Sitting on 21 wins for the season, Kings fans are in that middle-of-the-road laissez-faire attitude when it comes to wins and losses. If they lose, we can look forward to a high lottery pick. If they win, then it is better than last season and it can serve as further proof of the team’s progression. In other words, it is smooth sailing from here on out for the Kings and their fans. 

The recent signs of life have been promising enough that even the casual fan has to tune in. The Kings are 3-3 in their last six games and have been close in all of them. Positive signs during promising times for a franchise looking toward the future. 

There are four games this week, two of which are against the Portland Trail Blazers. Wins have been very scarce against the Blazers in Portland, so look for the Kings to capitalize on their three games at home after tomorrow’s game at the Rose Garden

Here are some things Kings fans should watch for this week:

1. Rebounding – We have heard it a million times: You can’t win in this league without rebounding. So is true with the Sacramento Kings. Last night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Kings were out-rebounded 45-33. Not only that, but they were pounded in offensive rebounds, 16-9. Against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, the Kings were out-rebounded 45-40 and 14-9 in offensive rebounds. Second-chance points are what good teams use to win basketball games. With Jon Brockman out with an injury and Joey Dorsey going MIA, the Kings have lacked rebounding off the bench as of late. Things will get better, but more team rebounding is vital to this team’s development.

2. Tyreke’s shot – Once he gets that outside shot he will be unguardable. That is what everyone says and it is likely right, but Tyreke has to buckle down with “Coachie” and practice that jumper more without fading away every time he shoots the ball. There was a point a few months ago when his shot looked very smooth and his free throws were almost automatic, but that has since gone by the waist side and his best shots, though a welcoming sight, typical only come in the fourth quarter. The rest of his jumpers tend to roll off the front of the rim. It will come, and we all can’t wait.

3. Keep up the tempo – It has returned, and hopefully for the remainder of the season, will continue to show up on a steady basis. Steals, alley-oops, blocks and passion are what the fans fell in love in love at the start of the season, and it is back. It hasn’t always resulted in wins, but has produced a lot of exciting fourth quarters.

On Wednesday night the Kings took on the Houston Rockets in a game between two teams that should be very familiar with the roster on each squad. It’s tough to say whether the Kings played solid defense or the Rockets just couldn’t hit water from the ocean as both teams had a tough time putting together a cohesive offensive effort. The Kings outlasted the Rockets in a battle of futility in the 84-81 win. A road win is always welcome and the Kings needed to pull that one out, even if the product was not very pretty on the floor. It was a big homecoming for Carl Landry and we will discuss his efforts later in The Wrap.

After taking on the Rockets, the Kings continued on their Texas swing and matched up against the Dallas Mavericks. In a game that looked closer in the boxscore than it really was, the Mavericks outlasted the Kings 108-100. The Kings stumbled in the dreaded third quarter once again, getting outscored 33-19 in the frame as Dallas took control of the game. Sacramento thought they had caught a break with Jason Terry out, no pun intended as Terry suffered a bad break himself and will be out a couple of weeks. Unfortunately for the Kings they did not count on Rodrique Beaubois doing his best Terry imitation on them and going for 22 points in 24 minutes. Nobody expects the Rodrique Beaubois. Well the Kings certainly didn’t and they had no answer for him that evening.

Overall the Kings are playing well, even with the 1-2 week. They are 3-2 in their last five and are playing hard each game. This team looks very much like the scrappy squad that fans were getting excited about earlier this season and they could be a spoiler down the stretch and might unexpectedly knock a team or two down in the standings. If Utah ends up losing homecourt in the first round, they will certainly look back on two losses to Sacramento this season as a factor. Hopefully the Kings can knock off a few other top dogs in the final quarter of the season.

Each week Blake Ellington of bleedblackandpurple tells Kings fans what to watch for in our weekly collaboration between sites. Let’s see how those things turned out this week:

1. No pointing fingers at Jason Thompson – The finger pointing probably won’t start until Thompson returns, so there was very little in the way of ire directed at Thompson this week. With him out, Spencer Hawes has stepped up his game and it has freed up more space for Carl Landry to operate. One way for Thompson to make sure that he doesn’t have any negativity directed at him when he comes back is to make sure that he integrates well upon his return. The offense has been stagnant at times this year and Thompson has been just as much to blame as anyone as he has had a tendency to hold the ball on the elbow or force shots even when they aren’t falling. When that elbow jumper is falling, Thompson is a deadly asset offensively however and changes the entire dynamic of the club. The second factor on improving, not only on his return, but as a player it to limit the silly fouls. It isn’t something new that we mention here as every Kings fan is aware of it, but Thompson is a foul machine that must learn to stop reaching, move his feet, and play better defense if he wants to fulfill his talent and become a better player. Upon his return, I fully expect Paul Westphal to use him off the bench and that will be a better role for him in the short term so that he can be more aggressive both offensively and defensively. Trying to guess what Westphal will do is a lot like 

