The Sacramento Kings stunned the basketball world just weeks after the start of the new NBA season by announcing the dismissal of head coach Luke Walton on Sunday. In light of Walton's firing, associate head coach Alvin Gentry has been promoted by the Kings to interim head coach.
Walton sacked after awful start to 2021-22 season
Walton's sacking brought to an end his disappointing two-plus season reign as head coach of the Kings. Sacramento managed to post just a 68-93 record during Walton's time with the franchise. Many expected Walton to be fired this past offseason after another disappointing campaign by the Kings during the 2020-21 campaign.
The Kings' top brass gave Walton a reprieve, but their losing woes just continued in the 2021-22 season. They have lost seven of their last eight games, including their last three outings, to drop to 6-11 in the season. What made the losing skid such a bitter pill to swallow for the Kings management is that some of those defeats came at the hands of struggling teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the San Antonio Spurs.
Sacramento's defense floundered under Walton's watch, with the Kings ranked dead last in defensive efficiency last season. This season, they continue to be one of the league's worst defensive teams, with Sacramento ranked 26th in that department this campaign. The Kings are also ranked 26th in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage.
Opponents have wreaked havoc inside the shaded area against the Kings, with Sacramento the second-worst team in the NBA in paint points per game allowed. The Kings are also last in the league in terms of second-chance points per game allowed.
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Gentry tasked to lead Kings to first playoff berth since 2006
The Kings hope Gentry can solve the team's defensive ineptitude and lead them back into the playoff picture. They are currently in 12th place in the Western Conference standings with an abysmal 6-11 record. This will be Gentry's sixth head coaching stint in the NBA. The veteran bench tactician previously held that gig with the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, and Phoenix Suns.
Gentry, who was already under contract for the 2022-23 season as Kings assistant coach, will be getting a pay raise because of his promotion. The Kings are planning to set benchmarks of success for Gentry for the rest of the campaign to help them evaluate his performance and determine whether he is fit to keep the job on a long-term basis.
One thing that will help Gentry keep the Kings' head coaching job is to lead Sacramento back in the NBA playoffs. The Kings own the longest postseason drought in the league, with their last playoff appearance happening back in 2006. They have had 10 head coaches since Rick Adelman led the Kings to that postseason stint.
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