According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Alvin Gentry and the Sacramento Kings have an agreement in place that will make the former New Orleans Pelicans head coach the top assistant on Luke Walton’s coaching staff. Stein added that “Philadelphia sought Gentry for the same role on Doc Rivers’ staff but the Kings are poised to soon announce Gentry’s hiring after he worked with Walton in Golden State.”
Gentry’s decision to choose the Kings over the Philadelphia 76ers, along with fair questions about Walton’s long-term job security in Sacramento considering the man who hired him, Vlade Divac, is no longer with the organization, fueled speculation that Gentry was brought in to eventually replace Walton should the Kings make a coaching change anytime soon.
KHTK’s Carmichael Dave, through a Kings source, gave some additional details on the Gentry hire that might quell that speculation. For now.
(Continued)-
“They’re (Walton and Gentry) on the same contract (years wise). Alvin is here to help Luke in any way he can. There are no other motives. Luke’s success is Alvin’s success and vice versa.”
— Carmichael Dave (@CarmichaelDave) October 7, 2020
For the chemistry of the organizations sake, it is undoubtedly good news that Walton appears to be the driving force behind Gentry’s arrival. While it’s fine for the general manager to have some input here, a head coach is generally allowed to select the members of their coaching staff, and that’s all most people have been asking out of this franchise for the last several years: operate in a way that most successful NBA teams do.
The reason why Gentry was brought it appears uncharacteristically normal, and not some backwards coup attempt by the front office to undercut Walton before letting him go. That could be the end result, of course, but intent is important.
Believe it or not, it sounds like the Kings acted like an NBA organization here. They hired an exceptionally qualified assistant coach to Luke Walton’s staff, and even beat out the contending 76ers to do it. Color me impressed, Monte McNair.
We shall see.
I have been told things were normal a few times before.
Yes, after every move the Kings make, the local media seems to paint it in the best light possible. We will see.
Still skeptical why Gentry would rather be in Sac to work under Lose Alton, rather than with a borderline contender in Philly under Doc Rivers. Doc’s job is stable, Luke’s is likely not.
Matt George had Keith Pompey on his show yesterday. Pompey was the one that originally broke the story that the Kings and Sixers were both interested in Gentry. He basically said the he was being offered a job as just a normal assistant coach in Philly, so the total guaranteed money could be higher locking up an associate head coach job in Sac. Plus, obviously, there’s a non-zero chance that Gentry would get the head coaching job at least on a temporary basis.
Also I think Pompey and Jason Jones are both reporting that the King and Gentry were pretty far along in the process before Doc got involved. One of them said the Kings and Gentry essentially had a handshake deal before Doc expressed interest. Gentry could’ve backed out, but it may have just been a bird in hand situation.
Ya it sounds like Gentry will have more of a defined role with this team than with Philly.
First off, I can’t believe Matt George actually has a show where he talks about basketball and people listen to it…
But yeah, I’m going with the “non-zero chance” he’s to get a head coaching gig as the determining factor why he chose Sac.
The money couldn’t have been all that different. Doc’s not gonna low-ball him, and the Kings are making cuts in BB Ops.
If the King and Gentry were pretty far along in the process before Doc got involved…, then I can see Joe Dumars having a role in this decision. Dumars played for Gentry with the Pistons.
Every breath you take
every move you make
every bond you break
every step you take
I’ll be watching you!
We shall see is the correct take and one that I ultimately agree with.
But for the sake of my ability to still follow this team without it being a complete negative in my life, I have to give Monte McNair the benefit of the doubt here. Until he proves to me that he’s running the organization with the same old Kings shenanigans we’re used to seeing in Sacramento, I’ve got to give him a clean slate. If they tell me Gentry was brought in to support Luke, I’m going to cautiously believe that is the case until it isn’t.
If I can’t reset my bullshit tolerance meter when the Kings hire a new head of basketball ops, none of this is even the least bit fun. With Vlade gone, I can start to let go of the Luka stuff. With Monte, if we hear the Kings are doing something the right way, I’m going to tentatively believe it until he gives me a good reason to think otherwise.
I’m not telling anyone else how to fan or follow, that’s just what gets me by. I need some hope, or I don’t see the point in having any interest in this team.
I have hope. But 35 years into this fandom I have developed the following strategy:
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst!
Go Kings!
I think another poster a while back put it best:
“Hope for league average and prepare for the worst.”
For me it’s more of a hope for something competent and expect the worstest.
