Sacramento Kings Blog – Page 44 – NBA Blog

No Carl Landry for Kings anytime soon

Here’s the Sacramento Bee with a review of the status of forward Carl Landry:

Carl Landry isn’t close to returning to the court for the Kings, but he is able to travel with the Kings as he recovers from surgery for a torn left hip flexor.

Landry underwent surgery Oct. 15 for the injury suffered during training camp in Santa Barbara. He was expected to miss three to four months after the surgery.

Landry is going through his rehab on the road, but is still unable to do anything on the court.

“Just being patient is the toughest part for me,” Landry said. “I’ve got to sit back and watch my teammates go to war and I can’t be involved physically. The main thing is to be patient and remember that it’s a journey, it’s a marathon, and things will be better in due time.”

Kings forward Travis Outlaw fined for foul on J.J. Redick

Sacramento Kings forward Travis Outlaw has been fined $15,000 for making excessive and unnecessary contact with Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, for which Outlaw was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 8:06 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Kings’ 103-102 loss to the Clippers on Saturday Nov. 23, at Staples Center.

Kings assign guard Ray McCallum to D-League

The Sacramento Kings have assigned rookie guard Ray McCallum to the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, it was announced today by General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

McCallum, selected in the second round (36th overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft, has not seen action in the Kings’ 11 games this season. He averaged 3.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.20 steals and 12.2 minutes per game in five games off the bench for the Kings in the preseason. He is reunited with former Kings training camp players Brandon Heath, DeQuan Jones and Trent Lockett.

The Bighorns open the 2013-14 season with back-to-back games at Sioux Falls on Friday (November 22) and Saturday (November 23).

Kings struggles have coach seaching for answers

Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

Less than five minutes into the third quarter, the Kings had tested coach Michael Malone’s patience to the point that he benched most of his starting lineup.

Except for forward Luc Mbah a Moute, the starters were done for the night.

Malone said he wasn’t trying to send a message. He was trying to win a game. But that didn’t happen, with the Kings falling to the Memphis Grizzlies 97-86 today at Sleep Train Arena.

The Kings have lost seven of their last eight games and continue to confound their coach with lackluster effort.

That has left Malone searching nightly for a group that will at least play hard so there’s no guessing whom he might have to turn to for a spark.

Kings have no more excuses, says DeMarcus Cousins

Here’s the Sacramento Bee on the Kings transitioning away from their recent losing culture:

More than once last season, the Kings were booed at home for lackluster efforts.

And it hasn’t taken long for fans to become fed up with the same kind of Kings they’ve seen too much of in recent seasons, and the boo-birds have returned to Sleep Train Arena.

Changing ownership, the front office and coaches hasn’t immediately translated to a change in the losing culture. The team is on a five-game losing streak, thanks largely to old habits haunting them.

“We’ve been a team full of excuses,” said center DeMarcus Cousins. “And in the past, we really had an excuse. Now we don’t – it’s on us. Everything is set up for us now. It’s nothing we can complain about from the top to the coaches. Everything is set for us now. We just have to go out there and play. There’s no more excuses.”

Sacramento Kings arena working to improve food service

Look. You can’t just attend a sporting event and watch the sport. You have to eat, and drink, and then eat and drink some more. And then halftime comes, and you keep eating and drinking. And on it goes. It’s important. And here’s the Sacramento Bee on the situation at Kings games:

The Sacramento Kings acknowledged they’re having “growing pains” with some of the new services available to fans at Sleep Train Arena.

Most notably, fans have taken to social media to complain about long lines and slow service at the arena’s revamped concession stands. Those stations are offering food from local farms and ranches, along with some local beer and wine.

Fans have generally had good things to say about the quality of the food – but say it isn’t getting to them fast enough.

Jimmer Fredette still looking to prove himself in NBA

Jimmer Fredette still has work to do to prove that he’s got a place in the NBA. Here’s the Sacramento Bee, with the first paragraph below focused on Jimmer’s Kings situation:

For Fredette, the numbers just don’t add up. In the overall scheme, the body parts just don’t fit. He is a 6-foot-2 backup shooting guard whose offense relies on unselfish teammates to set screens and deliver crisp, precise passes, which the Kings have done very little of this past decade.

That doesn’t mean Fredette can’t flourish elsewhere. It doesn’t even mean he can’t flourish here, under the right circumstances. But surrounding him with one-on-one players is the fastest way to cripple a career, which is why the third-year pro is disappointed, but hardly devastated, that the Kings declined Thursday to pick up his fourth year for an estimated $3 million.

“We weren’t sure what they were going to do,” said Fredette, an unrestricted free agent next summer. “They told me it was a very difficult decision, that they were on the fence until the last few days. And I understand that. This is a business. It’s tough to hear sometimes, but you still have an NBA career. It’s not over. I’m just going to move forward and play as hard as I can this year, try to get better, and see what happens.”

Kings decline to pick up Jimmer Fredette contract option

Jimmer Fredette got a lot of attention before and during his entrance into the world of NBA basketball, but ever since he actually put on a Kings jersey, we haven’t seen a lot of him. There have been flashes here and there, but for now, Jimmer is still proving his worth. As for his Kings situation, here’s the Sacramento Bee:

The Kings on Thursday declined to pick up the fourth-year option on guard Jimmer Fredette’s contract for the 2014-15 season, which would have paid the 2011 first-round draft pick a little more than $3 million. The deadline to do so was Thursday at 9 p.m.

Therefore, Fredette will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. The Kings could re-sign him at a reduced salary, but the decision likely means this will be Fredette’s final season with the team.

It also means Fredette probably would bring more value in a trade because his expiring deal would create salary cap space for next summer’s free-agent class. The trade deadline is Feb. 20.

Part-owner Shaq wants playoffs for Kings

Can the Sacramento Kings make the playoffs this season? Sure seems like a tough goal when you look at their roster. But new part-owner Shaquille O’Neal says a postseason spot is within the realm of possibility. Here’ the Sacramento Bee:

A postseason berth would be the franchise’s first since the 2005-06 season.

“Looking at the personnel here and the Western Conference, I think we can do it,” O’Neal said. “We can get a playoff spot. Our goal should be the playoffs.”

Bigs together – O’Neal said he will continue to work with DeMarcus Cousins, offering wisdom for the young center’s development on and off the court.

But only to a point.

“I won’t micromanage him,” O’Neal said. “He’s a young guy who is still growing up. I know he wants to be a great big man. I can show him the keys.”

Big victory for Sacramento is keeping the Kings

The big victory for the Kings in recent years, as far as Sacramento is considered, is that the team is still in town and did not wind up being relocated to Seattle or elsewhere. Here’s the Sacramento Bee:

Standing at center court in Sleep Train Arena on Wednesday night amid smoke from exploding fireworks, new Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, microphone in hand, uttered a few words.

“Sacramento, I have just one thing to say to you,” he said, pausing, his face a mask of seriousness. “This is your team. And it is here to stay.”

A standing-room-only crowd in Sleep Train Arena exploded in cheers. It was a moment many here thought just six months ago would never happen. And yet, the Kings hosted a noisy, purple-hued celebration Wednesday in Natomas, launching their 29th and most improbable season in Sacramento.

The game, which the Kings won 90-88 over the Denver Nuggets, capped a triumphant night.

Many in the crowd said they had come to bask in the fact that Sacramento had somehow, over the last three years, fended off serious attempts by two cities to take the team – both of which seemed, at points, to be done deals.