RekeROY

Evans receives ROY trophy, scenes from the rally

2010-04-30T03:54:55Z

As the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year, Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans was presented the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy in an afternoon press conference today at Arco Arena.

The press room was jam-packed with local and national media and applause for Evans' achievement.

He received 491 points, with 67 first-place votes worth five points each, 50 second-place votes worth three points and six third place votes worth one point. A panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada cast their ballots, and Evans came out on top.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry finished in second place with 391 points, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings finished in third with 204 points and New Orleans Hornets guard Darren Collison finished fourth with 17 points. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jonny Flynn and Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson tied for fifth with two points each.

Evans, of course, became the fourth rookie to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.

He also became the fifth rookie in franchise history and the first in the team’s Sacramento era to win the award. The Kings haven't had a player win a major award since Bobby Jackson won the Sixth Man award in the 2002-2003 season.

"It's just one of the awards that I had to go for," Evans said after being introduced. "I wanted to dream of it since I was little, and (I) finally got a chance to make my dream come true."

Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie said that Evans receiving the award was exciting for Evans, the team and the community.

"This was a season for Tyreke which unfolded like few others," Petrie said. "We took him at No. 4 in the draft last year because we thought he had a chance. He had star potential and had a chance to develop into a star. I think in his first season he has proven to be every bit of that and even more."

Co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are glad that President Barack Obama saw star potential in Evans too. Evans met the President when the Maloofs invited them both to dinner in Las Vegas.

"Well, I guess the President was right," Gavin said. "We want to thank President Obama for his recommendation of drafting Tyreke Evans with our fourth pick. So, thank you Mr. President."

The crowd shared a laugh after Gavin's opening statement. He continued about Evans and the future of the Kings.

"It's a great day for us and our organization," he said, "one that I've been waiting for for a long time. It's great for our fans around the country and the world to finally see that this is a person who can take us where we need to go. Tyreke has only scratched the surface. His potential's unlimited."

Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said that although there were other rookies that could have won the award, Evans was at the top of the class.

"It's something we felt, right from the start, was in his destiny," he said. "He earned it. There was a great group of candidates this year. I think Tyreke stood out and won this award because of his consistency.

"The first day he walked into our training facility, the veterans, as soon as he started playing, they started deferring to him. It's like he has this ability to inspire confidence, that he knows what he's doing out there and is there to win. He's all business."

While today was all about him, Evans didn't forget about the players who helped him get to where he was.

"I couldn't have done it without my teammates," he said. "They started it from the beginning. I had a lot of fun playing with them."

Evans also said that he will sign up to participate in Team USA Basketball's mini-camp in Las Vegas, where he will have the chance to be added to the roster for the FIBA World Basketball Championships in Turkey.

Evans was one of three players invited to join the roster. Curry and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green were also invited.

No one knows which rookie will have the better career down the road, but Evans proved that he was the rookie of the year.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

THE RALLY AT ARDEN FAIR MALL

Tyreke Evans wins NBA Rookie of the Year award

2010-04-29T20:34:04Z

After a historic season averaging 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans will be named the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY).

The 20-year-old Chester, Pa. native became the first Kings player to win a postseason award since Bobby Jackson won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2003 and the fifth rookie in franchise history to win the ROY award.

Maurice Stokes of the Rochester Royals, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas of the Cincinnati Royals and Phil Ford of the Kansas City Kings were the first four. Evans is the first of to win the award in the Sacramento era.

He also became the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game (20-5-5). The first three were Robertson, the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James.

Robertson and Jordan became basketball hall of famers, and James is one of the top players in the NBA.

Evans became the second-straight Memphis University alum to win the award. Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls won last year's award.

He also beat the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brandon Jennings, who were contenders for the award.

Before Evans won the award, Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie explained what the ROY award would mean for him.

"I think it's certainly a validation of Tyreke's play over the course of the entire year," he said. "He certainly helped elevate our team and give it some great promise for the future going forward. Hopefully, his play at both ends of the court will be rewarded."

The Kings had the best chance at the No.1 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft but fell to the No.4 pick in the lottery, the worst-case scenario.

The Kings picked Evans after Blake Griffin was taken by the Los Angeles Clippers, Hasheem Thabeet was taken by the Memphis Grizzlies and James Harden was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Griffin never played a game due to a knee injury, Thabeet became the highest drafted player to be sent to the National Basketball Developmental League and Harden became a role player for the Thunder.

Evans impressed in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and a steal per game for five games.

Evans earned the starting point guard job, replacing incumbent Beno Udrih. In the home opener, the Kings’ leading scorer, Kevin Martin, was injured.

The team learned after the next game that his wrist was broken and the injury forced him to miss the next 32 games.

During the very next game, Evans exploded for 32 points and seven assists in a 104-99 upset win over the Utah Jazz.

He won two Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards for October/November and December, leading the Kings to a 13-13 record since Martin's injury.

Evans has been the best player on the Kings and became a go-to player late in games. He scored the game-winning lay-up on Dec.19 in Milwaukee with less than a second remaining in the game.

Two nights later, he scored the last nine of 11 points of the game for the Kings and helped his team come back from a 35-point deficit in Chicago to defeat the Bulls 102-98. It was the second-largest comeback in NBA history.

The largest comeback occurred in 1996 when the Utah Jazz overcame a 36-point deficit against the Denver Nuggets.

On Jan. 9, Evans hit his second game-winner of the season to help beat the Nuggets.

Evans and with teammate Omri Casspi were the first Kings since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic in 2004 to participate in an All-Star event.

Both were selected to start for the Rookie team in the T-Mobil Rookie Challenge in Dallas. The Rookies beat the Sophomores for the first time in eight years by a score of 140-128.

