Via BallHype.

KD hyped me to this Kings-centric entry over at The Xs and Os of Basketball site, a place I always glance at but never read. I am wrong for neglecting it so.

This is video package from the Dallas game Xs and Os put together to show off Reggie Theus' pressure man-to-man, which I'd always considered to be a product more of having a bunch of gamblers in the backcourt positions rather than a sentient strategy.

It makes sense, considering the lack of shotblocking on the interior. And it makes me feel kind-of good to think there is a defensive strategy going on here.

Acting lessons.

I know what Josh Howard and Brad Miller both should have done last summer: Anger management.

jjs has amply corroborated evidence he would know what's going on with Spencer Hawes, which is to say he's not bullsh*tting us. He says Shawes is doing well after surgery and should be back in a few weeks. He also kindly submitted this evidence Shawes is much cooler than his Rocky IV dedication would have you believe.

UPDATE: Sam Amick talked to Spencer's dad, who confirms. (That surgery was a success, that is. Not that Spencer appreciates some Juelz Santana.)

I finally found a real reason to love Spencer Hawes. Kings.com has asked all the players what they'd pick for intro music if the NBA had such a thing. Most of the players (Nik Caner-Medley included) chose a hip hop song. (Bigs up to El Flaco for the reggaeton, though.) Reggie Theus went with Donna Summer. (?!?) Ron Artest even picked one of his own creations.

But Spencer Hawes? He's different. His choice:

Just be glad Sergei Monia's no longer in town, I guess. And make sure you watch the first Jazz match-up; I sense Andrei Kirilenko's nose will be in danger.

He didn't even scowl at anyone. Of course, among the dozens of pictures I took at media day, Kenny Thomas' came out by far the best.

Oh, and: Brad Miller is skinny. Like Spencer Hawes skinny. I think that'll be the focus of all accounts out of today, as well as the next 30 days of TV commentary from Jerry Reynolds.

More in the morning. I've got a Geoff Petrie interview to transcribe.

This photo comes from the Associated Press. That's Glen Rice on the left, Scot Pollard and Vlade Divac on the right... and Kings play-by-play man/talk radio curmudgeon Grant Napear in the middle. (Thanks to rbiegler for pointing the photo out.)

Grant's always seemed close to Pollard and Divac -- not 'fly with me to Serbia to drink and dance and build houses for war orphans' close, but close enough this only shocked me instead of dumbfounding me. Whatever -- it still makes my list of most unlikely photos involving a leather jacket and stonewashed jeans, slightly beating out a rumored shot of Rick Adelman holding Tony Massenburg's legs up during a keg-stand.