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The Sacramento Kings are growing impatient with George Karl.

The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and general manager Vlade Divac were extremely upset about the team’s blowout loss to the Brooklyn Nets Friday night. That level of displeasure is significant enough that Ranadive and Divac are now thinking about firing Karl.

Wojnarowski does say that one of his sources described the situation as “an overreaction to the loss,” but knowing the team’s history with Karl, it’s tough to count out the idea that his seat could in fact be hot. Woj adds that Karl has rapidly lost support with management and in the locker room.

Marc Stein of ESPN is reporting a similar tone when it comes to Karl, and offers up a possible interim coach.

USA Today added that the amount of money left on Karl’s contract could be holding the Kings back in making a coaching change.

Former Sacramento point guard Bobby Jackson had some strong words after the Kings’ loss to the Nets on CSN, calling for Karl’s job live on the air.

This is hardly the first time we have heard rumblings from the Kings regarding George Karl. The veteran coach has not gotten along well with star center DeMarcus Cousins, to the point that his future as the Kings’ coach was questioned in the offseason. Cousins had some things to say about the team’s situation after the game.

“I’m not going to keep blaming these guys in the locker room,” Cousins told reporters in Brooklyn, via ESPN. “Energy and effort is a huge part of the game, but I’m not going to keep blaming it on that. We’ve got a bigger issue, and we need to figure it out as a team.”

The Kings started off this season slowly, but it looked as though they might have fixed their problems, largely thanks to a monster January by Cousins. Sacramento had won five straight games, a season high, and faced a seemingly manageable schedule in an upcoming block of contests. Cousins scored 56 points in a Jan. 25 game at home against the Charlotte Hornets. Yet, that game — which turned into a double-overtime loss — became the very moment when the season headed south. After losing six of their last seven games, with many of those coming in games they easily could have won, the Kings are lost. Karl is back in the spotlight, and appears to be coaching on a day-to-day basis.

Karl is 32-48 in the 80 games he has coached with the Kings, and from the sound of it, he could have very few left, depending on how the team responds in the days ahead.

About Harry Lyles Jr.

Harry Lyles Jr. is an Atlanta-based writer, and a Georgia State University graduate.

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