Evans won the Most Valuable Player award for the game, posting 26 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Evans also played with Team Sacramento in the Haier Shooting Stars competition with former King Chris Webber and former Sacramento Monarch and current New York Liberty forward Nicole Powell. Team Sacramento finished in third place.

After All-Star Weekend, the Kings traded Martin to the Rockets in a three-team trade with the New York Knicks for Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey, re-enforcing their belief in Evans as part of their future.

On March 10, on a night dedicated to him called Rally for RekeROY (Tyreke Evans for Rookie of the Year) Night, Evans earned his first career triple-double against the Toronto Raptors with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113-90 win.

Only 17 other players recorded a triple-double this season, including Evans' teammate Beno Udrih.

"It was really exciting to see Tyreke have such a fitting night," Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said after the game. "There are a lot of (good) rookies this year. For this year, it's not even close (for the rookie of the year award)."

In a poll of 173 NBA players conducted by "Sports Illustrated", Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest were voted the two toughest defenders in the league.

On March 16, Evans was guarded by both of those players in different times of the game and played exceptionally well.

Evans had a near triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the 106-99 loss to the Lakers.

In his first match-up against Evans on Dec. 26, Bryant was already impressed by him.

"Tyreke Evans is going to be a hell of a player," he said after he first played against. "(The Kings start) with him, so he has a really bright future."

For most of the season, Evans was on pace to average 20-5-5. On April 12, he secured that milestone in the second-to-last game of the season by scoring 24 points in a 117-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, but it wasn't easy for him.

"That was the hardest basket I ever had to get in my life," he said after the game. "I was trying to get it done in the first half and get it over with. I never knew that I would come into the NBA and average 20-5-5.

"I watched the game a lot growing up, watching (Anfernee) "Penny" Hardaway. Now actually being here, seeing what it's like, it's just a dream come true."

Only two other players in the NBA finished with 20-5-5 this season – James and Bryant.

After the season was over, Evans was one of three players to receive an invite to Team USA Basketball's mini-camp for a chance to compete in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey this summer.

Evans was consistent from the start of the season and has become one of the players in the NBA, earning the respect of 16-year veteran point guard Jason Kidd.

"He has all the skills," the Dallas Mavericks point guard said. "He has the talent to take over the game in scoring and being able to find guys."

Although there was debate that Curry and Jennings were also deserving of the ROY award, the Kings rookie would be the one to receive his crown.

Read Martin McNeal's thoughts on the ROY award here.

Season Highs

Points: 34 Jan. 18 at Charlotte Bobcats

Rebounds: 11 rebounds (4 times) last March 16 vs, Los Angeles Lakers

Assists: 13 (twice) last March 31 at Minnesota

Steals: 4 (twice) last March 30 at Indiana

Blocks: 3 (3 times) last Jan.18 at Charlotte Bobcats

Statistical Rankings

Category: Rank, (Rank Among Rookies)

Points per game: 16th (1st)

Rebounds per game (among guards): 4th (1st)

Assists per game: 15th (2nd)

Steals per game: 16th (2nd)

Blocks per game (among guards): 15th (1st)

Awards/Accomplishments

Oct./Nov. 2009 NBA Rookie of the Month

Dec. 2009 NBA Rookie of the Month

2010 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge Most Valuable Player

2010 Haier Shooting Stars Participant

Fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game

Team USA Basketball 2010 mini-camp invite

2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year

Photo Credit: Jonathan Mendick

NBA ROY Award: What’s taking so long?

2010-04-27T00:35:51Z

While 16 teams battle to reach the NBA Finals, nine awards are handed out during the playoffs.

So far, six awards have been given out, but fans of the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks ask the question: When is the Rookie of the Year (ROY) award going to be announced?

When the award was given out last year, it was given to the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose one day before Game 3 at Chicago in the first round of the playoffs.

Although ROY contenders Tyreke Evans of the Kings and Stephen Curry of the Warriors aren’t in the playoffs, Brandon Jennings’ Bucks have already played Game 3 in Milwaukee.

Unlike Rose last year, Jennings didn’t get a trophy.

This seemingly narrows it down to Evans and Curry but it is unknown why the award hasn’t been given out yet.

There were previous events scheduled at Arco Arena during the expected arrival of the award that could have delayed its presentation.

In a mixed martial arts event that lasted over six hours, Jose Aldo and hometown favorite Urijah Faber battled for the World Extreme Cagefighting Featherweight Championship last Saturday among other matches.

The day before, the fighters weighed in at a four-and-a-half hour event.

Evans was attendance at the fight, which Aldo won by unanimous decision.

There were no events scheduled at Oracle Arena in Oakland since the Warriors ended its season.

Curry will be at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. this week for the Quail Hollow Pro-Am golf tournament.

These facts could be a pre-cursor that Evans won the award. Voting for the award ended over a week ago.

This year the schedule for the postseason awards weren't announced so a team whose player wins an award wouldn't know until right before it was announced.

Why the winner of the award hasn’t been announced is still a mystery and the anticipation remains.

Evans to receive invite to Team USA mini-camp

2010-04-16T22:00:02Z

If making history wasn't enough, Tyreke Evans may not be done making accomplishments this summer.

The Sacramento Kings rookie guard is one of three players confirmed by Team USA Basketball's Managing Director Jerry Colangelo to receive invites to its mini-camp, according to the San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami.

The mini-camp will take place in Las Vegas this July.

Evans, along with Golden State Warriors rookie Stephen Curry and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green are set to be invited.

"We want to get them into the system and get them ready to play," Colangelo said. "Whether it's this cycle or the next."

Kawakami hinted, via Twitter, that the decision came due to a roster expansion to prepare for players skipping the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

If he's selected to the Team USA National Team after mini-camp, Evans could play in the championships in August and September.

