It’s going to be an electric atmosphere when the Sacramento Kings host the Oklahoma City Thunder in their only nationally-televised game this season on TNT. After the jump, find out how you can win a free pair of lower-level seats to Thursday night’s game!
The Sacramento Kings have just sent out a formal press release regarding second year center Hassan Whiteside.
KINGS RECALL HASSAN WHITESIDE FROM RENO
SACRAMENTO, CA —- The Sacramento Kings today recalled center Hassan Whiteside from the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League, President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced. Whiteside will rejoin the team in Sacramento prior to Saturday’s contest versus the Golden State Warriors at Power Balance Pavilion.
Whiteside was assigned to the Bighorns on January 1st and averaged 7.8 points (.521 FG%, .343 FT%), 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 18.9 minutes per game in 11 contests (started five). He recorded double-figure scoring in four games with his most notable performance coming versus the Sioux Falls Skyforce (1/13), where he tallied 15 points (7-10 FG, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, and two blocks in 29 minutes. Whiteside also registered 13 points (5-9 FG, 3-9 FT), nine rebounds, and six blocks in his first appearance with Reno versus Fort Wayne (1/3).
Whiteside has played a total of two minutes in his NBA career, spending most of last season on IR with a knee issue. This season, he is buried on the depth chart behind DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson, J.J. Hickson and Chuck Hayes. Considered a project when the Kings drafted him, Whiteside is still young and has the physical tools to be a top flight shot blocker.
The Sacramento Kings have only one nationally televised game this season and the franchise has just gained an important ally in the push to fill up Power Balance Pavilion for that game. Here We Stay, the grass roots group that rallied fans last season, is back at it, doing their part to promote the need for a packed house for the February 9th game against Clay Bennett’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here is the Here We Stay announcement from our friend Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty:
The Sacramento Kings are on national television once this year, on February 9 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s poetic in a number of ways, not the least of which is that the Thunder were the last team to be relocated, and our Kings might be the next.
While our friends in the blog game have been excellent at helping us spread the word about the situation here over the past 11 months, this is really the last opportunity for Sacramento to speak to a truly national audience about why the NBA needs to stay here. It’s also one of our best opportunities as fans to speak to the greater Sacramento region — those who watch SportsCenter, those who watch the local news — about how important the next couple months are in terms of securing the plans for a new entertainment and sports complex. Because it will be on TNT, this game will be covered heavily locally and nationally.
So we need to turn that gym out on February 9. Here We Stay and Sactown Royalty are asking fans to do the same thing we did against the Clippers and Thunder last season: turn up, and turn it out. Blow the doors off. Get the building full — the Kings are running a few specials, including two lower-level tickets for $65 — and wear black and get loud. Bring some creative signs to get onto Inside the NBA, too.
Ed (Montes) will drop in chant instructions next week, and we’ll be asking for volunteers to a) pass out flyers/chant sheets at the entrances before the game, and b) print their own and pass them around their row/section. In the meantime, let’s get this game sold out so we can remind the nation why Sacramento has the best fans in the league. We can see the light. Let’s go get it.
February is a huge month in Sacramento as mayor Kevin Johnson attempts to get the necessary funding mechanisms in place to build a new entertainment and sports facility before the NBA’s March 1 deadline for teams to file for relocation. Momentum has been on the Mayor’s side for the last few weeks, but major hurdles are still between him and the finish line.
It should be an exciting night. The Kings are trying to recreate the “black out” scene that fans were treated to during the team’s opening night victory against the Lakers. The Kings are handing out black “defend your honor” towels and glow sticks while asking all fans to dress in black for the occasion. This is also the final home game of the season that the Kings are scheduled to wear their new black alternative road jerseys, which have been a huge hit this season.
One of the NBA’s greatest scorers is joining the Sacramento Kings coaching staff.
Hall of Famer Alex English, who spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach and director of player development with the Toronto Raptors, has been added to head coach Keith Smart’s staff.
