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It was announced officially today. Chris Webber's #4 will be retired on Friday, Feb. 6 against the Utah Jazz. Vlade Divac's number will join his teammate's on Tuesday, March 31 against the New Orleans Hornets, when his dear friend and countryman Peja Stojakovic is in town.

We've debated a long time whether or not one or both of their numbers should be retired. In an editorial piece today in the local paper, the point is made that perhaps the Maloof's standards are too low.

I respectfully and yet forcefully disagree. It's not just about the statistics. It's about the impact a player or players had on the fan base, and the community at large.

It's pretty much accepted that Vlade Divac is a no-brainer when it comes to having his accomplishments honored by the Sacramento Kings. Or at least it should be. Divac was the foundation upon which "THE TEAM" was built. He was more than just a center on the court. He was a stabilizing factor on and off the court, and a model citizen whose charitable works didn't often get the recognition they deserved.

There is a certain segment of the Kings fan base that dislikes Chris Webber, and they may have valid reasons. But this just isn't about Webber. This is about honoring a time in the history of the Sacramento Kings when we dared to dream the impossible dream because of Chris Webber and Vlade Divac.

Webbers' statistics won't get him to the Hall of Fame, most likely, but they're among the very best of any player to ever wear the jersey of the Kings. In addition, his charitable work off the court was even less heralded than Divac's but it was there and it made a difference to a lot of people, especially children.

While the writer I referred to previously thinks this isn't good enough, I disagree. Players aren't perfect. Neither are any of us. To recognize Divac without also honoring Webber would make as much sense as saluting Gilbert without mentioning Sullivan, revering Abbott while pretending Costello wasn't there.

#4 and #21 took our breath away together on a regular basis. It's only fitting they end up together in the rafters at Arco.

Thank you, Vlade and Chris. You helped take us on the ride of our lives and this Kings fan will never forget it. And thankfully, the Maloofs recognize it, too.

The Sacramento Kings have fired head coach Reggie Theus, and his right hand man Chuck Person according to multiple reports. Theus will be replaced on an interim basis by Kings assistant Kenny Natt.

Tuesday's game against the Lakers was supposed to be an embarrassment, a clobbering on our home court that would break the hearts of the Kings fans in attendance while giving the myriad of Laker fans every reason to chant "MVP" and other inanities.

Only one problem. Our Kings didn't read the script.

They came out right from the beginning with the heart and hustle, energy and effort that got the crowd going. And from then on, the result (while not totally guaranteed) was almost inevitable.

For some of the Laker fans in attendance, the game was merely a disappointment. For others, though, it was a clear indication their team is not bullet-proof. Many left before the end of the game, shaking their heads in disbelief.

For the Kings fans, this was a sign of the resolve and spirit our team still possesses. And hopefully it's a sign of things to come.

Everything went right on Tuesday. The coach made good substitutions and gave the kids meaningful playing time. There was cohesion and teamwork and it all worked.

We saw quality minutes for our kids, the Kings of the future. And, for the most part, they stepped up and did their very best.

Granted, this was a game against the Lakers. As Bobby Jackson and John Salmons made clear, it was the one game they were not going to lose in Arco without a fight. And fight they did...

We aren't going to win a lot of games this year. We aren't going to end up deep in the playoffs. We're going to struggle and we're going to be defeated by better teams ... and sometimes even worse teams. That's just the way it is. But there's at least proof once again there's reason to watch.

And there's reason to cheer for the types of performances the team gave on Tuesday. Reward the heart and hustle, the energy and effort regardless of the final outcome. That's what the special relationship between the Kings and the fans has always been about.

It's a textbook example of symbiosis and it's great to know it's still there, at least for one night against one opponent.

The team is losing, the owners are openly NOT happy with the lack of a "system" and apparent begrudging use of the young players and the coaching staff has gone to selecting rotations by dart-board. All is not well in the Kingdom.

We have a lot of talent on our team that simply isn't being properly utilized. Spencer Hawes, arguably the brightest light especially while Kevin Martin has been sidelined, was finally put into the starting lineup and fans rejoiced. We celebrated ... until the head coach explained the only reason Hawes had started at the power forward position was because John Salmons wasn't playing that night.

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Wait. John Salmons, the small forward, wasn't playing so Theus decided to start our future center at the 4? Hrm... Well, of course. Makes perfect sense.

