Here is the latest news live from Sleep Train Arena:
- Coach Thibodeau spent the summer with Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins on Team USA and came away impressed with the growth of the Kings’ young center. “He was great,” Thibodeau said. “The thing that impressed me the most is, he made it clear right from the beginning how badly he wanted to be on that team. And he did it through his actions, it wasn’t really anything he was saying. It was the way he practiced, the way he approached everything, he helped set the tone for the team.”
- Fourth-year wing Jimmy Butler is off to a very fast start for Chicago, giving coach Thibodeau career-highs across the board. Butler comes in averaging 21.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 rebounds per game. “Jimmy Butler, he’s about to get paid this summer,” coach Michael Malone said. “That guy’s playing great.”
- The Kings get a wounded Chicago Bulls team tonight in Sacramento. Gone from the lineup are Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol, which most coaches would be ecstatic to see. “We’ll have our hands full, but in a weird way, I was hoping that Rose and Gasol would play,” Malone said. “I want to test us to see where we’re at.”
- Chicago has struggled at home this season, but on the road, they are a sparkling 6-0. “They enjoy being on the road,” Malone said. “And hopefully after tonight, they won’t enjoy it as much.”
- Former Kings great Chris Webber is calling the game tonight for TNT and Mike Bibby is in attendance as part of the team’s legends series. Bibby stepped away from the game following the 2011-12 season and hasn’t been in an NBA arena since, but he is glad the Kings are still in Sacramento. “I’m glad they’re staying,” Bibby said. “I think Sacramento deserves a team, just by the past, they have the greatest fans the NBA has to offer.”
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