The gauntlet was laid down on Wednesday by George Karl. It was a tongue and cheek statement that the veteran coach tossed to the media, because he likes to stir the pot a bit.
“I talked to him (DeMarcus Cousins) today and I said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be suicidal if you don’t play Friday,'” Karl said with a smile before the Kings faced the Clippers. “I’m putting pressure on him.”
Would he play or would he not? The question dragged on late into Friday and even took some twists and turns.
That is the way this season appears to playing out as the Kings stumble towards game 82. The injury report has become treacherous. No one knows from one minute to the next whether or not DeMarcus Cousins will play. His list of ailments is long. He’s a tough guy, and his style of play lends itself to abuse. But he is taking gametime decision to a new level.
“I have no idea,” coach George Karl said less than an hour and a half before Friday night’s game against the Hornets. “I heard maybe and then I heard no and then I heard maybe…it’s a maybe.”
Cousins began the day questionable, but after warming up, it appeared he was a go. That quickly shifted to gametime decision and then maybe became a no all within the span of 10 minutes.
We aren’t questioning the validity of Cousins’ injuries. We are not doctors. Nor do we know what it’s like to manage a 6-foot-11 frame over an 82-game NBA schedule. If he can’t go, you have to take Cousins at face value.
We aren’t sure if Karl is questioning Cousins either. We just know that he would prefer to have his best player in uniform.
The fact is with 14 games remaining, the Sacramento Kings have very little to play for. They are 23-45 and headed for the draft lottery for the ninth straight year. It’s been a rough season and a rough decade. Not many would fault the players if they took it easy down the stretch.
That is a new trend in the NBA. For a long time, playoff bound teams have rested players down the stretch, but over the last few seasons, lower level teams have turned on the tank. They are resting players intentionally with the hopes of grabbing a higher draft pick come June. They have turned to their young players to see what they have. A lot of teams have even waived veterans so they can play out their season elsewhere.
But that is not Karl. The Kings are a team in flux, for sure, but they are also a club in assessment mode. With Karl taking over the reigns of the team during the All-Star break, he has just 30 games to make career-altering decisions for some of these players. He wants to see each and every player in uniform on a nightly basis.
There are some real questions that need answering for this team. Who fits into offensive specialist Vance Walberg’s dribble drive motion offense? Who fits next to Cousins and Rudy Gay? Is Ray McCallum the answer at reserve point guard? Who is the long-term shooting guard, Ben McLemore or Nik Stauskas? Does Derrick Williams deserve another year to prove his worth? How about Omri Casspi?
There is also a window to institute an offensive and defensive philosophy to ease the transition into next season. This doesn’t appear to be some rift forming between Karl and Cousins. It’s a 30-game training camp and Karl wants all able-bodied hands on deck. Everyday is a new opportunity to get better and it’s not in Karl’s DNA to waste a moment.
“I haven’t read that book,” Karl said when asked about team’s like his former team, the Denver Nugget’s resting players despite being out of the playoff hunt. “I’m sorry. My book says, and I know a lot more about the body than probably my player and agents know about because I’ve study my body because of my cancers. And everything I read says physiologically, your body needs exercise everyday. Your immune system works better if you exercise everyday. Your brain stimulates itself and gets rid of stress if you exercise everyday.”
“Show me the book that says laying around and being lazy gets you better, I don’t see that book, I don’t know that book,” Karl added.
The Kings need a lot of work. They snapped a four-game losing streak on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets, but have lost eight of their previous 10 games. For a lot of teams, coasting to the finish line is acceptable. But not when you are handed a chance to work with one of the game’s great coaches.
“When you’re an average team, the number one job is everyday you’re thinking about somehow someway (to) improve who you are as a basketball player,” Karl said. “Make your brain more active as a basketball player, improve a skill as a basketball player – that’s your job. You get paid millions of dollars to get better as a basketball player.”
Hopefully the players are listening. Injuries happen, but there will be no games off. No practices off. The season ends on April 15 and until then, the body and mind of every player on the roster belong to George Karl.
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