Last Friday we played the Blazers at home. We had a great crowd. We got off to a good start but the Blazers shot the lights out as a team. We came up short and we didn’t have one of our better games. I tried to spark the team a little bit throughout the game. I ended up with a career-high in points and rebounds with 19 and 12. I guess that was a positive, but you always wish to come out with a 'W' rather than the stats.

Then we went to L.A. and played a tough Lakers team that’s been on a roll. We played them real tough during the last two minutes of the game. They had a couple things go their way, like a couple offensive rebounds so they came out with the win, but we played with a lot of energy. I think the young guys and I, the "Young Gunnas," came out throughout the second and third quarters and really sparked the team. We definitely had a couple chances to win. I know in the past the Lakers and Kings have had a rivalry. And as much as we keep emerging and improving as a team, hopefully the rivalry will get better and better as the years go.

I finally played against Kobe in a game that counts. I had a little taste of him and their team in Las Vegas. It was kind of a similar game even though we played them tough throughout. But it’s great to play against him. He’s a great player and he had a great game. Great players are going to have good games and I think as a team, we played tough. But we just have to finish.

On Monday we played Portland again. But this time their young team didn’t shoot the ball as well. We really locked down defensively and it came down to the last second. We had a chance to win it but the shot didn’t fall for us. It was great to see us bounce back from our home loss Friday and come back strong into a high-energy environment like Portland and almost get the 'W.'

On my off day, I helped out my fellow rookie teammate, Donté Greene, on his show. I did some things I didn’t think I would be doing! We paddled on a boat about three miles into the middle of the lake. We did a little storytelling on the boat. We spit a few rhymes…a couple remixes on “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and Tina Turner’s “Rolling on the River!” It was a good time, just chilling with a friend and helping him out on his successful show. I’m serious on the court, but I try to have fun and mingle with guys on and off the court.

Besides kicking it with Donté, I also got a massage and rested my body a little bit. I also took some shots in the gym to stay focused. It’s always good to have an off day.

To close things out I want to give a shout out to Rider basketball. We’re 2-1 right now. We had a couple close games that we won at the end. My brother and the team are playing well. And Happy Thanksgiving to my family even though I’m not going to see you! Hopefully you'll have fun but not too much fun without me! And everybody out there, have fun and be safe.

Happy Holidays and Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t eat too much turkey!

So from where things left off, we've had a couple games. We played against the Clippers and that was our first road game where we didn’t have our veteran guys. I started the game at the three and it was our first road win. It was definitely needed and it helped us out. We played well as a team. Even though the Clippers have a lot of veteran guys and they’re not playing well, it was still tough and fortunately we came out with the victory. I think I posted a double-double or something close.

Next up, we had a game against the Phoenix Suns and Shaq aka the Diesel aka the Big Cactus and Amare aka STAT. It was tough. The Suns came into the game without Steve Nash, who got into an altercation, and Matt Barnes, a Sac native. We had a so-so first half and a lot of energy in the second. We didn’t come out with the win, even though we had a couple chances to do so. Those types of up and down games are going to help us out, though. They’ll help us mature and I felt a lot of guys learned from that game.

Shaq had been playing solid to that point, but he had a breakout game against us. He just used that big body of his. You don’t really get a real feel for how big he is when you see him on TV. But when you’re up close and personal to him, he’s really a big dude! I talked to him a little bit before the game and he told me he really liked how I’ve been playing and that I have a bright future. And talking to him after, he told me I played solid and just keep doing what I’m doing. I really appreciated that. Shaq has some family out in Jersey as well and he was asking me where I was from. He called me 'Rook.'

I knew Amare from working out at his camps. I didn’t talk to him as much as I did with Shaq, but he respects my game just like I respect his. He brings versatility for sure. He definitely improved on his jump shot. A lot of guys said he was just real athletic and only bruised down low. But really, he can do a little bit of everything. And then after he had his surgery, people wanted to downplay his game, saying he wasn’t as great as he was before. But he’s still the real deal. He can put up big numbers on a nightly basis. That’s something I’m trying to do. I want to be established with a franchise and be a go-to-guy in years to come.

