http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/83885.html
Kings' roster regains healthy appearance
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:21 am PST Tuesday, November 28, 2006
It's a novel concept, really.
Practice with the players you pay, preparing for the upcoming game in a collective and cohesive fashion.
Yet until Kings center Brad Miller hit the practice floor Monday, coach Eric Musselman said he had yet to practice with a full lot since training camp. This is a sign that the Kings are close to being healthy again, their 7-5 record nothing to be ashamed of and still plenty of time to see what the team can become.
"The Western Conference is so strong that I think it's going to boil down to the last week of the season, and it's going to boil down to injuries," Musselman said.
Take, for example, the Los Angeles Clippers. Just as the Kings welcomed their center back, their opponent tonight lost its center Friday when Chris Kaman sprained his left ankle. The Clippers lost to Minnesota the next day, their third consecutive loss after a 6-2 start had impressed so many.
Miller said his left foot is pain-free, though there is some tightness in the area where he tore a tendon Nov. 4 and missed eight games.
"Things went well (in practice)," Miller said. "I'm going full (speed) as much as I can. ... It's just getting the cardio back as far as being in basketball (shape). Doing the treadmill and all that other stuff only gets you so far."
After he played a team-mandated 15 minutes against Portland in his first game back Saturday, Miller might be restricted to a predetermined amount of playing time tonight.
"I think there should be a gradual increase in his productivity and in his minutes," Musselman said. "How much will that gradual (increase) be? I'll talk to (team trainer) Pete Youngman before the game tomorrow night, and he'll kind of give me a minutes parameter."
The micromanaging of Miller, Musselman said, likely will continue through the two-game road trip Friday at Dallas and Saturday at San Antonio.
"After the Texas trip, I would hope that there's no minutes being judged, that his foot is feeling well enough," he said.
Artest's condition is improving -- Small forward Ron Artest, who is continuing to recover from the lower back pain that forced him out of Friday's game at Seattle, said he is ready to start against the Clippers.
"I'm going to play my regular game and take it from there," Artest said. "I (will) see how the game is going, see how I'm feeling, but I should be fine."
Kings outlook
Had the Kings faltered against Portland on Saturday night, their mini-momentum would have been halted in many ways. Their victory Friday at Seattle would have been quickly forgotten, and the forthcoming rest -- a rare non-practice day Sunday and day of preparation Monday before tonight's game -- would have been spent lamenting what went wrong and trying to get right. But the Kings should be in good position to win their third consecutive game. It's a vital one, considering the roster finally is healthy just in time for road games at Dallas on Friday and San Antonio on Saturday.
Clippers outlook
The Clippers have plenty of motivation because of history. They've lost 13 consecutive games to the Kings and 16 in succession at Arco Arena. Add a four-game losing streak that halted the discussion of the Clippers as an elite team, and there is no shortage of incentive for coach Mike Dunleavy's club. It's not even as if they're losing to elite clubs, falling to Minnesota, Seattle and the Los Angeles Lakers since Nov. 21. They are playing without center Chris Kaman, a true Kings-killer who has a sprained left ankle. That avoids a matchup that would have been problematic for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Brad Miller.
Key matchup
Mike Bibby vs. Sam Cassell -- Bibby is among the few present-day Kings who was on hand for the 2004 playoffs, when a cold-blooded Cassell was so huge as Minnesota disposed of the Kings in the second round. Cassell is scoring a team-high 17.8 points per game this season.
Probable starters
Kings
10 Mike Bibby PG
23 Kevin Martin SG
93 Ron Artest SF
9 Kenny Thomas PF
3 Shareef Abdur-Rahim C
Clippers
19 Sam Cassell PG
5 Cuttino Mobley SG
13 Quinton Ross SF
42 Elton Brand PF
34 Aaron Williams C
Kings' roster regains healthy appearance
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:21 am PST Tuesday, November 28, 2006
It's a novel concept, really.
Practice with the players you pay, preparing for the upcoming game in a collective and cohesive fashion.
Yet until Kings center Brad Miller hit the practice floor Monday, coach Eric Musselman said he had yet to practice with a full lot since training camp. This is a sign that the Kings are close to being healthy again, their 7-5 record nothing to be ashamed of and still plenty of time to see what the team can become.
"The Western Conference is so strong that I think it's going to boil down to the last week of the season, and it's going to boil down to injuries," Musselman said.
Take, for example, the Los Angeles Clippers. Just as the Kings welcomed their center back, their opponent tonight lost its center Friday when Chris Kaman sprained his left ankle. The Clippers lost to Minnesota the next day, their third consecutive loss after a 6-2 start had impressed so many.
Miller said his left foot is pain-free, though there is some tightness in the area where he tore a tendon Nov. 4 and missed eight games.
"Things went well (in practice)," Miller said. "I'm going full (speed) as much as I can. ... It's just getting the cardio back as far as being in basketball (shape). Doing the treadmill and all that other stuff only gets you so far."
After he played a team-mandated 15 minutes against Portland in his first game back Saturday, Miller might be restricted to a predetermined amount of playing time tonight.
"I think there should be a gradual increase in his productivity and in his minutes," Musselman said. "How much will that gradual (increase) be? I'll talk to (team trainer) Pete Youngman before the game tomorrow night, and he'll kind of give me a minutes parameter."
The micromanaging of Miller, Musselman said, likely will continue through the two-game road trip Friday at Dallas and Saturday at San Antonio.
"After the Texas trip, I would hope that there's no minutes being judged, that his foot is feeling well enough," he said.
Artest's condition is improving -- Small forward Ron Artest, who is continuing to recover from the lower back pain that forced him out of Friday's game at Seattle, said he is ready to start against the Clippers.
"I'm going to play my regular game and take it from there," Artest said. "I (will) see how the game is going, see how I'm feeling, but I should be fine."
Kings outlook
Had the Kings faltered against Portland on Saturday night, their mini-momentum would have been halted in many ways. Their victory Friday at Seattle would have been quickly forgotten, and the forthcoming rest -- a rare non-practice day Sunday and day of preparation Monday before tonight's game -- would have been spent lamenting what went wrong and trying to get right. But the Kings should be in good position to win their third consecutive game. It's a vital one, considering the roster finally is healthy just in time for road games at Dallas on Friday and San Antonio on Saturday.
Clippers outlook
The Clippers have plenty of motivation because of history. They've lost 13 consecutive games to the Kings and 16 in succession at Arco Arena. Add a four-game losing streak that halted the discussion of the Clippers as an elite team, and there is no shortage of incentive for coach Mike Dunleavy's club. It's not even as if they're losing to elite clubs, falling to Minnesota, Seattle and the Los Angeles Lakers since Nov. 21. They are playing without center Chris Kaman, a true Kings-killer who has a sprained left ankle. That avoids a matchup that would have been problematic for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Brad Miller.
Key matchup
Mike Bibby vs. Sam Cassell -- Bibby is among the few present-day Kings who was on hand for the 2004 playoffs, when a cold-blooded Cassell was so huge as Minnesota disposed of the Kings in the second round. Cassell is scoring a team-high 17.8 points per game this season.
Probable starters
Kings
10 Mike Bibby PG
23 Kevin Martin SG
93 Ron Artest SF
9 Kenny Thomas PF
3 Shareef Abdur-Rahim C
Clippers
19 Sam Cassell PG
5 Cuttino Mobley SG
13 Quinton Ross SF
42 Elton Brand PF
34 Aaron Williams C
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