DeMarcus Cousins' camp has released the second episode of their Youtube series entitled #RealDMC.

Marc Stein of ESPN says that the Kings are in advanced talks with Minnesota to trade for the former #2 pick.

I hope you guys haven't fallen in love with Luc Mbah a Moute too much yet, because it looks like he could be headed to Minnesota.  Per ESPN's Marc Stein, the Kings are in "advanced talks with the Timberwolves to trade Luc for former #2 pick Derrick Williams.  The Kings interest in Derrick Williams was reported last week by Chad Ford.

Timberwolves, I'm told, are in advanced discussions with Sacramento on a deal that would swap Derrick Williams for Luc Mbah A Moute

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 26, 2013

Not yet known if deal could expand to include more pieces but if sealed would give Williams fresh start & reunite Luc M w/UCLA pal KLove

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 26, 2013

The Kings traded two second round picks this summer for Mbah a Moute, and he's been playing well as Sacramento's starting Small Forward.  Williams, meanwhile, has struggled in Minnesota, and this year is seeing career lows in most major categories.

This trade, if it does occur, makes sense for both teams.  Mbah a Moute, while good, makes much more sense on a team situated to win now, while a young player like Williams gives Sacramento another asset with potential.  Williams is just 22 years old, and might benefit from a change of scenery.

We will update as more news comes in.

UPDATE 4:55 P.M.:

Yahoo's Marc Spears chimes in saying the trade is basically done pending a physical for Luc.

Trade sending D Williams to SAC from MIN for Luc Mbah a Moute to be completed if latter passes physical Tue due to knee concerns,source says

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) November 26, 2013

Kings forward Luc Mbah a Moute has had knee concerns since preseason, but source tells Yahoo it was to be real bad for Wolves not to do it.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) November 26, 2013

No picks, cash or other players expected to be involved in Williams-Luc deal, sources say. Wolves have been very eager to move Williams.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) November 26, 2013

The former No. 2 overall pick has been traded to the Kings after passing a physical.

(UPDATE, 11/26 12:40 p.m. ET: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has passed his physical, making the trade between the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves official, reports Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports.)

The Paul George Era

Plus, four other players blossoming into superstars, why it's too early to give up on Kevin Garnett and the games we're most excited to watch this week.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to send forward Derrick Williams to the Sacramento Kings for forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, according to multiple reports. The trade is contingent on both players passing a physical, and could be completed by Tuesday.

Williams has become a perennial staple of trade rumors since it became unclear what his role would be alongside Kevin Love in Minnesota's offense. The former second overall pick is playing a career-low 14.7 minutes per game, averaging 4.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in a reserve role.

SB Nation's Mike Prada believes it's a beneficial trade for the Kings, who have a chance to revitalize Williams' career in a new setting.

I know Williams has struggled, but if you’re a team like Sacramento and you can get a aged 22 No. 2 overall pick for just LRMAM, do it.

— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) November 26, 2013

Williams is in a system that doesn’t fit him playing w/ a coach that needs to win now & out of position because of Love. Good buy-low guy.

— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) November 26, 2013

A potential barrier to the trade could be Mbah a Moute's health, with Yahoo's Marc Spears reporting there are concerns whether he could would pass due to "knee concerns."

Mbah a Moute, who was traded to Sacramento from Milwaukee this offseason, is averaging 4.4 points and three rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game for the Kings.

More from SB Nation NBA:

• The Hook: With Kobe Bryant, the Lakers made the easy choice

• Prada's pictures: Clippers have more work to do

• Derrick Rose's season-ending injury cuts deep in Chicago

• Flannery: Dawn of the Paul George Era

• Ziller: Sometimes the tank chooses you

Williams isn't a silver bullet, but it fits the team's plan.

The Sacramento Kings weren't one move from glory when Pete D'Alessandro took over the front office in June. No single move at this point would have proven to be a silver bullet. The Kings roster, top to bottom, was mediocre. The team's two best players -- Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins -- weren't even fringe All-Stars in the past and had gaping flaws in their games. There were only three more players you could name even playing roles on most NBA teams (Marcus Thornton, Isaiah Thomas, Jason Thompson). The roster was both bad and didn't make sense. It was primarily a slop heap.

No one offseason move would transform the team. D'Alessandro ended up making some moves leveraging assets to improve the roster. Instead of re-signing Evans to a huge deal or letting him walk, he acquired Greivis Vasquez in a sign-and-trade. He used the team's cap space to sign Carl Landry. And he sent a second-round pick to Milwaukee to take Luc Richard Mbah a Moute off the Bucks' hands.

And now he's flipped Mbah a Moute into Derrick Williams. Williams has been disappointing in two seasons, for sure. But go back to July and trade two second-round picks for him and tell me how you feel now. That was the cost: two second-round picks and a month of Mbah a Moute reminding us how awful Johnny Salmons is at basketball these days.

Williams sure as heck isn't likely to be a silver bullet, but he's a young prospect getting a shot in a new environment with a new coach. The power forward position remains totally up for grabs. Jason Thompson and Patrick Patterson have been trading off crummy performances, and the latter is a free agent in July. There are also plenty of minutes available at small forward, if Michael Malone wants to try Williams there. The risk is low, the cost is low, the upside is not totally far-fetched -- the guy was the No. 2 pick two years ago. He had two great seasons at Arizona, in his sophomore year scoring excellent scoring punch and a deep shot. And the Kings now have six players age 25 or younger. (Mbah a Moute is 27.)

The one question mark for me is how this move and the resulting roster jibes with Malone's defense-first philosophy. Mbah a Moute was easily the Kings' best defender to date. At some point, the team's defensive personnel needs an upgrade. The talent's just not here on that end. By trading Mbah a Moute, D'Alessandro may be in a way admitting that one starting wing wasn't the answer to that riddle.

The Kings might be a skosh worse this season because of this trade. But it's not about this season's win total. That's been repeated ad naseum by management. It's about the long term. Trust that.

More from Sactown Royalty:

• Derrick Williams traded to Kings for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, according to reports
• Derrick Williams trade proves it's not about this year's win total for Kings
• Kings Trading Luc Mbah a Moute for Derrick Williams?
• The #RealDMC Part 2 - "Loyalty is Love"
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: 2013-14 Week Four

Multiple reports suggest the 2011 No. 2 pick is coming to Sacramento.

I hope you guys haven't fallen in love with Luc Mbah a Moute too much yet, because it looks like he could be headed to Minnesota. Per ESPN's Marc Stein, the Kings are in "advanced talks with the Timberwolves to trade Luc for former #2 pick Derrick Williams. The Kings interest in Derrick Williams was reported last week by Chad Ford.

Timberwolves, I'm told, are in advanced discussions with Sacramento on a deal that would swap Derrick Williams for Luc Mbah A Moute

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 26, 2013

Not yet known if deal could expand to include more pieces but if sealed would give Williams fresh start & reunite Luc M w/UCLA pal KLove

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 26, 2013

The Kings traded two second round picks this summer for Mbah a Moute, and he's been playing well as Sacramento's starting Small Forward. Williams, meanwhile, has struggled in Minnesota, and this year is seeing career lows in most major categories.

