Tracking the trade: Playing time at premium for these Kings this year
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Friday, December 2, 2005
There was a light moment Tuesday night in the Kings' dressing room, guffaws to mask the anxiety and clenched jaws of two revved up motors told to keep it in idle until further notice.
Brian Skinner was talking about the frustrations of being a bench guy with a green light that doesn't always come on for his services as a defensive cog. Dressed in an NBA-approved brown corduroy outfit, the reserve center started to sing "Jingle Bells" at the sight of teammate Corliss Williamson, the brutish power forward who was decked in a red corduroy get-up himself. Williamson is also a reserve who vows to impact a bench that hasn't had much punch these days so long as he gets that green light.
He eyed Skinner, winced at the jingle and replied, "What, Charlie Brown?" Skinner: "I can tell Christmas is coming around soon."
And these three Kings - Kenny Thomas being the third - brought in to replace a mainstay in Chris Webber last season insist they will not play the role of Scrooge. It's not their style, they said. Nor would it boost a team that needs all the positive vibes it can muster in their collective quest to find common ground and solid footing in a lurching, stop-and-start season.
But here's the rub: With Webber up to his usual prolific tricks in Philadelphia, Thomas, Skinner and Williamson are averaging career-low numbers across the board in points, rebounds and minutes. Instead, they are posting career-highs in patience and anticipation.
For any of the three to force a smile and say all is cool would mean a whole lot of fibbing. They were brought in Feb. 23 because of their versatility and better health, three pieces to a new puzzle. Thomas took over Webber's role after the trade, but this season Shareef Abdur-Rahim supplanted Thomas as the starting power forward and has arguably been the team's most steady performer. Kings coach Rick Adelman has at times played Thomas and Abdur-Rahim simultaneously in trying to figure out exactly what his bench can offer.
"It's a new role for me and I'm still trying to adjust," Thomas said. "I've just got to play hard with the minutes I get. I've never been a bench guy. Trying to get into the flow of the game, that's the hardest thing.
"I'm going to do all the stuff I always do."
Thomas added: "I'm going to rebound, play defense, whatever it takes. I'm a professional. We get paid a significant amount of money and this is what I do for a living. It is what it is. I can't do anything about my role but keep playing hard."
Skinner has been a starter and a reserve over the years. His angst comes in the form of when and if he'll play.
"The adjustment is consistency," Skinner said. "Everyone can play in this league. You need consistent minutes in order to do what you can do. It's different as a reserve because you have to come in and get warm and ready instantaneously. You don't know when you're going in and for how long. I'm a rebound guy, a shot-block guy. You have to be ready for when they call you."
Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie says neither he nor Adelman have lost faith in the trio and is quick to remind that there are 67 games left.
"Their approach has been totally professional," Petrie said. "Everyone wants to play more. They understand it's a long season and at this point of the season, there's still a lot of opportunities."
Center Brad Miller said the reserves work hard.
"Those guys are key parts to our team," he said. "In practice, they're busting their (butts), going hard. They've got to keep doing what they're doing. It's such a long season, odds are someone will get hurt or we'll play teams and we'll really need those guys."
Said Kings lead assistant coach Elston Turner before the team lost to Golden State on Wednesday, when the Warriors outrebounded Sacramento by 17: "It's tough, I know, anytime your minutes are not long and you are used to a lot of minutes. It's even tougher if you're not in the immediate rotation (like Skinner and Williamson). But that's what they get paid to do, be ready. That's our sport. "Their attitude is healthy because it adds to the chemistry formula we need here. We want guys to enjoy being here, playing together, and a good attitude helps, otherwise it'd really hurt us."
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13927388p-14764227c.html
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Friday, December 2, 2005
There was a light moment Tuesday night in the Kings' dressing room, guffaws to mask the anxiety and clenched jaws of two revved up motors told to keep it in idle until further notice.
Brian Skinner was talking about the frustrations of being a bench guy with a green light that doesn't always come on for his services as a defensive cog. Dressed in an NBA-approved brown corduroy outfit, the reserve center started to sing "Jingle Bells" at the sight of teammate Corliss Williamson, the brutish power forward who was decked in a red corduroy get-up himself. Williamson is also a reserve who vows to impact a bench that hasn't had much punch these days so long as he gets that green light.
He eyed Skinner, winced at the jingle and replied, "What, Charlie Brown?" Skinner: "I can tell Christmas is coming around soon."
And these three Kings - Kenny Thomas being the third - brought in to replace a mainstay in Chris Webber last season insist they will not play the role of Scrooge. It's not their style, they said. Nor would it boost a team that needs all the positive vibes it can muster in their collective quest to find common ground and solid footing in a lurching, stop-and-start season.
But here's the rub: With Webber up to his usual prolific tricks in Philadelphia, Thomas, Skinner and Williamson are averaging career-low numbers across the board in points, rebounds and minutes. Instead, they are posting career-highs in patience and anticipation.
For any of the three to force a smile and say all is cool would mean a whole lot of fibbing. They were brought in Feb. 23 because of their versatility and better health, three pieces to a new puzzle. Thomas took over Webber's role after the trade, but this season Shareef Abdur-Rahim supplanted Thomas as the starting power forward and has arguably been the team's most steady performer. Kings coach Rick Adelman has at times played Thomas and Abdur-Rahim simultaneously in trying to figure out exactly what his bench can offer.
"It's a new role for me and I'm still trying to adjust," Thomas said. "I've just got to play hard with the minutes I get. I've never been a bench guy. Trying to get into the flow of the game, that's the hardest thing.
"I'm going to do all the stuff I always do."
Thomas added: "I'm going to rebound, play defense, whatever it takes. I'm a professional. We get paid a significant amount of money and this is what I do for a living. It is what it is. I can't do anything about my role but keep playing hard."
Skinner has been a starter and a reserve over the years. His angst comes in the form of when and if he'll play.
"The adjustment is consistency," Skinner said. "Everyone can play in this league. You need consistent minutes in order to do what you can do. It's different as a reserve because you have to come in and get warm and ready instantaneously. You don't know when you're going in and for how long. I'm a rebound guy, a shot-block guy. You have to be ready for when they call you."
Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie says neither he nor Adelman have lost faith in the trio and is quick to remind that there are 67 games left.
"Their approach has been totally professional," Petrie said. "Everyone wants to play more. They understand it's a long season and at this point of the season, there's still a lot of opportunities."
Center Brad Miller said the reserves work hard.
"Those guys are key parts to our team," he said. "In practice, they're busting their (butts), going hard. They've got to keep doing what they're doing. It's such a long season, odds are someone will get hurt or we'll play teams and we'll really need those guys."
Said Kings lead assistant coach Elston Turner before the team lost to Golden State on Wednesday, when the Warriors outrebounded Sacramento by 17: "It's tough, I know, anytime your minutes are not long and you are used to a lot of minutes. It's even tougher if you're not in the immediate rotation (like Skinner and Williamson). But that's what they get paid to do, be ready. That's our sport. "Their attitude is healthy because it adds to the chemistry formula we need here. We want guys to enjoy being here, playing together, and a good attitude helps, otherwise it'd really hurt us."
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13927388p-14764227c.html
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