Paul Westphal Fired: Why Firing Was About Far More Than DeMarcus Cousins

For the casual NBA viewer, the news that the Sacramento Kings fired coach Paul Westphal seems a clear message: The Kings chose DeMarcus Cousins over Westphal.

But any fan who watched the Kings play this season knows this firing is about far, far more than just Cousins.

It's a shame Cousins has been branded as a "coach killer" when the real reason for Westphal's departure is the team in its entirety.

Westphal was let go because every area of the Kings play this season has been so unforgivably unorganized and discombobulated that it was impossible not to blame the coach.

When one player or another struggles, you could pass it off as a weakness on the player. If the mess with Cousins had come up while the team was winning, it would be easy to blame the 21-year-old center.

But when every player is lost and playing poorly, when the entire team can't figure out what the offensive plan is or how to get back on defense, it isn't a problem with just the players. It's a problem with the man who is supposed to lead them, and the blame should rightfully fall on Westphal.

And yet the news of Westphal's departure has quickly turned into a so-called "victory" for Cousins. Some even say the Kings are coddling him, and believe that in firing Westphal they are enabling the oft-headache-inducing Cousins.

This point falls apart for two reasons. One, any general manager or team owner in the NBA would be crazy to pick Westphal over Cousins.

Westphal's coaching career started off well when he was handed a championship-caliber Phoenix Suns team, but he's failed to make any significant mark since then. Cousins, meanwhile, has plenty of time to get his head on right and has the potential to become one of the better big men in the league.

And the point falls apart for a second reason: watching even a quarter of any of the Kings' last five games shows the team was lost, dazed and confused. That isn't the fault of Cousins. That is the fault of the coach, who failed to offer a consistent offensive gameplan and failed even more to keep his players motivated.

You can't blame Cousins for Westphal's firing. Anyone who believes Westphal was let go just to appease Cousins obviously hasn't seen any Kings basketball this season.

Westphal was fired because he failed to coach this team to any measure of success. Let's hope for the Kings' sake they find someone who can do better.