This trade, if it does occur, makes sense for both teams. Mbah a Moute, while good, makes much more sense on a team situated to win now, while a young player like Williams gives Sacramento another asset with potential. Williams is just 22 years old, and might benefit from a change of scenery.

We will update as more news comes in.

UPDATE 4:55 P.M.:

Yahoo's Marc Spears chimes in saying the trade is basically done pending a physical for Luc.

Trade sending D Williams to SAC from MIN for Luc Mbah a Moute to be completed if latter passes physical Tue due to knee concerns,source says

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) November 26, 2013

Kings forward Luc Mbah a Moute has had knee concerns since preseason, but source tells Yahoo it was to be real bad for Wolves not to do it.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) November 26, 2013

No picks, cash or other players expected to be involved in Williams-Luc deal, sources say. Wolves have been very eager to move Williams.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) November 26, 2013

The Pacers enjoyed a big game from George Hill and Paul George to push their record to 13-1 as they leave town to face the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

In the second half of the Pacers win over Philadelphia on Saturday night, George Hill wasn't committed to shooting an open three, so he passed up the shot and tried to push the ball to the hoop through the lane. Unfortunately, he shuffled his feet through his indecision, turning the ball over and drawing a strong rebuke from David West.

"Shoot the ball!"

Hill's teammates have been getting on him of late to stop worrying about their looks so much and instead go grab his own. Although it appeared the Pacers game plan for Minnesota centered around Hill attacking Minny's point guards, Frank Vogel said that wasn't the case. This was just George Hill recognizing he could create a mismatch and making it happen.

"George Hill is one beast of a guard," Vogel said "He likes to set people up and plays unselfishly all the time, but he's capable of exploding like he did tonight."

Hill set the pace for Indiana with 12 points in the first quarter, just physically overpowering Ricky Rubio and J.J. Barea when he was on the floor in the first half. As Frank Vogel said after the game, it wasn't a surprise but it was certainly nice to see that side of G3's game emerge.

Of course, Minnesota didn't go away in the first half and just when the Pacers looked like they may foul their way to a loss, Paul George happened. First, he drew a foul in the lane for a pair of free throws which slowed the Wolves' momentum. Then PG grabbed all of the momentum for the Pacers with a steal and windmill dunk which sent a jolt of energy through the Fieldhouse. The dunk was great, but the run really started with a steal.

The play sparked an 8-0 run which blossomed into a 22-4 run to put the Pacers in control midway through the fourth quarter. The Pacers took a bit of a different path to 13-1, but their mode of transpo to W No. 13 was still fueled by fantastic defense and the end result was sure fun to watch.

Check out the links:

Timberwolves at Pacers - Box score

Game Rewind: Pacers 98, Timberwolves 84 | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS

Wolves can't cool off Pacers and fall 98-84 | Star Tribune

Hill, George spark Pacers past Timberwolves - 1070 The Fan

Indiana Pacers take care of Minnesota Timberwolves 98-84 - IndyStar

Kravitz: Indiana Pacers are men on a mission - Indy Star

NBA Top 3 Plays Of The Night - ESPN Video - ESPN

Former Purdue star Robbie Hummel's next goal: Long NBA career | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

Timberwolves Fall to Pacers to Drop to 8-8 on the Season - Canis Hoopus

Wolves agree to trade Derrick Williams to Kings | On the Wolves | StarTribune.com

Pacers roll past Timberwolves 98-84 to go 13-1 - AP

By the Numbers: 13 Down, 69 to Go | 8 Points, 9 Seconds

Rose injury marks end of Bulls' title window - Chicago Bulls Blog - ESPN Chicago

Derrick Rose may never be the same and the Chicago Bulls must compensate in order to again contend in the future - ESPN Chicago

NBA: How will injured stars like Derrick Rose, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Marc Gasol respond? - ESPN

Kobe Bryant on $48.5 million contract extension: 'This wasn't a negotiation' - Yahoo Sports

More from Indy Cornrows:

• Pacers dominate the fourth, knock off the Timberwolves
• Timberwolves vs. Pacers: Game coverage
• Pacers consult Disney to help improve fan experience at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
• Pacers Links: Timberwolves in town, talking 12-1 Pacers on The Phil Naessens Show
• Pacers pursue positive path to success

Is Derrick Williams a bust? Is he salvageable? What does he offer the Kings?

The Sacramento Kings have traded Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for Derrick Williams; it seems like the deal will become official at some point Tuesday, and I'd expect that Williams will be in practice Wednesday and in uniform on Friday. No one knows whether Michael Malone will give him early run or see how he does in practice for a while first. We do know that Malone hasn't exactly been enamored with his current power forward rotation.

But what can we expect Williams to offer? He started 56 games in 2012-13 as Kevin Love struggled with injury, so we have a good base on how he plays statistically. All of the following numbers come solely from those 56 starts in 2012-13.

He's a good scorer

Williams averaged 17 points per 36 minutes, which is a solid rate. (Jason Thompson is a career 14 points/36 guy. Patrick Patterson is at 13.) Without Love, the Timberwolves didn't have much in the way of offensive firepower last season, save for Ricky Rubio, who is basically a passer only at this point. So Williams had a pretty solid usage rate (24 percent) and used almost all of those possessions to get up shots. He also gets a good bit of the scoring from drawing fouls: he picked up a solid five free throw attempts per 36. (Patterson is 1.4 for his career, J.T. is at 4.)

He's an inefficient shooter

The problem with those 17 points per 36 minutes is that they came on rather poor shooting: 45 percent on two-pointers, 32 percent on threes, .457 effective field goal percentage, .503 True Shooting. (The big True Shooting boost comes from those free throws, which he hit at a 70 percent clip.) The three-point shooting number doesn't look great, but he was actually more efficient per shot on those than on two-pointers. (The effective field goal percentage on 32 percent shooting on three-pointers is about .480. Shooting 45 percent on twos gives you an effective field goal percentage of .450.)

The big problem with those two-pointers is how many of them came outside the rim area and how many of those clanked. NBA.com/stats won't let me break out his shooting only in starts, but here's what the 2012-13 shot chart looks like.

He shot about 35 percent on long two-pointers, which is not good enough when a fifth of your shots are coming from out there. About 45 percent of his shots came in the restricted area, and he did pretty well there. As is the case with our friend DeMarcus Cousins, more close shots at the expense of mid-range twos would be beneficial for his efficiency.

He's a good rebounder

At small forward, he's an excellent rebounder. At power forward, he's a good rebounder. As a starter last season he averaged eight rebounds per 36 minutes, and his full-season (bench and all) defensive rebound rate was a solid 20 percent. Rebounding matters! He's good at it.

His other stats are low

He offered up less than one assist, steal and block per 36 minutes last season, and had just over one turnover per 36. (His turnover rate is really quite low, but not as low as his assist rate.) He's a prototypical forward in that sense: score and rebound and maybe defend.