From the official press release:
“Adding Alex to our basketball program is good for all and especially good for our players,” explained Smart. “He was an elite player in this league for a long time and is a very good coach. When he talks, they’ll listen. His game prep and film study aspects are some of his many strong points, and that’s only going to help our staff. We’re trying to surround ourselves with the right people that fit our basketball team who have the ability to teach our guys and also have a firm hand to get them walking in the right direction as young men.”
Prior to joining the Raptors, English enjoyed coaching stints with the Philadelphia 76ers (2003-04) and Atlanta Hawks (2002-03). The former NBA superstar began his coaching career with the D-League’s North Charleston Lowgaters, earning a birth in the finals of the first NBDL title game.
English played 14 seasons in the NBA, appearing in eight All-Star games, all as a member of the Denver Nuggets. With 25,613 career points, he is the league’s 13th all-time leading scorer.
After last night’s abysmal performance in Denver, the Kings have decided to make a coaching change.
KINGS RELIEVE PAUL WESTPHAL OF COACHING DUTIES
SACRAMENTO, CA —- The Sacramento Kings today relieved Paul Westphal of his head coaching duties, according to President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. Current Kings’ assistant coach Keith Smart will serve as head coach in tonight’s game versus the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I want to thank Paul for all of his effort on behalf of the Kings,” said Petrie. “Unfortunately, the overall performance level of the team has not approached what we felt was reasonable to expect. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
In two-plus seasons as head coach of the Kings, Westphal amassed a record of 51-120.
“I would like to thank the Maloof family for the incredible opportunity they gave me to participate in the attempt to bring the Sacramento Kings back to prominence,” said Westphal. “While the job is far from finished, I am proud of the strides we were able to make.
“Geoff Petrie and his staff have been nothing but honest and supportive throughout my time here. They are first class in every way and I wish them nothing but success. My hope is to see the fans of the Kings and the city of Sacramento rewarded with many years of great basketball.
“Finally, I want to thank my loyal staff and players for their efforts in attempting to climb out of the hole we shared. Nothing comes easy in the NBA and I know they will not rest in their efforts to rebuild this team.”
Coach Westphal has always been a class act to us here at Cowbell Kingdom. We wish him well in his post-Kings life.
Keith Smart will serve as head coach for this evening, but surprisingly, the Kings have not immediately placed the “interim” tag on him for the remainder of the season. Smart led the Golden State Warriors to a 36-46 record last season, a ten game improvement over the previous season.
Sam Amick of SI.com has just tweeted this statement by DeMarcus Cousins’ agent, John Greig:
“I want to address my missing the New Orleans game Sunday. I have not demanded or requested trade. I don’t agree with the actions taken but will give my sincere effort to put it behind me and compete the best I can for my team.”
–Statement issued by Cousins through his agent John Greig
Certainly this is not the apology Coach Westphal or the Kings are looking for, but it will have to suffice for now. The ultra-talented Cousins joined his team on their flight to Memphis this afternoon in preparation for Tuesday evenings game against the Grizzlies. There is no word as to whether Cousins will regain his starting position or if J.J. Hickson will continue to get the nod while Cousins works himself back into the Coach’s good graces.
**Update – Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee has just sent out this tweet regarding DeMarcus Cousins’ status for tomorrow night in Memphis:
Multiple sources have confirmed that the Sacramento Kings have won the amnesty bid process on former New Jersey Net Travis Outlaw. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! was the first to report the addition via twitter.
The 27 year-old Outlaw spent the majority of his career with the Portland Trailblazers before a mid-season trade to the Clippers in 2010. Following the move to LA, Outlaw signed a 5yr/$35 million deal with the New Jersey Nets last season, but struggled mightily, shooting just 37.5% from the field. Outlaw had his best seasons as a pro for Portland during the 2007-08 season, averaging 13.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 27-minutes a game off the bench.
There is no word on what the Kings bid on Outlaw, but he comes to the team with a four year contract intact, much of which New Jersey will be paying. As for what this means for the Kings other wing players, only time will tell, but the things just got a little crowded.
