A Royal Pain
Fansided

Luke Walton Removed From Duty Following Kings’ Slow Start

By Zach Ciavolella

Nov 20, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton sits on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton sits on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sacramento Kings are off to yet another slow start to the season. With a 6-11 record and some notable losses against teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, the Kings are far from where they expected to be at the start of the year.

Earlier this season, Kings’ general manager Monte McNair spoke to The Athletic and informed them of the team’s plans for the season. McNair was quoted saying: “We want to get this organization back to the playoffs.” McNair referred to that as the team’s “singular focus” yet, that clearly hasn’t worked out to this point.

There are many reasons as to why the Kings have struggled. From the team’s inconsistent play to the poor roster construction thanks to the front office to, of course, the horrendous coaching of Luke Walton. Well, thankfully, one of those is no longer an issue:

It was long overdue, but Luke Walton has finally been removed from duty following the Sacramento Kings’ slow start to the season.

Many had rightly claimed that Walton had long since worn out his welcome and that, at the very least, he should have been dismissed at the end of last season when the Kings failed to even sniff the play-in game. It was nearly inexplicable that Walton was retained, but after this torrid start to the year, Monte McNair must have finally realized that something must change.

Walton’s firing isn’t a cure-all, but it is a step in the right direction. The Kings’ organization must decide a direction. Will they embrace the tank and sell off their veterans? Or will they look to aim to build around the pieces they do have in hopes of making a much-needed playoff push?

Most likely the latter judging off of Walton’s replacement, but if this team continues to struggle, either option will likely remain on the table. Of those two, there is not a right or wrong idea as long as they fully commit to whichever direction they choose. For now, Assistant Coach Alvin Gentry will take over as the team’s Head Coach after agreeing to a deal through the 2022-2023 NBA season.

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