Dysfunctional Sacramento Kings Continue To Bamboozle Us All

As if a team comprised of firebrands DeMarcus Cousins, Matt Barnes and Darren Collison wasn’t worrisome enough, the Sacramento Kings have decided to add Ty Lawson.

The Sacramento Kings are at it again.

Here’s a quick recap of their offseason: After trading away the No. 8 pick in a top-heavy draft, they drafted two boom-or-bust big men to further their frontcourt logjam.

Then, they received the rights to Malachi Richardson as part of the Marco Belinelli trade before drafting Isaiah Cousins with their late second-round pick.

To their credit, the Kings lucked out during the trade with Phoenix Suns by receiving the rights to Serbian prodigy Bogdan Bogdanovic, who turned some heads during the Rio Olympics.

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Now, all those players are intriguing. But they are projects. They’re not NBA-ready.

Let’s try and make sense of their free agency signings, shall we?

After signing a 36-year-old Matt Barnes, a player notorious for his history of troubles both on and off the court, the Kings decided to overpay Arron Afflalo, who is coming off his worst season since 2012. They proceeded to add journeymen Anthony Tolliver and Garrett Temple.

A team of agitators

While Afflalo, Tolliver and Temple ought to bring a semblance of levelheadedness to an otherwise unstable locker room, their personalities are too passive and would be overpowered by the likes of kingpin DeMarcus Cousins, Barnes, Darren Collison and latest addition Ty Lawson.

Over the last three seasons, Cousins has received more suspensions, flagrant fouls and disciplinary-related fines than any other player in the league.

Cousins has done it all. He has fought with a teammate in the locker room, yelled at coaches in front of a live camera, and even threatened to beat up announcers for assessing his character.

Barnes, who is 10 years older, makes Cousins look like a saint.

This man has been arrested for threatening a cop who recognized him for driving with a suspended license, briefly arrested for alleged domestic violence, fined several times for abusing fans, and most recently drove 95 miles to Los Angeles to “beat the s—t out of” Derek Fisher for romancing his estranged wife.

Collison is facing a trial on two domestic violence charges which is due to begin on Sept. 8. If found guilty, he would likely face a suspension or even a ban from the league.

And Lawson has been arrested at least four separate times for driving under the influence (DUI). In August 2013, he was also arrested for an alleged domestic violence-related harassment.

Essentially, the Kings have put together a team with three players who have been arrested more than once and one player who nearly got arrested for a bar brawl earlier this year.

Wow.

Don’t you just feel sorry for Dave Joerger, who will be the sixth coach that tries to deal with the tantrums of Boogie Cousins since the center was drafted in 2010?

Joerger broke into tears during his final press conference as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. And no, he didn’t bawl out because his team were swept by the San Antonio Spurs during the playoffs, but instead due to the spirited performance of his players and the bond that he shared with them.

This sensitive beast is entering the lair of the hotheads and could be run out of Sactown in a hurry.

Who is advising Sacramento Kings?

While Joerger deserves our sympathy, one wonders who exactly is advising the Kings front office? Under the Vlade Divac regime, the organization has made questionable decision after another, all while surpassing the 30-win barrier only once since the 2007-08 season.

Iconic franchises like the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers have become footnotes in the relevancy chart. But they are re-building with youngsters in locker rooms clear of egos. They are seemingly focused on creating a harmonious environment for the youth to thrive in.

The Kings, however, seem to be stuck in the middle. They believe that Cousins & Co. are capable of steering them to the playoffs. And yet, they are determined to trade for draft picks and add as many talented young players as possible, even stashing a few away in overseas leagues.

Back to Ty Lawson, Sacramento’s latest acquisition. Recently, the point guard told Marc J. Spears of The Vertical that he wants to change the public perception about him. He went as far to reveal his day-to-day routine, clearing the rumors that he gets intoxicated before practice.

"“Things happened in the media because I drank and drove. But I’m not a person out here like everyone thinks that I’m drunk all day. No, I don’t do that. A lot of my friends, we go out and celebrate. But I’m not that person in the morning getting drunk before practice. I think there is a big misconception about what everybody thinks. That’s what I basically tell them. I keep it honest.”"

That’s great. Who doesn’t like a comeback story?

During his final season with the Denver Nuggets, Lawson averaged an impressive tally of 15.2 points and 9.6 assists (second in the league). So there’s little doubt that Lawson can orchestrate an offense.

Lawson is looking to resurrect his career. But could it be pulled off whilst playing for the most dysfunctional organization in all of sports?

Newsflash: Josh Smith, another perennial troublemaker, is still a free agent. Wouldn’t it make sense for the Kings to add Smith to their locker room? It would be a very Sacramento Kings move.

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If you’re a Sacramento Kings fan, you better hope that Vlade Divac isn’t reading this.