Author: Charlie O. Mallonee

I have been a sports reporter/broadcaster since 1976 which means ... I'm old and I love sports. I have done play-by-play for minor league baseball - including the infamous "Bad News Bees" - San Jose State football and football and high school sports in the Bay Area and on the Monterey Peninsula. I had the great privilege to host a weekly sports talk show on KNRY Radio Monterey/Salinas with my producer the late,great Gary Araki. I also hosted and produced "the Sports Fanatics" talk show on KSAC Radio in Sacramento. For the last 10 years, I have been a beat reporter covering the Oakland Athletics for Sports Radio Service. Three years ago, I became the senior reporter for our Sacramento Kings coverage. My goal is to bring you the news, views, fun and excitement of every event I am assigned to report on for Sports Radio Service.

A’s lose game and series in KC

Published on April 19, 2015April 19, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics lost the third and final game of series to the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Sunday. The A’s also lost the series 2 games to one.

Now on to the real story of the game. Five Kansas City Royals were ejected from the game as the Alcides Escobar – Brett Lawrie feud continued. The problem began on Friday when Lawrie took out Escobar on a play at second base. Escobar missed the Saturday game with an ankle injury. He also was held out of the Sunday game which is causing observers to speculate that his injury is more serious than first believed.

After Lawrie was hit on Saturday night and both benches were cleared, most fans and reporters felt the issue would be laid to rest. They would be wrong.

Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain was hit by a Scott Kazmir pitch in the bottom of the first inning. It did not appear that Kazmir was trying to hit Cain intentionally.

In the ensuing argument that followed the hit-by-pitch, Royals manager Ned Yost and pitching coach Dave Eiland were ejected from the game. The tension meter went back into the high range following the incident.

In the eighth inning, Royals reliever Kelvin Herrera threw a fastball behind Lawrie’s back in what appeared to be an attempt to hit and possibly injure Lawrie. Herrera was ejected immediately. As he was led from the field, Herrera gestured toward his head indicating that was where he was aiming or would aim the next time.

In the arguments that followed the Herrera ejection, acting manager Don Wakamatsu was sent to the showers by umpire Jim Joyce. Alcides Escobar was ejected from the bench for his loud comments to the umpiring crew.

To his credit, Royals manager Ned Yost complimented the umpires for handling the situation decisively.

The problem is that the situation does not seem to be settled. The fireworks could continue in Oakland in June when the Royals visit the Athletics – especially if Escobar’s injury turns out to be serious.

This where Commissioner Rob Manfred needs to earn his money. Manfred needs to talk with the management of the Athletics and Royals declaring that all hostilities are over and will not be rekindled. Manfred needs to make sure this silliness does not continue.

Oh by the way, there was a baseball game played on Sunday.

Scott Kazmir pitched an outstanding game giving up just two runs on six hits in 7.1-innings of work for Oakland. Kazmir struck out five hitters and walked just one batter. Ironically, the one walked batter came home and scored the tying run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Eric O’Flaherty came in to relieve Kazmir and he was unable to shutdown the Royals. Kansas City scored two additional runs that led to their 4-2 victory. O’Flaherty was tagged with loss and a blown save.

Ben Zorbrist was the man of the hour for the A’s at the plate. Zorbrist had both of Oakland’s RBI in the game. He had a two for two day at the plate.

The victory went to Kansas City reliever Wade Davis who pitched a perfect ninth inning.

Royals designated hitter – Kendrys Morales – was the star of the day for Kansas City. He hit a double off the top of the center field wall in the bottom of the eighth inning that cleared the bases scoring two runs.

The A’s will have no time to lick their wounds as they jump back into action versus the Angels in Anaheim on Monday night.

Kings to play Celtics in Mexico City

Published on April 14, 2015April 14, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings will travel to Mexico City next December to play the Boston Celtics as part of the NBA Global Games 2015. The December 3rd game will be a regular season contest and the Kings will be the home team. The game will be played in the Mexico City Arena.

