chelle
Starter
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13012876p-13859279c.html
A developmental league lures several Kings players.
That Matt Barnes and Bobby Jackson will be playing Monday night in the opening game of the Sacramento Professional Developmental League at Capital Christian Center is not surprising.
That Mike Bibby and Eddie House are expected to join them is a first for the league organized and run by local basketball guru Guss Armstead. Professional summer leagues are somewhat famous for their surprise participants (and no-shows) on any given night, and this one is no different.
"One thing I'm happy about this year is some of the Kings who are around town like Mike and Eddie have said they were going to play," said Armstead, who played at Sacramento State and in the league when it was known as the Pro-Am, and has run it for more than a decade. "Guys like Matt and Bobby have been so supportive of the league, as have the Kings organization and Dr. Ronald Blanchette, who have sponsored teams every year."
In addition to providing competition during the summer for players who love the game, the league is designed to help players improve in a controlled environment.
"What we're trying to do is get the guys who have professional aspirations," Armstead said. "And there are a lot of different levels at which you can earn money playing basketball. So just as this is a good thing for the NBA guys, it's good thing for a guy like (former Grant High and Sacramento State star) Jameel Pugh, who is trying to get a look from an NBA team, or (Galt's) Phil Ricci, who didn't make the NBA this past season but had a good year playing in Spain."
There will be one game every Monday through Thursday night at 7 p.m. beginning June 6 and running through the league's July 1 All-Star Game.
Barnes, who made the roster of his hometown Kings this season only to be traded in February to Philadelphia in the Chris Webber deal, has played in Sacramento during the summer since his high school days at Del Campo. Although Barnes, who will be a free agent this season, did not get playing time with the 76ers, he did speak and work with shooting coach Buzz Braman.
As a result, Barnes has changed his shooting form and is eager to incorporate what he has worked on in game action.
"The knock on me always has been that I can't shoot from the outside," Barnes said. "So I worked with Buzz, and I've been trying to get a lot of reps. The (league) is a way for me to try to perfect my shot and also help out Guss."
Armstead said for many participants the games are an extension of workouts they have earlier in the morning. "The competition in the league is good for the development of guys like Phil and Issac Fontaine, who played in China last season, as well as young high school guys like Kevin Galloway (Sacramento High) and Ryan Anderson (Oak Ridge)," Armstead said. "We do a lot of drill work in the morning, and that's also good for NBA guys like Bobby and (Seattle's) Jerome (James), who want to work on their games and not just play pickup games where you don't really improve."
A developmental league lures several Kings players.
That Matt Barnes and Bobby Jackson will be playing Monday night in the opening game of the Sacramento Professional Developmental League at Capital Christian Center is not surprising.
That Mike Bibby and Eddie House are expected to join them is a first for the league organized and run by local basketball guru Guss Armstead. Professional summer leagues are somewhat famous for their surprise participants (and no-shows) on any given night, and this one is no different.
"One thing I'm happy about this year is some of the Kings who are around town like Mike and Eddie have said they were going to play," said Armstead, who played at Sacramento State and in the league when it was known as the Pro-Am, and has run it for more than a decade. "Guys like Matt and Bobby have been so supportive of the league, as have the Kings organization and Dr. Ronald Blanchette, who have sponsored teams every year."
In addition to providing competition during the summer for players who love the game, the league is designed to help players improve in a controlled environment.
"What we're trying to do is get the guys who have professional aspirations," Armstead said. "And there are a lot of different levels at which you can earn money playing basketball. So just as this is a good thing for the NBA guys, it's good thing for a guy like (former Grant High and Sacramento State star) Jameel Pugh, who is trying to get a look from an NBA team, or (Galt's) Phil Ricci, who didn't make the NBA this past season but had a good year playing in Spain."
There will be one game every Monday through Thursday night at 7 p.m. beginning June 6 and running through the league's July 1 All-Star Game.
Barnes, who made the roster of his hometown Kings this season only to be traded in February to Philadelphia in the Chris Webber deal, has played in Sacramento during the summer since his high school days at Del Campo. Although Barnes, who will be a free agent this season, did not get playing time with the 76ers, he did speak and work with shooting coach Buzz Braman.
As a result, Barnes has changed his shooting form and is eager to incorporate what he has worked on in game action.
"The knock on me always has been that I can't shoot from the outside," Barnes said. "So I worked with Buzz, and I've been trying to get a lot of reps. The (league) is a way for me to try to perfect my shot and also help out Guss."
Armstead said for many participants the games are an extension of workouts they have earlier in the morning. "The competition in the league is good for the development of guys like Phil and Issac Fontaine, who played in China last season, as well as young high school guys like Kevin Galloway (Sacramento High) and Ryan Anderson (Oak Ridge)," Armstead said. "We do a lot of drill work in the morning, and that's also good for NBA guys like Bobby and (Seattle's) Jerome (James), who want to work on their games and not just play pickup games where you don't really improve."
