Postgame Quotes - Kings @ Jazz

Head Coach Kenny Natt
On the game:
“Well, after a back-to-back coming in I thought our guys played hard for the most part. We were very competitive tonight and got down four points with eight minutes left but got sloppy with the basketball and had three straight turnovers and that pretty much put us in a bad way. I thought our guys worked hard. They could have caved in. This is a very good ball club and no one knows it better than me how good they are and how hard they work.”

On playing down the stretch:
“Our guys played well. I told our guys about instilling hard work and discipline with guys that dive on the floor, run after the ball and score on you. Those are the things that just crush you but we have to become a hardworking, disciplined ballclub and then we’ll have fun. When you work hard you have fun and I thought we were in the game early. We were working hard, getting steals, pushing the ball down and getting layups. You have to learn that this game doesn’t come easy and you have to work hard then you will have fun and it will become better for you. Those are the things we are working on as a young team.”

Kevin Martin
On the team’s play:
“We just had some key turnovers and they capitalized on them and you know you can’t do that in the fourth quarter. The effort was there we just have to do a little better job executing in the fourth. Guys played hard tonight.”

Bobby Jackson
On the game:
“We didn’t’ take care of the ball; eight turnovers in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the first couple of possessions we had three to four turnovers without shots. You can’t do that. It wasn’t like it was forced. It was us not taking care of the ball. Those things are uncalled for when you’re playing in a hostile environment like that. You can’t give teams (Jazz) like that second chances.”

On the future of the Kings:
“I think we have a lot of potential, but at the end of the day, you’re not going to beat anybody with 18 to 20 turnovers. If we get shots at the basket we’ll have a shot to win the game. Everybody’s got to be talking, everybody’s got to be on the same page.”

——

Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan
On Ronnie Brewer’s play:
“I thought he was playing pretty well. That’s why I left him out there. I outsmarted myself. I asked him if he was alright and he said he was ok. He’s worked for some of those opportunities. We put him on nearly one of the tougher guys every night to have to guard, and he seems to be getting better and better. That’s a huge thing for him because he has tremendous athletic ability, he can jump, he’s got to learn how to rebound more, but that comes with the territory I guess. Learning how to play, and adding all those things to what you can do.”

“I think he’s been a lot more tenacious. He’s been a lot quicker, trying to get his hands on the basketball, obviously getting a couple steals here and there. He needs to cut hard to the basket. If he does that, if he can get around the basket, he’s got a lot of stuff around the basket. He’s still young, trying to learn how to get better, and that’s one thing we like about him.”

On having everyone back and healthy:
“It’s a lot tougher to coach. You cannot make too many mistakes coming down the stretch. You’re sitting there with needles going through you, and we’re probably a small lineup, they’ve got a small lineup…that’s part of it. I didn’t have that luxury at times, and when we have it, I hope that guys don’t get an attitude about not getting to play. That’s one of the toughest things I have to do.”

Ronnie Brewer
On the game:
“I was just trying to play hard. I just knew that if I cut hard, my teammates were good enough passers that they would find me. That’s just what I tried to do.”

On playing the entire second half:
“He [Coach Sloan] kept on asking me if I was all right. It’s a tough matchup trying to guard McCants and Martin out there. I just tried to push myself, make them guard us, and I just played a lot of minutes. Whenever I got super tired, there just happened to be a timeout, or they took a timeout and it helped me. I just tried to push myself and play hard throughout the entire game.”

Carlos Boozer
On the knee:
“Doin’ good. Still trying to get my knee stronger. It’s not going to be overnight, I just got out of surgery. Every day is a little bit better. Every day I feel a little bit more comfortable, and hopefully in a few weeks, I’ll be back to normal.”

On the depth of team:
“We have got guys who come off the bench ready. We’re a very deep team, more deep than most teams give us credit for. We know what we have and we are going to be confident in what we do.”

