If you can say one thing about Sacramento Kings' head coach Doug Christie, the man is determined. No matter how much a plan doesn't work, he sticks with it. That includes continuing to play veterans over rookies and young stars, even when that strategy isn't winning them games.
To be fair, it's hard to blame this entirely on Christie. He wasn't the one who decided to sign guys like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Russell Westbrook. Doug didn't build one of the oldest rosters in the league. In fact, Vivek Ranadive is likely more to blame for that than anyone else.
Keeping all of that in mind, Christie is still the one making the choice to start these players and have them play big minutes. It's been happening all season, and it simply isn't working. But it's important to remember that it's not the fault of the players, either. They're just playing their games.
Don't blame the Kings' veterans
First and foremost, you have to separate Westbrook from the rest of the older guys on the Kings. He's the best point guard they have, and is making history on the court in basically every game. Russell is a major reason Sacramento is doing as well as it is, which is kind of crazy.
Also, DeRozan and LaVine have been playing well on offense. DeMar is good for 18.3 points per game this season while Zach is averaging 20.2. At the same time, that's most of what they bring to the table. They simply aren't huge play makers and they're not known for their defense.
Both guys are in the back halves of their careers, though LaVine has a few more years left than DeRozan. Neither of them is changing much at this stage. As such, it's confusing that Christie puts them on the court with the apparent expectations of making plays and providing elite defense.
Blame the inflexibility of the Kings' head coach
Sacramento is at the beginning of a rebuild with a focus on youth and defense that neither DeRozan nor LaVine fit into. Everyone involved is aware of that reality. Yet, Christie keeps playing them for big minutes with the expectations of something different happening. It won't.
If you look at the stats, it's incredibly obvious how hard Christie is leaning on all of the NBA veterans on the roster. It's also evident how hard it is for rookies and young players to get time, particularly anyone drafted before Christie was named head coach. It's a rather short-sighted move on his part.
Given the number of injuries the Kings' are dealing with, Christie is running out of options on the court. he basically has to play who he's got, veterans or otherwise. Still, at some point he's going to have to ask himself where the problem really lies. Is it his roster or his inflexibility?