And that, fellow Kings fans, is the story this season. Bizarre lineups and substitution patterns that are, to say the least, unique. Allocation of playing time minutes that boggles the mind. Yanking young players from games because they've made a mistake but not talking to them as they come off the court to point out what they did wrong and how they should work to correct it.

We have a huge coaching staff and yet, for the most part, it's very difficult to see what the assistant coaches are doing. But that's par for the course, because it's also very difficult to figure out what the head coach is doing.

The Maloofs finally started using the word "rebuilding" this season and meaning it. They want to see the kids play and while they wouldn't mind a trip to the playoffs if someone handed them the tickets, they aren't expecting it.

So what happens? The head coach, more than once, comes right out and says it's always about winning for him first and foremost. Is that the way to create job security in a job only 30 people can hold at any one time? It certainly doesn't seem wise to openly and blatantly disregard what your big boss has repeatedly said.

There are those who will make excuses for Reggie Theus and will say he's had a lot to deal with. While that's true, it's not germane to the topic at hand.

Theus was given a mandate earlier this year by Joe Maloof - develop the kids and formulate and exhibit some kind of "system," particularly when it comes to defense. Regardless of anything else that may or may not have happened, Theus has failed to perform either of those two tasks.

While Reggie was a fun player to watch when he was here, it's becoming more and more clear that his coaching skills just might not be what the Kings need right now to build a foundation for the future.

At this point, it's most likely a matter of when and not if Reggie Theus will be fired as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. It's not handwriting on the wall any longer; it's rockets in the sky and stencils on the moon. I believe it's possible Theus has one more chance to save his job...

On Saturday against the Denver Nuggets, Reggie must put emphasis on playing the kids. But not just throwing them out there in random situations. He needs to put them in positions where they'll be developing skills they'll need in their NBA futures, and they need to be learning to work with the guys who'll be there with them.

I would really like to see significant minutes for Jason Thompson. And if he makes a mistake on the court, I would think it could be arranged for one of the assistant coaches to at least point out his mistake and COACH him on what he could/should have done instead.

Rebuilding isn't easy and it isn't quick. But it doesn't have to be anywhere near as painful as what we've seen lately.

The ball quite literally is in Reggie's court. Whether it actually remains his court or not is up to him.

No, I'm not serious. Rebuilding isn't painless. It's painful to watch at times and it's excruciating at others. But it's a necessary part in the life of any franchise.

The problem with our Kings and the whole rebuilding scheme is two-fold:

1. We just didn't start soon enough so we're behind and trying to catch up. That in and of itself is something we've already gotten past; there's no use crying over spilt milk.

2. Our head coach has no idea what "REBUILDING" means and is apparently using a dictionary similar to Funk & Wagnall's Standard Desk Dictionary, which doesn't even give a separate definition for "rebuilding"...

We have a chance this year to groom our young players for the future; this is the perfect time to let them play and learn from their mistakes. There's another requirement for that to be successful, however. They desperately need a teacher - a coach who will put them in a position to learn, not to punish them or put them in situations where they're simply doomed to fail.

This has to be much harder on our young players than it is on the loyal fan base. They don't want to fail; they don't want to lose by 20+ points. They don't want to come into each game not knowing what's really expected of them or how they'll be utilized. They want to compete; they want to learn from their mistakes; they want to get better - for themselves, for their teammates and for us, the fans who will fill the seats and generate the Arco Thunder if we have even the slightest reason to do so.

I had hopes for Reggie Theus but something is not right. The starting lineup and substitutions are lacking in vision, to say the least. He seems bound and determined, for whatever reason, to stick with the veterans whenever he can. Yes, he's had a plethora of player injuries to deal with, but with what we have to deal with, I would much prefer to see Jason Thompson start than to watch Mikki Moore eating up major minutes. I like Brad Miller - a lot - but he's not part of our future. Hawes needs the exposure as a starter and I think would better be able to learn how NOT to foul if he was in the flow of the game from the beginning.

It's not easy, I know, to watch a team rebuild. I've said it numerous times to those who are upset about any particular player's performance. But this goes beyond the players. Until/unless we get some kind of consistent philosophy coming from the guys in the suits, we're not going to make any kind of advancement. Being bad enough to get another lottery pick might be the goal of some but without a staff to bring the kids along we're just a bunch of youngsters who look like they found a box of matching uniforms.