Sacramento is a different team than it was at the start of last season. It has a new head coach and will begin the campaign with defensive stopper Ron Artest on its roster.
The Kings finished last season with a 44-38 record and returned to the postseason for the eighth straight year. They were the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and faced No. 1 San Antonio in the opening round. The Spurs knocked out Sacramento in six contests, 4-2.
Eric Musselman is the new head coach. The Kings hired Musselman in early June as their new general after relieving Rick Adelman in early May of the head coaching duties. Adelman, who guided the Kings to three Pacific Division titles, spent eight seasons with Sacramento and is the franchise’s winningest coach.
Musselman was an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies for nearly two seasons and is a former head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
Last season was saved on January 25th when Sacramento dealt sharp-shooting forward Peja Stojakovic to the Indiana Pacers for Artest. With the 26- year-old Artest in the lineup, the Kings were a solid 26-14 in the regular season and were able to get back to the postseason.
Artest, who is a one-time All-Star and was the 2003-04 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Kings last season. His intensity and hard-nosed defensive style has rubbed off on his teammates and has helped them become a tougher squad to compete against.
Mike Bibby, who completed his eighth year in the NBA, had his best season as a pro for the Kings in 2005-06. He led the team in scoring (21.1 ppg) and assists (5.4 apg). Along with forward Kenny Thomas, Bibby was the only other King to play in all 82 regular-season games.
Bibby is sidelined with a thumb injury. Tests on the injured thumb revealed he has a mallet thumb, meaning the tendon along his thumb tip was separated from the distal bone.
Two-time All-Star center Brad Miller had another solid season in 2005-06, as he averaged 15.0 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds, while forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who signed with the Kings as a free agent in August 2005, contributed 12.0 points and 5.3 boards per contest.
Guard Kevin Martin and Thomas were also key figures in Sacramento’s success. Thomas added some tough play inside and the 6-7 Martin continued to develop into a solid player in just his second season in the league.
Gone is swingman Bonzi Wells, who signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets. Wells averaged 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds in 52 games for the Kings.
The Kings added another guard, as 26-year-old free agent John Salmons signed a multi-year deal with the club. Salmons spent the first four years of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 7.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 82 games last season for the Sixers.
Sacramento was just 17-24 on the road last season. The Kings are scheduled to visit the Chicago Bulls on Friday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
The Timberwolves are trying to find an identity, They finished the 2005-06 season with a disappointing 33-49 record and did not qualify for the playoffs for the second straight season.
All-Star forward Kevin Garnett is still the cornerstone of the franchise and management would like to win with him leading the way. The 30-year-old Garnett led the Timberwolves in scoring (21.8 ppg) and rebounding (12.7 rpg) during the 2005-06 campaign. He seems to have lost some of his passion and is visibly frustrated with the state of his squad.
If Minnesota, which lost in the 2003-04 Western Conference finals to the Los Angeles Lakers the last time it was in the postseason, can start winning it would rejuvenate Garnett.
Ricky Davis, who was acquired from Boston during the season in a blockbuster trade that sent Wally Szczerbiak to the Celtics, is a solid player. Davis averaged 19.4 points in 78 games with Minnesota and Boston last season. The 6-7 Davis can play shooting guard or small forward and is currently Minnesota’s second best scoring option, behind Garnett.
Mark Blount, Trenton Hassell, Troy Hudson and Marko Jaric are all role players, while guard Rashad McCants showed a lot of potential during his rookie campaign.
During the offseason, Minnesota did sign free agent guard Mike James. The 31- year-old James averaged an impressive 20.3 points and 5.8 assists in 79 games for the Toronto Raptors last season. The Timberwolves hope James will help take some of the load off of Garnett’s shoulders.
Villanova product Randy Foye was drafted by Boston with the seventh overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, but ended up with the Timberwolves after being dealt by the Celtics to Portland. The Trail Blazers sent Foye to Minnesota for Washington guard Brandon Roy, who was selected with the sixth overall pick by the Timberwolves. The 6-4 Foye will play immediately and can fill in at both guard spots. He could very easily end up being the best player from the draft.
Head coach Dwane Casey enters his second year as the general of the Timberwolves. His job is simple, help Garnett get the Timberwolves back to the postseason.
The Timberwolves were 24-17 at home last season. They will visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday at the Pepsi Center.
Minnesota won two of three from the Kings last season. Sacramento has lost five of its last eight at the Timberwolves.
Sacramento has lost two straight season-openers, while the Timberwolves have won six in a row.
Minnesota Timberwolves 
Sacramento Kings 
