'Tis the season to slam your opponent to the hardwood. We give you week five of the SBL season.

It was another violent week in the Sonics Bruising League. Heads were butted. Punches were thrown. Suspensions were handed out. Just as we like it.

We brought in a consultant to train our franchises in the art of war, but it wasn't received very well, as you will read below.

For the first week in the season, The Frozen Envelope was not the leading scorer. That honor was earned by Team Meirose. He didn't best the Envelope by much and it was a 75-point bonus over the suspension of Mo Williams that put him over the top.

Also, the venerable Seattle institution known to us as Mike Baker finally made it into the victory column.

HEAD TO HEAD

Team Meirose 1742, Wenatchee Wildmen 1660.5

"Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"Supreme excellence consists of cracking the Wildmen's exaggerated skulls with my elbow" - Team Meirose

Carmelo Anthony's 41 rebounds and 111 scoring points (SP) highlighted his 250.5 point effort to lead Meirose. Jared Sullinger's 38 boards and 17 fouls helped him tally 245.5.

Stephen Curry led the Wildmen with 196.5 points on the strength of 113 SP.

The Frozen Envelope 1705.5, Primetime Sheed's 1231.5

"All warfare is based on deception." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"Good warfare is based on kicking Sheed in the stomach." - The Frozen Envelope

Serge Ibaka led the Envelope with 207.5 points on 32 rebounds and 12 blocks. Nikola Pekovic and Al Horford each contributed 198.5 points. Pekovic had 40 rebounds and Horford had 7 blocks.

Gerald Henderson led Sheed's with 145.5 points on 21 rebounds and 8 fouls.

Bothell Beavers 1652.5, Paul Rogers 1507

"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"Let Paul Rogers be taken to the locker room with a concussion that we give him." - Bothell Beavers

Paul George led the Beavers with 195.5 points on the strength of 23 rebounds and 13 steals. Klay Thompson followed with 185.5 points, highlighted by 86 SP and 23 rebounds.

David Lee led Rogers with 167.5 points on 35 rebounds in a losing effort.

Dang it!

Phil's Radio Team 1585, Seattle Glove and Hate 1368.5

"Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment - that which they cannot anticipate." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"I rabbit punched the Glove and Hate in the kidneys over and over again, just as they expected." - Phil's Radio Team

The Radio Team was led by Kevin Love's 55 rebounds and 76 SP en route to a 218-point week. Anthony Davis' 31 boards led to 211.5 points.

Channing Frye's 195.5 points on 25 rebounds and 14 fouls led the Glove and Hate.

Da Double Techs 1426, Sethley the Nephew 1295.5

"When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"When on the court with the boys from Sethley the Nephew, punch them in the face as hard as you can." - Da Double Techs

Ricky Rubio and Josh McRoberts powered Da Double Techs with 144.5 points and 140.5 points, respectively. Rubio had 20 rebounds and 11 steals, while McRoberts garnered 19 boards and 14 fouls.

Tim Duncan and Nikola Vucevic each chipped in 190 points to lead Sethley.

Team Catdawg 1386, Andre + Jennette 1040.5

"Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"I head-butted Andre + Jennette on the bridge of the nose." - Team Catdawg

Dwight Howard led Catdawg with 215.5 points on 33 rebounds and 14 fouls. Kosta Koufos followed with 207.5 points on 37 rebounds and 8 blocks.

Andre Drummond's 268 points on 49 boards led Andre + Jennette.

Team Heaney 1382, Manmade Seacows 1098.5

"If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"If I sweep Manmade's legs hard enough, he will land hard on his head." - Team Heaney

Kevin Durant's 36 boards and 81 SP helped him lead Heaney with 205.5 points. Marcin Gortat followed with 192 points on 33 boards and 7 blocks.

John Henson led the Seacows with 205 points on 30 rebounds and 12 blocks.

Seattle Mike Baker 1090, Baltimore Bullets 932

"Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

" Hehehehe...he said wood." - Mike Baker

The Miami Heat powered Baker to his first victory. Dwayne Wade had 173.5 points on 20 rebounds and 82 SP, while LeBron James kicked in 173 points on 24 rebounds and 116 SP.

Another member of the Heat, Chris Bosh, led the Bullets with 179.5 points on 25 rebounds and 15 fouls.

BAD BOY BONUSES

Travis Outlaw Fined

A perfectly good flagrant foul is wasted because Outlaw is a free agent in the SBL. Pity. The NBA states the following:

NEW YORK, Nov, 24, 2013 - Sacramento Kings forward Travis Outlaw has been fined $15,000 for making excessive and unnecessary contact with Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, for which Outlaw was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 8:06 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Kings' 103-102 loss to the Clippers on Saturday Nov. 23, at Staples Center.

Multiple Fines and Suspensions

Fight! Fight! There should be more of these in the NBA. Sonics Rising author Todd Smith was exactly right when he said that the NBA should take a page from the NHL's book by allowing more of this. Click here to read that article.

The following fines and suspensions all resulted from the same incident. The bonuses also. Andrew Bogut was suspended a game, resulting in a 75-point bonus to Sethley the Nephew. Mo Williams did the same for Team Meirose. LaMarcus Aldridge earned a 15-point bump for Team Heaney with his fine. Wesley Matthews and Draymond Green had the same accomplishment, both for the Baltimore Bullets.

Here is the NBA's statement:

NEW YORK, Nov. 25, 2013 - Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut and Portland Trail Blazers guard Mo Williams have each been suspended one game without pay for fighting after Bogut initiated an incident by elbowing Trail Blazers center Joel Freeland in the jaw.

