With Excuses Exhausted, Patience Has Run Out On Sacramento Kings’ Roster

When it comes to being patient, few can channel their inner zen more than Sacramento Kings GM Geoff Petrie. The long tenured general manager is known for his ability to sit idly on his hands waiting for his concoction of talent to marinate – sometimes to a fault.

November 16, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings cheerleaders during introductions before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Now sitting at 2-7 and looking even more woeful than last season, the Kings no longer can use inexperience as an excuse for their poor play. Geoff Petrie can no longer claim time to “gel”. Keith Smart can no longer claim that the team needs “time”. The Maloof brothers can no longer continue to be the disgrace of owners that they’ve become. The excuses are null and void – we’ve heard them for years and the time has come for a franchise altering move.

Look, I’m not going to start pushing buttons on ESPN’s trade machine – I’m not putting the blame on any player in-particular. Simply put, this is a poorly constructed roster. That’s not to say the Kings don’t have talent – they most certainly do – but the talent doesn’t mesh. Building a roster is far more than piecing together high draft picks – especially when those high draft picks don’t play up to their abilities.

Now playing in what will most presumably be their seventh straight season of missing the playoffs, the Kings simply can’t afford to wait any longer. Something has to be done, a shakeup must occur. Does that mean a particular player(s) need to be moved? A new front office? Everybody will have their own opinion on how to fix the mangled Kings franchise and right now, I’m not sure there is a correct answer – outside of something needing to happen.

The collection of talent amassed in Sacramento will not work as currently constructed – simply put. That doesn’t mean there is any ill will towards any member of the Kings – not in the least bit. But the Kings, need a change and need it quickly.

It’s one thing to make an attempt to win and simply not be good enough. It’s another thing to wastefully fall apart at the seams, letting them disintegrate in front of your eyes. Teams can turn themselves around in just a few seasons – it doesn’t take a near decade to complete the cycle, something the Kings appear to be on course for.

The blame isn’t meant for one person. This isn’t the fault of a lone player. It’s not single-handedly Geoff Petrie’s fault. This is a team effort of failure – about the only thing this franchise has recently been able to do as a team.

Where the change comes from, that’s to be seen, but a change must come. The patience has run out.