Omri Casspi

Shahbaz Khan

Back playing with the team that drafted him, Kings forward Omri Casspi has continually impressed in his seventh season -- averaging 11.6 points, six rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

His performance has gained national attention, recently being interviewed by Sports Illustrated’s Rob Mahoney regarding his play, relationship with All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins and dedication to the craft.

Casspi is currently recording career-highs in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, rebounds, assists and points.

“I’m just trying to find whatever I can do to be on the court,” says the Israel native. His comfort in head coach George Karl’s offense is evident, as coach has rewarded him with an average of 28 minutes a night, in which he has thrived.

Omri breaks down defenses on the regular, having an impressive long range stroke and the ability to finish off the dribble. His aspirations for this season include being a part of an elusive shooting club: “I want to be in that group of 50-40-90. Right now I’m really slacking on the free throws, so I’m getting 200 free throws every day to get my percentage there up as well”.

Although it is early in the year, No. 18 is not far off in terms of field goal percentage and three-point percentage, shooting 49 percent and 42 percent, respectively.

In addition to his scoring contributions, he has an undeniable chemistry and camaraderie with Kings star forward-center DeMarcus Cousins. The two are often seen together after practices, and of course, are there for each other during games.

For more on Casspi’s role with the team, on and off the court, click here.

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Casspi Making Most of Opportunities

sacasingh

For tomorrow night's game at Houston, Omri Casspi is listed as PROBABLE with gastroenteritis. Willie Cauley-Stein is OUT for 4-6 weeks with a dislocated right index finger.

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Injury Report: Kings vs Rockets

Katie Cracchiolo

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Kings All-Stars Through The Years

Steven Wilson

McLemore, JT and Coach Malone dish on their experience overseas, the new uniforms and the defending NBA Champions before matchup with San Antonio.

Sacramento improved to 2-0 at home this preseason after racing past Maccabi Haifa on Saturday night, 91-59. DeMarcus Cousins paced the offense with 15 points, while Darren Collison (12), Ramon Sessions (11), Nik Stauskas (10) and Derrick Williams (12) also finished in double-figures.

Sacramento’s defense shined in the second half holding Maccabi Haifa to 23-percent from the floor. Kings reserves entered in the fourth quarter and kept up the dominant performance combining for 39 points after intermission.

For the Kings, one of the added benefits of playing at home just two days after returning from their two-week long stay in China was sleeping in their own beds. With jam-packed flight schedules, tours and games overseas, the players are just now getting back into a home routine.

“It was a good game for us to get adjusted from our China trip,” stated forward Omri Casspi.

“I think the guys are still tired. I know I wake up at three in the morning, and I’m still adjusting, but it was a fun [trip].”

Casspi and Co. may still be recovering from the most recent flight back to the City of Trees, but for Sacramento’s star center, who has admitted recently he feels like he’s 45-years-old not 24, the preseason trip to Shanghai and Beijing was part of a grueling summer.

“I’m just trying to get my body right,” said DeMarcus Cousins after Saturday night’s game. “I have a lot of aches and pains right now, but I’ve been putting in the extra time to get my body right. I’ll be fine – I’ll tough it out.”

After meeting the team in Las Vegas for Mini-Camp in July, a full month-long stint with Team USA overseas and now two games in China in exhibition action, DMC is glad to be home for a few days before hitting the road again to face the Spurs.

Sixteen players saw action on the court this past weekend for the Kings, but fans can expect that to change as the team flies to San Antonio to face the defending NBA champions.

“We have to start narrowing it down and getting our normal group the minutes that they need to play well together,” said Head Coach Michael Malone. “And come up with a rotation that will give us the best chance at success to start this season.”

Sacramento’s coaching staff has employed four different starting lineups through the first five tune-up games resulting in a 2-3 record.

“I’m not concerned about the record at all because we have played a lot of different lineups,” said Malone. “But as we get down to the game in San Antonio and the game in Vegas versus LA, I want to tighten up our rotation, stop making the same mistakes, be a lot more disciplined on defense, talking to each other, covering for each other and executing our gameplan.”

After holding Maccabi Haifa to 59 total points on Saturday, the Kings defense is allowing just 98 points to opponents this preseason, while the offense is averaging 102 points per game.

“Offensively, I want to really stress the attack pace, if nothing is free early [use] great ball movement and pass up good shots to earn great shots,” continued the second-year head coach.

