The Sacramento Kings are reportedly going to keep George Karl on board as the head coach.
ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported on this story, citing sources who said a lengthy meeting between Karl and general manager Vlade Divac was the catalyst behind the team’s decision.
In a statement to ESPN, Kings GM Vlade Divac said: "George is our coach and we're collectively working through our issues."
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 9, 2016
Sacramento has lost four games in a row and eight of its last 10 and is currently five games behind the Utah Jazz for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
Needless to say, the team has its work cut out in order to get back into the playoff race.
This decision means the players will have no choice but to reconcile their differences with Karl. Chris Mannix of The Vertical had reported some serious issues between the two sides during the time in which it was rumored the Kings would fire Karl:
“Players have tuned out Karl, privately seething over inefficient practices and shootarounds, and ineffective in-game adjustments from the bench, league sources told The Vertical. The dysfunction may have originated with Karl and DeMarcus Cousins, but it has spread through the locker room like an infection.”
Either this team is going to come together or it will fall apart. There doesn’t appear to be any middle ground. The talent to succeed is surely there on the roster. Now it’s up to Karl and his staff to get the most out of it.