A Rough Start

It is obvious by looking at the Kings' 4-13 record, that this year has started off much worse than fans had hoped for. There are few bright spots to pick out through 17 games. There is more finger pointing going around when it should be individuals taking responsibility for their mistakes.

Here is a look at player stats through the first 17:

1. Evans: 17.2 ppg 5.0 rpg 5.4 apg
2. Landry: 12.8 ppg 5.3 rpg 0.8 apg
3. Udrih: 11.9 ppg 2.9 rpg 4.2 apg
4. Cousins: 10.8 ppg 6.7 rpg 1.1 apg
5. Garcia: 9.2 ppg 2.1 rpg 1.3 apg
6. Casspi: 8.7 ppg 3.5 rpg 0.9 apg
7. Greene: 7.0 ppg 3.8 rpg 0.9 apg
8. Head: 6.9 ppg 1.9 rpg 2.6 apg
9. Thompson: 6.6 ppg 5.1 rpg 0.9 apg
10. Dalembert: 4.6 ppg 7.8 rpg 0.9 apg
11. Jeter: 3.8 ppg 0.6 rpg 1.4 apg
12. Jackson: 3.4 ppg 1.9 rpg 0.1 apg
13. Wright: Waived
14. Whiteside: Assigned to Reno Big Horns D-League
    

The thing that puzzles me the most and quite frankly angers me, is the fans pointing the finger at Tyreke for the issues. How can you point to the one person leading the team in points and assists? He worked tirelessly all summer on his outside shooting and, though it is not perfect, his jumper is much improved. It was expected that his points per game would go down this season as competitors knew what his strongest moves were and they had time to study his game and develop a game plan for him. He is passing a lot more and his assist numbers do not reflect that because teammates are not connecting with their shots. It is not his fault that the team is struggling. He is playing with plantar fasciitis, a very painful foot condition, as well as ankle issues; yet he still gives his all every game.

After last night's abysmal performance in Los Angeles and having to listen to Bill Walton ramble for nearly an hour, something he said is bothering me more than anything else. He is placing the blame squarely on Tyreke and DeMarcus for the lack of leadership and improvement. How in the world are you going to blame the two youngest players when you have veteran players not taking the lead? I believe it is every players role to be a leader of a team, to say, "Hey guys, come on we're better than this. Let's get it together." It is not DeMarcus' fault either. Need I remind Kings fans and critics that this 20-year old is producing and changing aspects of his game. His foul problems continue, but he has worked on them. Not all the calls against him I agree with, but I am not going to blame the officials. When DeMarcus was in the starting lineup the Kings went 3-1. Since Dalembert has taken his place in the starting lineup, the Kings have gone 1-12. I'm not big on math, but something just isn't adding up with Dalembert starting. I know he is supposed to be defense and that's all good and well, but we need offense too. Their numbers are not that different from each other.

Cousins: 0.7 spg, 0.5 bpg, 39.9% FG
Dalembert: 0.2 spg, 1.9 bpg, 38.8% FG

Sure, Dalembert has almost 2 blocks per game to DeMarcus' .5 a game. To me, the blocked shots are not that much better to justify the 6 point deficit that Dalembert has to DeMarcus on offense. People are still concerned about DeMarcus and his attitude. His getting kicked out of practice earlier this week did not help his standing to his doubters, but I think it is just pure frustration on his part. All the players are frustrated with the way the season is going, it just boiled over that day. How did DeMarcus respond? Well, in the first game since the practice incident, DeMarcus tallied a career high 20 points to go with 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.

Now everyone is calling foul and wanting Paul Westphal fired. The players are not producing despite the changes Westphal has made. Everyone is always quick to find someone to blame when things get rough and the first is usually the coach. I don't want to see him fired personally.

As the Kings take on the Dallas Mavericks tonight, fans can expect a new lineup to start the game. It is rumored to be Evans, Udrih, Greene, Thompson, Cousins. We shall see what happens, but I am tired of the finger pointing. Each player needs to take responsibility for the problems and work together to fix them. The biggest problem appears to be team chemistry. Just get it together guys!