Kings Seeking Their Crowns

[Magic Bird]

vs L.A. Clippers: L 86-105; POG: Shaun Livingston - 35 pts, 4 stl
Our new year, new look roster shot poorly and turned the ball over too much. Hopefully it's just because the team hasn't gelled yet. Bibby had 12 pts, 7 ast but our best was newcomer Luke Walton with 25 pts, 7 reb.
Record: 11-21

@ Detroit Pistons: L 107-122; POG: Rasheed Wallace - 21 pts, 7 reb, 3 blk
We shot pretty well, but still lost. Walton scored 25, Roy had 17, Bibby had 8 ast, and Salmons dished 7 dimes off the bench. Brad Miller had a 26 pt, 11 reb double-double. For Detroit, Rip Hamilton had 19 pts, 9 ast, Billups had 17 pts, 8 ast, Chris Webber had 15 pts, and Antonio McDyess scored 14 pts in 16 min.
Record: 11-22

@ Indiana Pacers: W 121-117; POG: Mike Bibby - 25 pts, 8 ast
Brad scored 19, Luke scored 23, and Salmons had another great game off the bench with 10 pts, 7 ast, 10 reb. The Kings only turned the ball over 7 times. Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal did everything with 40 pts, 15 reb and Danny Granger scored 19 points. Jamaal Tinsley had a double-double of 13 pts, 10 ast.
Record: 12-22

@ New Jersey Nets: L 99-114; POG: Vince Carter - 34 pts, 7 reb
We played okay, but we simply aren't good. Luke Walton scored 24 and Brandon Roy had 8 assists.
Record: 12-23

@ Chicago Bulls: L 89-114; POG: Ben Gordon - 19 pts, 7 reb
Some of our more reliable shooters weren't hitting tonight. Rudy Gay scored 16, Bibby scored 18, and Luke scored 21. Chicago's Ben Wallace had 14 pts, 15 reb, Chris Duhon scored 23 pts off the bench in 20 min and Andres Nocioni scored 25 pts off the bench in 24 min.
Record: 12-24

vs Miami Heat: W 98-92; POG: Brandon Roy - 19 pts, 5 ast, 7 reb, 3 stl
We didn't shoot that well, but Dwyane Wade was playing with a sore hip. Walton scored 20 points again, Rudy scored 15. Brad Miller only shot 3/12 and Bynum fouled 5 times in 6 minutes, so Theo Ratliff proved his worth as a decent backup C with 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. For the Heat, Shaq scored 26 pts, Eddie Jones came off the bench for 17 pts in 15 min, and Wade only produced 19 pts, 8 ast, 5 reb, and 8 turnovers.
Record: 13-24

vs Dallas Mavericks: W 112-104; POG: Brad Miller - 17 pts, 5 ast, 10 reb
4 minutes into the game, Dirk Nowitzki broke a finger on his shooting hand. He's sidelined for 2 months. Josh Howard (29 pts) and Jason Terry (21 pts, 10 ast) tried to carry the Mavs but could not. On our side, Luke only scored 18, Brandon Roy had 20 pts, 7 ast, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim produced 16 pts, 10 reb off the bench.
Record: 14-24

vs Orlando Magic: W 119-90; POG: Luke Walton - 23 pts, 6 ast, 3 stl
That makes 3 in a row for us! Orlando couldn't generate offense. Our team was motivated as we were hot in the first quarter. The Kings shot 62% for the game. Brandon Roy didn't miss and scored 17 pts and grabbed 9 reb. Bibby had 24 pts, 8 ast. Ronnie Price is showing some potential as an emergency 3pt threat by shooting 3/3 from 3 in only 6 minutes.
Record: 15-24

@ Golden State Warriors: L 71-102; POG: Baron Davis - 22 pts, 10 ast, 12 reb
Our shooting percentage from last game was cut in half, as we shot only 30.9%.
Record: 15-25

vs Milwaukee Bucks: L 96-119; POG: Dan Gadzuric - 20 pts, 10 reb
We need to play better defense. A backup center should not be allowed to walk all over us. Bibby had 9 ast, Roy had 8 ast, Walton scored 21, and Miller had 26 pts, 9 reb. The Bucks had several good performances: Ruben Patterson - 22 pts, Charlie Villanueva - 20 pts, Michael Redd - 17 pts, Mo Williams - 9 ast, Earl Boykins - 13 ast.
Record: 15-26 - halfway point

