Amick infers that it could be a combination of the two, and I would agree with that. Udrih is not absolved of blame, but the system that the KIngs run makes it damn near impossible for a PG to put up huge assist numbers. My beef is with his assist/turnover ratio. If the offense is not always going through you, you should be averaging far less than 3 TO’s a game.

Because I think it brings up a solid point: Is it Beno or the system? I think it’s a bit of both, and I don’t think either are as much as a comfortable fit as either would have hoped. I like Beno, and what he can bring, but I don’t think he’s so valuable that you shouldn’t look to upgrade in a blockbuster trade or through the draft when you can at the PG spot.

This is great news if it’s true:

Health should only help the situation. With Francisco García back from his right calf strain, Udrih has a spot-up shooter to find for open looks. With Kevin Martin’s second return from his left ankle injury looking to be at least a week away, his eventual return will give Udrih another worthy weapon.

With the exception of Ron-Ron, this team and the coaching staff has remained the same for the most part yet Beno’s play has regressed from last year so I am not sure how much you can blame on the system for the lack of production. Because of the high post offense the assists are going to be minimal as was pointed out but I haven’t yet seen Beno hit his outside shot consistently or play with as much aggressiveness as he did last year. I don’t think it is any coincidence that his best games in a Kings uni have been against the Spurs and Clippers. Both teams he probably geeks himself up for so it makes me wonder if it comes down to self motivation and losing the drive last year for his expiring contract. I hope he didn’t go Marko Jaric on us (playing well going into his contract year, getting a fat re-up, and then sliding into a self induced NBA coma )..

It seems the entire team is trying to understand the offense Reggie’s putting in (is it a high-post offense like Adelman’s, or is it a traditional point guard driven offense, or is it pick-and-roll heavy, or do we clear out the low post and dump it in?) Honestly, I’ve seen variations of a number of different offensive philosophies this year.

So I’m cool with waiting it out on Beno for a while until there seems to be a more cohesive offensive philosophy. Conversely, he absolutely needs to value the ball better, and the team is relying on him to step it up with his outside shooting.

Additionally, I think he’s a passionate guy, but he needs to quit pointing fingers and assigning blame and be more of a floor leader. He’s a young guy, and maybe that’s something he can learn – but it’s a very important aspect of being a point guard in the league.

A lot of people need to ask themselves this question: If people really want a traditional pg will it really matter, since our offense runs through the bigs. If our offense runs through the bigs, I would think a slashing type ball-handler would be more useful – ie a monta ellis type.

Personally, I like the idea of a “pass-first pg,” but, if it is the system – as people seem to be agreeing, and Amick infers – getting a pass-first pg wouldn’t be as useful since the role of the pg in this system is more of a slashing scorer with some assists.

is that Beno is getting better.

There are times to push the ball and times to pull back. There are times to shoot more, especially when you have the hot hand. There are times to make the extra pass.

Every King needs to play smarter, but it starts with the guy bringing up the ball most of the time. His decisionmaking can have a big impact on setting the tone for the team.

That and effort and better D, which usually run hand in hand.

Beno can play a lot better. Is it a lack of motivation, a lack of confidence, a lack of athleticism or some other factors that keeps him from reaching his potential. Or is it just too early in his career given the limited number of NBA starts he has on his resume to expect that much from him?