NOTE: This has old Kings AND new Kings stuff mixed in, so I'm posting it here rather than splitting it... 
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14226118p-15050267c.html
NBA notebook: Three former Kings deserve a better fate
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, March 5, 2006
Tony Delk, Jim Jackson and Jon Barry are former Kings traveling different paths. And then there is newly acquired free-agent Phoenix forward Tim Thomas to assure us that something is wrong.
Delk, 32, who was waived by the Atlanta Hawks last week, has signed with the Detroit Pistons. He had been a casualty of the Hawks' youth movement, and his signing with the Pistons, owners of the NBA's best record, may have been a reprieve from the basketball gods.
Jackson, 35, began the season as an integral part of Phoenix's rotation, but he soon became a nightly DNP-CD (Did Not Play-Coach's Decision) write-in. Everyone who knows Jackson realizes sitting quietly isn't part of his makeup, so it wasn't surprising to see the Suns waive him.
But Jackson always seems to have one more place he can go, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets have shown interest. If he signs with another team, it would be his 13th, including the New Orleans Hornets, for whom Jackson never played. He forced the Hornets to trade him to the Suns by not reporting.
Unquestionably, Jackson has slowed down during the past few seasons, but a man with his pride and professionalism should not be written off yet. And should he join a team that faces the Suns before the season ends, the bet here is Jackson will come up big because he'll be feeling disrespected.
Barry, 36, has missed most of this season with lingering leg injuries, but he remains valuable because of his shooting. The Nuggets, who have sought improved perimeter shooting all season, have expressed interest in Barry, who is said to be considering retirement.
However, knowing Barry, it's difficult to imagine him retiring just yet. If he can hook up with a team he believes is a good fit, the guess here is he'll give it one more shot.
Then there is Thomas, who went to Chicago at the start of this season in the deal with New York that sent center Eddy Curry to the Knicks. Thomas, 29, is a 6-foot-10, 240-pound specimen who will show flashes of brilliance in virtually every contest.
Sustaining or even re-creating those flashes usually is impossible for Thomas. Some observers around the league believe the term "cruise control" refers to Thomas' playing style more so than any device on their cars.
Thomas played in only three games with the Bulls before being waived last week. Then he signed with the Suns and began his tease with a 20-point performance in his Phoenix debut Friday night.
Thomas is a monster athlete now playing for his fifth team in a system that affords him the ability to sit out, get paid $14 million this season and then sign with a team likely headed for a long playoff run. Something definitely is wrong with that picture.
Don't give up on Hart
The Kings have not received the production they expected from free-agent guard Jason Hart, but the season is not yet over. The recent ankle injury sustained by rookie Francisco García will provide another opportunity for Hart to be used by coach Rick Adelman.
García has played quite a bit behind starting point guard Mike Bibby. The Kings often play a two-guard front instead of just giving the ball to the point guard. So Adelman often will play some combination of Kevin Martin, Bonzi Wells and Ron Artest on the perimeter. But entering the season, Hart was viewed as a valuable piece of the team's rotation, and at 27, it's not likely the young man has forgotten how to play.
If and when teams begin to pressure the Kings with Bibby off the floor, Hart's ballhandling and decision-making may come in handy. And Hart's shooting has improved after a very poor first half of the season.
So the Kings need to trust the same beliefs that led them to acquire Hart.
Give Mobley his due
Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Cuttino Mobley was not warmly appreciated by the Kings' faithful after being acquired for Doug Christie in January 2005. He was viewed as a gunner more interested in getting his stats than helping the team.
Mobley played hard for the Kings and now is doing the same for the Clippers. He's playing hurt, as he did with Sacramento. Mobley has done pretty much whatever Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy has asked, including playing small forward and giving away major size during a monthlong stint when injuries sidelined Corey Maggette and Quentin Ross.
Thriving in obscurity
Phoenix guard Leandro Barbosa, Utah forward-center Mehmet Okur, Los Angeles Lakers reserve small forward Devean George, Boston rookie forward Ryan Gomes and Orlando point guard Carlos Arroyo are examples of guys hooping well and receiving very little hype.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NUMBERS GAME
* Eight of Detroit's 10 losses entering Saturday have come on the road, but San Antonio's victory Thursday over Dallas was good for the Pistons. That left San Antonio and Dallas with 12 losses as the three battle for the league's best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
* Cleveland's Drew Gooden is shooting 51.9 percent (11th in the league) but often is replaced by Anderson Varejao down the stretch by first-year coach Mike Brown.
