No breaking news out of practice today. Kings coach Keith Smart didn't address the media because he had to leave for his son's basketball game.
No injury news, either.
Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette and Isaiah Thomas spoke with the media after practice.
Evans
On being the "go-to" guy:
"I want to try to take on that challenge if the coach puts the ball in my hands to make a play for me or one of my teammates. That's what I was trying to do last night. I thought I could have had the elbow jumper a little bit more but I was looking for the assists, I was looking to pass the ball."
On the Kings' philosophy on a go-to guy late in games:
"If a guy's got a hot hand that's who we go with. If a guy's rolling, try to get him a good look."
On taking on the role again as he did to start his career:
"I just don't try to make it seem like I'm trying to do it all by myself and seem selfish. I'm a guy that will play with my team and try to win basketball games."
Fredette
On communication with Smart about the rotation between himself and Thomas:
"He just makes a game time decision. We don't know until he calls your name, basically. So you've just got to be ready and prepared. He decides on the matchups and what's best for the team at the time."
On working with Thomas:
"We have a good relationship with each other. We're both competitive. we work hard in practice, going against each other, trying to make each other better so that's one thing that's a positive for us."
"We cheer for each other when we're on the bench on the other is playing."
Thomas
On his role:
"No matter if I start or I come off the bench I know I've got to bring energy and be me on the offensive end."
On how he and Fredette manage not knowing who will play:
"Honestly I don't know. I'm ready. I'm ready at the beginning of games and he's ready. We never know who's going to go in first, really. We never know who's going to play more. We've just got to be ready no matter what. I didn't play a couple games ago and I stayed ready. He didn't play last night. We've just got to stay ready. It is what it is; you've got to control what you can control."
On if playing limited minutes causes players to press more:
"You can ask anybody that doesn't know how long they're going to be on the court. They kind of think too much because they want to do everything to stay on the court."
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