http://www.norcalbasketball.com/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:14:01 -0600 MyBB http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98104 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:09:20 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98104 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98103 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:38:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98103 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98102 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:18:13 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98102 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98098 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:00:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98098 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98099 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:00:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98099 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98100 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:00:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98100 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98101 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:00:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98101 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98097 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:43:36 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98097 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98096 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:36:26 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98096 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98095 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:52:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98095 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98094 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:00:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98094

CARL COSTAS ccostas@sacbee.com
Omri Casspi says, "Omri the competitor wants to play 48 minutes a game for 82 games, but … "
As Paul Westphal assessed his team during Monday's practice, one of the things the Kings' coach planned on watching closely was the play of Omri Casspi.
One day after Westphal decided to make the rookie small forward inactive as a way to "recharge his batteries," he was still undecided as to whether the mandated rest would continue for tonight's game at Portland.
So when Casspi darted through defenders in the lane en route to a roaring right-handed dunk, it appeared the 21-year-old was plenty ready to return.
Until Westphal was later asked about the play and what it might mean.
"You didn't get to see the whole practice," he retorted.
Translation: not so fast.
Westphal said he was unsure whether Casspi would play against the Blazers and planned on discussing the situation with his coaching staff. Clearly, he was not convinced Casspi had returned to form.
"He had some moments in practice," Westphal said. "(But) I think he's still struggling a bit, honestly. He looks worn down to me. He doesn't look as quick. He doesn't look as strong. I think he's questioning himself a little bit. I think all those things are in play."
Point guard Beno Udrih was hit on his ankle and is questionable for tonight's game. If he can go, however, Westphal said he will stick with the starting lineup of Udrih, Tyreke Evans, Donté Greene, Carl Landry and Spencer Hawes.
As for Casspi, he said he supported Westphal's decision regarding Sunday night's game.
"Omri the competitor wants to play 48 minutes a game for 82 games, but sometimes it's just impossible for my body," Casspi said. "Sometimes it's good to rest, take a day off and come back with energy. Hopefully it will work for me."
The root of it, of course, is Casspi's recent subpar play. In the weeks leading up to All-Star Weekend in Dallas in mid-February, the Kings grew concerned at the constant demand for Casspi's time that has come with his historical place as Israel's first NBA player. The sometimes-harrowing hype reached a new high Feb. 9 at Madison Square Garden, with Casspi scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds against New York in a win that came in front of thousands of Jewish supporters.
His participation in the Rookie-Sophomore game in Dallas opened him up to a weekend full of All-Star events, with Casspi handling himself graciously as always but surely feeling the fatigue.
Yet he continued to play well, averaging 15 points and shooting 48.6 percent in the three games after the break. The downturn began Feb. 21 in Phoenix; Casspi has averaged 6.5 points in his seven games since while shooting 38 percent (19 of 50) and 20 percent from three-point range (2 of 10).
"Maybe I practiced too hard in the beginning," Casspi said. "In the first three months, I didn't take a day off at all. I'd come to lift (weights) when we had days off. Maybe practices I should rest a little bit. … That's something to learn for the future. I didn't know how to practice for 82 games."
While Westphal wants Casspi to add approximately 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason to help withstand the rigors of the schedule, Casspi's time this summer is already at a premium. He plans on playing for Israel's national team, a commitment he said would take "four weeks of preparation and four weeks of games" between July and September.
What's more, Casspi said he wasn't sure if his schedule would preclude him from playing on the Kings' summer league team in mid-July.
"We'll have to figure it out soon," Casspi said. "For us international players, there's a lot of commitment for our countries. I quit the national team last year, and it wasn't as big a deal as it's going to be if I'm going to quit this year. We'll have to talk about (summer league) soon."

