http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13712524p-14554958c.html
By Joe Davidson
Soon, Rick Adelman and Geoff Petrie become the Grim Reaper, the bearer of bad news. They'll bring a player into an office, sit him down and inform him that his days in Sacramento are done. Cuts are the most thankless task of training camp, but because NBA teams are not allowed to carry 18 players for the regular season, the ax drops. Everyone was spared Thursday, but the long shots remain nervous.
"It's always tough when you let a guy go," said Adelman, the Kings' coach, who generally makes those decisions with Petrie, the club's president of basketball operations. "A lot of times it's a guy who has done well in camp and he's played well, but there are no spots for him. Sometimes a guy knows it's coming, and sometimes he doesn't. You tell them 'Thanks' and hope you can help them in the long run (through experience or recommendation)."
Players scrambling for a Kings jersey include guards Luis Flores, Rickey Paulding and Ronnie Price; forwards Eric Sandrin, Jamal Sampson and Erik Daniels; and center Luke Schenscher.
Jason Hart has been on both ends. He's secure now, with a set role as a reserve guard. But he has been cut before, including late, which carves deepest.
"Players who have contracts have to realize how lucky they are," Hart said. "It's definitely humbling when you get cut, but if being let go means you're not good enough, that's their opinion. You can't believe it. It's perseverance. You have to get hungrier."
K-Mart, one year later - A year ago, Kevin Martin said he was so nervous, he shook in his hightops. Now he's settled in, no longer the rookie.
"I feel more poised, and I'm not trying to do everything," the guard said.
Hello, friend - Martin saw some time as a reserve last season, but he certainly was on his toes often in practice checking Cuttino Mobley. They'll meet again tonight when the Kings play the Clippers in an exhibition game in Los Angeles.
"He's good," Martin said of Mobley. "He can isolate you, he's a great ballhandler, and he's left handed. I had to work hard on him, or he'd embarrass me."
Clippers, as is - In the regular season, teams have hours of film of an opponent to dissect and study. In the preseason, it's pretty much as is. The Kings know the Clippers in tendencies and on paper only, including newcomers Mobley and Sam Cassell.
"You know they'll run some of the same sets, and you're more concerned with how your own guys do at this point," Adelman said.
What call? Good call - Against Dallas in a preseason opener Tuesday, Francisco García often drew the assignment of guarding Jerry Stackhouse, one of the league's better scorers in recent seasons. García was called for hitting Stackhouse on his shooting elbow on one play, leaving García aghast that he had been caught.
"I did foul him," García confessed. "I complained because, even though it was a foul, it was only a little bit of a foul. I didn't think they'd call it."
Misleading on both ends - The Clippers clobbered Dallas 95-80 Wednesday, but the Mavericks didn't play starters Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier and Stackhouse. Then again, Los Angeles rested forward Elton Brand with a left thigh bruise and guard Shaun Livingston with a lower back strain.
Ouch on Amare - Adelman said it's far too early to write off the Phoenix Suns, never mind that leading scorer Amare Stoudemire could be out until February - or later - with a knee injury.
"He was a big part of what they did last year, but they still have a lot of talent," Adelman said.
By Joe Davidson
Soon, Rick Adelman and Geoff Petrie become the Grim Reaper, the bearer of bad news. They'll bring a player into an office, sit him down and inform him that his days in Sacramento are done. Cuts are the most thankless task of training camp, but because NBA teams are not allowed to carry 18 players for the regular season, the ax drops. Everyone was spared Thursday, but the long shots remain nervous.
"It's always tough when you let a guy go," said Adelman, the Kings' coach, who generally makes those decisions with Petrie, the club's president of basketball operations. "A lot of times it's a guy who has done well in camp and he's played well, but there are no spots for him. Sometimes a guy knows it's coming, and sometimes he doesn't. You tell them 'Thanks' and hope you can help them in the long run (through experience or recommendation)."
Players scrambling for a Kings jersey include guards Luis Flores, Rickey Paulding and Ronnie Price; forwards Eric Sandrin, Jamal Sampson and Erik Daniels; and center Luke Schenscher.
Jason Hart has been on both ends. He's secure now, with a set role as a reserve guard. But he has been cut before, including late, which carves deepest.
"Players who have contracts have to realize how lucky they are," Hart said. "It's definitely humbling when you get cut, but if being let go means you're not good enough, that's their opinion. You can't believe it. It's perseverance. You have to get hungrier."
K-Mart, one year later - A year ago, Kevin Martin said he was so nervous, he shook in his hightops. Now he's settled in, no longer the rookie.
"I feel more poised, and I'm not trying to do everything," the guard said.
Hello, friend - Martin saw some time as a reserve last season, but he certainly was on his toes often in practice checking Cuttino Mobley. They'll meet again tonight when the Kings play the Clippers in an exhibition game in Los Angeles.
"He's good," Martin said of Mobley. "He can isolate you, he's a great ballhandler, and he's left handed. I had to work hard on him, or he'd embarrass me."
Clippers, as is - In the regular season, teams have hours of film of an opponent to dissect and study. In the preseason, it's pretty much as is. The Kings know the Clippers in tendencies and on paper only, including newcomers Mobley and Sam Cassell.
"You know they'll run some of the same sets, and you're more concerned with how your own guys do at this point," Adelman said.
What call? Good call - Against Dallas in a preseason opener Tuesday, Francisco García often drew the assignment of guarding Jerry Stackhouse, one of the league's better scorers in recent seasons. García was called for hitting Stackhouse on his shooting elbow on one play, leaving García aghast that he had been caught.
"I did foul him," García confessed. "I complained because, even though it was a foul, it was only a little bit of a foul. I didn't think they'd call it."
Misleading on both ends - The Clippers clobbered Dallas 95-80 Wednesday, but the Mavericks didn't play starters Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier and Stackhouse. Then again, Los Angeles rested forward Elton Brand with a left thigh bruise and guard Shaun Livingston with a lower back strain.
Ouch on Amare - Adelman said it's far too early to write off the Phoenix Suns, never mind that leading scorer Amare Stoudemire could be out until February - or later - with a knee injury.
"He was a big part of what they did last year, but they still have a lot of talent," Adelman said.
