Kings Christmas Wish List

Today I was thinking about doing something a little special, so I'm going to give you my Kings Christmas wish list. Here are my wishes for the guys:

• For Cisco -- He's an incredible 3-point shooter, and I wish for more 3-pointers for him.
• For Beno -- He's so great at driving to the basket, I wish for more opportunities for him.
• For John -- He's excellent at faking out players for those outside 2 point shots, and I wish for more of those.
• For Kevin -- I wish that his injury would heal fast, so he can get back in the game.
• For Brad -- He's a powerful shooter, and I wish for more shots at the beginning of each game.
• For Spencer -- He's "Hawesome" at hook shots, and I wish for a lot more of them.
• For Jason -- He's so great at getting those offensive rebounds, I wish for more of them.
• For Donte -- He's an excellent dunker, and I wish for more dunks.
• For Bobby J. -- He's really great at getting steals, and I wish for more of them.
• For Bobby B. -- He's been a really consistent shooter, and I wish for more opportunities for him.
• For Mikki -- He's really good at getting the misses and dunking them, and I wish for more of those.
• For Sheldon -- He's a really good low post player, and I wish for more points off of those low post shots.
• For Quincy -- His strength is those long balls, and I wish for more opportunities for shooting.
• For Coach Kenny Natt -- I wish him lots of support for winning some games for the rest of the season.

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and some exciting games and a ton of wins in the New Year!

Keys to Winning the Game

When I woke up this morning, I felt like doing a blog post before heading off to school. I've been really busy this week with all of the Christmas stuff. But the Kings have a big game tonight, playing the Houston Rockets in Houston, and I've been thinking a lot about tonight's game. They'll be facing former team member Ron Artest, and to top it off, Ron is working with the coach the Kings had before Reggie Theus.

I'm guessing this game's going to go pretty smoothly, since there's no rivalry between the teams. The Kings can pull out a win because they've got all of their core players in (except for Kevin Martin), and I believe these guys have what it takes. Plus, our rookies can really support the veterans by finishing at the basket.

Not to steal from Jerry, but these are my keys to the game: Cisco needs to come out with some real heat in the first quarter to get the Kings started right. John Salmons needs to keep coming out and hitting shot after shot, just like he did against Portland in the first quarter. Spencer and Brad are doing everything they can defensively, but they should take more shots when they have wide open looks. I love to see Beno drive in for the lay-up, but he needs to just trust the passing, too. Jason Thompson and Donte Greene are good at getting those offensive rebounds and putting them back up in the basket, and lighting up the court with some dunks.

My stomach is rumbling, so I'd better go eat breakfast. I'll be watching tonight with a 3-D poster I drew for the team. Gooooo Kings!

Basketball Comparisons and Thoughts

How to Behave: When I was at the Kings v. Knicks game last night, I sat near the visitors bench again. I noticed that the Knicks team and the coach were very classy (unlike the Nuggets -- see my post from last Sunday). The Nuggets' coach was on the court almost the whole game, but the Knicks' coach either sat or stood on the sidelines, like he was supposed to. The Knicks, as a team, were high energy, but the difference between them and the Nuggets is that the energy didn't come with a bunch of rude comments. The Knicks are a great example of how NBA players are supposed to act when they're on the job.

I Still Believe: The Kings lost to the Knicks last night because they allowed the Knicks to get a big lead in the first quarter, and they couldn't get it back. The Kings need to pick up their defense. Also, the Kings are experiencing cold shooting -- they're averaging under 50% from the field. Whatever Reggie did before last Tuesday's game against the Lakers, he needs to do that again. They can't be like the Miami Heat were last year. They did get something like 83% from the free throw line, which is great, and they only had 9 turnovers. But their shooting from the field was atrocious. They were missing easy stuff, and couldn't take advantage of the Knicks cold shooting.

Guys, if you're reading my amateur blog post, know that I still believe in you. Let's kick some butt and take some names against Minnesota tomorrow night.

Gooooo Kings!

My Kings Got Game

When I saw how the Kings played the Lakers on Tuesday, from the first quarter through the end of the game, I thought they were a whole different team. John Salmons kept Kobe from scoring until the second quarter, and that really impressed me because during the pre-game show, Koz and Kayte said that no one person can guard Kobe Bryant. And John Salmons took the post of guarding Kobe seriously.

The energy was amazing from everyone on the team. What got the fire started was my favorite player, Francisco Garcia. Cisco had 9 points in the first quarter of the game -- he was really intense! He finished the night with 21 points, the same as John Salmons. He played the game he loves, he played hard, and it resulted in a big win for the Kings.

I knew within the first five minutes of the game that the Kings were going to win. The Kings were playing like a team that was playing in the NBA championships. I felt like the Kings were playing with all their heart, especially Spencer Hawes, who had to guard the powerful Pau Gasol. He did a good job and didn't foul him very much.

I think the Kings can win at the Lakers on Friday. The Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns yesterday, so I think they won't be as hungry for a payback win. I'm looking forward to watching the game on Friday, and going to the game on Saturday when the Kings take on the New York Knicks.

I smell pizza downstairs, so I'd better go eat dinner. GOOOOOO KINGS!!!!

How Not To Behave

Last night, I was at the Kings game v. the Denver Nuggets. If there's one thing I learned at last night's game it's the Denver Nuggets, including their coach, behaved terrible. For example, their coach went two feet onto the court when the teams were playing. Plus, when a flagrant foul was called on Francisco Garcia, it was really Balkman who should've had a foul. The Nuggets from the bench were calling names and and doing everything to get in the Kings' heads. They reminded me of this kid I know who bullied everyone when we were in second grade.

We were sitting next to where the Nuggets were, and everyone around us was upset. One guy who had the same seats for 15 years said he hadn't seen any misbehaving like that in his life. The Nuggets' behavior made me feel really bad. Their trash talking made me feel sick inside. Last night, I saw a different side to the NBA that wasn't good at all.

That's why I love my Kings. They're professionals, and they don't act like bullies. The Kings make the game fun to watch, but the Nuggets rained on my parade last night.

The Kings play the Lakers on Tuesday at home, and I bet the Lakers behave a lot better than the Nuggets. Last night was surprising. I guess I'm a little bit sad to see what I saw the Nuggets do last night. They didn't deserve that win.

Talking with Francisco

Tonight was the greatest night of my life! I got to meet Francisco Garcia at the Raley's "Get Kids Cooking" event. Francisco was so cool -- and tall! AND he agreed to let me interview him for my blog. I was so nervous, but he made me feel comfortable. Here are the questions I asked him, and what he said.

Q: What's your favorite thing about playing in the NBA?

A: Francisco told me that he plays for the love of the game.

Q: What's your favorite position on the court?

A: Francisco said his favorite positions are point guard and shooting guard.

Q: Who or what inspired you to be an NBA player?

A: He said his uncle would take take him to the park to play basketball, and that his uncle inspired him to be an NBA player.

Q: What do you think the team needs to do to win a play-off spot?

A: He told me that the Kings need to do three things: Play together, play harder and believe.

Q: What advice would you give kids like me, who want to make it into the NBA?

A: Cisco said listen to your family, stay in school, and don't let anyone tell you you can't make it.

I can't wait for tomorrow's game against the Utah Jazz. I hope the Kings can pull out a win. I know I'll be cheering extra hard for Francisco, especially now that I know what a great guy he is. Gooooo Kings!