The Sacramento Kings closed their Las Vegas Summer League slate with a 98-91 loss Sunday to the Houston Rockets. First-round pick Jason Thompson had 21 points and nine rebounds
Game Info | Recap

Matt Walsh was a University of Florida standout but hasn't found a permanent home in the NBA since being signed as an undrafted free-agent and subsequently waived by the Miami Heat in 2005. Fresh off a Belgium Championship and MVP, the 6-foot-6 guard is poised to make a good impression on an NBA team.

What's your goal for Summer League?
"The goal is to make an NBA team. I'd love for it to be the Kings, but the goal is to impress somebody enough that they'll give you guaranteed money to come to training camp, or give you a guaranteed contract."

What's it like to be in that position -- playing for the Kings, while also auditioning for other teams?
"This is my first experience where I haven't played a whole lot, so it's different for me. But, the good thing about Summer League is you get guys who surprise you, and get a chance. You just ask for an opportunity, that's it."

You're known for your 3-point shooting ability, what else do you bring to the Kings?
"I think I'm going to play as hard as anybody out there. I'm going to be the first one on the floor for a loose ball, and I think I rebound and pass the ball better than people expect. I think I can help a team, it's just a matter of getting the right opportunity."

How would you characterize your experience in Belgium last year?
"It was cool. We won the championship and I won the MVP of the playoffs, which was exciting. Being a part of something like that is cool. I mean, not too many people get a chance to win a championship anywhere, so it was fun."

Is the excitement of winning a championship overseas lessened by your ultimate goal of playing for an NBA Championship?
"I'm such a competitor, I just want to win. So when you're in that moment you treat it like it's the NBA Championship because you know winning is going to help you get to where you want to go. You have to treat it like that. If you treat it like it's just the Belgium Championship, you'll never go out there and do what you're supposed to do."

Which teammate has impressed you most this week?
"I would say Quincy, but I work out with him every summer, all summer, so I already know he can score. Sean Singletary has done a good job for us. I've known him since high school. Growing up in Philly we played against each other, but he's really matured. He's a good player and he's fun to play with."

Quincy Douby entered his third NBA Summer League stint poised to show off his ability. Friday night he did. The Kings third-year guard scored 36 points in 34 minutes while holding the Warriors' Marco Belinelli to just six points on 1-of-10 shooting from the field. After the game he caught up with Kings.com and the media.

Was it just a matter of being in the zone out there?
"I got some shots up yesterday and that helped. It felt pretty good. I just played my game and the shots were falling for me early, so it got me in a nice rhythm."

How do you feel like you've done so far this week?
"I feel like I could've done even better. I'm not really satisfied, especially with our last game, I only had nine points. I was settling for a lot of jump shots and I wasn't attacking the basket like I was supposed to. But I'm learning, and I'm just going to get better."

Is this the highest scoring game you've had in Summer League?
"The highest I had ever scored in Summer League was 21 points. It was my rookie year, and I remember it was my third game. Last year I was hurt, so I didn't play that many minutes. The highest I scored last year was seven points, and I was just trying to play as hard as I could."

When you get the crowd behind you like you did tonight, does it remind you of playing at Rutgers?
"Yeah, it brought back a lot of college memories of people going crazy. I'm just getting into my zone and the basket's getting real big. I'm just playing my game."

Aside from making an offensive statement, how important is it to you to make an impact on defense, like you did against Belinelli?
"I knew he was hot coming into this game. I think he is the second-leading scorer so I just tried to put a hand in his face with my long arms. I knew he wasn't going to take me off the dribble so I was playing him for the shot, and trying to contest it as much as I could."

Which one of your teammates has impressed you most this week?
"Jason Thompson. He can play on the wing. He can play in the post. He can shoot it well. I definitely think he's going to help us a lot."

Quincy Douby scored a game-high 36 points to lead the Kings to a 94-91 win over the Warriors at the NBA Summer League on Friday. Rookie Jason Thompson contributed 20 points and sophomore Spencer Hawes added 13.
Game Info | Recap

In his first three Summer League games, the Kings starting Summer League point guard is averaging 6.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.7 minutes per game. Now, Singletary dishes on his performance, the media and adjusting to the NBA game.

