Allgemeines » half the forward group

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Just because the Sacramento Kings were familiar with Tyreke Evans didnt mean they could stop him. The former NBA Rookie of the Year made a memorable return to Sacramento, scoring a season-high 25 points and adding 12 assists to help the New Orleans Pelicans snap a four-game losing streak with a 113-97 win over the Kings on Monday night. "I know they have no shot blockers, so I was attacking every chance I got," said Evans, who made 7 of 14 shots and hit 11 of 12 free throws after coming off the bench. "Im quick enough to take it to the basket. Thats what I do best. I wanted to be aggressive." Known for his slashing style of play and his uncanny ability to get to the rim in four seasons with the Kings, Evans stayed true to his game, bypassing perimeter shots in favour of going to the hoop. He also added six rebounds and three steals. "He got wherever he wanted to go. Nobody could keep in front of him and thats how he gets to the rim," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "If our guys didnt think he would try to come into this arena and get off, then I question their IQ. He played here and hes going to come here and try to show everybody what were missing. And he did." Evans averaged 17.5 points in his four seasons with the Kings. He joined the Pelicans in the off-season as part of a three-team trade and subsequently signed a four-year, $44 million contract. The Pelicans pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Kings 36-23 to salvage their only victory on a five-game road trip. Evans was a major factor in the second half, scoring 13 points. "I just told the guys that this is just about us getting stops and our defence had to prevail in the fourth quarter and I thought it did," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Kings, who committed 22 turnovers in losing for the sixth time in eight games. Isaiah Thomas had 21 points and Marcus Thornton had 19. Rudy Gay made 2-of -12 shots and scored 11 points. "First of all, we didnt get stops," Kings guard Isaiah Thomas said. "Secondly, we didnt dial in on that end of the floor and he made every play. He scored, he passed, and he did what he wanted." Anthony Davis had 21 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans. Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 10 assists, and Eric Gordon also had 17 points. Ryan Anderson, who grew up in the Sacramento region, had a difficult evening trying to contain Cousins at the defensive end. Anderson went to the bench with five fouls at the 8:17 mark in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans leading scorer missed 3 of 9 shots and had eight points. NOTES: Shaquille ONeal sat courtside next to Kings majority owner Vivek Ranadive and Hall of Fame player Chris Mullin, who works in an advisory role with the team and frequently attends home games. ONeal is one of Sacramentos minority owners. . Pelicans starting centre Jason Smith missed his second consecutive game with a bruised bone in his right knee. Smith, who is on the inactive list, had started the teams first 24 games. . Cousins had it going early for the Kings, getting 12 points and seven rebounds in the first quarter . . Alexis Ajinca played 13 minute and fouled out in the fourth quarter. Cheap Detroit Red Wings Jerseys . Founding members of the Genie Army, a group of Eugenie Bouchard supporters who cheered for the rising tennis star during the Australian Open in January, will be in the city for the Rogers Cup, beginning this weekend. Wholesale Red Wings Jerseys . Tepesch, back from the minor leagues, earned his first major league victory in more than 10 months and the Rangers edged the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday. http://www.cheapredwingsjerseys.com/ . INJURIES - Reds RF Jay Bruce is facing knee surgery for a torn meniscus and it could cost him a month of playing time. Chris Heisey, who has shown some pop (43 home runs, . Cheap Red Wings Jerseys . The top-ranked Williams carried her winning momentum from 2013 into the new season, beating No. 2-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday to defend her title at the Brisbane International and set the tone for the Australian Open. Cheap Red Wings Jerseys China . Eller scored the midway through the third period after Dallas scored twice to tie it, leading Canadiens to a 6-4 win over the Stars on Thursday night.TORONTO – Randy Carlyle entered the dressing room of the Maple Leafs practice facility Monday morning to an unusual and almost eerie silence. There was no music pumping from the stereo system, nothing but the uncomfortable quiet of a team in midst of another memorable late