The Global Games are a part of the NBA marketing initiative to take “the Association” to basketball fans around the world. The Kings played preseason games in China in 2014 as a part of the Global Games.

“We’re honored to participate in the NBA’s Global Games,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadive. “The ultimate power of sports is the ability to connect people across geographic, economic and cultural lines. As part of our NBA 3.0 philosophy, we look forward to connecting with fans in Mexico City and sharing our experience through social media and digital platforms with fans around the world.”

The teams will also be involved in a number of off court activities that will include community programs and interactive fan events.

“International competition provides an opportunity for our players and staff to grow closer together while experiencing basketball in a foreign setting,” said Kings Head Coach George Karl. “We’re all excited about the trip to Mexico City and look forward to entertaining many great NBA fans in Latin America.”

While it is clear why the NBA wants to market itself around the world, it is not clear how this game benefits the fans in Sacramento. Rather than 41 home games in 2015-16, there will be only 40 home dates. Since Sacramento will be the home team, local fans will not have the opportunity to see the Boston Celtics and local favorite Isaiah Thomas next season.

The local fans need to be compensated for the loss of a home game so the NBA can further its Global Marketing plan. How should they be compensated is open to question. What do you think? What would make you – the fans – feel better about the loss of a home game for the “good” of the league? Maybe a viewing party and fiesta at Sleep Train Arena the night of the game would help make up for the loss of the home contest.

Let us know what you think. Post your ideas below.

Nuggets spoil Karl’s return to Denver

Published on April 12, 2015April 12, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Denver Nuggets spoiled George Karl’s return to the “Mile High City” by beating his Sacramento Kings 122-111 on Sunday. Karl had hoped for a different outcome as he returned to the city where he coached for eight years.

Karl was without his “Big 3”. DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Darren Collison have all been shut down for the remainder of the season due to injury. When you are without that much talent, your chances of winning – especially on the road – are greatly diminished.

The Nuggets Kenneth Faried was a “one man wrecking crew” in the first quarter as he scored 19-points while hitting on eight of nine shots from the field to give Denver a 37-28 lead after one period.

The Kings jumped back into the game thanks to a 22-7 run in the second quarter that helped them cut the Nuggets’s lead to just one-point as the teams went to halftime. Omri Casspi and Ray McCallum led the charge for Sacramento scoring nine points each in the second.

The Nuggets used strong scoring performances by Danilo Gallinari (10), Kenneth Faried (9) and Randy Foye (7) to open up a 10- point, 94-84 lead over the Kings after three quarters of play.

Denver kept up a high tempo scoring drive in the fourth quarter as Wilson Chandler and Randy Foye scored seven points apiece. Reserves JJ Hickson (7), Will Barton (6) and Joffrey Lauvergne (6) were very productive as the Nuggets scored 28 points in the final quarter of play.

With Cousins, Gay and Collison unavailable to play, the remainder of the Kings roster has a golden opportunity to show Greorge Karl that they deserve be with the Kings in 2015-16. There has been much speculation that there will be wholesale changes to the Sacramento line up during the off-season.

One player who is proving his worth in the George Karl “dribble drive offense” is Omri Casspi. Casspi scored 22 points on Sunday to go with seven rebounds and seven assists against the Nuggets. Casspi is making a very strong case that he should be a member of the Kings next season by the way he has adjusted to Karl’s style of play.

Ben McLemore has also come alive under Karl. McLemore scored 20-points versus Denver and added seven assists on his day. McLemore needs to add some additional consistency to his game, but he is flourishing in Karl’s more open system.

Ray McCallum continues to grow as a point guard. Much like what happened last season when he had to start for the injured Isaiah Thomas, McCallum has stepped up to the task as he has been asked to take over the starter’s role for Darren Collison. McCallum scored 14 points and added three assists Sunday against Denver.

The odd-man out right now seems to be Nik Stauskas. The rookie shooting guard has seen increased playing time under Karl, but he has struggled to find consistency especially from 3-point range. Kings Assistant Coach Vance Walberg summarizes the Sacramento offensive scheme as “score in the key or shoot the 3”. Stauskas has shown he can score in the key. He has not shown that he can score with the 3-point shot with regularity.

