Tyreke Evans Happy With New Shooting Guard Role

Sacramento Kings head coach Keith Smart shifted Tyreke Evans to shooting guard, and Evans is fully embracing the opportunity to hoist up more shots. Per the Sac Bee: “Freed of the responsibility of running the offense full time, Evans is doing what he does best on offense – attack – while also showing signs of being a good defender. ‘That’s just what I’ve got to do on defense and offense,’ Evans said. ‘Me and coach already established that. So when I go in, the only thing for me is attack mode.’ Figuring out how to play without the ball wasn’t easy for Evans. He had always been the guy bringing the ball up the court. But his scoring instincts didn’t always sit well with teammates. […] Smart said what Evans did against the Bulls is what he saw throughout training camp. Moving Evans from point guard wasn’t a demotion in Smart’s eyes – it was the beginning of maximizing Evans’ potential. ‘He did exactly what we thought he could possibly do,’ Smart said of Evans’ first game of the season. ‘Now we’re seeing him make some outside jump shots, still having that ability to put the ball on the floor and having the ability to still create one-on-one (matchups) for himself and his teammates. And more importantly tying what he’s doing offensively to what he’s doing defensively.’ Evans’ ability to embrace change is key to the Kings’ possible success and his future. After he averaged 20.1 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds as a rookie, his figures declined in each of the past two seasons. The Kings’ postseason analysis showed Evans was at his best and most efficient when he wasn’t playing point guard. The way Evans played against the Bulls, shooting 8 of 13 with only two turnovers, is what the Kings expect.”