MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Kevin Martin had already improved immensely last season, coming in second place behind Golden State's Monta Ellis for the Most Improved Player award while becoming one of the league's elite scorers.

Nonetheless, the fourth-year player managed to get even better, as his scoring jumped from 20.2 to 23.7 points per game and he finished ranked sixth in the league in scoring. In terms of offensive improvement from a rookie season to Year No. 4, Martin is second all-time with an increase of 20.8 points and trailed only Derek Smith (21.3 increase from 1982 to 1986).

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER
Quincy Douby came up far short of preseason expectations, as the second-year guard was unable to show much this season by some fault of his own and some of the Kings coaching staff.

Douby, who was drafted 19th overall in 2006 for his scoring ways, got off to a bad start when he missed the team's summer league in July because of a back problem. The project of turning him into a point guard, then, was put on hold, and the struggles continued all the way through the season. Douby could never gain the confidence of Kings coach Reggie Theus, as he entered the regular season finale having played in 72 games but averaging just 11.5 minutes. With his limited time, Douby couldn't showcase the shooting touch that brought him to Sacramento to begin with, as he shot just 38.6 percent overall and averaged 4.4 points after shooting 38.1 percent as a rookie and averaging 2.8 points in 42 games.

FREE AGENT FOCUS
Beno Udrih will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Kings will most certainly be looking to bring him back.

Udrih was taken off waivers by the Kings after he was traded from San Antonio to Minnesota in late October and instantly cut by the Timberwolves. The Kings have only their midlevel exception (approximately $6 million per season, up to five years) with which to work, and Udrih's camp will certainly be pushing for the full amount.

The Kings will also be eager to know what Ron Artest decides to do, as the small forward can opt out of his contract but has indicated he is unlikely to do so. Artest is due $7.4 million next season if he sticks around. The Kings will also likely let their other free agents walk, as big man Lorenzen Wright and point guard Anthony Johnson will be free agents. They were acquired in the Feb. 16 Mike Bibby trade, with their expiring deals helping the Kings get under the luxury tax threshold of the salary cap.

PLAYER NOTES

--Beno Udrih is hoping to have his free agent future decided by early July. The 25-year-old plans on playing for his national team in Slovenia, and he is hopeful that whichever NBA team he signs with supports his desire to compete in the summer.

--Ron Artest had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb on April 24.

Artest, who missed five games due to the injury in the final two weeks of the season, had the procedure done by Dr. Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Artest will wear a removable splint for six weeks and return to full strength in approximately eight to 10 weeks.

--Swingman Francisco Garcia had a breakout season in 2007-08, and now the waiting game begins. Garcia is signed only through the 2008-09 campaign and the Kings can now offer him an extension, but they have until Oct. 31 to do so.

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.