Somewhere in the mess that is the Kings, Vlade Divac is trying to lead
George Karl gets a stay of execution in Sacramento as Vlade Divac tries to reverse the course of a truly bumbling franchise.
By
Ken Berger
•
3 min read
In simpler times, Vlade Divac stood beside a basket stanchion on the Sacramento Kings' practice floor last month and told me how everything was going to be all right.
"We're exactly where I want to be," Divac said.
He was new to the job, after all.
In Sacramento, things are never exactly where you want them to be -- or even where you think they are. It's like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, only to realize -- like Yosemite Sam -- that it's actually a freight train about to run you over.
Divac was in the crosshairs this week, with a colossal mess on his hands. During a stretch of some of the worst defense you'll ever see -- "You get 120 points, you get 120 points, YOU get 120 points!" -- the Kings spiraled not only out of the Western Conference playoff picture, but toward what seemed like another date with organizational Armageddon.
To review, George Karl is the team's eighth head coach in 10 seasons since the Rick Adelman era ended, which prompted one veteran of the coaching business to sarcastically ponder on Tuesday, "What's that they say about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?"
They say it's the definition of insanity, and the Kings have perfected it. At least they're not the worst at something.
Not to pick on poor 'ol Yosemite Sam with the metaphors, but the ownership reign of Vivek Ranadive has been a complete train wreck. The only significant accomplishment on his watch has been keeping the franchise in Sacramento with a new arena deal, and even that was primarily the handiwork of Mayor Kevin Johnson -- for all his well-documented flaws. Plus, if you're a Kings fan, what does the arena deal mean for you -- other than 35 more years of bumbling basketball, partially at your expense?
Someone had to step forward and take control here, and it was Divac, the one person involved in this saga who counts big-boy pants among his wardrobe and who is exhibiting even an iota of leadership. Into the vacuum he climbed on Tuesday, brokering a deal by phone with Karl to keep the coach on board for now as they work "collectively on our issues," Divac said.
The hope, those involved told CBS Sports, is that Divac's vote of confidence in Karl will empower the intractable, 64-year-old coach to regain control of the locker room. We shall see. For his part, Karl acknowledged to Divac some of his own flaws that contributed to the team spiraling hopelessly to eight losses in nine games, including an inexcusable lack of effort, purpose and tactical wherewithal on defense.
"To do your job," a person close to Karl said, "you have to be willing to lose it."
As always, the mending of fences and coaxing of accountability must begin with the franchise's talented by combustible star, DeMarcus Cousins, who has struggled with his conditioning at times this season as much as his temper. Then again, it's hardly Cousins' fault that opponents have shot a startling 46 percent from the 3-point line (113-for-246) during this nine-game journey to nowhere.
After a lengthy airing of grievances with Karl over the phone, Divac boarded a plane to join the team in Philadelphia, where the Kings play the Sixers on Wednesday night. "The adults have to be in the room," a person connected to the situation said.
Pressure from minority partners is mounting on Ranadive, whose quixotic meddling put the Kings on this poisonous path when in 2014 he inexplicably fired Michael Malone, the only coach ever to reach Cousins. That fateful move predates Divac's time on the job, though he continues to wrestle with the aftermath. To this proud former King, it must feel like maneuvering for post position against Shaquille O'Neal.
On that January day, about a week before the Kings meandered briefly out of their own way and won five straight games, Divac acknowledged that he's "not probably the typical GM or executive," but that he was learning. The salary cap and trade mechanics are not his strong suit; people are. And one longtime observer of coach-front office dynamics said Tuesday that Divac is one of the best he's ever seen when it comes to relationships -- which are almost as critical to NBA success as talent.
"I’m creating an environment where we’re all on the same page and working together," Divac told me.
As has been the case for a decade with these dysfunctional Kings, it's proven to be a task even taller than the towering, 7-foot-1 Divac himself.
He's taken control for now, because somebody had to. My advice would be, don't close your eyes. With the Kings, the next crisis is always right around the corner.