How would you grade your performance in Summer League so far?
"I would give myself a C- because I haven't played to the level that I know I'm capable of. Some of the games I've been solid. Last game I was kind of poor. I can do a lot better. I always hold myself accountable for everything I do. I want to make my game perfect, eventually. And I know nobody's perfect, but I want to get close."

You have received some positive reviews in the media. Do you pay attention to what has been said about you?
"No. I try to stay as far away from what people say about me as I can, because people are going to congratulate you when you're doing well, but when you're doing poorly, some people are going to kick you down, so I try to stay away from it as a whole."

What's been the biggest adjustment for you?
"I don't know. It's tough. I think the game is a little easier for me coming from college because of the spacing. You can't sit in the lane, and I'm not getting as many double-teams as I used to, so I'm able to get in the paint and create for others."

Is it hard adjusting to the number of fouls being called?
"There are a lot of fouls. For a player like me, who likes to get out in transition and keep the game upbeat, the games have been kind of slow this whole week. The refs have been calling it real close."

Six-foot-four forward/center Darian Townes made the most of his Summer League debut on Wednesday. In just 19 minutes, the former Arkansas Razorback notched 14 points and six rebounds against the Mavericks.

How did you feel in your Summer League debut?
"I felt good. It was my first time getting on the floor. I had a lot of butterflies, a lot of jitters, but I think I played well. I have a lot of things to work on."

How do you make the most out of playing limited minutes?
"I just have to go out there and give it my all. I have to go out there with my motor going 100 miles-an-hour. You have to gather a lot of things in a short period of time and just go out there and play hard."

What skill set do you bring to the Kings?
"I have to do all the ordinary things. It's not always about offense. Everybody can score and anybody can put the ball in the hoop, but you have to be able to do all the other things, like rebound, run the floor, play good defense and play good post defense. You just have to do the little things to help the team get wins."

How did you get the invite to join the Kings Summer League team?
"I think from my workouts. I think they liked what they saw, and I'm just trying to make the team."

What current NBA player would you compare your game to?
"I kind of look at a lot of different players -- Kevin Garnett with his excitement and Tim Duncan with a lot of finesse stuff -- those are my two favorite players, and I just try to (pattern my game after) them."

What has the Kings coaching staff told you about finding your niche in the NBA?
"They told me to go out there, play hard and give it your all. And to go out there and just play."

Are you having any fun?
"Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun. It's my second time out here in Las Vegas, and it's a good experience to play in the NBA for the first time."

What's something that Kings Fans would be interested to know about you?
"I played at the University of Arkansas. I went to the high school that filmed the movie 'Remember the Titans,' but I finished high school at Hargrave Military Academy. I'm a nice guy, laid back and I like to play ball."

Being a Razorback, are you a big college football fan?
"Yeah, I love the Razorbacks. I want to support my man, Darren McFadden, out in Oakland -- I hope you do good out there, and so do Felix and Dallas."

Spencer Hawes scored 17 points and Darian Townes chipped in with 14 points Wednesday as the Kings fell to the Mavericks, 93-71, at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Box Score | Recap | Photo Gallery

After spending much of Tuesday with Kings rookie Jason Thompson, here are a few highlights from the content that will be featured in video and pictures on Kings.com soon.

Jason awoke at 7:45 a.m. and promptly headed to the Palms 24/7 Café for breakfast. He ordered a Belgian Waffle with strawberries on top, scrambled eggs, toast and sausage, as well as coffee and apple juice. He insisted that apple juice is his favorite kind of juice.

Although he is a rookie, the coaching staff has already designed a couple of set plays for him. During the Kings one-hour shootaround Tuesday morning, the team ran through them.

One of the highlights of Thompson's day was finding out from his agent, Andre Buck, that he had received five boxes from a potential shoe sponsor at the hotel front-desk. While Thompson is generally a charismatic guy, he was elated that he had a bunch of free gear waiting for him.

