The Sacramento Kings are trying to change things. Bringing in George Karl last season, signing Rajon Rondo. Those are moves making it quite clear they don’t plan on having another weird season of trotting in the same spot.

The Kings have added Rondo, Marco Belinelli from the San Antonio Spurs and Caron Butler. Despite the notion that they’ve missed out on a lot of free agents, Vlade Divac has said the only player they tried to sign and missed out on was Wesley Matthews, who ended up signing with the Dallas Mavericks.

Putting the whole Cousins-Karl situation aside, there’s optimism in Sacramento. A team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006 probably will miss the postseason again this year, but maybe finally making progress, and not just making inexplicable moves that don’t take them anywhere.

Rajon Rondo is excited. About the team he’s on, and about the chance to prove that last season wasn’t the beginning of the end for him.

I’m excited that everybody’s doubting us. Sky’s the limit. I’ve been basically challenged my whole life. It is what it is. A lot of people didn’t expect me to come this far in the NBA. I have no doubts about what my talents can do. … Life is about handling adversity and I’ve dealt with a little bit of adversity this past season.

George Karl and DeMarcus Cousins, for now, are on the same team. The two even shook hands during one of the games in the Las Vegas Summer League. It might be tense between them, but it seems that the Kings are determined to make it work for both of them. Karl also isn’t afraid of the “Rondo” challenge. He’s been around guards with a dominant personality in the past.

Cuz and I have to work together to get back together and I think we will. All of our guys are hungry for winning. And Cuz is our best player, our most talented kid. And we need him to feel like there’s a commitment from both sides, from he to us and from us to he.

It’s going to be fun coaching him. I think he wants to lead our team but he also wants to be part of the decision-making. That can be somewhat combustible but it can also work on a high level because I think we’re all trying to make the team the best.