The Sacramento Kings have been a big topic of discussion since the season began as there has been a lot of turmoil surrounding their dreadful start. The Kings lost six games in a row after starting 1-1, and there were reports that Kings ownership was considering making a change at the head coaching spot. The Kings finally broke that losing streak on Wednesday night when they beat the Detroit Pistons 101-92, but it is fair to wonder whether George Karl has more time to turn things around or if a change is still coming.
The reports on Tuesday morning were that Kings owner Vivek Ranadive was not happy with the way things started and he was questioning whether Karl was the right guy for the head coaching job, according to Dave Carmichael of KHTK Sports 1140. The report also stated that the next 48 hours, which have now passed, were extremely important in determining Karl's fate, so with the Kings having beaten a very good team he may be safe for now.
After the initial report came out about Karl's job being in jeopardy, there was another report that DeMarcus Cousins "directed a profanity-laced tirade toward the coach" after the Kings' loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Karl reportedly wanted to suspend Cousins for the tirade, but general manager Vlade Divac denied his request. As we know, winning seems to temper all of this, and after the game Cousins apologized to the media after posting a monster line in the win.
"I let my frustrations get the best of me in the locker room after the San Antonio loss, that is my bad. My frustration is not about any one person or player or coach. My frustration is that we are 1-7, simple as that," said Cousins.
The relationship between Cousins and Karl is something worth watching in the near future, as that will have a huge impact on whether Karl is fired or not, but the fact that Cousins apologized in front of everyone is a good sign for Karl. The Kings have gotten off to an extremely slow start, but in Karl's defense they have had a brutal schedule and Cousins has missed four games, so expect the coach to get a longer leash now that they are back on the winning side of things and the air seems to be relatively clear.
