The Sacramento Kings have traded disgruntled forward Andres Nocioni and third-year center Spencer Hawes to the Philadelphia 76ers for center Samuel Dalembert. Dalembert, an athletic center known for his rebounding and shot blocking, made NBA headlines this season after his native country of Haiti was struck by a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake in January. He briefly left the Sixers to visit the country and donated $100,000 to UNICEF to aid relief efforts but he played all 82 games of the season as well as the previous three seasons There were only two games he didn't start in over 328 games the past four seasons. Those games were the 2009-10 season. Dalembert averaged 8.1 points,

After being on the road the last six games, the Sacramento Kings were able to be back in Arco, playing in an environment they are use to. Unfortunately the outcome was something they were used to on the road as well. The Sacramento Kings (24-53), who were trying to avoid a season high seventh consecutive loss, hosted the playoff-bound Portland Trail Blazers (47-30), who finished with a record of 11-2 in March. Many eyes were on R.O.Y candidate Tyreke Evans before the game, as he approaches the historic 20-5-5 mark. During the game the other Roy was the one who stood out. The 2006-07 Rookie of the Year, Brandon Roy, showed the value of a few years experience.  The Trail Blazers beating

No, you read it right. This is not an early April Fool’s gag. The Sacramento Kings did lose to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their fifth and final game of the road trip. The Timberwolves (14-60) snapped a 16-game losing streak against the Kings (24-51), who are on a streak of their own. The Kings have lost their last six games. The Kings followed up last night’s terrible third-quarter performance, where they scored 14, with a second quarter in which they only scored 13. Minnesota’s big men controlled the paint and ultimately the game. Minnesota shot 56 percent compared to the Kings’ 46 percent. The Timberwolves are known just as well for their shooting as they are for their winning. S

  "How do you feel about the Sacramento Kings?"       When I was first asked this question a few weeks ago, my initial response was "luke warm".  I am from the Bay Area, and, besides a youthful dalliance with the Detroit Pistons (spurred on by an Adrian Dantley signed basketball I received for Christmas, 1987), a lifelong Warriors fan.  Now, you might think I would hate the Kings, seeing as they and the Warriors are geographic rivals and all, but you'd be mistaken.  I don't hate the Kings.       I hate the Lakers. I hate them intensely.  And, as the proverb goes, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend".   For the last 20 years, the Warriors have been mostly impotent, unable to present any

It's been the rare occasion when defense and sound ball handling have been staples of a Kings victory. Sunday night at Arco Arena was one of those rarities, as the Kings limited the Los Angeles Clippers to 37.3 percent field-goal shooting on the way to a 97-92 victory before a crowd of 13,071 fans. The 92 points by the Clippers (24-35) were a season low for a Kings opponent. The Kings (20-39) won their second straight game partially because they committed just nine turnovers. Only thrice this season have the Kings limited their turnovers to fewer than 10. They did so during Friday's win over the Utah Jazz as well as Sunday night. Two in a row might not be much for the league's up

In Kingsland, just when you think things can't get any worse, there's another game.   This game came Friday night, and the words terrible, ugly, horrible and help came to mind during Phoenix's 114-102 victory over the Kings before a disappointed crowd of 14,922 at Arco Arena.   The Kings (16-33) lost their fifth straight game, their 12th in the past 13 and 19th of the past 22. They have lost nine of their past 12 home games and now begin a three game pre-All-Star Game road trip to Toronto, New York and Detroit. Sacramento has won just three of 24 road games.   How bad was it? Well, six Phoenix players, including all five starters, reached double-figure scoring, led by forward Amare S

A two-point loss may look respectable, but Sacramento's 115-113 defeat by the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday night at Arco Arena was as painful as any of their recent losses. The defeat in front of 12,934 fans included a Tyreke Evans scoring burst of 13 points during the game's final 1:39, which helped the Kings close what was a 107-94 Spurs advantage with 2:23 remaining. Evans returned to action Tuesday night after missing Monday night's loss in Denver. The rookie scored a career-high-tying 32 points to lead all scorers and also had a team-high seven rebounds and eight assists. However, neither he nor his teammates could prevent the Spurs (28-19) from winning their 13th game in their past 1

The Kings, who won an NBA-low 17 games last year, began this season with nowhere to go but up. They've begun that process by improving their competitiveness and athleticism. It started with draft picks Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi and trading for Jon Brockman. Each has played at a higher level than could have been anticipated. However, the Kings' 15-28 (.357) record is tied with Philadelphia and Detroit as the NBA's fourth-worst. There have been numerous losses in which  the team was positioned to win. However, pro sports is a bottom-line business - you win or lose.The Kings have lost seven straight - 12 of 14 and 14 of their past 16 following Saturday night's 115-84 loss in Miami that

At the very least, Kings President Geoff Petrie can see what the rest of us see. His squad needs help defending its basket. So when the New Orleans Hornets made their desire to discard salary a league-wide reality, it was time for Petrie to make a move for fourth-year forward-center Hilton Armstrong. Sacramento took a flyer on Armstrong by sacrificing just a 2016 second-round draft choice. They also received cash in the deal. Armstrong, 25, a 6-foot-11 post player out of the University of Connecticut, does what the Kings don't - defend. He is a shot-blocker and changer. Should he bring those qualities to the Kings, coach Paul Westphal will have another option in the frontcourt. Pet

Before the NBA season started, many experts predicted the Sacramento Kings would be near the bottom of the league after finishing with a 17-65 record last season. This prediction came before star guard Kevin Martin and last season's top bench scorer Francisco García went down with wrist injuries. Many also criticized the pick of rookie guard Tyreke Evans, citing that he was not the point guard that the Kings needed in a point guard-heavy draft. The Kings were bashed for hiring Paul Westphal as head coach, many critics saying that he hasn't coached an NBA game since 2000, when he coached the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder). It was supposed to be the perfect recipe for

The Sacramento Kings (13-15) may have lost to an eastern conference power in the Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8) on Wednesday night, but the team's rookie guard Tyreke Evans impressed all-stars LeBron James and Mo Williams. Evans posted 28 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, a steal and a block in an 117-104 overtime loss to the Cavaliers. "He's a terrific young player," Williams said, who defended Evans for much of the night. "Six-foot-six-inch point guard who can handle the ball...has a quick first-step. You know he's a match-up problem waiting to happen." James always steps up to defend the opposing team's best player down the stretch, and Evans was no exception. "Tyreke's going to be a great

 Each NBA game is a test.  Some teams test for greatness; others search for legitimacy.  The Kings take legitimacy test No. 2 tonight when they host the defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers at Arco Arena.  They lost their first test when they went up against Cleveland at home in the first of a four-game homestand. They now face the Lakers before meeting Denver on Monday and Philadelphia on Wednesday.  Tonight's game is another opportunity for the Kings (13-15) to show they can consistently compete with the league's best. Sacramento lost to the Cavs, but certainly showed the ability to go head-to-head with one of the league's best teams.  Christmas day, the Lakers got spanked 10