http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13723770p-14566609c.html
By Sam Amick
For the in-case-it-wasn't-obvious news flash of the day: Project Kings, 2005-06, could take awhile.
Two games into the preseason, the progress reports from coach Rick Adelman have been tidy enough to fit on a 3-by-5 card. With his reworked roster, Adelman has been doing more observing and less deciding, fiddling with starting lineups and combinations simply because it's tough to judge what you haven't seen.
Forwards Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas have started once each, though they also shared the floor at different times. Shooting guards Kevin Martin and Francisco García, who were seemingly competing going into training camp, have received ample minutes and even played together.
The mixes are endless, with the nucleus of point guard Mike Bibby, forward Peja Stojakovic and center Brad Miller the only near-constant. The chemistry chore doesn't get any easier with only six preseason games remaining, including tonight's against Golden State.
"You have to see how these guys play together," Adelman said. "I've got to find a rotation, find out what's going to be good for this team, what gives us the best chance to win."
Spaced out - There was a time in Bonzi Wells' career when his offensive game was more about clearing out than spacing out. But since joining the Kings, the shooting guard cites spacing as the key lesson he has learned.
During practice, there are X's marked in red tape on the floor to remind the Kings of where they need to be. For now, Wells prefers to stay out on the wing, despite his ability to post up better than most guards.
"I don't want to crowd the 'bigs,' to take that space away from them," Wells said. "We kept our floor space (against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night), found our shooters and they hit their shots."
Wells found the right spots for rebounds against the Clippers, grabbing eight.
"Bonzi was really good," Adelman said. "We controlled the boards, got out and got some easy opportunities."
The Mobley move - No one ever doubted Cuttino Mobley's scoring ability, though the former King gave his old team a refresher course Friday night in Los Angeles by scoring 17 points for his new Clippers squad.
Still, his best move came in the offseason, when he landed a five-year, $42 million contract that seemed exorbitant for a 30-year-old who was, at best, ranked third among free-agent shooting guards. Mobley said the same deal was awaiting him elsewhere, too.
"I could've went to the East (Conference) and got the same thing," he said. "It was about me wanting to stay where it's warm (in Southern California). I wanted West Coast, and (the Clippers) had Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, and they were still young." A day of rest - Adelman granted the Kings their first day off of the season, as they didn't practice Saturday.
By Sam Amick
For the in-case-it-wasn't-obvious news flash of the day: Project Kings, 2005-06, could take awhile.
Two games into the preseason, the progress reports from coach Rick Adelman have been tidy enough to fit on a 3-by-5 card. With his reworked roster, Adelman has been doing more observing and less deciding, fiddling with starting lineups and combinations simply because it's tough to judge what you haven't seen.
Forwards Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas have started once each, though they also shared the floor at different times. Shooting guards Kevin Martin and Francisco García, who were seemingly competing going into training camp, have received ample minutes and even played together.
The mixes are endless, with the nucleus of point guard Mike Bibby, forward Peja Stojakovic and center Brad Miller the only near-constant. The chemistry chore doesn't get any easier with only six preseason games remaining, including tonight's against Golden State.
"You have to see how these guys play together," Adelman said. "I've got to find a rotation, find out what's going to be good for this team, what gives us the best chance to win."
Spaced out - There was a time in Bonzi Wells' career when his offensive game was more about clearing out than spacing out. But since joining the Kings, the shooting guard cites spacing as the key lesson he has learned.
During practice, there are X's marked in red tape on the floor to remind the Kings of where they need to be. For now, Wells prefers to stay out on the wing, despite his ability to post up better than most guards.
"I don't want to crowd the 'bigs,' to take that space away from them," Wells said. "We kept our floor space (against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night), found our shooters and they hit their shots."
Wells found the right spots for rebounds against the Clippers, grabbing eight.
"Bonzi was really good," Adelman said. "We controlled the boards, got out and got some easy opportunities."
The Mobley move - No one ever doubted Cuttino Mobley's scoring ability, though the former King gave his old team a refresher course Friday night in Los Angeles by scoring 17 points for his new Clippers squad.
Still, his best move came in the offseason, when he landed a five-year, $42 million contract that seemed exorbitant for a 30-year-old who was, at best, ranked third among free-agent shooting guards. Mobley said the same deal was awaiting him elsewhere, too.
"I could've went to the East (Conference) and got the same thing," he said. "It was about me wanting to stay where it's warm (in Southern California). I wanted West Coast, and (the Clippers) had Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, and they were still young." A day of rest - Adelman granted the Kings their first day off of the season, as they didn't practice Saturday.
