Sacramento Kings: Questions For Luke Walton & De’Aaron Fox

The Sacramento Kings have started the season 0-5, and there are plenty of questions surrounding the team.

It is safe to say that all of the preseason expectations for the Sacramento Kings are out the window: fighting for a playoff spot, De’Aaron Fox taking the next step, and even Vlade Divac’s super team but young remarks…gone. Multiple contract controversies and sexual assault allegations against the newly hired Luke Walton have caused the team’s hopes and expectations to come crashing down.

Ex-head coach Dave Joerger, who the Kings fired in the offseason, gave fans headaches at times but was most responsible for Sacramento making a 12-win improvement over the season before. The rotations were shaky and the half-court offense was prone to stalling, but Joerger made it work. Once a top-five team in points per game, the Kings now rank dead last due to opposing teams finding ways to limit Sacramento in transition and force turnovers.

There are plenty of questions that need to be answered, but here are two of the biggest:

Are we sure Luke Walton is the right coach for a potential playoff push? And, can De’Aaron Fox be the best player on an elite Sacramento Kings team?

The Luke Walton question is difficult. We’re five games into a season that lasts until April, but the lack of off-ball movement in the early going is concerning. Buddy Hield isn’t running around the court, looking for a sliver of room to take a shot as he did a season ago. He is instead spotting up on the wing until he gets the ball or the possession is over.

The offense looks lost. The lack of play-calling makes it difficult for everyone to get into a rhythm, which causes the Kings to play iso-ball far too often. It is certainly not a good thing when a team as talented as the Kings is being led by Richaun Holmes and Nemanja Bjelica.

Generating offense in a half-court set isn’t the only concern; player rotations are just as jarring. Trevor Ariza should never be the first man off the bench, but he has been in nearly every game this season. This could be due to the early struggles of the player who should be the sixth man, Bogdan Bogdanovic.

If this rut continues, it may be time to look at Walton’s future in Sacramento.

Can a team make the playoffs with De’Aaron Fox as its best player? The skill and talent level is there as the third-year point guard has no yet reached his ceiling. But is the alpha dog mentality there yet? It was widely reported that Fox skipped out on his mandatory media availability after the loss to the Hornets, which is something that raised questions about his leadership. He defended himself on Twitter by calling out a blogger/columnist who criticized the move. Time will tell if Fox has what it takes.

For now, the Sacramento Kings are still in the league’s basement without Marvin Bagley for a few weeks, and a lottery appearance is becoming more likely after every game. The Kings play against the Utah Jazz on Friday and then travel to New York to take on the Knicks on Sunday afternoon.