* Former Kings sixth man Bobby Jackson is shooting a career-low 36.6 percent from the field for Memphis.
* Sacramento's leading three-point shooter is Kevin Martin at 40 percent unless Corliss Williamson's 2 for 2 is factored into the mix.
* New Jersey is averaging 94 points with Vince Carter (23.8), Richard Jefferson (19.4), Jason Kidd (14.8) and Nenad Krstic (12.6) combining to average 70.6. Where's the bench, folks?
* Seven teams, led by Phoenix's 108.1 points, entered Saturday averaging 100 or more points, while the Kings were ninth at 98.8. Only two of those top seven teams - Seattle (101.6, No. 2) and Toronto (100.4, No. 5) - are not in contention for a playoff berth.
* It works almost the same way defensively with just Minnesota and Houston among the top 10 in fewest points allowed - led by San Antonio's 87.9 per game - and not in serious contention for postseason play.
* The Kings' 45.2 defensive field-goal percentage has fallen below their 45.3 offensive field-goal percentage.
RIM SHOTS
* Why was there any conversation about San Antonio getting rid of Nazr Mohammed? The guy just rebounds and defends and can score when presented the opportunity. One of the Spurs' many strengths is obscene depth at virtually every position.
* Why was it good for Philadelphia's Allen Iverson not to receive an invitation to try out for the national team? Two reasons: He clearly was not wanted, and it eliminated the possibility of him outplaying others and then getting jerked. It's better to be jerked early than late.
* How unique are the Phoenix Suns? Entering Friday night, they were averaging 87.2 field-goal attempts per game, 4.5 more than second-place Charlotte and 6.5 more than Philadelphia. The 76ers were averaging 80.7 shots per game to rank seventh and are the closest squad to Phoenix that still is contending for a playoff spot.
* If you think about it, Phoenix's Shawn Marion is doing the same things he was before Steve Nash joined the Suns.
* Houston's Yao Ming has been putting up huge rebounding games since coming back from a long injury absence, and that's the way he needs to be playing every night, regardless of the competition.
* Cleveland's Damon Jones has talked a good game this season but hasn't been playing one. As a veteran on this team, he must step up to make shots and take some pressure off young LeBron James.
About the writer: The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14226118p-15050267c.html
NBA notebook: Three former Kings deserve a better fate
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, March 5, 2006
Tony Delk, Jim Jackson and Jon Barry are former Kings traveling different paths. And then there is newly acquired free-agent Phoenix forward Tim Thomas to assure us that something is wrong.
Delk, 32, who was waived by the Atlanta Hawks last week, has signed with the Detroit Pistons. He had been a casualty of the Hawks' youth movement, and his signing with the Pistons, owners of the NBA's best record, may have been a reprieve from the basketball gods.
Jackson, 35, began the season as an integral part of Phoenix's rotation, but he soon became a nightly DNP-CD (Did Not Play-Coach's Decision) write-in. Everyone who knows Jackson realizes sitting quietly isn't part of his makeup, so it wasn't surprising to see the Suns waive him.
But Jackson always seems to have one more place he can go, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets have shown interest. If he signs with another team, it would be his 13th, including the New Orleans Hornets, for whom Jackson never played. He forced the Hornets to trade him to the Suns by not reporting.
Unquestionably, Jackson has slowed down during the past few seasons, but a man with his pride and professionalism should not be written off yet. And should he join a team that faces the Suns before the season ends, the bet here is Jackson will come up big because he'll be feeling disrespected.
Barry, 36, has missed most of this season with lingering leg injuries, but he remains valuable because of his shooting. The Nuggets, who have sought improved perimeter shooting all season, have expressed interest in Barry, who is said to be considering retirement.
However, knowing Barry, it's difficult to imagine him retiring just yet. If he can hook up with a team he believes is a good fit, the guess here is he'll give it one more shot.
Then there is Thomas, who went to Chicago at the start of this season in the deal with New York that sent center Eddy Curry to the Knicks. Thomas, 29, is a 6-foot-10, 240-pound specimen who will show flashes of brilliance in virtually every contest.
Sustaining or even re-creating those flashes usually is impossible for Thomas. Some observers around the league believe the term "cruise control" refers to Thomas' playing style more so than any device on their cars.
Thomas played in only three games with the Bulls before being waived last week. Then he signed with the Suns and began his tease with a 20-point performance in his Phoenix debut Friday night.
