It's not often you get the chance to sit in seats as good as those I ended up in for opening night. Well, maybe some of you do but for this longtime Kings fan, sitting at center court row CC was a once-in-a lifetime treat. When you sit down there, you notice a lot of things you don't catch at home or from further up in the arena.
After watching the game from a vantage point so close I actually felt like part of the team, I can offer this opinion: This year's Kings are going to be fun to watch, especially at home, and it's up to us - the fans - to show up to let them know just how much we appreciate the heart and hustle, effort and enthusiasm.
There's a renewed feeling of excitement and entertainment in Arco. From the almost totally revamped dance team to the inclusion of a rock band for team introductions and half-time entertainment, you just get the feeling the marketing folks have finally realized you have to sell your product, especially when the product's record won't do the selling for you. I realize the band probably won't be there every night but it's certainly something the Maloofs might think about it on a regular basis.
Arco Arena may not have been full but it was certainly jumping. As always, Kings fans looked for effort and they saw it. I was especially impressed by a couple of things:
*Mikki Moore works hard. He is always hustling, he is always enthusiastic and supportive of his teammates, even when he's not on the court, and he takes a lot of hits you don't necessarily see at home.
*Kevin Martin is FAST. There were at least three times he was right in front of me and then - before I could even blink - he was at the other end of the court, leaving me - and sometimes the person assigned to guard him - bewildered and asking "Where did he go?" Martin also takes a lot of punishment on the court but seems to bounce back up like he's on springs or something.
*Reggie Theus seems a lot more focused on getting the best out of his young team and not just doing what's best for Reggie. I'm glad to see it as I've always maintained that Theus can be a very good coach, especially for the younger players.
*We have way too many assistant coaches. It looked like a platoon of lawyers from across the court. I have no idea what each of them is supposed to do but it sure seems like we outnumber the coaching staff of any other team.
*Grant Napear is still annoying. Sitting three rows behind him was actually the only real distraction from the game. I couldn't hear him but I kept watching him out of the corner of my eye, for what reason I couldn't begin to say.
*The staff of Arco Arena consists of some of the nicest people in the universe. This isn't a new observation. As many times as I've been to Arco, I've always encountered friendly staff who seem genuinely concerned with making sure the people coming to the game have a pleasant experience. From the friendly folks at the gates to the seat ushers and everyone in between, they all deserve a pat on the back. I've always believed you can tell a lot about an organization by how friendly the employees are.
We had a great time (and I just want to say I have the best bestest friend in the entire world!)
The high energy of opening night may not be at Arco tonight but hopefully the hustle and effort will still be there. As long as our young team can put it all out there on the court, the fans who show up will not leave disappointed.
Let's get ready for some Kings basketball!!
