Jones: The Sacramento Kings are what happens when you don’t trust The Process

I used this space earlier in the season to write about Jahlil Okafor, the Philadelphia 76ers and the need for the Sixers to execute a trade.

It was a column critical of Philly’s front office in parts, but the Sixers have done a lot of right over the past five years. They tanked the right way, and we’re all seeing the fruits of that with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid now among the best players in the NBA.

What about the Sacramento Kings? Well, they are the anti-Sixers. They are what happens when tanking goes wrong. It’s a franchise perpetually destined for the bottom of the Western Conference standings as long as its philosophy remains jumbled and impulsive.

Kings guard and former Utah Jazz guard George Hill sent a tweet last week full of angry face emojis. It was after a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, so it wasn’t difficult to speculate he wasn’t happy with how the season is going.

Hill hasn’t played well, but his poor play this season deserves context. Sources say many of the Kings veterans were rounded up early in the year and told the philosophy has shifted, that the front office isn’t interested in winning and more interested in acquiring a top-,five draft pick.

That in itself isn’t a bad way to go. June’s NBA draft at the top is very strong as was the case with the current rookie class. And teams are gearing up for one last tank job to fortify their rosters with the NBA adopting new lottery rules next season to discourage losing. In this sense, the Kings are no different than at least a half dozen franchises.

Here’s the issue. The Kings brought in Hill, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter during the offseason and still have Garrett Temple on the roster. These are respected vets who can play. These are vets brought in to help a young team, and according to sources, were brought in with the promise of a team aiming to be playoff competitive.

But that promise was made to them by Scott Perry, who since left Sacramento and now makes personnel decisions for the New York Knicks. So the direction of the franchise has shifted since Perry left. An organization that brought in veterans aiming to win now is aiming to lose.

Not surprisingly, Hill isn’t happy, according to multiple sources And the other veterans can’t be too happy, either. So the Kings have a mess on their hands. I’ve always liked Hill’s game, but when he signed in Sacramento, I questioned the prudence of the Kings bringing him on board when they just drafted De’Aaron Fox, the quicksilver point guard from Kentucky.

Hill’s still good enough to be a starter in the NBA, and a three-year $57 million contract stands as a major commitment. That commitment had a chance to stunt Fox’s growth when he needs all of the point guard minutes he can handle.

Other teams have handled similar situations differently. When the Dallas Mavericks drafted Dennis Smith Jr., they gave him the ball and put him in the starting lineup. Philadelphia? The Sixers gave Simmons the ball and put him in the starting lineup. The Utah Jazz? When it was apparent Donovan Mitchell was their best offensive player, they put him in the starting lineup with little hesitation.

The Kings play Fox a lot of minutes. But he plays a lot of minutes off the ball when he should be running the show. Every night is an illustration of a team fighting itself in philosophy. Should Hill get more touches? Or should Buddy Hield? Should Randolph be on the floor during crucial fourth quarter minutes? Or should Skal Labissiere?

The Kings used to be fun. Their games used to be a happening. Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakovic, Hedo Turkoglu. Those teams were ridiculously fun, and they had one of the best small market followings in the league.

Now, not shockingly, Sacramento’s one of the worst teams in the Western Conference, with a record of 8-17 entering Saturday. The Golden 1 Center is one of the most beautiful venues in the NBA, with no quality inside of it. Can it get better? It could. But the front office has to pick a direction and stick with it. It has to be patient and unyielding in its course.

So far, that hasn’t happened. And the result is a one of the worst teams and worst run franchises in the league.