Our next game was on Sunday and I had a similar game against Mr. Fundamental, Tim Duncan, and the Spurs. They had a similar situation like the Suns. They had guys who didn’t play -- Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili -- but it was due to injuries. Still, we didn’t play down to the level of the competition. We were up for most of the game but let it slip away for a little bit and we had a couple of chances to win at the end of the game. I had the ball in my hands toward the finish. But as a rookie, I just know when you’re not a star and not established yet in the league, you can’t really look for certain things, especially late in the game. You just have to play and learn from situations like the one against San Antonio. Unfortunately we couldn’t come out with the victory, but we played well as a team, even though there were injuries.

Mr. Fundamental quietly has big games. He just does things to make the game easy and I want to do that too. Guys have told me to slow my game down and that’s what he does. He hit some crucial shots for them at the end of the game. It’s not surprising because he has four rings and a lot of experience. He’s one of the best big men to ever play the position.

Then we went on the road. We had a tough one against Memphis. We just had one of those nights where we couldn’t shoot the ball well. But to stay in games, you have to shoot the ball well. When you don’t, you have to get stops and rebounds. And the guys who do that for us are injured, like Mikki. He’s our defensive stopper underneath and he wasn’t there, which hurt us.

But we bounced back against a really good Hornets team. That shows our character. My fellow rookie teammate, Donté Greene, got the starting spot. He showed a lot of heart with the opportunity he had. The more opportunities we get, the more we can show off our talent. I’m proud of him and hopefully we continue getting better and stronger. As guys come back, we may not be starting, but we strengthen the bench and that’s going to make us a stronger team.

So far the first month of my career has been great. It’s been like déjà vu in a way. Coming out of high school, I was a late bloomer. I did well in camps but guys still didn’t know my name. The same thing happened in college when I went to a small school and stayed in the Jersey area. Most people didn’t know what to expect. They believed I had NBA talent but was too raw. Putting up a double-double in my first NBA game kind of silenced people. People interviewing me on the road have been telling me that I’m a Rookie of the Year candidate and could go to the Rookie/Sophomore Game, which means a lot. As long as I’m doing that and contribute to my team, I’m going to be happy. I’m setting high goals for myself and the more playing time and opportunities I get, the more awards can be a reality. I’m just grateful for this opportunity.

I’ve been playing well and Spencer has been playing great. We talk like we’ve been in the League for five or six years! You have a different relationship with someone who plays a similar position. We just talk about how we have to get every rebound and be dominant in the paint. We don’t worry about how many years we don’t have under our belts. The more we keep working and more experience we gain, the better we’ll be. We want to make it hard for teams to guard us and come in here with a post presence. And then with Bobby Brown and Donté, the four of us call ourselves the "Young Gunnas." We talk about how we have to come in, maybe at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and provide energy.

I respect everybody for checking out my blog. I hear a lot of people like it and hope they keep enjoying it. You guys already know I’m not just someone who plays basketball for the money. I love the game and I’m just a regular guy. I’ve been in the same situations as all of you that are reading my blog. I’m just trying to make it and here I am. I don’t mind expressing how I feel.

We just finished playing our first three games in Sac after a tough road trip. We knew we had to take care of business at home. And we started off strong against Memphis, which is a young team like ourselves that had been playing well. We played them in the Home Opener and did what we had to do. We had some ups and downs throughout that game, but we pretty much controlled all four quarters. It all came down to defense and we kept them to a low percentage to pick up the win.

Next on the home stand, we played the Timberwolves, which was a rematch of our tough loss in the Season Opener. That was the first game of my career and I played well, but it wasn't the same without the win. We watched plenty of film and had a lot of motivation going into the game. We wanted to win badly because of how they beat us in the first match-up. We came out with a lot of energy and played well defensively. Our shots were falling and we had around 20 assists, so we played well together to get the job done.

