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Before the deadline, Thornton averaged just 10 points and shot 31.2 percent from beyond the arc in the Kings’ three-game skid. Since then, he’s scored 30 or more points and shot above 50 percent from deep in two of the Kings’ last three games. “It was just trade deadline,” said Thornton, who added that a cold contributed to his poor play last week. “Everybody gets cautious at the trade deadline. It was on everybody’s mind. But that’s over with. It’s a new week, new day, glad to be a King.” Cowbell Kingdom

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart, Marcus Thornton 

A new addition to the Sacramento Kings’ coaching staff was spotted working with Hassan Whiteside following shoot-around today. Clifford Ray, who won championships as a player (1975, Golden State Warriors) and coach (2008, Boston Celtics), has joined head coach Keith Smart’s staff to work with the team’s big men. “He’s been all over with coaching so he has a great feel,” said Smart of Ray, who’s had NBA stints in Dallas, New Jersey, Golden State, Cleveland, Orlando and Boston. “Every big guy in the league has come through his hands at one time or another.” Cowbell Kingdom

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Hassan Whiteside, Keith Smart, Clifford Ray 

Keith Smart has found some job security as an NBA head coach in Northern California after all. In California's state capital with the Sacramento Kings, that is. Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie announced Monday that the team has extended Smart's contract through the 2012-13 season. The 47-year-old Smart replaced the fired Paul Westphal in early January -- giving him another shot as a head coach after being let go by the Golden State Warriors last April after one respectable season. CBSSports.com

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

Keith Smart will return next season as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. The team announced today they’ve exercised their second-year team option. “Keith has done a terrific job of taking control of the direction of the team,” said Petrie, according to an official press release sent by the team. “He is active, engaged and working hard to develop our young players along with a complimentary style of play.” Cowbell Kingdom

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

"Yes," Maloof said emphatically when asked if Smart's option would be picked up. "With no disrespect to our past coaches, we really have someone who everybody likes now. The players like him, the basketball staff likes him, we trust him, and he knows the game. Keith Smart is a wonderful coach, and we're lucky to have him. ... Yes, we'll pick it up. We want him to be our coach forever." SI.com

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

"There was one game where we won, and DeMarcus didn't have a real good fourth quarter, so the next day [Smart] took DeMarcus to breakfast, sat down with him and it was fantastic," Maloof said. "DeMarcus really respects him, trusts him, believes in him. You've got to have trust, and that's the most important thing that I think he's been able to develop with the team. They have a trust and they stick together, these guys." SI.com

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

Following their last practice before their current six-game road trip, Sacramento Kings head coach Keith Smart took some extra time off- the-court to work with Jimmer Fredette. “Just talking about shooting percentages from different areas on the floor,” the Kings rookie said to me when I asked what he and Smart discussed. “Kind of the stat chart of where you’re shooting the best and where you’re shooting worst and different types of stuff like that.” Cowbell Kingdom

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart, Jimmer Fredette 

Smart took over for the fired Paul Westphal Jan. 5 and said Cousins has grown up a lot in a month's time. "Everything I'd seen or heard about him I've seen a complete personality shift," Smart said. Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, Coaching, Keith Smart 

Jason Quick: That is four confirmed votes by Western Conf. coaches for @LaMarcus Aldridge: Monty Williams, George Karl, Brooks and Sacramento coach Keth Smart Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, George Karl, Monty Williams, Keith Smart, LaMarcus Aldridge, Scott Brooks 

Since taking over as head coach, Smart has characterized the Kings as a group of players still trying to become a team. On Friday he said the Kings did a better job against the Trail Blazers of communicating on defense. But the kind of cohesion he wants to see is also to be found away from the court, and it gives some insight into how Smart envisions the Kings improving. "Sometimes I just sit around on the plane and just listen to their chatter and see what they're talking about, and hear what they're talking about," Smart said. "And you can hear things now that they're talking about the game a little bit more, they're talking about what they could do on an opponent coming up, and that's how the team starts to grow. "And then eventually they start going out to eat places together, eating with each other, and having fun and growing right there. And then you have a game like last night, or several games prior to last night, where they were doing so many good things, not getting the win, but then last night everything came together with the win. And now they can say, 'Man, see, we just do this.' Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

