[Izulde]

Truth be told, I have no real idea just how good this team is. I feel like we're deeper than we were last year, but by the same token, I don't know how much faith I have in our starting five to be as good as last season.

We get our first indications in a road doubleheader to start the year. A wild shootout in Dallas turns into an all four quarters 134-109 Kings victory powered by 26 points from David Anyan, 24 points and 17 rebounds from Terrence Howard, 16 points and 13 rebounds from Antonio Sarchet, [b]William Tackett[/b['s 14 points and 20 assists and Ronald King and Brandon Edmond pumping in 24 and 18 points a piece off the bench. We beat the Spurs 110-100 the next night as Terrence Howard continues to play early dividends with a mesmerizing 25 points and 22 rebounds and Ronald King and Jim Johnson lead the second team with 16 and 15 points respectively. Troy Collins got the surprise start at SG after Mateen Yeaton banged up his shoulder.

Our first loss this season comes early, a 115-104 defeat to the Rockets. Antonio Sarchet does well with 22 points and 10 rebounds, Terrence Howard posts 14 pointss and 12 rebounds, William Tackett produces 10 points and 11 assists and Ronald King and Jim Johnson again pace the reserves with 20 points and 10 points, 9 rebounds respectively, but Troy Collins has only made 2 baskets in his two starts and I'm tempted just to trade him.

And in fact, that's precisely what I do.

Sacramento Kings receive
PG Jameel Williams
Denver Nuggets 2027 1st round pick
Utah Jazz 2029 1st round pick

Utah Jazz receive
PG Troy Collins
Sacramento Kings 2027 1st round pick

What this means for the Kings
Williams is a smart, veteran pass-first PG who's played for a GM Jestor team before (2021-2022 with the Nuggets). Not a scorer, but cheap and an adequate backup floor general. Collins's departure also means Ronald King as the starting SG until Mateen Yeaton recovers from a shoulder injury. And of course, two first rounders for one is always a great deal.

What this means for the Jazz
Collins joins a fairly crowded Utah backcourt and while he's a good, balanced young point who seeks out the pass first, Damien Ohl is only a tiny bit worse than him and they're the same age. Not only that, but 25 year old Bill Esherick is a SG good enough to be the first guard off the bench, including at PG. A puzzling move for the Jazz, especially considering we think the Kings are severely overlooked this season.

Winner: Sacramento
Jestor just robbed the Jazz blind and Utah's going to be feeling the heat from their fans, especially if the Nuggets and Kings repeat their respective seasons from last year.

Robbed them indeed. I think Kevin O'Connor was having a senior moment when I called him, but that's what you get for having a 74 year old man as your GM.

Our next doubleheader's a sweep, including our first home game of the year, a nice 97-86 victory over the Raptors keyed by a 35-23 fourth quarter and William Tackett's 30 points. Antonio Sarchet and Jim Johnson play the support roles with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 14 bench points respectively. We head to Seattle the next night to beat the Sonics 102-95, riding a balanced offense. David Anyan (18 points, 10 rebounds), Terrence Howard (16 points, 12 rebounds) and William Tackett (17 points, 14 assists) provide the double-double fun, while Jameel Williams chips in 10 bench points.

Heartbreak tortures us in Phoenix, as our fourth quarter comeback bid falls just short in a 112-110 loss. David Anyan scores 25, Terrence Howard pulls down 16 points and 11 rebounds, William Tackett puts up 12 points and 20 assists and Jim Johnson leads the bench with 12 points, but it's just not enough. We console ourselves the next night by beating up the Nuggets 114-99 in front of our own home crowd. All five of our starters score 11 points or more, led by William Tackett's 26 points and 13 assists and Jameel Williams is a pleasant surprise again with 16 bench points.

The Bulls hammer us hard in the fourth quarter, putting us on the wrong end of a 112-104 scoreline. Disappointing, but not unexpected as Ronald King had an off night on 2 for 7 shooting, digging us a hole that not even Terrence Howard's 16 points and 15 rebounds, William Tackett's 16 points and 14 assists or Jim Johnson's 16 bench points could bail us out of. I'm also concerned about David Anyan, who's shooting a horrific 33.1% so far.