The Sacramento Kings have just sent out an official press release confirming the amnesty waiver claim of Travis Outlaw.
KINGS AWARDED TRAVIS OUTLAW ON WAIVER CLAIM
SACRAMENTO, CA —- The Sacramento Kings today were awarded forward Travis Outlaw on a waiver claim under the NBA’s new amnesty waiver procedure, according to Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 6-9, 207-pound forward was waived by New Jersey on December 15, 2011, and designated as the team’s amnesty player. Signed by the Nets as a free agent on July 14, 2010, Outlaw averaged 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game in 82 games, starting 55 of those contests last season.
Outlaw is entering his ninth NBA season, having played in 482 career games with Portland, LA Clippers and New Jersey. His career averages are 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 22.9 minutes per game.
The Sacramento Kings just announced their training camp schedule for the 2011-12 campaign. The teams practice facility doors open at noon on Saturday, December 10th for day one of camp. On Thursday, December 15th, the Kings hold their official media day, followed by their annual Kings-on-Kings open scrimmage at 7pm. Camp breaks on December 16th, the day before the Kings open their two game pre-season schedule (@GS 12/17 and @PBP 12/20) with the Golden State Warriors.
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Last season, the Sacramento Kings marketing team unleashed a can of worms with their season-opening campaign Here We Rise. The slogan became Here We Stay, Here We Build, Here We Sit, Here We Purple, as Kings fans rallied to save their team.
Well, how does Back In Black sound for the 2011-12 season? What does it mean? It means that the Sacramento Kings will turn back the clock to their glory years with a re-invented black alternate jersey.
Today, the Kings rolled out their new look, complete with a promotional video that includes Kings legends Bobby Jackson, Scot Pollard and Doug Christie. Although I am not a jersey wearing kind of guy, I had the privilege of seeing the new design last night and these things are going to fly off the shelf for Christmas.
The Sacramento Kings have decided to add one more coach to Paul Westphal’s staff. Jim Todd, who’s had NBA coaching stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers, has been announced as the newest addition to the Kings coaching staff. From the official press release:
Todd coached in China last season and also served as an assistant coach for the Canadian National Men’s Basketball team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship Games in Turkey. He has been involved in coaching at the high school, college and pro level since 1976. Todd, who is no stranger to coaching in the NBA, was an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks from 2008-2010. Prior to his assignment in Atlanta, he spent the 2007-08 campaign as an assistant coach for Milwaukee in his third stint with the Bucks. Todd spent three seasons as an assistant coach with Toronto (2004-2007), and the Raptors won a franchise-record 47 games and the Atlantic Division title in his final season. He began his NBA career as an assistant coach under Chris Ford with the Bucks from 1996-98. Todd followed Ford to the Los Angeles Clippers in 1998, and was named interim head coach of the Clippers on February 3, 2000.
An assistant coach at DePaul University in 2001-02, Todd then returned to Milwaukee as an assistant coach the following two seasons, helping guide Milwaukee to back-to-back playoff trips.
After graduating with a Masters in Education from Fitchburg State (his alma mater) in 1976, Todd led Notre Dame (MA) High School to a 26-2 record and the state title. From 1977-86, he worked as a head coach at Fitchburg State, an assistant at Columbia University and Marist College, and an associate head coach at Manhattan College. He helped lead Marist to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, and worked with future NBA center Rik Smits.
Todd was head coach at Salem State from 1987-96, recording a 192-57 .771) mark, including a 110-10 (.917) record in Conference play. He led the school to eight Division III NCAA tourney appearances, and was named NCAA New England Coach of the Year in 1990. He also coached Salem State’s golf team, leading them to three NCAA appearances.
A member of both the Salem State and Fitchburg State Halls of Fame, Todd was recently inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
Todd joins Bobby Jackson and former Golden State Warriors head coach Keith Smart as new additions to Westphal’s staff.
