Kings coach George Karl on DeMarcus Cousins: 'Lot of time' to fix things
The Sacramento Kings probably would have liked for the relationship between head coach George Karl and franchise center DeMarcus Cousins to have gone a little better so far. In fact, that might be an understatement. But in an interview with Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Karl doesn't seem too flustered by the tension between the two this summer.
"We have a lot of time to get back on the same page," Karl said. "Summer talk and summer drama, I’ve always thought, is hype and so much of it is untrue. I’m not going to get into it but Cous and I have to work together to get back to together, and we will."
"I think all our guys are hungry for winning," Karl added. "And Cous is our best player and most talented kid. And we need him to fill [a leadership] role. There’s a commitment from both sides."
They're kind of double-edged comments from Karl. On the one hand, he's admitting some fault, which is a good thing. But he's still putting the onus on Cousins to become invested in what Karl is trying to do. Whether it'll be enough to make Cousins feel a little less like his coach is a snake in the grass will remain to be seen.
Karl also addressed his point guard for next season, Rajon Rondo, and the apparent logjam at the position with a healthy Darren Collison.
"My feeling is that [Rondo’s] a pass-first point guard, which I think is important and I think in the end it really excites me," Karl said. "We have two guys who can take control of the team and play together and keep the pace of the game. We can play with a lot of freedom and creativity but also play without turnovers."
As for any potential problems with the highly intelligent and often stubborn Rondo, Karl pointed to his experience coaching Sam Cassell, Gary Payton, Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and even Andre Miller as evidence that he's been down that road before -- and been successful.
Karl is excited for new additions Kosta Koufous and Willie Cauley-Stein as well, and he acknowledged that the new faces are part of a roster overhaul that was probably necessary.
Next year's Kings won't look a thing like last year's team. That's a certainty. And it might be the only one in Sacramento right now.
(h/t Boston Globe)
