Bee: Most Kings are gassed after conditioning drills

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http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/34796.html

Most Kings are gassed after conditioning drills
By Joe Davidson - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:08 am PDT Friday, October 6, 2006


Eric Musselman is a fitness guy.

The Kings' coach appears to have no body fat, and he looks as if he could hammer out a sub-four-minute mile (OK, maybe a sub-six-minute mile running downhill).

Regardless, he sent notice to everyone on his roster this summer that players had to report to training camp this week ready for a conditioning test.

Players had to run four full-court sprints -- from one baseline to the other -- in a certain amount of time (post players were allowed a few extra seconds per sprint compared to the more mobile guards and small forwards).

Players were required to keep running them until they met the time requirement. Center Brad Miller admitted Thursday he needed a second try before passing. Veteran Corliss Williamson, a bull of a forward, exhaled when he succeeded and longed to touch a basketball for a refreshing change of pace.

Swingman John Salmons? He still needs to pass his test.

"I've got to take it every day until I pass," Salmons said. "I never had to run like that. It's the most sprints I ran since college. I think it'll pay off, as long as I pass it sooner than later."

Kenny Thomas, as swift a power forward as there is in the NBA, said the "bigs" were allowed 62 seconds to complete the four-set drills. He peeled off his sprints in 56 seconds.

Ron Artest, who said he "barely passed," remarked that the athlete who impressed him most was rookie free-agent forward Louis Amundson.

Musselman said he has been delighted to see the overall conditioning of the team.

And no one gets a free pass.

Incoming forward Maurice Taylor is rounding into shape by using a Stairmaster, and rookie forward Justin Williams "must have done 6,000 situps today," Musselman said.

"Whatever limb that's not hurt, we'll be working on the others," the coach said.

Handling the rock -- First-round pick Quincy Douby is a scorer, sure, but the Kings want him to handle the ball some, too. Or at least be comfortable with it. The roster has several swingmen who can run the point duty in Salmons, Kevin Martin and Francisco García, but there's room for one more. Douby said he hasn't handled the ball since his second year at Rutgers, but he's up for the challenge.

"They tell me they want me to be a combo guard, and I like that," he said. "My handle has gotten a lot better."

Douby averaged 13.3 points for the Kings in summer league, though he wants to improve his shooting from the summer when he made 43 percent of his shots.

More rookies -- Artest is a sudden fan of Amundson, who at 6-foot-9 can run the floor and score in a number of ways. He's a long shot whom Artest hopes lands on the final roster.

Now if only Artest can pronounce the kid's name.

"I call him Louie A," Artest said. "He's a rookie, so I don't have to learn how to pronounce his name until next year. He's going to be a good player. I love Lou. I hope he makes it."

Double duty? -- The NBA training camp rosters released Thursday had a curious name listed as the lead assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies -- Eric Musselman. Whoops. Either someone forgot to update the data banks or Musselman is secretly pulling double duty with the team he worked for the previous two campaigns -- a certain collective-bargaining agreement violation.

"I'm listed on the Sacramento roster (as the coach) -- I checked that one," Musselman said, laughing.

About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at jdavidson@ sacbee.com.
 
Good article, I am a little concerned about Salmons

Muss likes to run a very up-tempo O so this is a nice drill to gauge players. If Brad made it and Salmons didn't that concerns me. (I realize they have 2 different times to meet btw)
 
I hope this isn't a foreshadowing of Salmons production as a King. I'd like to think that after we paid him all that money the least he could do was pass a wind-sprint test...
 
I am loving the way Muss is working out this team. Im not in now way worried about Salmons being out of shape this season, a player in his position trying to prove himself to a new team with high expectations about him, does not want that embarrassment.
 
Good article, I am a little concerned about Salmons

Muss likes to run a very up-tempo O so this is a nice drill to gauge players. If Brad made it and Salmons didn't that concerns me. (I realize they have 2 different times to meet btw)

Salmons will be at his best in an uptempo game, but conditioning....yeah, I;m not surprised. He has always jsut been...sloppy. Inconsistent, not in great shape. Some talent, but nobody has been able to consistently dig it out of him.
 
i cant believe salmons cant do this running stuff, and yet brad miller can fail at it and then (assuming he did them back to back) get back up with less energy and do it right. man i think maybe im worth 25 million to the kings
 
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I am loving the way Muss is working out this team. Im not in now way worried about Salmons being out of shape this season, a player in his position trying to prove himself to a new team with high expectations about him, does not want that embarrassment.

why are u not concerned? hes been paid more than hes worth, maybe even much more than hes worth...id harldy be surprised to see gim take it easy....do u really think at the end of the 05-06 season salmons was thinking someone would give him over 15 million daollars, i dont think so
 
I think people are reading into this wayyy too much. Four full length runs? That's 376 feet. That is not an endurance drill, that's a sprinting drill. All this means is that Salmons is slow, which we knew already.
 
I think people are reading into this wayyy too much. Four full length runs? That's 376 feet. That is not an endurance drill, that's a sprinting drill. All this means is that Salmons is slow, which we knew already.

If Brad can do it, he should be able to do it, he is not slower than Miller. There are no execuses for this, he is a friggin professional.
 
Discipline and tough conditioning, a new tone for the new coach. I like it. Good to hear Artest touting Amundson, they are two of a kind, well, sort of. Both defensive demons but Louis had no shot more than 10 ft from the basket and was a horrible FT shooter. Correctable items both.

Interesting the emphasis on Douby, Salmons, Garcia being ball handlers. Until you realize we have a bunch of 6-7 type guys in the west doing the same: Koby, McGrady come to mind as well as Nellies "point-forward" approach for Dunleavy.
 
Salmons will be alright. I am glad to hear that Lou is making a positive impression. If he doesn't make the team its a travesty of justice.
 
Ron's talking Lou. I remember one of the Maloofs saying something really positive about him as well. Not only do I think he wil make the team, I think he will actually get some time as well.
 
I think people are reading into this wayyy too much. Four full length runs? That's 376 feet. That is not an endurance drill, that's a sprinting drill. All this means is that Salmons is slow, which we knew already.

I think that might have to become an alternative motto around here.

KingsFans.com - Where people read too much into almost everything.

;)
 
Okay, I started to object ...

but then I looked at the title again. Fair enough comment, if not exactly the most compassionate.

;)
 
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