@ Denver Nuggets: L 99-105; POG: Carmelo Anthony - 25 pts, 6 ast, 10 reb
Bad game for the Kings. Bibby scored 17. For Denver, Marcus Camby had 17 pts, 14 reb, 6 blk and Allen Iverson had 21 pts, 9 ast, 5 reb.
Record: 15-27

vs Washington Wizards: W 136-126 OT; POG: Brandon Roy - 29 pts, 7 reb
I like that the Kings remained resilient and persistent through overtime. Wizards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison scored 32 apiece. Some good performances by our players as Walton had 29 pts, 10 reb, Miller had 19 pts, 8 reb, and Mike Bibby had 17 pts, 9 ast.
Record: 16-27

@ Milwaukee Bucks: W 116-109; POG: Brandon Roy - 24 pts
Sacramento pulled out another close victory. 14 pts, 7 ast for Mike, 17 points for Luke, and Rudy Gay scored 19. Milwaukee's Mo Williams had 31 pts, 7 ast, 7 reb and Michael Redd had 22 pts, 6 ast, 9 reb.
Record: 17-27

@ Toronto Raptors: L 119-132; POG: Chris Bosh - 28 pts, 9 ast, 13 reb
We played a good game. The other team simply played better. Both Bibby and Walton scored over 20 points.
Record: 17-28

@ Cleveland Cavaliers: L 95-115; POG: LeBron James - 32 pts, 8 ast
Our offense was a bit stagnant, and we shot only 57.7% from the free-throw line. Brandon Roy was our best with 19 points.
Record: 17-29

@ Boston Celtics: L 93-109; POG: Paul Pierce - 18 pts, 8 ast, 10 reb
This time the team shot poorly. Brad Miller had a double-double, and Mike Bibby had 9 assists. For Boston, Al Jefferson had 17 pts, 11 reb and Delonte West scored 20.
Record: 17-30

Sacramento went 6-10 in January. Kyle Lowry is averaging 16.6 pts, 9.3 ast per game in the D-League. One more week until LaMarcus Aldridge is back in the lineup.

Key Player Stats: (includes stats from when players were with different teams)
Mike Bibby: 16.2 ppg, 7.4 apg, 4.4 rpg, 0.6 spg, 36.4 minutes per game
Brandon Roy: 15.3 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 spg
Luke Walton: 15.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 spg
Brad Miller: 13.2 ppg, 2.6 apg, 6.2 rpg, 0.5 bpg
Rudy Gay: 10.4 ppg, 0.9 apg, 4.7 rpg, 0.5 bpg
John Salmons: 8.7 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.4 rpg
Shareef Abdur-Rahim: 8.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.6 bpg
Andrew Bynum: 4.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg

[Magic Bird]

League Leaders:
PPG:
1. LeBron James (CLE), 33.5
2. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL), 32.2
3. Tim Duncan (SA), 30.8
4. Kevin Garnett (MIN), 29.9
5. Steve Nash (PHO), 29.9

APG:
1. Steve Nash (PHO), 12.3
2. Deron Williams (UTA), 11.0
3. Tony Parker (SA), 9.5
4. T.J. Ford (TOR), 9.5
5. Kobe Bryant (LAL), 9.0

RPG:
1. Marcus Camby (DEN), 11.7
2. Tim Duncan (SA), 10.9
3. Carlos Boozer (UTA), 10.8
4. Tyson Chandler (NO), 10.8
5. Dwight Howard, (ORL), 10.8

BPG:
1. Marcus Camby (DEN), 3.8
2. Josh Smith (ATL), 2.8
3. Tim Duncan (SA), 2.3
4. Yao Ming (HOU), 2.3

SPG:
1. Shawn Marion (PHO), 2.4
2. Gerald Wallace (CHA), 2.3
3. Josh Smith (ATL), 2.1
4. LeBron James (CLE), 2.1

Standings:
East:
1. Charlotte Bobcats, 30-16
2. Washington Wizards, 29-16
3. Cleveland Cavaliers, 27-16
Last: Milwaukee Bucks, 16-33

West:
1. Golden State Warriors, 31-15
2. LA Clippers, 27-18
3. San Antonio Spurs, 26-18
Last: Sacramento Royals, 17-30 Aw...

Transactions: (Other than Sacramento trades)
Houston Rockets trade
PF Juwan Howard
2007 1st rnd pick

Philadelphia trade
C Samuel Dalembert

Winner: Houston - Dalembert gives Houston a decent young post player (the only other post player on the team that is any good is Yao Ming). Howard is old, mediocre, and declining, but not worthless. Houston is barely hanging on to a playoff spot in the East, but the addition of Dalembert may help solidify that position. The pick will likely be in the middle of the first round.