The Kings have signed David Stockton to a second 10-day contract. Stockton has spent most the year in Reno with Kings D-League affiliate. Stockton is probably auditioning for a spot on the Kings Summer League roster. He scored two points and had one assist in seven minutes of playing time on Sunday.

The Kings flew back to Sacramento after the game on Sunday. They will play their final home game of the season on Monday night when they host the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Kings will finish their season on Wednesday night versus the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Kings fall in OKC 116-103

Published on April 10, 2015April 10, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings played the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night without DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay in the line up. Without their “big two” on the floor, it is no surprise that the Kings lost the game 116-103.

What might surprise you is the fact the Kings were still very much into the game after three quarters of play. Sacramento could have decided to sleep walk through the game, take the loss to a potential playoff team and moved on to Denver. Instead, the Kings came to play some ball.

Sacramento’s attack was led by “the Macs” – Ben McLemore and Ray McCallum. Ben McLemore scored 20 points hitting on eight of 17 field goal attempts including four 3-pointers. The one downside to McLemore’s game was the five turnovers he recorded.

Ray McCallum had a 17 point game even with having the unenviable job of guarding Russell Westbrook all night. McCallum had four assists, six rebounds, one steal and just one turnover.

After the game, Kings Head Coach George Karl said McCallum did not win the matchup with Westbrook, but he indicated that McCallum did a good job versus one of the real stars of the NBA.

Derrick Williams came off the bench and scored 17 points despite being zero for seven from the field at one point in the game. Omri Casspi added 15 points. Nik Stauskas scored 9 points after missing the Utah game with back soreness.

The Kings shot 45.7-percent (37 for 81) from the floor. They hit nine of their 24 3-point attempts (37.5-percent). Sacramento improved their performance at the free throw line going 20 for 28 (71.4-percent) from the stripe.

One major problem for the Kings was turnovers. They turned the ball over 16 times which resulted in 20 points for OKC. The Kings dished out 19 assists. That type of assist to turnover ratio will not get the job done in the NBA.

In the postgame review, Karl indicated that his team played great for 40-minutes and then fatigue set in which allowed the Thunder to run away with the game in the fourth quarter.

The Thunder,who were without Serge Ibaka, were led in scoring by Russell Westbrook. Westbrook scored 27 points to go with 10 assists and five rebounds. Dion Waiters put up 22 points. Anthony Morrow came off the bench to score 19 points hitting on five of 10 3-point attempts. Enes Kanter poured in 25 points.

OKC Head Coach Scott Brooks cannot be thrilled that it took 40 minutes for his team to put away the lowly Kings. The Thunder are fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference and should have shown more intensity earlier in the game.

New Orleans won their game so the Thunder and Pelicans are still tied for the final playoff berth. The Pelicans own the tie-breaker between the teams, so the Thunder must finish with one more victory than New Orleans to make the playoffs.

With the loss, the Kings record drops to 27-52. Oklahoma City’s record improves to 43-36.

After the game, the Kings headed off for Denver where they will play the Nuggets on Sunday.

The Jazz down the Kings 101-95

Published on April 5, 2015April 5, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings recorded their 50th loss of the season on Sunday night when they lost to the Utah Jazz 101-95. Frankly, the game was not as close as the score might imply.

The Kings appeared to “just not be into the game”. That may well not be the case, but that is how it looked. Words like sloppy and disjointed were used to describe the Kings performance or lack there of.

The game was mostly even through the first three quarters. Then in the fourth quarter, the Jazz proved they wanted the game more than the Kings.

Sacramento cut the Utah lead to just one point late in the fourth period. They then allowed the Jazz to go a 10-0 run that the Kings could not overcome.

DeMarcus Cousins had a 26 point, 12 rebound double-double night. The fans have come to expect a double-double from Cousins in every game. Rarely does he disappoint. He is second in the league in double-doubles.