Following orders, the purple and black attacked the Greens at a blazing pace on Saturday night, which generated 19 fast-break points. Yet the team understands their attack plan may change against the Spurs – a team known for playing fundamental defense and selfless offense.

“They play well as a team,” said forward Jason Thompson. “Most of their core players have been around each other [for a while], so they know the ins and outs and if something isn’t going well, then they know how to adjust on the fly.”

The Spurs big-three have played together since 2004, with many players filtering in and out over the years. Thanks to its high level of consistency, San Antonio has reached the playoffs in each of the seventeen seasons that star forward Tim Duncan has been with the team.

“Things really don’t change [with that team],” admitted Thompson. “Sometimes you might have different guys come in, but it’s very few and they’re role players. It’s not a guy coming in there and doing their own thing – they have a gameplan and either you do it, or they get someone else to do it.”

Depending on the rotation, No. 34 may have the difficult task of guarding Duncan on Monday night. The longest-tenured player on the Kings roster is very familiar with his assignment given the fact these two have met 18 times over the past six seasons. JT knows No. 21 is the perfect portrayal of a team that relies on fundamental basketball schemes.

“At some point, you had to learn the fundamentals to make it to the NBA. They’ve got Mr. Fundamental himself [Duncan], who isn’t flashy, but he’s effective. We’ve seen that over the last ten years.”

The team’s recent flight to China was full of surprises.

As forward Eric Moreland found out, it’s best not to sleep on the first plane flight.

For those who didn’t get any shut-eye, the 12-hour trip gave newcomers and veterans alike a chance to bond, share stories and develop chemistry off the court.

“That was a great experience and I think it helped a lot,” stated second-year guard Ben McLemore. “I was just there by myself a month ago, but it’s different going over there by yourself. Just to be around your teammates, interact with each other and have fun was great and it helped a lot.”

Although the team dropped both of its contests to the Brooklyn Nets while in China, Kings players realize the importance of exhibition games and the impact they have on an 82-game regular season.

“Preseason is not all about wins and losses,” stated Thompson. “We could be undefeated, but those stats obviously don’t count. The stuff we learned about each other and how we play together [is much more important]. The team bonding was great – going to the Great Wall and Shanghai, trips like those can only help us get better.”

The Kings look like a brand new team in 2014.

With new uniforms, a handful of new faces and a shiny new playing surface, Sacramento fans may not automatically recognize their own team as the regular season approaches.  Yet, the changes have been welcomed with open arms, especially the new uniforms.

“They’re a little livelier,” said Thompson. “I like the fit of the jerseys and I like the warm-ups. Another thing I really like is the new court. I like how they changed it up and I know the fans appreciate it as well.

“I definitely like the color scheme and the new swag – it fits my personality.”

The road warm-ups consist of an all-black base, white Addidas trim and a purple crown on the pants. The home edition is white with purple cursive ‘Kings’ lettering on the back and the same purple crown on the pants.

Meanwhile, the new jerseys honored Sacramento's storied past with new lettering across the chest and a new secondary logo.

“The uniforms are way better – I like the material,” said Ben McLemore. “Especially because I got my number back – 23 is special. Everybody likes the warm-ups too. They changed it up and they’re pretty comfortable.”

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Kings (2-3) vs. San Antonio (1-3)

Saturday’s win over visiting Maccabi Haifa signified two things for the Sacramento Kings.

 First, with Rudy Gay on the bench nursing a sore left ankle, Head Coach Michael Malone learned Omri Casspi and Derrick Williams could step up when called upon. Second, the purple and black still have things to clean up, both offensively and defensively.

“We’re not going to measure ourselves against Maccabi,” admitted Malone following the 91-59 victory. “We have to hold ourselves to a much higher standard knowing full well that we have two more games to try and get this right going into Opening Night against Golden State and against Portland right after that.”

Although the Kings found their rhythm in the second half – dominating the Greens 52-31 after intermission – the home team committed 25 turnovers, which increased their average to 20.8 through five games.

“We still have two more to go and hopefully we have less mistakes the closer we get to Opening Night,” stated DeMarcus Cousins, who led the team in scoring with 15 points, but also had nine turnovers. “We still have work to do.”

Searching for a win against an NBA team after suffering two losses to start their four-game U.S. road trip, Maccabi Haifa realized they would need to slow down Sacramento’s big man if they wanted to right the ship.

