Sacramento Kings: The Bearded One

Reggie Evans

By Ryan Rodriguez

I came into last night with Ben McLemore on my mind. I have been wondering if I can find something during games that can help me understand his prolonged struggle since he won Western Conference Rookie of the Month in November. However, Reggie Evans stole the show, as he brought energy to the Kings and led them to a 96-89 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

It might be weird to say that Evans, with his 10 points and 13 boards, was the leader of the game, but it was so much more than stats that captured how he affected the game last night. Before the trade that brought Evans to the Kings, I had only seen him in random nationally televised games or playoff games but had never really watched him personally throughout a game to get a true sense of why he can be so valuable. Well last night was just a culmination of what has been building since he joined the Kings, a guy you play simply because he is always going to do the little things hard, and, most of all, he is going to board his ass off.

The Kings were stuck in one of those classic games last night where the teams are noticeably holding something back, not because they weren’t or don’t want to try hard but because they are at the point in the season where you are worn down and it’s hard to muster that ultimate effort every night, especially when both teams have nothing standings-wise to play for.

Insert Reggie Evans, who seems to not know what this feeling is like and he brought an energy to this game that was unmatched by anyone on the floor. What gets me most about Evans is his ability to rebound the basketball at a truly elite level because he consistently out works and out hustles everyone on the floor. Yes his boards come from positioning before the shot goes up, but an inordinate amount came yesterday because he clearly wanted the ball the most.

I always think the phrase “He (they) just wanted it more” is way over used because I believe all  players want to play well, win, and not be embarrassed, but with some players you can just tell whose want is uncharacteristically higher than other players. Reggie is one of those guys.

There was a point in the third quarter yesterday where I thought the Kings were going to fold and notch their 40th loss of the year; it was 53-48  with four and a half minutes left and the Pelicans were looking to pull away. With Boogie on the bench in foul trouble, Evans controlled the paint for the Kings with his energy alone, sparking a 20-6 run to end the quarter and firmly place the Kings in the lead. He grabbed rebounds, tipped missed shots to others, dove on the ground for loose balls, and even hit an up and under layup. He lit a fire that spread to Isaiah and Rudy who in turn picked up their offensive games, while the entire team brought good collective energy on defense, even if everything wasn’t perfect on that end, to finish out the victory.

I see Evans as another good veteran this new regime has added that can be mentors to young players like Boogie and Isaiah. He might not be a player that can be on a truly good team, but serving as a bridge from dark years to the playoff years the Kings hope are on the horizon in the near future is a great job for Evans. He will teach the young cats professionalism, how to maximize your talents, and how to use your most useful skill (rebounding) in the best way possible. The direction of the Kings is clearly changing, even if the wins and losses might not show that and Reggie is one of those guys who will spark this change.

Next game is Wednesday vs. the Bucks.