Forget, at least for a few moments, about the Sacramento Kings’ possible departure to Anaheim. Think about what the next month will be like on the basketball court.
Unfortunately, it’s not very uplifting, either.
The team announced Tuesday that last season’s rookie of the year Tyreke Evans is out for at least three weeks (try doubling that) with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The third-worst team in the NBA suddenly looks very different – and very vulnerable.
The Kings already have proven this season they can barely win without Evans, who has averaged 18.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. They are 1-6 in games he has missed, and that lone victory was the season-opener at Minnesota when Evans was suspended for his reckless driving incident over the summer.
Leaving the All-Star break with a 13-40 record, the Kings are unlikely to reach 20 victories without Evans. Consider that they start the last 29 games with a four-game road trip in the South that begins with games at Miami and Orlando. Also consider that they only have 12 homes left.
That scheduling hurdle wouldn’t be such an issue if not for the lack of depth behind Evans. Kings Coach Paul Westphal has spent this season experimenting with the guards, so it’s unclear who will be Evans’ regular replacement and who will be the first guard off the bench.
It would be easy to say that starter Beno Udrih, who is averaging 4.3 assists and 13.5 points a game, will be the undisputed point guard, but Westphal has paired Pooh Jeter (3.0 assists and 4.3 points) and Luther Head (5.2 points and 1.8 assists) with Udrih at times.
It would be easy to say that Francisco Garcia would be the other starting guard, but the veteran swingman, who also has played point guard in the past, has been out since Jan. 17 with a calf injury. Even if he does return soon, it will take him at least a week to get back in the flow after missing 15 games. Jermaine Taylor has started the last two games in place of Evans.
And it would be easy to say that rookie center DeMarcus Cousins (14.0 points and 8.3 rebounds) will get his way and have the offense run through him with Evans sidelined. But that is not going to happen until Cousins has earned back the coaching staff’s trust. After all, it was just 10 days ago that he was suspended one game for a fight with Donte Greene.
Of course, this could change completely if the Kings beat the trading deadline to address this lack of quality depth.
The one positive about Evans’ extended departure is that the tempo of the offense will be much quicker. Udrih and Jeter move the ball up the court faster than Evans, who has been sloth-like in getting the ball past midcourt.
Overall, though, Evans’ injury makes the slide steeper for a team already in a free fall, especially for a team that won’t come close to matching last year’s 25 victories.
It’s enough drama to make a fan pay more attention to that possible move to Anaheim.
Copyright 2011/Bill Bradley
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