Injury Report:
Charlotte PG Raymond Felton is out for a couple months with a broken ankle.
Dallas F Dirk Nowitzki is out for 42 more days with a broken finger.
Denver SF Carmelo Anthony is out for a month with a broken elbow.
New Orleans PG Bobby Jackson is out for the rest of the season with a torn MCL.
Philadelphia SF Andre Igoudala is out for a month with a broken ankle.

Awards:
January Player of the Month: LeBron James (CLE)
January Rookie of the Month: Brandon Roy (SAC) Yeah!

Brandon Roy won the Rookie of the Month awards for November and December as well, but he was with Portland during that time.

[Magic Bird]

vs Chicago Bulls: W 116-107; POG: Luke Walton - 22 pts, 6 reb
Solid team effort. Brandon Roy scored 20 and Mike Bibby had 16 pts, 8 ast, 10 reb. Kirk Hinrich scored 30 pts for Chicago.
Record: 18-30

vs Seattle SuperSonics: W 129-115; POG: John Salmons - 18 pts, 4 ast, 6 reb
The Kings withstood Ray Allen's 33 point burst for the win. Balanced play across the team. LaMarcus isn't healthy yet, but he received some playing time tonight.
Record: 19-30

@ Phoenix Suns: W 141-138 OT; POG: Brad Miller - 27 pts, 5 ast, 9 reb, 3 blk
This was a fast paced, high scoring, low defense game. A preview of the All-Star game in a couple of weeks perhaps?
Sacramento flashy stat lines:
Rudy Gay - 26 pts, 8 reb; Brandon Roy - 23 pts, 6 ast, 7 reb, LaMarcus Aldridge - 16 pts despite limitations
Phoenix flashy stat lines:
Shawn Marion - 20 pts, 8 reb; Amar'e Stoudemire - 25 pts, 10 reb; Steve Nash - 31 pts, 12 ast; Leandro Barbosa - 27 pts
Record: 20-30

With Aldridge in the lineup, Ronnie Price is now inactive. Aldridge is starting at PF.

vs Utah Jazz: L 92-105; POG: Carlos Boozer - 37 pts, 15 reb
Four of Utah's starters had double-doubles. Our best performer was Mike with 11 pts, 7 ast, 12 reb.
Record: 20-31

@ Seattle SuperSonics: L 89-106; POG: Ray Allen - 28 pts, 8 ast, 3 blk
Rashard Lewis also scored 26 points for the Sonics. Sacramento's top player was Luke with 21 points.
Record: 20-32

@ Dallas Mavericks: L 107-124; POG: Josh Howard - 40 pts, 7 reb
Josh Howard put on a marvelous Dirk Nowitzki impersonation against us. For the Kings, Bibby had 20 pts, 8 ast and Brandon Roy had 12 pts, 6 ast, 12 reb.
Record: 20-33

@ Houston Rockets: L 84-101; POG: Anthony Parker - 20 pts
We didn't have any go-to scorers that hit shots consistently. Recent acquisition Samuel Dalembert grabbed 14 rebounds for Houston.
Record: 20-34

All Star Weekend:
Dunk Contest:
Boston's Gerald Green narrowly defeated Memphis' Tarence Kinsey.

3pt Shootout:
Phoenix's Steve Nash beat Miami's Jason Kapono and Toronto's Luther Head in the final round.

Rookies vs Sophomores:
The Sophomores won 190-185 in overtime under the leadership of Deron Williams, the Player of the Game with 42 points and 13 assists. That is an incredibly high score for this event.
Brandon Roy started for the Rookies and had 26 pts, 8 ast, 5 reb.
LaMarcus Aldridge also appeared on the Rookie team and had 4 pts in 4 min.
Former Kings C Justin Williams started for the Rookie team and had only 8 pts, 1 reb. This was a terrible rookie class for centers.

All-Star Game:
The East defeated the West 148-140. LeBron was the POG with 31 pts, 9 ast, 3 stl. No Kings participated.
(No Mike Bibby? Oh well.)

