| Udrih makes strong case for Kings to retain him |
He isn't spectacular like Jason Williams. He hasn't humbled the Los Angeles Lakers with a leaning, last-second jumper in the playoffs. He doesn't have an entourage. Heck, he didn't even have a job when the season began.
But as the Kings crawl toward the draft lottery and another offseason of changes, Beno Udrih, despite having unusually small hands and fingers for an NBA point guard, retains a vise-like grip on the starting position.
He wants them. They need him. Assuming the free agent-to-be and his bosses reach agreement this summer on a long-term contract – and according to all the parties, this is a reasonable assumption – the job will be Udrih's for the foreseeable future.
"Everybody feels he has been a great acquisition," Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie said. "But the free-agency thing … I can't talk about."
"It's certainly been a good fit," said Udrih's agent, Marc Cornstein. "When the season is over, I'll sit down with Beno and go over the priorities, but I would have to guess playing time and role are the most important."
In other words, this is the deal: Though the Kings exceed the salary cap, they can offer Udrih some (or all) of the midlevel exception that could stretch to five seasons and average approximately $5 million to $6 million annually. Add or subtract a few million, and Beno, who has been the next best thing to a freebie at $788,936, will earn a substantial raise.
His ascent on the court has been similarly dramatic and his once-lousy timing impeccable. The same player who was waived within hours of being traded from San Antonio to Minnesota this past exhibition season is emerging as the right point guard for the Kings at the right time. In a sense, history is repeating.
The flashy, immensely popular Williams generated tremendous enthusiasm during the feel-good, have-fun early years of the Rick Adelman Era. But he was supplanted by the more serious, slick-shooting Bibby as the Kings evolved into contenders. Bibby, whose effectiveness declined during his final months in Sacramento, more recently was replaced by a younger, cheaper, seemingly capable playmaker for the ongoing rebuilding.
Udrih, in fact, has improved by the week, most notably since returning to the starting lineup following Bibby's swap to the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 16. Stronger and quicker than he appears at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Udrih is increasingly productive on pick-and-rolls, on curls into the lane for midrange jumpers, or knifing to the basket and eluding defenders with crafty, left-handed reverse layups. As much as anything, it's his European style of play – the ability to penetrate the lane, draw defenders and then find open teammates for dunks and jumpers – that draws the highest praise from Kings officials.
"Beno has earned the right to take control of the team," coach Reggie Theus said. "He goes deep into the paint, much better than I expected, and he takes hard hits. The last few weeks he has been really aggressive, which is what I want to see. … One night he came over to the huddle, and he complained that someone wasn't passing the ball. I said, 'Beno, why the hell are you telling me? You're the point guard. Go tell him.' I think he has a strong enough personality to demand that."
Udrih, 25, appears unfazed by the pressure of replacing Bibby or the potential to earn millions. He has eased into his Natomas surroundings and become particularly friendly with rookie Spencer Hawes. He likes the city. He likes the team. And by all accounts – Cornstein's included – he is thriving under Theus' pointed tutelage.
Though not as acerbic as the Spurs' respected Gregg Popovich, Theus is just as quick with the critiques. He thinks Beno can defend better. He wants Beno to attack the rim more. Intrigued by his point guard's talent, he wants more and more from Beno. His most recent gripe concerns Udrih's tendency to give the ball up before initiating the offense, particularly when Ron Artest or John Salmons resort to deadly one-on-one games.
"Keep the ball in my hands, make decisions," Udrih said, nodding. "Reggie and I talked about that. (After the trade), I needed a few games of opportunity, to get my confidence back. Now I have that. I'm very happy here."
Used courtesy of: Sacramento Bee |
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