Sacramento Kings Blog – Page 72 – NBA Blog

Kings waive Antoine Wright

The Sacramento Kings today announced that they waived guard Antoine Wright.

Wright totaled two points and three rebounds in seven appearances this season.

The Kings roster now stands at 13.

For his NBA career, which began with the New Jersey Nets in the 2005-06 season, Wright has averaged 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 19.2 minutes per game. He’s also played for the Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I think another team will sign Wright in the near future, likely for the league minimum. He certainly has lacked staying power, being bounced the league around like a pinball. But I think Wright is good enough to stick around.

Mike Beasley scores 42 in win over Kings

Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

On Wednesday, Beasley scored a career-high 42 points — 18 of them in the game’s first 10 minutes, 27 in the first half alone — on 17-for-31 shooting and on a bruised left hip that delivered the Wolves their first victory since the season’s second game.

“I had my popcorn ready, just watching the show,” Wolves injured point guard Jonny Flynn said as he sat in a joyous locker room afterward. “And that was definitely a show. Mike Beasley put on a show.”

Their nine-point victory followed Tuesday’s five-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles, ended a six-game losing streak and avenged a one-point, opening-night loss to the Kings at Target Center.

All this after they lost their first four road games by an average of 30 points.

It also was the Wolves’ first road victory since they won at Miami last February against a Heat team that included a guy named Beasley.

Beasley’s 42-point night puts him among such names in franchise history as Tony Campbell, Wally Szczerbiak, Isaiah Rider, Randy Breuer, Stephon Marbury, Al Jefferson and, of course, Kevin Garnett, all players who scored 40 or more points in a game.

Antoine Wright arrested for DUI

The AP reports:

Sacramento Kings forward Antoine Wright was arrested Thursday night for driving under the influence, the team said Friday.

The Kings, who have a home game Saturday against Memphis, issued a statement of apology from Wright. Wright’s attorney, Bill Portanova, said in the team statement that his client is cooperating fully with police in nearby Rocklin.

“I’m sorry for having gotten myself into this situation,” Wright said through the team. “I sincerely apologize to my teammates and coaches, the Sacramento Kings organization, the Sacramento community and fans and my family.”

Kings exercise options on Tyreke Evans, Jason Thompson, Donte Greene, and Omri Casspi

The Sacramento Kings today exercised the options on guard Tyreke Evans and forwards Jason Thompson, Donté Greene, and Omri Casspi, it was announced by Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

Evans, entering his second NBA season, was named the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging a team-leading 20.1 ppg (.458 FG%, .255 3pt%, .748 FT%), 5.3 rpg, and a team-best 5.8 apg—joining LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in their rookie campaigns.

Thompson was selected by the Kings as a senior out of Rider (12th overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft. He has averaged 11.8 ppg (.484 FG%, .703 FT%), 7.4 rpg, and 1.1 apg per game in 157 games through two seasons with Sacramento.

Originally selected by Memphis in the first round (28th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft as an undergraduate out of Syracuse, Greene joined the Kings after being acquired in a trade with Houston. He has accrued averages of 6.5 ppg (.407 FG%, .336 3pt%, .684 FT%) and 1.6 rpg in 131 career contests.

The first Israeli-born player in NBA history, Casspi was selected by Sacramento with the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He averaged 10.3 ppg (.446 FG%, .369 3pt%, .672 FT%), 4.5 rpg, and 1.2 apg as a rookie.

Samuel Dalembert likely out 4-6 weeks

The Sacramento Kings today announced that an MRI taken on Kings center Samuel Dalembert confirmed the initial diagnosis of a left adductor strain.

The injury may sideline Dalembert the next four to six weeks.

Carl Landry is rusty

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports:

When it was relayed to Carl Landry that his coach said he wasn’t the “real” Landry at this point of training camp, the fourth-year forward agreed.

“It’s not,” Landry said. “I’m still struggling, still don’t have my bounce. And that’s why there’s preseason.”

After being effective after joining the Kings in the Kevin Martin trade in February, Landry hasn’t been the same player after almost two weeks of camp. He hasn’t looked as quick or explosive around the basket.

Landry spends a lot of time after every practice working on his footwork and offense. Kings coach Paul Westphal described Landry as “rusty” a week ago.

Kings name Shareef Abdur-Rahim assistant general manager

The Sacramento Kings have added Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the team’s front office as an Assistant General Manager, it was announced by Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. Abdur-Rahim, a 12-year NBA veteran, spent the previous two seasons behind the Kings’ bench as an assistant coach.

