Ailene Voisin (Jewish-sounding name) wrote the article.
Ailene Voisin: Udrih does not deserve to be starter
Ailene Voisin: Udrih does not deserve to be starter
By Ailene Voisin
avoisin@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Mar. 23, 2009 - 12:00 am
Beno Udrih's days as the Kings' starting point guard are numbered. Count the games remaining in the season. Add a few games in the opening weeks of 2009-10, while his successor scoots along on training wheels. And there you have it.
The search is on. Tyreke Evans. Jonny Flynn. Eric Maynor. Tony Douglas. Ty Lawson. Darren Collison. Possibly Ricky Rubio. The list of potential draftees will expand as the NCAA Tournament continues, extending to the European Final Four and the pre-draft workouts in Chicago.
But win or lose the NBA lottery - and lucking out with the No. 1 pick would ensure the selection of Oklahoma stud Blake Griffin - upgrading the Kings' backcourt isn't a need, it's a disaster plan.
Udrih isn't the answer. He is one frustrating question after another. How could he have such a solid 2008-09 and such a lousy encore? Why the fleeting bursts followed by sluggish, sloppy performances? How could he be in such poor condition this late in the season? And how will he respond when an eager, quicker point guard is drafted this summer, then darts into training camp determined to devour his playing time?
"Definitely, this has been a disappointing year," Udrih acknowledged after Sunday's loss to Philadelphia. "Last year in general, we were just playing harder. As a point guard, you have to have teammates who get open. I feel much better when I penetrate and somebody gets open, and he makes a dunk."
This is what he says.
Then, sometimes, this is what he does: With 50 seconds left and the Kings scrambling to make a final run against the 76ers, Udrih drives toward the basket, ignores a wide-open Spencer Hawes, who is calling for the ball, and misses a contested five-footer.
"Sometimes you don't see open people," Udrih said.
OK. So maybe that's the issue here. Maybe Udrih is simply better suited for the role he played in San Antonio before a frustrated Gregg Popovich cut him loose, namely that of a third guard who is most effective in limited minutes.
But that still doesn't answer the $32 million question. It still doesn't explain last season, when Udrih rescued the Kings after Mike Bibby underwent hand surgery and emerged as a capable, if unspectacular starting point guard. In 32 minutes per night, the 6-foot-3 left-hander executed the pick-and-roll with Brad Miller, most of his points coming on spinning, twisting drives and midrange jumpers.
And although anything related to defense remains a four-letter word at Arco, he at least attempted to stay in front of his man.
This season, not so much. His assist totals are again underwhelming, but more significantly, his aggressiveness fluctuates dramatically.
"When Beno plays well, the Kings play well," coach Kenny Natt said. "He's a catalyst for us. Why it's happening ... where he's at ... we can't figure that out."
There are theories. Udrih's fleshy, ill-defined body could use a makeover; one wonders whether he has been introduced to strength coach Daniel Shapiro. He was hampered by a hip flexor early in the season and a strained foot in recent weeks, and he has never been one to play well when ailing. There also is the issue of the coaching change and how his emotionally charged but symbiotic relationship with Reggie Theus has given way to a chillier, most distant marriage with Natt.
But everything is about to change. The Kings will draft a point guard with one of their first-round picks. Natt's status remains uncertain. And while Udrih's salary is guaranteed, his starting job is in jeopardy. Already. Edited by: j41181
