The Kings are one of the worst teams in the NBA's Western Conference, with a 19-37 record and no chance of making the playoffs again.
The blame can be spread far and wide, but who is most responsible for another train wreck of a season?
Geoff Petrie – It's hard to know if the basketball president should shoulder most of the blame for assembling this group of ill-fitting players, since the front office appears as rudderless as the team is on the court. Once considered one of the league's top execs, has Petrie lost his touch? Or has he become little more than a figurehead with an impressive title, stripped of his power – and the financial means – to improve the team?
Keith Smart – It's been a difficult season for Smart, one dominated by losing streaks, suspensions, misbehavior and injuries. But coaches must design a strategy for the team they are given, no matter how poorly the parts fit. Smart's use of players has been bafflingly inconsistent, with guys in and out of the rotation. And are some of the players simply tuning him out?
The players – The Kings don't have a go-to guy on offense, the defense has been awful much of the time, and no one has stepped up to be the leader. Sounds familiar, eh? But maybe they're losing so often because there aren't enough good NBA players on the roster.
The owners – It would be difficult to find pro sports owners as reviled as the Maloofs, especially after they announced the deal to sell the team. But can the failure on the court be blamed on two guys who clearly aren't NBA experts? Or have they tied Petrie's hands too tight with one of the league's lowest player payrolls, about half that of the Lakers?
What to watch
NBA, Kings at New Orleans, 3 p.m., CSNCA: The Hornets' Greivis Vasquez has become one of the league's top young point guards.
Weekend poll
Whom do you most blame for the Kings' lack of success this season?
• Basketball president Geoff Petrie
• Coach Keith Smart
• The players
• The owners
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