![\"Sleep-Train-4\"](\"http:\/\/cowbellkingdom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Sleep-Train-4.jpg\")
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Vlade Divac has entered the building.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t another Shaquille O\u2019Neal PR stunt (when was the last time we saw that guy?). \u00a0Divac is in Sacramento with a shiny new VP title, and his intention is to fix what ails a Kings franchise that has clearly lost its way once again.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that the Kings are still searching for something. \u00a0It\u2019s been a long search and the end is nowhere in sight, but that hasn\u2019t slowed the process. Seven coaches in seven years. \u00a0Countless players. \u00a0Ownership changes. \u00a0Management changes. \u00a0And now this – another mouth to feed in an overpopulated front office.<\/p>\n
Repeating myself for emphasis here, but Vlade Divac is in Sacramento to work, not kiss babies, high-five fans or\u00a0sit courtside next to Ranadiv\u00e9 before flying out on the next chartered jet. \u00a0That is the message we are receiving from behind the scenes and that can only mean one thing – more changes are coming.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here and we\u2019ll see,\u201d a cryptic Divac said when asked about where he fits in the quagmire of front office personalities in Sacramento. \u00a0\u201cI can\u2019t say anything right now, but I talked to Vivek last year, I talked (to him) six months ago, I talked (to him) three months ago and it was all about basketball and his vision and I\u2019m so excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
It appears the Kings ownership group at large is ready to hit the reset button. \u00a0They have seen what the current front office group has brought to the table for almost two years. \u00a051 wins over two seasons is nothing to hang your hat on and neither is the embarrassment of the last three months.<\/p>\n
Somewhere along the way, the Kings jumped script. \u00a0They stopped listening to their public relations staff and started freelancing. \u00a0They overestimated their pull in the locker room and underestimated the chemistry and culture built by Michael Malone. The results have been disastrous.<\/p>\n
Even when they have had an opportunity to show some semblance of solidarity, they pass. \u00a0Pete D\u2019Alessandro was the lone representative from the Kings at Karl\u2019s introductory press conference and no one has stepped to the forefront to tell us what the Divac hiring means.<\/p>\n
For a group that loves the camera, their absence speaks as loud as any words they have said in the past.<\/p>\n
Maybe they have nothing to say, which would be shocking. \u00a0Or maybe the fate of the front office is sealed and this is a death march.<\/p>\n
There is hope that Divac can provide a voice of reason. \u00a0That he can be the calming influence that he was in the Kings locker room during the golden years of Sacramento basketball. \u00a0There is no doubt that he is charming and lovable and maybe more importantly, despite his European roots, he knows Sacramento.<\/p>\n
Divac is someone the fans have deep affection for. \u00a0He speaks directly to the diverse community that is Sacramento. \u00a0He has no Golden State Warriors ties nor is he a publicity stunt that charges an appearance fee when he flies into the capital city.<\/p>\n
This is an important issue that has repeatedly been ignored by the new Kings regime. \u00a0Like the \u201cHere We Rise\u201d campaign of the Maloofs, the \u201cSacramento Proud\u201d mantra has very little value when you can neither be proud of the product or the message that is being disseminated on the basketball side.<\/p>\n
Divac on the other hand is Sacramento Proud. \u00a0He instantly brings credibility to the franchise, despite his lack of experience in the front office.<\/p>\n
Hopefully the 7-foot tall Serb can get a handle on the message coming from within. \u00a0During the Geoff Petrie era, information was nearly impossible to come by. \u00a0But over the last two seasons, the Kings seem hell-bent on getting famous for what they say and not what they do.<\/p>\n
Kevin Love? \u00a0The Kings are in the discussion. \u00a0Deron Williams? \u00a0All in! \u00a0Strangely enough, the one trade no one saw coming has turned out to be the most successful one. \u00a0No one had the Rudy Gay deal until it was done. \u00a0It\u2019s funny how there was no need for negotiation in the press on that transaction.<\/p>\n
Ownership and management created a culture of chaos. \u00a0Players are constantly looking over their shoulder and wondering what\u2019s coming next. \u00a0The same could be said about the coaching staff that not only found the door, but a lack of support while they were running the team.<\/p>\n
The current climate in Sacramento is not conducive to winning or attracting free agent players. \u00a0Nor is it a good way to represent a city that wants nothing more than to celebrate the team that gives them a voice on a national, if not global stage.<\/p>\n
Maybe Divac is the man to call a huddle, wrap his long arms around the group and pull the group together.<\/p>\n
Hopefully this is the moment when the Kings begin to right the ship. \u00a0Mistakes have been made, but there is plenty of time recover. \u00a0We are less than 18 months away from the opening of a new arena in downtown Sacramento. \u00a0That arena comes with a 35-year lease. \u00a0The Kings aren\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n
Enough with the frenetic message and the Shaq-ramento gimmicks. \u00a0It\u2019s time to move forward with Kings basketball. \u00a0Hopefully a face from the past is the way to do that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After countless mistakes over the previous two seasons, the Sacramento Kings turn to Vlade Divac to provide stability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[610259261],"tags":[706946,610259433,610259428,76563,6368103,1044064],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n