http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14226117p-15050265c.html
Kings are finally having some fun
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, March 5, 2006
WASHINGTON - Before and after the Kings beat host Atlanta to win their ninth game in 12 tries Friday, Sacramento's locker room was of the loosest kind.
There was some playful name-calling, harmless roughhousing and one unnamed player having a gas - literally.
Boys will be boys, and these boys are finally having fun.
It has been more than a month since Ron Artest was traded to the Kings, and the comfort level on and off the court grows by the day. There is chemistry where little existed before and a growing sense of purpose - especially late in games - that is well-timed as the Kings are tied with Utah for ninth place in the Western Conference and trail the eighth-place Lakers by two games.
What's not to like about a 2-0 start to a five-game road trip the Kings said could make or break their season?
"We're definitely enjoying ourselves," center Brad Miller said. "Ron's definitely getting more comfortable, and we're getting more comfortable with him and the things that he's able to do. It makes it fun."
The trip includes plenty of downtime, with just one set of back-to-back games - today and Monday. Coach Rick Adelman issued only a brief walk-through Saturday, preparing for the coming stretch of three games in four nights.
"There's nothing (more fun) than winning on the road," Miller said. "That's when you really bond well as teammates and get to know each other."
While the official count on Artest's Sacramento stay is at 38 days, he said the first three shouldn't count. Between the bizarre way the deal went down and the fact that he joined the Kings on the tail end of their 10-day East Coast swing, it was, in essence, chaos following disorder and leading to an 0-2 start to the new era.
"Everything was rushed from that point on," Artest said. "We're trying to get victories, (but) you're not at home."
Artest is feeling more at home in purple. He is, as Adelman noted, still in a virtual training camp period.
While Artest's shot selection was suspect in the last few weeks, he has taken only seven three-pointers and has made 12 of 26 field-goal attempts in the last two games.
Now if only he could be convinced to tone down his practice regimen.
Artest has already earned a reputation for staying on the court long after practice, engaging in fiery one-on-one battles before games and sneaking into the practice facility on his own time. He's not quite David Harrison - the Indiana center who was caught playing five-on-five with middle-aged amateurs at a health club recently - but he's close.
"We've talked to him about it, saying, 'You need to back off some,' " Adelman said. "Like when he missed practice the other day, his feet were sore. Well, you don't want to shoot for an hour after practice. You have to be realistic about where you are."
For an accomplished player as Artest is, Adelman considers him also a project of sorts.
"He's going to become a better player," Adelman said. "He's just not going to be one-dimensional as a post-up. I'm trying to get him the ball in different spots out on the floor, but it's really hard to do. It's hard for him because we're doing it on the fly."
It helps, though, when you're having fun.
"I think guys have confidence in each other, they depend on each other, and they feel like whatever happens ... they stay together," Artest said. "We have an opportunity to get in the playoffs, and that's what we're going to do, and that's where we're going to go."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
Kings are finally having some fun
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, March 5, 2006
WASHINGTON - Before and after the Kings beat host Atlanta to win their ninth game in 12 tries Friday, Sacramento's locker room was of the loosest kind.
There was some playful name-calling, harmless roughhousing and one unnamed player having a gas - literally.
Boys will be boys, and these boys are finally having fun.
It has been more than a month since Ron Artest was traded to the Kings, and the comfort level on and off the court grows by the day. There is chemistry where little existed before and a growing sense of purpose - especially late in games - that is well-timed as the Kings are tied with Utah for ninth place in the Western Conference and trail the eighth-place Lakers by two games.
What's not to like about a 2-0 start to a five-game road trip the Kings said could make or break their season?
"We're definitely enjoying ourselves," center Brad Miller said. "Ron's definitely getting more comfortable, and we're getting more comfortable with him and the things that he's able to do. It makes it fun."
The trip includes plenty of downtime, with just one set of back-to-back games - today and Monday. Coach Rick Adelman issued only a brief walk-through Saturday, preparing for the coming stretch of three games in four nights.
"There's nothing (more fun) than winning on the road," Miller said. "That's when you really bond well as teammates and get to know each other."
While the official count on Artest's Sacramento stay is at 38 days, he said the first three shouldn't count. Between the bizarre way the deal went down and the fact that he joined the Kings on the tail end of their 10-day East Coast swing, it was, in essence, chaos following disorder and leading to an 0-2 start to the new era.
"Everything was rushed from that point on," Artest said. "We're trying to get victories, (but) you're not at home."
Artest is feeling more at home in purple. He is, as Adelman noted, still in a virtual training camp period.
While Artest's shot selection was suspect in the last few weeks, he has taken only seven three-pointers and has made 12 of 26 field-goal attempts in the last two games.
Now if only he could be convinced to tone down his practice regimen.
Artest has already earned a reputation for staying on the court long after practice, engaging in fiery one-on-one battles before games and sneaking into the practice facility on his own time. He's not quite David Harrison - the Indiana center who was caught playing five-on-five with middle-aged amateurs at a health club recently - but he's close.
"We've talked to him about it, saying, 'You need to back off some,' " Adelman said. "Like when he missed practice the other day, his feet were sore. Well, you don't want to shoot for an hour after practice. You have to be realistic about where you are."
For an accomplished player as Artest is, Adelman considers him also a project of sorts.
"He's going to become a better player," Adelman said. "He's just not going to be one-dimensional as a post-up. I'm trying to get him the ball in different spots out on the floor, but it's really hard to do. It's hard for him because we're doing it on the fly."
It helps, though, when you're having fun.
"I think guys have confidence in each other, they depend on each other, and they feel like whatever happens ... they stay together," Artest said. "We have an opportunity to get in the playoffs, and that's what we're going to do, and that's where we're going to go."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.