Evans already has plans for the summer. He's set to train in Hollywood, according to his trainer, LaMont Peterson.

In his first season in the NBA, Evans won two rookie of the month awards, was voted most valuable player of the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge and became the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.

He's also a contender for the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

If he plays in the world championships it could be a sneak peek of Evans' improvement over the summer before the NBA season begins.

Peterson witnesses Evans' growth

2010-04-13T19:57:42Z

Tyreke Evans has been an impact player for the Sacramento Kings. The rookie guard from the University of Memphis has gained national attention for the whole season.

Like all NBA players, Evans had to start somewhere, and LaMont Peterson, part of Team Tyreke, helped him grow into the player he is today.

He joined Team Tyreke along with Evans' older brothers Reggie, Doc and Pooh and cousin Temetrius, along with Evans' best friend, Dwayne Davis.

"I was introduced to his family by a mutual friend," Peterson said. "I thought he was an average 14-year-old. There was nothing physically that stood out about him. He was about 6 feet 3 inches, 165 pounds. It wasn't like there was this great, physical presence."

Then something stood out about Evans that separated him from basketball other prep players in the country.

"I saw where he was ranked," he said. "(He was the) No.1 player in the country, but I didn't see that by just (training) him for the first time."

Six years later, Evans is listed at 6 feet 6 inches and 220 pounds. Coming out of college, he was widely regarded for having an NBA-type body.

After training Evans over an extended time, Peterson saw his talent progress.

"As I got to see him play more and more, I got to appreciate his presence, his savvy, his IQ and what he brings to a team," he said.

After Evans finished high school at American Christian Academy in Aston, Pa. 2008, he played with the Memphis Tigers under head coach John Calapari. Peterson's role would change.

"Coach Calapari had an opening and he hired me as assistant coach on staff," he said. "I made sure the guys were in class. I wasn't allowed on court during practice because of NCAA rules limiting how many staff members are allowed to work on-court during practices."

After a one-and-done freshman season at Memphis, Evans declared for the 2009 NBA Draft. Now, Peterson would have to help Team Tyreke prepare Evans for training in front of NBA scouts across the country. It started by hiring Arm Tellem as his agent.

In Los Angeles, Evans worked out with Tellem's clients, including fellow rookies Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson Henderson and NBA stars Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook.

After traveling all over the country for workouts, draft day finally arrived and Team Tyreke members had one team they wanted Evans to land with.

"We felt that Sacramento was the best place for him," Peterson said. "It was a small town, there wouldn't be a lot of pressure on him. We thought that this would be the perfect place for him to grow and develop and become a go-to guy, franchise-type player."

Evans was chosen No. 4 overall in the NBA draft by the Kings, and Team Tyreke’s members’ wishes came true.

"It's surreal," Peterson said." At times it seems like a dream and (unreal) because this is all we've been preparing for.

"His older brother, Reggie Evans, who's his legal guardian and his business manager, put together a plan what we call 'The Blueprint,' and we've stuck to it for the past four years. So, to see this happen is a fruition of four to five years of hard work and effort."

Evans trained in Chester, Penn., before coming to Sacramento for training camp. They felt that Evans would be a starter from day one, Peterson said about Team Tyreke. After preseason ended, Evans played his first NBA game at Oklahoma City against the Thunder.

"It's incredible," he said after watching Evans step on an NBA court for the first time. "It was finally realization of all your dreams. We shared this dream with him. To know you helped play a part in his success – there's no better feeling in the world."

Evans appreciates Peterson's support through the season.

"He's around every game," Evans said. "He's been a big support."

His brother, Doc, agrees with Evans.

"He's been very influential," Doc said about Peterson’s affect on Evans. "He's been really instrumental in getting (Evans') body ready for the college and the pro level. We've been doing that for a long time, and LaMont's been a major part of that."

After Kevin Martin was ruled out to a long-term wrist injury, Evans exploded onto the scene. Now that Evans' season is almost over, Team Tyreke will have training set up for him in Los Angeles.

"We want him to be able to play 40 minutes every game next year," Peterson said. "We want him to be injury-free. Obviously you can't predict injuries, but we do a lot of preventive (things)."

Peterson has been with Evans preparing him for the NBA. There's no reason that his work with him should end anytime soon.

The history of the NBA Rookie of the Year

2010-04-10T00:22:50Z

At the end of every season, the NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY) Award is awarded to the best rookie of the season.

Don Meineke was the first to win the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy in the 1952-53 season. Of the 56 ROYs, 21 basketball hall-of-famers, from Oscar Robertson to Michael Jordan, have emerged.

More than 53 percent of retired ROYs were voted into the hall of fame.

The next trophy could be coming to Sacramento as Kings guard Tyreke Evans tries to make history becoming the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for a season. The first three were Robertson, Jordan and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James.

Portland Trail Blazers Television Analyst Mike Rice knows exactly how the ROY is selected because he has a vote.

"Rookie of the year is decided by votes from announcers that see the teams, beat writers that see all the teams all the time," he said. "You can't get a vote if you're a columnist or someone who doesn't see every team during the year. It is just distributed through TV and radio analysts, play-by-play men and beat writers."

Voters cast three votes: A first-place vote worth five points, a second-place vote worth three points and a third-place vote worth one point.
Many rookies who have won the award have gone on to lead their teams to bright futures. Blazers Head Coach Nate McMillan knows this firsthand. His team traded for Brandon Roy, the 2007 ROY, on NBA Draft Day 2006.

The team went from being known as the infamous "Jail Blazers" to a young team with championship potential.

"We thought he had a lot of potential," McMillan said. "He has continued to show the potential that he has. Of course, when you do have a guy that comes in and plays well, as Brandon did, and wins the rookie of the year in a situation where you're trying to gain you're fan base back – it's good to have a player like that, to give the fans something to look forward to in the future"

During his rookie season, Roy was focused on winning rather than the ROY award.

