Rudy Gay: 'I think what happened this season has been a shock to everyone'

The Sacramento Kings' season started out as a pleasant surprise before unraveling in a hurry.

Sacramento used a top-10 offense combined with above-average defense to start the season 9-5, making noise as a potential fringe playoff team in the loaded Western Conference. But that hot start is a fading memory, as the Kings have gone 9-28 since, and are on their way to a ninth consecutive losing season. 

The Kings fell apart when a bout of viral meningitis cost DeMarcus Cousins, a first-time All-Star, 10 games beginning in late November. It also cost head coach Michael Malone his job. Sacramento hasn't recovered and Tyrone Corbin, Malone's replacement, is all but certain to be relieved of his head-coaching duties in favor of George Karl following the All-Star break. 

"To the naked eye, it's difficult. Yet, we still have to do our jobs. We're professional basketball players. Key word, 'professional,'" said Rudy Gay, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post. "So we have to come out and do everything we can to get wins every day. Obviously, hearing stuff like that, we have a young team, it can shake us a little bit."

This isn't the way the Kings thought their season was going after Cousins and a more efficient Gay led them to a respectable start. And regardless of whether Corbin is the right man for the job, his players, at least publicly, feel for him as he continues to coach amid swirling rumors of his impending departure. 

"You have to commend him," Gay said of Corbin. "I think what happened this season has been a shock to everyone. He has handled himself like a professional. Came in and did what he could. Obviously, it's hard not to hear about it. And to be around it. But he's been great about it. He's been very, very in tune with the game and tried to get these wins."