season collapse. "Thats a sure tell-tale sign," he said of a group in shock, down in the dumps from a losing streak numbering eight games, one that has the clubs playoff hopes dangling from the thinnest of threads. Carlyle took the day to inject a little life into what remains of those hopes. He also did a fair bit of teaching, directing, and informing, tweaks to "things that we think that are very easily correctable". He implored his forwards to "turn your [butt]" to protect the puck and adjusted the positioning of Jay McClement and Tim Gleason during one particular defensive zone drill. Carlyle may be coaching for his job in these final six games of the regular season, but beyond the uncertain question of the head coach and his status for next season is the roster retooling that seems likely to take place under the direction of GM Dave Nonis and his management team this summer. With 10 players up for free agency – including half the forward group and two top-four defenders – and the core deserving of some scrutiny after another collapse, plenty of change could and probably will be coming to the Leafs. Forwards James van Riemsdyk Tyler Bozak Phil Kessel Joffrey Lupul Nazem Kadri Nikolai Kulemin** Mason Raymond** Dave Bolland** David Clarkson Troy Bodie** Jay McClement** Jerry DAmigo* Colton Orr Defencemen Carl Gunnarsson Dion Phaneuf Jake Gardiner* Cody Franson* Tim Gleason Morgan Rielly Paul Ranger** Goaltenders Jonathan Bernier James Reimer* Note: *Restricted Free Agent | **Unrestricted Free Agent Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, Dion Phaneuf, David Clarkson, Joffrey Lupul, and Tyler Bozak are all locked up until the summer of 2017 and in some cases beyond. They constitute the Toronto core along with Morgan Rielly and Jonathan Berrnier and the far less secure but high upside duo of Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner.dddddddddddd Considering their place in three straight collapses – all of varying degree – and ongoing struggles to defend, adjustment to the group has to be considered with only Kessel, van Riemsdyk, Bernier and Rielly seemingly off the table this offseason. Luke Schenn, once a cornerstone of that group, was jettisoned after the meltdown in 2012. Mikhail Grabovski faced the same fate via compliance buyout after Game 7 last spring. Will the summer ahead bring with it more change to the building blocks of the organization? Is a 1-2 centre punch of Bozak and Kadri strong enough to be a force in the East or are upgrades needed down the middle? Is there enough two-way stability to the current top-six (all signed long-term, save for Kadri) with little in the way of youth on the way? Can Clarkson be redeemed in year two of a whopping seven-year contract? Might the organization buy him out? Is a trade even possible? Can Lupul be a part of the solution at age 30 and beyond that? Is the core, generally speaking, good enough to win as constructed or is a major or perhaps minor tinkering required? Beyond that core is the looming free agent bunch, of which Bolland figures to be the most intriguing. The 27-year-old began his Leaf career with a bang, posting six goals and 10 points in October. But a serious ankle injury kept him out nearly five months and muddled his status in the process. Theres value there, but at what price and what term? Can he stabilize the club at centre ice or is there a better fit elsewhere, perhaps 28-year-old Paul Statsny, also entering unrestricted free agency for the first time? Then there are the likes of Mason Raymond, Nik Kulemin, Jay McClement, Troy Bodie and Paul Ranger, all also unrestricted. McClement is useful if employed in a fourth line role, and Bodie has certainly earned himself another contract with an energetic presence. The others all have question marks with price point and fit among the concerns. Thats the entire group of bottom-six forwards, all in question to return next season. None of the three restricted free agents are certain or maybe even likely to come back next year with Jake Gardiner the likeliest of a bunch – by a good margin – that includes Cody Franson and the all-but-gone James Reimer. Torontos defence should be the top priority for upgrade followed by a forward complement that has plenty of holes in the bottom ranks (size, strength, defensive commitment among the issues) with question marks up top and down the middle as well. Nonis would be hard-pressed to bring back Carlyle if the Leafs do definitively fumble away their once certain playoff chances, but hell also have to give a long, hard look to a roster thats proven (in conjunction with that coaching staff) to be flawed and in need of improvement. 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