In addition, for escalating the incident, Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been fined $45,000, and Portland guard Wesley Matthews and Golden State forward Draymond Green have been fined $20,000 each.

The incident occurred with 3:42 remaining in the third quarter of the Trail Blazers' 113-101 win over the Warriors on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Oracle Arena. The penalties were announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

STANDINGS

SMACKDOWN(Z) OF THE WEEK

Golden State vs Portland - Nov 23

Starring Andrew Bogut.

Travis Outlaw vs J.J. Reddick - Nov 23

WEEKLY RODMANISM

"Death has always had a prominent place in my mind. There are times when I think somebody might kill me."

WEAK SAUCE

Youtube Guy Whining About Outlaw's Flagrant

The Dirkster Flops - Nov 26

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Sacramento is home again. Unfortunately, the opponent is Oklahoma City. Gads.

Akis has written about this a few times, but it bears repeating: while the Kings have had an extremely home-heavy schedule (10 at home, five on the road) it has been really, really tough. In fact, tied for the toughest in the league. Of the Kings' 15 games, only three have featured teams currently below .500. Those happen to be the three East team that visited Sleep Train.

Another home game on Tuesday, and another tough foe: the 12-3 Thunder.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

Kevin Durant vs. Derrick Williams.

Yeah.

Durant actually hasn't shot as well as usual early this season. His numbers would be godlike for most other players, but for him, these (26 points per 36 minutes, .608 True Shooting) are ordinary. So perhaps there's an opportunity to take advantage of a slow start (as ridiculous as that sounds given the above numbers) and limit him somewhat. Meanwhile, Williams can pound it in transition and get the Thunder off-balance, in theory.

Yeah.

3 THINGS TO WATCH SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING

1. Is Isaiah Thomas in control? He's had a few horrible turnover nights this season, including in Sunday's loss. A low turnover rate has been one of the Kings' offensive strengths this season. When Isaiah gets that loose with the ball, it's negated. It's how the Kings lose a game in which they shot 53 percent.

2. Can the defense discourage penetration and challenge shots? Without a shotblocker, letting Russell Westbrook and KD drive the lane is especially perilous. But if you try to keep them out on the perimeter, you have to close out and challenge shots. It's a tricky balance, but that's defense in the NBA.

3. Can DeMarcus Cousins abuse the smaller, slower, less athletic Kendrick Perkins? The answer is yes. So I suppose the question should be "will he?"

START FOUR

In case you missed it Sunday, we have an StR group at Start Four. At the end of December, everyone above me (TeamZiller) in the standings will be entered into a drawing for a prize. Choosing Jason Thompson over Patrick Patterson on Sunday really did a number on me, but I'm still in 11th place out of 60.

Make sure you pick your players for today. And you still have time to join if you missed Sunday -- I'm really not very good at these games, so you'll have ample opportunity to catch me if you join soon.

PREGAME HAIKU

The Thunder? Oh no!
Thabo, Perkins and Serge:
how will the Kings cope?

PREDICTION

Thunder 108, Kings 100.

More from Sactown Royalty

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• Isaiah Thomas and the benefits and perils of aggression
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• Kings vs. Warriors final score: Golden State wins 115-113 behind Stephen Curry
• Question of the Game: Ben McLemore

Do the Kings stand a chance? Check the article out and see.

2013-2014 NBA Season
	@
12-3 Won 7		4-11Lost 4
December 3rd, 2013
Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, California
9:00 PM CST
TV: Fox Sports Network Oklahoma, Comcast Sports Network California
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM/640 AM), KHTK Sports 1140
Injury Report: Carl Landry (Out)
Previous Matchups: None (Thunder Won Last Season's Series 3-0)
Probable Starters
Russell Westbrook	PG	Greivis Vasquez
Thabo Sefolosha	SG	Ben McLemore
Kevin Durant	SF	Derrick Williams
Serge Ibaka	PF	Jason Thompson
Kendrick Perkins	C	DeMarcus Cousins
2013/14 Advanced Stats
99.4 (6th)	Pace	95.8 (22nd)
104.2 (10th)	ORtg	100.1 (17th)
97.6 (T-4th)	DRtg	105.1 (28th)

The Thunder won every game they played against the Kings last season by 9-10 points, but the final scores usually don't give the closeness of those game justice. Aside from a few missed shots, the Kings played more or less equally with the Thunder last season, and could make a serious run at the Thunder today if the pieces fall in the right place.

But really, let's be realistic about this season's Kings. The faces might be a bit different, but the team still isn't a whole lot better. Sure, the West is mighty and brutal, but they've only managed to beat the Suns, Nets, and Nuggets. And that Nuggets win came during the Kings' home opener. That's significant because Kings fans showed up with their team's future secured for the first time in years, which made the night especially emotional.

The Kings made a recent trade to the Timberwolves, receiving Derrick Williams for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. The results have been a mixed bag so far, but he definitely brings a bigger upside than Mbah a Moute did. The Kings have a few other players that are starting to break out, like Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Thornton, and Patrick Patterson. Thomas has been a consistent Nate Robinson-like firecracker off the bench, while Thornton and Patterson have had good games recently.

Speaking of Thomas, he was particularly effective in a fourth quarter comeback against the Thunder last season, forcing the Thunder to put their starters back into what was considered a done game. Generally speaking, he's the type of quick guard that always seems to give the not-so-quick Thunder problems. The key for Sacramento will be establishing Cousins' presence in the paint, so that the Thunder are less keen to play help defense down there. Unfortunately, Cousins never shot over 37.5% against the Thunder last season, so that's easier said than done.