“The whole year I wasn't going for rookie of the year," he said. "I was just trying to do my best to try to help my team win. That's always been my goal. I don't want to put that pressure on myself trying to win an award. So I just always go out there, play to win, good things happen."

The season before the Blazers traded for Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge in June 2006, they finished with a record of 21-61. In Roy's rookie season, the team finished with a 32-50 record. Two seasons after building through the draft and trades, the Blazers earned a 54-28 record.

The San Antonio Spurs also know how a rookie can make an immediate impact. When hall-of-fame center and former ROY David Robinson was injured, the Spurs, a perennial playoff team, slipped to the third-worst record in the NBA and grabbed the top spot in the NBA Draft Lottery.

With the No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft, the team drafted Tim Duncan, who became the 1998 ROY. A year later, he earned his first of four NBA Championships and first of three Finals Most Valuable Player awards.

"It was a great season for me," he said. "Better than that, I was on a very good team, and we made the playoffs, it (was) a great year."

His head coach, Gregg Popovich, thought it was a no-brainer to draft Duncan, who is widely regarded as the best power forward of all time.

"It was a thrill and a pleasure because (he was) already a heck of a player when he came to us," he said. "It was just an unbelievable stroke of luck and good fortune on our part."

There have been ROYs who didn't pan out. Damon Stoudamire was the 1996 ROY for the Toronto Raptors, averaging 19 points and a career-high 9.3 assists per game.

After two and a half seasons in Toronto, he was traded to the Blazers. His numbers dropped, and he was never the same player the Raptors had drafted.

The Kings have numerous connections to the ROY award. Robertson, Maurice Stokes, Jerry Lucas and Phil Ford were ROYs during the franchise's days in Rochester, Cincinnati and Kansas City.

Notable former Kings players Chris Webber and Mitch Richmond were also ROYs, both with the Golden State Warriors.

Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie was a co-ROY in 1971 for the Blazers with hall-of-famer Dave Cowens.

"It was really exciting at the time," Petrie said. "To share it with Dave Cowens of the Boston Celtics, coming from an expansion team like Portland, it was a fun season and I think it was good for the franchise and all of my teammates."

Petrie said he thinks that Evans winning the ROY award could have the same impact on the Kings franchise.

Evans feels like he's had a good season, but he didn't know how well he would play.

"I didn't know that I'd be averaging 20 (points per game)," he said. "When you're doing that, I think that's a blessing for me, being a rookie and coming here making a big impact in this league."

In the end, the voters decide who the ROY award will go to. Along with Evans, Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings are also in the running. Rice, who has a vote, has already made up his mind.

"At the start of the year, it looked like Jennings of Milwaukee, of course, was going to be the leader because of his 55-point game," he said. "But once Tyreke Evans got started, he's probably the most consistent of the three rookie of the year candidates. Curry came out late and played well for Golden State.

"I have a vote for rookie of the year, and I'm going to vote for (Evans) because of his consistency, and if you look at his (statistics), no other rookie (is averaging 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game),” Rice said. “That's Oscar Robertson, MJ and LeBron. Those guys did that their rookie year, and that's putting Tyreke in a great category with those guys. I think he's (deserving) of the rookie of the year, which I think he will win."

Evans' shooting struggled coming off injury

2010-04-10T00:12:38Z

After missing five games because of a concussion sustained March 19 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Tyreke Evans returned to the Sacramento Kings' starting lineup.

The rookie guard has averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game in his three games since returning. His scoring has taken a hit this week with his fifth single-digit scoring night of his rookie season on Saturday.

On March 30 against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, Evans had 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the Kings' 102-95 loss. Although the numbers say that he had a productive night, Evans had four of his seven turnovers and 13 of his 17 points were scored in the fourth quarter making all five of his shots.

He made only one of his eight shots through the first three quarters.

The next night in Minneapolis, the Kings lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that had lost 17 games in a row. Evans posted 20 points, seven rebounds, 13 assists and three steals in the game, but shot 36.8 percent from the floor.

Evans’ shooting woes continued on Saturday when long-armed Nicolas Batum guarded him when the Portland Trail Blazers came to Sacramento. Evans only had six points, five rebounds and six assists in the 98-87 loss to the Blazers, making only two of his 12 shots of the night.

He was held out for much of the fourth quarter when the team made a run to keep the game close.

"That's not a Tyreke Evans kind of game," Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said. "I would have liked to seen him get a few more foul shots. It's not like he wasn't driving, but that's the way this league is sometimes."

For the week, Evans shot less than 41 percent from the field. For his first season in the NBA, he's averaging 45.6 percent from the field.

Evans was off pace, by a very slim margin, to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for his rookie season. With five games left, he needed 101 points and 10 rebounds to achieve that goal. He's already guaranteed five rebounds and five assists per game for the season.

He would have to score 20.2 points per game over the next five games to average exactly 20 points in the season.

Photo by Jonathan Mendick.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans could return today

2010-03-30T18:41:01Z

After sitting out five games, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans could play today against the Indiana Pacers.

After sustaining a concussion when the Milwaukee Bucks' Ersan Ilyasova inadvertently hit him with an elbow, he sat out for three games before practicing last Thursday in Boston. When Evans complained of a headache at practice, the team ruled him out for the next two games.

The Kings (24-50) have not done well since Evans' injury, compiling a 1-4 record since then. After beating the Los Angeles Clippers in L.A., the Kings lost at home against the Memphis Grizzlies the next night.

The team left for a five-game road trip and lost to a then seven-win New Jersey Nets team, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team with the league's best record.

