A Royal Pain
Fansided

Maybe The Sacramento Kings Should Have Kept Dave Joerger?

By John Kelly

SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 2: Head coach Dave Joerger of the Sacramento Kings talks to Buddy Hield #24 during the game against the Houston Rockets on April 2, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 2: Head coach Dave Joerger of the Sacramento Kings talks to Buddy Hield #24 during the game against the Houston Rockets on April 2, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The first couple of games of the season for the Sacramento Kings have raised some red flags. Does Luke Walton deserve most of the blame?

The opening night did not go as planned for the Sacramento Kings. The first two quarters were respectable, but with that said, the Kings were also fortunately as their execution was lacking.

The purple and white went into the locker room with a five-point lead. Unfortanelty, the lead did not last that long. The Kings forgot to show up for the last two quarters as their defense and ball control became completely inept.

New coach Luke Walton and Vlade Divac raised the expectations of success this season. They had a competitive roster in place and the opener was supposed to be an easy win for them. Showing off a squad that protected the rim, rebounded well, and remain to play fast was what many wanted to see. They got almost the complete opposite.

Fast forward two days later and the same problems existed for Sacramento. They were more competitive against the Portland Trail Blazers but still left the game with a loss.

Was The Loss Due To Coaching

With plenty of blame to go around, Walton will have to take most of the responsibility. Sacramento has not been prepared to play. Did they show up thinking that since they have been on the rise it would remain the same?

The truth is that the Phoenix Suns and Blazers outplayed the Kings on both ends of the court. And it was not even close. The word coming out from the team’s practice facility was that the Kings had a lot of upside as a group. The reality is Walton has a lot of work ahead of him.

Dave Joerger Is A Proven Coach

With the Kings now 0-2 for the year, does that mean Vlade Divac made a mistake in firing Dave Joerger? I am on the record saying Joerger deserved the right to coach the Kings for another season. Stability with having the same coaching staff and system was beneficial for the Kings. And players knew what their roles were on the team.

Did Joerger have his flaws? Yes, of course, he did. Rotations were questionable, communication upstair was not the best, and the team’s defense was incompetent. For the most part, the same complaints Joerger received during his tenure are now with Walton.

One can argue that Joerger was not the answer long term, but he definitely deserved to coach another year. The popular belief is the Kings would have made the playoffs this year if he did.

Final Thoughts

It is too early to panic a couple of games into the season.  At the same time, however, the Kings have played like they were unprepared for the season. Walton has a short resume as a coach but is surrounded by a great staff of experienced assistants.

This needs to be a wakeup call for everyone, from head coach to the last guy on the bench.  Work hard and be ready to play.  Sacramento will have great wins and hard losses over the season. How they bounce back will tell us about the coaching staff and the players on this team. Let us hope these two past games are an anomaly, not a pattern.

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