The Sacramento Kings have been incredibly busy this off-season reinventing the franchise. There are plenty of good folks that we would love to have seen back in Kingsland for another season, but in many cases, change was the only option. The Kings will look very different both on and off the court for the 2013-14 season and that is a good thing.
The last few seasons have been rough, but there are a lot of new faces to be excited about. Incredible pieces have been added to a broken puzzle. Pieces that would never have considered the joining the Kings under the previous regime.
Michael Malone was the first hire for Vivek Ranadivé. The long-time assistant is an NBA lifer with coaching pedigree. He has added an incredible staff, including fan favorite Corliss Williamson and former slam dunk champion Dee Brown. Malone was first, but the faucet hasn’t shut since.
Pete D’Alessandro is one of the true up and coming front office executives in the league. Known as a savvy negotiator with a penchant for salary cap management, the former Nuggets and Warriors executive is getting his first chance to run his own team.
After landing his coach and GM, Ranadivé exceeded every possible expectation when he stole NBA franchise fixer Chris Granger from David Stern and Adam Silver. If you don’t know who Granger is, you will soon enough. I’m not sure what it cost to drag Granger away from the League, but it was worth every penny.
The same can be said about new Director of Athletic Performance Chip Schaefer. When you look for a new strength and conditioning coach, hiring a guy that has a championship ring for all 10 fingers and an extra to sport as a toe ring is a good place to start.
If you are searching for more than just NBA championships, newly hired Chris Mullin can show you his two Olympic gold medals. The five time All-Star and member of the Naismith Hall of Fame joined the club earlier this week as an advisor to both Ranadivé and D’Alessandro.
The Kings have added a star-studded cast off the court. It will take time to change the direction of a franchise that was left for dead, but Ranadivé has shown that he is willing to spend to bring in the right support staff.
It’s early to assess all of these moves, but who is your favorite hire so far?
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