The Kings could have Evans back today in Indianapolis, but teammate Beno Udrih has shined in his absence.

Udrih dished out a career-high 17 assists in the win against the Clippers, matching the Clippers' assist total in the game. He had only one turnover while the Clippers had 17. In the loss to the Cavs, he recorded his first triple-double, posting 18 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists.

Udrih became the second player to achieve a triple-double when facing LeBron James. The first to do it was former King Mike Bibby on Jan. 20, 2005.

During Evans' absence, Udrih has averaged 18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 11.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Evans will continue his attempt to become the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. If he plays in the remaining eight games of the season, he needs 104 points, 26 rebounds and only one assist to accomplish this milestone.

Beside the Pacers, the Kings will face the Minnesota Timberwolves the day after in Minneapolis and the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, after the team comes home.

Kings' new Tyreke Evans ticket package: Chasing History

2010-03-25T05:03:39Z

The Sacramento Kings unveiled a new ticket package centering around rookie its phenom Tyreke Evans.

The "Chasing History Ticket Package" is based on Evans trying to reach the milestone of becoming the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a season.

The first three were current NBA superstar LeBron James and basketball hall-of-famers Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.

When a ticket worth $40.50 or higher is purchased, it will also include a Tyreke Chasing History 20-5-5 T-shirt. The package is available for only three games: April 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers, April 6 against the San Antonio Spurs and April 8 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Evans is well above the pace to achieving the 20-5-5 mark. Currently, he is averaging 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.

Tickets can be purchased at the ARCO Arena box office or online at Ticketmaster.

Photo by Nathan Carter.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans cools off before getting injured

2010-03-24T03:25:50Z

Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans was playing the best basketball of his rookie season, but his it took a bad turn during last Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Late in the fourth quarter, Evans was hit by Ersan Ilyasova while he was swinging his elbows. As a result, Evans sustained a slight concussion, a bruised jaw and two cracked teeth. A fractured jaw was feared to be the diagnosis, and it would have been a horrible end to his spectacular first season in the NBA.

He'll miss at least a week, which includes games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Jersey Nets and possibly the Boston Celtics.

In the last two games played until his injury, Evans chalked up 20 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and one steal.

In last Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Evans played against two of the toughest defenders in the league. In a recent poll of 173 NBA players by “Sports Illustrated,” Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest were named as top defenders.

Both of them took turns defending Evans. Both of them couldn't stop him from notching 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists – one assist shy of a triple-double. The Kings lost to the Lakers 106-99.

Bryant was asked about whether Evans or Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was tougher to play against. He was impressed by Evans’ physique.

"I think Tyreke is a grown man," he said after the game.

In the game against the Bucks, Evans had 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a career-high eight turnovers before getting injured late in the fourth quarter. The game went into double overtime, where the Kings lost 114-108.

In the two games without Evans, the Kings beat the Clippers on Sunday in Los Angeles 102-89 and, the very next night lost at home to the Grizzlies 102-85.

Injuries are nothing new to Evans. He's already missed seven games this season and at least the next game. None of his previous injuries have seemed to slow him down.

Evans is still chasing a milestone, trying to become only the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Technically, he could sit out the rest of the season and achieve it. If he were to come back Sunday at Cleveland against LeBron James and the Cavaliers, Evans would need to score at least 164 points, grab 34 rebounds and collect only six assists to achieve what only James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson have done as rookies.

For now, he just needs to rest and prepare to return to the court when he's ready to finish the season.

Photo by Nathan Carter.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans' best week yet

2010-03-16T06:24:31Z

Without a doubt, this has been the best basketball Tyreke Evans has played in his rookie season for the Sacramento Kings

The Kings’ 20-year-old guard has averaged 19 points, 8.75 rebounds, 7.75 assists and 0.75 steals per game since March 9. Since then, the Kings have played the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland and home games against the Toronto Raptors, the Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that span the team has a 2-2 record.

Evans posted 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and a steal in the 88-81 loss in Portland. The Kings were within three points of the Blazers late in the game, but the experience of the Blazers overtook the Kings – the least-experienced team in the NBA.

The team has an average of 2.2 years of experience, with Beno Udrih, Andres Nocioni and Ime Udoka having been in the league for five years. It also features four rookies in Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman and newly signed Garrett Temple.

In the next game, Evans went off for his first career triple-double on a night dubbed "RekeROY Night," where fans rallied to support Evans for rookie of the year on a night dedicated to him. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113-90 win over the Raptors. He became the third rookie this season to register a triple-double, behind the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and the New Orleans Hornets' Darren Collison.

"I came out in attack mode," Evans said after the game. "The crowd was in it. I was going to come out there and try to bring it."

After the performance he put on that night, Evans has locked up the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Two days later, the Blazers came to visit and gave the Kings another loss, 110-94. Evans scored eight of his 10 points and seven of his 10 rebounds in the first 14 minutes of the game. After that, he only scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in the second half. The Blazers’ defense limited Evans' scoring. He missed eight of only 12 shots on the night.

"I thought the Blazers' defense was very aggressive," Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said. "They took away a lot of our first options."
On Sunday, the Timberwolves came into ARCO Arena to play the Kings coming off a tough loss. Evans was one rebound shy of another triple-double with 29 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists and two steals in the 114-100 win over Minnesota.

Evans, so far, has had a great month that rivals LeBron James' March his rookie season in 2004. James averaged 22.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. Evans is averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game through eight games.

After hovering under an average five rebounds per game for part of the season, Evans is now averaging 20.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Critics who have stated that Evans can't be a point guard are being proven wrong. He is No. 16 in the NBA in assists and assists per game.