I was thinking about this whole associate coaching gig and thought the Gentry hire is probably the best outcome. If McNair left the job vacant next season then it further proves Walton is merely a deadman walking. If McNair hires someone with less experience so that person will accept a short term deal with less money, then Walton still thinks he’s a deadman walking. Gentry checks all the boxes of being the man for this job for the time being and I doubt he’s paid some outrageous sum of $$ to work with Walton. If anything, I think Vivek needs to retract all the millions Vlade and Peja walked away to pay those people they let go due to financial constraints.
We all need some hope in dark times.
Do you now that the meaning of the name Luka is bringer of light’, btw?
I didn’t.
Thanks.
Huh, I thought it meant “I live on the second floor.”
Good take. I’ll do the same.
I still don’t get the signing……..
as it already all known that Walton is on hot-seat, and he is 90% be gone at the end of next season……..
and you probably would fire the whole coaching staff group, and hire a brand new group to prepare for that following season….
(then Gentry would probably be gone too, then why the FO would still sin Gentry to be the lead assistant ? )
Vivek never makes the same mistake twice. He’s already paid one coach to not work for us. Maybe next season he will try paying two.
Bingo.
Vivek demanded that alton stay on, because of the financial state of the franchise. Now he has to pay a high caliber lead assistant coach a high salary as peace offering, while in the meantime laying off other people in the organization. And probably next year that same assistant coach will be fired along with Walton, and Vivek will have to pay him salary while also paying his replacement. Whle wasting a full year.
So to me, it does not sound like the Kings acted like an NBA organization here. Not a good one, at least.
As Aaron Bruski tweeted:
Yeah, this whole mentality where we just shrug off wasting another year is really weird to me.
I don’t want to speak for anyone else, but I’m not shrugging off a wasted year, simply recognizing that it’s a necessary evil. I don’t expect a new GM to fix things overnight. I recognize that the league is enduring extraordinary financial circumstances, and while I wish it wasn’t going to impact the Kings, I know it will. And it will impact other teams as well.
And then there’s the question of how you define a year as being wasted. If, over the course of the next season, McNair reshapes the roster through trades, draft picks, and signings, is that a waste? Or is it simply part of the process? If Walton is a bad coach who makes the team underperform and the Kings get a better draft pick, is that a wasted season? I think wasted season is in the eye of the beholder. I think it’s too early to judge next season as a waste based on the hiring of an assistant coach.
There are a few answers to this; but I will ask a question instead. If that is part of the plan why the heck do we need a semi-highly touted, veteran (and likely expensive) lead assistant to help him with that?
Isn’t that a waste?
I obviously don’t know details, but I don’t think Gentry is as expensive as people think. Assistant coaches just don’t get big paydays, even if they were a head coach before.
Coaches hire their staff. If Gentry fits the budget for the coaching staff and is willing to take the job, it would be crazy for the front office to stop Walton from hiring him.
as the lead assistant and given his tenure and CV, I assume Gentry will get closer to the million.
Not insignificant for a franchise that is letting quite a few employees go.
I agree that coaches hire their staff. As do most GM’s. Our GM had to accept that he’s stuck with this coach, at least for a year.
The road back to functionality is a long one.
that’s bunching all assistant coaches in one big group though regardless of their actual role within an organization.
Gentry has huge money still coming from Pels !
I think the most likely scenario is Walton, being a lame duck coach, will be eeking wins out of this veteran roster in hopes of lining up his next gig. This roster likely isn’t making the playoffs, many of us can probably agree.
So we remain in NBA purgatory, with a coach who is not part of our future, and players who are not part of our next contending team. No top 5 or possibly even top 10 draft pick to show for it.
That to me is a wasted season, and it’s where we’re likely headed, imo.
I agree on most of this, but I think keeping a lame duck coach around is the waste of a season, and practically speaking, more than a year – the next coach is going to need time to install offenses/defenses, etc.
Maybe the Kings realize next season is going to be a shortened and modified season anyway.
We ain’t making the playoffs this year so it’s still the same.
Maybe, but is that better? Seems like you could get a guy in place now, let him have that partial season to implement, and be ready to rock and roll in 2022-23.
Once Walton gets fired, most coaches on the staff will be let go but there is no reason Gentry has to go too, any good coach could find a place for Gentry on their staff.
Does Walton know where Marina buried the bodies or something?
So in this scenario, Matina is the three eyed raven and Walton is Hodor?
