Has Vivek Finally Gotten it Right?

I say finally. This season will only be Ranadive’s third in charge.

Feels like it’s been awhile though, right? Maybe a decade’s worth of roster and coaching staff and front office turnover–all jammed into two-plus years–has something to do with that.

Of the roster Vivek originally inherited, only DeMarcus Cousins is left. Of the first coaching staff constructed under Ranadive, only Corliss Williamson remains. And Vivek’s first two hires, his head coach and general manager, have since been fired and hired away (respectively) and are coworkers once again in Denver.

While personnel has certainly changed, the team’s question marks largely remain the same. Have the Kings reached a state of perennial instability? What do they have to show for it? Is Sacramento better off now than from 12 months prior?

Let’s discuss.

Key Departures

Michael Malone, who joined the franchise in 2013 as the first-time owner’s hand-picked head coach, led Sacramento to an 11-13 record early last season before his untimely, misguided firing. Vivek held Malone in high regard from their time with the Golden State Warriors, and wasn’t alone in his appraisal. The Los Angeles Clippers, prior to trading for then-Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, were rumored to be interested in Malone’s services.

But Vivek got his man, securing Malone and, with him, the team’s supposed on-court identity: defense, above all else.

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That identity was quickly complicated by the hiring of then-general manager Pete D’Alessandro. Reputed for his salary cap and analytic acumen with Golden State and Denver, D’Alessandro’s offensively-focused philosophy clashed with and ultimately ended an all-too-brief era of Maloneian rule. That’s the story, anyway.

Who fired Mike Malone? Pete D’Alessandro is a simple-enough answer. Pete would’ve been inclined to disagree with Malone more frequently than others due to differences in basketball philosophy, Pete was higher up the food chain, and the GM actually took responsibility for firing the head coach, with reports of recurring rifts between D’Alessandro and Malone supporting that theory initially.

However, both Malone and D’Alessandro are now employed by the Denver Nuggets, and each man’s influence doesn’t seem to endanger the overall direction of that franchise, as was allegedly the case in Sacramento. What gives?

Either a) rumors concerning the severity of contempt between the two were largely inaccurate, b) the Denver Nuggets forgot this thing in Sacramento happened, or c) in an unexpected and atypical triumph of human spirit and forgiveness, one of Malone or D’Alessandro, from here on out, decided to completely forgo whatever principle basketball philosophies guided them to successful NBA careers, just so they could work together again. At long last.

I’ll go with a), because most rumors, whatever they concern, are likely just that: catty gossip at worst, knowledgeable hearsay at best. Players, coaches, executives, owners, agents, reporters and writers all have varying motives and agendas to act on and execute. Even the most reputable of NBA sources stage convincing facades.

That being said, if there is accurate, credible information to be consumed regarding a certain situation, it will probably come via a direct, cited quote.

From The Denver Post’s Christopher Dempsey:

"In an interview with The Denver Post, Malone said there were a lot of misconceptions [regarding him and Pete], and that the two are on good terms."

"“You would be surprised how many messages I got when they hired Pete here, paraphrasing: ‘Ah, coach, that sucks. I really hoped you were going to get the Denver job, but that’s not going to happen now,’” Malone said. “People don’t realize, Pete and I never had any problems."

"“Pete and I have always respected each other, have always gotten along,” Malone said. “It was just that sometimes, the environment that we were working in was not conducive to a healthy relationship.”"

Aaaaaaaaannd there it is. No, not the part where Malone says he and Pete “never had any problems.” No, not the other part where Malone says he and Pete “have always respected each other.” This:

"“It was just that sometimes, the environment that we were working in was not conducive to a healthy relationship.”"

More than any threat of DeMarcus Cousins leaving, more than questions about Vlade Divac’s aptitude as an NBA decision-maker, more than Sacramento’s long-term ability to recruit and sign free agents, this should worry Kings fans.

As CBS Sports’ Matt Moore explains, no single departure should make or break a franchise, but, as a rule of thumb, firing staff members before the paint on their new parking spot dries sets a dangerous precedent. What makes Sacramento a viable destination for the NBA’s best coaches and executives if a reasonable level of trust and job security aren’t included in the sales pitch?

It’s a business, sure. But, especially for a small-market team like Sacramento, it’s one of, run by, and for people. People are not expendable, and certainly shouldn’t be treated as such if your goal is to create a positive, productive working environment.

Still, contrary to popular opinion, a surplus in coaching staff and front office turnover from years past doesn’t immediately doom Sacramento’s future. Just as most issues in sports transcend the arenas in which they are seemingly created, this instance is no different: history will only doom the Kings if its decision-makers—of which Vivek is the unrivaled leader—choose to repeat mistakes they’d be better served learning from.