Evans has proven that he is a spectacular player and will become even better in the future. Only 20 years old, Evans still has plenty of room to improve, but there's no doubt that he will be a great player for a very long time

Photo Credit: Jonathan Mendick

Reliving Evans' triple-double night

2010-03-12T07:08:28Z

Wednesday night was Tyreke Evans' night at ARCO Arena.

The Sacramento Kings rookie guard had limited-edition T-shirts and printouts of his face on sticks handed out on a night that was used to promote his rookie of the year campaign.

His choice of music was played during warm-ups before the game. There was a special introduction, which included pyrotechnics and a banner rising in honor of his night, for him. An announced crowd of 13,412 was introduced to the rookie of the year chant, "R-O-Y."

By the end of the game, RekeROY night was more than a success. It sealed the award for him.

Evans, the frontrunner for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, notched his first career triple-double with an assist to Francisco García late in the fourth quarter. He finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113-90 blowout win over the Toronto Raptors.

His memorable night also bumped his stats over 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game – stats only LeBron James and hall-of-famers Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan averaged as rookies. Evans is currently averaging 20.3 points, five rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.

After receiving a standing ovation from the fans, he said it was all for them.

"I had a lot of fun," Evans said. "I came out in attack mode, and the crowd was in it. I wanted to come out and have a good night with them honoring me."

Evans had a hot start to the game, grabbing four rebounds in the first quarter. Going into the game, he was averaging 4.9 rebounds per game.

On a drive to the basket, he had an unbelievable shot over the backboard after getting fouled by Toronto's superstar power forward Chris Bosh. The basket was originally waved off, but after a brief meeting they counted Evans' circus shot.

The R-O-Y chants gave him even more motivation after the Kings' slow start in the first half.

"They chanted every five seconds. I just started laughing," he said. "It gave me confidence in the second half."

Evans said he was a little embarrassed due to the fact that he was the center of attention for the entire night, on and off the court.

"They had the NBA all-stars talk about my game," he said about the videos shown on the JumboTron. "I had fun looking up at myself. (The fans) had little sticks with my face."

Another feature on the JumboTron was Mystery Karaoke, where Evans would sing a song, and teammate Beno Udrih would guess it. Both were busy watching it during the time-out.

Evans knew he was close to a triple-double near the end of the game, and he went to García to help him secure it.

"He told me to look for him off the curl," Evans said about the play that gave him the triple-double. "He did it a lot in practice, so I went for him. Hopefully he'd make the shot, and he did."

Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said that he and the rest of the Kings players enjoyed RekeROY night.

"It was really exciting to see Tyreke have such a fitting night," Westphal said. "There are a lot of (good) rookies this year. For this year, it's not even close (for the rookie of the year award)."

Raptors forward and former Kings rookie Hedo Turkoglu also gave Evans praise after the game.

"The kid is going to be a great player in this league," Turkoglu said about Evans. "Already he's making a huge impact as a player and a leader. I wish him the best, and hopefully he becomes one of the greats."

Evans had two near-triple-double games earlier in the season. After rookie point guards Stephen Curry and Darren Collison for the Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Hornets, respectively, had triple-doubles of their own, LaMont Peterson, Evans' trainer, said it best.

"It's long overdue," he said.

Mayor Johnson talks about Evans, RekeROY rally

2010-03-10T08:00:04Z

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson – a three-time NBA all-star point guard for the Phoenix Suns – shared his thoughts on Sacramento Kings Rookie of the Year candidate Tyreke Evans Tuesday morning at a press conference.

Johnson officially endorsed Evans last week, and came before tonight’s rally to support Evans.

"He's doing some amazing things," Johnson said about Evans' performance this season. "He's on pace to do something only three other (rookies) in the history of the NBA have done in the past – averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists (per game)."

The three players who Johnson talked about are LeBron James and hall-of-famers Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan. Currently, Evans is averaging 20.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

The RekeROY Rally to support Tyreke Evans for rookie of the year will take place tonight during the game against the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. During the rally, the introduction of the R-O-Y (rookie of the year) chant will be introduced to the fans to be used the rest of the season.

“A lot of people thought that we should have drafted other players," Johnson said about the controversy of drafting Evans with the fourth pick in last year's draft. "If you look at what he's doing, the team has won more games than last year. That's a very important indicator."

The Kings won only 17 games last season compared to 21 wins going into the final quarter of this season.

Evans isn't the only rookie turning heads. In Oakland, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has performed well as of late. Although Curry has had a recent outburst along with New Orleans Hornets point guard Darren Collison, Evans has performed well all season.

"Curry is doing a great job down in Golden State," Johnson said. "But I think we have the top rookie here in Sacramento."

Photos by Rob Small

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans is still learning the game

2010-03-09T06:30:39Z

With four games played in March, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans is still producing, despite his team losing three of the last four games to playoff-bound teams.

Evans put up 17.5 points, 4.75 rebounds, 5.75 assists and 1.75 steals per game since March 2.

He had had a team-high 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that has the sixth-best record in the Western Conference. The Thunder's defense tightened up late in the game, securing a 113-107 home win over the Kings.

Oklahoma City's top two players, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, combined for 69 points.

The next night, the Kings were in Houston to play the Rockets in the second game of a back-to-back set.

Evans had nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in an 84-81 win over the Houston Rockets. Shane Battier, one of the league's premier defensive players, defended Evans very well. Battier had a career-high seven blocks, blocking four of Evans' shots. Evans' 18.2 percent shooting that game was the worst of his rookie season.

Both teams had forgettable shooting nights. The Kings shot 32 percent from the field while the Rockets shot 39 percent. Carl Landry, playing his first game at Houston since being traded from the Rockets, had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Evans had 20 points (nine in the fourth quarter) and six assists against the Dallas Mavericks, helping to cut a 15-point deficit to two points. Unfortunately, he had a crucial turnover before the Mavericks went on a 6-0 run to close out the game 108-100, winning its 10th-straight game.

