During the Kings’ annual media day, center DeMarcus Cousins and head coach George Karl referred to their relationship as “solid.” Karl had reportedly wanted to trade Cousins after he took over as the head coach late last season, and Cousins had tweeted emojis depicting a snake in the grass in response. Cousins said their offseason meeting in Las Vegas this summer went a long way toward establishing a relationship between the two men.
“When we met in Vegas, we came to a head and we talked our differences out like men,” Cousins had said. “And at the end of the day, it’s about winning games. That’s one thing me and him can agree on – we want to win and that’s our goal and that’s all that really matters, winning.” For his part, Karl gave Cousins an A-plus for his offseason training and said Cousins has shown maturity. “I see a different player,” Karl said. “I see a different substance of character in this guy right now.”
This brings me to the question/topic of the day: Will DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl be able to successfully co-exist in Sacramento for the long haul?
The Kings as an organization have not been the picture of stability recently, which led to this unusual situation of a new coach and star player not being, at least initially, on the same page. The organization reportedly considered firing Karl this summer, but cooler heads have seemingly prevailed since then, and all parties involved are now saying the right things publicly. But can this detente last, especially of the team gets off to a rough start in the standings? How long can these two strong-willed men maintain a good working relationship? A week, a month, multiple seasons? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
I think a lot depends on how well the Kings start this season. If they start strong like they did last year, I think we’ll see some stability there. If not, it could quickly get interesting in Sacramento again. Still, I’d wager that the team would part with Karl before it lets go of Cousins. I think they’re wise enough, after what they went through this summer, to understand that’s better than the other way around.
Winning fixes everything! but let’s be honest, this is the NBA and we are talking about the Kings in the West.
Karl has 3 years left on his 4year/15m contract that he signed. I would bite the bullet on buying Karl out if it meant that Boogie would stay long term. If you build it, they will come, and the Kings need Boogie to attract talent. A 64 year old coach is not the one who you build a franchise around. You need to do everything to appease your mega star. Look at Dan Gilbert and LBJ.
It’s easier to go get a coach who has been a coach of the year than to get a top 10 talent in this league. Avery Johnson, Mike Brown, Scott Brooks and Tom Thibodeau are all not head coaches in the league. The Kings have great options out there, if they are able to convince these free agent coaches to join their organization.
I wish Josh Smith would’ve chosen Sacramento. Rondo, McLemore, Gay, Smith & Cousins. BullyBall. They need to jump on that Markieff Morris.
It’s always a lot easier to act like everything’s rosy in the preseason. Once the season becomes a grind, tempers get shorter and frustrations rise. I can’t see these 2 volatile personalities co-existing in the long run.