Of course, going against the Wolves had me matched up against fellow rookie big, Kevin Love. We said 'what’s up' to each other before both games and we respect each other’s abilities. Even though we play slightly different styles, we’re still cool and hopefully we’ll see each other in Phoenix at the All-Star Break. I played well against him in Minnesota, so I knew a little bit more about his strengths and tendencies getting ready to play him at ARCO. Kevin actually had it going more than Al Jefferson in the second meeting here at ARCO. It was just great to play against two great young post players, which will help me improve in my post defense throughout my career.

And two days ago, we had the "Backyard Brawl" against the Golden State Warriors. It was a good crowd at ARCO. The Warriors had some fans but we had ours supporting us since we were on a two-game winning streak. We knew how Golden State likes to play with a four guard, one big lineup. We came out with more energy than them. We knew they like to get out in transition so we did the same thing. We made some stops, tried to frustrate Stephen Jackson and just tried to play harder than them. By the fourth quarter, we built a 20-point lead, which led to a win. Now we’re getting ready to go against a tough Detroit team.

Right now the Pistons are trying to find themselves. They made the big trade of Chauncey for AI. Iverson is a former Sixer and Rip and Sheed are from the Philly area. I wouldn’t say we’re "boys" but I’m pretty cool with them because we’ve all lived around the same area. I’ve been to some of their games, so it’s going to be a good experience with them coming to Sacramento. We know we have to protect our home court. When we play great defense and rebound, we’re a tough team to guard because those aspects allow us to get on the break and go to work.

Other than these past couple games, I’ve been enjoying my rookie experience so far. My mentality is to come early and leave late. And I know that my teammates want to do the same and not just leave after it’s over. When guys stay after practice, we joke around and have fun. We’re not just teammates on the court. We’re teammates off the court as well. We get along with each other and it’s important to have that chemistry. We have a good balance of having fun and being serious when the ball tips-off for gametime.

I’m enjoying my time off the court as well. My parents and aunt were in town and they gave an "Extreme Makeover" to my house. My mother and my aunt helped make my place look great. They added their motherly touch! They bought some rugs, random paintings and other things that you’d think would serve some purpose, but are really only for decoration! My house is looking real exotic and comfortable. But, now I’m excited to come home more than any other time before. Maybe now I can be on one of those shows that feature celebrity houses!

It was great to spend some time with my family. They’ve been at all seven games I’ve played in so far. They may not be here for every game but they’ll be here in spirit. They have NBA League Pass so they’ll be watching on TV, too. It’s just great to have their support.

One quick side note -- I want to wish a lot of luck to my former team, the Rider Broncs with their season coming up!

Overall, these first couple weeks have been great. I’m enjoying how the fans are supporting me. When I come to ARCO, I receive a good amount of cheers. It shows the fans like how I've been playing. I know coming out of Rider, you guys didn’t know what to expect. There have been some doubters but hopefully I prove people wrong by improving every day. I’m trying to set my goals real high. I have high ambitions to be All-Rookie First Team and play in the Rookie Challenge at the All-Star Game, but I’m trying to help the team out as well. Most importantly, I just want to win.

I hope you guys keep reading my blog. I love doing this because it’s always fun for me to interact with you guys. Remember, I’m not just an NBA player. I’ve been a regular guy trying to make it, too.

Going into our first game in Minnesota, I definitely had the jitters, even though people said I didn’t. I went in there and kind of surprised some people and did pretty well. I had my first double-double in my first game and someone said that I was the first Kings player to do that since 1963 or something. To be named along with someone like Jerry Lucas is a great accomplishment. We didn't come out with the win but we definitely had a couple chances to win.

Going into Miami, you're going into a warm atmosphere, and South Beach is a great city with a lot of distractions. But we kept our heads right, we stayed focused heading into the game, we just didn’t come out with high energy and we can learn from that. A lot of guys contributed and Coach just tried to get a lot of guys in who didn't play in the first game.