Welp looks like they are really trying to compete for a playoff spot next year. Time to say goodbye to the top draft picks in 2021! ( Bye Cade, Jonathan, Brandon, Jalen!). It was nice getting to know you thru the countless Youtube clips that I’ve watched and fantasizing one day you’ll be donning a Kings uniform.
I’m not clear as to how hiring Gentry indicates that the org expects or even wants to scoop up an eighth-seed entry in 20-21. He’s a good addition to help prop up an incompetent head coach, but how that gets the Kings from twenty wins to forty-five exceeds my imagination.
Well for one I do expect Gentry to modernize the offense and play fast (just like what Joerger did in his final season with the Kings) and while I am not expecting the Kings to make the playoffs or even reach 45 wins, I can see them once again win around 35-40 games which will push them out the bottom 5 and continue to draft around the 8th-12th range- unless some miracle happens and we jump in the lottery once again but I highly doubt it.
Let’s see what player moves are made first, no way this coaching hire can prop up this team. If they trade a couple picks for a Brad Beal type of player then expect this team to try to make a run.
If we trade Buddy for a couple assets and a bad contract, then this FO is on the right track.
Exactly, Sims. He’s a good addition to help prop up and incompetent HC…
Gentry did win fewer games than Walton last season ! A good hire if you need a mid season replacement and seems very likely !
Just because they try to compete doesn’t mean they will!
Yep, they’ll just likely remain firmly in purgatory range. Not good enough to compete. Still out of the top 7 or 8 picks. Worst place to be.
With the current roster, I still feel they will be last or second to last in the West. The rest of the conference is just simple better.
Well I for one am shocked a member of the FO leaked to the media that this is a totally normal move.
I can’t wait until this org gets to a point where they don’t have to literally tell everyone who’s move a decision like this is.
Wonderchild in 2030, like
After announcing publicly that Lose Walton was going to be retained (much in the same way women retain water), what else are they going to say about Gentry?
If Failson is still head coach in twelve months, this organization should be put out of its misery.
OT
Was watching the Heat game and it’s clear that they’re outmatched in the middle. They’re too small. I think Harry might be headed to Miami next year. Good passer, defensive potential, and a good fit next to Bam in a couple of years. Either Bam or Harry would just need to develop that outside shot.
I disagree. It’s Bam’s lack of outside shot, not necessarily his size that is the issue. It’s allowing AD to roam on defense instead of having to stay on him. I think Bam plays best as the lone big, especially in that defensive system, so picking up Harry to play with him makes no sense. They could still take a flyer on him, but it would be as a backup.
They could absolutely use some mobile SF/PF type guys. But you’re right that Adebayo should absolutely be played as their primary big as much as possible. A mobile PF type that can shoot, like Wood or Ibaka or even someone like Harrison Barnes (on a cheaper deal obviously) would help. Guys with size and mobility that can give Adebayo the space to operate and punish help.
an Ibaka type might be a dream scenario. Someone who could can shoot and cover the rim, allowing Bam to play in the front of the zone where he excels.
They’re making due with Iguodala and Crowder at PF, but they aren’t consistent enough shooters at this point to warrant the Lakers to adjust defensively. AD really is the Joker card to any small ball lineup unfortunately for them.
To say nothing of the 6’9, 250 all-time great playing next to AD. I mean, there are exactly zero teams in the NBA that match up well with the Laker front court.
Kuzma is only 225-ish.
Bam’s skillset will develop in time like his outside shooting. Next season the Heat can make moves to upgrade and continue contending in the East. I see Giannis bolting Milwaukee soon.
Harry has an outside shot. He was among the best shooting bigs in the NBA from the mid-range (second only to Love among those that took more than 1.5 per game or something). He’s also hit 8 of 19 professional 3s (including NBA and G-league). He just needs to look for (and be enabled by the coaches to take) his shot more.
With Spoelstra he’ll get that chance.
Harry needs a lot of work before he is a solution to a team being outmatched in the middle. As much as I like him, he lacks the bulk and strength to be much more than a get your six fouls and sit defender. And I am not sure he has the right frame to become one, aprt fropm wondering whether the extra bulk would be good for his knees.
I don’t really think you can commit to fully evaluating Luke’s ability to be a head coach if you aren’t willing to provide him with a full coaching staff that includes coaches he feels comfortable working with.
Overall, I get why there’s skepticism, but this just doesn’t give me Kangz vibes. It doesn’t seem like the last time they tried to bring in Gentry to replace Malone, or the time Vivek basically just fired Vance Wahlberg because he was pissed off at Karl. This just seems like giving Walton a fair shot. If he fails, then it won’t be because the front office set him up for failure.