Posted on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 PST at http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/09/2592913/kings-rookie-casspi-may-need-more.html#mi_rss=Kings/NBA
Author: samick@sacbee.com (Sam Amick)]]>

CARL COSTAS ccostas@sacbee.com
Omri Casspi says, "Omri the competitor wants to play 48 minutes a game for 82 games, but … "
As Paul Westphal assessed his team during Monday's practice, one of the things the Kings' coach planned on watching closely was the play of Omri Casspi.
One day after Westphal decided to make the rookie small forward inactive as a way to "recharge his batteries," he was still undecided as to whether the mandated rest would continue for tonight's game at Portland.
So when Casspi darted through defenders in the lane en route to a roaring right-handed dunk, it appeared the 21-year-old was plenty ready to return.
Until Westphal was later asked about the play and what it might mean.
"You didn't get to see the whole practice," he retorted.
Translation: not so fast.
Westphal said he was unsure whether Casspi would play against the Blazers and planned on discussing the situation with his coaching staff. Clearly, he was not convinced Casspi had returned to form.
"He had some moments in practice," Westphal said. "(But) I think he's still struggling a bit, honestly. He looks worn down to me. He doesn't look as quick. He doesn't look as strong. I think he's questioning himself a little bit. I think all those things are in play."
Point guard Beno Udrih was hit on his ankle and is questionable for tonight's game. If he can go, however, Westphal said he will stick with the starting lineup of Udrih, Tyreke Evans, Donté Greene, Carl Landry and Spencer Hawes.
As for Casspi, he said he supported Westphal's decision regarding Sunday night's game.
"Omri the competitor wants to play 48 minutes a game for 82 games, but sometimes it's just impossible for my body," Casspi said. "Sometimes it's good to rest, take a day off and come back with energy. Hopefully it will work for me."
The root of it, of course, is Casspi's recent subpar play. In the weeks leading up to All-Star Weekend in Dallas in mid-February, the Kings grew concerned at the constant demand for Casspi's time that has come with his historical place as Israel's first NBA player. The sometimes-harrowing hype reached a new high Feb. 9 at Madison Square Garden, with Casspi scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds against New York in a win that came in front of thousands of Jewish supporters.
His participation in the Rookie-Sophomore game in Dallas opened him up to a weekend full of All-Star events, with Casspi handling himself graciously as always but surely feeling the fatigue.
Yet he continued to play well, averaging 15 points and shooting 48.6 percent in the three games after the break. The downturn began Feb. 21 in Phoenix; Casspi has averaged 6.5 points in his seven games since while shooting 38 percent (19 of 50) and 20 percent from three-point range (2 of 10).
"Maybe I practiced too hard in the beginning," Casspi said. "In the first three months, I didn't take a day off at all. I'd come to lift (weights) when we had days off. Maybe practices I should rest a little bit. … That's something to learn for the future. I didn't know how to practice for 82 games."
While Westphal wants Casspi to add approximately 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason to help withstand the rigors of the schedule, Casspi's time this summer is already at a premium. He plans on playing for Israel's national team, a commitment he said would take "four weeks of preparation and four weeks of games" between July and September.
What's more, Casspi said he wasn't sure if his schedule would preclude him from playing on the Kings' summer league team in mid-July.
"We'll have to figure it out soon," Casspi said. "For us international players, there's a lot of commitment for our countries. I quit the national team last year, and it wasn't as big a deal as it's going to be if I'm going to quit this year. We'll have to talk about (summer league) soon."

Posted on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 PST at http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/09/2592913/kings-rookie-casspi-may-need-more.html#mi_rss=Kings/NBA
Author: samick@sacbee.com (Sam Amick)]]> http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98093 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:48:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98093 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98092 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:07:08 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98092 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98090 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:00:24 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98090 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98089 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:54:20 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98089 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98088 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:52:56 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98088 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98091 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:10:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98091 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98086 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:03:23 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98086 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98087 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:00:00 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98087 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98085 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:00:31 -0600 http://www.norcalbasketball.com/showthread.php?tid=98085