by Charlie O

SACRAMENTO–Does the current Sacramento Kings management style have similarities with the former Kings owners the Maloof Family? In terms of finances no, managing partner Vivek Ranadive is lucrative and liquid and he can get what he wants. The team dollar wise is solid which is an issue the team had when the Maloofs owned the club.

Financially the team is on strong footing they have no problems with the investments they made into the arena or downtown. What is Malooflike is the fact that team owner Vivek Ranadive by all reports and there are a consensus of reports that he is very actively inserting himself into the day to day basketball operations and management.

Which what the Maloofs did frankly when the Maloofs got involved telling former Kings general manager Geoff Petrie what he ought to be doing that’s when the Kings started going down hill. So right now the Kings are at risk in having an owner that he feels knows whats best for the team.

Ranadive is a billionaire, he’s a tremendous tech guy, as an owner he’s business savvy because what he’s trying to put together with the arena and the associated buildings with it it’s nothing short of genius. When it comes to operating a pro basketball team he’s flat out a rookie.Ranadive has to recognize that, ten years from now when you walk into a room and he says “guys I’ve seen this guy and he’s the player we need to sign” and everybody says “he knows what he’s talking about” right now he’s a little short on knowledge.

Also with the Kings head coach George Karl and the Kings DeMarcus Cousins situation doesn’t have much to do with George Karl.Cousins is a mad young man because they took a coach Michael Malone who had won him over for whom has said “I want to play for you, I will make commitments to you and I will make changes in attitude on the floor 110 percent best efforts.”

Then when Cousins made those changes they fired Malone, then people acted surprised that DeMarcus is pissed off, he’s a 24 year old guy who in five seasons has played for two owners, three general managers, and five coaches. I’d be angry too, I’d be really angry, if I was Cousins I’d be standing on somebody’s desk in my whole 6’11 height jumping up and down saying “get me the hell out of this town.”

Instead he just voiced some of that and of course he’s frustrated at this point how can you expect him to commit this much to Karl especially when it’s rumored that Ranadive is going up and down the halls in the offices of the Kings asking his employees “should we get rid of Karl.” For Cousins he has to know whose going to be boss and it doesn’t make a difference whose boss he just needs to know somebody is boss.

Charlie O covers the Sacramento Kings for http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to the podcast below