Luke Walton Keeps His Job After Another Mediocre Year

By Jordan Long

The Sacramento Kings ended the year at 31-41, missing the playoffs for the 15th year in a row.  The Kings haven’t earned a playoff spot since the 2006 season.  Even though it was a rough year, Sacramento is going to keep Head Coach Luke Walton, but they shouldn’t.

                The Kings hired Walton on April 15th, 2019.  He was just fired by the Lakers following 3 years in L.A.  With the Lakers, his record was a disappointing 98-148, a winning percentage of .398.  The Kings General Manager at the time, Vlade Divac, knew Walton well.  They were teammates during the 2005 season which was Divac’s last year as  a player in the NBA.  Divac hoped Walton was going to turn the team around and maybe earn a playoff spot. At worst the Kings could be close to a .500 team by his second year.   Walton agreed to a 4-year contract.

                The Kings haven’t played well under Walton.  Last year they finished 31-41 in the shortened COVID-19 season.  This year they ended the same way, 31-41.  Rumors were flying that Walton may not be back for the 2021-2022 season because of the way Walton coached them.  The Kings could score, averaging 113.7 points per game ranking 11th in the NBA.  Their defense let them down.  It seemed anytime Walton called timeouts or to talk strategy, the players didn’t buy into what he was saying.  They gave up 119 points per game, 29th most in the NBA.

                Walton hasn’t done enough to keep his job.  The Kings are 62-82 under him, a winning percentage of .431 showing what kind of coach he is in this league. 

                The Kings keeping Walton is a surprise move.  They have a new general manager in Monte McNair who just finished his first season on the job.  Most franchises hiring a new general manager will usually want to hire a new Head Coach, especially after a failed season.  McNair must have felt Walton did enough to keep his job. Walton has two years left on his contract.

                The Kings will enter the 2021 season hoping to end the 16 year playoff drought.  Walton has pressure to earn victories early.  If they start to slip, Walton could be gone.  The Kings would then start a coaching search after 2022.  

McNair must address the defense during the offseason and sign free agents.  They must get better on that side of the court.  This team has shown they can score but can’t stop teams on the defensive end.  If they don’t improve, it will be another disappointing year in 2022 and the Kings will be looking for a new Head Coach.