2. Carl Landry is part of the future – If Sacramento fans were having troubles warming to Carl Landry, certainly Wednesday’s victory against Houston was just another reason to get excited. Landry returned to Houston in a meeting that was more than just your normal regular season game. Carl Landry played determined basketball all night long and looked like the best player on the floor as he racked up 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings. It was his best game as a King and it was fun to watch him out there in a game that clearly had a lot of meaning for both teams. So far, the fit looks very good for the Kings and Landry. The cohesiveness of the team should only grow as they play together more down the stretch.

3. Improvement from Garcia – Francisco Garcia definitely had a stronger week this week than the previous and is starting to show signs of the player that many of us think that he is. While he didn’t end the week strong with a poor effort against Dallas in which he only finished with two points and was 0-for-4 from the field, he still played more minutes this week and had several positive moments out there. Before the stinker in Dallas, he had back-to-back double digit efforts. His minutes have increased to close to thirty per game and he is playing a prominent part in the rotation now. He is moving well without the ball and playing well on the defensive end and is starting to shake the rust off. He should continue to increase his work load in the final 20 games for the Kings and settle in as a sixth man or at the shooting guard position for the remainder of the year.

Monday Rush: No pointing fingers at Jason Thompson

It took a while, but it seems as though the Hubacher Homer, Paul Westphal, has decided on a consistent rotation. It looks like this: Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, Omri Casspi, Carl Landry and Spencer Hawes. No guarantees here, but that was the starting five in the last two games, both of which resulted in wins. Not only that, but the consistency of the rotation has seemed to have motivated the players. (Most likely because they are beginning to figure out their roles). The two wins last week was certainly an encouraging sign (and yes we don’t need to start getting frustrated about decreasing our chances at a higher draft pick) for this young squad.

With some tough road games ahead, fans shouldn’t expect the dominant play to continue, but should expect an increased effort on both ends of the floor. The defensive intensity in the previous two wins is what has been most promising and is exactly what this franchise has been waiting for.

Let’s take a look a few things Kings fans should watch for this week:

1. No pointing fingers at Jason Thompson – I can hear it now…”The Kings are winning without Jason Thompson, they don’t need him. They should try to trade him in the offseason.” Ah yes, the typical ambivalence of the Kings fans. Just because they managed to win a few games at home without JT in the starting rotation, this team clearly needs to services of the big man out of Rider. Averaging 12 points and 8 rebounds for the season, Jason Thompson, whether his big feet get in the way of him finishing around the basket or not, is a key piece of this team’s success. Eventually we will start to see how exposed the team’s front court is without JT and Jon Brockman in the middle. So before you guys start to go all “Kevin Martin” on him, give JT a chance to come back and finish the season strong, although it may have to be in a bench role.

2. Carl Landry is part of the future – In his first couple of games with the Kings, he looked like a player trying to adjust not only to starting role, but also a new system. A few practices later, Carl Landry has turned into the Kings’ second option on offense behind Tyreke and playmaker on the defensive end. He has averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds in his brief time with the Kings and his assists are up compared to his time with the Rockets. A lot of what Landry does now show up in the box score, however. Several times against the Clippers he forced Drew Gooden and Chris Kaman into bad shots and turnovers. This type of play matches the style of Tyreke, Omri and the rest of this revitalized squad. Certainly Landry will be key to their success on the road this week and for many years to come.

3. Improvement from Garcia – Francisco Garcia is starting to come into form after missing the entire season because of a giant bouncy ball. Against the Clippers, Garcia scored 7 points, grabbed 2 rebounds and tallied 2 assists, to along with a block in 18 minutes of work. That is the type of across-the-board production we are used to seeing from Garcia. As he gets his feet under him, look for Westphal to utilize him more and more in crunch time. Now that Martin and Sergio are gone, the Kings are suddenly very slim at the guard position and Garcia’s continued development will be a welcome sign.

 That may end up being a defining moment for the Kings and for Spencer Hawes. A similar type of moment certainly helped the San Francisco 49ers when Mike Singletary sent Vernon Davis off the field in the middle of the game in his first season as coach. Davis recommitted himself and has performed a pro-bowl level ever since. It’s a different sport, but certainly a wakeup call for the young Hawes.