Ben McLemore had a nice game. McLemore scored 20 points shooting eight for 12 from the field. He hit two 3-pointers in his 37-minutes of playing time.

The Kings were without Rudy Gay again who has not been cleared to play after suffering a concussion last Tuesday in Houston.

The glaring stat of the night was points from the bench. Utah’s bench added 42 points in the game. The Kings bench produced just 21 points.

Turnovers were a problem again for Sacramento. They committed 20 and recorded just 20 assists. A 1:1 ratio of assists to turnovers will not win you many basketball games.

The Kings shot 48.1-percent from the floor. They were five for 15 (33.3-percent) from 3-point land. The Kings had another bad night at the free throw line. They were 14 for 24 (58.3-percent) from the stripe. Sacramento’s season average has been 77.2-percent from the free throw line.

The Kings defense allowed the Jazz to shoot 40 for 87 (46.0-percent) from the field. They did hold the Jazz to just 33.3-percent (8 for 24) from 3-point range. Utah was 13 for 18 from the free throw line.

George Karl said his team had no offensive energy in the game. He was also not pleased with the Kings defensive effort. Karl said Utah should not have scored 101 points in the game. The Jazz average 94.7-points per game for the season.

Guard Rodney Hood led the Jazz in scoring with 25 points.

The Kings are off until Tuesday when they will host the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sacramento travels to Utah to face the Jazz on Wednesday.

New Orleans squeaks past the Kings 101-95

Published on April 3, 2015April 3, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Sacramento Kings 101 to 95 on Friday night in Sacramento. The game had playoff implications for the Pelicans who came into the contest just one and a half games behind Oklahoma City for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Pelicans knew early in the game that Oklahoma City had lost to Memphis. The win cut the Thunder’s lead to just one-half game in the race for the playoffs.

The loss negated another incredible triple-double performance by the Kings DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins finished with 24 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists. Cousins had a triple-double on Tuesday night in Houston.

The Pelicans led the Kings 56-42 at halftime and had led Sacramento by 14 points several times in the half. New Orleans increased their lead to 18 points with 6:21 to go in the third quarter. Just when it looked like all was lost, the Kings came back to life.

Sacramento went on a 16-0 run and cut the New Orleans lead to just two points with 1:27 remaining in the quarter. The Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins’ eight points, seven rebounds and four assists. Ray McCallum scored 10 points connecting on four of seven shots from the floor including two 3-pointers. Sacramento trailed New Orleans by just three points, 74-71 after three quarters.

In the final period, the Pelicans twice opened up a 10 point lead. The Kings continued to chip away at that lead and closed it to a two point game on a Omri Casspi slam dunk off a feed from Cousins with 4:17 to go in the game.

New Orleans went up by seven points but the Kings cut the lead to three (96-93) off a Derek Williams dunk with an assist from Cousins with 1:27 remaining. The Pelicans outscored the Kings 5-2 down the stretch and won the game 101-95.

The Kings shot 47.4-percent (37 for 78) from the field. They hit six of 17 (35.3-percent) 3-point attempts. One of Sacramento’s downfalls in the game was its free throw shooting. The Kings were just 15 for 25 (60.0-percent) from the stripe which is well below their season average of 77.5-percent per game.

“I think every game I see, I see progress,” said Kings Head Coach George Karl. “Tonight, because of how we played defensively, we had every opportunity, even after a rough start. We gave up the three-ball in the start, but then we were better defensively. In the fourth quarter, we missed open shots. Those could’ve gone in and gotten us over the hump. I thought New Orleans showed desperation. The have to win some games on the road and they knew that this was one of those games that they had to go and get if they wanted to get ahead of Oklahoma City.”

Sacramento recorded 21 assists and had just 10 turnovers (13 points) for a very respectable 2:1 ratio. The Kings were outrebounded 50-38.

Omri Casspi put up 17 points with a seven for nine shooting night. Ben McLemore also had a 17 point game. Ray McCallum finished with 14 points while Derrick Williams added 10 points in the game.

