The Kings released this official press release last night in regards to Tyreke Evans:

Evans Plantar Fasciitis Confirmed

Kings’ guard Tyreke Evans was examined in Los Angeles yesterday (12/7/10) by Dr. Richard Ferkel, who confirmed that Evans is suffering from plantar fasciitis.

Evans will be able to play through the injury, which will be treated by a combination of medication, a night splint, and a walking boot when not playing or practicing.  Dr. Ferkel also suggested a precautionary MRI to rule out any other conditions, which Evans will undergo tomorrow (12/9/10).

In post game interviews, Tyreke put his pain level at about a seven out of ten and said that when he’s moving around, it feels good but when he sits it stiffens up.  I specifically asked him about the stress fracture rumor that was flying around earlier in the evening and he had this to say:

It’s just plantar fasciitis, that’s it.

I followed this up by asking him specifically about whether or not he had been given a cortisone shot in his foot.  Here is his response:

I had one, one time but they said it is not good to keep getting them because they can mess your foot up because you don’t feel the pain but it can tear it more so I’m not getting anymore shots.

This is a re-occurring issue for Evans.  He suffered a similar injury when was a freshman at Memphis and he said it went away after about 20 games.  It is obviously effecting his quickness but again, it is an injury that he can and wants to play through.  The Kings could really use a healthy and productive Tyreke Evans if they hope to turn things around.

When the results of the MRI come in, I will update this post.  Until then, keep your fingers crossed Kings fans.

The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones is reporting that the MRI results will have to wait until tomorrow:

Tyreke Evans underwent an MRI late this afternoon at UC Davis Medical Center. Because the MRI was performed late in the afternoon, results aren’t expected to be in until Friday morning.

So I was perusing the Sacramento Bee as I tend to do when I wake up and I came across this piece from Sam Amick about Beno and Westphal differing over playing time. In it, we are getting two different stories about the condition of Beno’s feet and the results on the court because of this injury.

Paul Westphal is saying the sore right foot and plantar fasciitis has slowed Beno Udrih down a step, which seems completely logical. Westphal kept Beno out of the game on Wednesday and instead played Sergio Rodriguez. But apparently, Beno said he was “fine” and okay to play basketball on the injured foot. He says he’s been dealing with it all season:

“I’ve been icing it after every game, playing with it. I didn’t say I don’t want to play because of my plantar fasciitis. I said, ‘I’m fine.’ He just decided he’s going to play Sergio. That’s his decision. Not mine.”

This is a point in which you’d like players to put the ego aside and gain some perspective. The Kings are a bad team right now and can’t seem to get a W to save their lives. When Kevin Martin came back, it meant that Beno’s starting spot was going to disappear. In fact, his minutes were going to be cut because now you had a player coming back and taking away starter’s minutes in the process. Add in Beno’s bad foot with a serious nagging injury and the fact that Sergio Rodriguez seems to get things done on the basketball court in his limited playing time and of course Beno is going to see a dip/hit in his minutes.

But instead, he’s going to pout a little and claim that he’s no longer being involved.

You remember this conversation he had with Carmichael Dave on Media Day?

This was frustration with the Theus/Natt regime (more Natt than anything) of throwing him in the corner and making him a spot-up shooter. But I don’t see that going on since Kevin Martin has returned from injury. Beno is still getting opportunities to run the point, run the offense and create like he loves to do. You’re still seeing pick-and-roll plays with him. You’re still seeing him come off screens and create mid-range jumpers.

So what gives?

Maybe this is Beno’s default complaint. When things aren’t going right for him, he decides that he’s just being thrown to the corner (literally and figuratively). Personally, I think it’s dumb for him to play through this plantar fasciitis. It’s a serious injury that can have damaging long-term affects if it isn’t treated properly. He needs to sit some games now to get his body right rather than try to play through it on a team that will be lucky to reach 30 wins.

With the money he’s signed up for, it’s better to fix the injury now with rest and treatment than feed his ego and need to prove the validity of his contract.