On the seven-game win streak:
“It’s important. Every game right now is critical. I think down the stretch, we are trying to move up the ladder a little bit, but at the same time we want to get our team as right as possible, so when we get to the playoffs, we are hitting our stride, and playing the best basketball we can be playing. For us, this is huge and we’re playing great down the stretch.”

Kyle Korver
How hard was it to go from the funeral to the game today?
“It was definitely a different day. My mom always says ‘blessed are the flexible’ and so we had to be a little bit flexible today. We all know what Larry meant to this team, this city and this state. We really only saw the basketball side of Larry, but it was fun to hear all of the different things that his grandkids and his kids were talking about. It just kind of showed you what kind of man he really was. He was a whole lot more than just the owner of the Jazz.”

Kayte’s Caption, February 28

Congratulations, Jeff!  Tonight’s winning caption is: “Why does Michael (Jordan) always beat us?”

 

Here’s how to submit your caption suggestions:

1. Leave a comment.

2. Text ‘Kayte’ to 69866

If your caption is selected as the winning caption, please send your full name and mailing address to webteam@arcoarena.com.

Postgame Quotes - Kings vs. Clippers

Head Coach Kenny Natt

On the way the game played out:
“All of you have heard me talk over and over again about the importance of trying to get 48 minutes of playing time – come out and do our homework early; get our work done early. I think we did a better job of that tonight. We got off to a good start with these guys. We did a better job defensively; we were able to get ourselves going on the offensive end of the floor and keep our confidence up. I just told the guys again, it’s because of the fact that we decided to start the game the right way on both ends of the floor – playing offense and defense, moving the basketball, playing together on the offensive end and helping each other in playing better on the defensive end of the floor. So we just hope to continue to get those types of efforts. We had a number of guys who really stepped up tonight. Spencer (Hawes) has 15 rebounds tonight; that was really impressive on his part. Bobby Jackson stepped in and really gave us a lift at the point guard position. Just his overall leadership out there on the floor was phenomenal.”

On Bobby Jackson:
“He stepped up – I was hoping I didn’t have to play him 36 minutes but that’s just the way it happened. He stepped up to the challenge and was able to give us good production on both ends of the floor. Bobby’s a tough guy – that’s one thing about him. There’s no shortage of competing on his part. Whatever you want out of him, whenever you want it, that’s the type of leader that he’s been all season.”

Spencer Hawes

On Clippers:
“I think going against a team that’s pretty big with (Zach) Randolph and (Marcus) Camby inside and knowing Camby’s ability to get inside offensive rebounds, it was a point of emphasis to keep them off the boards and try and control that end. We knew we came out tonight with our backs against the wall and we really needed one (a win). We seized that opportunity.”

How the new guys are fitting in:
“It’s coming out everyday and seems to be getting better. The offense isn’t something that you pick up everyday. It’s a rhythm and react base that takes a little bit and I think the guys are starting to fit in well.

On their assists and team working together:
“Whenever you can get everyone involved early it makes the game easier on both ends of the floor.”

Andres Nocioni

On being aggressive from the start:
“We started the game stronger today. We played a little bit better and better defense. We also played a little bit better offense. It was good win for us, and we needed it after three losses in a row. We now need to think about tomorrow (at Utah).”

On the team defense:
“I think we played defense for a longer time. We played much better and played with more intensity and had more energy on the defense. This is what we need every night.”

On Rashad McCants’ play:
“He is a scorer, he can really shoot the ball and score the ball really well. I think that it is good for him coming off the bench.”

Rashad McCants

On fitting in:
“I thought I was at training camp all over again, being with a new team. I haven’t really played that much. I have always had a great basketball mind and I know where to be defensively. That stuff comes easily to me. It is just playing with the guys and playing in the system long enough. My adjustment is coming in and I’ll fit in with the team.

On the team’s approach to the game:
“I have been around enough losses, but I definitely told the guys when we came in here we have to take advantage of these wins. We can’t come in here and act like we lost another game. We need to cherish the win and hopefully tomorrow we will go to Utah and get another one.”