Defense carries us in a 100-79 victory over the Grizzlies. David Anyan leads in scoring with 28 points, but he shoots 23 times and only hits 9 to do it. William Tackett doubles for 21 points and 11 assists, while Jim Johnson hauls in a pair of 11s in points and rebounds off the bench.

We beat the Bucks 112-100 the next game, but have to rely on a 32-17 fourth quarter to do it. David Anyan and Antonio Sarchet post near identical double-doubles at 26 points, 10 rebounds and 25 points, 10 rebounds and William Tackett's not far behind with 22 points and 11 assists. Terrence Howard may have cooled off from his early season form, but he still adds in 13 points and 11 rebounds and Jim Johnson is the top bench scorer with 10 points.

I take great delight in our 118-88 demolition of the Rockets, revenge for our first loss of the year. Mateen Yeaton's back to full health, but Ronald King continues to start. David Anyan scores 26 in this one, Terrence Howard doubles for 16 points and 12 rebounds and Mike Vines thrills the home crowd with 13 bench points.

David Anyan may be struggling to shoot accurately this year, but I'm still loathe to move him as I really like him and his defense is a valuable asset. He nets 16 points and 13 rebounds in our 114-99 win over the Lakers, but the best players for our side were undoubtedly Terrence Howard with 26 points and 12 rebounds and Antonio Sarchet with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Anyan's performance was more on the level of William Tackett's 14 points and 12 assists. Mateen Yeaton and Jim Johnson combine for 12 and 10 points off the bench.

Our winning ways continue as David Anyan drops 32 points on the T-Wolves as we overcome a slow start on the defensive end to edge out Minnesota 114-105. Ronald King scores 20 and Jim Johnson leads the second unit with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

100-83's the final, another win for us, in Memphis on the front end of a doubleheader. Balance gets the victory, headlined by Terrence Howard's 16 points and 14 rebounds, William Tackett's 10 points and 15 assists and Jim Johnson's magnificent 19 points and 12 rebounds off the bench on 9 of 10 shooting. I have no doubt he'll be a starter for us at some point in his career. Even more impressive is that he did it with a sprained finger. New Orleans has definitely turned themselves into a legit playoff team, as we end the month with a disappointing 96-75 stinging at the hands of the Hornets. David Anyan scores 20, Antonio Sarchet picks up 12 points and 12 rebounds, Terrence Howard 11 points and 17 rebounds, but when our starting backcourt combines to go 4 for 20 on the night, it's really tough to win. Jameel Williams did just miss a bench double with 10 points and 9 assists, though.

Still, I'm not complaining one bit. Not even when 11-4 has us 3 games behind the 14-1 two-time defending champion Suns in the Pacific. The West is a real dogfight in the early going this year and I'm stunned to see 8-6 New Orleans tied atop the Southwest with 9-7 Dallas. .500 is good enough to lead the Northwest, with Minnesota and Utah deadlocked there. Denver's in last place, but only 2 games back at 5-9.

Out East, 11-3 Boston and 10-4 Atlanta are warring for the top spot, but don't discount 11-6 Toronto at a game and a half back. Chicago's leading the Central at 8-4, but it's just a half a game in front of the Bucks. And yes, it's still early, but I'm still impressed by Miami's 9-7 record. They've righted the ship in a hurry there, thanks to smart drafting and promoting a harmonious existence between Victor Gipson and David Jackson by starting both. Funny how those two were both drafted by me and they've been teammates on 3 teams: Denver, New Orleans and Miami. Although 50 Ninja likes to bitch about Gipson stealing his PT, I think the two are closer friends than either one would admit to. At least Jackson, anyway. Gipson would probably confess to liking 50 Ninja, who I miss.

But that said, I love this Kings team I've put together, though it does make me sad to see Mateen Yeaton on the bench. He's quietly expressed some frustration with his lack of playing time, which I understand. At the same time, he's become one of those great legends who's hung on for just a year too many through sheer love of the game and, additionally in Yeaton's case, he wants to be part of the team that brings the Kings their first ever championship, but he also wants to be a significant part of that team.

At 38, this is probably his final season.

So we need to do everything we can to try and win a ring this year. For Sacramento and for my favorite player of all time, playing out the last thread of an illustrious career.