Their effort led to a number of trips to the free-throw line for the Kings center, as Cousins attempted 12 free throws while the Greens were called for 37 personal fouls.

“That was rough,” said Cousins. “They were a very feisty team, but I think we stayed poised through it all. We were still trying to run our plays the right way.”

With two preseason games to go, Sacramento is focused on making its final tune-ups before the regular season tips-off on Oct. 29. 

“Right now, I don’t think it’s about who our opponent is,” he stated. “It’s about us, finding our identity as a team, and playing the right type of basketball that we’re trying to play this season.”

Combining for 19 points and seven rebounds, reserve small forwards Omri Casspi and Derrick Williams filled the void of injured star Rudy Gay admirably.

“It was really fun to be able to compete and play with the starting unit,” admitted No. 18. “Coach told me last night and I was really excited.”

During his tenure with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Casspi had faced the Greens and admitted to getting goose bumps prior to tip-off.

“During the (Israeli) national anthem, I started thinking about games we played against them back in 2008 and 2007,” said No. 18 after the game. “It was fun. It was a good experience, and I think they enjoyed (playing) against an NBA team.

“They competed. You have to tip your hat to them – they played hard, they fouled, they didn’t want to [give in after] their tough loss [Friday] night.”

Although Casspi stepped in for Gay on Saturday, the sixth-year pro is confident the pair can be successful on-court, too.

“Rudy and I can play together,” he admitted when asked about his role with the club. “Whether we are playing small with Rudy at the four or at the two. 

“We can play together or [I can be his] substitute – I will do whatever it takes."

With only two games remaining in exhibition play, Sacramento’s 2009 draftee is already seeing the value of practicing against one of the best in the business. 

“I like to compete against him in practice because he makes me better,” said Casspi of No. 8. “He’s obviously one of the best players on our team, he’s a great role model and a great guy. 

OC’s multi-faceted game includes stints at power forward acting as a stretch-four and drawing the defense away from Cousins in the lane. His versatility will be invaluable when Coach Malone looks for a spark off the bench.

“One thing I want to bring every night is energy,” stated Casspi. “I also want to play tough defense, run the floor like a deer – be the first one down there – and compete for rebounds.”

Continuing rehabilitation from last year’s season-ending injury, Carl Landry posted one of his strongest exhibition outings against Maccabi Haifa. A performance that gave fans a glimpse of the player he is when operating at 100 percent.

“He has flashes in practice where he has shown he can still be the old Carl Landry,” admitted Coach Malone. “But I’m not worried about it – I know he’s going to get [back] there at some point.”

No. 24 finished the game with eight points – his highest output in four appearances this preseason – to go along with four rebounds, a steal and a block.

“He’s healthy,” continued Malone. “I’m not ready to say he’s 100 percent, but physically, he’s fairly healthy. Mentally, I still think there is a little reservation in his mind, which obviously is to be expected at times. He just needs to let loose, trust, go out there and play.”

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Kings Notes: Casspi and Landry

Sacramento is a perfect 2-0 at home this preseason.

The Kings raced past Maccabi Haifa at home on Saturday night, 91-59.

DeMarcus Cousins paced the offense with 15 points, while Darren Collison (12), Ramon Sessions (11), Nik Stauskas (10) and Derrick Williams (12) also finished in double-figures. 

Grueling travel schedules caught up with both teams early in the game as the squads combined for five turnovers in the first five minutes. Maccabi Haifa used that time to take an 8-4 lead, but the Kings quickly overcame the deficit. 

A timeout at the 6:39-mark in the first quarter ignited the home team.

On the inbounds, Darren Collison found Ben McLemore for a wide-open three to kick-start a 12-0 Sacramento run. Sessions, Omri Casspi and Stauskas all found the bottom of the net during the spurt as the Kings took control of the game.

Despite committing eight turnovers in the first quarter, the Kings connected on 50-percent from the floor (8-for-16) en route to an early 22-12 lead over the Greens.

Maccabi Haifa battled back in the second period pulling within four with 3:47 left before halftime. But thanks to four points apiece from Cousins, Collison and Williams, the Kings held onto their double-digit lead.  

Leading 39-28 at intermission, the purple and black hit their stride in the second half outscoring the Greens, 52-31. Collison led the way scoring eight points in 10-plus minutes of work in the third quarter. 

Sacramento’s defense also shined in the second half holding Maccabi Haifa to 23-percent from the floor. Kings reserves entered in the fourth quarter and kept up the dominant performance propelling the home team to its second exhibition win at Sleep Train Arena this month.