–

Clippers Head Coach Mike Dunleavy

On getting behind early:
“We started the game at a pretty good tempo then we let them out of the bag. We settled for a lot of long shots and had no board coverage. We let them get out in the open court and get a bunch of fastbreak points that put us so far behind. It was an uphill battle the rest of the night. We had a couple runs at it but couldn’t get it down to significant single digits.”

On being affected by injuries:
“This is one of those games where we miss Eric Gordon. He is a very athletic guy that can attack off the dribble, create easy buckets for us and play good defense. He was getting close to 25 points a game before he got hurt. He was playing great for us. Then (Al) Thorton came back for the first time in a while and he was not there tonight. We just didn’t play well. We missed shots. Defensively, the team defense was not there.”

On how they prepare for the Kings:
“(Kevin) Martin is a staple for them and is going to put up points. Garcia is an off the dribble guy and if you don’t contain him, he is going to hurt you with his scoring and his passing. Nocioni came in and had a really nice game for them and shot the ball well. He has always played hard and has toughness. Those are their strengths.”

On handling an often injured roster:
“It has been tough all year for us. Every time we get somebody back, we lose somebody. Prior to Eric getting hurt, we won a few ball games. Then Eric goes out and we have this tonight. It just puts more stress on your ball club the further it goes along.”

Clippers Guard Baron Davis

On getting down early:
“Yeah. They jumped on us. The first quarter they were playing into our hands. Then they went on that run and we were playing catchup ever since. We were not able to establish a lead and get a run. Every time we looked to make a run, they came down and hit a three. That was just because they had good spacing. Their transition offense and defense was better than ours too.”

Kayte’s Caption, February 27

Congratulations, Wade from Tulare! Tonight’s winning caption is: “Hey Koz, got any requests?” Read more

Shootaround: Kings vs. Clippers

Beno Udrih sprained his right foot against the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night and now he’ll be out two-to-three games due to the injury. Stepping in to fill his shoes, Bobby Jackson will get the nod to start at point guard tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers.

After notching 12 points and 13 rebounds in his Kings debut, Drew Gooden exited the game after experiencing pain to his injured groin. Although he tweaked the injury, he’ll play in the Kings-Clippers matchup.

Despite being around his new team less than a week, Gooden already sees great promise in two of his young teammates.

“I see a lot of potential,” Gooden said. “I see some of the stuff they’re doing right now and the coaches were asking them why they’re doing it. I was like you have to be patient with them because I was doing the same thing not too long ago. You’re going to make some mistakes out there but with Spencer and JT, they have great upside. They’re young. They have a lot of energy and they want to win, so that’s always good.”

Watch the Gameday Conversation with Francisco Garcia.

Change is Good!

Let’s be honest.

Everyone who is even remotely in touch with reality had to know there were going to be some changes made to the Sacramento Kings roster by the NBA trade deadline. When you have 11 wins with fewer than 30 games left in the season, change is a given.

Seven new players though, came as a shock, even to me! I’ve never seen such massive movement on a single roster. The ability to pull together that many trades involving that many teams, shows how committed this franchise is to a brighter future.

But I don’t need to tell you that a President of Basketball Operations, who was responsible for the “Webber Years,“ would overlook the team’s insufficiencies, so change was inevitable.

Now 20-plus games remain on the 2008-09 schedule and there is a completely new team on the floor, so what can we expect?

Who knows.

But if what we’ve seen so far is any indication, there are a few things guaranteed.

1) There is no lack of aggression in Andres Nocioni. He’s going to wreak defensive havoc on the opponent! He’s going to dive for loose balls and give the occasional hard foul, which I am a big proponent of and saw too infrequently earlier this season. He plays with effort and intensity.

2) Drew Gooden, injured or not, is a veteran big body in the paint that won’t get rung up with a foul every time he breathes on his opponent. He’s going to grab boards. He’s going to take and make some jumpers, but he’s always going to be a question mark health-wise.

