With Artest in Sacramento, the Kings couldn't get along with their rebuilding in earnest. He resisted the youth movement unless the youngsters were named LeBron James or Chris Paul, exuding an eagerness to rely on veterans and compete for a championship in the here and now that simply wasn't realistic. Yet with Artest in Houston and the Kings having officially entered the rebuilding stage, there is no guarantee the setting will get any brighter in their first season without him.

While fifth-year shooting guard Kevin Martin may top the NBA's class of lesser-known potential All-Stars, he is the first to point out that he can't do it alone. The question, quite clearly, is who is going to help him? The team's most senior veterans -- center Brad Miller, forward Mikki Moore, and reserve guard Bobby Jackson -- are beyond their respective primes and vulnerable to the injury risks that come with age. The next tier of talent -- swingmen John Salmons and Francisco Garcia and point guard Beno Udrih -- have never been given these types of substantial roles. And while the core of young talent is heavy on promise, it bears mentioning that none were picked higher than No. 10 in the draft and thereby can't be expected to make LeBron-like progressions.

Last, but certainly not least, is the uncertain status of Kings coach Reggie Theus. The second-year coach was a surprise hire in the summer of 2007. His resume in the coaching ranks was short, with two seasons as an assistant at Louisville under Rick Pitino and one season as the head coach at New Mexico State. His background as a Kings player, though, was seen as a public relations plus and the team's co-owners -- Vegas boys Joe and Gavin Maloof -- weren't afraid to gamble on his reputation as a promising up-and-comer.

But Theus is now in the final guaranteed season of his contract, and he will have to prove adept at both developing the young core and remaining competitive if he is to survive. He lobbied to have the third year of the $6 million deal picked up last summer, but was rebuffed.

Now, Theus will see if he can lead the Kings out of the shade and into the sunshine.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach -- Reggie Theus, 2nd year overall, 2nd with Kings (38-44). Assistants -- Kenny Natt, Chuck Person, Randy Brown, Jason Hamm, Rex Kalamian, Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

LAST SEASON, REMEMBERED: (38-44) (4th in Pacific).

THIS SEASON, PREDICTED: 33-49 (4th in Pacific).

POSSIBLE CHANGES, PREDICTED: Theus is no lock to survive the season. He must execute an agenda of developing the young core while keeping the veterans content and avoiding the sort of tumultuous locker room he had with Artest. Offensively, the Kings must return to their free-flowing and fun ways and distance themselves from the half-court plodding of recent years if Theus is to please the team's front office.

Veteran swingman John Salmons finally has the starting job he always wanted, but he could be pushed by fourth-year swingman Francisco Garcia. The Louisville product, who played under Theus in college (Theus was an assistant), was given a five-year, $29.8 million extension over the summer and his style could work better with the up-tempo way the Kings want to play. It's Salmons' job so long as he produces, but any sustained droughts may be followed with a change.

Conversely, point guard Beno Udrih shouldn't assume his job is safe simply because the Kings gave him a five-year, $32 million extension in the offseason. The fifth-year player may be pushed by rookie point guard Bobby Brown, an undrafted player out of Cal State Fullerton who pushes the ball more than Udrih and is far more athletic.

Otherwise, the starting roles will likely remain the same for much of the season. Rookie forward Jason Thompson (drafted No. 12 out of Rider University) hasn't appeared NBA-ready enough to supplant veteran Mikki Moore, and second-year center Spencer Hawes may be at least one season away from taking the starting role at center from veteran Brad Miller.