When the Kings acquired Carl Landry from the Houston Rockets on February 17, it marked the end of Jason Thompson's reign as the team's starting power forward. For Landry, who'd started just one game this season prior to coming to Sacramento, it was a chance to showcase his tireless work ethic in a new role. For Thompson, the apparent demotion presented a learning opportunity that has ended up being a blessing in disguise.
"It's been different and I've had to adjust," Landry told me when the Kings played the New Jersey Nets on March 24. "Coming off the bench, you just go in there and do whatever you can (while) playing with a lot of energy. You don't necessarily have a role, but you bring whatever you can — whatever you do bring in, it's a bonus. I have to get accustomed to my role to this team and get used to going up against starters rather than bench players."
Landry has certainly adapted well, averaging 17.9 points (52% FG) and 6.7 rebounds in 23 games, all starts, with the Kings. Once considered too undersized to play power forward in the NBA at 6'7", he's continued to prove his doubters wrong, scoring in double-digits in every game since the trade and putting up over 20 points four times in the last eight games (53% FG).
Thompson, in the meantime, has been forced to make his own adjustments in the midst a disappointingly up-and-down season. The second-year King more than lived up to the high expectations thrust upon him in the early going by averaging 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds over the first two months of the season. He recorded five straight double-doubles in November, putting up an eye-opening 20.2 points (50% FG, 87% FT), 11.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks during the stretch.
But after going scoreless and fouling out in just 24 minutes against the Lakers on January 1, a game he later called the worst of his life, Thompson's performance was simply dreadful over the next 16 contests. His numbers dipped to just 8.8 points (37% FG, 65% FT) and 7.6 rebounds, while his penchant for picking up bad personal fouls limited his playing time to under 27 minutes per game.
Paul Westphal and the Kings took notice. In a move that indicated the team no longer viewed Thompson as its definitive power forward of the future, Sacramento dealt for Landry and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup. When Thompson suffered a back injury that kept him sidelined for five games, he came back to find himself entrenched as the clear backup to Landry and Spencer Hawes after starting all but five of the first 50 games of the year.
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