Many tests lie ahead for Kings rookie Songaila
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 a.m. PDT Thursday, October 2, 2003
In just two days of workouts with the Kings, rookie forward
Darius Songaila has made at least three positive impressions.
He can hit mid-range shots, he will compete, and he is humble.
Those qualities can take a young NBA player a long way, but being
a rookie in this league means a challenge looms around every corner.
Forget wondering how Songaila (pronounced sun-GUY-la) will perform
in the preseason against other teams in game situations. The next
test awaiting the 25-year-old, whether he knows it or not, will be
how he fares against veteran teammate Tony Massenburg in practice
Friday.
Songaila grew up in Lithuania, where former Kings guard Sarunas
Marciulionis and former Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas
Sabonis are veritable natural treasures. After completing high
school there, he attended a year of prep school at New Hampton
Prep in New Hampshire through a student-exchange program.
Then he played four years at Wake Forest University before being
chosen by the Boston Celtics in the second round (No. 50 overall)
of the 2002 draft.
Boston did not show much interest in him after a summer-league
stint, so Songaila played last season in Moscow. Then he returned
to the United States and ended up with the Kings.
"My agent told me he had a couple of things working," Songaila
said after Wednesday's workout at the team's practice facility,"
and that one of them was with the Kings. And he said the Kings
had showed the most interest, and the next thing I knew, I was
a member of their team."
Sacramento traded with Boston for Songaila's rights June 23. If
coming to one of the league's best teams after not being invited
to the Celtics' training camp wasn't enough, he received even
better news.
"I was surprised that they gave me a guaranteed contract, so that
was great," he said. "You always want to play with a winning team.
I think everybody does."
Songaila is an NBA rookie, but he has experience. Last season,
he played in the Russian A Superleague with CSKA Moscow, which
reached the Euroleague Final Four. He also helped lead the
Lithuanian national team to a gold medal at the recent European
Championships in Sweden and has vast experience in international
competition.
And after numerous miles of travel across the Atlantic, he's on
the West Coast and says he's starting over.
"This is the NBA, so it is steps above every other league I've ever
played in," Songaila said. "I'm a rookie, and that means I have to
work on everything. I have to learn everything, so that's what I'm
here."
However, don't get things twisted. Songaila is confident he can
play at this level.
"I've played against older and bigger players for a long time,"
he said. "I know I can play here, but I know I have to prove that,
too."
Coach Rick Adelman said Songaila has the skills and wherewithal to
play offensively in the team's system.
"One thing you notice about him is he doesn't change his game,"
the coach said. "If he gets knocked down, nothing happens to his
game. He keeps playing, and that's something you always want to
see. And he can make shots and see the floor and pass."
Right now, Songaila is a face-the-basket offensive player and
will have to find out how to get his shot off inside against NBA
defenders, Adelman said.
"And he's going to have to learn how to play defense inside in our
league," the coach said. "That's always the toughest thing for
young players. Rookies have it tough in this league, and in games
I watched him during the European Championships, he got into foul
trouble. But I think he'll figure out what he needs to do."
原文：http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/
story/7522331p-8464182c.html
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這是介紹立陶宛新人的文章
裡面有提到他打籃球的歷程
大家看看吧 :)
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