This was a necessary move, the obvious move, the only move. Paul Westphal was doomed because his team was losing games in an alarming manner, and repeatedly and openly acknowledging their sins, of which there were many.

You know the drill. The ball movement was horrific. The body movement was nonexistent. The transition defense was embarrassing. And if anyone wants to dump Westphal's firing at the feet of 6-foot-11, 270-pound DeMarcus Cousins, well, have at it. He is the biggest and easiest target. His mother isn't the only one who wants to wipe the smirk off his face.

But you would be wrong.

The real issue here? The real coach-killer? A collective lack of effort.

The Kings' persistent and perplexing lack of energy was far more damaging to Westphal's job status than their immature center, their poor transition defense, their shooting woes and even their trademark death-by-dribbling offense that sucked the life out of the team (and the crowd) faster than a fatal dose of arsenic.

Whether Keith Smart was the wisest choice as Westphal's successor remains to be seen. He is young (47) and eager but, typical of most Kings coaches in the post-Rick Adelman era, he is relatively inexperienced. His NBA bonafides include only one season of head-coaching experience – a year with the injury-riddled Golden State Warriors club that overachieved last season en route to a 36-46 record.

But he also signed on without any guarantee that he will be around for Season II, so the selection is not altogether risky.

Inside the organization, the thought goes something like this: Rather than rushing out, grabbing the first high-profile available coach and tossing him into the midst of a bang-bang season, see if Smart can transform a moribund roster of highly compensated professionals into an entertaining and interesting bunch. You know? Make some progress? Turn them into something at least imitating a team?

Otherwise, according to sources, the offseason plan is to put the fullcourt press on a veteran coach from a group of available candidates that includes Jerry Sloan, Jeff Van Gundy and Larry Brown, among others.

"You're in a situation here where you can't take a philosophical vacation, because things are happening in real time," Petrie said before the Kings eked out a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. "We looked at where we were (2-5). It's about the … performance of the team as a whole, not any one particular player. But we do feel that this team – and I think most people would agree – is a more talented team than was here two years ago."

He's right. Most people would agree. But assembling better talent doesn't necessarily result in a better team. Most NBA people also would agree that adding John Salmons last summer to a starting lineup that already included the dribble-heavy and ball-dominant Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton was a combination that was unlikely to work, even in the short term.

The Kings' biggest issue concerns the situation that Westphal began spinning almost the day he took the job: trying to squeeze the uniquely talented Evans into the role of primary ballhandler and facilitator. Please, no more pretending. Please, listen to Evans. He is a pleaser by nature, but he has eyes for the basket, not for directing an offense.

And when players don't think they're going to get the ball, they stop running, they stop rebounding, they stop defending, they stop setting screens. They stop trying. Departed Kings Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes, Omri Casspi, Carl Landry and Samuel Dalembert all complained during the Westphal regime – publicly and privately – about a system that leaves one player with the ball and four other players standing. Statues move more than the Kings.

"Eventually they will have to get it, otherwise they are going to keep going in the same direction as when I was there," said former Kings guard Beno Udrih, now with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Cousins? He might not be the solution, but he's not the problem. He's not that big a problem. Westphal, who only a week ago was still praising the second-year center for his improved conditioning and more collegial attitude, suddenly, surprisingly, couldn't stand the kid. After the two engaged in some sort of discussion in the locker room Saturday – Westphal saying Cousins asked for a trade, Cousins denying it – the head coach acted as if his young star kicked a cat, slugged a dog, or was the only underachieving player contributing mightily to his tenuous job security.

"I'm going to be fair with everyone," Smart said he told the players before the game. "We're going to have definite policies and rules for everyone on the team. We're going to have guidelines. I just want you to play hard. In the NBA, if you play hard, that's half the battle."

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