Ailene Voisin: Kings are in regroup mode off court, too

Shouting matches. Staff changes. Strategy sessions. Uplifting moments. Bruising defeats. Personality clashes. Moral-boosting pep talks. A conflict between outdated concepts and a contemporary approach.

And you thought the Kings' locker room was turbulent? As the 2007-08 season is placed in mothballs, it remains unclear who worked up a bigger sweat: the players who attempted to avoid the team's second consecutive lottery appearance, or the organization's lower-profile players who hustled – functioning under increasing duress – to sell season tickets?

No, the drama this season wasn't restricted to Reggie Theus and his crew. Within the board rooms and business offices at Arco Arena, there were arguments, bruised feelings, tactics changed at a moment's notice. Eventually there was a mini-coup of sorts – the Maloofs intervening with a hands-on approach and outreach program that introduced fan forums, open practices and a record number of player appearances, along with the upcoming contest to select a fan representative for the May 20 lottery in Secaucus, N.J.

Bottom lines must be truly inspiring. The attitudinal shift began when the Kings failed to sell out the home opener – breaking a league-best sellout streak of 354 games – despite hosting Kevin Durant in his NBA debut.

"That was like a cold slap in the face," Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said Saturday. "It hurts. The life of our business is our ticket sales because we're the second-smallest NBA market in terms of corporate base. We survive and flourish because of ticket sales. So to start slow and finish 27th (of 30 teams) in attendance? We're not used to that. It's going to end up being good for us, though, because we got rejuvenated, came up with different ways of connecting with our fans and our community, and we're not stopping now. We have a lot of work to do."

What took so long? Where was this chippiness a year ago? Two years ago? This is like starting a rebuilding project without having your bricks in order. While the Kings were fat and happy and elitist – winning so many games there were no extra tickets to sell – they failed to appreciate the cycle of NBA life, specifically, the inevitability of future lottery appearances and the often-accompanying slumping ticket sales.

True, no one anticipated the lousy economy and housing market slide. But a business department presided over by an experienced John Thomas was inexplicably (and inexcusably) slow at the recovery switch. Thomas clung to the belief that the games sell themselves. Well, they do when you win, and they don't when you lose.

When a team is in transition and ticket sales are slumping, why would a franchise not promote Durant's first game? The annual visit by LeBron James? The return of Yao Ming? Think NBA Commissioner David Stern was happy about that? Yet if what we're hearing persists, those days appear to be over, the lessons apparently learned, and the Maloofs determined to better utilize their unique combination of business/sales/people skills.

The significant organizational changes within the past few months alone include the following: (a) a sales staff nearly doubled to 61; (b) multiple season-ticket packages made available, with two 22-game and four 11-game plans offered; (c) the team Web site featuring a mechanism that pairs potential buyers – a belated recognition of the inordinate percentage of regional fans who purchase tickets in groups, then divide them accordingly; (d) regularly scheduled fan lunches and dinners with season-ticket holders, largely to elicit their comments and/or complaints.

Additionally, the players and coaches have been asked to extend themselves to the community, and according to the Kings' numbers, have responded with a record 244 appearances – well beyond the total required in the collective bargaining agreement.

Spencer Hawes, Francisco García, Kevin Martin and Brad Miller have been particularly agreeable, as have Theus and Geoff Petrie.

"We have to start winning again," said Maloof. "I know that. But there's a sense of hope around here again. The thing I'm most pleased with is the way we're starting to connect with the city again. Meeting with season-ticket holders. The way the players have jumped in and helped. They get it, especially that Spencer.

"We're going to go to every single new business in town and ask them to be a customer, not wait for them to come to us. We're going to meet with fans. We want more open practices. We want a fan (celebration) in downtown or Old Sac, to be out in the streets.

"This is going to be a grassroots movement, because really, what do people want? They want to be part of something. Like the fan who wins our contest and represents us at the lottery. The league has never done anything like this before. We have to be creative and … (laugh) we could use a little luck."

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• Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.