Kings' Cousins out Wednesday, Gay returns

Poor George Karl has hardly even gotten a chance to see what he has to work with in Sacramento. 

Kings point guard Darren Collison hasn't played a single game since Karl was hired due to an ongoing hip flexor injury, and small forward Rudy Gay has recently been shelved with a strained patellar tendon.

Now it's All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins's turn to hit the sidelines. Cousins has been ruled out for the Kings' game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night due to a right calf strain, though Gay was able to return from a three-game absence.

After a promising start to the season, the Kings have gone into the tank. They now sit at 22-44, have lost seven of their last eight games, and are 4-10 since Karl took over after the All-Star break.

With the team's ninth consecutive trip to the lottery sealed, there have been rumblings that Cousins, who's already played through a minor ankle sprain this month, has considered asking Karl for some nights off to rest down the stretch.