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KNIGHTS NEWS
STILL NO COACH IN KC
A little over a week after the Knights fired head coach Marc Iavaroni, and named Johnny Davis interim head coach, the Knights still do not have a head coach in place. "We have been talking and interviewing several candidates, including [interim coach] Davis, but we are still contemplating all the candidates." Rumors are swirling around the next coach in KC. Names have been thrown around from Greg Poppovich to Jerry Sloan. One thing that is certain: the next coach will not be a current assistant. The reason is twofold, "Well, first off, we don't want to hire a coach midseason who does not have an previous head coaching experience," the GM said, "Also, we did not get permission from any team to interview their assistants in the middle of the season." While the Knights are searching high and low for their next coach, he might be right under their nose. Interim coach Johnny Davis led the Knights to a 7-1-1 win last week, their most dominant of the season. Whatever happens, expect an announcement very soon. "We want to have a coach in place before the beginning of next week," the GM said.
ROOKIES MAKING AN IMPACT
Brook Lopez walked off the floor last night after shooting a rough 4/14. He had just 13 points, and grabbed only 8 boards. Under normal circumstances, this performance would have been commendable for a first year player (after all, he did have 5 blocks). However, when you consider that he notched 31 points and 13 rebounds just two nights earlier, these weren't exactly normal circumstances. Inconsistency: the staple of the NBA rookie. Said Knights coach Marc Iavaroni, "That's going to happen with young guys. Its a process. There are very few players that can come in and play at an elite level every game." Lopez agrees with his coach, "I definitely feel like I am getting better, and more used to the speed of the game. I know there will be games where I'm not going to play great, but if I play hard every time out good things will happen."
Good things have certainly happened for Lopez this year. The 7-0 Center from Stanford has improved both his rebounding and point averages each month. He has also been one of the best shot blockers in the league, averaging 2.08 blocks per game. That ranks third behind Dwight Howard and Marcus Camby. He has also shot just over 80% from the foul line, something you don't see from a lot of big men. "There's no question he works," said Iavaroni, "It's just a matter of putting it all together, and he has done that a few times this year."
Lopez is not the only rookie on the team making an impact. Point Guard Russell Westbrook, out of UCLA, is having a fantastic January. He is averaging 17.4 points, 6.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game since the calendar turned to '09. Westbrook has scored in double figures in 15 straight games, and has had at least five rebounds or five assists in 14 of those 15 games. "Russell has become a really good scorer for us, he's actually surprised a lot of the coaches with his ability to put the ball in the hoop," said Iavaroni, "We knew he could play defense, and his rebounding is off the charts for a guard, but he has been much better than expected on offense." Westbrook, and Lopez, are helping to make this rookie of the year race one of the most exciting in recent history. Consensus among the "experts" is that Beasley was the preseason favorite. Then it was given to Rose after his great start. Rose has since cooled off, and with the emergence of Westbrook and Lopez, along with O.J. Mayo and of course Greg Oden, the race is shaping up to be a photo finish.
However, Westbrook and Lopez aren't the only rookies that are playing well for Kansas City. Power Forwards Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur have both experienced the highs and lows of being a first year player. Speights is rated as the #1 rookie according to ESPN's John Hollinger. Hollinger uses a formula that includes several different categories, and Speights comes out far ahead of the competition. He has been a big help for the Knights since Brand went down, averaging 10.8 points and 6 rebounds since Elton's injury. He recently came through with a 15 point, 8 rebound, 4 block performance. "Marreese has been a big help down low for us," said Iavaroni, "He hasn't gotten as many minutes as some of the other guys, but he has been very good." The coaching staff is quietly ecstatic with Speights, and it's easy to see why. His per-48 minute stats are off the charts averaging in at 25 points, 12 rebounds, 2.73 blocks, while shooting 52% from the floor and 78% from the foul line. It should be just a matter of time before Speights starts to get major minutes.
Meanwhile, Darrell Arthur has seen things go the opposite direction. Despite starting 27 of 35 games this season, Arthur has seen his minutes fluctuate from game to game. He started out playing some pretty good basketball, but thanks to a recent hamstring injury, it looks like he might be out for some time. "Darrell is just going through what all rookies go through," Iavaroni said, "All young guys are inconsistent. His first two games are signs of what we think he can do, especially on the glass, but there is a wall you have to get through as a young player."
The final rookie to log minutes in a Knights uniform is Darnell Jackson. The other Kansas rookie has played sparingly throughout the season. It appears that he will be the unlucky cut once Brand comes off IR. Word is the staff does not want to cut him, and would like to re-sign him this offseason.
Despite a ton of young talent, the Knights' front office is going to have some difficult decisions to make in the coming years. With the league's "3 in 5 rule," the team can only keep three players every five years. Amare Stoudemire and Tony Parker are the two major names on this Kansas City team, and both are still young in comparison to others in the league. If those two are kept, only one of the talented rookies will be kept by the team. Not to mention the other young players on this team that the front office will have to decide on (Kelenna Azubuike, Linas Kleiza). Whether or not the Knights can keep all these rookies makes their prospects on the trade front incredibly enviable.