It was just a matter of time before it happened. The Sacramento Kings currently sit at the very bottom of the Western Conference with a 13-30 record. They have lost nine out of their last 12 games. Now past the halfway point of the season, the Kings are looking to the future. Jason Jones from the Sacramento Bee reports that head coach David Joerger will rest at least two of the team's veterans – George Hill, Kosta Koufos, Garrett Temple, Vince Carter or Zach Randolph – each game in favor of getting their youngsters more playing time and experience. This is also a tactical move as, without the veterans, the Kings will probably lose a bunch of games at reach and put them in a better spot for next year's NBA Draft.
Joerger said it was hard approaching the team's veterans to inform them of the decision. They all behaved like professionals, though. The coach said:
“It’s not an easy conversation. They’re very professional, they’re competitive. All of them are rotation players on a playoff team. So to ask those guys to step aside at different times is not enjoyable for me. They handled it well, they’ve been pros.”
He will let them know who will play and who will sit before the games.
Garrett Temple, an eight-year veteran, spoke about coach Joerger's decision:
“Obviously, people want to play, but you have to respect that when somebody tells you … this is the situation that we’re in. It’s a tough conversation, but, at the end of the day, we want to be transparent. … We’re all professional guys and it is what it is.”
He said him and the rest of the veterans remain committed to helping their young players as much as possible:
“Point out things that we see (and) be coaches off the court because a lot of our veterans really have a lot of knowledge about the game. Just continue to stay positive with the guys and point things they may not be able to see when they’re on the court.”
With this stated, it is clear the Kings are looking at the big picture and preparing for the long-term run.
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