Thompson ate four meals at the 24/7 Café -- breakfast, lunch, pregame dinner and postgame dinner. During his pregame dinner with Sean Singletary, the two rookies met Kings Co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof for the first time. It turned out the Maloofs, who had noticed the newest Kings walk in, were also enjoying their pregame meal.

Although he hails from New Jersey, his favorite sports teams growing up were the Philadelphia Eagles, 76ers and Phillies.

Since many people watched the game online or have read the recap already, it's not giving away the ending by saying that Kings.com couldn't have picked a better day to follow Thompson around. The guy fans called “Mr. Double-Double” in college missed his first Summer League double-double by one rebound, by tallying 17 points and nine boards, but secured the Kings second win in a row with a tough basket that earned a trip to the free throw line. Not affected by the clock, overtime or the lot of NBA personnel watching intently in the stands, Thompson sank the would-be game-winner with less than 13 seconds remaining.

Check back soon for the exclusive Jason Thompson Day in the Life video.

Jason Thompson nailed a key free throw in the last seconds of overtime on Tuesday as the Sacramento Kings beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 75-74, at the NBA Summer League. Quincy Douby led the way for Sacramento with 24 points.
Box Score | Recap | Photo Gallery

The 6-foot-8 forward out of the University of Louisville was born in Medellin, Colombia, but played high school basketball at Our Savior New American in New York. Now sporting Kings Summer League jersey number 41, Francisco Garcia's former teammate is embracing his NBA Summer League opportunity.

Is basketball a popular sport in your hometown?
"I'm from Colombia. In South America basketball isn't very big, but it's growing a little bit now."

What has this Summer League experience been like for you so far?
"It's a lot of fun. The opportunity of being here, playing with great players from college and some players that have played in the NBA, with a good team like Sacramento, is just a lot of fun."

Is it true that you listed Francisco Garcia as your favorite NBA player in the Louisville Media Guide?
"Yeah, definitely. You have to keep it in the team. I played with him for a year, and I just think he's a great player. He's doing a great job in Sacramento."

How much of an influence did he have on you when you played together during your freshman year and his junior year?
"He had a big influence, not only on me but on everyone in that freshman class. He's a great leader. He knows how to talk to people and he knows how to get the best out of people on and off the basketball court."

What's your goal this week?
"My goal is to just show what I can do and hopefully be able to make a team."

Kings Head Coach Reggie Theus, along with fellow NBA head coaches Mike Dunleavy (Clippers), Byron Scott (Hornets), Eddie Jordan (Wizards), Randy Wittman (Timberwolves) and others, will be rising early on Tuesday for a round of golf at Dragon Ridge Golf Club.

Team owners, general managers and head coaches were invited to the private club to participate in the second annual NBA Summer League Golf Tournament. The first tee-time is set for 7:30 a.m. and the last group is expected to finish its round by 12:30 p.m.

Following the round, coaches and team personnel will enjoy a barbeque and a ceremony to honor the longest drive and closest shot to the pin.

After the Kings were upended 51-48 by the Hornets in their scrimmage at COX Pavilion practice facility on Monday, Kings.com caught up with Summer League Head Coach Chuck Person, point guard Sean Singletary and forward Patrick Ewing Jr. for a few words (see video in Kings Multimedia Center) before the court was taken by Golden State.

Following the brief media session, Kings.com joined the team for a short bus-ride back to the team's hotel. The bus was abuzz with players talking in the back and the coaching staff deliberating in the front. It's been less than a week since mini-camp began, but it's apparent that the team has great cohesion and enjoys being together.

On the way into the team hotel, the coaching staff ran into a player who sported Kings threads less than a year ago -- Mustafa Shakur. The Kings 2007 Summer League point guard now dons a Bobcats jersey, but was enthusiastic when greeted by Coach Reggie Theus and the assistant coaches.

As the team split up for the afternoon, several players headed to the weight-room. Even though they had just finished a competitive two-hour scrimmage, six Kings players -- Shelden Williams, Spencer Hawes, Quincy Douby, Jason Thompson, Singletary and Ewing Jr. -- joined Kings Strength and Conditioning Coach Daniel Shapiro for a workout in the hotel's fitness center. Check out a portion of their workouts in the Kings Multimedia Center and see photos of the workout here.

