The Sacramento Kings’ tumultuous offseason has continued in hilarious fashion throughout the month of July. Earlier today, Sportando reported that new general manager Vlade Divac halted all communication with head of analytics Dean Oliver.
High profile former ESPN analytics guru, Dean Oliver who was hand picked by owner Vivek Ranadive, as Director of Player Personnel, and Head of Analytics a season ago, and who has multiple years left on his contract with the Kings – was told by new Kings VP Vlade Divac not to attend NBA Summer League.
Oliver was in attendance anyway and was seen with King coaches. Oliver was not permitted to be there in his official capacity with the team.
While nothing the Kings does would surprise anyone at this point, it’s important to question the veracity of Sportando’s report. But just a few hours after it was published, news broke that confirmed the original supposition: Oliver had indeed been fired from the Kings, as first reported by Bill Hereneda.
Confirmed Dean Oliver & #Kings parting ways #NBA
— Bill Herenda (@billherenda) July 26, 2015
Dean Oliver’s separation from #Kings, is NOT a Sac indictment of analytics, franchise actively seeking a replacement sooner than later #NBA
— Bill Herenda (@billherenda) July 26, 2015
That last part, as echoed by Marc Stein of ESPN, may be little more than saving face. The Kings are stuck in a saga of turmoil and ridiculous drama, and Oliver’s firing is just the latest chapter. It’s fine if a general manager doesn’t believe in advanced analytics, which are not the end all/be all of evaluating a player. But to be so brazenly against it – which is really just overt ignorance towards additional information – is not a good look for the franchise. Players who transition to front-office roles can be skeptical of analytics and at times downright dismissive, and on the surface of the reports, Divac appears equally as atavistic in his thinking. This is surprising, seeing as how Sacramento’s coach, George Karl, uses analytics to aid his coaching strategy, and his boss, Vivek Ranadive, has probably used some form of analytics in his business dealings.
But this isn’t just about various modes of evaluating a basketball team. This is about stability, which the Kings have failed at achieving for more than a decade now. It was thought right after Ranadive bought the team from the loathed Maloof’s, that he would bring solidity to the franchise, but instead it’s largely be discord.
First was the firing of Michael Malone, then the messy hiring of George Karl, followed closely by the restructuring in the front office that saw Divac rise to power, then Karl’s feud with DeMarcus Cousins. Now, the Kings have done away with another high-ranking front office member, one whose dismissal was probably unnecessary. If Divac didn’t want to listen to Oliver — or anyone — about analytics, that’s his right. But to banish him from summer league and sever all communication with him seems excessive, and a rather juvenile prelude to a dismissal.
One is left to wonder where Ranadive is in all of this. Surely he must know that such a dysfunctional front office is no way for a franchise to operate.
The Kings are determined to build a contender, just like any other team in the NBA. Yet, while they have talented players — specifically, franchise cornerstone DeMarcus Cousins — they’re a long way off from competing in the deep Western Conference. Before any of that can happen, they have to find some harmony between the coaching staff, the players and the front office. At present, that’s as lofty a goal as making the playoffs in the West.
(Sportando and Bill Herenda)
