The 22-year-old Israeli forward did not play due to coach's decision for the fith time in eight games as the Kings beat the Houston Rockets 104-101.
By ALLON SINAICasspi floored 311(photo credit: REUTERS)
A day after writing in a column that he would like to leave the Sacramento Kings, Omri Casspi sat on the bench for the full 48 minutes for the fifth time in eight games on Tuesday night. Afterwards, he claimed that he had no intention of creating a stir when he wrote that he hopes to find himself on “a team that appreciates me as a player and a person, a team that plays like a team.”The 22-year-old Israeli forward watched from the bench as the Kings beat the Houston Rockets 104-101 on Tuesday, improving to 5-0 in games in which Casspi did not play due to coach Paul Westphal’s decision over the last two weeks.Casspi wrote in the column published on Israeli sports website ONE that it would be “egotistical” to say that he wants to leave the team that gave him his first chance in the NBA and with which he is under contract through next season, with Sacramento also holding a team option on him for the 2012/13 season.However, he went on to say that “there are other teams which suit me better and since I have an excellent relationship with the players and the staff, I hope that they appreciate me enough to let me leave for a place where I can play basketball.”Casspi said after Tuesday’s game that he holds no grudges against Westphal or the Kings organization, but hardly apologized for venting his displeasure in public.“I haven’t played in a while and coach came up to me and told me he’s going in a different direction – and he’s not going my direction,” Casspi said. “So I’m not mad at nobody or trying to cry about not playing, but it is what it is.“So hopefully I’ll be in a better situation next year.”Westphal, who once more opted to use Francisco Garcia and Donte Greene at the small forward position, was clearly unhappy with Casspi’s column.“He’s saying the truth the way he sees it,” Westphal said. “I don’t agree with in particular his statement that he wants to go to a team where team play is important. Maybe that was lost in translation but that’s kind of a ridiculous statement.”
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