The first step is landing the job. The next step will be to see if George Karl is capable of leading the lowly Sacramento Kings out from underneath the boulder that continues to crush their hopes season after season.
Nearly five days after rumors began to seriously heat up about Karl signing a deal with the Kings, the franchise hired him to a four-year, $15 million contract to be the next head coach.
After starting out of the gate with a 2-8 record, Sacramento quickly decided head coach Michael Malone was not the answer. The team won 16 more games over the next 42 under interim head coach Tyrone Corbin. Despite the numbers showing improvement, the reality is a record of 18-34 is something the Kings will not stand for going forward. That is why they are turning their attention to someone who knows how to consistently get the job done.
Karl is someone who has built a reputation as a coach who knows how to turn around struggling franchises, with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets being two organizations that come to mind. There is no guarantee he will do the same for Sacramento, but there is no denying his résumé should give the organization, players and fans the necessary confidence that a bright future is on the horizon.
Clearly, the 2014-15 NBA season is lost. At this point, Karl should use the next 30 games to earn the trust of his players. Along with that, the rest of the season will be used to weed out the players he does not want on the team going forward.
While coaching five NBA teams, Karl compiled 1,131 wins, which ranks sixth all time. He also was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2013.
Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.