The Sacramento Kings have lost five of their last six games. They are now 8-15 on the year. And while only a couple games back from a playoff spot, things have not gone well for the Kings.
At the start of this current stretch, the Kings embarrassed themselves south of the border in Mexico City. The Boston Celtics defeated the black and purple royals 114-97 on foreign soil, but put the game away in the first half.
The Kings managed to score just 38 points in the first half and were in a 15-point hole going into the break. The third quarter was no friendlier to the fourth-best team in the Pacific Division as they proceeded to allow 39 points to the Celtics. In that same frame, Rajon Rondo was ejected for a stare-down with an official after receiving a technical foul. Rondo finished with five points and eight assists against his former team.
While Sacramento did defeat the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, it has been evident over the past several seasons that the team is missing pieces in the Jenga structure within the organization.
It is fair to compare them to the Detroit Lions who, even with two superstars, couldn't smell a win at the beginning of the NFL season. With the likes of Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings, like the Lions, should be in a better place. Rondo leads the league in assists, while Cousins is one of the top scoring centers in the NBA.
Cousins, who has been the unanimous pick for the "Most Likely to Throw a Temper Tantrum and/or Corrupt His Team" award, has come around slightly over the first six weeks of the NBA season. In fact, he and Rondo pulled head coach George Karl aside last week to try to get on the same page and fix their latest struggles. It was to no avail, however, as the Kings went on to lose three straight.
Regardless, it was clear there would be some tension between the coach and his star center when Karl encouraged the team to trade Cousins prior to the season. Although it appears the dust has settled between the two, Vlade Divac failed to make a change that would have given the Kings the fresh start they never got.
After firing his head coach last season, Divac brought in Karl-a move that should have turned the Kings' season around. But, after a two-year stint with ESPN, Karl seems to have lost his coaching touch. He is 19-34 in 53 games with the Kings.
It may not have seemed like the right move at the time but, as Divac preserved Cousins' future with the team, he would have been wise to dismiss Karl. Certainly a questionable move that would have caused some uproar, the Kings would have had trouble finding a suitable replacement. Still, it would have allowed them to hit the restart button after a troubling 2014-2015 season.
Now, the Kings are struggling to keep their heads above water and could be in for another mid-season firing. Karl, who is five wins from passing Phil Jackson for fifth on the all-time coaching list, is no longer the right man for the job. If they act fast, the Kings might have gained an advantage from holding onto Karl. It only took 11 games for the first coaching firing of the season to occur and it came in surprising fashion. Kevin McHale, formerly of the Houston Rockets, could be a good fit in Sacramento.
Defense has been the biggest struggle for the Kings this season. Their 108.8 opponent points-per-game is the second-highest in the NBA. While McHale is not a defensive specialist, he was the conductor behind one of the best offenses in basketball over the past three seasons and clearly knew how to balance an All-Star guard (James Harden) with an All-Star center (Dwight Howard).
The trio of Rondo, Cousins and Rudy Gay is enough to be a bubble team in a weak Western Conference. The Kings can only afford to go so much longer before a decision on Karl should be made. McHale may very well lack interest in returning to a head coaching position, not to mention a Kings team that is worse than his old Rockets team, but Divac should have been on the phone the minute he was fired by the Rockets.
Whoever would step up and take the reins, whether an outside man or current assistant coach, the Kings need to find someone who can turn their season around.