DeMarcus Cousins-George Karl Pairing Isn't the Only Doomed NBA Partnership
DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl started out atop a slippery slope. There were warning sirens blaring before the two even officially joined forces as respective superstar and skipper of the Sacramento Kings, and the causes for concern have multiplied several times over since.
Cousins' camp was reportedly against hiring Karl last February, according to USA Today's Sam Amick. Even the Kings seemingly disliked the fit at first. The actual move came two months after team officials told Cousins that "they did not believe Karl was the best coach for him or the team," according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
Despite the subsequent billowing smoke clouds, the Kings pushed forward as if they were impervious to fire. That clearly wasn't the case.
Sacramento's self-inflicted burns started late last season, when Karl said he had yet to coach an "untradeable" player, via CSN Bay Area's Bill Herenda. The comment came before the penultimate game of Cousins' first All-NBA campaign, during which he'd torched opponents to the tune of 24.1 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals.
Considering Cousins wasn't even 25 years old yet, the super-skilled, quicker-than-should-be-possible 6'11", 270-pounder appeared about as close to unmovable as a big league centerpiece can get.
But Karl still refused to buy that theory. In fact, he doused the flames in gasoline by attempting to drum up support within the front office to ship Cousins out, sources told The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski. When Cousins struck back on social media with a familiar reference to snakes in the grass, it was glaringly apparent that this relationship had moved past the salvageable stage.
SB Nation's Tom Ziller explained:
"Cousins had been here for five years at that point and was the centerpiece of the team. He was the All-Star, the only superlative the franchise could count on. Karl was brand new and inserting himself into the decision-making vacuum. Once it came out that Karl wanted Cousins gone and had even contacted other teams looking for a deal, that was all she wrote for this relationship.
Boogie doesn't forget. Boogie holds grudges. Boogie is a purely emotional being: on the court, off the court, everywhere. He wears his heart on both sleeves, his lapels, his headband. It'd be healthy for Cousins and the Kings if he could better regulate his feelings (technical fouls don't lie), but can you really blame him for feeling salty toward Karl? If someone at work tried to get you relocated behind the scenes, you might hold a little grudge, too.
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The Kings have tried sweeping everything under the rug, but this mess has surfaced at several points this season.
Cousins tore into Karl during a profanity-laced postgame tirade in November, then recently picked up a one-game suspension for yelling at Karl during a timeout. Cousins has since gone out of his way to clarify that his discipline came from the coach and not the organization:
There isn't a happy ending to this story that involves both Cousins and Karl staying in Sacramento.
Someone needs to go, and it's virtually impossible to imagine the Kings picking the 63-year-old coach over the 25-year-old All-Star. They've reportedly come close to making this call before, sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein, and the fact that this problem remains could lead them to cut the cord sooner than later.
Of course, their incompatibility isn't entirely novel. A few other partnerships seemed destined for a similarly imminent explosion.
Byron Scott and Lakers Youth
The Los Angeles Lakers need to move forward. Even though they can see the approaching expiration date on the Kobe Bryant era, they're still clinging to the glory days of yesteryear.
Head coach Byron Scott, once a teammate of Bryant's, has made this season all about the Mamba's farewell tour. Bryant has total control of the offense and zero accountability. To wit, his 35.6 field-goal percentage is the worst among qualified high-volume shooters in the three-point era (minimum 15 shots per game).
Scott hasn't tried to rein in his past-his-prime superstar, but he has spent an inordinate amount of time publicly chastising the Lakers' core of tomorrow—particularly No. 2 pick D'Angelo Russell.
The slithery scoring guard has been a popular punching bag for his head coach. After making Russell an opening-night starter, Scott demoted the freshman, along with fellow building block Julius Randle, after 20 games. To the coach, in-game experience isn't the only valuable teaching tool.
"I think when you make a mistake over and over again, sometimes that wood has a good way of talking to your butt a little bit," Scott said, via Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.
The Lakers were 3-17 at the time. Mistakes were happening all over the hardwood, but only the youngsters were punished for theirs. It looked confusing from the outside and didn't seem any clearer to the prospects themselves:
Scott's messages have often been hard to decipher.
Early this season, he told reporters that if his young guys didn't start "getting it" then "they won't play as much," via ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes. In that same media session, he admitted that "it's always better to have minutes" since young players "can only learn so much by sitting and watching." He also said he needed "to continue to be patient" but also warned, "I'm not going to be patient for long."
If you're having a tough time following the logic, imagine how the 20- and 21-year-olds feel.
The prospects have managed to find their way in spite of Scott's meddling. Russell exploded out of the All-Star break and has averaged 18.5 points on 45.8 percent shooting (45.7 from three) and 4.4 assists over the 12 games since. Randle has tallied 14.2 points and 10.6 boards a night during the same stretch.
Those aren't responses to Scott's tough love. They're the results of getting acclimated through significant floor time, which lottery-bound clubs should have ready and waiting for their prized prospects.
Scott steered the Lakers through the end of Bryant's run, perhaps twice saving a valuable protected pick in the process. But this organization needs to let go of the past. It must find a coach who prioritizes player development and modern offense—the necessary tools for the upcoming, Kobe-less chapter of its existence.
The Houston Rockets are doing their best with damage control.
Never mind that they've gone from being Western Conference elites to mere playoff hopefuls. Or that they failed to launch following former coach Kevin McHale's dismissal. Or that less than one year removed from a Western Conference Finals berth, the chemistry between stars James Harden and Dwight Howard could be irreparably damaged.
The partnership may not have started with the sturdiest foundation. Shortly after their first playoff run together in 2014, both Howard and Harden were angling to get the other one traded, according to NBA.com's Fran Blinebury.
Whatever wounds were opened then were not healed with time. League sources told CBS Sports' Ken Berger that Harden was still trying to have Howard moved at February's trade deadline.
Of course, the pair won't admit to any problems. They say everything is fine no matter what's being written about them.
"I don't know what the perception is," Harden told ESPN.com's Calvin Watkins. "The reality is we get along and we want to win."
But the reality is that they aren't winning.
After almost posting a .700 winning percentage last season, the Rockets are treading water at .500. Their net efficiency rating is a shade below average overall (minus-1.7 points per 100 possessions, tied for 17th) and only a hair above when Harden and Howard share the floor (plus-0.3, would be tied for 13th).
Talent-wise, those marks should be much better. The fact they aren't leads one to believe there's trouble beneath the surface. Harden and Howard have occasionally managed individual brilliance alongside one another, but something is lacking when they try to blend.
"They were brought together and sold as a superhero combination of Superman and The Beard less than three years ago and have coexisted, but not grown together," Blinebury wrote. "As a Dynamic Duo off the pages of the comic books, they are Robin and Robin, because neither has the leadership qualities required to ever be Batman."
Even the on-court combination has been awkward.
Howard hasn't fully committed to being the explosive pick-and-roll partner Harden needs, and the latter's lackadaisical defensive approach has left the former with more responsibilities than his aging, battered body can handle.
Howard should be looking for his last Powerball-sized payday this summer, and the Rockets should feel no incentive to meet that price. They need a different superstar sidekick for Harden and already have a capable Howard replacement in sophomore center Clint Capela.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com and current through games played March 13.
