Isaiah Gets some national love, Vivek talks NBA 3.0, Financial outlook on new downtown, and Chris Webber practicing Karate. What more could you need during the most wonderful time of the year! But don't get too comfy, our favorite Grinches the Maloofs also stop by to try to ruin the NHL's Christmas.

Welcome Brad, aka beeradgee88, who will be doing Kings Links for us! -- TZ

HoopsWorld: Alex Kennedy has written a great piece about Isaiah's impressive season. Great to see Isaiah Thomas get some national love. Crazy to think about two years ago when I first saw him at the Goon Squad Classic to now. Then, he was the guy we were hoping may make the team and maybe make a name for himself. I think we got our wish.

National Journal: We have all heard about NBA 3.0, and here is more about it. Vivek Ranadive does not hide his love of technology by any means, and here is an article and accompanying interview from the National Journal where he explains more about his vision of the future. I look forward to seeing this unravel as time goes by.

DowntownArena.org crunched some numbers and feels that in the next 30 years, Sacramento's economy could get $7 billion (Yes, that's with a B) in the next 30 years, if not more. But hey, let's S.T.O.P. this from happening...

Cowbell Kingdom: Derrick Williams recently talked to our friends at Cowbell Kingdom about his time thus far, and his delegation to the bench. It is good to see him being positive about it all. I, for one, have no problem with him coming off the bench. Considering our obvious lack of depth at this point, we need to keep some talent there with that group, and I think Derrick Williams is the perfect energy guy to come off that bench.

Yahoo: ALERT: Maloofian army MAY be trying to infiltrate the NHL. You have been warned.

CSN: New England: BREAKING NEWS: We're not trading for Rajon Rondo... For the five of you that thought this was happening, here is an article from CSN New England confirming that it, in fact, did not happen. I for one, am glad that it did not. Too much for a player that I have never been a huge fan of. Much rather see Isaiah Thomas continue to grow, and let Ben McLemore have time to develop, even with his recent struggles.

NBA.com an interesting look at passing stats shows that despite our worries about Isaiah, he actually has more assist opportunities on a per game basis. While stats don't always tell the story, it does show that we may have exaggerated the drop off in PG production.

Bleacher Report had a good article on Rudy Gay, and why people should not "write him off", just yet. Many in the national media saw this trade much different than what it was. Yes, we took on an overpaid player who has struggled, but we took on an overpaid player trying to invigorate life into his career, and not expecting him to play like a $19 million superstar, we just want him to be an effective SF that can help us get better, which, outside of the Charlotte game, has happened.

Sacramento Bee: Kings minority owner Shaquille O'Neal took advantage of the Kings being closer to home and attended Wednesday's game in Atlanta. The Sacramento Bee caught up with him to ask about the state of the team.

USA TODAY: Former King Keon Clark, has been given an 8 year sentence after pleading guilty on DUI and weapons charges..

SI: For those of you who have seen those Southern Comfort commercial with the guy doing Karate and thought Chris Webber should recreate them. Here You Go!

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It's Prediction Time!

Link to The Leaderboard

Below are a series of prediction questions for tonight's game. The first four questions will be asked every game, while the 5th will change each game.

Point value for predictions are listed next to the questions. If you believe that more than one player will lead a category, you can vote for multiple players, and this is worth double points if you are correct, but zero if you are wrong. Alternately, if you only guess one player when multiple players are tied, you get zero points.

All submissions must be input before tip-off. Any submissions after tip-off will not count. You are allowed only one submission and may not change unless specifically stated.

Questions:

1. Who do you think will win the game, and what will the final score be? (1 point for guessing winner. 2 points for guessing winner and correct score of one team. 5 points for guessing winner and exact score)

2. Who will be the game's leading scorer? (1 point for guessing scorer, 2 points for guessing exact points scored)

3. Who will be the game's leading rebounder? (1 point for guessing rebounder, 2 points for guessing exact rebounds)

4. Who will be the game's leading assist man? (1 point for guessing assist man, 2 points for guessing exact assists)

5. Predict Nikola Vucevic's Rebounds, Arron Afflalo's 3PM, and Jameer Nelson's Assists (1 point for one right answer, 3 points for two right, 5 points for all right)

6. Predict the attendance tonight in Orlando. HINT: Capacity is 18,846 (1 point for the nearest hundred, 3 points for the nearest ten, 5 points within 5, 10 points if you get it exact)

The Kings try to pick up one win out East before returning home.

The Kings' four-game Eastern road trip has ... not gone as planned. The defense has been awful, and the Kings are 0-3 in the Southeast. The last chance for a win before returning home comes Saturday night in Orlando. The game's scheduled for 4 p.m. Pacific.

Let's preview.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

Arron Afflalo vs. Rudy Gay.

The Magic offense is pretty bad (No. 25), and Afflalo is the best scorer on the roster. He missed Orlando's last game but is probable for Saturday. He's had a fine bounceback season, scoring efficienctly (.590 True Shooting) and frequently (20.7 points per 36 minutes). He'll be a handful for Gay, especially if he lines up behind the arc.

On the other end, Gay continues to play well on offense, but Afflalo is a good defender. Let's hope Gay continues to rely on Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins heavily to relieve defensive pressure.

3 THINGS

1. Despite a poor overall offense, the Magic shoot decently from beyond the arc (.358, No. 14 in the NBA). As we know, the Kings defend the three awfully. Afflalo, Victor Oladipo, Jameer Nelson and -- stretch big alert! -- Andrew Nicholson are the Magic shooters to watch.

2. DeMarcus Cousins is now above 50 percent shooting on the season. But Nik Vucevic is a fair defender, and Orlando rebounds really well defensively, so it might not be an easy victory for Boogie in the paint.

3. For real, defense, guys.

START FOUR

Don't forget to fill in your lineup if you're anywhere near me on the leaderboard!

PREGAME HAIKU

Will the road trip end
magically? (Is that word
three syllables? Four?)

PREDICTION

Magic 2,050, Kings 105.

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Orlando Pinstriped Post chats with Sactown Royalty before the Magic's game against the Kings on Saturday.

To better grasp the Orlando Magic/Sacramento Kings game Saturday night and to understand Sacramento as a team a little more thoroughly, I caught up with Greg Wissinger of Sactown Royalty. Greg is an associate editor of StR and a contributor to SB Nation's homepage. You can (and should) give him a follow on Twitter.

Tyler Lashbrook, Orlando Pinstriped Post: We, at Orlando Pinstriped Post, ran a mock big board for the community before the draft last year. Users chose who they had as their no. 1 prospect and Ben McLemore overwhelmingly ran away as the top guy. How has he fared in Sacramento?

Photo by Russell Isabella, USA Today Sports

Greg Wissinger, Sactown Royalty: McLemore has shown flashes of greatness, but has struggled overall. I'm not worried about him long-term, he's just a very raw prospect. He's great at moving off the ball, and even though his shot has struggled I remain impressed with his shooting motion. His struggles are largely due to him being thrust into a starting role thanks to the ineptitude of Sacramento's other shooting guard options.

OPP: DeMarcus Cousins received a fat extension this summer and has rewarded the organization with his best professional season. He's--in my opinion--making that leap from borderline to All-Star player. Where does he improve from here?

StR: DeMarcus has been great this season. He's been the Kings best player week in and week out. It's been a really impressive improvement from last year. He still needs to keep working on defense, though. He needs to get a lot better defending the pick and roll, and he needs to rotate better.

OPP: So, we have to talk about Rudy Gay. The Kings took quite a bit of heat for swallowing his deal, but on the other hand he's a way better option at small forward than John Salmons. Can this thing work? What are your thoughts on fit thus far?

StR: So far the fit has been great. Aside from his contract, the other big knock on Gay was his shooting. He really struggled as the main guy in Toronto, but in a secondary or tertiary role with Sacramento he's been great. In 5 games with the Kings he's shooting 53% from the floor, and has shown a real knack for getting to the rim. The problems in Sacramento have not been with Gay.

