Omri Casspi Leads the Kings Past the Cavs

I had to stop blogging about the great Omri because I got a new job and no longer had the time to write about his exploits. However, when I was reading Yahoo! sports this morning and I saw that Omri was the Kings' star of the game. I knew that I had to mention this feat of greatness to the blogosphere.

Now, the Lebron-less Cavaliers are not an elite NBA team - but Omri still had a great night with 20 points on 7 for 10 shooting. You can see an Omri highlight at 54 seconds over at NBA.com. But unfortunately, there is also a potential goat moment when he missed two free-throws at the end of the game.

BTW - NBA.com no longer allows you to directly paste their highlight videos in a blog post :-(

Well, keep up the good work Omri and maybe I will have to keep the blog posts coming.

Photo Credit - By Chamber of Fear (File:Omri Casspi Courtney Lee.jpg) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Omri Casspi the Human Highlight Reel

Monday Feb. 1

The Kings were so close to a win, and yet so far. The other star rookie for the Kings, Tyreke Evans, did not play because of a sore ankle and the Kings lost to the Denver Nuggets in overtime. Omri Casspi continued his solid production: 14 points and 4 rebounds. He also had a great shooting night, 80% from the floor and he made all six free-throws!

Moreover, Omri was practically a human highlight reel! The first 30 seconds of the NBA.com highlights show Omri's deft shooting touch. At the 1:30 mark, you can see a beautiful pass and assist from Casspi the King. If you are only going to take five shots from the floor and you still get over 30% of highlight time - that's showin' some serious NBA style! Keep it up Omri, we're lovin' it.

Omri All the Way!

Great highlight of Omri Casspi scoring a layup and drawing the foul against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Almost as exciting as Omri's athletic play is the shot of his supporters in the crowd. The family with an Israeli flag brought tears to my eyes.

Kings vs. Bobcats - Repeat After Me: Kings Lose, Casspi Plays Well

Saturday Jan. 30

If I were a musician, I could turn this blog into a song. The chorus would be: Omri plays well in a losing effort. (Supply your own air guitar and classic rock riff.) Maybe it could become the mantra for this year because the Kings are playing really poorly and Omri isn't. I am always open to suggestions from my readers.

On to the NBA action.

Omri had a very solid game - 14 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds. His shot selection was fantastic, he was 4 of 8 from the floor (including 2 of 4 from three-point land). He also shot 80% from the free-throw line, which has been a problem for him this season. He played 27 minutes and was the first player off the bench.

This is becoming a typical game for Omri, and he is creating a solid foundation for his continued basketball success. Keep on truckin!

Check out Omri's great steal and assist at :25.

Kings vs. Heat - Rotten Road Trip Comes to an End

Saturday Jan. 24

The Kings should probably be clicking their ruby slippers and saying, "There's no place like home." The road has just been a plain nightmare - the Kings lost all of the games on this trip. And hurray, they have a winnable game at home against Golden State on Tuesday night.

The silver lining for Kings fans (and the pot of gold for us Omri fans) is that Omri had another solid game. He had 13 points on 6 for 10 shooting. He was 0 for 3 from downtown (he couldn't buy a three-pointer on this trip) and he only had one rebound and one assist. But he played for 27 minutes and his tenacious defense paid off with three steals!

More good news about Omri, he is not in Coach Westphal's doghouse. There was some concern about Omri's relationship with his coach - after a shouting match two weeks ago in Philly and Omri's demotion from the starting lineup. Yet Omri has played well coming off the bench and Coach Westphal is gushing with praise:

"He is a hard worker. He's always improved everything we've challenged him to improve. He's going to have a real fine year."

Don't miss Omri's great coast to coast highlight at 1:20 min.

Omri Casspi Interview on NBATV

Omri Casspi and fellow Sacramento Kings rookie Tyreke Evans were interviewed on NBATV. It is a great interview full of great Casspi highlights. Omri continues to display good television presence and excellent English.

Sit back, grab a cold one and enjoy!

ps - I am not posting about the Kings - Magic game. The entire Kings team was horrible and Omri was no exception. There is really nothing to write about, so I am not going to waste anymore cyberspace on it.

Kings vs. Wizards - Omri Continues to Struggle and Kings Lose Again

Saturday Jan. 16

Omri had his second sub-par game following the return of Kevin Martin. (You can read my discussion of Martin's return here.) Omri only scored 6 points on 3 of 9 shooting and he only played for 24 minutes. He still grabbed 6 rebounds and only had one turnover. Also, you can see Omri with a nice two-handed dunk at :42 seconds in the NBA.com highlight.

Unfortunately, The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Omri yelled at Coach Paul Westphal because he didn't want to come out of the game. Both Omri and Coach Westphal said that it was not a big deal and just part of Omri's high emotional energy.

I am feeling nervous and seeing a possible red flag. Omri began to get a lot of attention two weeks ago, when he scored over 20 points for three games in a row. Clearly he became comfortable being a key role in the offense and is understandably frustrated to lose that role to Kevin Martin. Remember Omri, you are still a rookie and have a lot to learn about being a professional athlete. (Take it from me, 'cause I know!) Be patient and your chances will come.

Kings vs. Magic - Omri Has a Good Game in a Losing Effort

Tuesday Jan. 12

The Kings could not overcome one of the top five teams in the NBA - the Orlando Magic. Omri had a good game with 11 points and led the Kings with 11 rebounds and 5 assists. You can see one of the assists at the 0:38 second mark in the highlight clip. Omri also played a whopping 39 minutes. Fortunately he has a couple of days to recuperate - next up Sixers on Friday night.

Kings vs. Nuggets - Kings Win and Omri Gets a Highlight

Saturday January 8, 2010

The Kings defeated the Nuggets thanks to some last minute heroics by Tyreke Evans. Omri had a good game scoring 15 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. He continues to play a solid game and only committed two turnovers. He did shoot 36% from the floor, but it was a bit of an off night. He'll bounce back, don't worry.

Omri also made the NBA.com highlights. You can see him at the 1:38 mark and they even pronounced his name correctly!