I don’t like this. It’s not because of any profound basketball insight that I have, but rather that I’m frightened by the unknown. What’s next for the team now that the winningest coach in Sacramento-era franchise history is, uh, history? Will the new coaching staff be able to manage the various difficult personalities? Will the players gel and be able to work together within a new system? Who is staying with the team and who else will be leaving soon?

Rick Adelman brought success to Sacramento, the only success we’ve ever known. That, combined with the acquisition of Ron Artest and the emergence of Bonzi Wells had me excited for the prospects of the coming season. Now we’re left with a bunch of unknowns, and I think the scariest thing of all is the prospect of the Kings reverting back to the pre-Adelman, pre-Webber days of suck.

Any sense of stability is now gone. It’s almost like the feeling of last year when the Kings were eliminated by the Sonics. Now what? Are they going to be awful? Are they going to be good? Are we doomed to mediocrity?

This, unlike the Peja-Artest trade, is one instance where trying something different does not sit well with me.