The Kings were predictably waxed on Wednesday night amidst the turmoil as Spencer Hawes watched from the sidelines. The Detroit Pistons won by a score of 101-89 in a game that was never really that close with the Kings trailing by 25 points heading into the fourth quarter.

After that contest, Jason Thompson was diagnosed with two fractures in his lower back and is expected to miss the next few weeks. In an odd and unfortunate way, it may be fate intervening as the Kings need Spencer Hawes to step up more than ever and he will find no shortage of minutes while Thompson is working his way back. Coach Westphal took the opportunity to let it be known that everything was going to be okay between him and Hawes prior to the Friday night’s game with a little scripted chest bump celebration during introductions. It was a light hearted moment for a team that desperately needed it.

Spencer came out and responded well on Friday with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as the Kings beat the Jazz by a score of 103-99 in a hard fought victory. It was the second time this season that the Kings were able to pull off a victory against Utah. The Jazz had no answer for the Kings back court as Tyreke Evans almost pulled off a triple-double with 24 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists while Beno Udrih added 25 points. The two of them combined to shoot 20-of-33 from the field (60.6 percent) on the way to the victory.

Tonight the Kings matched up with the Los Angeles Clippers in a game that would help decide if this was a good week, or just one filled with turmoil and a victory. Spencer Hawes performed very well yet again, scoring 16 and grabbing nine rebounds as he led the charge in the first quarter. He would score 10 in the first period as the Kings charged out to a 32-18 lead after the first period.

The Kings displayed tough defense in the first half and held the Clippers to 42 points and controlled the tempo of the game. They slipped a little bit in the third quarter, as they have had a tendency to do this season, and let the Clippers right back into the game through lackluster play. They tightened the defense back up in the final moments however and were able to hit several key buckets with Tyreke Evans leading the way as usual. Carl Landry also played very well in the fourth as he scored 10 of his 18 points in the final frame. It won’t show in the box score, but Ime Udoka had a very key hustle play in the final minutes as he ran down a ball going out of bounds and was able to save the possession for the Kings. The Clippers trailed by one at the time and would have had a chance to take the lead, but with Udoka’s save and the score on the other end, the Kings were able to extend the lead and never looked back.

 Paul Westphal used his 25^th starting lineup of the season and the rotations remained as sporadic as ever tonight with Andres Nocioni failing to get off the bench and Donte Greene only playing seven minutes off of the bench. One thing we learned this week though is that you don’t question the coach. Well, the players shouldn’t. For those of us that follow the Kings, it’s kind of what we do. Don’t expect things to change on either level anytime soon.

In order to gain as much perspective as we can about the recent trade involving Kevin Martin and Carl Landry, Mike Kerns of The Rocket Dunks Blog and myself have conducted a little five question Q and A session to try and gain as much information as we can about our new players from a fans perspective. Here are my questions to Mike along with his responses on what to expect from Carl Landry in a Kings uniform:

Kings Kingdom: Carl Landry was largely used off of the bench in Houston. How do you think he will adjust to becoming a starter?

Rocket Dunks: I think it was well past time for Carl to start. He was just a real spark plug off the bench for Houston. He was playing so well this season that all the “Sixth Man of The Year” talk had me believeing that perhaps he SHOULD be starting. This is a great opportunity for him and I know he will succeed with that young nucleus of talent in Sacramento.

Kings Kingdom: Landry is very undersized for a power forward. Do you think he was brought off of the bench to protect him from being exposed for his lack of size and do you think that defenses will regularly exploit his lack of size?

Rocket Dunks: His rebounding went down this season, but many (like myself) believe this was a testament to his increased duties on offense. His height has been a knock on him since college, but he makes up for it with explosive leaping ability and grit.

Kings Kingdom: What is the general vibe coming out of Houston on the trade? Are most people excited about it, or was Landry such a fan favorite that many are upset? What are your thoughts on the deal?

Rocket Dunks: Lots of people are still angry. Not too many of them have heard of Kevin Martin and Carl Landry was probably the biggest fan favorite in this town since Sam Cassell. Much like when Sam was traded, lots of people are threatening to give up their loyalty to Houston. After his shooting incident last season, he became the most beloved player on the Rockets roster. I mean, they just had a Carl Landry bobblehead night less than a month ago.