His defense is a mystery but probably not the good kind

Minnesota had a pretty good defense last season. It was better when Williams was on the bench. Given that Love is a dicey defender, that doesn't sound good. The fact that he'd fallen out of Rick Adelman's consciousness is probably also not a good sign. He's almost certainly not as good a defender as Luc Mbah a Moute. But he's also probably not much worse than Thompson, Patterson or Travis Outlaw on that end. That's not an endorsement.

(I should note that I think Patterson has defended rather well lately. I've been pleasantly surprised.)

***

I think Williams can be a solid starter in the NBA if he improves his defense and outside shot, and has more discretion with the ball in the mid-range. Williams is really athletic for his size; if he puts in the effort he could better quickly on defense. Let's hope Malone has some strong influence there. As for the shooting, we need you, Chris Jent. We need you bad.

Of course, if Williams doesn't improve on those items, he's going to be a back-up at best, the next Jason Thompson on a team that doesn't really need another Jason Thompson.

More from Sactown Royalty:

• Derrick Williams traded to Kings for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, according to reports
• Derrick Williams trade proves it's not about this year's win total for Kings
• Kings Trading Luc Mbah a Moute for Derrick Williams?
• The #RealDMC Part 2 - "Loyalty is Love"
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: 2013-14 Week Four

Welcome to Sacramento, Derrick.

It looks like Luc Mbah a Moute passed his physical because the Kings have sent a press release declaring the trade officially done.  Luc will head over to Minnesota while Derrick Williams joins the Sacramento Kings.

From the Kings press release:

"We're excited to acquire a player with Derrick's skillset," said D'Alessandro. "He will add size, length and serve as a scoring threat in our frontcourt. We also want to thank Luc for his contributions during the short time he was a King. We wish him the best."

We here at Sactown Royalty would like to thank Luc Mbah a Moute as well.  Even for just a little while, it was nice to have a real Small Forward again.  Best of luck to the Fresh Prince in Minnesota, where hopefully he can help that team end their playoff drought.

Williams will join the team tomorrow and likely practice with the team on Thursday, per Yahoo's Marc J. Spears.  It's unknown whether Williams will suit up for Friday's game against the Clippers, although if I had to guess, I'd say no.  Malone seems to like to get a feel for players in practice first.

UPDATE 10:41 A.M.:

Sam Amick has a good interview with Pete D'Alessandro regarding the trade.

More from Sactown Royalty:

• The nuts and bolts of Derrick Williams
• Derrick Williams traded to Kings for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, according to reports
• Derrick Williams trade proves it's not about this year's win total for Kings
• Kings Trading Luc Mbah a Moute for Derrick Williams?
• The #RealDMC Part 2 - "Loyalty is Love"

Someone gave us two nitwits a forum to voice our thoughts publicly, so we're taking advantage of it.

The Kings have traded Luc Mbah a Moute for Minnesota's Derrick Williams. Response from Kings fans regarding the trade has been mixed. Some view it as a low risk move on a prospect with upside, while others view it as a trade of Sacramento's best defender for a player who has yet to prove that he can be a solid rotation player.

I'm in the first camp, while section214 is in the second camp. Since it is a rare occasion that we find something to disagree about, we thought we'd debate the trade's merits with each other and share it with you all.

***

A: I'd like to begin by saying that if this trade happened a week ago, I'm not sure anyone would be complaining at all. Mbah a Moute had a good week, especially in the matchup against the hated Clippers where he defended both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. There's no doubt that Luc was Sacramento's best overall defender, and I can appreciate that many fans liked what they saw from him, especially given so many years of ineptitude at the Small Forward position.

That being said, I'm not sure how much Sacramento actually lost by making this trade. Mbah a Moute's defense is good, but on a bad defensive team like the Kings, a stopper like Mbah a Moute is lipstick on a pig. To me, Mbah a Moute makes much more sense on a team like the Timberwolves, where his talents will stand out and actually make a difference. Williams on the other hand, will get a change of scenery and a chance to fulfill at least some of the potential that made him the #2 pick in the NBA Draft.

To me, trading Mbah a Moute for Williams is a low risk, potentially high reward move that makes sense for a young rebuilding team.

S: Aykis, you ignorant slut.

OK, that's an overreach. I'm really not all that worked up about the trade, and you actually are quite intelligent and who or how many you sleep around with is really none of my business.

I want to address this #2 pick thing first. I know that he was on the "short list" when he came out of college, but let's remember that he was a #2 pick in part because he was drafted by the same guy that drafted Jonny Flynn with a #6 pick and thought that Darko Milicic was manna from heaven (and there was more...so much more). So I'm not going to get overly excited just because he was the #2 pick. Thabeeeeeeeeeet!!!

In fact, it is his standing as the #2 pick that bothers me a bit about this trade, inasmuch as it inflates his contract to the point of Williams being a less than cheap roll of the dice. He'll make $5m this year, and that's OK. And if he plays well enough to justify picking up his 2015 $8.3m qualifying offer (which the Kings will need to decide over the coming summer), his $6.3m salary for next year will be fine. But if he continues to be the Derrick Williams that he has been since leaving Arizona, he will be overpaid for the next two years before becoming a free agent.

I suppose at issue here for me is that Mbah a Moute was at least a fair value to contract player that contributed positively to his team (albeit a pretty lousy team). I am unconvinced that Williams is either.

A: I agree that Williams' status as the #2 pick should be ignored. People do tend to attach a lot of value to where a player was drafted because of the expectations that come with it. Take Thomas Robinson and Jimmer Fredette for example. But there's no denying that Williams does have talent.

Williams to date has not been able to translate that talent on a consistent basis, which is the primary reason he's even being traded. Williams' salary is not ideal, but it's also not crippling. Factoring in Mbah a Moute's contract, the Kings added just $2.4 million over the next two years.

I also think that players like Mbah a Moute (perimeter defensive specialists) aren't super hard or expensive to find, whether by Free Agency or trade. They tend to have smaller, short-term contracts. Players with Williams' potential are harder to find and teams usually aren't as willing to give that up for cheap. I think the Timberwolves did so because after years of losing, they're ready to take the next step and focus on winning in the here and now. There's also the fact that Williams plays the same position as their franchise player.

Now, I'm not super optimistic that Derrick Williams is going to suddenly turn into a stud, but I see no problem in swinging for the fences and trying.

S: Heh. If guys like Mbah a Moute aren't hard to find, why are we still being subjected to dangerous levels of Johnny Salmons?

I have serious concerns about how he fits here. Would you agree with me that Williams is in no way, shape or form a small forward?

A: John Salmons has some kind of voodoo magic that gives him consistent playing time. As someone pointed out to me on Twitter, the guy loses his starting spot, and a week later his replacement gets traded. John Salmons will probably end up being President of the United States one day or something with all the dirt he must have on people.

(Also the Kings under the Maloofs of the last few years were not exactly big spenders)

I would definitely agree that Derrick Williams is not a Small Forward. He's not nearly a good enough shooter, nor quick enough to guard opposing wings. He rebounds and defends well enough at the Power Forward spot.