After missing the NBA Global Games Finale, Cousins returned to action on Saturday night scoring 15 points and cleaning the glass 12 times. DMC’s plus-minus rating was a positive 14 as the fifth-year pro totaled 26-minutes. No. 15 joined teammate Reggie Evans in double-digit rebounds as he fell one shy of Evans’ team-high 13 boards.  

Kings small forward Rudy Gay (sore left ankle) sat out the game against Maccabi Haifa and is listed as day-to-day.

Collison kicked it into another gear on Saturday, oftentimes cruising past the Greens all the way to the hoop. The sixth-year pro totaled 8-of-12 points in the third period connecting on both of his field goal attempts and all four of his freebies

Playing without one of their stars, the Kings turned to backup small forwards Omri Casspi and Derrick Williams to fill the void. Both delivered as they combined for 19 points and seven rebounds. Casspi earned the start and tallied seven points and five boards in the first half, while Williams took over after intermission adding 6-of-12 points in the third period alone.

Sim Bhullar scored his first preseason points of his NBA career in the closing seconds of Saturday’s victory. Ray McCallum found the 7-foot-5 center on the block, before Bhullar pivoted and connected on a finger roll. After time expired, No. 32’s teammates stormed the court, hugging and congratulating him.

Sacramento travels to San Antonio to face the Spurs on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Tune-in to the action on KHTK Sports 1140 AM on the radio.

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Kings Defeat Maccabi Haifa

Check out three storylines to follow as Sacramento plays at home for the second time this preseason.

"I've played them many times when I was in Israel. The israeli guys are good friends [of mine]."

"They proved when they played the Wizards that they have the talent to compete, and if we're not ready to play they're going to be right there with us."

"I was very impressed with how they played. They gave Washington all they could handle."

"They really shoot the 3 ball well, which is a weakness of ours. They drive and kick you, they pick and roll you, and they have a lot of shooters that space the floor. So our defense has to be right and we have to be ready to play tomorrow night to get a win."

One of the original eight teams of the Israeli Premier League, Maccabi Haifa is a professional Jewish basketball team under the Maccabi World Union in Israel, which acts as an international sports organization for more than 400,000 members.

‘The Greens’ – as they are commonly known due to their green jerseys and shorts – are one of the most accomplished teams in Israel history and have been around since the 1953-54 season.

Maccabi will play four games in the states against NBA teams this preseason. After facing Washington earlier this week, the Greens will take on the Kings, the Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors.

Despite 23 points from shooting guard Dagan Yivzori, who was 7-of-8 from 3-point range, the Wizards defeated the Greens, 101-95. Maccabi showcased its accuracy from beyond the arc connecting on a total of 12 three-pointers, including eight in the first half.

Solidifying itself as one of Israel’s best teams in recent seasons, Maccabi won its first championship in franchise history during the 2012-13 season, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv – a team with their own road trip throughout the NBA this preseason. That victory helped the Greens qualify for the Eurocup, where they made it to the round of the final 32 teams.

Over the past seven years, Maccabi Haifa has reach the Israeli State Cup Finals or the Israeli League Finals five times.

For more information, visit their website by clicking here.

DeMarcus Cousins (bilateral Achilles soreness) was a late scratch from Wednesday morning’s game and is currently listed as day-to-day. The Kings big man has seen limited action through the first half of preseason action, but has put the heat on opposing defenses when he was in the game.

Despite playing less than 18 minutes against the Raptors in Sacramento, Boogie made six of seven shots and connected on seven free throws en route to a team-high 19 points in the Kings 113-106 victory.

In the first of two meetings with the Nets, No. 15 played 14 minutes tallying 9 points (7 in the 3rd quarter) often overpowering Brooklyn’s frontline of Brook Lopez and Mason Plumlee.

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Kings (1-3) vs. Maccabi Haifa (0-1)

On his 21st birthday, the Kings rookie put on an impressive show for Sacramento fans as the home team earned a 113-106 victory.

The 2014 draftee tallied 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from long range.

DeMarcus Cousins (19), Omri Casspi (15), Ben McLemore (12) and Jason Thompson (11) joined Stauskas in double-figures scoring, as the purple and black earned their first preseason win. 

Despite a slow start to the game, the Kings ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run to pull within one, 25-24. Thompson helped keep Sacramento in reach as he tallied four points and four rebounds in the first frame.