Speaking of Mike, some teams across the association have been offering us their first round pick in the upcoming draft in exchange for him. I won't consider this type of trade unless the first rounder is in the lottery.

vs Atlanta Hawks: W 117-102; POG: Luke Walton - 25 pts
Sacramento shot over 50% from the field as well as from the 3 point line.
Record: 21-34

@ Memphis Grizzlies: L 102-116; POG: Ron Artest - 16 pts, 7 ast, 7 reb, 3 stl
Memphis had 8 players score in double digits. Artest still shot poorly. Luke and Brad scored 22 pts each for us.
Record: 21-35

@ Dallas Mavericks: L 109-118; POG: Josh Howard - 31 pts, 9 reb, 3 blk
I don't know why we didn't beat Dallas this time. Our team played fairly well. Luke scored 26, Aldridge scored 27, and Mike had 16 pts, 14 ast.
Record: 21-36

vs New Orleans Hornets: W 123-114; POG: Mike Bibby - 21 pts, 6 ast, 5 reb
The team shot well, and Rudy Gay scored 20 points in 21 minutes off the bench. David West poured in 27 points for the Hornets.
Record: 22-36

vs Charlotte Bobcats: L 101-108; POG: Gerald Wallace - 25 pts, 8 reb, 2 blk, 3 stl
Wallace is a player I considered trading Artest for. We had 21 turnovers. Luke Walton had 22 pts, 7 ast.
Record: 22-37

A 5-7 February record isn't too bad for this team in my opinion. We had a few games that I think we could have won, however.

Team Leaders:
PPG:
1. Luke Walton, 15.8
2. Mike Bibby, 15.6
3. Brandon Roy, 14.8
4. Brad Miller, 13.2
5. Rudy Gay, 10.7

APG:
1. Mike Bibby, 7.2
2. Brandon Roy, 4.1
3. John Salmons, 3.4

RPG:
1. Brad Miller, 5.9
2. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, 4.8
3. LaMarcus Aldridge, 4.7

SPG:
1. Brandon Roy, 1.1
2. Luke Walton, 0.9
T3. Brad Miller, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Mike Bibby, & Smush Parker, 0.5

BPG:
1. Andrew Bynum, 0.9
2. LaMarcus Aldridge, 0.7
3. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, 0.6

[Magic Bird]

Awards:
February Player of the Month: LeBron James (CLE)
He's currently averaging 34 ppg, 8 apg, 6 rpg, 2.2 spg, 0.9 bpg. He's not even rated 5 stars yet!
February Rookie of the Month: Andrea Bargnani (TOR)
This is the first month that our Brandon Roy has not won the award.

Standings:
Eastern Conference:
1. Washinton Wizards, 41-16
2. Cleveland Cavaliers, 35-20
3. Miami Heat, 35-21
Last: Milwaukee Bucks, 21-39

Western Conference:
1. Golden State Warriors, 38-19
2. L.A. Clippers, 36-22
3. Utah Jazz, 35-23
Last: Memphis Grizzlies, 21-36 (Sacramento isn't last!)

Transactions:
Utah Jazz trade
2007 2nd rnd pick

New Jersey Nets trade
C Mikki Moore

Winner: Even - New Jersey loses their second best post player with this deal, but they were already one of the worst teams in the East. Moore has an expiring contract.

Houston Rockets trade
SG Luther Head

Toronto Raptors trade
SG Anthony Parker
2007 2nd rnd pick

Winner: Even - Parker and Head are similar players. Head is a little bit better defensively, and Parker is a slightly better perimeter shooter.

Detroit Pistons trade
SF Carlos Delfino
SG Ronald Murray
C Dale Davis
2007 1st rnd pick

New Jersey trade
PG Jason Kidd

Winner: Detroit - New Jersey must be tanking so they can rebuild around Durant or Oden. Even at 33, Kidd is one of the best PG's in the game. Detroit is in position to make the playoffs, so the 1st round pick likely won't be in the lottery. The other three players Detroit traded were insignificant beyond salary matching purposes.

Miami Heat trade
PF Antoine Walker
2007 1st rnd pick

Chicago Bulls trade
SF Andres Nocioni

Winner: Miami - Walker isn't good, but he becomes one of Chicago's top PF's with the trade. The pick will be low, but Chicago could possibly draft someone almost as good as Nocioni. Nocioni is a good scorer and great shooter. As Miami's starting SF, he's a deadly offensive weapon for Dwyane Wade to pass to.

Detroit Pistons trade
PG Chauncey Billups

Indiana Pacers trade
SF Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
2007 2nd rnd pick

Winner: Indiana - Detroit is too shallow at the guard spots now, even with Jason Kidd on the team. Only Kidd and Richard Hamilton are decent players. Dunleavy can't play SG. Indiana only had one decent guard before the trade.

