As it stands, things do not look promising for the Sacramento Kings this season. They are currently 14-19, which only puts them at 12th in the loaded Western Conference, and they aren't even a week removed from firing their head coach.
On the surface, it seems like all hope is lost and the the Kings should just chalk the 2024-25 campaign up as a massive failure. But as the the old West Wing adage goes, "Act as if ye have faith and faith shall be given to you," and based on this recent quote, Kevin Huerter (aka the Red Mamba) still has some faith.
Kevin Huerter explains how teams can get better after a midseason coach firing
After the Kings 110-100 win over the (depleted) Dallas Mavericks – the team's first win in seven tries – Huerter spoke to the media about how the team can still turn their season around after losing their head coach in the middle of the season.
Kevin Huerter was on a 2020-21 Hawks team that reached the ECF after naming Nate McMillan interim HC mid-season.
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) December 31, 2024
He talked about what worked after the change that year.
"Sometimes just a change of energy is all you need. It's not like the rest of that season in Atlanta we… pic.twitter.com/qRRMvxPX4L
"Sometimes just a change of energy is all you need. It's not like the rest of that season in Atlanta we changed everything we were doing X’s and O’s," Huerter explained during postgame availability. "There was just an energy shift and we'll see if a similar thing can happen here."
For those who aren't familiar with that situation, what Huerter is talking about was his time with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2020-21 season. Their original head coach, Lloyd Pierce, was fired after a 14-20 start (Brown went 13-18 before getting the boot), and the team did a complete 360 after Nate McMillan stepped in to replace him – going 27-11 and making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals (beating the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers in the process). Who knows, maybe the Kings are destined for the same run of good fortune.
It would certainly help if Huerter – one of the key players from the Kings' 2022-23 run – could rekindle his old groove. This season has been a struggle bus for him, as he's only averaging 9.4 PPG on 30.9% 3-point shooting (on 5.6 3-point attempts).
If Huerter could get back on track from downtown, it would give a major boost to the Kings' offense – one of that is only in 24th in team 3-point percentage. Plus, that would mean the Kings could play him more (he's only playing 25.1 minutes per game), which would help address some of the team's size issues (since Huerter is 6'7).
Regardless, if there is one player who could help guide the Kings on their quest to save their season, it would be a key member of the 2020-21 Hawks.