Warriors assistant, Smart got his big break in 2010. The Warriors fired Nelson the day before training camp began and gave Smart the job with one guaranteed year on his contract. Excited about his first full season as a head coach, Smart guided Golden State to 36 wins, a 10-game improvement. However, Smart did not do well enough for the Warriors to pick up the next year of his contract. "I've got nothing to be bitter about. I can hold my head up," Smart said in the preseason, when he visited Oracle as a Kings assistant. "I always want to leave things better than I found them, and I did that in Golden State." San Jose Mercury-News

Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

The story for Monday's newspaper is about Tyreke Evans and his work to become a better facilitator on offense under Keith Smart. The debate over whether Evans is a point guard seems to have gone on even before the Kings drafted him in 2009. Some have suggested Evans should be moved to small forward and force him to play off the ball. Smart doesn't agree that is the best thing to do with with Evans. "He can't play the three," Smart said after Sunday's practice. "That guy was born with a basketball in his hand - got to keep that thing in his hand. I've tried that one time and that doesn't work so I'm not going to go back to that one because he's not a small forward." Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart, Tyreke Evans 

Has your approach changed with Smart as your coach? DeMarcus Cousins: "It has. Everything has been positive right now. Coach isn't scared to speak his mind. He's going to tell the truth. He's going to tell you how it should be and how it's not going to be. He sets his guidelines and we all go by them. That's something that we needed from the beginning. Coach is going to be real. If you mess up he's going to tell you, 'You messed up.' That's all we needed from the beginning." So you didn't have that structure under Westphal? DeMarcus Cousins: "We didn't, honestly. And it showed." USA Today

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, Coaching, Keith Smart, Paul Westphal 

Head Coach Keith Smart wants to run, but admitted that the Kings are not quite ready to begin a continuous fast break. “They are not in the type of shape that is necessary to have a team run, or how I have been able to coach teams to run.” Smart said after practice last week. “Everyone wants to run, but I have been given the opportunity to know how to train a team to be a running team.” Cowbell Kingdom

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

J. Michael Falgoust: Heckler tells Keith Smart as he's yelling at Tyreke, "It's just a temporary job." Smart replies: "And it's a very good one." #kings #nba Twitter

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

Smart is trying to break all of these habits. Smart said the team is making progress but acknowledges there is a lot of work to do. "We have a lot of isolation players," Smart said. "Guys that have been conducive to getting the ball and standing around make a play for themselves. I'm trying to get them to still have that ability but yet don't do it unless you see the check offs first. "We a ran the play in Toronto seven times and we only scored out of it once because Tyreke (Evans) finally took his time. You've got to let all the other action happen first. And then when that's gone then you make a play." Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Keith Smart 

Although Saturday marked Keith Smart's first time coaching in American Airlines Center this season, it was almost his home arena this year. Smart verbally agreed to join the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA lockout, but his contract signing was postponed until the lockout ended. The Kings wouldn't be so patient. Sacramento Bee

Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

They met with Smart and secured the former Warriors head coach by signing him during the lockout instead of waiting. Smart became the Kings' head coach Jan. 5 when Paul Westphal was fired. Taking the Kings job allowed Smart and his family to remain in the Bay Area, where they spent the past eight years. "(Dallas coach) Rick Carlisle was great through the whole process," Smart said. "He really made me feel like he wanted me here." Sacramento Bee

Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

Smart said Carlisle understood why he would decide not to come to Dallas. "He said, 'You've got an opportunity to stay close to home, and your family is right there,' " Smart said. Sacramento Bee

Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Keith Smart 

In walked Keith Smart, a good coach with intelligent ideas who is being fed to the wolves in Sacramento. Smart could coach this team, could rein in all this talent and get it pointed in the right direction -- if only the talent weren't so belligerent. Cousins has been quiet lately, has temporarily cut it out with the constant bickering to the refs and disrespectful on-court demeanor. He's also showed signs of coming around on the court, as he did Wednesday night with a 21-point, 19-rebound performance in a 98-91 victory over the Raptors. But that's one night; Cousins' reputation has been built over many. Is it only a matter of time before he turns on this coach too? CBSSports.com

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, Coaching, Keith Smart