OPP: If I created an arbitrary list of my favorite players to watch in the NBA, Isaiah Thomas might find himself atop. Is he the kind of guy who can start on a championship team? Also, I'm sure the Kings have no interest, but where do you gauge his trade value right now?

StR: I've given up trying to gauge Isaiah's ceiling, because every time you think he can't continue to surprise you he finds a way. I think he could be a point guard on a championship team, but it would depend on the roster around him. He still struggles on defense, so you'd need to have a team and scheme in place to protect him from that. But there have been plenty of successful teams built around point guards who aren't great defenders.

As for trade value, it's very difficult to project. Kings fans have no interest in trading him, but the front office probably has a price where they would part with him. I imagine the value would be pretty high. But he's entering restricted free agency this offseason, and nobody really knows what to expect in terms of a contract offer.

OPP: Switching to the Magic: if you could pick one guy from Orlando and place him in Sacramento, who would it be and why?

StR: If I could pick one guy, I'd add Nikola Vucevic. The Kings could use a defender like him, his got a ton of room to grow, and he's on a great contract. And between Vucevic and Cousins, the Kings would grab approximately all the rebounds. I don't suppose Orlando's interesting in swapping Vucevic for Jason Thompson?

Huge thanks to Greg for his time and insight. You can find him and more great Kings coverage from our friends over at Sactown Royalty.

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In advance of Saturday's game against Sacramento, a quick health update on three key Orlando players.

The Orlando Magic will not have backup combo guard E`Twaun Moore available for Saturday's game against the Sacramento Kings, coach Jacque Vaughn said before tipoff. "E'Twaun got kneed in the thigh in practice, so we'll miss him tonight," Vaughn said.

Moore has played in all 26 of Orlando's games in 2013/14 and is averaging 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 20.9 minutes per game.

In more welcome news for Orlando, leading scorer Arron Afflalo has recovered from the illness which ruled him out of Wednesday's loss to the Utah Jazz. He will return to the starting lineup Saturday, but Vaughn said he's not sure where he'll slot the veteran swingman.

"I have not solidified [the lineup] yet, Vaughn said. According to the Magic coach, starting point guard Jameer Nelson "was not feeling good" earlier in the day and may not be available against Sacramento. Vaughn will "adjust" his starting lineup based on Nelson's availability.

With Moore out and Nelson questionable, Vaughn said he could rely more heavily on Doron Lamb and Ronnie Price at point guard.

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The rookie had started Orlando's previous 16 games.

The Orlando Magic will bring Victor Oladipo off the bench Saturday against the Sacramento Kings, ending a stretch of 16 consecutive stars for the second overall pick in June's NBA Draft.

Saturday, Orlando will start Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo at the guards; Tobias Harris and Glen Davis at the forwards; and Nikola Vučević at center.

In his starts, Oladipo averaged 14.4 points, five rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 40.6 percent shooting. He is coming off a miserable performance against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, a game in which he shot 1-of-12 from the floor for three points in 36 minutes.

As a reserve, the combo guard has averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 25.5 minutes, shooting 38.9 percent from the floor.

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The Magic, who have lost three straight games at home, host the Kings on Saturday.

The Orlando Magic continue their six-game homestand Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings.

Tipoff between Orlando and Sacramento is set for 7:00 PM Eastern on Fox Sports Florida and ESPN 580 AM in Orlando. The Orlando Pinstriped Post GameThread will appear at 5:00 PM in this StoryStream and on the cover.

Orlando's last time out: The Magic lost their third straight home game Wednesday, 86-82, against the Utah Jazz. Rookie point guard Trey Burke stuffed the stat sheet with 30 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists for the visitors, while Orlando managed to shoot just 32.6 percent in the absence of Arron Afflalo, its leading scorer and a possible All-Star.

Sacramento's last time out: The Kings could enter Saturday's game tired, given that they played Friday against the Miami Heat and lost by a 122-103 final. The Kings' defense could not stop the defending NBA champs, who shot 61.4 percent from the floor. Sacramento went just 10-of-24 (41.7 percent) from the foul line. In defeat, DeMarcus Cousins came up in a big way, tallying 27 points on 15 shots to go with eight boards, five assists, and two steals.

In 2012/13: The Kings swept the two-game season series from Orlando. On February 27th, Sacramento built a 30-point lead through three quarters at Amway Center before taking its foot off the proverbial gas in the fourth, prevailing by a 125-101 final.

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Sacramento caught fire from beyond the arc Saturday, sending the Magic to their fourth consecutive home loss.

The Orlando Magic's home losing streak reached four games Saturday against the hot-shooting Sacramento Kings, 105-100. Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas scored 23 apiece for the visitors, who won their second straight game at Amway Center.

Orlando got 26 points from Arron Afflalo and an additional 21 from Tobias Harris, but the Magic couldn't keep pace with the Kings from beyond the arc: Sacramento shot 12-of-23 from three-point range. Meanwhile, in a game they lost by five points, Orlando left nine points at the charity stripe.

Orlando had no trouble scoring against Sacramento's defense, which ranks among the league's worst, in the opening period: the Magic shot 61.1 percent from the floor and 4-of-6 on threes, getting almost whatever looks they wanted with ease. Jameer Nelson and Afflalo scored seven points apiece to lead the home team, while Harris added six.

Interestingly, the Magic used Harris to initiate their offense on some first-quarter possessions with Nelson on the bench and Victor Oladipo as the nominal point guard.

A three-pointer from Ben McLemore with 4:12 to play tied the score at 19, but Orlando responded by closing the period on a 12-6 run to take a six-point lead. An Afflalo triple off a Nikola Vučević back-tapped rebound gave Orlando an eight-point lead, its largest of the night.

The Kings closed the gap early in the second quarter, however, with Jimmer Fredette hitting a long deuce and following that basket up two possessions later with a deep three to cut Orlando's lead to a point.

But Sacramento's reserve unit--with Rudy Gay as the only starter--couldn't score consistently enough to keep the game close, and within another three minutes, Orlando had pushed its lead back to eight points, its largest of the night.

No combination of starters or reserves that Kings coach Mike Malone used in the first half could keep Orlando from scoring: the hosts put up points on five straight possessions in the second period at one juncture, with only a missed Kyle O'Quinn putback layup from point-blank range keeping that streak from extending to six.

But the Magic couldn't put the Kings away as the visitors found the range from beyond the arc, with a Gay triple at the 2:41 mark of the second bringing Sacramento to within five, the closest they'd been in nearly seven minutes of game time. Gay scored another trey from the same spot on Sacramento's next trip to cut Orlando's lead to two.

That two-point margin held at halftime, with Orlando setting a season-high in first-half points scored at 58. Whichever team tightened its defense first woud likely find itself the victor.

The Kings took their first lead of the game 44 seconds ino the second half on a DeMarcus Cousins layup. Nelson tied the game on the Magic's ensuing possession, but the Magic would go scoreless on their next five trips up the floor, allowing the Kings to build a six-point lead. Davis ended the drought with a sweeping lefty hook the likes of which Orlando hasn't seen since Dwight Howard's departure.

After picking the Kings apart in the first half, the Magic's offense stagnated in the early stages of the third quarter as they tried to exploit individual matchups in the post. The downside to running a post-heavy offense is that the ball tends to stick on one side of the floor, allowing opposing off-ball defenders to relax a bit.

When the Magic pinged the ball around the floor again, they went on a 9-0 run to take a three-point lead with 4:51 to go in the period, prompting Malone to call for time.

After falling behind by four points again, the Magic got back into the game thanks to some of Maurice Harkless' energy. The reserve forward grabbed a key offensive rebound to set Oladipo up for a layup and-one to cut the Kings' lead to one, and Harkless rebounded the Kings' next miss and pushed it ahead to Oladipo for a transition layup to take the lead.