Returning home to Sacramento, Evans had 24 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a 108-102 loss to the Thunder, which was similar to the loss in Dallas.

The road doesn't get that much easier for Evans. He will face three-time all-star for the Portland Trail Blazers Brandon Roy tonight at Portland and at home on Friday. After his second game against Roy a week from now, he'll face Kobe Bryant when the Los Angeles Lakers visit next Tuesday.

The RekeROY Rally, Evans' rally for NBA Rookie of the Year, will take place at ARCO Arena when the Toronto Raptors come in Wednesday night and the Minnesota Timberwolves will visit on Sunday.

Evans has shown this week that he makes mistakes like any other rookie. He's only 20 years old, and he'll still be learning to be a point guard, one of the most difficult positions in the NBA. It was a little more than a year ago when Memphis Tigers Head Coach John Calipari switched Evans to the point guard position after playing shooting guard.

He's shown that he can be a go-to player when a big shot is needed on more than one occasion – most recently against the Utah Jazz. He's also shown all season that he can be an all-around player for many years to come with superstar potential.

He's on pace to finish with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. The only other rookies who have finished with those numbers are LeBron James and hall-of-famers Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.

By learning from the mistakes he makes, he'll make strides to propel the Kings to success in the future.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Late-game heroics highlight Evans' week

2010-03-02T06:54:49Z

Finishing out the month of February, rookie guard Tyreke Evans led the new-look Sacramento Kings to two straight wins against the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers.

He averaged 24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals, leading the team to a 2-1 record for the week.

Although he scored 28 points and 13 assists with only two turnovers, the Kings were embarrassed by the Detroit Pistons at home, losing 101-89.

Although the Kings were down by as many as 30 points late in the third quarter, Evans scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to cut into the lead.

The team found out that it lost starting big man Jason Thompson to a back injury until mid-March.

The Kings took an entirely new identity when the Jazz came into town. Beno Udrih was inserted into the lineup, replacing Donté Greene. He and Evans would form a backcourt tandem in a highly competitive game.

Evans posted 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in an uplifting win against an elite team, beating the Jazz 103-99. He had a spectacular crossover dribble near the end of the game against all-star guard Deron Williams to seal the game.

Udrih worked well beside Evans, scoring 25 points and dishing four assists.

Two nights later, the Kings looked to even the season series against a Clippers team that had beat eight days earlier. Evans scored 22 points and notched five rebounds in the game, but he scored two crucial baskets to help the Kings stop the Clippers' rally, winning by a score of 97-92.

For the month of February, Evans has averaged 20.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, seven assists and 1.4 steals per game. It is his best statistical month of his rookie season, despite the Kings winning only four games last month.

Evans also disproved any belief that he can't be a point guard in the NBA. His feat of seven assists per game was ranked No. 12 in the month of February, beating out the Orlando Magic's Jameer Nelson and the Denver Nuggets' Chauncey Billups. Both players have been all-star point guards.

Now, Evans will face the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets' Kevin Martin and Dallas Mavericks' new addition Caron Butler, on the upcoming road trip. The team will face the Thunder again when it returns home.

Each team is jockeying for position in the western conference playoff race.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans shines despite Kings' woes

2010-02-23T23:25:12Z

Despite the Sacramento Kings going 0-4 since the All-Star break, Tyreke Evans is performing consistently.

The rookie guard from the University of Memphis averaged 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and one steal per game since the break. For the week, his shooting percentage was 51.9 percent.

Evans is ranked first among rookies playing 36.9 minutes per game and is No. 24 in the NBA The year before at Memphis he was playing 29 minutes per game.

Having extended playing time isn't the only change Evans has encountered since joining the Kings. His body has taken a beating with injuries as well.

He's fought with a nagging ankle injury throughout the season and suffered a hard fall on his chest, sprained his finger and a hip injury more recently. So far, he's only missed five games and despite the injuries, has been the best rookie this season.

Evans outperformed Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo with a near triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists - all that in 41 minutes, but the Kings still lost, 95-92.

The next night the Kings traveled to Oakland to play against the Golden State Warriors. Evans posted 17 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, but the Kings were blown out, losing 130-98.

After the game, Evans' teammates Kevin Martin and Hilton Armstrong were traded to the Houston Rockets and Sergio Rodriguez was traded to the New York Knicks, just hours before the trade deadline.

In return, the Kings received Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey from the Houston Rockets, Larry Hughes from the New York Knicks and Dominic McGuire from the Washington Wizards. Kings forward Kenny Thomas was waived soon after, while Hughes remains on the east coast to rehabilitate his fractured left hand.

After the trade, the new-look Kings team traveled to Los Angeles to play the L.A. Clippers on Saturday for another back-to-back game.

Evans helped the Kings go on a 30-19 run in the second half to bring the team within five points of the Clippers. He scored 11 of his 21 points during that run and logged 40 minutes, but the Kings came up short again, losing 99-89.

The next night against the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix, Evans finished with 16 points and 6 assists, but all-star point guard Steve Nash was too much as he dished out 17 assists in the Suns' 104-88 win.

The Kings finished the road trip with a 18-38 win-loss record and Evans averaged four turnovers per game.

The team will have time to mesh with its new players with the next three games at home. They'll take on the Detroit Pistons today, followed by the Utah Jazz and the Clippers.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans, Casspi have an all-star weekend

2010-02-16T23:19:24Z

Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans led the Rookies team to its first win in eight years, beating the Sophomores 140-128 on Feb. 12.

Evans earned the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge Most Valuable Player award, posting 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.

Although fans voted Evans as the MVP, he didn't want to keep it for himself.