On the Thunder's side of things, they've always been heavily reliant upon Kevin Durant against the Kings. They don't really have the type of player who would be effective at guarding him, so KD should be able to grab over 50% from the field if he plays his cards right. Westbrook has had trouble scoring against the quick, high-pressure defense of the Kings in the past, but he's always been able to more than make up for it in the assist category. He's facing Greivis Vasquez this time around though, so I don't foresee him having any problems tonight. Generally speaking, the Kings will have to rely upon getting the Thunder to foul and keeping the Thunder off the glass.

At the end of the day, the Kings aren't as talented as the Thunder, but they're a viable team on certain nights. They shoot themselves in the foot a lot with bad mistakes and turnovers, but if everything clicks, they can beat anybody. I just hope that their journey to clicktown isn't coming tonight, because we've got to face the Blazers tomorrow.

Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder 109, Sacramento Kings 100.

What do you think about tonight's game? Let us know in the comments!

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 Serge Ibaka's blocks, Kevin Durant's free throw attempts, and Nick Collison's rebounds. (1 point for one right answer, 3 points for two right answers, 5 points for all right answers)

The HQ's Kayla Grey previews tonight's match-up versus the Golden State Warriors

Raptors HQ's Kayla Grey is back with another video preview, this time prepping for tonight's match-up between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors as the Dinos head out West for a few games.

The Warriors are coming off a 115 to 113 win over the Sacramento Kings and haven't been running so hot of late. They've been .500 over their last 10 games and with injuries to Andre Iguodala and Steph Curry, haven't been able to go at full strength consistently either.

That being said, this is another dangerous match-up for the Dinos as the Warriors are the best three-point shooting team in the league percentage wise (44%) and the Raps of late have struggled to defend the long-ball.  We saw this first hand in losses to Brooklyn and Portland and the club better be locked in on the perimeter tonight, something Kayla touches on in her video Game-day Preview:

The Pizza Guy had 21 points in the fourth, but the Kings fell just short.

Isaiah Thomas exploded for 21 points in the fourth quarter, but the Kings came up just short of the Thunder, losing 97-95. Isaiah missed a foul line jumper with two seconds left to end the game.

Isaiah had just three points on 1-6 shooting through three quarters before going nuts. In the fourth, he outscored Oklahoma City 21-19 and shot 8-12 from the floor. He also had four steals and no turnovers for the game.

DeMarcus Cousins sat with a sprained ankle, leading to the rare and wonderful Chuck Hayes start. The Kings had just eight turnovers in the game, but shot below 40 percent. The Kings were fantastic on offense in the first and fourth quarters, but struggled mightily in between.

Kevin Durant paced OKC with 27 points on 8-21 shooting. The Kings next host the Lakers on Friday. It has been billed as Kobe Bryant's potential return to action.

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Two of the hottest teams in the NBA square off tonight in Portland when the sharpshooting Blazers take on Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blazers will have to weather the inevitable onslaught from Durant while limiting the contributions of secondary players like they did Monday night, when they withstood a beating from All-Star forward Paul George and hung on to beat the Pacers.

The Kings have some nice pieces, but not enough to be a consistently good team.

Last night the Kings were without their best player in DeMarcus Cousins.  I'm sure I'm not alone when I thought to myself, "well, here comes the blowout."

But Sacramento did not get blown out.  In fact they came out incredibly strong, albeit helped by a bafflingly large amount of misses at the rim by the Thunder.  Offensively the Kings were able to carve up the Thunder defense, with Vasquez penetrating and guys moving off the ball.

Alas the fast start eventually gave way to a Thunder takeover in the second and third quarters.  Kevin Durant is nigh unstoppable, and I think the Kings played him about as well as anyone could have hoped for.  He scored 27 points, but did so on just 8-21 shooting.  Fellow superstar Russell Westbrook also struggled more than I expected, going just 7-19 for 15 points along with 7 turnovers. Still, the Thunder were able to stymie Sacramento's offense and went on an 18-0 run to push the lead to 17 points in the 4th quarter.

The problem for Sacramento at that point was scoring.  After the hot start, nobody else really caught fire.  Ben McLemore was getting open looks, but shot just 4-12.  Derrick Williams had a solid game, shooting 5-10 for 13 points.  But guys like Marcus Thornton, Patrick Patterson, and Isaiah Thomas weren't hitting shots.  Patterson and Thornton, after amazing games against the Warriors, finished the night a combined 3-17 from the field for 8 points.

In the fourth quarter, Isaiah Thomas happened.  He had been playing far too passively, as Coach Malone mentioned in the post-game, and was just 1-6.  Isaiah's game is not to make plays for others.  It's to make plays for himself and to use that ability to then make plays for others.  So with nothing to lose and the Kings down big, Isaiah made plays.  He went on to score 21 points in the quarter (he leads the league in 4th quarter scoring), on an array of layups, fastbreaks, and three pointers.  Thomas even had a chance to send the game into overtime for the second game in a row, and got a much better look than the previous game.  It's a shot that we've seen Isaiah make plenty of times, but tonight it didn't fall.  Unlike against the Warriors, I have absolutely no problem with Isaiah taking this shot.  It was an open look, and he was the hot hand.  We wouldn't have been in that position without him.

Sacramento's biggest problem continues to be a lack of consistency, and a lot of that simply comes down to personnel.  The Kings have two players that you can point to that have been consistently good all season:  DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas.  The next best players have probably been Greivis Vasquez, Travis Outlaw, and Ben McLemore.  Sacramento's third best player, Carl Landry, hasn't played a minute all year.  John Salmons continues to be a heavy rotation player.  Jason Thompson and Patrick Patterson haven't been playing well.  Coach Malone has been ping-ponging between Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette in search of someone who can score off the bench besides Isaiah.  Hamady N'Diaye has played 52 minutes more than I thought he would.

