MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Rookie forward Jason Thompson was nothing if not durable, as he played in all 82 games this season. Luckily for the Kings, he was much more than present. Thompson, who was drafted tenth overall out of Rider University last June, entered the season finale tied for ninth among rookies in scoring (11.1 points per game) and third among rookies in rebounding (7.4).
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Fifth-year point guard Beno Udrih entered the season with great expectations after signing a five-year, $32 million deal last summer. In the end, there was nothing great about his performance. Udrih entered the season finale ranked 22nd among point guards in scoring (11 points per game), 24th in assists (4.7 per game) and 26th in turnovers (2.2 per game). FREE AGENT FOCUS: Of the five Kings players who will be free agents this summer, none appear likely to return.
The final two games from forward Ike Diogu (31 points and 11 rebounds at Denver and 28 points and 13 rebounds at Minnesota) likely mean he has the best shot at a return. Veteran guard Bobby Jackson -- who has played six of his 12 seasons in Sacramento and is a fan favorite -- has said he wants to play two more seasons but will certainly look at scenarios in which he can be more competitive. Fourth-year guard Rashad McCants had occasional breakout games and reminded observers that he is a talented scorer, but it likely wasn't enough to warrant a contract offer. Big men Cedric Simmons and Calvin Booth were relative non-factors in their time with the Kings after being traded to Sacramento in February.
PLAYER NEWS:
--G Kevin Martin did not play in the season's final eight games because of a sore left ankle. And while he finished with yet another sensational scoring output (24.6 points per game), the question of what kind of player he will be won't be answered until next season. Martin, who played in just 51 games, was limited because of the injury and will certainly return to a hotter spotlight next season.
--C Spencer Hawes saw his season end in the first quarter against Denver on April 13, when Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin's flagrant foul sent the second-year player reeling to the floor with a knee injury. Yet after an MRI taken a day later revealed nothing more than a left knee strain, Hawes and the Kings breathed a sigh of relief. Hawes' second season reiterated the notion that he could be a productive scorer (11.4 points per game), while showing he can rebound (7.1 per game) and even block shots (1.2 per game).
--G/F Francisco Garcia signed a contract extension last summer that won't kick in until next season. He will surely be looking to earn his bigger paychecks (four years guaranteed for $23.2 million) after playing in just 65 games and struggling to produce on a consistent basis. Garcia was limited by a left calf strain that lingered for much of the season.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--G Kevin Martin (sore left ankle, day to day).
--C Spencer Hawes (left knee strain, day to day).
