first time in five years.
Brian Skinner, acquired last February in a trade, said trying to fully digest the Kings' motion sets was akin to "trying to take a drink from a fire hydrant." Players are moving, passes are zipped, shooters find their spots, a thing of beauty when it works.
"We are an unselfish team," reserve guard Jason Hart said. "Guys want to see other players do well, to get others involved. But it's a little tougher than we thought it was going to be. We're still not together, so we took some lumps."
Hart said the Kings are still developing on-court chemistry.
"Tendencies," he said. "Bonzi likes to cut. Peja (Stojakovic) likes to spot up, Shareef (Abdur-Rahim) likes to post.
"We're trying to get into a comfort zone. It's going to come."