Miami Heat trade
SF Dorell Wright
SF Jason Kapono
C Michael Doleac

Philadelphia '76ers trade
PG Andre Miller
2007 2nd rnd pick

Winner: Miami - Wright has some potential, but still won't be good. Doleac is terrible. Kapono is a lesser version of Nocioni. He gets to start for Philly while Iggy is injured. Miller is a solid starting PG who gives Miami another excellent playmaker to join Wade.

Injury Report:
Boston's Tony Allen broke his wrist. He's out for 2 months.
Indiana's PG Jamaal Tinsley tore his MCL and is out for the season. This makes their acquisition of Billups even more favorable.
New York's Eddy Curry is out for a couple months with a broken hand.
Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa broke his foot and will be inactive for a couple months.

League Leaders:
PPG:
1. LeBron James (CLE), 34.0
2. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL), 32.2 - Hasn't played since mid January.
3. Tim Duncan (SA), 30.7
4. Kevin Garnett (MIN), 29.8
5. Dwyane Wade (MIA), 29.6

APG:
1. Steve Nash (PHO), 12.4
2. Deron Williams (UTA), 11.1
3. T.J. Ford (TOR), 9.5
4. Tony Parker (SA), 9.3
5. Kobe Bryant (LAL), 9.3 - Who is he passing to? His supporting cast is awful, especially after we poached it. I remember from my timeline that some guy named Westbrook was on pace to average 30+ ppg, double-digit rebounds, and double-digit assists despite having a terrible supporting cast. I wonder if he did it?

RPG:
1. Marcus Camby (DEN), 11.6
2. Tim Duncan (SA), 11.2
3. Tyson Chandler (NO), 10.6
4. Ben Wallace (CHI), 10.6
5. Dwight Howard (ORL), 10.6

BPG:
1. Marcus Camby (DEN), 3.6
2. Josh Smith (ATL), 2.8
3. Tim Duncan (SA), 2.3
4. Yao Ming (HOU), 2.3
5. Jermaine O'Neal (IND), 2.0
6. Emeka Okafor (CHA), 2.0

SPG:
1. Gerald Wallace (CHA), 2.4
2. Shawn Marion (PHO), 2.4
3. LeBron James (CLE), 2.2
4. Caron Butler (WAS), 2.0
5. Josh Smith (ATL), 1.9

[Magic Bird]

vs Los Angeles Clippers: L 98-104; POG: Shaun Livingston - 25 pts, 3 stl
We were heavily outrebounded and we were careless with the ball. That led to 10 team steals for L.A. All but two Clippers recorded at least one steal. Bibby scored 20, and LaMarcus had 22 pts, 8 reb but fouled out.
Record: 22-38

@ Utah Jazz: L 111-124; POG: Carlos Boozer - 38 pts, 18 reb
Another night where we had too many turnovers. We let Utah go on a big run in the fourth. Our players started carelessly fouling in addition to turning it over. Mike Bibby contributed 24 pts, 10 ast, 0 turnovers, 5 fouls.
Record: 22-39

After the game I was interviewed about how I perceive the scoring punch Luke Walton has added to this team. I praised Luke's scoring ability, but afterwards I worried that my words might make his head swell.

vs Indiana Pacers: L 111-119; POG: Jermaine O'Neal - 19 pts, 7 reb, 3 blk
Both Mike and Brandon scored 23, but our backcourt advantage wasn't enough to topple the Pacers. What disturbs me is that again we were heavily outscored in the fourth quarter. What happened to our resilience and fortitude?
Record: 22-40

vs Denver Nuggets: W 97-75; POG: Luke Walton - 23 pts, 4 ast, 6 reb
We had a sizeable lead heading into the fourth, and we successfully put away Denver. Hopefully this will restore our team's confidence in closing out games. I don't want any more fourth quarter collapses. 'Melo was Denver's top performer with 28 pts, 11 reb.
Record: 23-40

vs Seattle SuperSonics: W 114-94; POG: Luke Walton - 19 pts, 4 ast, 5 stl
I personally thought Mike deserved POG with 17 pts, 8 ast, 9 reb. Our offense overwhelmed the Sonics. Ray Allen was Seattle's brightest with 33 pts.
Record: 24-40

vs Cleveland Cavaliers: W 111-98; POG: Brandon Roy - 25 pts, 10 reb
The Kings survived a triple-double by that other king LeBron James (33 pts, 11 ast, 10 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk) for a solid home win. Aldridge added 23 pts, and Mike Bibby had 18 pts, 9 ast, 7 reb.
Record: 25-40

