The Sacramento Kings have their eighth coach since 2011: Alvin Gentry.
Sources: Alvin Gentry will become the Kings’ interim coach. Gentry is already under contract through 2022-2023, gets a raise to take interim job and agreement on some benchmarks of success rest of this season with team to try and keep job longer.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2021
There are many reasons why they fired Luke Walton, who coached the Kings to a 68-93 (.422) record.
Walton, who coached the Los Angeles Lakers for three full seasons, has yet to officially coach a team to a .500 season in his career.
The younger Walton did have a 39-4 stretch while he was covering for Steve Kerr as the Golden State Warriors lead assistant during the 2015-16 season.
Interestingly, during the year before, Walton and Gentry shared the bench for the 2015 NBA champion Warriors.
Walton had one assistant coaching job in the NBA before he went right into a head coaching job.
Gentry had three before his first job as a head coach.
He has since bounced between assistant and head coaching jobs, with this being his sixth.
So, why may Gentry be the perfect fit with the Kings?
He Brings A Lot Of Coaching Experience
Here is Gentry’s career as an NBA head coach:
- 1994-95: Miami Heat
- 1997-00: Detroit Pistons
- 2000-03: Los Angeles Clippers
- 2008-13: Phoenix Suns
- 2015-20: New Orleans Pelicans
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Gentry is taking over a team midseason for a record fourth time.
When taking a look through Gentry’s career as a head coach, his stays have increased to longer tenures with the Suns and Pelicans.
Could his time in Sacramento be even longer than his time in New Orleans?
Now, that would be difficult.
The Kings are losers of their last four games, and two of those losses came by 19 and 18 points.
Sacramento has lost eight of the last nine games.
While it is expected for Gentry to coach the Kings next season, can he turn them into winners within the next few years?
The Kings are still searching for their first .500 season and playoff appearance since 2006.
Gentry’s History With Anthony Davis Will Help Him Here
NBA fans remember the Anthony Davis saga that annoyed Pelicans fans throughout the end of the 2018-19 season.
Gentry was the head coach for those Pelicans.
Davis’ request for a trade out of New Orleans ended with a trade to the Lakers in July 2019.
The Kings are having similar issues, but not to the same magnitude.
It began on Monday night in Sacramento, as Buddy Hield may have tried to ask Doc Rivers to bring him to Philadelphia.
Buddy Hield to Doc Rivers (probably):
"Please get me out of here, coach" pic.twitter.com/qPpTCJmLPY
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) November 23, 2021
Hield is just the latest “disgruntled” player on the Kings.
Earlier in the season, Marvin Bagley III — and his agent — were not happy when he was not going to be a part of the opening night rotation.
— excel sports (@excelsm) October 19, 2021
However, Bagley has begun to play.
He was a DNP in 12 of the first 13 games of the season.
Since then, he has played in four of the last five contests.
Maybe Gentry can bring Hield back around as well.
If he can hold onto Hield and his talent, that would be helpful for the Kings:
- When Hield scores 17 or more points: 5-4 record this season
- When Hield scores 16 or fewer points: 1-8
Maybe Gentry can turn this whole situation around and help this Kings team.
We will have to see if he can do it quickly.
NEXT: 3 Reasons Kings Were Right To Fire Luke Walton
Thank you for your article! As I observed Gentry during huddles-he seems to have immediately drawn respect from coaches and players. My observation from body language and facial expression from all involved.