Optimism was injected into the Sacramento Kings fanbase last February as George Karl was named the new head coach in Sacramento. But with many of their recent coaches, the romance would be short-lived.
Rumblings of a firing arose in the offseason even before his first opening night. Those rumblings would eventually subside but fester again early on in the adolescent season.
After starting the season 1-7, locker room quandaries began, tempers flared, words were said, and with it, rumors of a coaching change once again heated up.
Not even 10 games in, the Armageddon that had been prophesied by many in the media seemed to be dawning.
The shortcomings of Karl go beyond the record and locker room spats. Poor starts, droughts, and conflict are nothing new to NBA teams. For Karl, he faces a challenge possibly most daunting in professional sports: Expectations.
Karl’s name alone has been used synonymously with “Hall of Fame” by Kings fans since his hiring. His coaching resume, along with star players DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay makes for an exciting mix of talent and coaching. Add in the signing of Rajon Rondo and the drafting of Willie Cauley-Stein and the concoction becomes scintillating.
The name George Karl is a powerful one.
What’s in a name though?
“Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself though, not a Montague. What’s Montague.” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Sc. 2)
Just two years ago, Karl was named Coach of the Year while coaching the Denver Nuggets. He was also dismissed less than a month later by the team.
Karl had seven great years in Seattle during the nineties with players like Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Those teams would hit the 55-game win mark in six of those seasons.
He would then go on to coach the Milwaukee Bucks for four years with players like Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson, and Sam Cassell where they would make the conference semi-finals before losing to an Allen Iverson 76ers team in seven games.
After Milwaukee, Karl would go on to coach the Denver Nuggets where he would coach players like Carmelo Anthony, Ty Lawson, and Andre Igoudala. Through nine seasons coaching in the Mile-High City, Karl led the Nuggets to the playoffs every season.
They would, however, only advance past the first round once.
This is the part of the story where Karl comes to Sacramento, as he took over for interim coach Tyrone Corbin to be the third Kings head coach in the 2014/15 season.
Though his years in Seattle, Milwaukee, and Denver were and still are impressive, resumes don’t lead to wins in the NBA. On the contrary, wins in the NBA lead to impressive resumes.
What Coach Karl has done is outstanding, but the relevant question here is: What is he doing now?
The Kings are in a win-now mentality. They signed veteran free agents and passed on more talented but project-oriented draft picks. They also brought in a coach that has a proven ability to win and to win now.
The Kings, however, simply are not.
They are now 6-10 and the young season is quickly growing old. Patience is starting to dwindle, and the resume is starting to look more and more like just a piece of paper with each coming loss.
(***They got a much-needed win in Milwaukee last night but still allowed 118 points to the 14th ranked Bucks in offensive efficiency and 29th in defensive efficiency going into the game) (***After the game, the Bucks improved to 9th on offense thanks to the Kings and moved down to 30th on defense)
Has Karl’s name and reputation preceded him?
Would any other coach still be coaching the Kings?
There is certainly a sense of urgency this season in the NBA with little room for losing. No one knows that more than Kevin McHale, who after making the Western Conference Finals last season, was fired by the Rockets after just 11 games, going 4-7.
4-7 is the same number Karl yielded through 11 games as well. Through the five games following that mark, the Kings went just 2-3.
If this is a win-now team in a win-now league, what is Karl doing now?
The offense started in the top ten in the league in efficiency through the first couple of weeks. Since then, however, it has gradually dissolved to be only 21st (ESPN.com). (***After the victory against the Bucks, they improved to 10th in offensive efficiency) (Therefore, as we can see, the offense has been inconsistent up to this point)
The defense is a different story. It started poorly and is currently even worse as they are now 24th in defensive efficiency (ESPN.com).
Sometimes, numbers can be deceiving. That is not the case when it comes to the defense.
The system thus far has featured a lot of zone defense. It’s a system ideal to play against teams who struggle to shoot as it allows better looks from outside in exchange for more difficult looks in the interior.
The NBA has changed though in recent years and it has changed quickly. It is now a league dominated by shooting and guard play. Having power in the post, holds less weight than it did even a few seasons ago.
The last post player to win an MVP award was nine seasons ago when Dirk Nowitzki was awarded it in 2007. Nowitzki however, is anything but a typical post player as he relies extensively on his outside shot and ability to stretch a defense. The last true post player to win an MVP was 12 years ago when Kevin Garnett won it in 2004.
The best players are no longer inside the key, but outside of it. Defending the full court is not only critical, but it is a requirement for success in the NBA.
Over the past 10 seasons, the average defensive efficiency ranking is 5th out of 30 teams. Every one of those champions has been in the top seven of the league except the 2005/06 Miami Heat, who were 17th (ESPN.com).
Defense truly is what wins championships and being 23rd in the league will not cut it for a team with higher expectations. After the McHale firing, Rockets General Manager Darryl Morley said it best:
“There is no time in the West.”
It’s a harsh but true reality in the NBA, and it’s the world that NBA coaches live in.
“O, be some other name! What’s in a name?” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Sc. 2)
What’s in a name, even if it’s Karl’s?
In a win-now league, not much. Karl will be in the Hall of Fame, but let’s save the speech for the ceremony because right now, it’s time to win basketball games. If this team continues to be ranked in the bottom-third of the league in defense, the romance with Karl will soon be doomed.
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