3) Francisco Garcia and Bobby Jackson, no matter what the score, are never going to give up. Bobby is going to knock down big shots because that’s what Bobby Lee does! Francisco is going to play all over the court, whether at point guard or power forward, and he’s going to do whatever is asked of him. Their demonstration of heart is why they survived the trade deadline!

We can also expect there will be games where it appears this team may not have enough time remaining in the season to ever truly mesh. In reality, this change we’ve seen in the past week isn’t permanent. More change, possibly a lot more change, will take place in the off-season. So will we see seven united players, who are trying to carve out a permanent spot on this roster? Or because of their contract situations, will they try to showcase themselves at the expense of their teammates? We’ll have to wait and see. But for now, change is good and a step in the right direction.

Postgame Quotes - Kings vs. Bobcats

Kings Head Coach Kenny Natt

On the way the game played out

“The game plan was to play Drew (Gooden). He practiced yesterday and had a good practice – he indicated he was ready to go. He said he was ready to go. So from a doctor’s standpoint, speaking with Pete (Youngman) they said he’s ready so I was just planning to get him in. I figured if anything his wind would be short and that would hurt him but I know what Drew is capable of doing. I’ve been with him long enough to know that he’s a legitimate post guy and he can rebound. So those are things that are going to really help us. From a standpoint of the amount of minutes, I had no idea because that depended on how he was going.”

“It was the same thing all over again – digging a hole for ourselves. I think they shot nearly 60% in the first half and it was 70% at one point in the first quarter I thought. Digging a hole and then fighting back the way that we’ve done – that’s something that has really hurt us and really hindered us throughout the season. I just told them again, somewhere along the line we’re going to have to learn that it’s important to do your homework early, not late. In order to win in this league you’ve got to do your homework early – come ready to play from the start of the ballgame, not once you get down and try to fight back. You’ve shown us some heart and determination, yes, but you’ve got to play smart now. It’s time to really play smart and learn how to play the game and win in the NBA. To do that you start the game playing hard every night, not waiting until you get down, then having to fight back and coming up short.”

Kings Forward/Center Drew Gooden

“I was good enough to go out there and do what I do and I kind of surprised myself. I didn’t think I was going to be able to cut and drive like that. I think that it caught up with me toward the end of the game. I made a move and it didn’t feel right so I decided to sit down. I still think I will be able to go out there and do something. At that particular point it wasn’t good.”

On his groin injury

“I’m going to try and go out there and play (Friday). It will either get better or get worse. Until I can’t go no more we will make a decision then. I will continue to play and get some good treatment tomorrow and see what I can do. I think I will be alright.”

“I went in there blind and I knew I needed to provide energy for the team. That is how I was going to earn my minutes. I have been with Coach Natt for three years and I know if I am out there helping out my teammates I will earn my minutes.”

On his first game back from injury

“It was my first game in a month in a half, so I was a little rusty. I was just glad I made my first shot. I had a lot of butterflies, especially joining another team I’m glad I made my first shot.”

Kings Forward Jason Thompson

On working with Development Coach Pete Carril on his shot

“It is something that is a work in progress. He said I may have a few bad habits but it shouldn’t really affect it. It is consistent enough and I just need to add some other stuff to it. I work on it somewhat during the season, but more during the summer.”

On the starting rotation

“This may be the most interesting season. It is my first year and I have pretty much seen it all. Maybe I haven’t been traded, but I have pretty much seen it all and I feel like even though I didn’t want things to happen like this, I feel like it is the beginning of a new season. Even though I am in the starting lineup, I feel like I have to find my identity back. It is because we have new guys and guys didn’t know who was going to start. It is a tough situation we are in.”

—

Bobcats Head Coach Larry Brown

On letting the Kings back in the game

“We had a bad beginning in the third quarter. Then we righted the ship, had a 24-point lead with the ball and tried to make plays. You have to give them credit, they made plays. We made plays when we had to. I would have liked to have an opportunity to use the bench more in the fourth quarter.”

