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http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0511/08/E05-375701.htm
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Maurice Evans probably hasn't checked, but the two guys the Sacramento Kings decided to replace him with -- Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia -- have combined to produce 20 points and six rebounds through three games.
Evans, who signed with the Pistons in August, has 25 points and nine rebounds in three games.
Not only will Evans celebrate his return to ARCO Arena tonight, he also will celebrate his 27th birthday.
"How about that for scheduling?" he said with a smile.
Evans played in 65 games for the Kings last season.
"It's going to be a little bit different," he told the Sacramento Bee of his return. "It doesn't seem like it was long ago when I was running out of that tunnel with the Kings."
The Pistons are 3-0, but the Kings are 1-2 coming into their home opener.
"I watched them play because I have some friends on that team," Evans said. "I saw them struggle, and, from my vantage point, I hope they'll struggle one more game so we can get a win."
Evans, who was a restricted free agent in the summer, was disappointed initially that the Kings didn't move to re-sign him.
"It's kind of a tricky subject," he said. "Last year, it was my opinion that it would have been a great situation for our team to return somewhat the same -- not only for myself, but for Darius (Songaila) and Cuttino (Mobley).
"I thought ... if the Kings had brought us all back, we would have had a really good team with a chance to do some things."
But he's not complaining about how things worked out.
"This is one of the best organizations in the league," he said of the Pistons. "I couldn't have asked for more. I have an upgraded role, and it's pretty much everything I could have asked for."
Slumping shooters
The Kings' top two scorers have started slowly.
Shooting guard Peja Stojakovic broke out somewhat with a 13-for-21 shooting night in Phoenix on Sunday. Before that, he had made 8 of 27 shots.
"If you're a shooter, you have to just come out and shoot and not think about the previous game," Stojakovic told the Sacramento Bee. "You have to be focused on your next shot, not trying to figure out what went wrong when you missed."
Point guard Mike Bibby, who averaged 22 points and 9.5 assists against the Pistons last season, has made 14 of 42 shots in three games this season.
He got advice from his brother-in-law, Suns guard Eddie House, before the Kings' victory in Phoenix.
"I told him, 'When you're missing, you're not putting enough arch on your shot,' " House said. "Most of the time when he shoots the ball, it has great arch and looks good."
Bibby responded with his best game thus far: 19 points.
In the bonus
It's the same old story for former Piston Corliss Williamson.
As he did in his first season, while playing for coach Rick Carlisle, and early in his first season with Larry Brown, Williamson finds himself out of the rotation in Sacramento. He has played only six minutes through three games.
If Williamson's career pattern holds, the Kings will go to him and he will produce. Then coach Rick Adelman will wonder why he hadn't played him sooner.
You can reach Chris McCosky at (313) 222-1489. or chris.mccosky@detnews.com.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Maurice Evans probably hasn't checked, but the two guys the Sacramento Kings decided to replace him with -- Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia -- have combined to produce 20 points and six rebounds through three games.
Evans, who signed with the Pistons in August, has 25 points and nine rebounds in three games.
Not only will Evans celebrate his return to ARCO Arena tonight, he also will celebrate his 27th birthday.
"How about that for scheduling?" he said with a smile.
Evans played in 65 games for the Kings last season.
"It's going to be a little bit different," he told the Sacramento Bee of his return. "It doesn't seem like it was long ago when I was running out of that tunnel with the Kings."
The Pistons are 3-0, but the Kings are 1-2 coming into their home opener.
"I watched them play because I have some friends on that team," Evans said. "I saw them struggle, and, from my vantage point, I hope they'll struggle one more game so we can get a win."
Evans, who was a restricted free agent in the summer, was disappointed initially that the Kings didn't move to re-sign him.
"It's kind of a tricky subject," he said. "Last year, it was my opinion that it would have been a great situation for our team to return somewhat the same -- not only for myself, but for Darius (Songaila) and Cuttino (Mobley).
"I thought ... if the Kings had brought us all back, we would have had a really good team with a chance to do some things."
But he's not complaining about how things worked out.
"This is one of the best organizations in the league," he said of the Pistons. "I couldn't have asked for more. I have an upgraded role, and it's pretty much everything I could have asked for."
Slumping shooters
The Kings' top two scorers have started slowly.
Shooting guard Peja Stojakovic broke out somewhat with a 13-for-21 shooting night in Phoenix on Sunday. Before that, he had made 8 of 27 shots.
"If you're a shooter, you have to just come out and shoot and not think about the previous game," Stojakovic told the Sacramento Bee. "You have to be focused on your next shot, not trying to figure out what went wrong when you missed."
Point guard Mike Bibby, who averaged 22 points and 9.5 assists against the Pistons last season, has made 14 of 42 shots in three games this season.
He got advice from his brother-in-law, Suns guard Eddie House, before the Kings' victory in Phoenix.
"I told him, 'When you're missing, you're not putting enough arch on your shot,' " House said. "Most of the time when he shoots the ball, it has great arch and looks good."
Bibby responded with his best game thus far: 19 points.
In the bonus
It's the same old story for former Piston Corliss Williamson.
As he did in his first season, while playing for coach Rick Carlisle, and early in his first season with Larry Brown, Williamson finds himself out of the rotation in Sacramento. He has played only six minutes through three games.
If Williamson's career pattern holds, the Kings will go to him and he will produce. Then coach Rick Adelman will wonder why he hadn't played him sooner.
You can reach Chris McCosky at (313) 222-1489. or chris.mccosky@detnews.com.