“I’m thankful that the Maloof family and Geoff Petrie have the confidence in me to provide the opportunity to continue to be a part of the Kings’ organization,” said Abdur-Rahim. “My family and I love this area and are excited to be involved with this young and upcoming team.”

Abdur-Rahim enjoyed 12 seasons in the NBA with four different teams (Vancouver 1996-97 to 2000-01, Atlanta 2001-02 to 2003-04, Portland 2003-04 to 2004-05 and Sacramento 2005-06 to 2007-08), amassing career averages of 18.1 points (.452 FGs, .297 3FGs, .810 FTs), 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game through 830 outings. His most productive season, statistically, occurred during the 1998-99 campaign in Vancouver when he averaged 23.0 points (.432 FGs, .306 3FGs, .841 FTs), 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game through 50 contests (NBA Lockout season). The following season (1999-00), Abdur-Rahim averaged double figures in both points (20.3) and rebounds (10.1) per game, in which he played in all 82 contests for the Grizzlies.

Abdur-Rahim was a member of the gold-medal winning United States Olympic team in 2000 while still with the Vancouver Grizzlies. He was selected to the Eastern Conference NBA All-Star Team where he scored nine points in 21 minutes as a member of the Atlanta Hawks in 2002.

On December 28, 2002, Abdur-Rahim became the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to reach the 10,000-point plateau when he scored 18 points at Washington at age 26, trailing only Kobe Bryant, Bob McAdoo, Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with that distinction.

Selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies (now Memphis) as an undergraduate out of California with the third pick of the 1996 NBA Draft, Abdur-Rahim has a long-standing history of community service involvement. He was named by The Sporting News as the NBA’s Number 1 Good Guy for 2004 after funding the Reef House in Atlanta through his Atlanta-based Future Foundation with the purpose of assisting at-risk and underprivileged youth.

DeMarcus Cousins rocks preseason NBA debut

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports:

One exhibition game into his NBA career, Cousins justified the excitement.

The Kings’ first-round pick had 16 points and 16 rebounds in a 109-95 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night at Arco.

“I thought DeMarcus gave us everything we’re looking for in the post on both ends of the floor,” Kings coach Paul Westphal said after the exhibition opener for both teams. “He showed why we think so highly of him. And if he ever gets in shape, he’ll really be able to do a lot.”

Cousins’ conditioning was criticized before the Kings drafted him fifth overall in June.

Cousins averaged just 23.5 minutes in his lone season at Kentucky. He played 29 minutes, 47 seconds against the Suns.

Cousins made 8 of 13 shots. Five of his rebounds were offensive rebounds.

Donte Greene adds 25 pounds

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports:

It’s not as easy to push around Donté Greene these days.

The Kings forward showed up for his third NBA season weighing 251 pounds – 25 more than his listed weight.

Now, when he has his post-practice workouts with assistant coach Shareef Abdur- Rahim, Greene has more bulk to use with the post moves he learns from Abdur-Rahim.

“I try to (mimic Abdur- Rahim) by watching film, but ‘Reef was a beast,” Greene said. “I’m just watching film and listening to what he tells me and trying to put it to work.”

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NBA ceases involvement with Sacramento arena situation

Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee report:

Four years after the National Basketball Association commissioner announced he’d personally help get an arena built in Sacramento, the league issued a terse e-mail Tuesday saying it’s no longer taking an active role in local arena efforts.

The statement came days after the Cal Expo board closed the door on an NBA-backed plan to move the State Fair to the Arco Arena site in Natomas to help finance a new downtown arena.

“On the heels of the disappointing – but not surprising – action (or inaction) of the state and Cal Expo board, it is fair to say that the NBA has ceased its activities on the Sacramento arena front,” league representative John Moag said in an e-mail to The Bee. “However, we will continue to monitor and respond to the activities and options of others that might reasonably ensure the competitiveness and viability of the Kings’ franchise.”

The now-defunct arena proposal, championed by local developers Gerry Kamilos and David Taylor, would have leveraged revenues from the sale of the Cal Expo site to help finance a new State Fair in Natomas and a sports and entertainment complex in the downtown railyard.

InsideHoops.com editor says: My main concern is the same as the one Kings fans should have in the back of their mind: The arena situation, if it isn’t resolved, could result in the team eventually leaving Sacramento.