Life can come at you fast, and since sports are a reflection of life, so can sports.
The Sacramento Kings know this all too well. Just two years ago, they were arguably the most well-liked team in basketball – an egalitarian bunch that played at a breakneck pace, finished third in the West, and broke their pitiful sixteen-year playoff drought.
Fast forward to today, and they are a middling Western Conference that faces one of the toughest post All-Star break schedules and, barring a miracle, will likely be competing in the play-in tournament for the second straight season.
Things have turned so quickly that a former franchise star who was once very complimentary of the Kings is now throwing some criticism in their direction. Over the summer, Cousins reflected on how far the Kings had come as a franchise, going from one of the most downtrodden in the league to a team that was capable of luring a six-time All-Star like DeMar DeRozan.
DeMarcus Cousins questions the team's vision
In a recent interview with HoopsHype, Cousins opened up about his thoughts on the current state of affairs in Sacramento. Here is what he had to say:
"I think the standard was set low, which was just making the playoffs. And I think that city, those fans, I think they deserve a lot more. It’s a passionate city, it’s a passionate fan base. They stick it through thick and thin, win or loss, good or bad. And that’s rare to come across in sports – it’s an up-and-down thing. But I know firsthand how much those fans care about their team. I think they achieved what they wanted to achieve, and they didn’t really look past that."
Cousins makes a good point. By building around Fox and Sabonis (two below-average spacers who aren't elite on defense), the Kings created a nucleus that was good enough to compete but not good enough to be anything more than a tough out in the first round. And by acquiring DeRozan (another poor spacer who doesn't move the needle on defense), the Kings further dug themselves into this hole.
Hopefully, with the recent series of moves they have made, the Kings can kickstart their re-tool/rebuild and avoid the same trap they just fell into.
On the bright side, at least Cousins continues to be complimentary of the team's fanbase, which, despite another disappointing campaign, continues to be one of the best in the league.
Cousins spent six and a half years with the Kings, averaging 21.1 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.2 BPG on 53.2% true shooting. In an offseason project by Sactown Sports, Cousins was ranked the fourth-best Kings player since the franchise moved to Sacramento in 1985.