Evans shared the spotlight with San Antonio Spurs rookie big man DeJuan Blair, who finished with 22 points, a game-high 23 rebounds and 4 assists.

"I think we did a good job of getting the ball and pushing it," Evans said after the game. "But DeJuan Blair set the tone. He got the points and he got the rebounds. I'm (going to) share this MVP with him."

Oklahoma City Thunder sophomore guard Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 40 points to go with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Kings rookie swingman Omri Casspi finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.

The competitions for Evans and Casspi continued to Saturday.

Evans participated in the Haier Shooting Stars competition as part of Team Sacramento.

He, along with former Kings player Chris Webber and New York Liberty forward Nicole Powell (former Monarchs player), eliminated Team Atlanta from the competition by one second.

Team Texas, which also had former Kings player Kenny Smith, knocked Team Sacramento out of the competition in the same round and went on to beat Team Los Angeles in the final round.

Casspi competed in a H.O.R.S.E game against Oklahoma City Thunder forward and reigning champion Kevin Durant and Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo.

Casspi was the first to be eliminated as Durant won the title.

Tyreke Tuesdays: Evans has big weekend ahead

2010-02-09T02:55:58Z

Despite the fact that the Sacramento Kings (16-34) are slumping, its rookie guard, Tyreke Evans, has a bright weekend ahead of him during the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas, Texas.

Evans, along with fellow rookie teammate Omri Casspi, will represent the Kings on the Rookies team in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam at the American Airlines Arena, home of the Dallas Mavericks.

The Rookie Challenge is a game where the league's best first-year players (Rookies) of this season compete against the best of the second-year players (Sophomores), who have won the past seven games.

The game will be televised on TNT Friday at 6 p.m.

Evans will also compete in the Haier Shooting Stars contest alongside former King Chris Webber and former Sacramento Monarchs forward Nicole Powell.They will form the first Team Sacramento.

Shooting Stars is a competition where teammates shoot from six spots on the court in order of numbers one through six. The team that finishes with the fastest time wins.

The contest will also be televised on TNT Saturday at 5 p.m., when Team Sacramento faces teams Atlanta, Los Angeles and Texas.

Evans and Casspi will be the first to represent the Kings in the Rookie Challenge since Hedo Turkoglu played as a rookie in 2002. They will also be the first Kings to participate in an All-Star event since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic in 2004.

Although Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry won January's T-Mobile Western Conference Rookie of the Month, Evans won the October/November and December award and is the top candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Through three games this month, Evans has averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, seven assists and 1.7 steals per game. For the season, he's averaging 20.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

This weekend, Evans will make his second and third national television appearance. He impressed many in his first nationally televised game with his superb performance and game-deciding steal against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 16.

Now, Evans has another opportunity to put the Kings back on the map in front of a much larger audience.

Kings rookie Evans among the best in the NBA

2009-12-16T01:51:39Z

He’s one of the quietest players on the team, yet he’s a vocal leader on the basketball court. He’s only played 21 games in the NBA, yet he’s being treated like a star around the league. He’s only played point guard for less than a year, yet he’s performed well against the elite of that position. That player is Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans.

Evans has become one of the best players in the NBA in a short amount of time and even the league’s superstars are taking notice of the rookie from the University of Memphis.

“It feels cool knowing that I’m a threat,” Evans says about his presence in the NBA. “A lot of people doubted me, saying that I was not going to be a good player in the NBA. It just shows my hard work, that it paid off and I’m really happy for it.”

Evans is averaging spectacular stats of 20 points, five rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Only Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade has averaged those numbers this season.

Wade played against Evans in a 115-102 win over the Kings and the rookie impressed him.

"He's a good young player," Wade said after the game. "He has the most complete game, as a rookie in the league. He can do it all. He's a great player. They have a good pick in him."

Evans is leading a team that was predicted to be among the league’s worst for a second year.

The Kings finished with a league and franchise worst 17-65 record last season. The team has shown that it’s a much tougher team than last season.

This season the Kings are 10-12 and have won over half as many games in 22 games as it did the entire 2008-09 season.

“Starting with us (rookies), we all like to play real physical,” rookie forward Jon Brockman says about himself Evans and Omri Casspi. “(Evans has) been sensational. He’s been leading the team and going out there every night with his hard hat.”

He needs a hard hat too. Evans has missed only one game with a sprained middle finger but he also sprained his ankle and took a hard fall on his chest and hit his head separate games.

His tough play was the reason why the Kings picked him. He’s a player who is able to finish at the rim with his strength. In a surprising road win against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 7, Evans posted 32 points and seven assists against Deron Williams, know as one of the strongest point guards in the NBA.

Former Kings guard Ronnie Price in fouled Evans mid-air, but Evans finished with a highlight dunk over him.

Several months before, the Kings were looking for a player like him. The team used the fourth pick on Evans in the 2009 NBA Draft, passing up Ricky Rubio, the Spanish point guard who was perceived as the No.2 player in the draft behind the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin.

Rubio was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the next pick but stayed in Spain.

Five months later, Evans became the NBA Western Conference T-Mobile Rookie of the Month and it fuels his motivation.

“It feels pretty good just to go out there and know all the hard work I’ve done, it paid off,” Evans says.

Many NBA experts criticized his jump shot coming out of college and throughout NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but Evans learning curve has been phenomenal.

He’s has worked with the assistant coaches and improved the form of his shot and it is no longer a problem.

Whether he pulls up for a jump shot, uses his strength to post up point guards or his speed to drive to the basket, Evans has evolved quickly into a star.

“He’s a very versatile player,” Westphal says. “There’s not much he can’t do and the things that he can’t do he’s going to learn and be able to do real soon.”

For years there hasn’t been a player that has grabbed the national spotlight for the Kings. Evans has finally grabbed that spotlight and it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.