http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13737315p-14579299c.html
By Sam Amick
Similar, yes, but hardly the same
Kings young guns Francisco García and Kevin Martin are flashing complementary skills
On draft-day paper, they seemed like carbon copies. Kevin Martin and Francisco García, the Kings' first-round draft picks the past two years, were both 6-foot-7, both slashing scoring guards, and both in desperate need of a few more pounds.
Come training camp, it seemed the two youngsters would battle for the same position, the same role, and Kings fans would wonder from the June draft day on why the Kings would double up on the same type of talent.
Turns out this was no copy machine.
García and Martin have been running through the Kings' preseason together, complementing more than competing and revealing what could grow into quite the dynamic duo. Martin, who has toned his 185-pound physique since his last season, his first, seems to have the role of backup shooting guard in hand, while the 195-pound García has a legitimate chance to fill the role of backup small forward behind Peja Stojakovic in his rookie season.
"It's not Kevin vs. Francisco," Martin said. "It's Kevin and Francisco seeing what we can do to help the team - young guys just running."
And run they have. In Sunday night's preseason win over Golden State, the duo showed how electric they can be off the bench. García, dribbling just past the halfcourt line, found Martin sneaking along the left side, then darted a perfect pass above the rim that Martin slammed in. They also defended well and contributed with assists and rebounds.
One game later, progress took off most of the night, with Martin and García doing little Tuesday in the Kings' 102-99 preseason loss to Denver at Arco Arena.
"We can run up and down the floor," García said. "We're young, so we've got a lot of energy. Every time we step on the floor, we've got to do something, to create something."
The question for Kings coach Rick Adelman is how long a leash he'll give to both players, who will undoubtedly make their share of youthful mistakes. Martin has been lauded for his offseason work, while García has done a U-turn since struggling through most of July's summer league in Las Vegas.
"I think Francisco is ahead of Kevin (when he was a rookie)," Adelman said. "He played at a big program, in big games, with some international experience, too. Kevin was more of a wide-eyed rookie with talent last year."
Before signing with the Kings, Martin had already been the king at Western Carolina, where his team played against teams named Elon and Furman that weren't exactly filled with future NBA types.
He took almost every shot, a virtual one-man team whose only duty was to score, well, darn near all the points. He took his bad habits with him to Sacramento.
"Last year, one of my big mistakes was that if I wasn't scoring, I wasn't doing anything on the floor," Martin said. "I wasn't rebounding, just standing in the corner. I learned this year that scoring's good, but I'm doing a lot of other things - assists, rebounds - doing it all this year."
García, meanwhile, went from the Final Four with Louisville to Kings summer league to the FIBAs America Championship in the Dominican Republic, gaining experience Martin never did.
"With (García), it's just a matter of how quickly his learning curve comes," Adelman said. "He's not real disciplined defensively, which is not real unusual for rookies. He turns his head too much, he loses his man too much. But those are things he should get better at, because he's willing to work."
The Dominican Republic native is ready to play wherever the minutes are.
"When I first got here, I didn't know where I was going to fit in," García said. "But I came here with the mind that I was going to work hard every day, every time I step on the floor, and give it my all."
He has been squaring off against Stojakovic every day in an attempt to prove himself defensively, and trying to rein in his sometimes carefree offensive game at Adelman's request. While Adelman has said repeatedly that García needs to shoot less from long range, he came into the Denver game with a 50 percent field-goal percentage, trailing only Stojakovic and point guard Mike Bibby with 24 shots. He also led the team with 14 three-point attempts, making six.
Against the Nuggets, García hit just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc, but his only swish was key, coming with 34 seconds left to pull the Kings within a point. Martin was active in grabbing five rebounds, but he missed his only shot and fouled out in 20 minutes.
"They're young, they get after it, and we need them to bring in energy every time they come on the floor," Adelman said. "It's just a matter of finding out what they can do."
By Sam Amick
Similar, yes, but hardly the same
Kings young guns Francisco García and Kevin Martin are flashing complementary skills
On draft-day paper, they seemed like carbon copies. Kevin Martin and Francisco García, the Kings' first-round draft picks the past two years, were both 6-foot-7, both slashing scoring guards, and both in desperate need of a few more pounds.
Come training camp, it seemed the two youngsters would battle for the same position, the same role, and Kings fans would wonder from the June draft day on why the Kings would double up on the same type of talent.
Turns out this was no copy machine.
García and Martin have been running through the Kings' preseason together, complementing more than competing and revealing what could grow into quite the dynamic duo. Martin, who has toned his 185-pound physique since his last season, his first, seems to have the role of backup shooting guard in hand, while the 195-pound García has a legitimate chance to fill the role of backup small forward behind Peja Stojakovic in his rookie season.
"It's not Kevin vs. Francisco," Martin said. "It's Kevin and Francisco seeing what we can do to help the team - young guys just running."
And run they have. In Sunday night's preseason win over Golden State, the duo showed how electric they can be off the bench. García, dribbling just past the halfcourt line, found Martin sneaking along the left side, then darted a perfect pass above the rim that Martin slammed in. They also defended well and contributed with assists and rebounds.
One game later, progress took off most of the night, with Martin and García doing little Tuesday in the Kings' 102-99 preseason loss to Denver at Arco Arena.
"We can run up and down the floor," García said. "We're young, so we've got a lot of energy. Every time we step on the floor, we've got to do something, to create something."
The question for Kings coach Rick Adelman is how long a leash he'll give to both players, who will undoubtedly make their share of youthful mistakes. Martin has been lauded for his offseason work, while García has done a U-turn since struggling through most of July's summer league in Las Vegas.
"I think Francisco is ahead of Kevin (when he was a rookie)," Adelman said. "He played at a big program, in big games, with some international experience, too. Kevin was more of a wide-eyed rookie with talent last year."
Before signing with the Kings, Martin had already been the king at Western Carolina, where his team played against teams named Elon and Furman that weren't exactly filled with future NBA types.
He took almost every shot, a virtual one-man team whose only duty was to score, well, darn near all the points. He took his bad habits with him to Sacramento.
"Last year, one of my big mistakes was that if I wasn't scoring, I wasn't doing anything on the floor," Martin said. "I wasn't rebounding, just standing in the corner. I learned this year that scoring's good, but I'm doing a lot of other things - assists, rebounds - doing it all this year."
García, meanwhile, went from the Final Four with Louisville to Kings summer league to the FIBAs America Championship in the Dominican Republic, gaining experience Martin never did.
"With (García), it's just a matter of how quickly his learning curve comes," Adelman said. "He's not real disciplined defensively, which is not real unusual for rookies. He turns his head too much, he loses his man too much. But those are things he should get better at, because he's willing to work."
The Dominican Republic native is ready to play wherever the minutes are.
"When I first got here, I didn't know where I was going to fit in," García said. "But I came here with the mind that I was going to work hard every day, every time I step on the floor, and give it my all."
He has been squaring off against Stojakovic every day in an attempt to prove himself defensively, and trying to rein in his sometimes carefree offensive game at Adelman's request. While Adelman has said repeatedly that García needs to shoot less from long range, he came into the Denver game with a 50 percent field-goal percentage, trailing only Stojakovic and point guard Mike Bibby with 24 shots. He also led the team with 14 three-point attempts, making six.
Against the Nuggets, García hit just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc, but his only swish was key, coming with 34 seconds left to pull the Kings within a point. Martin was active in grabbing five rebounds, but he missed his only shot and fouled out in 20 minutes.
"They're young, they get after it, and we need them to bring in energy every time they come on the floor," Adelman said. "It's just a matter of finding out what they can do."