Returnees

Head Coach George Karl is back, obviously, not that his return was in any way assured. But, in spite of reported back-door dealings, agent-generated rumors, discouraging tweets and encouraging, well-staged Instagram posts, the team’s best coach now seems to have a productive, working relationship with its best player, which is generally an ideal dynamic.

Vance Walberg, a late addition to last season’s coaching staff following Karl’s takeover, returns and figures to head a hopefully dynamic offense comprised of timely passing, outside shooting and diligent off-ball movement. All three are crucial keys to a successful dribble-drive offense—one that Walberg essentially invented.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Corliss Williamson, an original hire of Malone’s in 2013, is the only member of Malone’s original staff to be retained by Karl this offseason. Williamson, of course, was drafted by and played for the Sacramento Kings from 1995 to 2000, when he was traded to Toronto in exchange for Doug Christie. He’d end his career in Sacramento following his inclusion in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers that sent him, Brian Skinner and Kenny Thomas to Arco for Chris Webber.

Williamson was formerly the men’s head basketball coach at the University of Central Arkansas.

As far as the front office is concerned, VP Vlade Divac and Mike Bratz are back. Bratz was promoted to interim-GM following D’Alessandro’s return to Denver and, though it’s difficult at this point to discern his specific role in the Kings’ offseason acquisitions, he certainly hasn’t imploded.

Arrivals

New this season, associate head coach Chad Iske joins Sacramento’s staff with 16 years of NBA coaching experience. Prior to joining Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013, Iske spent 14 years in the Denver Nuggets organization. For five seasons, he was seated alongside coach Karl as an assistant.

Iske’s background is in player scouting and development, a much-needed skill set for an organization that has (with but a few exceptions) tried and failed to draft and develop young college players the past 10 or so years.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

In that same breath, former Brooklyn Nets assistant John Welch will join the Kings this year, having coached the 2015 Sacramento Kings Summer League team to a 2-3 record. Like Iske, Welch is known league-wide for his influences in player development, and was an assistant of Karl’s in Denver as well.

That being said, Nancy Lieberman is likely the most notable of Sacramento’s offseason hires, becoming the second-ever female assistant coach in the NBA after San Antonio’s Becky Hammon did it last year.

One could best describe Lieberman’s basketball history as extensive. She played professionally from 1980 to 2008 when, at the age of 50, she signed a seven-day contract with the Detroit Shock. (If you take away anything from this article, let it be this: Nancy Lieberman is a badass.) That next year, she was named the head coach of the NBA Development League’s Texas Legends, where she would later assume a front office position with the team.

In the front office, the esteemed Roland Beech joins the Kings this season after six years in the Dallas Mavericks organization. In Dallas, Beech last served as the team’s VP of Basketball Operations, and he’ll replace Dean Oliver as the head of the analytics department in Sacramento.

As it turns out, Vlade Divac does value advanced basketball metrics, and reports that he didn’t were done more for the purpose of constructing a damaging narrative, and less for the purpose of accurately reporting NBA news. How bout that.

What it Means

Much like the Kings’ improved roster, on paper, this Sacramento staff appears much more suited for regular season success than any other group in recent memory.

Particularly from a player development standpoint. The last decade or so, it has been an area of importance this organization has either failed to recognize or willfully dismissed, as evidenced by several young players’ stark lack of progression as Kings (think Jason Thompson, Hassan Whiteside, Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette, Thomas Robinson and Nik Stauskas).

The additions of Iske and Welch only strengthen the promise of prospects like Ben McLemore, Willie Cauley-Stein, Seth Curry and Duje Dukan—though, it should be noted, the influence of proper player development isn’t limited to players on rookie contracts.

Take the developments of Danny Green, Patty Mills, Aaron Baynes and Boris Diaw in San Antonio, for example. Or those of Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll, Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore in Atlanta. Good skill coaching translates, no matter the age, and Sacramento is substantially better off with more of it.

And management’s track record, however small in sample size, has been impressive, if a bit controversial. We could spend the next six hours discussing the Philadelphia trade with its likely and not-so-likely short- and long-term implications. The fact remains, that trade afforded Vlade and company the opportunity to address immediate, pressing roster deficiencies. Any other methods of doing so ranged from improbable in execution to equally-risky in result. And whether you mirror Sacramento’s motives or not, it certainly capitalized on that newfound cap space.

This season, with a staff of faces both familiar and fresh, the Kings are poised to pick up the pace–in playing style and win regularity. Granted, it’s been a series of short-lived trials and errors up to this point, and the rate of personnel turnover isn’t suited for sustainable success.

But make no mistake, there’s a foundation here–comprised of a proven coaching staff and a promising front office, tasked with guiding a revamped roster to its playoff potential.