The Kings front office can tell us they know what they're doing, but it's time to show us.
It's been almost a week since Sacramento Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro appeared on the Carmichael Dave show to answer fan questions and address the state of the team. After the appearance the Kings treated fans to a surprising and convincing win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. For a moment it seemed like maybe things would be OK. Friday's embarrassing display against the Denver Nuggets quickly put those hopes to rest. And I couldn't help but to start thinking of Pete's appearance again.
The thing that bothered me so much about Pete's appearance was that he answered questions with a tone and phrasing that suggested he was insulted that fans would question him. I actually like Pete, and deep down I think he's a good GM even if I haven't liked his every move. But he lost some of my faith when he answered fan questions by exclaiming that he isn't an idiot, thereby implying that the rest of are. He insisted that he's not new to this. He listed his resumé multiple times, as if his experience in multiple facets of the industry makes him immune from being questioned.
I'm tired of being told that the Kings front office knows what they're doing. I'm tired of that being followed by piss-poor basketball. The Kings were the feel-good story of the year, and now I feel like the offseason can't come quickly enough. Arco Arena was barren against the Nuggets. It doesn't matter that the Nuggets aren't a big draw. It's a Friday night game, and if there's an iota of excitement the building should have been 95% full. But it started empty and emptied out more with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. And it's not just because the team is bad, it's because we know they can be better.
The Nuggets had no answers for DeMarcus Cousins. When the Kings fed him, he scored points and drew fouls. So why did the Kings abandon that gameplan? Your guess is as good as mine, but it's just the latest perplexing moment of the Tyrone Corbin experience.
And, yeah, Pete said fans should stop going in on Corbin. This ignored the fact that most Kings fans actually blamed management. But now I'm going in on Corbin. He's in an impossible position, and that's not his fault. But it is his fault that he goes away from what works. And then he places the blame on the team for not feeding Cousins down low. If only he was in some sort of position where he was entrusted with the authority to tell the team how to run the offense. That falls on Corbin, and it's fair criticism. But these issues still fall on management, who created this position.
Please, Pete.
Please, Vivek.
Please, Mullin.
Please, Mastrov.
We need someone to show us that they get it. Pete's radio appearance didn't show us that Pete understands the issues Kings fans have right now, no matter how many times he told us that he understands. Don't tell us any more.
Just show us something worth rooting for.