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BRYAN PATRICK bpatrick@sacbee.com Casspi's competitive nature has worked against him at times this season.
NEW YORK – Omri Casspi swears he doesn't know the mother of the 2-pound, 13-ounce infant who made his Sacramento debut Nov. 3 at 9:30 a.m., and was introduced to the world as … Omri.
It's not what you think. The Kings rookie doesn't know the father, either.
"A baby named after me!" a grinning Casspi responded a few days ago, shortly after learning of his namesake. "That cracks me up. That's a first. Not even in Israel has this happened. An Israeli couple, right? Amazing. Unbelievable."
Casspi, an edgy, irrepressible native of a Tel Aviv suburb – a 21-year-old who half-jokingly says he was born to be a King – is six months into an NBA adventure that is fluid and historical and increasingly fascinating.
He has been a starter, been benched, forced his way back into the rotation. He throws down two-handed dunks that rattle backboards, then snarls for effect. He asks to defend Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, and surprisingly, doesn't embarrass himself.
He is emboldened by his growing celebrity, and by the perception that he is better than advertised, certainly better than most players drafted 23rd.
"I think Omri can be outstanding," said coach Paul Westphal. "That's why we're (hard) on him. If I thought this was all there was, I'd just leave him alone."
A popular guy
Westphal is hardly the only one scrutinizing Casspi's moves. Clusters of spectators occupy sections in every arena, waving Israeli flags, chanting his name, pleading for an autograph, a high-five, or even a glance.
These past few days in particular have been a blur of activity: Pregame and postgame chats with a throng of fans Sunday in Toronto; a post-practice gathering Monday at Madison Square Garden with members of the media, including several Israeli television and print journalists; a private audience with Commissioner David Stern in his Olympic tower office hours later; a reception sponsored by the Israeli Consul General in the early evening and, finally, tonight's long anticipated Kings-Knicks matchup that is being marketed as Jewish Heritage Night.
"Omri better be ready," said fellow rookie and Philadelphia native Tyreke Evans, chuckling. "He has no idea what he's in for (tonight). I've played there a bunch of times. That place is going to be rocking."
The attention in Sacramento, Casspi's adopted hometown, is only slightly less intense. High school coaches ask him to address their teams. Congregations compete for his presence at religious functions. Jewish mothers try to fix him up with their daughters – requests he coyly refuses, he says, citing time constraints.
Then there's the baby, the namesake, another first. But little Omri Ruben Nelson, son of Tami and Louis Nelson of Elk Grove, probably won't be the last.
"Both of our parents are Israeli," said Tami Nelson, an elementary school teacher, "and we wanted our child to have a Jewish name. Then when Omri came to the Kings, we thought his story was inspiring. My sister actually wanted to name her baby Omri, too, but we beat her to it; she isn't due until March."
Casspi breaks up when learning more details about his youngest fan. This has been a crazy ride, he said. His life is a 24-hour basketball news cycle, with his fans in Israel even waking at 4 a.m. to watch Kings games and chronicle his progress.
Up-and-down season
Entering tonight's game against the Knicks, Casspi is averaging 12 points and five rebounds in 27.7 minutes a game. All this in persisting in what could be characterized as a typically, understandably, erratic rookie season.
After flatlining at the Las Vegas Summer League last July, laboring because of poor conditioning and a lack of strength, he emerged as an effective starter during the opening months of the regular season. More recently, he comes off the bench, and similar to several of his teammates, appears handcuffed by a death-by-dribbling offense that features two scoring guards, lacks ball movement and cohesiveness, and drains both the Kings and their building of energy and enthusiasm.
Frustrated by his diminished role, Casspi recently approached Westphal for guidance.
"Coach told me to focus more on defense, take charges, provide weakside help," Casspi related. "It was a good conversation because he told me what to do.
"It's been different with Kevin (Martin) back, it's hard, because I feel I have so much more to give. When we lose, I'm miserable. That's just who I am. I don't want to change. Nobody (from Israel) has ever done this, you know? I have to do well."
While his ballhandling remains his most obvious weakness, particularly with the left hand, Casspi's brisk development has heightened expectations within the front office. Assuming he progresses at a similar pace, team officials are penciling him in as the club's starting small forward.
"We knew he was explosive in the open court and that he would bring energy, competitive fire," said Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie. "His three-point shooting and perimeter game is further ahead of what we might have thought at this point.
"Defensively, he's willing to accept a challenge, and he's smart, and learning to use his physical ability. His dribbling and footwork need to get better, but he's got a nice drop step, and he's fearless taking it in there."
Man of conviction
Fearless? A member of the Kings? Petrie and Westphal can hardly restrain themselves. They are delighted that their three rookies – Evans, Casspi and Jon Brockman – enjoy taking charges and sending opponents sprawling to the court.
Though not nearly as physically imposing as Evans or Brockman, at 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, with a thin beard, smoldering brown eyes and classic features, Casspi compensates with length and innate athletic gifts, along with that increasingly familiar competitive streak. He is as transparent as bottled water, his expressions providing an uncensored play-by-play of his thoughts.
"Omri believes very strongly in things," said Westphal, "so if you tell him, 'It's not like that, Omri,' he says, 'Yes it is.' That can be a weakness if (the coach) happens to be right, and he doesn't believe that.
"He's learning that this league is a little harder than he thought, and that he's going to have to make some adjustments as well."
Occasionally Casspi erupts, his emotions overflow, forcing Westphal to summon him back from the brink. Furious about being replaced in a game last month in Washington, D.C., for instance, he threw a towel and complained loudly as he approached the huddle.
"I made a mistake," he explained glumly the other day. "I said, 'I'm sorry.' It wasn't that big a deal, no confrontation or anything.
"When somebody is going in for me, I need to be happy for him. Francisco (García) tells me all the time that this is part of being a rookie. I take things very personally. I'm learning."
Offered Spencer Hawes, who has tempered his own demonstrative demeanor: "A lot of people look at it, and it agitates them. But you are who you are, and that's a large part of what makes Omri successful. I think it's good to have different personalities on a team. I wish we had more like him."
Only just begun
Casspi's adjustment to living in Sacramento has been seamless by comparison, and his spacious, two-level rustic home along the Sacramento River offers a calming, welcome getaway.
He shares the rental house with his older brother, Eitan, and the evidence of bachelorhood is in full display. Boxes of cereal and crackers and a variety of sodas fill the cupboards. A pink backpack that Kings veterans require the rookies to carry is tossed carelessly on a table, alongside a warmup jacket and a loose stack of papers. Framed newspaper and magazine articles featuring Omri hang on the wall in the foyer, near a cluster of family photos.
"I miss my mom, my sister, my father, my dog," he said while sitting on a deck overlooking the river, his voice halting, his mood brooding. "I miss everything about my country. I haven't been back (to Israel) since Aug. 10."
And then, as so often happens with Casspi, this determined, combative, interesting kid from Yavne, he squares his shoulders, sits up straight and changes the subject.
He has a baby named after him, remember. He has guarded Kobe and LeBron and converted big shots against the Lakers and Cavaliers, remember. He's back in the starting lineup, and Friday night he will team with Evans in the Rookie Challenge at the All-Star bash in Dallas.
"There are certain people who are popular, not only in America, but around the world," Westphal said. "Omri has that effect. He's exciting, he's good-looking. At the same time, this league is all about taking whatever challenge is there and overcoming it, and Omri is good at overcoming challenges."
KINGS' NEXT GAME Today at New York • Time: 4:30 p.m. TV: CSNCA. Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).
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