This Kings team needs talent.  That's why I was happy with the Derrick Williams trade.  It was a shot at acquiring talent, and so far (Small Sample Size Institute Approved) it's been working out alright.  Trading Tyreke for Vasquez allowed us to acquire talent back rather than let Evans go for nothing.

We can complain about rotations and the such, but it's hard for teams without a lot of quality consistent players to have quality consistent rotations.  I think this team is closer to being good than to being really bad.  I understand that Sacramento's record right now shows them as a really bad team.  But they're competing, and doing so with the toughest schedule in the league, and I have faith that this team will continue to acquire talent.  Part of that will simply be added experience for young guys like Ben McLemore.  Part of that will be trades like the one for Williams.  Heck, part of that is going to be being bad this year to get another high draft pick.  That's not tanking, that's just facts. We are not a good team yet.

The mounting losses (especially at home) aren't easy to swallow, but in the last couple years we've endured far worse.  For now, I'll take competing every night and growth from the young guys.  I'll take entertaining fourth quarter takeovers by Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins learning to dominate in the post.  We're headed in the right direction, and I can't help but feel that we'll be better sooner rather than later.

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Waiting for Tyreke Evans to grow into the player we hoped he could be was a frustrating experience as a fan.

I don't miss Tyreke Evans.

I know based on some recent comments I've seen that not everyone will agree with me on this. And I hope nobody takes this as me bashing Tyreke Evans. He seems like a good enough guy and I have nothing against him as a person.

But I don't miss Tyreke.

This isn't about his slow start to the season. I think Tyreke will be fine for the Pelicans. I don't care that his numbers weren't great for the first few weeks of the year.

This isn't about the Kings having a perfect roster. It's very easy to argue that Tyreke would still be one of the best talents on a roster lacking talent. You could argue, pretty easily, that with Tyreke in the fold the Kings might have a couple extra wins right now.

But I don't miss waiting for Tyreke to become the player he has the potential to be. I don't miss watching the Kings and being completely lost as to how he could fit with the roster. I don't miss trying to figure out how the Kings could build around him.

Tyreke Evans is a unique talent. We knew that from the first few weeks of his rookie season. But the problem with Tyreke was always that he didn't fit. Was he a point guard? Was he NaPG? Was he a shooting guard? A small forward? A combo guard? A super sixth man? We still aren't sure. New Orleans is trying the super sixth man role, the one role the Kings never really tried Tyreke in, but it hardly seems like a sure answer to the constant question.

I don't miss it. For all their faults, we generally have players who fit into roles right now. Ben McLemore is a shooting guard. Greivis Vasquez is a point guard. Isaiah Thomas is a super sub. John Salmons is an expiring contract. Clearly defined roles. No more of Tyreke's positional ambiguity.

Maybe the Pelicans can figure it out. Maybe they can't. But whatever happens is on them. We don't have to wring our hands and debate what's best for him. We, of course, can instead expend that energy arguing about Isaiah Thomas' role or minutes, or Jimmer Fredette versus Marcus Thornton.

There will always be debates and consternations. But I don't miss having those discussions about Tyreke. Perhaps it's just exhaustion because we debated him so much for so long.

Tyreke, I wish you nothing but the best. I'm thankful for the time you spent here, and the highlights and the memories you created. But I don't miss having you as a Sacramento King.

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James Ham, of Cowbell Kingdom and friend of StR, joins us to talk all things Kings.

The Sactown Royalty Show is back! This week I'm joined by James Ham. James is a longtime friend of StR, and you of course know him from Cowbell Kingdom. James is a wealth of Kings information, and we're going to cover a wide range of topics. As you should know from the Cowbell Kingdom podcast, James is a great guest and has tons of great insights on the team.

We talked about Isaiah Thomas needing minutes, how Jimmer Fredette should become a gunner, what's wrong with Jason Thompson, and much, much more.  It was a fun show, be sure to check it out.

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.

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With the uncertainty of his future behind him, DeMarcus Cousins is rewarding the Kings with a strong start to the new season.

DeMarcus Cousins is having a career year thus far in the 2013-14 NBA season, and it's not a coincidence.

The major improvement he's shown to this point is what the Sacramento Kings banked on when they gave the mercurial big man a four-year, $62 million extension in September. Since then, he's rewarded the team that drafted him in 2010 in a big way -- he's scoring and rebounding among the league's best. What's more is the Kings are relying on him to be the focal point of the offense.

As planned, he's been the centerpiece when the Kings posses the ball, amassing a league-leading usage rate of 32.1. That metric, according to ESPN, measures the number of possessions a player uses per 40 minutes.

Because a player's usage relies heavily on shot attempts, it's somewhat of an anomaly to have big men lead in that area. Guards and wing players, who play more often with the ball in their hands, tend to dominate because they initiate more offense on a consistent basis. Centers rely on guards to get them the ball, and are the players most likely to see their touches limited.

For example, in 2012-13 Brook Lopez led all centers with a 26.1 usage rate and was No. 16 overall among all qualified players. Carmelo Anthony was first. This season, Cousins is the top among all players through 15 games. Lopez rankssecond among centers but is 38th overall at 24.6. What that translates to on the floor is that Boogie is not only getting plenty of touches, but he's turning them into field goal attempts, getting to the free throw line, sharing the ball and limiting turnovers as well as anyone in the league.