I am still mixed on the trade. Kevin Martin’s durability is a serious concern for me after dealing with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming’s injury history the last 4 years plus. And Carl Landry was my favorite Rocket. I believe that you can’t get something for nothing. And this is part of basketball. Sometimes you lose someone that no one wanted to see go. But Daryl Morey hasn’t disappointed me with a move he has made yet. So I guess it is still up in the air.

Kings Kingdom: What do you think are Landry’s best attributes having watched him on a regular basis? What will Kings fans learn to like about his play? 

Rocket Dunks: What Rockets fans, and real soon Kings fans are going to love about Carl is that he NEVER takes a play off. He is 100% all the time. He has a heart the size of a small country and never gives up. Add to all of that that he is just a terrific human being. A high character guy that would be part of a great nucleus on any team. You guys are going to grow to love him real fast.

Kings Kingdom: What are his key weaknesses and are there areas that we should be concerned about?

Rocket Dunks: The only thing about Carl that had concerns this season would be learning to pass out of double teams. He had become Houston’s “closer” in the 4th quarter this year. Second leading 4th quarter scorer this season, by the way. So, when teams caught up to this fact, they started doubling him and he struggled being able to pass out of it. It still needs improvement, but a guy with the high basketball IQ like Landry has, he’ll get it worked out.

There you have it from the perspective of a Rockets fan. Thanks to Mike Kerns for participating and look over at the Rocket Dunks site for my take on Kevin Martin. As always, thanks for reading.

This is what Blake had to say:

After four losses in a row out of the All-Star break there isn’t much to say. The good news is that the Detroit Pistons are coming to Arco this week. The bad news is that the Kings failed to get any more breathing room from that 17-win mark. Carl Landry did live up to the hype in the game against the Suns, scoring 18 points and grabbing 7 rebounds, but it still did not translate into a win. 

Here is something that Kings fans don’t necessarily need to look for this week, but are likely scratching their heads about.

Hey coach, can we get a steady rotation? – One night after Francisco Garcia started at shooting guard, he didn’t get off the bench once against the Suns, collecting zero minutes of playing time. Andres Nocioni also did not play in the game last night despite being the key factor in the brief, but impressive “comeback” against the Clippers. We know the Hubacher Homer is all about playing the players who are performing the best and create the best matchups on the floor, but one has to question if this just has more to do with uncertainty. Last week when Kevin Martin was waiting to come in at mid-court, he was the one (allegedly) who told Westphal that the team was playing well and that there was no need to put him in. It wasn’t until after a timeout several minutes later that the coach agreed with Martin and chose to keep him on the bench the rest of the fourth quarter. Does Westphal have a grip on the lineup? Granted, there have been some major roster changes, but it was going on long before that. Dominique McGuire gets zero points in 18 minutes? Come on Paul.

That was Blake’s question this week and here are my thoughts on the rotation and what I would like to see the Kings run out there on a regular basis:

The starting five: These are the players that probably give the Kings the best chance at winning on a regular basis.

Tyreke Evans- Evans seems to be the only untouchable at this point and for good reason. He is the only player that has performed consistently all season long even if it appears that he is running right smack into the rookie wall.

Donte Greene- Sorry Francisco, but Greene has played well for most of the season and deserves this shot right now. Until Garcia shows that he is 100% and draining his outside shots, he doesn’t need to be starting.

Omri Casspi- Casspi is in the same boat as Tyreke. He is the future in Sacramento and should not be out of the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.

Carl Landry- Landry finds himself as a starter for the first time in his career and is being asked to deliver the goods. He came off the bench in Houston, but was one of their steadiest performers. He is the Kings best post scorer now and they have to play him to justify the trade.

Spencer Hawes- This one could go either way in my view with Hawes or Jason Thompson starting, but I think Hawes is a better passer and would help the first unit with their spacing. Thompson can also play both positions and would probably make a better backup with that in mind. Both players seem to come and go, so playing the hot hand here might be the best option.

The rotation: Guys that should see consistent time moving forward and should know their role.

Beno Udrih- Beno should be the first player off the bench and has been one of the steadier hands this season when given consistent playing time. He is the only backup point guard on the roster now so it is probably better not to start him so you can have a reserve for the one and two.

Jason Thompson- As I said above, both Thompson and Hawes can be interchangeable here and this is a situation where the Kings probably should go with the hot hand.

Francisco Garcia- Garcia is another player that has never been given a full time gig and the jury is out on whether he is better as an energy player off of the bench or as a starter. He is going to be rusty for awhile as he tries to learn to play with a completely new team and get his timing back.

