With the news confirming that George Karl is the next head coach of the Sacramento Kings, as reported by ESPN's Marc Stein, he certainly will be on the sidelines Feb. 20, the Kings' first game after the All-Star break.
The question now shifts from whether the Kings will hire Karl to how successful he will be coaching a team led by All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. To get a better idea of how Karl might fare, let's use the numbers to test the veracity of four common myths about Karl's coaching.
Myth 1: Karl's offense depends heavily on transition
Pace of play is perhaps the biggest concern about Karl's fit in Sacramento. The Kings were successful in the first month and a half of the season under Mike Malone playing at about an average pace (they ranked 17th in the NBA in possessions per 48 minutes, per NBA.com). When the Sacramento front office made the coaching change, part of the explanation was a desire to play a faster style. The Kings have done that under Tyrone Corbin, ranking fifth in pace during the past two months, and have seen their defense slip from 18th on a per-possession basis to 28th.