For a big man, that's almost unheard of and speaks volumes of how dedicated Sacramento is to playing through him. It further demonstrates the trust they have in him and that their intent in re-signing him was to give him every opportunity to deliver on their investment.

So far he has.

Cousins is shooting a career-high field goal percentage of 48.5 percent through 15 games. He's also posting a career-high in points per game (21.7) and PER, where he's seventh among all players at 25.6. A look at his shot chart for the same period gives us an intriguing peek into where he's been most effective.

Cousins has always proven to be a versatile shooter for a big man, but this season he's been exceptionally good from mid-range, as evidenced by the chart above. The Kings are setting him up to knock shots down from all over the floor, and given his usage, he's been confident enough to oblige his teammates by taking them.

SB Nation's own Tom Ziller wrote in prophetic fashion back in September as it relates to the big contract:

"Cousins [now] has no excuses. If he didn't get an extension, you could make an argument that the uncertainty over his future weighed on him this season and caused him to do x, y and z. Nope. With an extension, the mystery on that is gone. This will also be his third head coach and he has a solidly run franchise behind him. He's been loaded with gobs of royal jelly. His teammates aren't the best in the world, but no one is expecting him to win 50 games. The expectation is to keep his nose clean(er) and produce. If he doesn't, at the end of this season, we'll know."

Those simple expectations -- to behave and produce -- have been far exceeded so far. Things haven't gone well for the team as they sit firmly in last place in the Pacific Division, but as pointed out above, the expectation for this young group with a new coach, direction and nucleus isn't to win right away. It's only for Cousins to control what he's capable of, and that's his effort and attitude.

From what it seems, the contract situation did play a significant role in some of his antics, because he's stayed down and delivered twofold on the floor. As the Kings continue to build around him, the risk the new ownership took on him long-term figures to continue to pay dividends.

That's a good thing for Sacramento and NBA fans. When superstars do what they should be doing, everyone wins.

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Trade activity could heat up around the 15th as free agents signed this summer can then be traded.

Sacramento's new front office has vowed to be both aggressive and opportunistic in looking for ways to improve the team.  We saw that a week and a half ago when the Kings traded for Derrick Williams.

Trade rumors involving Sacramento could heat up again on or around December 15th.  Why is December 15th so important?  It's the date that teams can begin to involve players they signed in free agency in trade discussions.  This doesn't mean that the Kings would be targeting such a player, but instead that it gives teams way more options in how they can shape deals.

The Kings don't have a ton of super attractive trade assets.  The players with the greatest value, DeMarcus Cousins and Ben McLemore, likely aren't being moved short of a blockbuster deal.  The next best assets for the Kings are their Point Guards: Isaiah Thomas, Greivis Vasquez and Ray McCallum.  We cannot trade future first round picks because of the Casspi-Hickson trade and even if we could I'm not sure we'd want to.

The Kings would probably love to get out of the big deals of Jason Thompson, Marcus Thornton and Chuck Hayes.  The trick is of course, finding another team that would be willing to take on such a deal.  Usually that means bundling up a more attractive asset to go with such a player or taking on an even worse contract in return.

I expect several more moves to be made by this front office leading up to the trade deadline.  So keep an eye on December 15th, because from then until the trade deadline, we'll be hearing Sacramento's name in a lot of rumors.  Just remember that we have to give something to get something.

Champion and challenger went head-to-head, and it was epic as could be expected.

Very little shakeup this week, with no new faces (except one return) and two player switching positions.  Otto Porter is due to come back from injury soon so he could be another contender to watch out for, but for now, here are your weekly rookie power rankings.

Rank	Prev	Player	Reason
1	1	Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers	Carter-Williams recorded his first career triple-double this week with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against Orlando.  That brought his averages up to 17.7 points (leads all rookies), 5.8 rebounds (leads all rookies), and 7.3 assists (leads all rookies).  In case that's not convincing enough, MCW also leads the class in steals (3.1) and PER (20.1).
2	2	Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic	Not to be outdone, Oladipo had his own triple-double, in the same game, even!  Although he needed an extra period to do so, VO finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.  That brings his averages to 13.9 points (second), 4.1 rebounds (sixth), and 3.8 steals (fourth).  He also has 1.7 steals (second) and a PER of 12.9 (second).
3	4	Trey Burke, Utah Jazz	Burke moves up a spot after scoring a career high 21 points on Monday, then dishing out a career high 9 assists last night.  He is seemingly becoming more consistent, averaging 12.6 points (third), 4.1 assists (third), 0.8 steals (tied for sixth) and a PER of 11.8 (third).
4	3	Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings	McLemore, on the other hand, remains frightfully inconsistent.  He scored a mere four points on Sunday, but then followed it up by scoring fourteen on Tuesday.  He is still in fourth place in scoring at 9.1 points per game plus he's tied for sixth in steals with 0.8 per game.  He may lead the rookie class in highlights though, as witnessed here.
5	N/A	Nate Wolters, Milwaukee Bucks	Due to the injury to Kelly Olynyk, Wolters regains his spot on the list.  He is seventh in the class in scoring at 7.4 points per game, second in assists with 4.4 (with only 1.2 turnovers) and fourth in efficiency at 9.6.  He is shooting an absolutely abysmal 9.5% from three point land, though.  If he doesn't keep improving, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be ready to make his first appearance on the list.

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• Eastern Conference Playoff Prediction: The Third Seed
• Eastern Conference Playoff Prediction: The Fourth Seed
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In the next installment of the ticket deal that started on opening night, PtR readers will be able to buy a discounted ticket for the game on December 23rd versus the Raptors, get passes to enter the arena early to watch the teams warm up, and shoot a free throw on the court after the game. Plus, you'll receive a special Spurs holiday t-shirt.

