--Former Kings coach Reggie Theus was hired as a Minnesota assistant in early September, joining recently hired head coach Kurt Rambis to help rebuild their team while surely chatting about another. Both coaches have somewhat-sordid pasts with the Kings. Theus believed he was unjustly fired midway through last season, and Rambis was of the belief that he would be Theus' replacement if he so desired. But while Rambis was a candidate for the Kings job that eventually went to Paul Westphal in June, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie disputed the notion that Rambis -- as he had said -- was formally offered the job. --The Kings will open the 2009-10 season on the road for the sixth straight season. They open at Oklahoma City on Oct. 28, followed by an Oct. 30 tilt at New Orleans and a Halloween game at San Antonio to finish the road trip. They are only on national television once, a Nov. 8 meeting against Golden State at Arco Arena.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'd like to see as many guys as possible, but there are also some things that are out of your control. I just look at each situation, and if I think somebody's not doing what they should be doing, then we'll have a problem. But if they have a reason for what they're doing and are taking care of business, then we won't have a problem." -- Kings coach Paul Westphal, on his team's September conditioning, as told to The Sacramento Bee.