Sure and yet the sample size of his head coaching grows.
we have data beyond just last year, when he also had a coaching staff that was highly touted.
Sorry, I respect your opinion, but this just seems like more of the same tired narrative in Sac: “We can’t FULLY evaluate player/coach/GM “X”… until “Z” happens. Example: “We can’t judge Vlade until he gets his own coach… Well, actually Joerger wasn’t HIS coach… now he has his guy…” And round and round we go…
Walton’s been a head coach now for 4 years in the NBA. And the results have been pretty terrible. We all saw what happened last year. Players regressed. Round pegs in square holes. Key players noting a lack of preparation. Tired excuses. Watching tape.
So I just don’t see how replacing Kokoskov with Gentry is going to all of a sudden make Walton a significantly better coach. He’s just… not good.
I mean we know that McNair’s hands were tied. He took the job knowing that he couldn’t immediately fire Walton, and bring in a new coach. That is a fact. If the Kings underperform next season, then I think McNair can then say I gave Luke every opportunity to succeed, but it’s clearly not working out.
If I’m McNair, then I think that’s the approach I’d take. I don’t think it would look too good to essentially say “oh so I can’t hire my own head coach? Okay fine, I’ll set Walton up for failure to force the owners’ hands.”
If McNair thought that way, he would have never taken the job.
I don’t fault McNair. We’ll see how long the honeymoon lasts, and if he can work around his bosses’ ineptitude. It’s just more same ol’ Kangz shenanigans. Now they are hiring people to keep this shitty coach happy, while laying off other BB Ops personnel.
Ya the big thing I don’t agree with is cleaning house in Stockton. That wasn’t a normal layoff situation. Ellis and McGlish are young, up and coming people in this industry. I would have rather just absorbed them into the Kings FO and coaching staffs.
Keeping Walton and giving him a fair shot was obviously a consolidation between McNair and ownership.
Hiring Gentry just makes sure the org looks like they’re giving him his fair shake. Combine that with Monte’s hands on approach with analytics probably puts Luke in his best position to succeed, quality of roster notwithstanding.
And we’re beginning to see why top GM candidates bowed out of consideration for this job. We knew it was partly due to Joe D needing to stay on for some reason. But also it apparently was a pre-condition to keep the worst coach in the NBA.
But we got one of the top GM candidates. I can see why a couple bowed out, but I think it has to do with their own situation, not with the Kings.
Yeah, McNair seems fine. Luckily, as it seems we were down to either him or Wes Wilcox. Gupta’s name seemed to have been dropped after the news they were trying to hire McNair beneath him. Perhaps he wanted his own staff… we’ll probably never know.
But your last point is contradictory to Amick’s report that multiple candidates pulled themselves from consideration due to Joe D’s involvement.
Gupta has bounced around multiple organizations and positions in the past few years. My guess is he just wanted to stay in one place for more than a season.
He got pretty far in the process to come to that realization, imo. He interviewed here, was rumored to be in line for the head of BB Ops, and then *poof*… Methinks something changed his mind when he came here, but who knows..
So we are spending money for optics while firing employees left and right. Great.
Looks right
Dang, stanning for Luke Walton’s become a full time job.
<insert Inigo Montoya meme here>
Biggest about-face since Otis fell in love with Boogie!
😉
Same narrative ad nauseum. Kings still won’t make the playoffs with the Gentry addition. They just don’t have enough talent. A commitment to mediocrity. The Kings will probably lose even more games next year. Especially, in a tougher West. The only teams I clearly see the Kings as better than are the Wolves and Spurs. But, Unfortunately the East will have at least 5-6 teams that will be terrible, as well. Once again, the Kings will be picking in the 7-10 range.
I don’t disagree with you, but I do think it’s a time for a change of perspective.
This front office is an asset relocation mode right now, and if they are indeed competent with McNair’s hiring, they should be in asset relocation mood for some time.
Trust the Partial Process, Sorta Maybe!
That has a nice ring to it!
Kinda going out on a limb to suggest that what will likely be among the worst teams in the league in 20-21, and which hasn’t made the playoffs since Jerry Reynolds was in short pants, is unlikely to be launched into contention by adding an assistant coach.
Seems like a competent organization would just decide to make the playoffs and then do it, despite there being so many reasons why it won’t happen.
Obviously, if we don’t make the playoffs, it will be Alvin Gentry’s fault.
Reminds me of the scene from “Major League:”
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“Stay away from her.”