Sacramento allowed allowed New Orleans to shoot 48.3-percent (14 for 29) from beyond the 3-point arc. Most of the 3-point damage came in the first half.

The Pelicans were led in scoring by Eric Gordon’s 21 points. Gordon hit six field goals, four of which were 3-pointers. Former King Tyreke Evans just missed a triple-double putting up 19 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out nine assists. Anthony Davis finished with 20 points.

The Kings will return to action on Sunday when they will host the Utah Jazz.

The Pelicans will play the Trail Blazers in Portland on Saturday night.

Live to India

The Kings – Pelicans game was broadcast live to India in hopes that the first player of Indian descent to be included on a NBA roster – Sim Bhullar – might make an appearance in the contest. Because the game was so close up to the end, Bhullar did not play.

The game tipped off at 7:40 AM on Saturday morning in Mumbai.

Charlie O – “out of my mind!”: It’s time to change the NBA age limit to 18

Published on April 3, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The National Basketball Association is trying to avoid paying for player development cost by raising the age limit to join the league to 20-years of age. The current league age requirement is 19-years.

The 19-year old age limit has created the “one and done” phenomena in college basketball. Players enroll for one season. If they are successful on the court, the players leave school and enter the NBA Draft. This means NBA teams must draft and pay to develop this unproven talent in the hope that the players will become NBA level talent.

One way to cut the cost of player development is to raise the age limit to play in the NBA to 20-years old. This would cause players to stay in school for a second season while they develop physically and improve their basketball skills. It would make players drafted into “the Association” a better investment as they would be more prepared to play professional basketball after an additional year of seasoning at the collegiate level. NBA teams would save money by not having to pay for an additional year of player development.

College programs would not have a problem with raising the age limit to 20. It would reduce their recruiting cost and give them additional playing time from more experienced players. It seems like a win-win for the colleges and the NBA but is not a win for the players.

Let’s be frank, college is not for everybody. Some young men do not want to matriculate after high school. They would rather go right to work in professional basketball the way players do in baseball and hockey.

Yes, this would drive up the cost of player development for the NBA. They would need to invest more in the D-League and possibly send players to the Euro league to develop the skills required to play in the NBA. In other words, the NBA needs to develop a true minor league system. Player development cost would increase, but it is just the cost of doing business properly.

The fact is that a college education is not required to play in the NBA (see Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Amar’e Stoudemire, Monta Ellis, et al). The keys to playing in the NBA are not learned in a classroom. They are learned and developed in the gym. So, why must a player go to college in order to continue playing until they reach age 19 or 20 if the NBA has its way? The fact is they should not have playing for a college team as their only option after high school.

This is not an indictment against a college education. Continuing education is a good thing. For the economic development of the nation, it is a necessary commodity. It just should not be a requirement to play in the NBA or a way for the “the Association” to avoid development cost.

Baseball and hockey allow young men aged 18 (or younger in some cases) the opportunity to begin professional careers without going to college. They get to play in places like Bakersfield, Ft. Wayne and Thunder Bay. As their skills improve they move up the ladder. If they do not progress, they are cut (fired), and they move on to the next phase of their lives. Savvy players have negotiated for their college tuition to paid for by the team if they are released by the club.

The key question is – who would be harmed if high school players could go directly to the NBA? It would cost the NBA money for the cost of developing younger talent, so their bottom-line would be affected. NBA players might not receive the type of raises they desire as teams would have to divert more money to player development. The colleges might not have the opportunity to have some talented players participate in their programs because they would bypass NCAA level play. Ultimately, no person or group would be unduly harmed by the change.

Who would win if the situation were changed? The young men who want to put it all on the line and pursue their dream of playing professional basketball. For some, that will mean a financial windfall as they reach stardom earlier than they would if forced to play in college. For others, it means their dream will end while they are young enough to seek other occupational opportunities, but they will have had the chance to pursue their dreams.