Orlando's lead held at two entering the fourth quarter, but Gay drilled a trailing three on the Kings' first possession--his third triple of the night--to put Sacramento up by one. They'd extend their lead to five points on a fading jumper by Isaiah Thomas, who creates so much separation with his step back move that it hardly matters that he stands just 5-foot-9 when he shoots.

A triple from the little-used Marcus Thornton on the Kings' next trip put them up by eight, giving them their largest lead of the night. He'd hit two more threes in the next 90 seconds to push the lead to 12 points.

Harris came up with three big plays down the stretch, drilling a three after shaking Gay with a jab-step to cut the Kings' lead to seven and following that play up with a fast-break layup over Cousins, whom referees whistled for blocking on the play. He missed the ensuing free throw, but Orlando still found itself within five points with ess than four minutes to play.

Harris then came up with a loose ball on the Kings' next possession and quickly advanced it to Afflalo for a breakaway layup, but the veteran swingman couldn't convert under pressure from Thomas, nor could Harris corral the rebound.

Thornton badly missed a wide-open corner three which would nearly have iced the game, but Cousins snared the rebound, laid the ball in, and drew a foul on Nikola Vučević, the Montenegrin big man's sixth of the night. He finished with four points and nine boards on 2-of-6 shooting against the burly Kentucky product, who failed to convert the three-point play but got his own rebound and drew another shooting foul. He split those free throws to put the Kings up eight with 2:37 to go.

Harris came up big again with a driving layup and-one going to his left on the Magic's next play, but he missed the free throw.

The Magic had three chances to cut the lead to two points with less than one minute to play, but Oladipo, Davis, and Afflalo all missed layups on one possession. The last miss went out of bounds off Sacramento, giving Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn the opportunity to draw up a play. Oladipo tried to inbound the ball to Afflalo, but Afflalo slipped as Oladipo made the pass and the ball sailed out of bounds.

The Kings broke Orlando's press on their next trip, with Gay finding Thomas for a leaning 12-footer which the diminutive Washington product banked off the glass to give the visitors a six-point edge. Orlando committed a five-second violation after their next timeout, effectively icing the game for the Kings.

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Rudy Gay led the way as the Kings finished the road trip with a win.

The Kings eked out a win in Orlando, beating the Magic 105-100 to finish their first extended road trip of the season 1-3. Rudy Gay led the Kings with 23 points, but shot 8-20 to get there. He did well in the late second quarter and second half after starting the game 0-5. Isaiah Thomas added 23 points and 9 assists while shooting 8-15 from the floor. The Kings held Orlando to 48% shooting from the floor, which is a lot better than 62%.

Marcus Thornton hit some shots off the bench. He went 6-10 (3-5 on threes) for 15 points in 22 minutes. DeMarcus Cousins finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Kings' defense was pretty loose in the first half, but Orlando's poor offense shone through in the second half. Sacramento did a better job preventing open shots in the third. We'll have a full defensive breakdown in the morning in addition to Akis' Good, Bad and Ugly.

The Kings host the Pelicans on Monday.

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The Magic managed just 42 second-half points in their loss to the Kings Saturday.

The Orlando Magic fell to the Sacramento Kings, 105-100, on Saturday for their 10th loss in their last 12 games. Orlando's offense fell into a rut after halftime, as it shot just 43.6 percent from the floor for 42 points, with 12 turnovers, in the second half.

Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas, whom Magic coach Jacque Vaughn described as "a nuisance" in his post-game press conference, scored a team-high-tying 23 points and dished a game-best nine assists. Arron Afflalo led all scorers with 26 points for Orlando.

Here's a look at the stories that developed Saturday.

Offense slumps

Orlando carved up the Kings for a season-high 58 first-half points, but the tenor of the game changed after intermission, as I mentioned above. That change came as a surprise, given that Sacramento entered the game ranked 27th in the league in points allowed per possession.

"I think we gotta keep moving the ball," power forward Glen Davis said. "Moving the ball and getting each other open. We did that in the first half and we got away from it." Several of Orlando's second-half possessions devolved into one-on-one play with little to no off-ball movement.

Vaughn, for his part, felt as though the offense functioned well in the second half.

"I think the NBA is about matchups," Vaughn said. "I think throughout the course of the night we had great movement. Our motion offense is based on movement. At certain points in the game, if we have an advantage, like Andrew [Nicholson] on the box, we're gonna throw it to him. We don't need movement to throw to ball into the box and see if we have an advantage of Andrew playing against a guy we think he can score over.

"So there are going to be possessions throughout the course of the game [...] where you just throw it into your big and there isn't movement," Orlando's coach continued. "Maybe the movement is off the top and the guys are cutting off the weak side. But there's nothing wrong with feeding the ball into the post and getting some movement off of that."

Davis wanted to see more passing from his team in the second half, noting that "extra passes [and] post-ups in rhythm" led to Orlando building its first-half edge. "We have to play with each other more because nobody's an All-Star on this team. Jameer [Nelson] was, but we don't have the type of player that can just get the ball and go one-on-four."

Afflalo, others vow improvement

Perhaps no Magic player takes losing harder than Afflalo. The six-year veteran minced no words Saturday when asked how Orlando can avoid a repeat of the 2012/13 season, when it posted the league's worst record at 20-62.

"It ain't gonna get there," Afflalo said. "I can assure you that. It's not gonna get there. We're not gonna have a season like where it's out of hand and we're not competitive anymore."

Afflalo is one of the few Magic players who pays close attention to playoff seeding this early in the season, and he's keenly aware of where Orlando stands in the moribund East.

"We haven't been playing well overall, from a win-loss perspective, but the reality is that we're four or five games out of a comfortable spot in the playoffs," Afflalo said. "If that's what this season calls for, that's how I'm gonna approach it. It won't get out of hand."

Orlando ended Saturday's game at 8-19 for the East's 13th-best record, but stands just 3.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the East's final playoff seed and five games behind the Washington Wizards for the fifth seed.

"We just gotta keep grinding," Nelson, another of the team's veteran leaders, said when asked about how the Magic can avoid letting the season slip away. "When you hit a little rough patch, call it adversity, and you have to figure a way to get out of it as a team. It can't just be one person trying to do it because that's not how you win and that's not how you lose."

Tobias Harris, who scored a season-high 21 points in the loss, agreed with Nelson's message of unity. "For us, as a team, to make the next step and get where we need to be at, we're gonna have to be a little bit stronger mentally when teams make runs."

The Kings went on an 18-4 spurt to open the fourth quarter, taking a 93-81 lead on a Marcus Thornton triple with 7:41 to go.

Home woes

Saturday's loss was the Magic's fourth straight at home, their worst losing streak at Amway Center since they dropped seven straight from February 13th-March 8th, 2013. Before tipoff Saturday, Vaughn said there was one common factor in the Magic's recent home losses.

"If there's one simple thing, it's that we haven't made shots," Vaughn said. "I think at the end of the day, that's what it boiled down to."

Orlando has averaged 93.3 points per game in those four straight home losses, shooting just 41.7 percent from the floor overall.

Vaughn said his team had played "decent" defensively during this home skid.

Making spirits rise

Nik Vucevic with Emma, age six
Photo by Gary Bassing, Orlando Magic

One day after Davis and Nicholson took some Boys & Girls Clubs kids on a holiday shopping spree, the Magic continued to give back to the Orlando community this holiday season by sending four players to the Walt Disney Pavilion at the Florida Hospital for Children.

Nikola Vucevic, Harris, Solomon Jones, and Victor Oladipo visited the pediatric unit Friday to sign autographs, pose for photos, and give gifts to the patients. Community ambassadors Bo Outlaw and Nick Anderson, as well as Stuff and the Magic Dancers, joined them.

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The Sacramento defense looked much better than usual on Saturday as the Kings beat the Magic. Why?