@ Washington Wizards: L 96-103; POG: Gilbert Arenas - 29 pts, 5 ast, 9 reb
At least we didn't crumble in the fourth. We kept the game tight until the end. Brandon Roy scored 24 and LaMarcus Aldridge had a 16 point, 10 rebound double-double. I acknowledged LaMarcus's solid rookie campaign to a reporter after the game.
Record: 25-41

@ Atlanta Hawks: W 119-112; POG: Luke Walton - 31 pts, 7 reb
We shot very efficiently tonight. That helped make up for turning the ball over twice as much as Atlanta did. LaMarcus scored 23 points for us as well. Atlanta's top players were Joe Johnson with 34 points and Josh Smith with 25 pts, 8 ast, 9 reb.
Record: 26-41

@ Charlotte Bobcats: L 87-95; POG: Raymond Felton - 19 pts
This time we had a fourth quarter rally, but were still defeated. Luke (31 pts) and LaMarcus (17 pts, 11 reb) were our best performers.
Record: 26-42

@ New York Knicks: L 109-111 OT; POG: David Lee - 18 pts, 5 ast, 10 reb, 3 stl
Sacramento had a lackadaisical fourth quarter. We played hard again in overtime to try to salvage the game, but lost with a Knickerbocker buzzerbeater. Even LaMarcus' 33 points weren't enough to please me. We need to play hard and well in the fourth quarter consistently.
Record: 26-43

vs Philadelphia '76ers: W 86-70; POG: Luke Walton - 19 pts, 6 ast, 5 reb, 2 blk
Our whole team played well, and Philadelphia could not hit any shots. We limited our turnovers to 8!
Record: 27-43

vs Memphis Grizzlies: W 101-86; POG: LaMarcus Aldridge - 24 pts, 6 reb
The officials didn't blow their whistles much at all this game. Both teams combined for 18 fouls. Ron Artest scored 23 for Memphis, and Brandon Roy did likewise for us.
Record: 28-43

We went 6-6 in March. Our first month without a losing record! I don't know what I want more right now; do I want the team to tank for draft position, or do I want this incarnation of the team to continue improving despite the fact that this current roster will only play together for a few more games.

Team Leaders:
PPG:
1. Luke Walton, 16.3
2. Mike Bibby, 15.4
3. Brandon Roy, 14.9
4. Brad Miller, 12.5
5. LaMarcus Aldridge, 12.5

APG:
1. Mike Bibby, 7.1
2. Brandon Roy, 4.2
3. John Salmons, 3.2

RPG:
1. Brad Miller, 5.9
2. LaMarcus Aldridge, 5.1
3. Shareef Abdur-Rahim & Mike Bibby, 4.6

BPG:
1. Andrew Bynum, 0.9
2. LaMarcus Aldridge, 0.7
3. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Brad Miller, Theo Ratliff & Rudy Gay, 0.5

SPG:
1. Brandon Roy, 1.0
2. Luke Walton, 1.0
3. Shareef, Mike, Brad, LaMarcus & Smush Parker, 0.5

Awards:
March Player of the Month: LeBron James (CLE) - He's the MVP favorite right now. Tim Duncan is also a solid candidate.
March Rookie of the Month: LaMarcus Aldridge (SAC) - Another King wins the award!

Standings:
Eastern Conference:
1. Washington Wizards, 54-20
2. Miami Heat, 48-25
3. Cleveland Cavaliers, 46-26
Last: New Jersey Nets, 23-49

Western Conference:
1. Golden State Warriors, 51-22
2. L.A. Clippers, 45-29
3. Houston Rockets, 43-31
Last: Memphis Grizzlies, 25-47

Injury Report:
New Jersey's Eddie House tore his MCL. He'll miss the rest of this season as well as next season. This might be a career ending injury.
The Warriors' Stephen Jackson broke his arm. He's out for the month of April.
Our former player Ron Artest also broke his arm. Artest currently plays for Memphis, so he's done for the season.
Philadelphia's Andre Igoudala has become injured quite a lot this year. Now he has a broken arm and is done for the season because Philadelphia has no chance of making the playoffs.
Zach Randolph of Portland broke his nose. He's still able to play, but his face won't fully recover for a couple months.

[zike_42]

Great dynasty writing, short and sweet but also giving us all of the information we need. Keep it up!

I definitely say tank, let the young stars get as much time as possible.

