Subtle move: Encourage players to hold each other accountable
Accountability is a big part of being a successful NBA team, and this season, it seemed that the Kings might have a real leadership problem. More than once, after a bad loss, Keon Ellis was the lone King to go to the podium, while the main guys either only spoke to the media in the locker room or not at all.
Having a two-way player take the bullet for the entire team is not fair and caused many of us to question the players’ willingness to take responsibility and hold each other accountable.
After a rough loss to the Nuggets, Trey Lyles finally took the initiative and called for a players-only meeting. Even Keegan Murray spoke up, and it worked. For one game. This is a process, it doesn’t just happen and stick overnight.
One meeting is not enough. Players have to continue to hold each other accountable and Mike Brown has to encourage them to do just that. His words will eventually fall on deaf ears, if he says the same thing day after day, and do not always carry the same weight as those of teammates. Brown is not on the court. He can control a lot, but not everything, and he needs to push his players to take care of the rest.