This being a rebuilding Kings team and all, there will be plenty of problems to address for the entirety of the season. Kevin Martin, however, was not supposed to be on that list.
Yet in the shooting guard's first two games, he shot a combined 7-of-27, had eight turnovers and generally looked frustrated and ineffective as the Kings fell to 0-2. The unexpected trend came to an end Saturday night, as he had 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting, four assists and just two turnovers in the Kings' 121-103 loss. While no Kings player will carry as heavy a load this season as Martin, he should not be surprised to find more resistance than in years past. Not only is he the top priority of opposing team's scouting reports, the gap between his prowess and of his teammates' is such that some scouts aren't yet sure who acts as the team's No. 2 option.
Yet Martin has been to the foul line just 19 times in three games, a significant decline considering he averaged 9.4 last season.
"If they're not giving me the same calls, I just have to make adjustments and move on," he said. "I have to get to the hole with more force and not expecting the call."
MAGIC 121, KINGS 103: The 26-turnover disaster of the night before was nowhere to be found, as the Kings had just 12 giveaways Saturday night in Orlando. But there was little they could do about Dwight Howard, as the Magic center had 29 points and 14 rebounds (six offensive) while exposing the Kings' young frontline. With veteran center Brad Miller out for the third game of his five-game suspension, second-year center Spencer Hawes and rookie forward Jason Thompson had early foul trouble that opened the floodgates for Howard.