Given that the Kings have been regularly embarrassing on defense this season, Sacramento's road trip finale on Saturday -- a game against the Magic capping off four games in five nights after long travel -- was ripe for becoming abysmal. Instead, the Kings defended well enough to win, holding one of the league's worst offenses to just above league average efficiency.

I charted the game in a defensive box score to get a sense of just who is giving up lots of open shots. This is a really small sample size, and we won't be doing this for many games. But as an exercise in studying who is losing their man with regularity, I thought it was helpful.

I gave partial credit (or blame) where I felt it appropriate based on what the Kings look like they should be doing. The 'team' entry picked up stats mostly on fast breaks where there was no single King really to blame, or on offensive rebound attempts that weren't the clear fault of a King. 'Open' indicates how many times the player gave up an open shot, whether it went in or not. 'TOV' indicates how often the player had a role (half or full) in a Magic turnover. (I didn't list the obviously unforced errors.)

There are a couple of data errors in here on double-check (I counted some missed long two as a missed three, and missed two other missed two-point attempts that likely came off of offensive rebounds for Orlando), so grain of salt with all of it. But there are some things that the data and a close look at the game show.

* DeMarcus Cousins did a good job defensively. While Nikola Vucevic struggled, Cousins only gave up two total open shots, had a hand in five Magic turnovers and his marks (both bigs and guards he had to step up on off the pick-and-roll) shot 3-13 from the floor. Again, part of this is that Vucevic looked off and the Magic are poor offensively. But he did his job most of the night on defense. Was he responding to Michael Malone's harsh criticisms of the team?

* Marcus Thornton might have saved the game on offense ... but man, he was just not there defensively, giving up six open shots in 22 minutes. His marks shot 5-9. What's bad is that as a smaller two-guard he can't afford to lose his guy because he doesn't have the length to make it up.

* Rudy Gay was pretty bad on defense, conceding 5.5 open shots. Tobias Harris was tormenting Gay for a couple of stretches. He, Ben McLemore and Thornton have a bad habit of floating way off of their man without actually doing anything of use in defending the ball. McLemore didn't give up open shots because of it, but his guys still shot well (4-5).

* Isaiah Thomas played huge minutes again (43), but the Magic really attacked him. It burned the Kings early as Isaiah struggled to challenge anything; Jameer Nelson was shooting over him. But overall I thought I.T. did a good job fighting over screens and releasing Cousins and Jason Thompson to get back on their man. There were few successful pick and roll finishes for Orlando; most of the damage was on off-ball cuts and pull-up jumpers.

* Whereas Gay, Thornton and McLemore float, Quincy Acy actively helps ... sometimes when he probably shouldn't. So he left his guy (Harris once, Glen Davis a couple times) wide open. But I enjoyed seeing his activity level. He's not giving up buckets for lack of trying, and he got lucky a couple times when the Magic missed open shots.

* Like Thornton, Jason Thompson had a good game offensively but got totally scorched on defense. I'm starting to think the next piece the Kings need is a plus-defense power forward -- an Ibaka type -- just to see if that fixes a lot of the defensive problems on the pick and roll and in stopping face-up fours. Of course, Ibakas don't exactly grow on trees, nor do the Kings have a ton of salary space for one if they did.

* Derrick Williams must have done a good job on defense, because he played 12 minutes and his guy never took a shot. He guarded Harris and Maurice Harkless.

* Malone played 11 guys. I didn't really expect this from the coach this deep into the season, but with such a weird, deeply shallow roster, I can't blame him.

More from Sactown Royalty

Follow @sactownroyaltyFollow @SBNationNBA

• Kings vs. Magic final score: Sacramento beats Orlando 105-100
• Kings vs. Magic preview: Is a road win in reach?
• Kings vs. Magic Fan Predictions
• Kings Links: Isaiah Thomas gets love, Vivek Ranadive on NBA 3.0 and more
• Kings vs. Heat: Sacramento's defense looks as bad as ever

The road was not kind to the Kings this week but they did themselves few favors.

The Good:

1. DeMarcus Cousins

See Player of the Week

2. Sign Lady is in the Hall of Fame

We did it. We got Sign Lady into the ESPN Hall of Fame with over 80,000 votes and I couldn't be happier to have Barbara represent this fanbase in Bristol.

3. Ben McLemore ends shooting slump

This was probably the highlight of the road trip for me. Ben came into his own on this trip, starting in Atlanta. In the final three games this week, he shot a combined 16-22 for 39 points. He also hit 6-9 from downtown. The difference between his makes and misses are easily identifiable. He took his time this week, squared his shoulders to the basket, and didn't rush most of his looks. Hopefully "Flight 16", as he's been dubbed by Jerry, can maintain his good shooting on a more consistent basis going forward.

4. Rudy Gay

Gay had one bad game this week against the Bobcats and then followed it up with good offense the rest of the week. It's nice to have another threat that defenses have to key in on, and someone who can shoot from outside or take it to the rack. Rudy's also shown good court vision and has produced some nifty passes, along with a few unsavory turnovers. I can't help but think a lot of his mistakes come from being unfamiliar with his teammates.

5. Quincy Acy's Energy

I think Acy's going to be a fan favorite. He brings energy on and off the court, making hustle plays that most guys wouldn't do. It's also nice that he can step out and hit a jumper unlike most guys that play the way he does.

6. Jason Thompson's Offense

JT did a much better job this week of using the touches he did get, scoring a very efficient 35 points on 16-25 shooting. He did a particularly good job of moving off the ball to the rim and was rewarded.

6. Isaiah Thomas' Playmaking ability

Only one game this week that Isaiah had less than 7 assists, and it was against the Bobcats where the team as a whole shot just 37.5%, and an even worse 31.3% if you don't count Cousins. I heard Sam Amick on the radio this week and he mentioned that while the Kings love Isaiah, they probably will look for an upgrade at the position, either in the draft or trade. I'm just not sure how many attainable upgrades they're really are. Isaiah is pretty good already. My list of Point Guards I'd rather have than him is probably ten names or less. In case you're wondering: Paul, Westbrook, Irving, Wall, Teague, Lillard, Curry, Lawson, Bledsoe, Parker, Holiday and Conley. I guess that's 12. Normally I'd include Rose and Rondo but I'm not sure how either will look like coming back from injury and Deron Williams looks like a shell of his former self. If we're counting the NBA Draft, Marcus Smart (I don't know enough about Exum to make a good assessment) would be the only PGI'd consider as an upgrade, and that probably wouldn't be an immediate upgrade.

7. Marcus Thornton back?

We've been here before with the games against Brooklyn and the Warriors, so that's why there's a question mark. The Kings need Thornton to be contributing because the other options aren't great. He was a key factor in the win against the Magic, and not only because of his hot shooting. He's been showing good defensive effort in the minutes he has been getting of late and that's good to see. If Marcus Thornton can become a threat again, that's a big boon to our bench.

The Bad:

1. Travis Outlaw regresses to the mean

Outlaw was doing great for a while there, but lately his shot hasn't been falling nearly as much. After hitting nearly 50% of his shots and 40% of his threes to start the season, he's now dipped back under the 40% mark overall and 32.4% from downtown. It's not just the fact that he's missing shots, it's the type of shots he takes. He has a really bad habit of passing up good shots to take bad ones (especially threes for contested 20 footers). I hope that part of his struggles came from having to play the two-guard spot due to Marcus Thornton's struggles. Hopefully Thornton can retake some of those minutes if he continues to play well.

2. Backup Point Guard

The Kings don't really have a good option at backup Point Guard. So far, Jimmer Fredette has been getting most of those minutes and it hasn't worked well. Fredette is at his best when he's shooting the ball, and when he plays Point Guard, he tends to pass up a lot of open looks, instead trying to penetrate and find a teammate. While I like the mentality, he needs to be taking those shots because it's what he's good at. There's also the fact that even if he is hitting his shots, he's a liability on the other end of the floor. Rookie Ray McCallum clearly isn't ready for an increased load judging by the spot minutes that we've seen from him so far though, so at least for now, the Kings are a bit stuck.