In terms of fit, I think we can't look at this trade in a vacuum. I think this is the first of many trades to come. The obvious next targets for Sacramento to trade include Jason Thompson, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. I think Thompson and Hayes would be the preferred trades for Sacramento because of their contracts, but I think Patterson provides the most value.

S: Agreed that we can't look at the trade in a vacuum. But if we agree that Williams is a four, then he joins an already-crowded (and mediocre) power forward position that will be further inhabited when Carl Landry returns. And I just don't see a Cousins/Williams front line as being the kind of front line that coach Malone envisions when he casts his eyes on the defensive side of the ball.

Williams is a more prolific scorer than Thompson/Hayes/Patterson, though he has never been terribly efficient. He's not a bad rebounder as a power forward, but he doesn't set the world on fire, either. I have never heard him described as a plus defender.

In other words, other deals need to be made for this deal to become a good or understandable deal. Without another deal on the horizon, this deal amounts to home run derby.

So we can make sense of this deal if we concoct other deals. I half-jokingly pontificated in one of the threads that Carl Landry was actually healthy but was being stashed in a warehouse in the greater Houston area, awaiting December 15 so that he could be traded for Omer Asik. Would a Cousins/Asik/Williams/Thompson front line work? I think that it has promise. I also think that it's a one in a million shot that Asik is wearing a Kings uniform anytime soon.

I am in full agreement (and support) of the need to dismantle this roster, and that we can't look at each trade individually. But until subsequent deals are made, we have to look at each deal on its individual merits. And this one does not pass the sniff test for me.

Another question for you, my valued friend and master debater: Would you agree that Minnesota had been looking to move Williams, and would you describe his situation in Minnesota as not having value to contract?

A: Before I answer your final question, let me note that Williams has actually been a decent defender of opposing Power Forwards according to Timberwolves fans who have watched him play. He's not a world beater, and he doesn't block shots, but he's not a minus on that end of the floor as long as he does play Power Forward rather than Small Forward.

Williams did NOT have value to contract in Minnesota, which is unsurprising when Kevin Love plays 36 minutes a game and Williams makes second pick salary. It really is boggling just how bad of a drafter David Kahn was. The Wolves have been forced to either play him at Power Forward the few minutes where Love sits or to slot him next to Love at Small Forward. It's true that when Love was out with injury, Williams didn't excel, but some players take a little longer to figure out their games. Sacramento is hoping that his career is salvageable, and at just 22 years old, I'd have to agree. Even if it isn't, what does Sacramento have to lose? The investment here is minimal.

Luc Mbah a Moute probably wasn't the permanent answer to Sacramento's Small Forward conundrum. By the time his contract ends in 2015, the Kings probably still won't have made the playoffs, with or without him. The Kings did well to acquire him cheaply, and now they've flipped him as a piece that either can be flipped next year or become part of the future if his development goes well.

S: And therein lies my final portion of discontent with this trade. It seems that Williams was a guy that either needed to have an asset attached to him to facilitate a trade, or the Wolves needed to take an overvalued player in return. Minnesota was looking for a front line player that can defend the pick and roll. Chuck Hayes comes to mind, and he has played and played well under Rick Adelman in the past. They needed some bench scoring, and Marcus Thornton was certainly available. I think that a fair trade would have been Williams for either of these guys. But Mbah a Moute for Williams is a trade where we sold at value and bought high, and we have to hope for some sort of resurrection for this deal to wind up being a good one for the Kings.

As a stand-alone, this trade makes little sense to me, and it lacks any sort of net value. That said, I certainly hope that everyone that likes this trade winds up being validated, and that Williams finds lightning in a bottle here in Sacramento. I am very eager to see him play, and I hope that he proves each and every one of my concerns wrong.

We checked in with Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee to get an update on where things stand with the downtown arena.

The one and only Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee was kind enough to join us for the next installment of Sactown Royalty's ongoing Q&A series on the efforts to build a new arena in downtown Sacramento.

Lillis has covered the city of Sacramento and the happenings at City Hall for the Bee since 2008. He has done a tremendous job, along with his colleagues Dale Kasler and Tony Bizjak, of covering the relocation/arena saga in recent years.

The preliminary concepts for the development surrounding the arena in downtown Sacramento were recently released [a 250-room hotel, 550 residential units and more]. Talk about what these development ideas do for this project overall.

John Dangberg, the assistant city manager at city hall, who has kind of been one of the point people on all of this, described this as a major step forward. The Kings have submitted an entitlement application. This is the footprint of what they want to do at Downtown Plaza ... it is a very detailed footprint for the six square blocks that is Downtown Plaza, and it's just an enormous redevelopment project with the arena as the centerpiece, obviously, but it's an enormous project with office space an entertainment venue and residential space ... probably in the next month or two, we'll start to see drawings of what they intend to actually build there vertically.

I think you'll also see the Ranadive group and the Kings take more of a lead role in the overall development of Downtown Plaza, and not just the arena.

Was there anything that was surprising to you within these plans?

No, we knew the scope of what they intended to do. We've known for a few months in terms of the overall space, square footage. So there wasn't a ton that surprised us and also the Kings have been, I think the Kings have been very public with what they want to see there and what they want to do with the Downtown Plaza site in terms of creating a kind of grand public plaza along what would be K Street and lining J Street with office space and adding an entertainment element to all of it - these are the things that the Kings have been talking about for months. And you're going to see even more of that public outreach here in the next weeks. They're going to go to the planning commission. They're going to get feedback from the planning commission, which is very important because the planning commission are the people who the city council and City Hall trust as the experts to provide feedback and guidance on design standards and planning standards in the city of Sacramento.

So they're going to go to the planning commission here in a couple of weeks, get that feedback - that's a public meeting - there's going to be another city council meeting here in a couple of weeks where you'll hear a little bit of an update on the financing plan and just a little bit of a progress report. So there's going to be a lot of opportunity here for the public to see what the Kings are up to.

I spoke to John Dangberg recently and it sounds like the designs of the exterior of the building are going to be nailed down by next month. Can you talk about what the city and the Kings are trying to accomplish with the overall look of the arena itself?

Mark Friedman keeps saying he wants it to be a place where people just want to naturally gather. I've heard him use the term, he wants it to be like ‘Sacramento's fireplace' - a place where people just want to be, whether there is a game going on or not. So not a big box in the middle of downtown that people only go to for a select number of nights per year. He wants it to be a place where on your lunch break, if you work downtown, you are going to go sit outside this arena and have lunch even if the building itself is completely empty ... just walking by you have a physical connection to it, you can see inside of it so there's going to be a lot of glass, you are going to have huge gatherings outside.

Let's talk about the deal itself. When it was approved earlier this year by the city council, a lot of people said this deal is actually a better deal for the city in various ways than the previous deal between the Maloofs and the city. Can you expand on that?

