Many good feelings linger as the Kings end their four-game home stand Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers at Arco Arena.

Sacramento (14-16) lost the first two games in overtime and double overtime, respectively, to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the world champion Los Angeles Lakers.

However, Sacramento's 106-101 victory against the Denver Nuggets Monday provides the opportunity for the Kings to split the four-game set with a 2-2 mark.

The Kings have established themselves as a team that brings maximum effort nightly and will compete against whomever lines up against them.

Lakers forward Lamar Odom expressed his feelings about the new Kings.

"They've got all the components of a very good team if they can keep them together, and they should," Odom said. "They have a legitimate center, (a power forward), a (small forward) and in (Tyreke) Evans, they have a kid who is going to be a star."

Evans missed the game against Denver with a sprained right ankle and is listed as doubtful for Wednesday's game.

"Tyreke tried to do some stuff (Tuesday), but he was still pretty gimpy," said Geoff Petrie, who who signed a three-year extension as the team's President of Basketball Operations Tuesday morning. "Plus, he's got a little history with that foot going back to high school. I know he wants to play, but I don't know. We'll have to see how he feels (today)."

Clearly, the Kings want to take all precautions with Evans, who is not only a leading candidate for NBA Rookie of the Year, but has the potential to lead this team for the next decade.

The skills and desire of Evans and fellow rookies Omri Casspi and Jon "Wildman" Brockman have helped give the Kings and their supporters reason to look positively toward the future, just six months after they finished the 2008-09 season with the league's worst record (17-65).

Add to that the development and ability of youngsters Jason Thompson, Donte Greene and Spencer Hawes, and there is a nucleus around which to build.

Beno Udrih, 27, has been the most consistent performer coach Paul Westphal has had all season. That's after a 2008-09 season that featured Udrih signing a five-year contract and then producing more disappointment than highlight.

Westphal has been receiving positive contributions from virtually anyone he's put into a game.

Thompson, the second-year power forward from Rider, has been playing under the radar with the success of the newcomers and his own consistency.

Thompson had a workmanlike 15 points and team-high 11 rebounds in the win over Denver. Mondays's game was his team-leading 10th double-double. The odds are in his favor as the Kings have won nine of the 10 games where Thompson got double-figures in scoring and rebounding.

Thompson's offense sometimes suffers from the scoring ability of others as well as his penchant for turning down scoring opportunities. The Kings can do themselves much service by looking toward Thompson first before casting threes and forcing shots.

The draft day acquisitions of Brockman (the 38th pick of the 2009 draft by Portland) and Sergio Rodriguez along with the Nov. 4 free-agent signing of 6-foot-5 swingman Ime Udoka provide much needed depth during times like these.

Brockman is a defensive end playing in the paint. He's more athletic than many first believe and his face is in the dictionary next to the word "fearless."

Brockman was asked about how could be whistled twice for holding off with his right hand while grabbing the rebound with his left.

The 22-year-old gives new meaning to the word "ambidextrous."

"You've got to be able to use your whole body to rebound here," he said.