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

Udrih was claimed 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

--F Ron Artest had his best statistical season of his career. He averaged a career-high 20.5 points per game while shooting a career-high 45.3 percent overall and a career-high 38 percent from three-point range. What's more, Artest returned to his defensive stopper's ways after injuries slowed him on that end last season. He averaged 2.3 steals per game, ranking him third in the league and second in his career behind only his 2001-02 season in Chicago and Indiana (2.5 per game in 55 games). Artest, however, was far from dependable. He missed 24 games, with seven coming as a result of his league suspension to start the season, nine coming as a result of right elbow surgery, and the remaining eight because of various ailments.

--G Beno Udrih lost out on his chance to win the league's Most Improved Player award because of the lower back strain that kept him out for nearly three weeks near the end of the season. Still, the fourth-year player had a breakout season worthy of notice. Udrih, who had never averaged more than 14.4 minutes per game while spending his first three seasons in San Antonio, averaged 32 minutes in 64 games entering the regular season finale. His scoring vaulted from a previous career-high of 5.9 points per game to this season's 12.6, as he shot 45.9 percent from the field and averaged 4.3 assists.

--C Spencer Hawes drew rave reviews late in the season, with many of the same media types who questioned his ability to produce in the league hailing him as a quality pick for the Kings. Hawes, who was taken tenth overall out of Washington last June, only averaged 4.5 points per game and 3.2 rebounds, but he saw significant playing time in the closing weeks when Brad Miller's season ended early due to injury.

For Hawes, the highlight of his season was a March 9 win at the Lakers (114-113). Hawes had 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists and four blocks. Much of his production came in crucial moments late, as Hawes showed an ability to have a defensive presence and held his own against Lakers star Pau Gasol.

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