Jon Brockman- Brockman is out for a month with a knee injury, but he is a player that should get his 20 minutes in when healthy.

The specialists: These are players that should get time in and will play if the situation warrants it, but their playing time should remain inconsistent and both guys need to hit their open shots to stay on the floor or play tough hard-nosed defense.

Ime Udoka and Andres Nocioni

We don’t know what we have yet, so they will probably play more than they should guys:

Dominic McGuire and Joey Dorsey

The roster filler: Guys that probably shouldn’t get off the bench in close games unless there is an injury situation.

Sean May and Larry Hughes

We will keep our eye on the rotation moving forward, but there is no reason to expect Coach Westphal to change at this point and we will likely see a new lineup and rotation out there every game.

When the dust settled the Kings also gained several new faces and even welcomed a familiar face back into the fold this week. Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey, Larry Hughes, and Dominic McGuire were all added to the Kings roster and Francisco Garcia returned from a broken wrist to make his 2010 debut. Landry is the centerpiece of the Kevin Martin deal and will be prominently featured in the offense while McGuire and Dorsey are both big men that will help fill out the roster and may get more burn than expected after fan favorite Jon Brockman was diagnosed with a knee injury that will keep him on the shelf for the next month. The Kings are all of the sudden very thin at guard, but there seems to be a growing sentiment that Larry Hughes should never put on a Kings uniform and he may be bought out in a similar fashion as Kenny Thomas was earlier this week.  Between the two of them, they represent over $22 million that will come off the books heading into next season, putting the Kings in a much better financial situation.

Oh yeah, and there was some action on the court as well this week as the Kings played three games amidst all the changes. They played one of their best games of the season on Tuesday coming out of the break as they took the Boston Celtics down to the wire before falling 95-92 in the final moments. Like so many Kings games this season, it represented a moral victory but they just couldn’t quite get it done despite perhaps their best defensive effort of the season.

They followed up one of their best efforts of the season with one of their worst as they were absolutely pasted by the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night to the tune of 130-98. They played zero perimeter defense and allowed the Warriors to play their own version of the three-point shooting contest and even allowed C.J. Watson to score 40 points. Yes, the same C.J. Watson that can barely make it on the court when the Warriors are fully healthy. That was the night that the trade went down as Kevin Martin was pulled midway through the contest with the news that he was traded to Houston. While some players, including Tyreke Evans, blamed the trade rumors for their poor showing, there was no excuse for the beating put on them that night.

Saturday night was a lost evening. The Kings looked like a team that was very much out of sync as they tried to acclimate the new faces into the rotation. Carl Landry started and was noticeably pressing in an effort to impress his new teammates. Man, he is an explosive jumper though and his moves in the post look very much as advertised. Francisco Garcia filled the void at shooting guard but looked very rusty and probably isn’t ready to start just yet. It will be interesting to see if Paul Westphal employs the same starting lineup tonight. The Kings looked lethargic on the offensive end and were defeated 99-89 by the Clippers. This is a work in progress and it is going to take some time to see how this team comes together after turning over a third of the roster. I’m much more interested in seeing how we look 10 games from now instead of rushing into any judgments based on last evenings’ contest.

Each week Blake Ellington of bleedblackandpurple tells Kings fans what to watch for in our weekly collaboration between sites. Let’s see how those things turned out this week:

1. Petrie’s tryouts: Blake speculated on the possibility that Geoff Petrie might make a deal this week and correctly pointed out that Petrie tells nobody before he pulls the trigger. That might be why so many fans feel stunned as many were lulled into believing that the Martin/Evans backcourt would be given every opportunity to succeed and that just wasn’t the case. Petrie played his hand in a big way this week, but we will have to see how he uses the financial leverage created by freeing up all of that cap space heading into the future. Financial flexibility was just as much a part of these deals as getting another big man was and the Kings will be one of the few franchises that can be players in the free agent market heading into the summer.

2. Have a successful week: This was not a great week on the basketball court and time will only tell how all of these changes reflect on the big picture. This team is going to need about 10 games to really feel their way through all of these changes. Then we will see what we have heading into the summer.

3. Divisional opponents: The Kings still have the Suns to face this evening but did not play well against either the Golden State Warriors or the Los Angeles Clippers. They have remade their roster as four new players will call Sacramento home and that had just as much to do with their poor play as anything else. They need to put forward a better effort heading into next week.

