So, after a long, but thoroughly entertaining Kings opener against the Golden State Warriors, here are a few late-night thoughts, musings, observations:
* I don't think I've ever seen Tyreke Evans have this type of night offensively. He went 1-for-9, didn't come close to converting a jumper, and had trouble converting when the Warriors converged (as one would expect) on his drives to the basket. It will be interesting to see how long Keith Smart sticks with Evans and James Johnson in the starting lineup. DeMarcus Cousins had a very productive night with 23 points, 15 boards, two blocks and two steals, but the Kings lack of perimeter shooting certainly doesn't enhance spacing or make scoring easy for any of the bigs.
* Klay Thompson increasingly looks like one of the steals from the 2011 NBA Draft. Mychal always insisted his son was more than just a shooter, and it's looking like father knows best. Shooting, creating his own shot, creating for others. He has size, length, and will become more physical as he gets older. There's a lot to like here. If Stephen Curry overcomes his seemingly chronic foot problems, this can be a terrific backcourt.
* So what ever happened to Crazy Glue or that sticky stuff wide receivers are so fond of? Those black tarps that fell from the overhead scoreboard and onto the court during play - I counted three times - apparently were supposed to cover the old Thunder Valley advertisements until the new Sleep Train signs were installed. That was pretty embarrassing stuff. That said, the Sleep Train plan is pretty slick: the familiar "toot toot" is aired over the p.a. system whenever a Kings player hits a three.
* The number that was most surprising: the Kings finished with only 13 assists, and none in the fourth quarter. Guess that helps explain their offensive meltdown.
* Belated happy birthday wishes to Bill Walton, the sometime Kings analyst and one of the game's good guys. He turned 60 on Sunday. I actually covered him when he had a full head of red hair.
* If the Kings' outside shooting remains so shaky, I wouldn't be surprised to see more of Jimmer Fredette. He scored five quick points against the Warriors, including a contested driving layup that earned him a free throw.
* As a final offering, I loved the analogy Keith Smart offered when talking about his unusual lineup combinations. He said he feels like a baseball manager writing out his lineup card before every game.
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