Keith Smart's Coming-Out Party Ends with a Bang As the Kings Beat the Bucks

Earlier today, I was on my way to work and my phone buzzed.  Team Stream, Bleacher Report's free (awesome) sports app had alerted me that the Kings had fired then head coach Paul Westphal.  A normal sports fan would launch the app on their phone and read the story or maybe even go online and google Paul Westphal to read up about what had happened. 

Not me. 

First, my jaw actually dropped.  I was dumbfounded.  The Kings had actually made a Smart (pun absolutely intended) move!  

As usual though, I also had my guard up.  Anyone who has ever been a sports fan (and particularly a Kings fan) knows that there are major peaks and valleys when it comes to emotions.  Sometimes, we can't breathe because we are so angry with a coach or a player, who we believe hasn't done their best or sabotaged a team.  

Other times, we can't breathe because the Giants won the World Series.  (That still feels so good to say.)

In this case, I decided I should flush out my thoughts and say a sad (but necessary) goodbye to Westphal.  Well, I couldn't tell him goodbye myself, so what did you expect me to do?  

I wrote to him.  Through this website.  Okay, fine, it was weird.  

Then a few hours later, the Kings signed Keith Smart to a two-year deal, and they played the Bucks.  I was feeling back to normal;  they were down 21 at the half, and I could feel DeMarcus' postgame meltdown coming on like a hurricane.  

Predictably, my emotions swung back and forth for the next 24 minutes of play, and the Kings pulled out a victory.  

Here are five reasons why Keith Smart's coming-out party ended with a smile.  

1. Tyreke Evans Played Like a Fantasy God

Tyreke Evans' final line for the night was an electrifying look at what his real potential is: 41 minutes, 8-of-18 from the field, 9-of-9 from the line, 26 points, 10 boards, five assists, two steals and a block.  

He did shoot 1-of-5 from beyond the arc and commit five TOs, but even God dribbles the ball off his foot every once in a while.  

Why is this significant?  Why does it really matter that Evans is slowly coming into form eight games into the season?  Or rather—does it really matter that Evans had a huge game against a poor Milwaukee team?  

The short answer is no, it's not going to be a huge difference-maker in terms of making the playoffs.  

The long answer is that Evans is figuring out a way to share the court with Marcus Thornton, the Kings' current leading scorer at 18.3 ppg.  Thornton's presence alongside Evans is something that anybody would have taken as a slight threat, no matter how humble you managed to be as an NBA star.  

He's handling it nicely and figuring out how to distribute, score, rebound and play a little bit of perimeter defense while he's at it.

Now, if someone could just get those big guys to play some consistent D... 

2. Thompson and Hickson Stepped Their Games Up in Hayes' Absence

Clearly, the worst thing that happened on the Sacramento side was losing Chuck Hayes to a dislocated shoulder.  Hayes is a key big man for the Kings, who signed in the offseason and despite his small 6'6" stature will play as a serviceable center for Sacramento in years to come (assuming he has no health issues).  

In the absence of Hayes, Jason Thompson and J.J. Hickson took charge and played great defense inside in the second half.  (The second quarter was a nightmare: The Kings got outscored 28-12, and I almost turned it off.  Almost.)

Hickson played 26 minutes and finished with 7 and 11, while Thompson pitched in 23 minutes and had a stat line that screamed of duos: 2-2-2-2.

This big-man duo did its job tonight, and while Thompson and Hickson won't have it as easy against teams like the Magic (whom they play on Sunday; hopefully Dwight Howard is across the bay in a Dubs uniform at that point), they came through when Smart needed them most.   

3. DeMarcus Cousins Played 28 Minutes and STILL Dominated

Look, I'm no DeMarcus Cousins apologist, and I'd rather not spend any time debating how big of a crybaby he is.  At this point, he's a part of the team, and I want him there as long as he wants to be there (which plainly isn't true, but stick with me here).  

Cousins started, only played 28 minutes, finished with 19 and 15 (seven of which were offensive!) and wasn't on the floor when the game ended.  That is extremely good news.  

Sure, he fouled out, which is always bad news for a big man on a team that has almost none of them.  On the other hand,  it proves that the Kings don't need DMC to be a good team.  

They have solid backups at the 4 and 5 positions, and if they start winning a few games here and there, they might even continue to have the confidence to play those guys in crunch time, when Cousins is busy whining or fouling out. 

I have a strong impulse to text Keith Smart right now: "Keith. Please play DeMarcus Cousins only 30 minutes every game.  He will learn to be more disciplined with his time this way.  If he's a productive inmate on the bench, you can let him off with good time and give him 35 a game but no more.  He needs to earn his minutes in this league like everyone else, especially if he's demanding trades and getting coaches fired because of it."

Yes, Westphal deserved to go, but not like that.  Also, I don't have Keith Smart's number, so I won't be sending him that text.  Please let me know if you do. 

4. Look Out: Thornton Is Learning to Do Other Things on the Court

As discussed in slide No. 1, Marcus Thornton is the Kings' leading scorer.  On top of that, he is broadening his palette and has figured out how to play perimeter defense with Tyreke Evans and shoot gaps to properly get steals.

Thornton's line of 27-5-3-2 is outstanding for him, and while he needs to cut his turnovers in half (four), he's embracing his role very nicely.  

I shudder to think what Thornton would be like if John Salmons was back to his old tricks or Kevin Martin was still in town.  

5. A Little Bit of D and a Little Bit of Free

Two things made all the difference in the world tonight: a slight effort to play transition defense and a stellar job at the free throw line.  

The Kings outscored the Bucks 66-42 in the second half and didn't let Brandon Jennings get too out of control (although 31 is a bit of a torching).  Still though, there is a lot of work to be done when you go into the locker room after 24 minutes and you're down 58-37.  

The key, like it was for Smart's Warriors last year, will be damage control.  There is a star lurking on every team's roster, and it will be crucial to keep that star in this galaxy when it comes to point totals.  

As a team, 25-of-30 from the line is awesome.  I wish that Tyreke Evans had that ice in his veins every time he went to the line.  Unfortunately, he does not—but as usual, I will expect him to anyway!

Keith Smart has a test on his hands this year with this talent-laden but fragmented Sacramento Kings squad.  Last year, the Warriors won 37 games under his tutelage and missed the playoffs by 10 games.  

If the Kings finish 10 games behind the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference, I'll whip out my phone and concoct this fake text to Mr. Smart: "Thank you, Keith.  Looking forward to making a legitimate playoff run with you on the bench next season." 

He actually gave Thornton a high-five down the stretch and seemed genuinely amped on the win.  Didn't see that much from Westphal.  

Bring on the era of Smart decisions.