3. Derrick Williams has a rough week

Williams probably had his worst week as a King this week, not scoring, rebounding or defending very well when he was in the game. He's been more good than bad since coming here though so I'm not super worried. I think he's still adjusting to his bench role after playing so well as a starter for us.

The Ugly:

1. Defense

The Kings might as well be the Autobahn for how easily opponents have been getting into the lane and scoring baskets. Whenever the Kings do attempt to pack the paint, they do so at the expense of giving up open threes. It's one thing to help off of a big man who is on the perimeter, it's a whole other to leave a 50+% three point shooter like Kyle Korver open so many times. Just take a look at these pictures compiled by our own lottefits:

That's at least six wide open three point attempts for Korver. That's unacceptable. The team also has a really bad habit of leaving the guy with the ball, which cost them big time against the Heat. There was one particularly egregious possession where Ray Allen had the ball and made a beeline down the lane towards the basket. The Kings defense parted, opening the lane and giving Allen an easy dunk. I thought Malone's head was going to explode.

The defense did tighten up a bit in the final road game against the Magic, and it's not a coincidence that that was the sole victory.

2. Rondo "Rumors"

It's one thing when random fans start asking about rumors from random websites, but it's a whole other when legitimate websites pick it up and run with it and fan the flames of a nonexistant fire.

Player of the Week:

DeMarcus Cousins

24.8 PPG, .565 FG%, 10.8 RPG, 4.8 AST, 1.8 STL, 0.5 BLK

Perhaps the best thing about this season so far has been DeMarcus Cousins' improvement. While Cousins still can improve, especially on the defensive end of things, his improvement on offense has been dramatic. He's now shooting almost exactly 50% from the field (he's one made field goal off), getting to the line more than ever, grabbing more boards, and passing at a Chris Webber-like rate. That's not an exaggeration; C-Webb's career assist rate was 20.2% and Cousins is at 21% (stat calculated before game against the Magic) for this season. I don't believe Cousins is going to make the All-Star game this season but he's playing at that level. In fact, the only two players in NBA history (there are other guys on that list from this season who will almost assuredly be All-Stars) that have had a PER as high as DeMarcus Cousins and not make the All-Star game were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1978 (he missed the first 20 games due to a broken hand) and Shaquille O'Neal in 1999 (No All-Star game that year due to lockout). Cousins is currently 4th overall in the league in PER behind LeBron, Durant and Chris Paul. This is where I get to remind everyone that Cousins is just 23 and has his best years still ahead of him. Keep up the good work, big fella.

Image / GIF of the Week:

Nothing much to say about the game...

So here’s Troutlaw riding a Rudycorn

bybeeradgee88onDec 20, 2013 | 7:46 PMreply unrec (55)actions

Comment of the Week:

In regards to our defense being slightly better than last year:

That's like saying

Your diarrhea isn’t quite as watery as it has been.

byBeTheBallonDec 20, 2013 | 9:46 PMupreply rec (15) flagactions

FanPosts of the Week:

SaveOurBucks.com by adamsite

Highlight of the Week:

Ben McLemore needs to be in the dunk contest. Look at this elevation.

Caption Contest:

Link to Last Week's Picture

Last Week's Winner: Scirocco

Rudy Gay gets first look at Kayte Christensen

Last Week's Runner-Up: ClosetWigginsFan

My shooting percentage is how high???

This Week's Picture:

A reminder of the rules for the Caption Contest. Leave your caption in the comments below, and the most rec'd (to recommend a comment, hit action, then rec) caption wins.

Nostradumbass Prediction for Next Week:

12/23 vs. New Orleans W (New Orleans is a good team, but I'm hoping for high energy from a good crowd and the team being rejuvenated after a long road trip)

12/27 vs. Miami L (The Heat are just too freaking good)

12/29 @ San Antonio L (Insert Spurs for Heat above)

Nostradumbass Record for the Year: 11-15

Random Observations from around the league:

• The Rockets' self-imposed deadline of Dec. 19th to trade Omer Asik came and went, with none of the offers appealing enough to get Houston to bite. When everyone in the league knows you're trying to trade a player, there's not much leverage to be had. I still expect Asik to be traded by the actual trade deadline.
• The injuries this season continue to pile up. Kobe Bryant fractured his knee just six games after coming back from his torn Achilles. The Nets added to their miserable season when Brook Lopez broke his foot. Bryant will be back, but Lopez is out for the season. Without him, the Nets don't really have any youth or a low post presence. They also don't have a draft pick. This is a lot of money for a bad team.
• The Bobcats unveiled their new logo for when they become the Hornets again. It looks pretty good in my opinion. They could have done a lot worse.

The Magic have lost 10 of their last 12 games, but are trying not to let their season spiral.

The Orlando Magic gathered Sunday morning at Amway Center for a day of practice in advance of Monday's game against the New York Knicks. The practice started a little more than 12 hours after Orlando lost its fourth straight home game against the Sacramento Kings, the team's 10th loss in its last 12 games overall.

Here's a look at the stories that developed Sunday.

Staying positive

Orlando's recent poor play has dropped it to 13th in the Eastern Conference. In tough times, its incumbent upon coach Jacque Vaughn and his veteran leaders to keep a positive attitude in the locker room in order to prevent the season from slipping out of reach.

"There's no guarantee just because you play that you're gonna have a winning record every year," Vaughn said. "There are a lot of teams that search for that every single year. That's why I think it's more about your approach and how you carry yourself. Those things, if you continue to do the the right way, will add up. That's what I believe."

Vaughn and his veterans have to model behavior for the team's younger and less experienced players who are not accustomed to losing, particularly at the NBA level. In particular, Vaughn highlighted how the veterans handle game preparation, interaction with the media, and conduct with the referees during a game as instances where veterans can set an example. The 12-year NBA veteran speaks from experience.

"A lot of what I learned as a player, when I was young, was from the men who were around me in the locker room when the coach wasn't there," Vaughn said.

Glen Davis, a team co-captain, praised Vaughn for how he's kept the team together through the lean times.

"I think Coach Vaughn has done a good job of making sure that we stay calm and understand that hard work is hard," Davis said. "Nothing's easy."

At times, Davis said, he's tempted to let his emotions boil over, but he recognizes the long-term development of the team hinges on his ability to keep an even keel. "You wanna scream [sometimes]," he said, "but that's not how you spark things for change."

Bumps and bruises

Davis did not practice Sunday after injuring his left leg in Saturday's loss. Vaughn said there was no specific diagnosis for Davis, but rather that he was just generally sore. "Just gotta get that good rest," Davis said.

Jameer Nelson and E`Twaun Moore also sat out Sunday, though both players attended. Nelson played through an illness Saturday, but Vaughn didn't see the need to put him through the paces in practice. Moore missed Saturday's game with a thigh bruise.

"I just gotta let it heal and be ready to play," Moore said.

Versatility a key

I noted in Saturday's game recap that Tobias Harris spent some time in the second quarter initiating Orlando's offense despite the fact that Victor Oladipo was on the floor. I asked Vaughn Sunday to elaborate on that arrangement, and he explained that it's a wrinkle in Orlando's offense.

"Well, the good thing is in the motion segment of our offense, any three guards can initiate that," Vaughn said. "So what he does is he has the ability to grab the [defensive] rebound and be in attack mode, and then if he doesn't have anything on the initial break, then he can easily get us into our offense, because those three guards, when we're in our motion offense, are interchangeable."

Harris, then, isn't a playmaker per se, but his ability to handle the ball and push it ahead off rebounds enables Orlando to get into its offense more quickly.

More from Orlando Pinstriped Post

Follow @OPPMagicBlogFollow @SBNationNBA

• Notebook: Orlando's offense stalls in second half
• Magic can't ice Kings in 105-100 defeat
• Magic vs. Kings: Complete coverage
• Magic to bring Oladipo off bench against Kings
• Talking Magic/Kings with Sactown Royalty

What's going on this week in Miami Heat basketball? Let us fill you in.