As Martin himself said, it may have been time to part ways. With the realization that this was no longer his team and that he was more of an outsider looking in when he returned from a wrist injury, he may have wanted (and needed) this deal more than he led on. I think Kevin Martin geniounely enjoyed his time in Sacramento and is a testament to hard work and a success story by NBA standards as he worked his way up from obscure late first rounder out of Western Carolina to become one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA. He may have needed this and from a financial standpoint, the Kings may have needed this as well. Martin still had a hefty contract at $44 million until 2013 and in the end, that may have been too much for a franchise that is hemoraging money. Kevin Martin will be missed by the fans of Sacramento.

Enter Carl Landry. Landry is the consolation prize for the Kings and will help fortify the middle as the third big man that they desperately needed. He is also cheap at $3 million with a team option (which is highly likely to be picked up) at $3 million for 2011. Landry is one of the more efficient scorers in the NBA this season as he is averaging 16.1 points on 54.7 percent shooting from the field and 83.9 percent from the free-throw line. He will be an efficient inside scoring presense for the Kings. He may not be the overall player that Martin is, but he is a hard worker and the Sacramento fanbase has always appreciated hard nosed players. It may take a little while, but Landry will likely become a fan favorite in Sacramento.

The other parts to the deal are as follows for the Kings: They will give up Sergio Rodriguez who has an outstanding shot at starting and playing significant minutes in Mike D’Antoni’s offense in New York. They acquire Joey Dorsey and Larry Hughes as part of the trade. Dorsey is likely just roster filler that allowed the teams to complete the trade. He didn’t play much in Houston, and that won’t change in Sacramento. Larry Hughes is nothing more than an expiring contract at 13.7 million dollars and the Kings may buy him out of the remainder of the contract, allowing him to sign with another team. Hughes’ contract combined with the expiring deal of Kenny Thomas will allow Sacramento to shed a ton of salary heading into next season and that may have been a necessity for a franchise that is losing a lot of money currently. I’d like to think that they are doing this to become major players in the free agent market, but sadly, I don’t think that is the case.

So, there it is folks. I will miss Kevin Martin and all of his contributions to the Sacramento Kings. He will be reunited with Rick Adelman in Houston and I’m sure he will flourish in their system. I will probably find myself rooting for the Rockets for multiple reasons as a result. I’m also looking forward to seeing Carl Landry out there and all that he has to offer the Sacramento Kings.

According to Marc Stein at ESPN, Kevin Martin was dealt along with Kenny Thomas, Sergio Rodriguez and Hilton Armstrong to the Rockets.  There may be another deal in the works to send Tracy McGrady to New York, but as of right now, he would be going to the Kings along with Carl Landry, and Joey Dorsey. A deal to send McGrady to New York would be in the Kings best interest, so stay tuned. As of right now, it would appear that Carl Landry was the real piece that the Kings were looking for in this deal to go along with contract movement and cash considerations. Tracy McGrady is a huge expiring contract and that would free up a lot of cap space for the Kings moving forward, but we will have to wait and see if there is more to come.

Fantasy fallout: This trade would clear space for Beno Udrih, Donte Greene, and Francisco Garcia to man the shooting guard position with more minutes. All three stand to benefit and could prove to be fantasy worthy going forward. Landry would likely move from his role as a sixth man in Houston to a starter in Sacramento. He is an athletic big man that is capable of playing the three or four. He will likely slide into the power spot.

This is the start of the secondseason. The All-Star break represents the “middle” of the NBA season (even though it really isn’t because the Kings only have 30 games left) and a chance for this team to get back on track. Riding off the success of last week’s road wins and Tyreke’s selection as Rookie v. Sophomore Game MVP, the Kings now have a shot at finishing this season on a real high note.

Here are some things Kings fans should watch for this week:

1. Petrie’s tryouts:This week will give Geoff Petrie a final glimpse at what his team could be for a while unless he decides to make a move before the February 18 trade deadline. The verdict is still out on the Evans-Martin backcourt. Based on the recent road success, it makes things a tad more difficult for Petrie. Most word around Sacramento is that he will not do anything to the roster, but he never tells anyone ANYTHING so we can never be certain. Should the Kings play well this week, the probability of the Kings making a move decreases significantly.

2. Have a successful week:If this team can manage to win at least two of the four games this week, the buzz will be back around Sacramento. Arco should be rocking tonight against the Eastern giants – the Boston Celtics. Ideally, a win tonight would be the best win of the week. Kings fans should be happy with at least two of the four, however.

3. Divisional opponents: While the playoffs are pretty much out of the question now, when the Kings go up against their divisional rivals a win takes on a little more significance. They get three chances in a row this week on the road against the Warriors, Clippers and Suns.