Let me add at this point, I am not against a college education. In fact, I wish that all basketball players would attend college, complete a four-year degree and then go play professionally. I think that would be the best of all options, but that option is really not realistic for all.

It is time for a change. If you are 18-years old (a legal adult) you should be able to play in the NBA. There is no logical reason to keep these talented individuals from playing the game they love professionally.

Kings sign 7-foot-5 center Sim Bhullar

Published on April 3, 2015April 3, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings have signed 7-foot 5-inch center Sim Bhullar to a 10 day contract. Bhullar had been playing for the Kings D-League team in Reno. He was also a member of the Kings championship Las Vegas Summer League team.

The signing is also historic for the NBA. Bhullar is the first player of Indian descent to ever sign a contract with a NBA team and be placed on its regular season roster.

In Reno, Bhullar was averaging 10.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.9 blocks and 25.8 minutes per game. He recorded 11 double-doubles. Bhullar also posted a triple-double putting up 26 points, grabbing 17 rebounds and blocking 11 shots in a game versus the LA Defenders.

Bhullar reported to the Summer League weighing 400 pounds. In Reno, he lost 40 pounds which Bhullar says has helped him improve his game.

Bhullar played his college ball at New Mexico State. He was named WAC freshman of the year and was the Western Conference Tournament MVP twice.

Pelicans fly past the Kings 102-88

Published on March 27, 2015March 27, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Two four game streaks came to an end on Friday night in New Orleans. The Pelicans four game losing streak ended, and the Kings four game winning streak came to an end as New Orleans beat Sacramento 102-88.

The teams played each other very evenly in the first half. The Pelicans held a 46-42 halftime lead, but in the second half New Orleans just pulled away led by the play of former Sacramento King Tyreke Evans.

Evans finished the night as the Pelicans high scorer putting up 25 points by shooting 10 for 15 from the floor. Evans also made it a double-double game by adding 10 assists.

Anthony Davis had another big night for New Orleans as he scored 24 points in 40 minutes of playing time. Davis had six blocked shots in the game.

The Pelicans were also helped by their second unit that scored 29 points off the bench. Kings coach George Karl felt the New Orleans bench just outplayed the Sacramento bench. The Kings bench could only produce 12 points in game.

The most frustrating fact of the night was the Kings failure to take advantage of the monster numbers put up by DeMarcus Cousins.Cousins scored 39 points and grabbed 20 rebounds for his 44th double-double of the season. He shot 16 for 28 from the field and went seven for 12 from the free throw line. Cousins had three blocked shots.

Rudy Gay’s numbers were down but not significantly. Gay scored 18 points but shot just seven for 18 in the game.

Omri Casspi with 10 points was the only other Kings player to score in double figures.

The Kings backcourt was very quiet in the game. McLemore put up just seven points and Ray McCallum scored just two points. Between the two guards they had just one point in the first half.

Sacramento shot 44.3-percent from the field for the game. They were seven for 15 (46.7-percent) from 3-point range. The Kings went to the free throw line just 18 times in the game and were successful just 11 times (61.1-percent). Free throw shooting is normally a strength for this Kings team.

The Kings assist to turnovers ratio was not good on Friday night. They had just 14 assists and turned the ball over 11 (12 points).

New Orleans shot 51.2-percent (43 for 84) from the floor. The Pelicans shot nine for 20 (45.0-percent) from 3-point land with most of those coming in the second half.

The Kings will Saturday and Sunday off and then must face the very defensive minded Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis on Monday night.

Kings add David Wear to roster

Published on March 23, 2015March 23, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings have signed forward David Wear to a 10-day contract. Wear was playing for the Kings D-League affiliate in Reno.

Wear, a 6-10 forward, averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 30 minutes per game for the Bighorns.

He is a 47.8-percent field goal shooter who hits the 3-pointer 39.4-percent of the time. Wear has hit seven 3-pointers in a game twice this season.

Wear played his college ball at UCLA.

David Wear will be available to play in the Philadelphia 76ers game on Tuesday night.