If you're interested in getting into the AT&T center early enough to watch each of the Spurs get in their pre-game workout. If you'd like to get onto the court after the game and shoot a free throw. And if you don't mind watching a Spurs vs. Toronto Raptors game in between. Then this is the ticket deal for you.

And all you have to do is go to here, enter promo code PTR, create an account, and choose your seats from four different price levels: three lower level options ($155, $95, $75) and one upper level option ($35). Purchase as many tickets as you like, up to 10, and you will be contacted about your exclusive passes for Courtside Experience and Post Game Free Throw, which are included in the price. Not to mention the Spurs holiday t-shirt you will receive.

In addition to the Raptors game, Pounders are being offered the discounted ticket price, the t-shirt, and the courtside passes, but NOT the free throw after the game, to the December 29th game against the Sacramento Kings.

December also has Spurs' rivals,  the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets coming in to the AT&T Center to battle the Spurs. Pounders are able to get discounted tickets for these two games. These match-ups between contenders in the West are sure to be intense, so get out there and support your team. If you want the tickets for either of these two games follow this link, spursgroups.com/ptr6, enter promo code: PTR, create an account, and select which tickets you want.

If the links above don't behave as I've described, or is you have any questions or concerns, please contact the man who helped PtR set this up, Spurs representative Danny Farias at 210-444-5607 or dfarias@attcenter.com.

So click on this pic and get your tickets now. The rest of the £ers, and I, will see you there.

More from Pounding The Rock

Follow @poundingtherockFollow @SBNationNBA

• A possible oral history of the Mexico City Arena fire
• Play Boris Diaw instead of Tiago Splitter if you must, but not Matt Bonner!
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• Spurs sign forward Malcolm Thomas
• Stream: The Spurs vs. Timberwolves Mexico City game that wasn't

The Hustlin' Husky is suddenly one of the top-scoring reserves in the NBA despite his diminutive stature. Is he legit?

Isaiah Thomas has gotten a lot of attention this season. He's demanded it. Consider Tuesday night, when he outscored the Thunder 21-19 in the fourth quarter to give his Kings a chance to beat the Western power at home. (Sacramento didn't quite make it over the hump as Isaiah missed the tying jumper in the final seconds.)

He's scoring in gobs in his third year and, because he'll be a free agent in July, fans may be wondering if he's worth chasing. We're also oddly obsessed with the smallest and largest players in the NBA, so I.T. gets some extra attention. So here's everything you need to know about Isaiah.

HOW TALL IS HE REALLY?

You know how most players' official height listing is fudged a bit in either direction? Some 7-footers want to be listed at 6'11 or vice versa. Plenty of 5'10 guys get listed at 6-foot. Isaiah's 5'9 listing appears to be totally accurate. At the 2011 draft combine, Isaiah measured 5'9 without shoes and 5'10.5 with shoes. So his 5'9 listing is honest. He could probably get away with listing himself up to 5'11 -- he does wear shoes while playing, and rounding up is a legitimate thing to do -- but 5'9 is the most accurate measurement we have.

IS HIS PERFORMANCE A FLUKE?

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While he is putting up the best numbers of his career -- 17.6 points per game on .586 True Shooting with 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals -- only one stat stands out as a potential fluke based on his career to date. The thing is that Isaiah has been a scorer since entering the league, he's just being allowed more freedom in a bench role. Isaiah started roughly half of his games as a rookie in 2011-12, playing with DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, two featured scorers. In the 2012-13 season, Isaiah started 62 games, again largely alongside Cousins and Evans. This season, he's been a reserve only. Evans is gone, and while I.T. does play large stretches with Cousins, there's more room for him to operate in his best role: with the ball in his hands, being aggressive.

So the boosted scoring numbers are largely a product of his much-increased usage rate, which is due to his substantial role as the bench producer for the Kings.

WHAT'S THE POTENTIALLY FLUKE STAT?

Isaiah is drawing fouls at an incredible rate (0.45 free throw attempts per field goal attempt), a much higher rate than in recent years. It could potentially drop back down into normal ranges as the season wears on. Isaiah's always been fair at drawing contact as he attacks the rim, but his current foul rate is typically reserved for superstars.

CAN MY TEAM TRADE FOR HIM?

I would like very much to say: "No. Hell no." But it's a real mystery. As we'll discuss below, he's a restricted free agent in July and figures to get a big pay raise. He's not one of the new regime's players: he was already in Sacramento when the current front office took over. They have vowed to be active, and to be honest, Isaiah is the team's best asset right now given his contract and production. So I would not be totally shocked if the Kings packaged him with a contract for a near-All-Star veteran. It's unlikely he'll just be given away, though: he's valuable for sign-and-trade purposes even if the Kings don't intend to retain him beyond this season.

ANYTHING I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HIM AS AN NBA FANFIC WRITER?

He has a feud with Stephen Curry going. He seems to be really, really annoyed by Curry and vice versa. It's not quite a DeMarcus Cousins-Blake Griffin feud, but it's simmering and could boil over this season.

HOW DOES HE DO IT?

All of the factors sync up for Isaiah: his mentality fits his physical attributes. Like other great sub-6-footers before him, he uses his size as a strength. He has a CP3ian knack for splitting traps -- something big guards struggle to do -- and explosive speed with the ball. Watching Isaiah and Greivis Vasquez, the Kings' starting point guard, play in the same game offers some good perspective. Where Vasquez uses his size to see the floor and knock his way into position, Isaiah uses his size to render opponents static. He's enough of a jitterbug to get to spots a bigger guard simply wouldn't be able to.

