Kings trying to set up meeting with Luke Walton hours after Lakers part ways with coach
Well, that certainly didn’t take very long.
Mere hours after the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with head coach Luke Walton, the Sacramento Kings want to speak with Walton.
According to the Los Angeles Times’ Brad Turner, Kings general manager Vlade Divac contacted Walton about the job and is attempting to set up a meeting. Just yesterday, the Kings fired Dave Joerger after three years as head coach.
Joerger’s firing was a bit surprising considering the Kings finished ninth in the West after some projected them to have the worst record in the NBA. Their 39 wins were the most in franchise history since Rick Adelman's last season in 2006.
However, finishing nine games out of the playoffs would not be enough for Divac, especially since the team finished 9-16 after the All-Star break.
“After evaluating the season,” Divac said, “I determined that we need to move in a different direction in order to take us to the next level.”
Could Walton be the solution? He was the league’s hottest coaching candidate just three years ago after filling in for Steve Kerr, who was recovering from a back injury, as the Golden State Warriors’ interim head coach in 2015-16.
Walton guided the Warriors to a record 24-0 start, which earned him Western Conference Coach of the Month honors for October and November. Although he wasn't eligible for the Coach of the Year award, he did come away with the Lakers job, which is not a bad consolation prize.
Walton hasn’t lived up to the hype with a 98-148 (.398) record in three seasons, but it’s clearly too early to give up on the 39-year-old. The Kings have a talented young backcourt with De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic, and maybe Walton can unlock their potential just as he helped the early Warriors dynasty.
If not Walton, then who for the Kings?
If Walton does not continue his tour through the West’s Pacific Division, there are several other intriguing options for the Kings. Two candidates that have been frequently tossed out include former New Orleans Pelicans coach Monty Williams and San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina.
Williams is currently an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers after spending two years as the Oklahoma City Thunder's associate head coach. He had a 173-221 record in five years in New Orleans and led the team to 46 wins and the No. 7 seed in 2011.
Messina, meanwhile, has been on the Spurs' staff for six seasons following a lengthy stint coaching in the EuroLeague. He would be the next in a long line for Gregg Popovich protégés that include Mike Budenholzer, Brett Brown, James Borrego and Jim Boylen.
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