Coaching Change is Exactly What Doctor Ordered for Suddenly Surging Kings

Just a week ago, the Kings’ season was in the balance. The team was coming off a brutal late-minute loss to the Pistons, they were dropping close games, and many of their star players (notably De’Aaron Fox) were visibly upset at the way the season was trending.

Desperate to appease their point guard and looking to save what very well may have been a lost year, they decided to do something drastic: fire their coach. The Kings let Mike Brown go after in what became a quite controversial move around the league.

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Many fans, players, and other coaches criticized the firing, wondering if Sacramento had truly given up or lost their way. Those naysayers became even louder when the Kings appointed ex-guard Doug Christie to lead what had become a pretty disappointed locker room.

He was inexperienced on the sidelines, which showed when the Kings suffered a disappointing ten point loss to the Lakers that extended their losing streak to six games. However, it didn’t take long for things to change.

Once a stagnant team in the later parts of the game, the Kings grew stronger under Christie. They appear to gel better, run the floor more, and strive for extra hustle plays. Their bench and role players started to do better too. Now, things aren’t so bleak.

Turning Things Around

After that first loss to Los Angeles, which is always to be expected for a new coach coming into a brand new situation, the Kings have won four straight games. They have a new look, a new identity, and, most importantly, a new outlook on the season.

Sacramento is not a hopeless team going through the motions anymore. They are a well-run squad who have a new-found confidence. That ability to build off of past wins is something the team has lacked, and it’s paying off big dividends now.

“I would say it’s that more than anything, just going out there and playing freely with joy and for one another,” guard DeMar DeRozan said when talking about the coaching change. “Whenever you’re going through any type of ups and downs, when the downs come, everything just feels extremely bad…I think we just pulled together and pulled ourselves out of that more so than anything.”

While DeRozan insists the Kings winning ways have nothing to do with Brown’s firing, it’s hard to see it any other way. They are playing great, team-oriented basketball under Christie, which is leading to a brand new look. They also can finish games, which Brown was unable to do.

Four Strong Wins

Sacramento kicked off their new winning streak by beating a hamstrung Mavericks team and the 76ers without Joel Embiid. While those victories were needed, neither of them sparked a lot of confidence that things had truly turned around.

They then eked out a tough five point win against a strong Grizzlies squad before heading down to San Francisco to face the Warriors on Sunday night. While Golden State has their own issues, winning at Chase Center against Stephen Curry is no easy task.

That didn’t stop the new Kings. Even with De’Aaron Fox sitting out due to injury, the Christie-led team didn’t miss a beat. They hustled, passed, found ways to score, and ended up trouncing the Warriors 129-99.

The win was the Kings most convincing victory of the year, and it came on the road against a strong team. Sacramento didn’t even have their best player. If that doesn’t spark confidence that the purple and black have turned it around under their new coach, nothing will.

Positive Vibes Only

The Kings are rolling. A lot of that is due to the change in leadership, but a new coach isn’t the only reason for their rise. First-round pick Devin Carter is also back, and he’s been playing quite well in the two games since recovering from shoulder surgery.

He’s brought a lot of hustle to an already energy-filled team, and has worked well slotting into the lineup. He’s another new look, which is exactly what Sacramento seems to have needed over the past week.

“I think it’s contagious,” said Carter. “Once one person sees somebody else doing it, then the next person, the next person, and it just trickles down the line, so I think it’s just contagious. Obviously we want to keep on winning. Wins are contagious. Good vibes in the locker room, good vibes in practice, and just go from there.”

While there’s no telling just how far those vibes will carry the Kings, it’s clear something is working. Christie and his team have a long road ahead of them, but the talent’s always been there. Maybe a change on the sidelines is all they ever needed.