Yeah, I've heard that from a few people. You've even heard that from a couple of the city council members who have opposed the project and I think a lot of that is based on the fact that you have a private ownership group that is contributing more to the project than the prior ownership group. I think people feel a little more at ease with the general fund protections are some guaranteed revenues that will be going to the city from the Kings. I think that, and it's pretty technical, but the way that the whole parking revenue bond system was restructured from last year where at the beginning they were talking about basically outright selling or leasing the city's downtown parking to a private vendor ... here, the city will maintain control of its parking operations. You know, the concern was if you let somebody else come in and control your parking you have no control over the rates, you have no control of the capital improvements made to your parking. You can set certain standards in the contract but the more standards you set the worse off the deal is for you.

Here, the city would still control the parking, they'll control the rates. I'm going to tell you flat out that I fully expect parking rates to go up downtown, but I think, well I know for a fact that parking rates were going to go up downtown anyway. The city's parking consultants have been telling them that the city of Sacramento undercharges for parking downtown, so that was inevitable.

There's a lot going on right now with the pro and anti-arena groups, can you bring us up to speed on where things are at with those efforts?

There are two groups collecting signatures to place a measure on the June ballot that would require voter approval of any subsidies for sports projects. So it's not an up or down vote on this arena, however, if that ballot measure qualifies for June, goes to the June ballot and if that measure is approved in June, then the city would have to hold a vote probably in November, on this arena project.

They're still collecting signatures ... they have the deadline of mid December, Dec. 10 to turn in their signatures. They need 22,000 signatures from city voters. They want a buffer, they are doing an internal validation process and so they have got just a few weeks left to get those signatures, and if they do end up qualifying it then there will be, I imagine, a very intense campaign on both sides.

And then there is obviously the other side, the downtownarena.org group that is collecting signature removals, and they are at over 10,000 signatures, correct?

Last we heard, they were at 10,000 petition withdrawal forms from people who said they would like their names removed from petitions that they've signed. So what will happen is, they've turned in those forms, the pro-vote group will turn in their petitions. There will be a count. The city clerk will first look to see do they have the numbers? And if they do, then they will move it on to the county and then the county will do very thorough counting to see if they have the correct valid number and they will crosscheck that with the withdrawal forms handed in by the downtownarena.org group, and if a name appears on both, their name will be taken off the petition.

Sometimes these things on paper, they have the numbers they need and they don't end up qualifying. In fact, just two years ago, a group that is involved in this, one of the group of nonunion contractors, they tried to get a ballot measure on the ballot in Sacramento that would ban project labor agreements in the city. They handed in well above the raw number of signatures they needed but when it got to the count - the actual validation process at the county - they didn't have enough valid signatures and the measure ended up getting tossed and never made it to the ballot. So that does happen. Who knows if that will happen this time.

Can you briefly touch on the development you are seeing downtown and some of the interest from businesses related to the arena?

Yeah, it's been reported that there seems to be a renewed interest in a lot of property downtown. The 1000 block of J Street, a developer is interested in that after years of it just being empty, you know, just desolate ... you've got some people on K Street really holding their breath here to see what happens with the arena. Honestly, I do hear it fairly often from people who are thinking about building something, they say ‘well if the arena goes through,' and so people are just really anxious about this.

I think as important for the city is getting people to live downtown. There's an ongoing debate, and it's been happening in Sacramento a long time, do you invest in the amenities first and then bring people, or do you bring people first and then build the amenities? There are some people who think the city should be focusing more on building housing downtown and not the arena and other people that say, ‘well, you need to give the people a reason to live down there.' But there is definitely increased interest in building downtown.

Dale Kasler had a great piece on Vivek Ranadive over the weekend about his company Tibco. What are your impressions of Vivek? Sacramento hasn't really had a Kings owner like him before.

He's very 21^st Century I guess as he would say. I thought Dale's piece was just really interesting. I don't think people realize how much Tibco, a company that I had never heard of six months ago, how much of an impact it has on people's daily lives. He's definitely an interesting guy and the Maloofs were interesting guys, and so from my point of view, I like them to be interesting, obviously. I think there's definitely a honeymoon period that the fans are still in for sure, and they will be for some time. And if the arena goes through, and all the development goes through at Downtown Plaza, that's something that will last a really, really long time.

Lastly, do you think you could play small forward?

No, although actually for my size I am a pretty good rebounder because I was a triple jumper in college. But, you know, I can't hit anything past like 12 feet with any kind of consistency so I would be a terrible small forward ... I had like a 37-inch vertical at one point in college, I dunked twice even though I'm like a six-foot guy, but that was 20 years ago so a lot has changed since then. I don't think I am the answer to small forward.

More from Sactown Royalty:

• Derrick Williams traded to Kings for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, according to reports
• Derrick Williams trade proves it's not about this year's win total for Kings
• Kings Trading Luc Mbah a Moute for Derrick Williams?
• The #RealDMC Part 2 - "Loyalty is Love"
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: 2013-14 Week Four

Steve McPherson joins us to discuss this week's Derrick Williams/Luc Mbah a Moute swap.

The Sactown Royalty Show is back! Steve McPherson of A Wolf Among Wolves, Grantland, Hardwood Paroxysm, The New York Times, and more, joins us to discuss the recent swap of Luc Mbah a Moute for Derrick Williams.

Steve is a great basketball mind, and a Timberwolves fan to boot.  He shared tons of insights on Derrick Williams' game, and what Kings fans can expect going forward.  We talked about Williams as a stretch four, as a small forward, as a defender, and how he fits into David Kahn's legacy.  It was a really fun show, check it out.

Oh, and of course, we had to talk about Eddie Vedder.  Because how dare a man associated with Seattle say anything negative about Sacramento!  Rabble rabble rabble!

Like the show? Subscribe to us on iTunes or on Stitcher! Leave us ratings, leave comments, let us know how we're doing. Ratings and comments on iTunes really help us out with promoting the show. And of course, continue the discussion in the comments below.

As always, thanks for listening.

More from Sactown Royalty:

• Kings Arena Q&A: Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee
• Master Debaters: Akis and Section214 debate the Derrick Williams trade
• Derrick Williams for Luc Mbah a Moute trade officially completed
• The nuts and bolts of Derrick Williams
• Derrick Williams traded to Kings for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, according to reports
• Derrick Williams trade proves it's not about this year's win total for Kings

Here's a roundup of non-StR coverage of the trade heard 'round the world.

A major point of debate around Sactown Royalty since the Kings traded for Derrick Williams has been a response to the standard early thread joke: but can he play small forward? Let's ask Pete D'Alessandro.

"There are people who think he's a four, I get it," D'Alessandro said. "But I don't want to be locked into positions. I want athletes, I want guys who can play a role and what we need them to do, and I think Derrick can do that."

Some of us will put faith in Pete D. Some of us will chuckle at memories of the Tyreke Evans positional debates. Some of us will mash our keyboards in disgust. But this is where we're at: at least for now, it looks like Williams will get his first opportunity at the three. If he starts, the Kings -- with Williams and Ben McLemore -- will instantly have one of the most athletic wing duos in the league. (And the least athletic everything else until Isaiah Thomas enters the game. Man, I.T.-Ben-Williams is a heckuvan athletic perimeter.)