Then, Stauskas and Co. kicked it up a notch.

Through six minutes of the second period, Sacramento shot 5-of-7 (71% FG). The offensive spurt gave the home team a 36-28 lead before the Raptors closed the gap.

Toronto responded with a 7-2 run to tie the game at 44-all with three minutes remaining before intermission.

Thanks to a four-point play by Stauskas, the Kings closed the first half on a 9-2 run to take a 56-50 lead into the break.

Cousins, who scored six points in the second period, was part of a dominant first half performance as the Kings outscored their guests, 32-18, in the paint and 12-5 in second-chance points.

DMC’s onslaught continued in the third period as the fifth-year pro added 13 points to propel the Kings to a 33-26 advantage in the quarter.

With an 89-76 lead in the fourth, McLemore helped the home team seal the win, as he scored six of his 12 points in the final period.

With a hand in his face, Nik Stauskas connected on a corner three for his first Sleep Train Arena basket with 7:41 left in the first period.

“I’m hitting shots right now, which is good,” stated Stauskas. “That’s what this team needs me to do – knock down shots and stretch the floor. I just need to stay aggressive and keep playing my role for this team.”

In the second half, Stauskas put his deceptive athleticism on display as he nailed a pair of step-back jumpers. The 6-foot-6 guard capped his 13-point night with a back-door cut that led to a two-handed jam off a dish from Cousins.

“I always feel like if I’m aggressive, good things are going to happen out there,” continued Stauskas. 

Despite playing less than 18 minutes, DeMarcus Cousins was in a groove. The Kings big man missed just one of seven shots against the Raptors and connected on seven free throws en route to 19 points. Recognizing his efficiency, teammates continually found him. 

While pushing the pace in the team’s rematch with the Raptors, Sacramento’s point guard duo posted solid numbers. Collison and Sessions combined to tally 16 points, 11 assists and just four turnovers.

The pair, who saw significant time on-court together, proved to be a dynamic tandem. While Sessions tallied six assists and zero turnovers, Collison stepped up on defense – forcing a pair of turnovers in the first quarter alone.

“I can play either one of those guys separately, they can back each other up or they can play together at times,” stated Coach Michael Malone. “They’re both having very good Training Camps… Ramon was effective. I loved how Darren came into the game off the bench and changed the whole complexion of the game.”

Despite holding a double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter, No. 7 kept attacking Toronto’s defense. The UCLA alum picked up his fifth assist of the night as he passed up a three-point attempt, drove through two defenders and found Ryan Hollins on a feed for the open dunk.

“I love DC,” said Cousins. “He’s a great floor leader, he’s always communicating and he’s always uplifting.”

Jason Thompson finished one rebound shy of a double-double on Tuesday night, registering 11 points and nine rebounds.

“Jason did a good job,” said Malone. “I started him the first night and brought him off the bench tonight, and he was effective.”

No. 34 also contributed two blocks and a steal in more than 25 minutes of work.

“The ball was moving,” said Thompson. “We didn’t turn the ball over as much as we did in Vancouver, so that was good. I am a fan of moving the ball and the faster pace – that’s more of my style.”

Always in the right place at the right time, Omri Casspi quietly put together a solid game. The sixth-year pro had eight points in his first eight minutes of action and finished the night with 15 on 4-of-7 shooting. Casspi aggressively drove to the basket, battled for rebounds and drained 6-of-8 freebies from the charity stripe.

“I was just trying to be ready and do what I need to help the team win,” said No. 18.

“We have a talented group – I feel like we could be a playoff team, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice from one another.” 

Toronto’s Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan seemed nearly unstoppable on Tuesday night. The backcourt mates combined for 48 points on 18-of-29 shooting, while Lowry also added a Raptors-high six assists.

Back-to-back buckets from Ben McLemore in the fourth period pushed the Kings past 100 points for the first time this season. Sacramento hit the 100-point plateau 46 times during the 2013-14 season.

“It’s always good to get a win, and we had a lot of positives tonight,” said Cousins. “We did pretty well on the offensive end, but it wasn’t so good on defense… We did a better job on turnovers, but defensively we have to pick it up.” 

The Kings head to Shanghai and Beijing to face the Brooklyn Nets in back-to-back games in China on Oct. 11 and 15, respectively.

Catch all the action of Sacramento’s participation in the Global Games on NBA TV.  