It’s a Wednesday night in December in the outdated “Arco Power Train Pavilion,” close to 12,000 fans are watching their Sacramento Kings take on the Toronto Raptors.
Banners of glories past hang in the rafters, a once proud and vibrant franchise has been reduced to one of the NBA’s worst teams.
The fans and players cheer each other on as the Kings fight for a win, but they can’t ignore the whispers. First it was Anaheim, then Seattle and now Virginia Beach.
No one knows what will become of this struggling franchise. But one thing’s for sure: they can not go on this way.
The kingdom of Sacramento is beginning to grow restless in light of the recent information that both Seattle and Virginia Beach have tentative arena deals in place. The word tentative seems all too familiar to citizens of Sacramento, after city council approved an arena deal that the Kings’ owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, backed out of.
That event left many questioning whether the owners are committed to Sacramento, when it is clear that Sacramento is committed to the Kings. In 19 of the last 27 seasons, the Kings have sold out whatchyamacallit arena, 10 of those were losing seasons.
The city has even formed an organization known as Crown Downtown, whose sole purpose is “to show continued support for the construction of a downtown sports and entertainment complex and the benefits it would bring to the city and the region of Sacramento,” according to the organization’s Facebook page.
Then there is the issue of the Kings’ roster; a roster that at times will leave you scratching your head.
The young, but talented group is sprinkled with veterans and at times look like world beaters. But all too often, they are the punchline of a joke.
Lead by former rookie of the year Tyreke Evans, who is struggling to find his niche within the organization, and controversial seven-footer Demarcus Cousins, the Kings are a model of inconsistency. On one night you can’t help but think this will be a team to be reckoned with in three years and other nights you are left throwing your remote at the television after a fourth-quarter collapse.
Sacramento’s head coach Keith Smart seems to know how to treat young players, but not how to coach them. It is hard to understand why the smooth shooting fan favorite Jimmer Fredette, who owns a .463 field goal percentage, sits on the end of the bench when the Kings are in need of offense.
So what’s to become of the Kings? Hopefully a mutiny.
It is time for the team to start over. Find new owners, fire Smart and general manager Geoff Petrie and get someone in the organization that can get an arena deal done.
As a fan’s sign put so elegantly, “Is this the last time we’ll see greatness in Sac?”