While Shapiro encourages the players to join him, it's not mandatory. In fact, a strength coach from another Western Conference team was impressed to see Shapiro had so many guys in the gym. Speaking of working out, Kevin Martin, Ron Artest, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Beno Udrih have all joined the team in the past four days for workouts, and Brad Miller will be arriving to workout with Shapiro soon. Needless to say, the veterans set a great example for the youngest and newest Kings players.

The team had the afternoon and evening free to rest and recover. Although the Kings have had just one game in the first four days of Summer League, Tuesday brings the first of four games in six days.

Tuesday is also an exciting day for Kings.com. It will be spending a day in the life of Jason Thompson. From breakfast until the Kings game against the Trail Blazers at 7 p.m., Kings.com will be filming and taking pictures of Thompson's day, so check back soon for the behind-the-scenes scoop.

Before Kings.com closed down for the night, it spotted Thompson and Singletary grabbing a bite to eat at the 24/7 Café at the Palms joined by two friends.

Check back soon for more updates from Las Vegas.

Kings.com will be covering the Kings Summer League team in Las Vegas July 14-20, so check back frequently for exclusive videos, Q&As and blog musings from Kings.com's Andrew Nicholson.

Hello, Vegas!

Kings.com has arrived in Las Vegas to cover the Kings NBA Summer League action. It's going to be a fun week filled with Kings news and interviews. Like no other time during the year, Summer League provides the ultimate setting for access to the players and coaching staff. It's warm, it's the offseason and it's Las Vegas. Not to forget, it's a new beginning for many of the players on Summer League teams so they are excited and honored to sport an NBA uniform and pursue their dream of making a regular season roster.

This summer's Kings team boasts a lot of potential. Quincy Douby is playing in his third summer session and wants to show he is ready to play more minutes and make a bigger impact in 2008-09. Shelden Williams, who Head Coach Reggie Theus said has already shown increased tenacity, led the team in rebounds (10) in the Kings first-game victory (93-86) over the Raptors on Saturday. He is also playing in his third summer stint. No longer a rookie, but still the youngest player on the Summer League team, Spencer Hawes, played great on Saturday as well. He led the team in points (23) and pulled down nine rebounds. Hawes looks slimmer and stronger and has clearly been working out since the Kings last game of the 2007-08 season.

The Kings college-grad rookies -- Jason Thompson, Sean Singletary and Patrick Ewing Jr. -- are also poised to show why Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie and his scouting staff selected them in this year's Draft. Thompson's debut on Saturday was a great start. In just 20 minutes of action, the affable rookie scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished one assist and blocked one shot. Most importantly, he showed the type of physicality the Kings would like to see in the post.

So, early reviews of the Kings Summer League team are positive and Saturday's opening-game victory was a great way to start the five-game set the team will play this week.

Stay tuned, Kings.com is headed to COX Pavilion practice facility to get some post-scrimmage reaction from the team's contest against the Hornets and catch up with acting Summer League Head Coach Chuck Person on his team's performance against the Raptors.

Sophomore Spencer Hawes scored 23 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 93-86 victory over the Toronto Raptors at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Saturday. Quincy Douby contributed 20 points.
Box Score | Recap

The Kings held their final day of mini-camp at the team's practice facility Friday before catching their flight to Las Vegas for NBA Summer League. The Kings face the Raptors at 1 p.m. Saturday in their first Summer League game.
Kings Mini-Camp Day 3 Photo Gallery

The Sacramento Kings held their second day of mini-camp at the team’s practice facility Thursday in preparation for NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. After mini-camp on Friday, June 11, the team will travel to Las Vegas.
Kings Mini-Camp Day 2 Photo Gallery

The Sacramento Kings tipped-off mini-camp at the team’s practice facility Wednesday, which included first-time appearances in Kings practice uniforms by the Kings rookie trio – Jason Thompson, Sean Singletary and Patrick Ewing Jr.
Kings Mini-Camp Day 1 Photo Gallery

The The Sacramento Kings will field a team for the fourth straight year to compete in the 2008 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Official Release