Why George Karl Deserves The Job
So, at this current moment, George Karl isn't the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. If the news has already changed by the time you're reading this, GREAT. However, in the meantime, this piece is assuming he's still a "free agent".
There are reports that he has been in conversations with the team and there are reports that some of the players aren't so happy about the hiring. It's a mess, admittedly, and at this point fans just want answers one way or another. Nobody really knows for sure what will happen but it looks like something, good or bad, will be announced soon.
The fans want Karl to be the coach. You can tell from the chants at Sleep Train Arena and the endless message board comments around websites like Sactown Royalty, Cowbell Kingdom and Reddit.
When Michael Malone was fired it was the equivalent of going through a sudden breakup. You're shocked, you wonder if you could have done anything to change it and go through the stages of grief.
Then the season continued on and it only made you miss that person even more. The new coach wasn't winning the same way the old coach was and the foundation of the team was showing cracks. This made the fans sad, mad and even delusional at some parts. That once "acceptable" playoff dream is now long gone and mediocrity has set in. Now you just hope DeMarcus Cousins doesn't get mad and clothesline someone in a rage.
Right now, the Kings are in the acceptance stage of grief. They accept the fact that Malone is gone and he's probably never coming back but they still want answers. Why did Malone get fired? Does the front office have a clear plan after the fact and if they do, what is it?
If the Kings decide to hire Karl it gives the fans someone who, at the very least, absolutely knows what he's doing. It gives fans a light at the end of the tunnel and someone who has a proven history of winning.
Then again, nothing in life is universally beloved and there are going to be naysayers that come around. Therefore, if you need some encouragement about Karl because of the standing eight count the Malone firing handed you, take a look at this.
George Karl has been a head coach in the NBA since 1984. At that point he was the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. That Cavalier team went 36-46 and lost in the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. (Yes, the East was bad even back then.) Over his entire career Karl only missed the playoffs twice and the last time was in 1988. Karl has a head coaching record of 1131-756. That's more wins than Gregg Popovich, Larry Brown and Red Auerbach.
Now, a naysayer may respond by saying, "That's thirty years ago. He's old! What makes you think he can still be an effective coach in today's NBA?"
Well, the last time he was a head coach in the NBA was the 2012-13 season. He was the coach of the Denver Nuggets and the team won 57 games and Karl won the NBA Coach of the Year award. Yes, George Karl is 63 years old but Gregg Popovich just won an NBA Championship at the age of 65.
Maybe you still want to be negative and say, "Well, what happens if he runs into some sort of team mutiny or has to deal with players who are selfish or immature? Can he handle it?
For that, let me direct you to a story from 2010 about Kenyon Martin. The story says that, after a 109-92 victory over the Portland Trailblazers, a ball boy decided it would be a good April Fools' joke to fill Martin's Range Rover with buttered popcorn. Martin didn't take this well and, allegedly, threatened to boycott the entire postseason if he didn't find out who was responsible. The situation was eventually resolved and the team made it to the playoffs where Martin averaged 10 points and 8.3 rebounds a game.
Karl also welcomed Chris "Birdman" Anderson back into the league after he was suspended for drug problems for over two years. Oh yeah, and there was that whole cancer thing he went though multiple times. The point is, Karl has probably seen it all.
Is it 100% set in stone that George Karl will come in and solve all of the Kings problems? No, nothing is certain. Then again, considering the situation that the Kings are in right now, (and really, since 2006) he's the best-case scenario for the Kings. Whether or not Karl gets hired on is yet to be determined but, if he does get hired on, embrace the man. His résumé more than speaks for itself.