It still amazes me how many people aspire to be an NBA head coach.

Maybe Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski has it figured out. With 911 collegiate wins, Coach K could have any job in the league – all he has to do is make a call.

That phone however, will never leave the cradle. You will never hear the dial tone. The rings will never even have a chance.

Even from 2,769 miles away, it is clear, the NCAA Men’s all-time winningest coach prefers men he can mold than those who deposit millions into the bank. The egos are larger, the rosters are never truly yours and owners ultimately control what you can and can’t do. Why put yourself through that? For a fancier plane ride and nicer hotel stays?

Paul Westphal is the latest example of how a coach never really has any authority inside an NBA locker room. Typically it comes down to whether the best player or biggest ego on the team likes you. If so, more times than not, you will have success.

Tyreke Evans is not outspoken enough to command a team. Jimmer Fredette is too nice. And Chuck Hayes is not an All-Star. Thus leaving DeMarcus Cousins.

The second year big man from Kentucky had run-ins with coaches during his rookie year and according to the recently departed Westphal, “demanded to be traded” this season. That spurred the man who led the Suns to the 1993 Finals, to send employee no. 15 home for the New Orleans Hornets game on New Year’s Day.

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by James Ham and Jonathan Santiago

Play hard.

That’s all new Sacramento Kings head coach Keith Smart emphasized to his team following an abysmal 37-point first-half.

The Kings went on to score 66 total points after the intermission, overcoming a 21-point deficit to topple the Milwaukee Bucks 103-100 in the final game of their lone back-to-back-to-back set this season.

“I didn’t going in with a rah-rah speech,” Smart said postgame. “I just said play hard and things will start to happen.”

Photo: Jonathan Santiago

A tumultuous week for Paul Westphal has ended today in his dismissal as Sacramento Kings head coach.

Former King Beno Udrih was caught off guard by the news.

“I was surprised and I’m still surprised,” the now-Bucks guard said to reporters following the end of Milwaukee’s shoot-around at Power Balance Pavilion this afternoon. “Coach Paul Westphal is a great coach.  He was a great coach to me.  We had a great relationship.  I had basically my best year of my career playing under him, so I’m a little surprised of the news.”

In two seasons under Westphal, Udrih averaged career highs in points per game, field goal and three-point percentage.  Despite Udrih’s improved play, the Kings managed to win only 49 games with Westphal at the helm.

“We are in this business (and) you never know what’s going to happen,” the former Kings point guard continued.  “Unfortunately, I’m a little sad to see him go, but I think he’s going to just do fine.  He definitely is a quality coach.  He’s going to get some opportunity somewhere else, so I wish him all the best.”

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The Sacramento Kings’ struggles continued Wednesday night in Denver.  Twelve Nuggets players scored six or more points, as the Kings dropped their second game in a row on their lone back-to-back-to-back stint of the season

DeMarcus Cousins shook off a season-long slump by scoring 26 points on 9-for-12 shooting in just 24 minutes.

“I thought he was terrific,” Westphal said of the Kings big man in the postgame telecast.  ”He really played very well.  He showed why we are so high on him and it might have even showed why we are so hard on him sometimes.  We need him to be able to play like that and we’re rooting for him to do that.”

Marcus Thornton kicked in 23 points, but the Kings shot a mere 32.6 percent from the field and fell to 2-5 on the season.

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Tonight’s contest is the second game of the Sacramento Kings’ lone back-to-back-to-back set this season.  And they’ve got quite a task on their hands in the Mile High City, facing an uptempo Denver Nuggets team.

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Amidst the drama surrounding DeMarcus Cousins and Sacramento Kings head coach Paul Westphal, the assignments of rookie Tyler Honeycutt and Hassan Whiteside became footnotes in the news.  However, the demotions are part of a league-wide trend over the last week.

1. December 29th: The Milwaukee Bucks assign second-year guard Darrington Hobson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
2. January 1st: The Washington Wizards assign second-year big man Hamady NDiaye to the Iowa Energy.
3. January 2nd: The Houston Rockets assign rookie Marcus Morris to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
4. January 3rd: The Denver Nuggets assign rookies Julyan Stone and Jordan Hamilton to the Idaho Stampede.
5. January 4th: The San Antonio Spurs assign rookie Cory Joseph to the Austin Toros.
6. January 4th: The Portland Trailblazers assign second year players Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson to the Idaho Stampede.

Why?

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Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins will dress, but is not expected to start.

Tonight in Memphis, the Sacramento Kings try to get back to .500 against a talented, but beat-up Grizzlies team.  Mike Conley Jr. is probable after missing the last two games with a bum left ankle.  Veteran Zach Randolph likely won’t play because of  a bruised right knee while reserve forward Darrell Arthur is done for the year with a right achilles injury.

After missing Sunday’s game against the Hornets, DeMarcus Cousins is back for the Kings, but will not get the start.  The Kings second-year forward/center was sent home after a disputed trade request, but was allowed to travel with the team after meeting with Kings President Geoff Petrie.  J.J. Hickson will get his second consecutive start  in Cousins’ place.

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Before and after tonight’s 96-80 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, the Sacramento Kings faced a bevy of questions regarding the apparent trade demand by second-year big man DeMarcus Cousins.

“I don’t know what’s going on about that,” said Kings guard Tyreke Evans when asked if he believes the demand to be true. “I haven’t heard from him.  He might have told coach that, but hopefully you know he was just frustrated and mad at the time because we’d definitely like him on this team.”

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Head Coach Paul Westphal addressed media about DeMarcus Cousins’ trade demand before tonight’s Hornets/Kings game.  Below are a few points of interest pulled from the scrum with Westphal on the developing drama surrounding the Kings big man.

• Westphal says Cousins has demanded to be traded twice.  The most recent trade demand came last night.  However, the first request came Christmas Eve – on the final day of training camp.  At the end of practice, Westphal and Cousins spoke one-on-one and the Kings center appeared visibly frustrated during the conversation.  During media availability following practice, Cowbell Kingdom asked Westphal about the exchange, but he refused to comment.

• According to Sports Illustrated’s Sam Amick, Cousins’ agent John Greig denied the trade request.  Commenting on the denial, Westphal said: “Well, it’s interesting that he told me before he told his agent, but he told me twice. So it’s silly to have the agent deny it just because he didn’t get a call before DeMarcus talked to me that’s the easiest one of all to answer.”

• Westphal doesn’t know if Cousins will be on the upcoming road trip that includes stops in Memphis and Denver.  The trip is also the start of the Kings’ only back-to-back-to-back set of games this season.

• When asked if the Kings will explore trading Cousins, Westphal said: “You’ll have to ask Geoff (Petrie) about that.”