By Jordan Long
The L.A. Lakers fired Head Coach Luke Walton after 3 disappointing seasons. The Lakers were an unimpressive 98-148 or a winning percentage of .398. He wasn’t unemployed long. The Sacramento Kings agreed for him to be their next Head Coach.
The Kings let go of Dave Joerger on April 11th, 2019. Joerger was with the Kings for 3 years. The Kings went 98-148 under him and didn’t finish higher than 3rd place in the Pacific Division. The Kings were never close to making a run at the postseason. The Kings felt he didn’t do enough to help this team on the court during games and that cost him his job.
According to NBCsports.com, Joerger’s agent Warren LeGarie said, “ Obviously, it’s a great disappointment. Dave thought, in light of the youth of the team and other challenges, he did a good job, certainly one that other people have recognized around the league. And, more importantly, exceeded expectations.”
The Kings seem to can coaches pretty quickly. They don’t allow them time to turn the team around. Once the team plays poorly for a season or two, the Kings decide it is time to find another one.
Walton becomes the 5th Head Coach for the Kings since 2015. He is hoping to turn this franchise around and make a run at the playoffs. He failed with the Lakers, but Walton has a second opportunity. He must make better in-game adjustments than he did with the Lakers. If Walton coaches the same way with the Kings, Walton won’t be employed long.
The Kings want to become a playoff team year in and year out. They haven’t played meaningful postseason games since 2006 which was the last time they made the playoffs. They were bounced in the 1st round by the San Antonio Spurs. They feel Walton is the right man for the job. They must give Walton more than a few years to help improve this team. If not, they might be looking for another coach in the next 2 or 3 years. e0a1b11ae100000
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