49992http://fullcourtpress.kingsconnect.com/archives/4999Kayte+Breaks+Down+the+Kings+Six-Game+Trip2010-01-14+22%3A13%3A21Kayte+Christensen

Kayte Breaks Down the Kings Six-Game Trip

You could say the Kings have had a favorable home schedule so far this season. Not as home-friendly as the LA Lakers but, then again, I guess being the Lakers and reigning champions, maybe that’s what it takes for the League to give you 17 home and only four road games to start the season, but I digress.

Despite their heavy Sacramento schedule (12-9), this young Kings team has struggled on the road (3-13). Great teams and Playoff teams, like Utah last season, even struggle on the road, so it makes it really difficult to evaluate what has hurt the Kings. The most important thing about how the team has played on the road, in my mind, is that they have, for the most part, been in the game down the stretch. Being in position to win on the road is the first step. Finding a way to win them is the next and in most minds, most important!

That’s why this six-game East Coast swing the Kings left for today is so important. I would call it a favorable schedule, if you consider the team plays the underachieving Sixers, the media-and-legal ridden Wizards and an unpredictable Bobcats team to start the trip. The Kings then wind up their 10 days on the East against Eastern Conference powers Atlanta, Miami and Orlando. If you look at the matchups with a glass-half-full perspective, at least the Kings don’t have to include Boston in that mix.

So lets break this down a bit, shall we?

The first three games are against teams I believe the Kings are better than. Yes, there was the blip on the radar when Philly came to ARCO recently, but I only look at that as more incentive to win the game. Plus, Tyreke missed that game due to injury. I’m most excited about seeing Evans take on All-Star point guard Allen Iverson, who is playing well and more than comfy being back in Philly with the return of his signature cornrows to prove it!

The Wizards still have star power despite being without Gilbert Arenas, who is serving an indefinite leave from the team. It can be dangerous to play a team with All-Star players such as Butler and Jamison during a time of such upheaval. Their record doesn’t reflect it, but the Wizards have had an amazing number of games lost by single digits, many of them by less than four. We know they can play. We also know the Kings can beat them.

Charlotte is the forgotten team in the NBA, if you ask me. Let’s face it, we’ve paid more attention to the record-setting (and not in a good way) New Jersey Nets this year than we have to the Bobcats. Really, the only notable thing to say about them is now, Stephen Jackson, whom all Kings fans are aware of thanks to his play in the Bay, is now in North Carolina. Oh yeah, and I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about Kings rookie Omri Casspi, who has been making waves and is one of the best rookies in the League this year.

We all know Atlanta is a talented team by just glancing at the roster. You’re all familiar with Mike Bibby’s game, and it says a lot that he’s been able to settle into what I’d call a role player position on that team given the rest of its talent. But lets face it, they haven’t been playing well recently so the Kings may be catching them at a great time.

The Kings have faced Miami at ARCO already this season. I think the Kings are a better team than they were then and believe the outcome can be different the second time around. I just hope the infamous Miami defense doesn’t come into play.

Then there is the Magic, who just came to town. Dwight Howard is a handful for every team. His 30 points and 16 rebounds at ARCO were too much for the Kings, but they stayed very much in the game until the midway point of the fourth quarter. A couple of tweaks, to what I feel was a well-executed game plan on behalf of the coaching staff, should make for a close and competitive game in Orlando.

After all of that, I haven’t even brought up what might be the most intriguing storyline of the entire trip — the return of Kevin Martin. There have been countless questions the duration of his injury about how he would be incorporated back into a lineup that was having such success despite being plagued with significant injuries. I have no answers for you! I think with Tyreke having to step up and take on a big scoring load while the team missed Kevin’s 30 points per game he was averaging in the first five games of the season, it may not be the smoothest transition. But the fact that Coach Westphal has used a plethora of lineups on the court (both starting and rotation-wise) could indicate this team is already geared to add another player seamlessly.

Only time will tell.

I’m also excited to see how the acquisition of Hilton Armstrong turns out. We’ve seen how successful Geoff Petrie’s decisions with this year’s Kings roster have been, so I have no reason to believe differently in this case!

As you see, this six-game East Coast swing is going to be exciting on multiple levels. From a player perspective, as wonderful as it is to play at home for obvious reasons (sleeping in your own bed, ARCO fans, etc.) sometimes being on the road allows for a better focus because you don’t have the same everyday distractions you might have at home (paying bills, walking the dog, you know, normal daily things). Focus is just what the Kings need to come back home feeling good about this overwhelming road trip!

On a side note, a few people have been curious about why I’ve been MIA recently! I had some personal time for about 10 days, but rest assured, I’m fine. There are no worries, and I’m back to work now! I’ve also been able to work in four women’s college basketball games as a color analyst for ESPN. So for all of you women’s college hoops fans, you can catch me on that side as well!