3 reasons why the Sacramento Kings aren’t a laughing stock anymore
By Luke Duffy
3 reasons why the Sacramento Kings aren’t a laughing stock anymore: 1. Hiring Mike Brown
This is up there with the most recent moves the organization has made, but convincing Mike Brown to leave the juggernaut that is the Golden State Warriors was no mean feat. Perhaps only having to move up the state to coach in Sacramento played a part, but this hiring feels significant.
It isn’t the first time the Kings have looked to the Warriors, though. They hired Luke Walton after he stepped in for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr when he had some back issues, and the team proceeded to go on a fabulous run. Even though Walton deserved some of the credit, you could probably have put your mother in charge of that group, and good things would have happened.
Walton sputtered out with the Kings pretty quickly, but Brown is different. His coaching pedigree includes the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice) and the Los Angeles Lakers. He was in charge of both of these teams at a time when LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were on the rosters and so he will be well used to oversized personalities.
Not that the Kings have any, and really, the likes of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis should be fully invested in what he has to say from the first minute. Brown will also be given the time to shape the roster to his liking, and while the need to get back to the playoffs has never been greater for the Kings (especially after the Sabonis trade), Brown has the experience to get them there.
He is not finished creating the roster in his image, and while it may take a couple of offseasons to do this, getting a known commodity as a head coach to oversee this period was an important get for the Kings. While plenty of other franchises have also improved this summer, the fact the Kings have had no glaring missteps speaks volumes about the direction they’re going.