On integrating all the new players

“It is still a work in progress. I am learning what guys can do and how we can help certain players. This is a great group of guys, they want to get better. It is like the Kings, we have so many new players. It is hard to implement a lot of stuff when you have so many new players. But as long as they try and look out for each other, everything will work out in the end.”

On not being able to play his bench until late

“I wasn’t real happy at that time because I wanted to use our bench. We came off a game against Phoenix and have another back-to-back ahead. I like to reward the young players and unfortunately we were unable to do that.”

His thoughts on the Kings new roster

“Sacramento can score. I think the changes they made are really good. You saw what (Drew) Gooden is capable of doing and (Andres) Nocioni is a competitive kid. I am happy we won the game and thought we did a lot of good things tonight.”

On bringing Boris Diaw to the team

“All the guys Michael (Jordan) has brought over have been positive. He (Boris) is just a good basketball player. He makes people better, can guard anybody, does all the little things, is a great passer, has a high IQ and is a great guy. We gave up a great player and Raja and Boris have been a great help.”

Bobcats Forward Gerald Wallace

On coming to Sacramento and playing against the Kings

“It still was a bad start for us. In the first quarter, we had three or four unforced turnovers there. It is one of those things we have to work on. It is fun to come and show improvement because I never got to play here. I spent three years wasting. I am just happy I had a chance to go somewhere and have a chance to play.”

The Biggest Little Dance Team

Last weekend while the Kings were on the road, the Sacramento Kings Dance Team and I took a road trip of our own to Reno, Nev. We performed at the BigHorns-Stampede game Saturday afternoon to give D-League fans a taste of the NBA experience.

Six of us and four members of the Kings Crew left ARCO Arena at 9:30 a.m. excited for the day ahead. After doing hair, make-up and costume changes on the bus, we arrived at the Eldorado Hotel Casino for our first appearance, signing autographs at Brew Brothers restaurant.

Stepping off the bus we were greeted by BigHorns Co-owner Herb Santos, staff members and a group of awaiting fans. After signing SKDT posters and mingling with fans, we were off to the game at Reno Events Center.

The game was very exciting. We performed twice and the crowd was very receptive and complimentary. Having only six members of the SKDT performing, it was much different than a Kings game. With a smaller group and a smaller crowd, we really had to make sure each move and formation was on point. At halftime the Kings Crew showed off its break dancing ability and then we helped the Crew pass out tons of Kings t-shirts and mini-balls. The crowd was going crazy, and we wished we had brought more.

*Photo Gallery

The BigHorns, who sported Kings jerseys for the night, ended up beating the division-leading Stampede with a half court shot at the buzzer. After the exciting finish we headed to our final appearance at Silver Legacy Resort Casino. We entered the casino to find our posters everywhere advertising our appearance. We felt honored the BigHorns put so much time into promoting us.

Following the appearance, we said our good-byes to the BigHorns staff and our Reno Kings fans. On our ride home we were all very thankful of the BigHorns’ organization and reminisced of the good memories we had made in The Biggest Little City. We were impressed by the professionalism of the BigHorns and can’t wait to go back as fans.

One of my favorite aspects of being a member of the SKDT is performing for fans who can’t make it to out to Kings games. Speaking of Kings games, its nearly tip-off for tonight’s match-up against the Charlotte Bobcats! I hope to see you all in the arena supporting our Kings!

Kayte’s Caption, February 25

Congratulations, DC (Rancho Cordova)! Tonight’s winning caption is: “Hey Announcer! What’s your problem? I told you already, my name is No-SEE-oh-knee!” Read more

Fresh Look for Final Stretch

Big trade deadline last week. We made a lot of moves and had a lot of vets go. Brad Miller and John Salmons were traded to the Bulls. It’s cool for John since he’s from Philly and he gets to be closer to home. And for Brad, besides being a starter, he gave me a lot of good looks and advice on how to be a player in this League. Read more

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