On Thursday, the Sacramento Kings surprisingly relieved Head Coach Dave Joerger of his coaching duties. Was this the right move after a 39-win season?
After their best season in 13 years, Sacramento Kings General Manager — fresh off a four-year contract extension — fired Head Coach Dave Joerger on Thursday, sending shock waves throughout the NBA.
Was moving on from Dave Joerger, their longest-tenured coach since Rick Adelman, the right decision for the Sacramento Kings? On the surface: absolutely not. But when you consider everything GM Vlade Divac said during his press conference, as well as what’s being reported by local media — maybe it was the right move.
Joerger led the Kings to a season where they finished 13.5 wins above what was expected by bettors in Las Vegas, was a huge factor in the development of the Kings young stars and seemingly had the support of his players, so what’s changed?
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Back in February, De’Aaron Fox spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Sharp about Joerger, saying:
"”He’s been great for us,” Fox said during the All-Star Break. “He’s one of the reasons we’re in the position we’re in right now.”"
But, The Athletic’s Jason Jones reported Thursday that Joerger’s relationships with players is something that had started deteriorating as of late, and that’s in addition to the front office drama between him and Brandon Williams that threatened to derail a promising season — something Divac pointed to as a reason for letting Joerger and Williams go.
In an explosive article detailing a myriad of communication issues between Joerger, players and team officials, Jones said Dave Joerger’s over-reliance on veteran Iman Shumpert was a reason Shumpert was dealt away. Jones also highlighted Joerger’s apparent disconnect with Sacramento’s Marvin Bagley III.
"“Joerger never seemed to connect with prized rookie Marvin Bagley III, leaving the second overall pick to wonder privately if Joerger even liked him.” said Jones."
Jones also noted that Harry Giles and Buddy Hield also had private concerns about Dave Joerger remaining the head coach, and several front office executives didn’t like how Joerger handled the roster and rotations as the Sacramento Kings fumbled a prime opportunity to make the playoffs after the All-Star Break.
With all of that, the picture depicting Joerger’s dismissal becomes clearer. It’s still hard to justify his firing without a solid replacement lined up — especially with so few potential “upgrades” available — but it is at least a solid rationale for firing one of the Kings’ most successful coaches.
As a result, it’s hard to tell if firing Joerger was the right move…yet. If the Sacramento Kings can land somebody like Monty Williams or Ettore Messina, then this might have been a prudent decision. If the team moves to hire somebody like Luke Walton, however, then things get a bit muddier.
Still, Sacramento Kings media have reported Divac’s meetings with players played a big role in his decision to fire Joerger, and Divac has earned at least a bit of trust after a good season. If Divac felt the relationship between Joerger and his players was untenable or irreparably damaged, then moving on from Joerger was a smart move — regardless of who they hire to replace him.
Will it work out like the Golden State Warriors’ dismissal of Mark Jackson before they began their dynastic run? Or will it be Michael Malone part two? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: this is Vlade’s show now — for better or for worse.