Thomas is a monster athlete now playing for his fifth team in a system that affords him the ability to sit out, get paid $14 million this season and then sign with a team likely headed for a long playoff run. Something definitely is wrong with that picture.
Don't give up on Hart
The Kings have not received the production they expected from free-agent guard Jason Hart, but the season is not yet over. The recent ankle injury sustained by rookie Francisco García will provide another opportunity for Hart to be used by coach Rick Adelman.
García has played quite a bit behind starting point guard Mike Bibby. The Kings often play a two-guard front instead of just giving the ball to the point guard. So Adelman often will play some combination of Kevin Martin, Bonzi Wells and Ron Artest on the perimeter. But entering the season, Hart was viewed as a valuable piece of the team's rotation, and at 27, it's not likely the young man has forgotten how to play.
If and when teams begin to pressure the Kings with Bibby off the floor, Hart's ballhandling and decision-making may come in handy. And Hart's shooting has improved after a very poor first half of the season.
So the Kings need to trust the same beliefs that led them to acquire Hart.
Give Mobley his due
Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Cuttino Mobley was not warmly appreciated by the Kings' faithful after being acquired for Doug Christie in January 2005. He was viewed as a gunner more interested in getting his stats than helping the team.
Mobley played hard for the Kings and now is doing the same for the Clippers. He's playing hurt, as he did with Sacramento. Mobley has done pretty much whatever Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy has asked, including playing small forward and giving away major size during a monthlong stint when injuries sidelined Corey Maggette and Quentin Ross.
Thriving in obscurity
Phoenix guard Leandro Barbosa, Utah forward-center Mehmet Okur, Los Angeles Lakers reserve small forward Devean George, Boston rookie forward Ryan Gomes and Orlando point guard Carlos Arroyo are examples of guys hooping well and receiving very little hype.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NUMBERS GAME
* Eight of Detroit's 10 losses entering Saturday have come on the road, but San Antonio's victory Thursday over Dallas was good for the Pistons. That left San Antonio and Dallas with 12 losses as the three battle for the league's best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
* Cleveland's Drew Gooden is shooting 51.9 percent (11th in the league) but often is replaced by Anderson Varejao down the stretch by first-year coach Mike Brown.
* Former Kings sixth man Bobby Jackson is shooting a career-low 36.6 percent from the field for Memphis.
* Sacramento's leading three-point shooter is Kevin Martin at 40 percent unless Corliss Williamson's 2 for 2 is factored into the mix.
* New Jersey is averaging 94 points with Vince Carter (23.8), Richard Jefferson (19.4), Jason Kidd (14.8) and Nenad Krstic (12.6) combining to average 70.6. Where's the bench, folks?
* Seven teams, led by Phoenix's 108.1 points, entered Saturday averaging 100 or more points, while the Kings were ninth at 98.8. Only two of those top seven teams - Seattle (101.6, No. 2) and Toronto (100.4, No. 5) - are not in contention for a playoff berth.
* It works almost the same way defensively with just Minnesota and Houston among the top 10 in fewest points allowed - led by San Antonio's 87.9 per game - and not in serious contention for postseason play.
* The Kings' 45.2 defensive field-goal percentage has fallen below their 45.3 offensive field-goal percentage.
RIM SHOTS
* Why was there any conversation about San Antonio getting rid of Nazr Mohammed? The guy just rebounds and defends and can score when presented the opportunity. One of the Spurs' many strengths is obscene depth at virtually every position.
* Why was it good for Philadelphia's Allen Iverson not to receive an invitation to try out for the national team? Two reasons: He clearly was not wanted, and it eliminated the possibility of him outplaying others and then getting jerked. It's better to be jerked early than late.
* How unique are the Phoenix Suns? Entering Friday night, they were averaging 87.2 field-goal attempts per game, 4.5 more than second-place Charlotte and 6.5 more than Philadelphia. The 76ers were averaging 80.7 shots per game to rank seventh and are the closest squad to Phoenix that still is contending for a playoff spot.
* If you think about it, Phoenix's Shawn Marion is doing the same things he was before Steve Nash joined the Suns.
* Houston's Yao Ming has been putting up huge rebounding games since coming back from a long injury absence, and that's the way he needs to be playing every night, regardless of the competition.
* Cleveland's Damon Jones has talked a good game this season but hasn't been playing one. As a veteran on this team, he must step up to make shots and take some pressure off young LeBron James.
About the writer: The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.