The Miami Heat have a four game week with three of them on the road. At 20-6, the Heat are still looking up in the standings to the Indiana Pacers. Let's take a look at what the week holds.

Monday, December 23: Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat - 7:30 PM
Although they are 5 1/2 games behind the Miami Heat, the 15-12 Atlanta Hawks are right behind the Heat at third in the Eastern Conference. On November 19, the Heat beat the Hawks 104-88 in Miami. The Hawks are led by Al Horford and Paul Millsap. They also lead the NBA in assists per game as a team. The Hawks rank in the bottom five in rebounding along with the Heat. This will be Miami's final home game of 2013.

Wednesday, December 25: Miami Heat @ LA Lakers - 5:00 PM
The Christmas Day showdown will be much less dramatic as the host Lakers will be without superstar Kobe Bryant. Bryant, who just returned from his achilles injury, suffered a knee injury and is out for about 6 weeks. The Lakers will also be without Steve Nash. The Lakers are 13-14 and struggling in the deep Western Conference. Regardless, it will be Christmas Day and the world will be watching, and that always brings LeBron James and company to play their best.

Friday, December 27: Miami Heat @ Sacramento Kings - 10:00 PM
The Heat and Kings just faced off a few days ago and Miami put a beating on the Kings offensively as they shot 61%. The Kings weren't far behind, but ended up losing by 19 points. The Kings are a young and fun group, and at home can be a little dangerous if the Heat don't tighten the screws defensively.

Saturday, December 28: Miami Heat @ Portland Trailblazers - 10:00 PM
A back-to-back with the tail end at one of the league's hottest teams will be hard at the end of a 3-game West coast swing. At 23-5, the Blazers are playing great ball. They will give the Heat plenty of trouble, as they possess some problems for the Heat. But the Rose Garden has seen great performances from Miami's big three before, and the stage will be set for a great matchup.

Make sure to tune in and catch the Heat this week!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your team at Hot Hot Hoops!

How have some of your favorite former BYU basketball players been faring in the NBA recently? Find out here.

It's time to check in again on some of our former Cougars currently playing in the NBA.  Let's take a closer look at a couple of the key players from BYU's 2010-2011 NCAA Tournament team, Jimmer Fredette and Brandon Davies.

Jimmer Fredette (Sacramento Kings): Jimmer had a difficult time finding any playing time early this season as the Kings had a surplus of guards on their roster.  But thanks to a recent "mega" trade between the Sacramento Kings and the Toronto Raptors, which freed up some guard time, Jimmer Fredette has been able to see more time on the floor in the last two weeks.  So far this season, Fredette is averaging 4.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG, and 1.0 APG. Fredette put in one of his best performances of the season last Wednesday night when the Kings travelled to play the Atlanta Hawks, where he scored 9 points and added an assist.  At Saturday's game against the Orlando Magic, Fredette recorded 5 points and 1 rebound.

Brandon Davies(Philadelphia 76ers): After being waived by the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this year, the Philadelphia 76ers signed the former BYU forward.  So far this season, Davies is averaging 2.4 PPG, 2.0 RBG, and 0.7 APG.  Davies saw minutes in all three of the 76ers games last week. On Monday night at the Brooklyn Nets, he posted 9 points and 6 rebounds. On Friday night's contest, this time at home against Brooklyn, Davies scored 4 points. On Saturday night on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks he scored 2 points.

Be sure to check back regularly to see how your favorite former Cougars are faring in the NBA this season!

More from Vanquish The Foe

Follow @VanquishTheFoeFollow @nathancmathis

• Know the Foe: Washington Huskies
• BYU vs Oregon game recap: Cougars fall to Ducks in overtime 100-96
• 2013-14 College Football Bowl Predictions
• Player Spotlight: Jennifer Hamson
• What you need to Know: BYU vs. Oregon (Basketball Edition)

Continuing a tradition that dates back to 2009, Sactown Royalty invites you to gather the loved ones and find warmth around the warm glow of your computer screen, and raise your collective voice in song to the Sacramento Kings of Kings.

And for those of you that are new to the StR Yule log, every holiday carol over the past five years has been provided in this post, along with new salutations for this "forever Sacramento" season.

Caroling a la Kings. Nog 'til you blog. A Jim Les-tivus for the rest of us!

On behalf of everyone here at Sactown Royalty, have a blessed holiday season, and may 2014 be a year that brings health, happiness and prosperity to you and yours.

2013

Fire Malone for Christmas (note sarcasm)

Fire Malone for Christmas,
Two months and you can see.
The team does blow, and you must know,
Patience is lost on me.

Christmas day will find me,
watching other NBA teams.
Watch the Kings on Christmas?
If only in my dreams.

Fire Malone for Christmas,
Unfair though it may be.
Make no pretense, there's no defense,
Despite his constant plea.

Christmas Eve will find me,
Wishing for LeBron Jeams.
Fire Malone for Christmas,
If only in my dreams.
If only in my dreams.

***

Hansen Got Run Over by Ranadivé

Hansen got run over by Ranadivé,
Trying to take our team and then his leave.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and KJ, we believe.

He'd been drinkin' too much Ballmer sweat,
And we warned him that our team would not go.
But he blindly followed the Maloof boys,
Blinded by cheap hookers and blow.

When they found him in Seattle,
Unable and willing to stand.
There were Vivek prints on his forehead,
And a cashed check to STOP for 100 grand.

Hansen got run over by Ranadivé,
Trying to take our team and then his leave.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and KJ, we believe.

Now were all so proud of Hansen,
He's been takin' this so well.
See him smilin' with both faces,
We'll sure miss him when he's in hell.

It's not Christmas without Hansen,
He would be here if he could
And we just can't help but wonder
What's he think of Bollywood?

Hansen got run over by Ranadivé,
Trying to take our team and then his leave.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and KJ, we believe.

Grant and Jerry are at the table
And they have long-dried all their tears.
Meanwhile our good and dear friend Hansen
Has interest in Milwaukee deers.

I've warned all my Milwaukee neighbors,
Better watch out for yourselves.
They should never give any credence,
To a man who drives a price and then plays with himself.

Hansen got run over by Ranadivé,
Trying to take our team and then his leave.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and KJ, we believe.

***

Mr. Gru (note some more sarcasm)

You're a mean one, Mr. Gru.
You really make a deal,
First Evans becomes Vasquez, then Vasquez becomes Gay, Mr. Gru,
The team is still bad, but we're watching with great zeal!

You're a monster, Mr. Gru,
Our D's an empty hole,
Tyreke and Luc are goners, as is Malone's hair, Mr. Gru,
Coach wanted defensive diamonds and you gave him lumps of coal!

You're a foul one, Mr. Gru,
You're a Marcus Thornton smile,
Salmons is now history, Hayes is history too, Mr. Gru,
It takes a special sort of madman to willingly inherit this pile.

You're a rotter, Mr. Gru,
You're the king of sinful sots,
You gleefully extended Cousins, which made many of us plotz, Mr. Gru,
You may be right on this one, but our stomachs are still in knots!

You nauseate me, Mr. Gru,
With a nauseous super "naus"!,
Gay's contract is enormous, and Thomas is too short, Mr. Gru,
The only way that things could be any conceivably worse would be if you brought back Spencer Hawes!

You're a foul one, Mr. Gru,
And as a Kings fan I am drunk,
Your heart's a JT errant free throw, your soul's a McLemore missed dunk, Mr. Gru,
The three words that best describe how we feel is as follows, and I quote...
"Thank-you-Pete!!!"

***

2012

The Little Bummer Oy

"Come," they told me, Harumph harumph rumph.
"A new Kings team to see," Harumph harumph rumph. 
"Our finest play we bring," Harumph harumph rumph.
Instead my eyes do sting, Harumph harumph rumph,
Harumph harumph, rumph rumph rumph rumph. 

