Can George Karl save Sac-Town?
Once again, the Sacramento Kings are likely to miss the NBA playoffs this April. At the moment, the northern California team has one of the brightest collective of youths among all teams within both conferences. Headlined by stars DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay, the Kings still lack experience – with no captain helming things together. After having four coaches over the last five years, Sacramento may have finally found the perfect person to resurrect one of the most exciting franchises ever in basketball.
Two years ago, George Karl was named Coach of the Year for the Denver Nuggets; but was unfortunately fired the following summer, after not coming to terms on a contract extension. The Kings have landed the legendary head coach on a four-year deal, worth between $4-5 million each year (with perks), with George expected to succeed interim coach Tyrone Corbin after the All-Star break. Over the last 24 years, Karl has only missed the playoffs one time in his tenures with Seattle Supersonics, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.
The story of this signing, however, is whether he’ll be able to coexist with Boogie Cousins – given the big-man’s past history. If they’re able to properly work together, along with the other role players buying into the system, the league could be in trouble with the most talented center being guided and further developed.
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