The Kings formally cut ties with coach George Karl on Thursday, and in Sacramento, Jason Jones writes if the culture "doesn't change ... it will be difficult" for the team to "land an A-list coach." The Kings "are seen around the league as a team with poor communication between the coaches and front office, and one in which players' opinions carry too much weight under" Managing Partner Vivek Ranadive. Kings VP/Basketball Operations & GM Vlade Divac "hopes to find a coach who can work well with him and communicate well with the players" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/15). USA TODAY'S Sam Amick noted Ranadive's "overbearing, egomaniacal ways have played a part at every turn." But "there’s nothing like the funk of persistent failure to force someone to change their ways, and that remains the most necessary change of all as they reach another fork in the rebuilding road" (USATODAY.com, 4/14).
BERMUDA TRIANGLE: In N.Y., Andrew Keh notes Knicks President Phil Jackson's first main job this offseason "will be hiring a head coach." Jackson on Thursday revealed interim coach Kurt Rambis "was the only candidate currently scheduled for an interview." He added that he "would reach out to other candidates but suggested that his search would be fairly narrow, confined to coaches he knew personally, those he felt could carry out a shared philosophy" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/15). Also in N.Y., Stefan Bondy writes the "Jackson tree, and more specifically the coaches who exclusively ran the triangle, is filled with underwhelming records" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/15).
WAVING THE WHITE FLAG? Former 76ers President of Basketball Operations & GM Sam Hinkie's failed tenure was discussed on ESPN's "OTL," and CSN Philadelphia’s John Gonzalez said the team's "narrative was that he wasn't a terrific communicator." However, he said blame falls on team Managing Owner Josh Harris, who "seems to oscillate with whatever the PR wind tells him to do." Gonzalez: "There were reports that Adam Silver and the other NBA owners put some pressure on Josh Harris. They didn't like the way that this looked outside of Philadelphia. ... It seems to me that they got to a point where they decided they didn't want to take any more heat, which is really interesting to me" ("OTL," ESPN, 4/14).
NOT EXPANDING THE NEST: In Atlanta, Chris Vivlamore noted the Hawks' ownership group "has no plans to add partners or investors." Team Owner Tony Ressler said that the current group "was thoughtfully constructed and complete" when they took over last June. Ressler: "We thought (at the time of sale) having a group of additional owners and investors that offered different perspectives would add some value, including having half a dozen or so that are from the Atlanta area full-time and have a history of the Atlanta market which we thought would, and has I might add, added some real value and perspective" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 4/14).