He's also learned better body control, which allows him to use his excellent leaping ability more effectively. Earlier in his career, he'd often be out of control when attacking the rim. It's not showing up in the shooting percentages, but he seems to be taking fewer paths certain to end in disaster these days.

In addition to all of that, he's a good shooter. He's a career 37 percent three-point shooter -- 40 percent this season -- and while his shot selection could use more improvement, his combination of usage and efficiency is tough to beat for an inexpensive reserve.

WHAT SEPARATES HIM FROM NATE ROBINSON?

About 50 decibels and an acute case of Kevin Hart Personality Disorder (KHPD).

DOES HE MAKE TEAMMATES BETTER?

Believe it or not, not all Kings fans are on board with the new Isaiah. The one box score stat that hasn't seen a leap as Isaiah improves and gets a bigger role is his assists. At 5.9 assists per 36 minutes, he is pretty close to his career averages. Until Vasquez, the Kings had been without a pure point guard since roughly Jason Williams. There's a sect of fans who believe wholeheartedly that point guards should set up teammates, not drop 20 points in a quarter. Isaiah has also taken some dicey shots at the ends of games lately with open teammates available, which has drawn consternation. In fairness to Isaiah, in two of those situations the open teammate was John Salmons, so ...

WHERE DOES HE CURRENTLY RANK AMONG THE MOST FUN NBA PLAYERS TO WATCH?

1. Ricky Rubio
2. DeMarcus Cousins
3. LeBron James
4. J.R. Smith*
5. Isaiah Thomas
6. Kevin Durant
7. Andre Drummond
8. Eric Bledsoe
9. Michael Carter-Williams
10. Derrick Rose ^

* Does not apply to Knicks fans.
^ Does not apply to the 2012-13 or 2013-14 seasons.

WHAT'S HE WORTH?

Here's the (five) million dollar question: what sort of contract is he worth? He'll be a restricted free agent in July, and one assumes that the Kings intend to keep him if the price doesn't get too high. Also keep in mind that while I.T. was a second-round pick -- the last pick of the 2011 draft, in fact -- he signed a 3-year deal, meaning the Kings have full Bird rights on him. This isn't a situation as with Omer Asik, where only the Early Bird exception applied.

If he keeps this up, he might find himself signing a deal worth more than the full mid-level. Teams will have cap space in 2014, and many teams could use a firestarter bench scorer. The Kings have already let one high-potential guard (Evans) go in free agency, so there's definitely a chance that GM Pete D'Alessandro could set a threshold and refuse to exceed it to retain Thomas. Keep in mind that Vasquez is also a restricted free agent, so Sacramento's in an interesting spot. Could that allow other teams to swoop in and raise Isaiah's dollar figure early on? We'll see.

I think in the end he'll sign for about $6-7 million per season. I'm totally clueless as to whether the Kings will match.

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The Lakers visit Sacramento Friday. Is revenge in store?

The only recent bad loss the Kings have suffered came in Los Angeles against the Lakers. A day after pushing the Clippers to their limit, the Kings offense sputtered horribly and conceded a game to the dilapidated Lakers. Now, the Evil Empire visits Sacramento, still missing Kobe Bryant, who won't return until Sunday.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

Pau Gasol vs. DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins will return after missing one game with a sprained ankle. Boogie was just okay in the last matchup, with 17 points on 6-14 shooting, eight rebounds, seven assists and three turnovers. He wasn't really the problem, but he didn't do enough to really help the team at the same time. Gasol, on the other hand, dropped 20 on 8-16 shooting. So it was a pretty close battle. The rest of the Lakers did better than the rest of the Kings.

Hopefully the ankle isn't at all an issue for Cousins and he can do work on Pau and company.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

1. Can Ben McLemore break out of his slump? The rookie is shooting 33 percent of his last 10 games. He's getting plenty of open looks, but not hitting them. I'm of the opinion he'll eventually find his range and start hitting a good share of his shots, but to date it hasn't really happened.

2. Can Derrick Williams hit a three? It's tough to play small forward without a legitimate outside shots. It's possibly, but tough. Williams is 0-for-Sacramento from long-range. He's gotten a couple of good looks. Hitting a few against the Lakers will sure endear him to the crowd.

3. Will it snow? Come on, it's a whiteout at Sleep Train, it's colder than a Maloof's handshake outside and it's supposed to rain. Will it snow in Sacramento?!?!

START FOUR

You're playing, right? I picked a horrible lineup on Tuesday (including an injured Cousins, whoops!), dropping me solidly into the middle of the pack in the Sactown Royalty group. Remember: if you finish above me for the month of December, you'll be entered in a drawing for a Kings store gift card.

PREGAME HAIKU

Kobe too scurred to
come back in Sacramento?
Oh well. Hungry, man?

PREDICTION

Kings 112, Lakers 100.

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• The Sactown Royalty Show Ep. 26: James Ham
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Chris Hansen, hands down.

Forget that Dos Equis guy! My belief is that Chris Hansen, our Sonics champion, is the most interesting man in the world. He seems to know how to do it all: high finance, great family, and he's on a tear to get us a team back.

Our hero's story is one of perseverance in the face of long odds. Navigating both the King County Council and Seattle City Council can be filled with landmines, but our hero did ably, ultimately getting 16 out of the 18 votes and the blessings of 2 mayors (incoming and outgoing) and the King County Executive. In a city that overwhelmingly passed I-91, this is no small feat.

