Month: March 2006 (Page 9 of 18)

With their 114-98 victory over the Lakers last night, the Sacramento Kings moved ahead of LA into 7th place in the West. They have won 15 of their last 20 and 13 straight at home. Much of this can be attributed to the play of Ron Artest, whom the Kings acquired in a mid-season trade for Peja Stojakovic.

Artest has become the darling of the frenzied [Arco Arena] crowd, feeding off its energy. The love affair began the night the sellout crowd gave him a standing ovation in his first game in a Kings uniform. He has returned the affection with typically intense play, especially at the defensive end.

Artest has been a model teammate in Sacramento, too. One Kings basketball executive said the players he joined Jan. 25 had not seen a work ethic like Artest’s. His devotion to defense has rubbed off on teammates who never had seemed to care as much about stopping opponents as they do now.

Artest seems determined to keep everyone waiting for his eventual meltdown. So far, the trade has worked out brilliantly for the Kings, but one has to wonder when the other shoe will drop. If the Kings can keep winning, there’s a good chance that he’ll continue to be a model citizen.

When Avery Johnson took over the head coaching duties for the Dallas Mavericks last season, it seemed like a good fit. He’s a tough, defensive-minded coach and that is exactly what the Mavs needed after several years of Don Nelson at the helm.Tonight, Johnson will coach the team for the 82nd time tonight, and has compiled a 65-16 record in that span. That represents the best start ever for an NBA coach.

Johnson appreciates what he’s accomplished, but he’s not about to let it go to his head. This is a guy who overcame being undrafted and repeatedly released to become the starting point guard on an NBA champion in San Antonio, so he knows all about humility and perseverance.

“There’s no magic formula to what we do as coaches,” Johnson said Monday. “Fortunately, we’ve won our share of games, but I don’t think it has as much to do with me as the young men on the court.”

Johnson, who hit the title-clinching shot to seal the San Antonio Spurs’ first championship, is known as the “Little General.” Tough and demanding, he has the Mavs playing the best basketball the franchise has seen in the last twenty years. Ironically, the Spurs and Mavs, who have the two best records in the West, are on a collision course to meet in the second round of the playoffs. If Johnson is able to get Dallas past his old team in the postseason, we’ll know that he’s really arrived.