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playa2
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Kinsey's bold play may earnextension
Rookie shines for Grizzlies with hot scoring, defense
By Ronald Tillery
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April 16, 2007
If someone told Tarence Kinsey last October that he'd star in a late-season NBA game, leading the Grizzlies in shot attempts and points en route to a victory, he probably would have braced himself for the punch line.
Seven months and a string of stellar performances later, Kinsey may just have the last laugh. His NBA audition is so serious and highly regarded that Kinsey likely earned a contract extension.
The Grizzlies are expected to pick up a team option for the 2007-08 season for the minimum salary-paid rookie. He could receive a stronger commitment based on growing reverence from the coaching staff and management.
Kinsey will again start in place of Grizzlies' second-leading scorer, Mike Miller, when they host the San Antonio Spurs tonight in FedExForum.
Kinsey, an undrafted rookie out of South Carolina, is trying to extend of a streak of 11 consecutive games in which he's tallied double figures in scoring.
"It shows," Kinsey said, "that I can play in the NBA."
Saturday, Kinsey helped lead the Grizzlies by matching a career high with 28 points in an impressive victory over the Denver Nuggets.
"Tarence is an interesting guy," Griz interim head coach Tony Barone Sr. said. "For an undrafted kid to play the way he has is unbelievable. He plays hard all the time and with great effort."
Kinsey has averaged 19.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.3 steals in his last 11 outings, including the first 10 starts of his career.
"That Kinsey kid played great," Denver coach George Karl said following Kinsey's 10-of-18 shooting to go with four steals, echoing a refrain many coaches have used to describe his emergence.
Barone said he's been a Kinsey fan from Day One because he competes every second he's on the court. Teammates describe a hungry prospect that plays the same way he practices -- as if his time on an NBA court may be his last.
Griz personnel watched Kinsey several times last year mainly because scouts were interested in Renaldo Balkman, who was drafted in the first round by the New York Knicks.
"You have to give (Griz team president) Jerry West credit for listening to other scouts. After we gave (Kinsey) a chance to be on the summer league team, he did nothing but impress."
Kinsey eventually beat out NBA journeyman Junior Harrington during training camp.
"We knew after summer league that this kid was going to be on the team," Barone said. "(Eventually) we started to use him some and then Mike Miller went down, and now he's playing really good basketball."
Kinsey has shown more consistency with his shooting and ballhandling. The Grizzlies have long been impressed with Kinsey's defense and a knack for amassing deflections while playing defense.
It's no coincidence that Kinsey proved himself as adept defensively as he has on offense. Kinsey spent most of the first half of the season either on the inactive list or not playing. Kinsey used that time to pick former teammate Eddie Jones' brain before the Griz bought out Jones' contract.
"He has incredible anticipation skills on defense. He gets his hands on more balls on accident then most guys do on purpose," said Barone, who once predicted that Kinsey would be "a very good success story."
No one would argue against Kinsey's script so far.
JAMES DOLAN on Isiah : He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team.
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