So please pass the booze, Harumph harumph rumph. 
When we lose. 

Little baby Cuz, Harumph harumph rumph. 
T'd up for all he does, Harumph harumph rumph. 
He's tired of all this crap, Harumph harumph rumph. 
From rage to Turkey Tap, Harumph harumph rumph, 
Harumph harumph, rumph rumph rumph rumph. 

What's your claim to fame, Harumph harumph rumph. 
Suspended another game. 

Petrie nodded off, Harumph harumph rumph. 
With still a perfect coiffe, Harumph harumph rumph. 
I beat my drum for him, Harumph harumph rumph.
Until he left the gym, Harumph harumph rumph, 
Harumph harumph, rumph rumph rumph rumph. 

Then He smiled at me, Harumph harumph rumph. 
No amnesty.

***

Good Kings Head Coach Smart

Good Kings Head Coach Smart looked out,
On his challenged roster.
Hoping to find legit talent,
Instead finding imposters.
Lacking but the slightest clue,
He looks towards the heavens.
Change your lineup yet again,
There's no Tyreke Evans.

Hither, Cisco, stand by Smart,
Tyreke's knee is swelling.
Brooks is chucking up more threes,
And the fans are yelling. 
We're losing another game,
by quite a hefty point spread.
Outlaw is a "Travis-ty,"
His sight the fans do dread.

"Bring me talent", Smart does plead.
"As fading hope's a glimmer."
"You have plenty," says GP,
"For I have brought you Jimmer." 
James Johnson cannot shoot a lick,
A fact known by the masses.
The shooting drills do him no good,
Nor do his brand new glasses.

Smart, the night is darker now,
And the team blows stronger.
John Salmons is in the game,
I can't take this much longer. 
Isaiah doesn't get much burn,
Marcus is looking forlorn.
Tyler was a lucky man,
When he was a Bighorn.

In Paul Westphal's step Smart trod,
Hoping for improvement.
But as the calendar turns,
There has been no movement.
Therefore, Kings fans, please be sure,
Smart's performance does bear mention.
But he's not going anywhere,
He has an extension.

***

"All I Want For Christmas Is Burkle"

I don't want a lot for Christmas,
There is just one thing I need.
I don't care about the head coach,
Even though the fans do plead.

I just want you as my owner.
It would give me such a boner.
Make it come full circle.
All I want for Christmas is Burkle.

I don't want a lot for Christmas,
There is just one thing I want.
I don't care about the GM,
Even though he's looking gaunt.

I want you to own our team.
It would really be such a dream.
No LeBron or Kobe or Dirkle.
All I want for Christmas is Burkle.

Oh all the lights are shining so brightly everywhere.
Real Housewives of B.Hills is taken off the air

And everyone's so happy,
No more M*loofs oh so crappy.
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need,
Won't you please Ron Burkle me?

Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas,
This is all I'm asking for.
I just want a brand new owner,
Standing on the hardwood floor.

Please won't you replace the brothers,
I will forsake all the others. 
This could really workle,
All I want for Christmas is Burkle.

All I want for Christmas is Burkle.
All I want for Christmas is Burkle .
All I want for Christmas is Burkle.

***

2011

Westphal's Wonderland

Turnstiles ring, are you listening, 
The urinals are a glistening.
A beautiful sight, 
Until it's a fright, 
Wandering in Westphal's Wonderland.

Gone away is the Yeti, 
Salmons' here, are you ready?
He dribbles around, 
The shot clock winds down, 
Wandering in Westphal's Wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a point guard, 
Then pretend that he will pass the ball.
He'll say: Should I launch it?
We'll say: No man!
But surely Jimmer
will save us one and all.

Later on, we'll conspire,
Of our longed coaching fire.
To face unafraid,
At least Chuck gets paid,
Wandering in Westphal's Wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a center,
Who likes to think that he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
‘Til the refs keep our frozen brother down.

When we flow, ain't it thrilling,
But when we blow, it's a chilling
We'll curse and we'll pray, the Kings fan way,
Wandering in Westphal's Wonderland.

Wandering in Westphal's Wonderland.

Wandering in Westphal's Wonderland.

***

Deck The Gym

Deck the gym with Powerbalance bracelets.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
As they guard themselves from back debt.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our new apparel.
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
Hope like heck our new squad does gel.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

See the blazing Marcus shooting.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Meanwhile Hassan Whiteside's brooding.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Jimmer Fredette's taking measure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
We all bask in 3-point treasure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

We sure hope that Tyreke passes.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
The old offense was like molasses.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
J.J. Hickson's got his man pinned
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Damn, we turned it over again.

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Tyler's slam dunk leaves us gawking.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Thomas fits right in a stocking.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Wondering what this season holds.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
I wish I was Jerry Reynolds.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

***

Chuck Hayes IsNotComing To Town

You better watch out,
You better not think.
Better not guess,
I need a drink.
Chuck Hayes is not coming to town.

He's making a test, 
He's taking it twice.
Is it his heart or is it just lice?
Chuck Hayes is not coming to town.

Geoff Petrie must be sleeping, 
GP might be awake.
The test that once was bad is good - 
Pay Chuck more before he flakes.

O! You better watch out!
You better not think.
Better not guess,

How ‘bout one more drink?
Chuck Hayes is not coming to town.
Chuck Hayes is not coming to town.

***

2010

Hark, as Harold Pressley Sings

Hark, as Harold Pressley sings,

These are not your old school Kings.

Though your heart for victory yearns,

At least you're not watching Evers Burns.

The slogan may be Here We Rise,

While the fans moan towards the skies,

With Cuz in the post proclaim,

Lose and Westphal is to blame.

Hark, as Harold Pressley sings,

These are not your old school Kings.

***

I'm Dreaming of a Whiteside Christmas

I'm dreaming of a Whiteside Christmas,

Just like the ones I'd like to know.

Where Carl is traded, and Sam downgraded,

Because our current team does blow.

I'm dreaming of a Whiteside Christmas,

Just like the ones I pray to see.

His potential beckons, in spite of fouls by the seconds,

Under E-Muss he will surely flee.

I'm dreaming of a Whiteside Christmas,

With every thread post that I write.

Can a Kings fan's soul be filled with pride?

Perhaps if this Christmas is Whiteside.

***

The Dreidel Westphal Song (by Omri Casspi)

I have a coach named Westphal,

His rotations made of clay.

And when he's good and ready,

Then maybe I will play.

Oh, Westphal, Westphal, Westphal,

Will I play or will I sit?

I've taken off my warm-ups,

And my Menorah's surely lit.

I think I'm going in now,

But coach has other plans,

It looks like JT at the three,

To the chagrin of the fans.

Oh, Westphal, Westphal, Westphal,

I'm driven to distraction.

It's going to be bad news

When Israel takes action.

My legs are cramping up now,

From sitting on the bench.

I must say my Coach Westphal

Is certainly no mensch.

Oh, Westphal, Westphal, Westphal,

You make me want to fight,

But then I guess it could be worse,

I could be Antoine Wright.

***

2009

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the site

Not a threader was stirring, there was nary a fight.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

Including an old one from Terry DeHere.

The bloggers were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of big men danced through their heads.

And Petrie and Levien reviewing the cap,

To see if someone might take on our crap.

When out of on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see if Sean May had grown fatter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

And found Kenny Thomas counting his cash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave the objects it brightened an Evans-ly glow.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But two NBA owners with $1 beer.

With an little old driver, so learned and small,

It must be our Coachie next to one Paul Westphal.

More rapid than a hoop-driving Martin they came,

And Westphal whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now JT, now Spencer, now, Tyreke and Donté!

On Beno! On Andres! And what about Omri?"

But Omri's not here, to where did he flew?

He's with Chanukah Harry, delivering toys to the Jews.

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

And lottery balls that once made us cry.

