Ben McLemore's Failure to Launch
Ben McLemore is certainly not in Kansas anymore. 
Precisely one year ago, the 20-year-old college freshman had just finished a spectacular regular-season campaign with the Kansas Jayhawks. He led the team in scoring, thanks to a sweet shooting stroke as well as an impressively athletic burst to the basket.
McLemore’s Jayhawks proceeded to sweep the Big 12 Tournament and as a result, earn a No. 1 seed heading into the NCAA Tournament. For the season, the St. Louis native averaged 15.9 points per game on 49.5 percent shooting and 42.0 percent from beyond the arc. He was money.
Now in Sacramento, the 2013 seventh overall pick’s shot seems to have deserted him. He shows occasional flashes as one would expect from such a high draft pick, but his play hasn’t been consistent. On back-to-back nights in late-January, McLemore strung together a combined 32 points, only to follow those performances with a six-game stretch of 5.5 points per game on 32.5 percent shooting.
While McLemore’s shot has regressed – at least statistically-speaking – every month from November through February, the hope remains that the promising shooting guard will rediscover what made him so successful in college. Read more >>
Sacramento Kings Hope Reggie Evans' High Energy is Contagious
Reggie Evans is a player you hate to play against, but love to have if he’s on your team. 
Though he’s never averaged six points per game, Evans has crafted a stable niche for himself in the league. During his 12-year career, he’s become known for his stellar rebounding, relentless motor and unique ability to get under opponents’ skin.
“(I remember) playing against him during my career, and he always seemed to be a pest,” said Kings assistant coach Corliss Williamson, whose final five seasons in the league coincided with Evans’ first five.
“I hated playing against him because you know you had to work every possession, but having a chance to have him on our team and to be a part of this organization, he’s the type of player that you want on there.”
Evans has built his career on a reputation based around energy and effort. Playing in his first contest since being acquired at the trade deadline, Evans showed against the Houston Rockets that his approach to the game never changes, no matter the circumstances. Read more >>