Here's some more non-StR coverage of the trade. Big thanks to Akis for compiling all of this.

* News10's interviews with Pete D., Michael Malone and Isaiah Thomas.

* News10's interview with Derrick Williams.

* Sam Amick's USA Today chat with Pete D. Money quote:

Vivek Ranadive is a person who is about opportunity, right? He gave a first-time coach in Michael Malone an opportunity, and a first-time GM an opportunity. We're an opportunity organization, and we see this as an opportunity for him to have a fresh start as well. And I feel like it's such a positive organization as a result of ownership and where it comes from. It's such a positive-minded place that if there's a place for people to achieve, I think this is fertile ground for that.

"We're an opportunity organization." Awesome.

* Cowbell Kingdom chats with our old friend and Wolves fan Zach Harper.

* Minnesota blog A Wolf Among Wolves breaks down the trade.

* Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer thinks the Wolves could have gotten more for Williams.

* On a slightly different bent, Canis Hoopus looks at what Luc Mbah a Moute offers Minnesota.

(As it were, we're looking for someone to do Kings Links posts. Hit me up at tom AT sactownroyalty DOT com if you're interested.)

More from Sactown Royalty:

• The Sactown Royalty Show Ep. 25: Steve McPherson
• Kings Arena Q&A: Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee
• Master Debaters: Akis and Section214 debate the Derrick Williams trade
• Derrick Williams for Luc Mbah a Moute trade officially completed
• The nuts and bolts of Derrick Williams

Bismack Biyombo has seen his minutes fade in recent days. Is it fair or unfair?

When the Bobcats signed Al Jefferson to be their starting center, we knew that would likely mean a diminished role for Bismack Biyombo. Considering how raw Biyombo's game still is, this was supposed to be a good thing since he would no longer be asked to take on such a large role and take time to develop. However, the third year big man has seen his minutes drop from his previous seasons and he has racked up a DNP-CD in two of the last three games. The one game that he did see time in during that stretch was during the blowout of the Milwaukee Bucks and that wound up being about five minutes.

So what gives? Why the sudden fall from grace? Well, there are a few possibilities.

The first thing that comes to mind would be that he is simply not a Steve Clifford guy. We see it all the time when a new coach or general manager comes in and favors the players that fit his vision over those that do not. Look at the Timberwolves trading Derrick Williams to the Kings on Tuesday. What does it matter if he is a lottery pick when Clifford wasn't the one who chose him and therefore has no loyalty to him? The team for that matter debated on whether or not to pickup his option for next season.

The other issue is that, well, other players have been better. This may seem surprising since Biyombo's efficiency looks dramatically improved by nearly 20 points. However, it's a ridiculously small sample that makes it's sustainability suspect and he's actually taken fewer attempts per 36 minutes than he did last season. Whereas Jeff Adrien has been a bit of a revelation in this early stage of the season, praised by Clifford for making the offense function better with him in the game. Additionally, Josh McRoberts brings more to the table than Biyombo at this point and the current regime just invested the fourth overall pick in the draft in Cody Zeller. So, that's where Biyombo's minutes have gone.

But the defense! The rebounding! What are the Bobcats doing? Well, according the the NBA Media Stats site, their team Defensive Rating (See bottom for explanation) falls from 100.9 to 96.8 when Biyombo checks into the game and the team's total rebound percentage improves from 75.9 percent with him on the bench compared to 76.1 percent when he's in the game. If that weren't enough, the offense disintegrates with him in game. When Biyombo enters the game, the team's Offensive Rating plummets to 86.9 from 100.7 as a spectator. The better-with-Biyombo-on-the-bench trend continues with the team's assist-to-turnover ratio, as well as both their eFG and True Shooting Percentage. When Clifford says the offense functions better without him, he isn't kidding. If Adrien continues to be effective on both ends, look for him to continue to siphon Biyombo's minutes.

Biyombo's turnovers have also been problematic. With a Usage Rate of just 7.6, he manages to have a turnover percentage of 16.0. Simply put: Biyombo uses less than 10 percent of the team's possessions on the court, but turns it over just under 20 percent of the time. That's a lot, and Adrien has been less mistake prone with his 10.1 Usage Rate and 8.0 turnover percentage that is half of Biyombo's. Fewer turnovers mean fewer extra possessions for the opponent and more opportunities for the Bobcats, and Adrien helps that cause.

A lot of the outcry over the lack of playing time for Biyombo seems to stem from our perception of him and what we dream that he could be as opposed to what he actually is. We want to believe that he is a defensive shot-blocking presence that can clean the glass and is one day going to round into maybe a somewhat capable offensive player. We see the length, the athleticism and forget that there's more to being a good player than being a good athlete. It's happened before and it'll happen again.

For Biyombo, the best thing that he could do is to stay ready and continue to work towards improvement behind the scenes. There's nothing worse than a player falling out of favor in a rotation and also falling out of shape when emergency strikes and his team needs him. However, I'm not worried about that happening with Biyombo since he is a hard worker. At summer league he was coaching and directing his teammates on the court at times, so he understands the game. The learning curve may be a little steeper than we or the Bobcats thought, but there is still the possibility for Biyombo to become successful again someday. If that's in Charlotte, no one knows, but for now the Bobcats will have to do what's best for the team. Right now, that's with more Adrien than Biyombo.

Statistical support for this piece provided by Basketball-Reference.com and the NBA Media Stats site. Offensive and Defensive Rating: estimate of points produced/allowed per 100 possessions with 100 being average; eFG: adjusted field goal percentage for the fact threes are worth more; TS%: takes into account free throws, two-pointers and three pointers.

The first of likely many more Luol Deng rumors involves the Cavs and Dion Waiters.

With Derrick Rose down and out yet again, all the talk surrounding the Bulls has moved from championship to whether or not the Bulls should "tank," or rebuild, depending on what term you prefer to use. Gar Forman and Jerry Reinsdorf have both come out in support of the current group, but it's hard to take anything they say about that at face value.

In any case, Luol Deng's name was sure to come up in trade rumors, something he realizes himself, per ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been mentioned as a possible destination, and whaddya know, we have ourselves a rumor already involving the Cavs (although it is just Broussard):

Sources: Cavs shopping Dion Waiters. They've spoken w/Chi, NYK & Philly. No deal imminent. Waiters is open to being traded.

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) November 27, 2013

The Cavs, including Waiters, have gotten off to a pretty horrific start after entering the season with playoff hopes. Cleveland is 4-10, and GM Chris Grant may be on the hot seat and looking to add a veteran piece to help stabilize the core of young players. That's of course where Deng comes in, and Broussard mentions the Cavs' interest in the Bulls' small forward in his full piece on the situation.

Waiters is certainly an intriguing talent. He was a sixth man at Syracuse, but the Cavs picked him No. 4 in the 2012 NBA Draft because of his potential. In his rookie season, Waiters showed flashes of being an excellent scorer at the 2, although he wasn't very efficient, shooting just 41.2 percent overall and 31.0 percent from three.