You can tell he cares about his hometown by the way he arranged the MOU so that any money the city used would be paid back and the city would own the arena at the end. He pursued the Kings deal with passion, and he made the right moves at every turn. If the Commissioner didn't have his fingerprints all over the neck of this deal, forcing his hand with the NBA owners, we'd be watching the Sonics right now. When the NBA owners voted against the Hansen deal, it was the first time in human history that a group of people have voted AGAINST their own interests. You have to give Hansen credit for his incredible effort.

Most recently Hansen climbed Mt. Everest (OK, he humbly says he just went to Base Camp, but to me it's still incredibly badass!). He did it as part of a work team-building exercise. While he was up there, he was also supporting a fellow sports team, waving the 12th Man flag from the top of the world. He takes his love for Seattle sports all over the globe!

His love for his city, his love for the Sonics and their fans, his business successes, and his travel adventures make him the most interesting man in the world. Don't you agree?

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• Youngbloods: NBA Rookie Power Rankings for 12/5/2013
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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 Jodie Meeks three pointers made, Xavier Henry's assists and Jordan Hill's offensive rebounds. (1 point for one right answer, 3 points for two right answers, 5 points for all right answers)

Game #21 -- Jazz (4-16) @ Portland Trail Blazers (16-3)

Moda Center, Portland, OR

8:00 pm (MT) -- TV: ROOT Sports, RADIO: 1280 AM / 97.5 FM

NBA Regular Season Game #21:

Utah Jazz (4-16) @ Portland Trail Blazers (16-3)

December Game Streams /  Blazer's Edge (SBN) / Jazz vs Trail Blazers coverage

I still have PTSD about Terry Porter's three pointers in the WCF in '92

.

I really did not think the Portland Trail Blazers would be first in the Northwest division, and first in the Western Conference standings at any point in this season. Yet today that is exactly where they stand. I'm not mad about it though. For one, it means that there's another team I did not count on to be better than the Golden State Warriors that currently ARE better (Warriors are 1 game ahead of the #9 team in the West right now, and we own their pick this year). And another thing it means that this is a pretty solid template to follow. Right now four of the five starters for the Blazers are in their physical peaks: LaMarcus, Robin, Wes, and Nic. The fifth starter is last seasons' rookie of the year, Damian. All five of these guys got playing time early in their careers and developed quicker than if they were stuck on the bench watching superstars like Josh Howard screw up 3-1 fast breaks because he was allergic to passing.

Portland had some very hard knocks with their #1 pick Greg Oden being hurt, and then their previous ROY guard Brandon Roy also having a near career ender. But they've dusted themselves off, and toxic deals aside, they've stuck with developing and have seem to be ascending right now at the right time in an "anybody's" western conference.

They are in a number of ways the opposite of our team I guess. Well, not opposites, but are the current inverse of one another. Most obviously in that they are 8-1 at home, and we are 1-9 on the road. They have four times the number of wins we do. And they're doing it with their hot-shot rookie being injured all season long, while we are ostensibly being led by ours.

Tonight's game represents the first game of a two game set at home for the Blazers, and they may be looking ahead to their next opponent the Dallas Mavericks. It's also the first of a two game set for us, but we fly back to Utah tonight and prep for the Sacramento Kings. Fatigue should not be a factor at all as the Jazz already spent a night in Portland. Tonight will be their first meeting this regular season, and in the last three seasons the Jazz are 8-4 against Portland. Historically the Jazz lead the season series 93-72, which looks really good. What looks less good is that the Jazz are getting pounded in Oregon, and have a 27-56 record up in those parts.

Making things worse, because it can't just be statistically bad, is the fact that we'll once again be without "Mad Dog Marvin" Williams. (Dude really should be starting, right?) Hopefully we'll have Elevator Evans back though, because you just don't win games with Mike H playing minutes in the fourth quarter of close games. (More on that later on tonight)

The Blazers have the best offense in the league (by Off RTG), and are #4 in ppg at 105.0; on our side of the ball, we have the 29th best defense in the league (by Def RTG), and give up on average 100.0 ppg. So, yeah. That doesn't look promising. Our offense is ranked poorly as well, while the Blazers are a middle of the pack defensive club. It could be sucky for us. To cheer people up here are some pretty colors!

Okay, their best players play the most minutes. Somehow this is a puzzle to our head coach Tyrone Corbin, but hey, I'm not saying nothing.

Portland is playing very well, and we get the benefit of playing the East's best and then turn around and play the West's best. Lucky us! At least we get to watch more of our quickly gelling core!

Also, to read the BE preview check out this link!

Bryant and the Lakers have officially announced he will make his return to the team on Sunday.

Kobe Bryant will return to the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup when they host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, he officially announced on his Facebook page. This will be his first game since tearing his Achilles against the Golden State Warriors on April 12. He will have completed his return in under eight months.

The Lakers-Raptors game will be aired on NBATV and is scheduled to tip-off at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Here's the two-minute video launched as the announcement on Facebook for his return to the Lakers' lineup:

Bryant received full medical clearance to return to basketball activities on Nov. 18 and has been practicing with the team for the past month. The Lakers built up an even 9-9 record to open the season without Bryant despite Steve Nash also missing extended time due to nerve issues with his back.

The team next plays the Sacramento Kings Friday before returning to Los Angeles to host Toronto and the return of Kobe Bryant on Sunday.

More from SB Nation NBA:

• Ziller: Everything you need to know about Isaiah Thomas

• Derrick Rose-less Bulls blow out Heat

• The first time the NBA played in Mexico City

• The Hook: How to eliminate intentional fouls from the NBA

• Deeks: When should NBA teams pay the luxury tax?