[Magic Bird]

zike_42: Thank you, your DDSPB3 dynasty with New York, Memphis, Dallas, Brooklyn, and Phoenix has served as an inspiration for how I am writing this dynasty. Tanking is Sacramento's best option for the long term improvement of the franchise. Even if we can't draft Durant or Oden, we will likely be able to draft a solid C like Al Horford or Joakim Noah. From what I see, Bynum might not have as much potential as I thought when I traded for him.

Unfortunately I am not in charge of our depth. I recall Kyle Lowry and Jordan Farmar from the D-League to get some playing time with the team at the top level. Since I want this team to tank, I send our fantastic rookies Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge to the D-League. This is the only thing I can really do in the game to enforce a tanking strategy. If I could, I would also have Lowry start over Bibby for this final month. I am limited because I am in local control mode with GM controls only, not coach controls.

Rudy Gay now starts at SG, and Shareef is back starting at PF.

vs Phoenix Suns: W 101-96; POG: Luke Walton - 27 pts, 5 ast, 7 reb
Well so much for tanking. We didn't play well, but Phoenix played worse. Bibby scored 18, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim had a double double. For the Suns, Steve Nash had 27 pts, 17 ast.
Record: 29-43

vs New Orleans Hornets: L 100-117; POG: David West - 28 pts, 9 reb, 2 blk
We turned the ball over 15 times. Luke had 36 pts. I'll accept a loss to a team without its best player (Chris Paul) in the name of tanking.
Record: 29-44

@ Golden State Warriors: W 108-99; POG: Rudy Gay - 18 pts
It just so happens that when we try to tank, the top team in the conference has a bad game. Only Jason Richardson and his 27 pts, 6 ast, 6 reb were any good for Golden State.
Record: 30-44

@ Phoenix Suns: L 100-122; POG: Steve Nash - 26 pts, 19 ast
The Kings played awful this game. Despite that, Walton still got his 27 points.
Record: 30-45

vs Golden State Warriors: L 97-98; POG: Al Harrington - 17 pts, 12 reb, 2 stl
Not even Luke Walton was on target tonight, as we shot 38% overall and only 17% from 3. He still had 19 pts, 8 reb, 3 stl. I'm surprised the best in the West didn't wallop us.
Record: 30-46

vs Los Angeles Lakers: W 101-76; POG: Andrew Bynum - 20 pts, 12 reb, 3 blk
This was Bynum's breakout game. This is why I traded for him, and how I hope he will consistently perform in a few years.
Record: 31-46

vs Houston Rockets: L 93-102; POG: Yao Ming - 36 pts, 14 reb, 5 blk
Andrew's performance last game compelled Coach Wilden to start Bynum tonight. Unfortunately, Bynum is not yet ready to defend The Great Wall of China. Our best players were Luke with 23 pts and Mike with 18 pts, 8 ast.
Record: 31-47

@ Los Angeles Clippers: L 105-120; POG: Shaun Livingston - 40 pts, 6 ast, 3 blk
Third year player Livingston is demonstrating why the Clippers drafted him at number 4 overall. Sacramento turned the ball over nine more times than L.A. did. No particular performances stood out to me.
Record: 31-48

vs San Antonio Spurs: L 97-113; POG: Tim Duncan - 35 pts, 10 reb, 3 blk
San Antonio is simply much better than we are. Their offense is more sophisticated, and they greatly outrebounded us. Mike Bibby scored 26 points.
Record: 31-49

@ Denver Nuggets: L 101-110; POG: Allen Iverson - 28 pts, 13 ast, 1 blk
Coach Wilden let some of our players who don't play much get decent minutes. Theo Ratliff had 12 pts, 7 reb, 5 blk showing why I signed him at the start of the season. Rudy Gay also scored 21 points.
Record: 31-50

@ Minnesota Timberwolves: W 104-93; POG: Brad Miller - 30 pts, 5 ast, 9 reb, 2 blk
The Kings end the season in style. I like that. Bibby had 18 pts, 8 ast and Walton scored 19. Minnesota was without Kevin Garnett, who broke his finger two weeks ago, but Ricky Davis tried his best to lead the Wolves with 36 pts.
Record: 32-50

Thankfully, that last win didn't change our final standing in the league. The Kings went 4-7 in April to close the season with a 32-50 record. Let's look towards the bright future.

Final 2006-2007 Team Leaders:
PPG:
1. Luke Walton, 16.9
2. Mike Bibby, 15.3
3. Brandon Roy, 14.9
4. Brad Miller, 12.8
5. LaMarcus Aldridge, 12.5
Rudy Gay scored 11 ppg, John Salmons scored 7.7 ppg, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 7 ppg.