In Orlando we were right in the thick of things with a really talented team that's a force to be reckoned with in the East. I got a learning experience from Dwight Howard, who's an All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist. Even after the game he said that I had a bright future and it was good to play against me, so it meant a lot. And to play against Jameer Nelson, who's not from Philly but went to Saint Joseph's, it was cool because I got to talk to him some. So despite the loss in Orlando it was a good experience.

My parents got to follow me on my first three games and then we went home. Even though I'm from South Jersey, going over the bridge is only about 15 minutes to Philly. I had about 500 fans there and they said that may be a record for away fans at the Wachovia Center, so it was great. When I scored and even when I fouled, they cheered so that was good. The game didn't turn out the way we wanted it to in the end, but just the support they showed me was great. A lot of people stayed afterward to get my autograph so they put me on the spot and handed me a mic, so I talked to them and thanked them for coming to the game. I wouldn't have missed it! I told them all that I loved them, even if I didn't get a chance to hug somebody or kiss somebody. It was a great feeling to get all that support.

Now we're back home and we're starting new. We lost four games, but now we have to get back on track and start getting some wins under our belt.

...And how it turns out will be continued in blog three!

The start of the season is finally here!

It’s exciting! It’s kind of crazy for the first game to come. The first four are going to be on the road. The last one against the 76ers is going to be pretty big for me. It’s going to be a hometown thriller so I have a little pressure. I have a couple sections saved for a lot of people that game -- college, high school, middle school, family, friends and the neighborhood. I’m just real excited about that and the opportunity to finally play in the NBA.

Getting to the Season Opener has been a trip, though. It’s been an adjustment from college up to this point. But I gave you a little taste of it when we did the “Day in the Life” for Kings.com during Summer League. It was a great experience just to play with some of the guys and against some of the talent that I’ll be seeing today and throughout the season. I also worked out in Vegas with a couple stars in the game. Coming out here to Sacramento before training camp, learning the offense, playing with my new teammates and just becoming comfortable in a bigger court against stronger players has helped me in this transition, too.

I will say that training camp was way different than college with all the bumps and bruises and two-a-days. In college preseason, we might have two weeks and only one practice for only three hours. In the NBA, we’re practicing for maybe six or seven hours. It’s a little different when it’s your job and you’re getting paid to do it. In college, you have class and other distractions you have to worry about.

I guess going into training camp, you expect the worst when you’re coming into a different situation. You have to work your behind off as hard as possible and remind yourself that this is something you’ve always wanted to do as a little kid. As much as I’ve done to get here, I know I have to keep that same attitude and mentality that brought me to this point if I want to be in the League for awhile. Even though I’m getting paid to do what I love, that doesn’t mean I've accomplished what I want. I still have to get better.

I have goals for myself – to come off the bench and get minutes and hopefully become a starter as the season progresses. I’d like to be in the running for Rookie of the Year, too. In terms of team goals, I want to do whatever it takes to help my team make the Playoffs. I’ve always set goals for myself throughout high school and college. That’s the type of player I’ve always been.

Another big part of this transition has been getting used to having a game every night. I might have a great game against one team, but I have to forget about it after the horn sounds. I can enjoy it for a little bit but as a professional, you have to move on to the next team and scouting report. And the same thing goes for a loss. If we had a loss in college, we’d have three or four days to recuperate. But here, I have to learn to move on quickly and not dwell on defeats.

Some people say that when you get to this level, you become a big-timer. Or maybe you don’t express love for the fans. Even though I’ve made it to the NBA, I’m still the same person I’ve always been. I love meeting new people and I love doing what I’m doing. I hope when people read this blog, they understand that I keep it real. I’ll let people know whatever they want to know... as long as it’s appropriate.

To close things off, I just want to give a shout-out to a couple special people in my life – my mother and father. Also to my brother and Coach Dempsey – good luck this year at Rider University! They should have a good young team.

And I just want to throw a final shout-out to the fans -- all the people that have supported me and are excited to see how I produce. I’m out to show that going to a small school has nothing to do with how successful I can be. I’ve been proving that to myself all my life.

I’m not here to stop. I’m here to continue getting better and hopefully be a franchise player in the next couple years!

Until next time, Kings fans.