Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Keith Smart‘s firing from the Sacramento Kings recently as coach makes plenty of sense even though Smart didn’t do that badly of a job as skipper. He took the team under tough circumstances and had to deal with a headache in DeMarcus Cousins.
He also had to deal with the distractions of the NBA team moving to Seattle. When the season ended, it seemed like a certainty that Smart was gone but obviously, that was something that had to wait until new management took control of the team. The new owners obviously want a fresh start and that begins with the coaching staff.
Smart had a season left on his contract but the Kings really didn’t see where keeping him on the staff was going to turn things around in a hurry.
The new owners are anxious for the team to get back into playoff contention and Smart was not the guy to do it. Whether or not Mike Malone, the new coach, can turn the team around in a hurry remains to be seen. He comes in with impressive credentials and has the No. 7 draft pick.
But he’ll come in with easier circumstances than Smart who had to deal with the past couple of seasons. How the new coach will deal with DeMarcus Cousins remains to be seen. It was thought that either Smart goes or Cousins goes. Now that Smart is gone, it would appear Cousins might stay. That’s not a bad situation, provided Malone can get Cousins to behave on the court more often.