“Suck my dick!”
obligatory
What was Grants take on the front office as this is a sports story and as far as I can tell isn’t political. He is pugged in the the Kings Front office right?
McWho?
Now you’ve done it.
SMH
So Much Hoot.
Well he is the Jack of Owl Trades.
Hootie & the Blowhard.
Link not working, I give up.
Reply fail
My rollerskates feel some positive traction. So far…we got a win with Monte, a win with Gentry today. That’s called “two in a row”. And if we get a win with our next big move (Buddy?) it’s called a “winning streak”…It’s happened before!
Streaking, eh?
For the triumvirate, let’s add: Jackie Moon of the Flint Michigan Tropics ABA basketball team
Jackie Moon atuorec
Alternative theory/random unfiltered thought:
What if McNair is so super analytic driven that he views the coaching position as mostly a fungible role (like a baseball manager these days)? If so, he may view Walton and Walton’s role very differently that do we and McNair may view Walton as just as “useful” as any other coach.
I mean, he has spoken about his vision of a symbiotic relationship between the FO and coaching at the in-game level with analytics influencing coaching decisions, so …
If true, then we just hired Pete D 3.0
This isn’t that different than how things worked in Houston. They essentially told D’Antoni how to structure the rotations to ensure Paul/Harden were always on the court, and he followed it. I’m sure he was allowed to make tweaks and in-game adjustments, but it’s not that dissimilar to how the front office is responsible for the lineup card, defensive shifts, etc. in baseball.
You can’t compare the 2 situations. Paul/Harden are 1st ballot hall of famers and vets. So, what is the preemptive for the Kings? Fox/Bagley? I assume. Neither are on the same planet as the aforementioned. Bagley hasn’t shown much progress. (Injuries are a big part of that) When Bagley was healthy I didn’t see anything that remotely looks like a decent Center. He can’t shoot, he can’t space, his can’t pass, and he doesn’t play D. Some of that is coaching, some of it is lack of effort and working on your game in the offseason. If Bagley comes into this season looking the same and essentially playing the same way, he will be considered a bust. Bagley can possibly have an average career. A centerpiece on a playoff team? No Way. I think Fox will have a good career. But, Nothing along the lines of the success that Harden has achieved.
I’m so confused by this response. It’s obvious you didn’t accidentally reply to me, but equally obvious you didn’t take a moment to read what I wrote before responding.
Nobody is saying McNair is going to make Fox and Bagley look like Harden and Paul. That’s not what analytics does.
I’d imagine McNair’s analytics will cover some of the complaints we had of Walton’s rotations last year. Pointing out things like how inefficient the offense is when Hield is the primary ball handler, staggering Fox/Buddy/Bogi efficiently, and whether the team plays more efficiently when Barnes plays SF or PF.
I understand the skepticism that many may feel the intent of the hire but am hoping for the best. Success is possible, maybe Vivek is finally getting the message about fans frustrations. One can hope. If you are a long time Kings fan, hope is eternal. If things don’t work out, I will just bang my head against the wall for the umteenth time.
Per Jason Jones, Kings were interested in Gentry for a while before he became head coach of the Pelicans. There’s a quote somewhere about Alvin Gentry being asked about playing 4 on 5 basketball and his response was something along the lines of “3 years $50M, he would run 3 on 5″… Sounds like Vivek finally got his guy.
was talking about Gentry on his podcast in August, but can’t find it now
Gentry will be a good addition and will make it easier to replace Walton mid season !
In other news, Peaches is back with
a newthe same attitude, according to the SacBee.Good riddance. Dick.
I linked it here the day it came out and on the discord. Peaches is still peaches, great play by play announcer, worthless human being.
Next episode: 45 minutes about how replays take too long.
He’s still struggling with correlation/causation, I see.
Absolutely…. if I had to guess the ratings issue, it would be too many sports options at once. NFL MLB playoffs, he’ll even women’s b-ball and MLS. I don’t doubt that some people are turned off by the social justice push. But I would bet it is a negligible effect, compared to the above mentioned variables.
Yeah. It’s a totally bogus narrative pushed only for socio-political purposes (good thing Grant sticks to sports!)
All sports viewership ratings are down, regardless of whether they wade into politics or not.
For example:
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/media/2020/10/08/pandemic-why-tv-ratings-sports-have-been-down-since-returning/5913720002/
Hey, turns out he’s exactly who everyone thought he was, which is why it was so easy for Boogie to bait him into saying something stupid!
Fuck that guy.
Badge Legend