Recently, Doug Christie was accused by many pundits online of making a questionable call in a blatant attempt to tank a game. The NBA investigated and essentially proved what Sacramento Kings fans already know, that Christie is just bad at his job. Again, he's not the right fit for the rebuild.
On April 7, the Kings faced off against the Golden State Warriors on the road. It's always an interesting matchup as the two teams are rivals in the same region. That's more about them being so close together in California, and not a statement on the success of their respective franchises.
Despite holding a one-point lead with three minutes left, Christie ordered Doug McDermott to foul Seth Curry. Christie did this to use a timeout before it expired. But the Kings were in the penalty, so Curry got two free throws. This was the moment that gave the Warriors the momentum to win.
Christie's call was so ridiculous that an almost endless parade of pundits from across the league accused him of the most blatant act of tanking ever seen. After a brief investigation by the NBA, it was determined that the Kings weren't tanking. The head coach just made an incredibly bad call.
The Kings will never progress with Christie as head coach
To be completely frank, anyone who thought the Kings were tanking has overestimated and underestimated Christie at the same time. These people are severely overestimating him if they think he could plan that kind of tanking move while really underestimating how bad he is at his job.
It's been evident since day one that he is in over his head and is arguably the worst coach in the league. He would outright own that title, but Doc Rivers is still coaching, and that guy is a pox on whatever team he's with. Just ask the Magic, Clippers, Sixers, and Bucks.
Christie's inexperience, lack of instincts, and bad decision-making are going to be a huge problem for the Kings. Even if Scott Perry manages to cobble together a legit contender, Christie is unlikely to be the coach to do anything positive with that group. He's not leading this team to anything.
It seems like the Kings are going to give him at least another season. Considering how many injuries the team has dealt with this season, many in the front office feel like they haven't seen what Christie is capable of. Unfortunately, they have, and this latest incident confirms that fact.