Games Kevin Martin would miss if he had his fractured wrist surgically repaired or allowed it to heal, assuming the longest stated schedule for recovery: 29.

Games Kevin Martin is under contract for with the Kings: 323.

***

Would you rather have Martin miss 29 while letting a fracture heal, or would you rather he play injured for eight weeks, then spending the rest of his lucrative contract hobbled by arthritis? Are the next 29 games more important than the subsequent 294?

More photos » by Darren Abate - AP

Browse more photos »

Kevin Martin's really in a pickle. The Bee reports that today Martin will decide whether to undergo surgery to repair his broken wrist (missing 6-8 weeks), sit 6-8 weeks in the hopes it will heal on its own, or slap on a soft cast and play through it, risking a full break (and a longer recovery).


The "smart" move would be to get the wrist fixed. You don't drive on a tire with a leak, and you don't play professional basketball with a wrist fracture that could turn into a full break. This isn't a Kobe's finger comparison. Kobe tore the ligament on his pinky. A broken wrist is just a bit more serious. If you doubt that analysis, go join a pick-up game with your pinky taped to your ring finger, and compare that with trying to play with one arm taped behind your back. Comparing this to Kobe's finger injury is disingenuous.

But Martin has an unfair reputation around here as being soft. Because, you know, men plays on crumbling ankles and shredded groins. It's as if it is Kevin's fault he experienced a bone bruise last year! Not to (again) draw someone else's name into this, but you don't see anyone questioning Francisco Garcia's toughness, and he will have missed more games than Martin over two years. Is it because we know what a broken arm looks like, but we can't quite envision a serious bone bruise in the ankle? Is it because a catastrophic exercise ball failure is more illustrative than a degenerative condition made worse by activity and better only through rest? Are we really that simple, Sacramento?

Because of that unfair reputation, if Martin decides to heal it, he will be pilloried on sports talk radio, by national yuks-yuks, by commenters everywhere. It's 100% bullshit, but it's what will happen. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if some within the franchise turn on him. There's a lot at stake this season, and clearly -- clearly -- Kevin Martin is the most important King in terms of wins and losses. Those with jobs on the line (this means within the front office) could see Martin allowing the fracture to heal as a sort of betrayal, a lack of consideration for the own futures. Which is of course -- again -- 100% bullshit.

This is the pressure Kevin Martin faces today. It's unfortunate the situation has gotten to these depths locally, where a team's star player has to worry about his reputation when making a very serious medical decision. I hope he ignores the haters and does what he really believes he needs to do, whether that's to heal or to risk it. We're fans, and we support the team, and we all will be affected by his decision. But it's his decision, dammit, and it's Kevin Martin who has to live with it.

The signing of Ime Udoka, like the signing of Desmond Mason before it, portends little for the Sacramento Kings. Udoka, like Mason, is an aging defensive roleplayer whose a bit of a drain on offense at a position where the Kings have plenty of talent. Udoka turned 32 years old last August, having only three seasons of real NBA experience. He served as Portland's starting small forward in the halycon Death to Z-Bo 2006-07, 32-win season. Udoka spent the last two seasons as a Bowen Memorial player off the bench in San Antonio. Portland brought him to camp this fall but cut him, and no one had been rumored to give him a serious nibble in the two weeks since.

Except Sacramento.

Continue reading this post »

Jerry Reynolds (right) is a tool box of knowledge. Peaches (left) is just a tool.

No?

How about Jerry Reynolds (right) is a fountain of knowledge. Peaches (left) is just a drip.

No?

All righty - The tree of Jerry Reynolds yields much knowledge, but Peaches is just a fruit.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Darren Abate - AP

Browse more photos »

It's still not clear to me whether Paul Westphal has told his guards to play for the steal or whether it's a strategy they have decided to employ on their own. Yesterday, I joined the broadcast crew in bemoaning the strategy -- Grant Napear and Jerry Reynolds have discussed the risks involved in playing for the steal during each of the three games thus far, usually when Tyreke Evans or Kevin Martin lunge for a backcourt steal and come up empty. By ancedote, which is to say by viewing the game, it's not working -- too often the fruitless lunge leads to a fairly easy score for the opponent.

I talked with a friend Sunday about the apparent strategy, and he made some terrific points which have me rethinking this a bit.

Continue reading this post »

Last Halloween, Reggie Theus dressed up as an NBA head coach.

Happy  Halloween!

The Kings wrap up their season opening three game road trip at San Antonio this evening, with a 5:30 (PDT) tipoff against the San Antonio Spurs.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Rich Pedroncelli - AP

Browse more photos »

Team Name: Sacramento Kings

Last Year’s Record: No comment.

Key Losses: Rashad McCant's bubbly personality, Ike Diogu's bubbly personality, Calvin Booth's rubber band ball, Francisco Garcia's right forearm.

Key Additions: Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman, Kevin Martin's health, Paul Westphal, Sergio!.

Big Additions: Sean May.

Continue reading this post »

Cyd Charrise had long legs. Fred Astaire went on to sell vacuum cleaners after he passed away.

The nice thing about bandwagons is that they are open air. They are amazingly easy to jump on and off of, and a bandwagon pass is transferable – you can jump from bandwagon to bandwagon at your leisure. I just took inventory at the StR garage, and I am pleased to update you on the availability, access and run times for the Sacramento Kings fleet of old and new bandwagons.

Continue reading this post »