APG:
1. Mike Bibby, 7.0
2. Brandon Roy, 4.2
3. John Salmons, 3.0
4. Luke Walton, 2.8
5. Brad Miller, 2.5

RPG:
1. Brad Miller, 6.0
2. LaMarcus Aldridge, 5.1
3. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, 4.7
T4. Mike Bibby, Rudy Gay, & Andrew Bynum, 4.5
Luke Walton had 4.4 rpg, and Brandon Roy had 4.2 rpg as well.

SPG:
T1. Brandon Roy & Luke Walton, 1.0
T3. Mike Bibby, Kyle Lowry & LaMarcus Aldridge, 0.5
Smush Parker, Brad Miller, and Shareef also added 0.4 spg.

BPG:
1. Andrew Bynum, 0.9
2. LaMarcus Aldridge, 0.7
T3. Theo Ratliff & Brad Miller, 0.6
T5. Shareef Abdur-Rahim & Rudy Gay, 0.5
Mike Bibby blocked 0.4 shots per game.

[Magic Bird]

Awards:
April Player of the Month: LeBron James
April Rookie of the Month: Andrea Bargnani (TOR) - Would have been Brandon or LaMarcus if I didn't send them to the D-League.

Final Stats Leaders:
PPG:
1. LeBron James (CLE), 33.6
2. Tim Duncan (SA), 30.5
3. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL), 29.3
4. Kevin Garnett (MIN), 28.9
T5. Gilbert Arenas (WAS) & Steve Nash (PHO), 28.8
The entire top ten scored over 28 ppg.

APG:
1. Steve Nash (PHO), 13.0
2. Deron Williams (UTA), 10.5
3. T.J. Ford (TOR), 9.6
4. Chauncey Billups (IND), 9.5
5. Tony Parker (SA), 9.2

RPG:
1. Marcus Camby (DEN), 11.5
T2. Al Jefferson (BOS) & Tim Duncan (SA), 10.7
T4. Tyson Chandler (NO) & Dwight Howard (ORL), 10.5
The top ten all averaged at least 10.0 rpg.

BPG:
1. Marcus Camby (DEN), 3.4
2. Josh Smith (ATL), 2.8
3. Yao Ming (HOU), 2.3
T4. Dwight Howard (ORL), Tim Duncan (SA) & Jermaine O'Neal (IND), 2.0

SPG:
1. Shawn Marion (PHO), 2.4
2. LeBron James (CLE), 2.3
3. Gerald Wallace (CHA), 2.2
T4. Josh Smith (ATL) & Caron Butler (WAS), 2.0

Injury Report:
Minnesota's Kevin Garnett ended his season with a broken finger. The Timberwolves did not make the playoffs.
San Antonio's Matt Bonner is expected to sit out for the next couple of months due to severe back pain.

Conference Standings & Playoffs Matchups:
Last in the East: Philadelphia '76ers, 26-56
Last in the West: Memphis Roar, 26-56
Sacramento was second to last. At least the Kings didn't finish last!

Eastern Conference:
1. Washington Wizards, 58-24 vs. 8. New York Knicks, 38-44 - Toronto also finished 38-44, but lost in tiebreaking criteria.
4. Charlotte Bobcats, 49-33 vs. 5. Detroit Pistons, 46-36
3. Cleveland Cavaliers, 53-29 vs. 6. Atlanta Hawks, 42-40
2. Miami Heat, 54-28 vs. 7. Orlando Magic, 41-41

Western Conference:
1. Golden State Warriors, 56-26 vs. 8. San Antonio Spurs, 44-38
4. Dallas Mavericks, 47-35 vs. 5. Utah Jazz, 46-36
3. Houston Rockets, 48-34 vs. 6. Seattle SuperSonics, 45-37
2. Los Angeles Clippers, 52-30 vs. 7. Phoenix Suns, 44-38

Thoughts About the Playoffs:
As I recall from my old timeline, San Antonio won the title. This time, they are the lowest seeded team in the West. It will be difficult for them to duplicate what they did in the other alternate reality.

In the East, I don't think Washington will proceed to the Finals. They may have an excellent scorer in Gilbert Arenas, but Miami and Cleveland each have excellent, well-rounded, otherworldly players who can single-handedly dominate a game and lead their team to victory. I'm speaking of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. In my old timeline, I learned never to doubt LeBron James' teams in the playoffs.