This season, that three-point shooting is up at 38.9 percent...but he's at just 38.9 percent overall. In addition to the offensive inefficiency, he's had some issues with his teammates. During a recent players only meeting, Waiters called out Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, which nearly led to a fight between Waiters and Thompson.

In terms of a deal with the Bulls, obviously you can't just trade Deng for Waiters, because salary cap rules and all that. Waiters is making $3.89 million this year, while Deng is at $14.3 million, so the Bulls would have to take back at least about $5.7 million more in a deal. The Cavs do have some spare parts that they likely would have no problem moving, with guys like Earl Clark (after Dec. 15), C.J. Miles, Alonzo Gee and Tyler Zeller as potential options. Clark and Gee both have fully unguaranteed contracts for next year, while Miles is fully unguaranteed this season.

I can't imagine the Cavs want to give up on Anthony Bennett just yet, but who knows. Anderson Varejao is another option, although that would mean less tax relief and at least $4 million in salary for next year if he were to be waived after this season. Andrew Bynum could also be a possibility after Dec. 15, as he could just be included in the deal for salary purposes and then waived immediately and paid only $6 million.

At 21, Waiters is a young, cheap asset and could possibly be a nice fit next to Rose, with Jimmy Butler sliding to the 3. I would like to get a first-round pick back in a Deng trade, but I'm not so sure the Cavs would include one here (or in any deal?), although they do also have a protected top 12 pick from the Kings in addition to their own for 2014. There are also a few future protected picks that could be in play. But even if a pick wasn't included, a guy like Waiters may be the type of player the Bulls would expect to draft in the mid-to-late first round. There are some serious red flags with Waiters, but this is the kind of deal the Bulls should consider.

Sacramento's other rookie is coming back after a brief stint in the D-League.

Well, that didn't take long.

Barely a week after assigning Ray McCallum to the Reno Bighorns, the Kings have announced that they are recalling their other rookie guard.

McCallum played in three games for the Bighorns, averaging 22.0 points (.455 FG%, .308 3pt%, .667 FT%), 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in 38 minutes per game.  While the Bighorns lost all three games, McCallum was the team's leader in scoring in each game.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was the first of many such stints in the D-League for McCallum.  The team is on a long break right now with a couple more home games immediately after, so it's a good opportunity for McCallum to be in Sacramento practicing with the team.

From what I've watched of his short stint in the D-League, McCallum shows promise as a scorer, although he's a rather streaky shooter.  He excels in pushing the fast break, but could do a better job of setting up others.  He's extremely athletic and has a lot of potential on the defensive side of the ball when you combine that athleticism with his excellent size and length.

Thinking we had possibly lost our star point guard for a few days during Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks truly scared us Clipper fans. However, it appeared that it was a minor hamstring injury suffered by Chris Paul and according to Paul himself, he will be ready to play on Friday night when the Clippers face the Sacramento Kings.

Per Arash Markazi of ESPN:

"I just strained my hamstring a little bit but I'm all right," Paul said. "I went to the back and I was on the bike watching the game. I came back and I told Doc if you need me I can go. It's a little tight but I'll be ready Friday."

But in Arash's article, Doc Rivers takes a more cautious approach to Paul's injury:

"I think he's doing good," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "[Clippers trainer Jasen Powell] said he could have come back in but there was no chance he was coming back in. Chris has told me already twice that he'll be ready for Friday but that doesn't mean that that's true. That's just what he said."

The NBA cares!

Seth Curry had another huge night against the Reno Bighorns this week, posting game highs of 23 points and 10 assists on Tuesday. He also outplayed rookie Ray McCallum, who has since been recalled by the Sacramento Kings. Needless to say, he's been leading the way as Santa Cruz keeps on winning.

In his first game with the Warriors, we saw Seth Curry light up the scoring column. In his second game, we saw him struggle, but make up for it by tying a franchise record, 11 assists. On Tuesday against the Reno Bighorns, we saw the best of both worlds.

The Bighorns haven't gotten off to a good start this season. Actually, they couldn't have gotten off to a worse one, losing all but one game by 20 or more points. But this matchup was an important one because it gave Seth a chance to go up against Ray McCallum who, unlike him, was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft. Previously on assignment from the Sacramento Kings, McCallum has since been recalled, after having averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists over his first three games of the season. And against the Warriors, McCallum didn't have a bad night by any means - he scored his season average of 22 points on 42.8 percent shooting from the floor and dished out five assists.

But Curry? Well, in 39 minutes, the Blue Devil shot 9-for-16 from the field, scoring a game-high 23 points. He also dished out 10 assists, grabbed six rebounds and recorded two steals. He looked more under control and confident than he did in that second game in the Toros, the one in which he couldn't buy a shot. He did a fantastic job of mixing it up and more importantly, he let the game come to him. The end result was another Warriors victory on their home court and a personal victory for the young Curry for outplaying fellow rookie, Ray McCallum.

Now 3-0 on the season, the Warriors will have their first big tests on Friday and Saturday with back-to-back home games against the always resilient Bakersfield Jam and L.A. D-Fenders. With Seth Curry manning the ship, they should be just fine, but it will be interesting to see how the young point guard responds to his first back-to-back of the season.

Curry's Highlights

The Clippers and Kings meet for the third time in November, and the Clippers have escaped with wins in the first two meetings, though it hasn't been easy.

2013/2014 NBA Regular Season
	vs
11-5		4-9
November 29th, 2013, 7:00 PM
Sleep Train Arena
Prime Ticket, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM
Probable Starters
Chris Paul	PG	Greivis Vasquez
J.J. Redick	SG	Ben McLemore
Jared Dudley	SF	John Salmons
Blake Griffin	PF	Jason Thompson
DeAndre Jordan	C	DeMarcus Cousins
Advanced Stats
96.9 (5th of 30)	Pace	93.0 (20th of 30)
110.5 (4th of 30)	ORtg	102.9 (20th of 30)
105.2 (16th of 30)	DRtg	107.0 (27th of 30)
Injuries
Maalik Wayns (meniscus surgery) out		Carl Landry (hip flexor) out
Matt Barnes (torn retina) out
Chris Paul (hamstring) probable

The Back Story (Clippers lead season series, 2-0)

-- 11/01/13 in Sacramento | Clippers 110, Kings 101 | Recap | Box Score

-- 11/23/13 in Los Angeles | Clippers 103, Kings 102 | Recap | Box Score

The Big Picture:

The Clippers have played a lot of tough teams in November, but they've also played the Sacramento Kings twice so far and play them again tonight in the final game of the month. The Clippers are 2-0 against the Kings, but they've made it tough on themselves both times. Twice now they've allowed the Kings to come all the way back from a big deficit, and while they weathered the storm relatively well the first time, they were more than a little lucky to escape with a win six days ago in LA. Have the Clippers lost their intensity against the Kings, or have the Kings simply outplayed the Clippers for long stretches? It's difficult to say. The Clippers have a home game against the Indiana Pacers, owners of the best record in the NBA, on Sunday, followed by a seven game road trip, so they'd be wise to take this one seriously and get a win, because they may have a few losses in their immediate future. This game may hinge on whether Chris Paul is 100 percent after tweaking his hamstring in the third quarter of the Clippers' win over New York on Wednesday. Paul has saved the Clippers in both of the Kings games this season -- he hit a crucial late game three pointers at the end of the shot clock in each one -- so if he can't play, and the Clippers fall behind the Kings again, they won't have anyone to come to the rescue.

