DeMarcus Cousins posted a photo on Instagram today of him and five of his Sacramento Kings teammates at the gym, with the caption: “we hear ya…” The message was clear: we know what you’ve been saying about us, and we’re about to prove you all wrong.

This summer has been an outright PR disaster for the Sacramento Kings. Rumors of dissension among the players and management has plagued their entire offseason, notably between Cousins and coach George Karl. Because of this tainted image, free agents Mirza Teletovic and Andrea Bargnani straight up rejected the Sacramento’s offers, despite the Kings’ deal being more lucrative than their respective teams’ deals.

As a result of all this toxic press, the players have adapted an enraged, albeit empowered, persona embracing their outcast image.

Pictured is James Anderson, Seth Curry, Rudy Gay, Rajon Rondo and Willie Cauley-Stein. To an extent, everyone in the photo – including Boogie himself – are castaways. To continue building up this bad boy image, the Kings also signed notorious college headcase, Marshall Henderson. General Manager Vlade Divac is seemingly going all-in with this plan. His personnel’s mercurial personalities will either crash and burn or forge an unlikely bond strong enough to catapult the franchise back into the playoffs.

On the team you got the lesser of two Curry’s, Seth; the chucker, Rudy Gary; NBA-burnout, James Anderson; and the waste of infinite-talent, DeMarcus Cousins. And then there’s Rajon Rondo, the PG who should still be in his prime, but whose ego proved inescapable.

The situation may ultimately prove poisonous, but it could actually be the perfect place for Rajon Rondo. He always played with a giant chip on his shoulder, and here in Sacramento, he’ll play alongside 14 other players with an equal-sized chip on their shoulders.

Dallas may have been too structured and disciplined for the gritty Rondo. His demeanor has drawn the praise of Kevin Garnett (obviously) and Kobe Bryant. Both future Hall-of-Famers see Rondo as a dying breed: a fierce competitor who perceives his opponents his enemies. This is the same culture both Garnett and Bryant experienced when they entered the league; the same culture that molded them into the legends they are today.

In order for Rondo to succeed though, he’ll need to relegate himself into a role he hasn’t had since 2010: a complimentary player.

DeMarcus Cousins is the Kings’ unequivocal star: a player as talented as Anthony Davis but lacking serious emotional control. If Rondo can swallow his pride and put the ball in Cousins’ hands and allow him to do his post-ups every few possessions, Rondo and Cousins alike will excel, and as a result, so will the Kings.

It’s about time Rondo really embraced the veteran leader role as this team needs it more than ever. Last year we saw Cousins thrive under coach Mike Malone, who had somehow, commanded the respect of Cousins, and – at one point – restrained Malone from the refs and not the other way around.

If Cousins can manage to avoid ejections/suspensions and remain composed, this team could easily make the playoffs, even in the formidable West. Gay needs to continue his efficient play this season, which upon his arrival in Sactown, has been legitimately impressive. Rondo will need to play defense at the same level he did when he still received All-Defensive First Team nods.

This Frankenstein monster of a roster will either burn out or surprise everybody. Rajon Rondo could prove the catalyst for either outcome.