So up to the house-top the coursers set sail,

Aided by Brock's elbows, from which they did flail.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,

The prancing and pawing of Donté, that goof!

As I drew in my head, wondering were I insane,

I was presented with a Doratio candy-Kane.

He was dressed all in fur, and adorned with treasure,

I swore that he was the great Walt Frazier.

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he assured me the Kings were on the right track.

His eyes - how they twinkled! He was kind of like Jerry.

His nose was like fruit - not Peaches, but cherry.

His droll little mouth was drawn like a bow,

And he promised the Kings would no longer blow.

The pipe in his mouth making regular turns,

Makes no sense, but rhymes with Evers Burns.

He had a broad face, and he was quite the joker

He no way resembled Ime Udoker.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

Then I realized it a reflection, I was staring at myself.

A wink of his eyes and a twist of his head,

And the days of lifeless basketball was forever dead.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to work,

Except when he muttered, "Napear's a jerk!'

A laying a finger aside of his nose,

He declared "Tyreke Evans will be greater than Rose!"

He sprang to his sleigh, and whistled his team,

And Spencer and JT instinctively screamed.

But I heard them exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas Kings fans, and to all a good-night!"

The Pelicans visit Sacramento on Monday before the Kings take a few days off for Christmas.

Someday soon, the Kings will be playing on Christmas. Until then, they play on the Monday before Christmas and the Friday after Christmas, giving the team's bloggers so time off to relax and contemplate picking up a second sport, like international cricket.

Welcome back, Tyreke Evans! Tonight is officially StR Night II, though we haven't done much in the way of promotion. We're checking into the perk for ticket-buyers; stay tuned. If we reached the appropriate level, it'll be handled outside of today regardless.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

Tyreke Evans vs. everybody

For what it's worth, Tyreke is being a total class act about everything. Really, he always was. But he's also a guy with pride, and a very good basketball player. I have a feeling he wants to show the new Kings management what they're missing, and Lord know the Sacramento defense has trouble stopping anyone.

Tyreke's putting up some decent numbers, though he's shooting just 40 percent from the floor and, uh, 8 percent from beyond the arc on very few threes. Per 36 minutes, he's averaging 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists. If he can get efficient again, this is what, I think, New Orleans envisioned: a do-it-all reserve who prevents drop-off when Jrue Holiday or Eric Gordon sit. If he goes up against Ben McLemore, Marcus Thornton or Jimmer Fredette, it might be trouble.

3 THINGS

1. New Orleans has the No. 7 offense in the NBA. But that's bolstered by a very low turnover rate and a very high offensive rebound percentage. They are No. 20 in shooting efficiency. That's where the Kings struggle most. So if the Kings can keep them shooting at an inefficient level, they may be able to restrict the o-boards and force some turnovers. We'll see!

2. Ryan Anderson is taking almost eight three-pointers per game and shooting 43 percent on them. The Kings have loads of trouble with stretch bigs. This is going to be a problem.

3. Jason Smith is questionable, so we might see Anthony Davis at center to battle DeMarcus Cousins. That would be quite fun indeed!

PREGAME HAIKU

Welcome back, Tyreke!
Good to see you in Sactown.
Now: easy on Ben!

START FOUR

Is there a way I can just pick Ryan Anderson?

PREDICTION

Kings 103, Pelicans 99.

Update

Everything you need to know about the post game photo opp for those of you who purchased your tix through the Sactown Royalty Night link:

More from Sactown Royalty

Follow @sactownroyaltyFollow @SBNationNBA

• The Sactown Royalty Yule Log, 2013
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: 2013-14 Week Eight
• Kings vs. Magic: How Sacramento got (and did not get) stops in Orlando
• Kings vs. Magic final score: Sacramento beats Orlando 105-100
• Kings vs. Magic preview: Is a road win in reach?

It's Prediction Time!

It's Prediction Time!

Link to The Leaderboard

Below are a series of prediction questions for tonight's game. The first four questions will be asked every game, while the 5th will change each game.

Point value for predictions are listed next to the questions. If you believe that more than one player will lead a category, you can vote for multiple players, and this is worth double points if you are correct, but zero if you are wrong. Alternately, if you only guess one player when multiple players are tied, you get zero points.

All submissions must be input before tip-off. Any submissions after tip-off will not count. You are allowed only one submission and may not change unless specifically stated.

Questions:

1. Who do you think will win the game, and what will the final score be? (1 point for guessing winner. 2 points for guessing winner and correct score of one team. 5 points for guessing winner and exact score)

2. Who will be the game's leading scorer? (1 point for guessing scorer, 2 points for guessing exact points scored)

3. Who will be the game's leading rebounder? (1 point for guessing rebounder, 2 points for guessing exact rebounds)

4. Who will be the game's leading assist man? (1 point for guessing assist man, 2 points for guessing exact assists)

5. Predict Tyreke's Points/Rebounds/Assists for his return to Sacramento (1 point for one right answer, 3 points for two right, 5 points for all right)

6. Predict Ryan Anderson's 3PM, Anthony Davis' Blocks, and Eric Gordon's FTA (1 point for one right answer, 3 points for two right, 5 points for all right)

The Pelicans will conclude their arduous road trip tonight in Sacramento and hope to salvage a win on the 5-game West Coast swing. Many figured the Kings presented the best chance for a victory before we even left New Orleans, now it's our only one.

The 8-18 Kings (4-6 in the last 10) are noticeably different from our last meeting back on April 10 of last season. We won't have the pleasure of facing Greivis Vasquez, but will encounter Rudy Gay, Derrick Williams and Ben McLemore. Gone are Patrick Patterson, John Salmons, Chuck Hayes, James Johnson, Toney Douglas and ... Tyreke Evans. Oh, and our old pal, Marcus Thornton, has been trending the wrong way. After opening the season as the starter, his minutes have wavered enough that he's usually just an afterthought in game-planning.

Have these transactions made the Kings a better club?

In 81 minutes of court time, their current starting five of Thomas-McLemore-Gay-Thompson-Cousins has a offensive/defensive rating of 102.2/128.1. Ouch. On the other hand, substituting Thompson (reportedly available on the trade market) for Williams and suddenly the five are quite viable: 121.9/109.4. A similar positive outcome is attained when instead the original starting five has Thornton replacing McLemore.

Yes, the sample sizes are much smaller once the team moves away from their current starting lineup, but the biggest thing to take away from all of this is rhythm, or a lack thereof. With so many new faces, changes in mid-season and the franchise attempting to clean up their image under Mike Malone, inconsistency should be expected. Thus, their highs and lows will vacillate wildly, especially considering 3 enormous usage rates (Thomas-Gay-Cousins) have a total of six games under their belts.

Probably, very few of us have had a chance to gauge the team under the eye-test, but the numbers can give us a clues as to what to expect. First, the top 5 Rudy Gay lineups, in terms of minutes played, have extremely high pace numbers. The lowest one (99.17) is their starting lineup, still quite fast. Second, their TOV% is extremely high in 3 of the top 4 Rudy Gay lineups. Lastly, the top 5-Gay lineups have very high TS percentages.

So, the new look Kings like to play on one side of the floor and are in a hurry to do so -- sounds like a pretty good match for our opportunistic defense. As long as we don't get sucked into a track meet (especially Evans trying to impress his old home crowd), the Pelicans should be able to execute rather well and triumphantly fly home on the heels of a much needed win.

Earlier this month we met Santa Cuz and we all agreed it was great seeing DMC put that max contract to use and give back to the community. Well, Episode 3 of the #RealDMC web series dropped today and it looks like Boogie has been pretty busy spreading some cheer off the court this holiday season.

In Episode 3 Demarcus helps feed several local families on Thankgiving, takes 100 kids on a holiday shopping spree at Wal-Mart, and visits hospital patients at the Kaiser Permanente Women and Children's Center. Seeing all those kids with huge smiles on their faces is what the holiday season is all about.

Shout out to Boogie Claus... keep doin' your thing big guy!