Sacramento Kings: Solidifying At The Top

Since the departure of head coach Mike Malone in December, the Sleep Train has seemingly been stuck in the service station. Key operators have been coming aboard to help evaluate the necessary repairs, and yet another engineer is now in the fold.

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Recently, I examined the contributions that Kings assistant coach Vance Walberg brings to the future of the Sacramento Kings’ style of play. Since then, the Kings have added assistant head coach Chad Iske, who, like Walberg, served on the bench alongside George Karl during his time with the Denver Nuggets.

Though the big offseason moves have yet to really begin, things like the assembly of a coaching staff can tip observers and fans off as to what kind of future a team is in for, be it in the short- or long-term.

In this case, it would seem that Karl, who left Denver under duress amid tensions with ownership, is looking to graft the style of play that earned him the 2012-13 Coach of the Year award and nine straight Nuggets playoff appearances.

That style of play is not what some would deride as a run-and-gun mania, but something which Karl has been pursuing since his only NBA Finals appearance, with Seattle, in 1996: a balanced, beautiful, but certainly quick game. Those Sonics, who would ultimately fall to the ’96 Bulls (and who wouldn’t have?), were a top-10 team in both directions.

They ranked higher on offense than on defense that season, but Karl worked since his earliest days with the team to build a defense that would give them license to take chances and flow in his relatively unstructured system.

While Vance Walberg has given offensive credence to the Kings staff (and everyone else for whom he’s worked), Karl’s hiring of Chad Iske represents an attempt to make that elusive balance something of a reality in the upcoming season.

Like Walberg, Iske began his coaching career in the high school ranks, climbing his way from obscurity to become known as a reliable coaching prospect in big league circles.

His experience with the Nuggets spanned Karl’s entire tenure, and in fact predated it: Iske joined the organization as a scout during the 1999-2000 season, and continued to retain the responsibilities of opponent scouting and preparation during his time in the Mile High City and through his most recent gig, with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Iske’s roles with the Nuggets and the Sixers gave him an opportunity to take his analysis of an opponent’s minutiae and bolster his head coach’s ability to make pre- and in-game adjustments. His cut and dried role as the defensive balance for Walberg ought to encourage Kings fans who hope to see greater seriousness in terms of defensive play, and a more locked-down offense.

Karl’s comfort with both men ought to help him settle into the role, and give him a bit more leeway in doing what he sees fit to make the team a contender in the long-term.

Oct 16, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Chad Iske fills in as head coach during the second half of a game against the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center. The Celtics defeated the Sixers 111 to 91. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Importantly, Iske also brings a history of responsibility for player development. This was certainly an asset to the 76ers, who provided plenty of challenges in that particular department. Though the Kings have not been a model of stability in the past few years (heck, the last few months), the Philly experience should have girded Iske for the role he’ll take on in Sacramento.

He’ll have a greater wealth of talent with which to work than he did in the 76ers, and it is likely that he already has improvements in mind for a number of players whom he scouted in previous years. During their two matchups this season, the Sixers beat the Kings once (at home on March 13), and coming within a point of beating them in Sacramento on March 24.

He’s had a chance to explore the weaknesses of the 2014-2015 Kings roster, and his ability to leverage that knowledge shows a major off-season opportunity.

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Though one can expect to see a continued lull in terms of ground-shaking news from the Sacramento Kings, these more deep-water waves can have a serious effect on the shape of a team.

Any other changes beyond the February addition of Walberg and this week’s addition of Iske will need to be weighed carefully. As Karl’s consolidation moves continue, it will be interesting to see whether or not assistant coach Corliss Williamson, a Kings on-court veteran, will keep a spot on the sidelines.

Williamson has a strong relationship with DeMarcus Cousins, and could serve as a kind of continuity buffer for Karl and Company. If the Kings organization hopes to keep Cousins in the picture for the foreseeable future, such considerations would best be taken seriously.

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