What does a basketball team need to win in the modern NBA? Obviously, they require players who can actually shoot and defend. A team isn't going to reach the Finals by putting up nothing but bricks.
But another important aspect of a winning team is the management running things behind the scenes. The team's owner is a massive part of that, depending on how hands-on they are. And the sad truth is that the Sacramento Kings have one of the most despised and ridiculed owners in the league.
Vivek Ranadive is Sacramento's biggest roadblock to success
If you're looking for proof of how Ranadive has become a punch line to the rest of the league, look no further than this recent conversation between Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons, which starts at 20:21.
While speaking about his time at the NBA Summer League, Lowe opened up about how people talk about Ranadive, and the consensus isn't kind.
"The word Vivek was said over many dinners and drinks, that it just still is kind of a mess internally. Phrases like he can't get out of his own way, he can't help himself. That kind of phraseology. What's been the constant between the Beam Team and now, and all the crappy teams before the Beam Team post-Maloof? It's the ownership group," Lowe said.
For years now, Ranadive has been a prime example of an owner who is consistently preventing his team from reaching true greatness. Many stories have said his fingerprints have been all over boneheaded moves, like incorrect draft picks and ill-conceived trades that have set the team back years.
Across the Kings fanbase, people wonder how far the team could have gone if Ranadive had been hands-off over the years and let the men and women he hired just do their jobs. They have been stuck in limbo in the Western Conference, but could the situation have been improved if Ranadive wasn't so involved?
Even a few years after the promising (and painfully brief) "Light the Beam" season, the Kings still have plenty of talent on the roster. Adjustments are needed, and they probably should look for more than simply another point guard. But the team could make some noise next season. However, the sad reality is the Kings might always be held back if Ranadive doesn't get out of his own way.
He doesn't have to give up the team, although some fans wish he would. Instead, Ranadive needs to recognize what his true role is: he hires the people who make the right decisions. It's not his job to manage the team. Instead, it's his job to find the right people to do that.
Like all NBA owners, Ranadive wants his team to win. But that might only be possible if he changes his approach.