30-year old SG/SF Francisco Garcia has seen his playing time increase in January and he’s playing well.  Garcia has played in 5 games this January and he is averaging 30.6 minutes, 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game.  He has now played in 31 games (8 starts) for the Kings this year and he is averaging 22.2 minutes, 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  The Kings are showcasing Garcia for a deal as they want to attach him to any trade involving Omri Casspi, who they are also looking to move right now.

Due to DeMarcus Cousins acting like a fool, 29-year old center Samuel Dalembert is back in the starting lineup.  In his last two games, Dalembert is averaging 30.5 minutes, 9.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game.  Dalembert has now played in 25 games (13 starts) so far this year and he is averaging 20.5 minutes, 4.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.8 blocked shots per game.  Dalembert can be a force on D and on the boards and the Kings need him to become that as they are more than a tad soft as a team.

27-year old rookie point guard Pooh Jeter has stepped up as of late for the Kings.  Jeter has played in 5 games so far in December and he is averaging 16.4 minutes, 7.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.  Jeter has now played in 9 games (0 starts) so far this year and he is averaging 12.1 minutes, 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.  Jeter is proof that hard work pays off as he paid his dues in the D-League.

20-year old DeMarcus Cousins is off to a very impressive start to his NBA career. Cousins has started his first 4 games of his NBA career and he has averaged 23.3 minutes, 14.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Cousins is giving the Kings the toughness that they have craved as he is a good offensive player around the rim and he has been making his free throws. Cousins has shot 50% from the floor and 81.8% from the free throw line so far this year. If Cousins keeps playing well the Kings will have no choice but to increase his playing time.

At the start of the 2009-10 season it looked like the Kings would be phasing 27-year old point guard Beno Udrih out of the rotation due to Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin starting at guard. But Martin broke his wrist early in the season and the Kings traded him to Houston in February so Udrih got back into a groove. Udrih played in 79 games (41 starts) for the Kings last season and he averaged 31.4 minutes, 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. In his three years with the Kings, Udrih has played in 217 games (164 starts) in which he has averaged 31.5 minutes, 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Look for Udrih to be a key to the Kings’ immediate future as he is a very solid basketball player.

Power forward Carl Landry has really played well since coming over from the Rockets in the Kevin Martin trade. Landry has played in 23 games (all starts) for the Kings this season and he is averaging 37.5 minutes, 17.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Landry is also shooting 52.3% from the floor for the Kings as he is looking like a major building block for the future.

27-year old point guard Beno Udrih is the Kings’ player who most benefitted from the Kevin Martin trade with the Rockets. In his last three games, Udrih is averaging 42.7 minutes, 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 12.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game. He has now played in 68 games (30 starts) this season and he is averaging 30.1 minutes, 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Udrih has really been a solid player in a down year for the Kings and they hope he ends the season strongly.

2nd year forward Donte’ Greene has been really solid lately for the Kings. In his last three games, Greene is averaging 33.0 minutes, 18.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Overall, Greene has played in 45 games (31 starts) for the Kings this season and he is averaging 21.3 minutes, 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Look for Greene’s minutes to increase the rest of this season if he keeps playing like he is right now.

Point guard Beno Udrih will go back to coming off the bench after the return of Kevin Martin this past week. Udrih has played in 37 games (14 starts) for the Kings this season and he is averaging 31.0 minutes, 13.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season. Look for Udrih to keep playing well for the Kings as he has spent most of the year coming off the bench anyway. But, he did play well as a starter for them this season and they won’t hesitate to put him back into the starting line-up if the need arises.

As of right now the Kings have by far the best rookie crop in the NBA this year. SG/PG Tyreke Evans is the top rookie in the NBA right now. He has played in 30 games (all starts) for the Kings this season and he is averaging 37.0 minutes, 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Evans would get my vote for the Rookie of the Year Award if the season ended today. SF Omri Casspi has also been solid this season for the Kings. He has played in 32 games (10 starts) this season for the Kings and he is averaging 27.7 minutes, 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Casspi is a great shooter as he is hitting 49.8% of his shots from the floor and a stunning 47.1% from behind the three point line. Power forward Jon Brockman hasn’t gotten much playing time but he’s making the most of it. He has played in 26 games (0 starts) for the Kings this season and he is averaging 11.0 minutes, 2.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Brockman is shooting 56.8% from the floor and the Kings will likely start getting him more playing time. This was a excellent draft for the Kings which will help build a solid foundation for the future.