The Sacramento Kings made a big change over the weekend, firing head coach Luke Walton. It was a move many expected to come eventually, as they have struggled recently. The team was 6-11 when they decided to change coaches, but the issues of this team run a lot deeper than that. Could changes occur at the NBA trade deadline?
It is going to take a lot more than a new head coach to fix the issues that run deep within the organization. In the first game without Walton on the sidelines on Monday, it was more of the same for the Kings.
Sacramento was facing off with a very shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team on Monday night. They were down four starters, as Tyrese Maxey is the only projected starter that was in the lineup; Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, and Danny Green were all sidelined.
The Kings had a lead in the fourth quarter but crumbled. They scored only 12 points in the final frame and ended up losing the game 102-94. It was their eighth loss in nine games, as they are falling further and further out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.
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Veteran Tristan Thompson, who knows what it takes to win as he has been a part of championship teams in the past, has been critical of the team’s performance recently. Following the game against the 76ers, he provided more pointed comments.
Thompson called out the team for their soft play and poor execution on both ends of the court down the stretch against Philadelphia.
The Kings need more people like Thompson in their locker room to light a fire under people. If they cannot motivate themselves to stop having embarrassing performances, they are in the wrong profession, as he said.
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If they are unable to do that, the Kings should make some changes. This is a mismatched roster that needs some changes. Finding success in Sacramento is going to take more than just firing Walton.