The Antagonist:

The Kings have twice come close to beating the Clippers, and twice come up a bit short, and DeMarcus Cousins for one is NOT pleased about. As it happens, Cousins has gotten fourth quarter technical fouls in each of the first two meetings, fouls that were part of the momentum shift back to the Clippers. Then, at the conclusion of the game in LA, Cousins refused to shake hands with any Clippers, and went so far as to pull his teammate, Isaiah Thomas, away when Thomas tried to show some sportsmanship. Other than that, Cousins has been great, scoring and rebounding at an high level -- the Clippers have shown very little ability to stop him. Likewise Thomas, the top bench scorer in the NBA so far this season, has been almost unstoppable in the first two meetings. Part of the reason that the Clippers have built leads and then lost them is that Thomas isn't in the starting lineup -- when he's out, the Clippers have handled the Kings pretty well, but Sacramento has scored almost at will when Thomas and Cousins are in the game. If Cousins and Thomas continue to torment the Clippers, the Kings could certainly come away with a win in this one. Cousins would certainly be happy about that.

The Subplots

• Comparison of key metrics. The Clippers defensive efficiency has gone from 28th to 21st to 16th in the last two games. They haven't been able to stop the Kings so far this season, so they'll have to play better if they want their defensive rating to continue improving.
• Day after Thanksgiving. The game is happening the day after Thanksgiving. Which means that I'm writing this preview on Thanksgiving. Which means I'm not really that into writing previews. Which means that it's going to be pretty short. But we know plenty about the Kings at this point, right?
• Derrick Williams. These teams played each other six days ago, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was Sacramento's starting small forward at the time. Since then, the Kings traded LRMAM to Minnesota for Derrick Williams, the second pick in the 2011 draft. Williams never got much of a chance in Minnesota, either because he was stuck behind Kevin Love in the rotation, or because he wasn't a good fit, or maybe because he is a classic NBA tweener, not big enough to be a power forward, not quick enough to be a small forward. Sometimes a guy like that -- and by all indications, he's a hard worker, not a head case like Michael Beasley -- just needs a change of scenery. This could be the opportunity he needs. Remember also that Williams had a monster game against the Clippers a couple of seasons ago, beating them almost single-handedly.
• Well rested. In a very unusual NBA scheduling quirk, the Kings have not played since Sunday when they faced the Lakers in Los Angeles. So the Kings have had four full days without a game. They'll be really well rested -- will they also be a bit rusty?
• Sixth man. Thomas is the leading bench scorer in the NBA this season any way you slice it -- total points, points per game, points per minute, whatever. Jamal Crawford of the Clippers is second. It's far too early to be thinking much about awards, but despite Thomas' heroics, Crawford would have to be considered the early leader for the Sixth Man Award, simply because Thomas plays for a team with a losing record, which will probably preclude him from serious consideration.
• Bad blood. We've known for a while that DeMarcus Cousins does not like Blake Griffin. At this point it has become obvious that Boogie doesn't much like Chris Paul either, and in fact it seems like maybe he doesn't like anybody on the Clippers. Cousins has been on the edge in both of the first two games; watch him closely in this one, because something is going to happen.
• McLemore. When the Clippers played the Kings four weeks ago in the third game of the season, I asked Aykis of Sactown Royalty when he thought lottery pick Ben McLemore would crack the starting lineup in Sacramento. Well, it turns out that the correct answer is Game 7 of his rookie season. He hasn't exactly been a world beater in the NBA so far -- he's shooting 38% from the field -- but at the same time, they like him and they expect him to be a big part of their future, so why not get him in the lineup sooner rather than later? I like it.
• Stopping Thomas and Cousins. The Clippers have shown little ability to stop either Cousins or Thomas in the first two games. Part of the problem has been defending without fouling. Thomas has been to the line 23 times in the first two games -- far above his season average. The Clippers need to get some stops, and stop fouling.
• Connections.Travis Outlaw (who has been surprisingly productive off the Kings bench) was briefly a Clipper in 2010 and he was signed by the Kings after being amnestied by the Nets last season. Matt Barnes played high school basketball and football at Del Campo High in Sacramento. Willie Green and Kings rookie Ray McCallum are the two active NBA players from Detroit Mercy (Go Titans!).
• Get the Kings perspective at Sactown Royalty.
• Shakespearean reference:
  
  Sonnet CXV (115)
  
  Those lines that I before have writ do lie,
  Even those that said I could not love you dearer:
  Yet then my judgment knew no reason why
  My most full flame should afterwards burn clearer.
  But reckoning time, whose million'd accidents
  Creep in 'twixt vows and change decrees of kings,
  Tan sacred beauty, blunt the sharp'st intents,
  Divert strong minds to the course of altering things;
  Alas, why, fearing of time's tyranny,
  Might I not then say 'Now I love you best,'
  When I was certain o'er incertainty,
  Crowning the present, doubting of the rest?
  . Love is a babe; then might I not say so,
  . To give full growth to that which still doth grow?

Another battle with the hated Clippers.

The Kings have competed with the Clippers twice already this season. Like, actually competed. Round three is here. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Comcast SportsNet California and 1140 AM have the broadcasts.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

DeMarcus Cousins vs. the Clippers' big men.

In two games against L.A., Cousins has averaged 23.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He gets geeked up for these games. Too geeked up? Potentially -- he did get a critical if undeserved tech against the Clips the last time out.

Keeping your cool and playing with passion aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but they are somewhat opposed. I think Boogie has found the right balance this season, but that can change at any moment. Hopefully not against the Clips.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

1. Welcome to Sacramento, Derrick Williams! I'm looking forward to seeing how Michael Malone uses Williams early on, in addition to how aggressive the new recruit will be. Also curious how Jason Thompson and Patrick Patterson play in response to his arrival. Patterson's been better on defense lately; this needs to continue.

2. Greivis Vasquez. He was a non-factor last Saturday in L.A. The Kings nearly won because Cousins, Isaiah Thomas and Patrick Patterson were brilliant. If Vasquez had done anything, the Kings might have with a cushion. The Kings really need him to play well consistently; he such a big part of the offensive system and he, frankly, gives up quite a bit on defense.

3. Three-point defense. The Kings have been dreadful defending the three this season. The Clippers can kill you from out there.

PREGAME HAIKU

You mad, CP3?
Total jerk for 48.
Boogie don't forget.

PREDICTION

Kings 136, Clippers 134 (OT). Game-winning Derrick Williams three.

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