According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sacramento Kings have fired Head Coach Luke Walton after a 6-11 start to the 2020-2021 campaign.
The Sacramento Kings fired coach Luke Walton on Sunday, sources told ESPN. Kings have lost seven of eight games and dropped to 6-11 on season – leaving them 12th in the Western Conference.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2021
Walton’s termination is both unsurprising and a bit of an unexpected shift just 17 games into the season. Over the summer, many expected Walton, originally hired by former General Manager Vlade Divac, to be let go after two unsuccessful years in Sacramento, but he was given full approval by current GM Monte McNair back in May:
“Luke will continue to be our head coach. The team finished strong down the stretch, obviously did not ultimately reach our goal, but he has the support of our players, we have a great working relationship and while we both acknowledge that we have to become better in many areas, we’ve built that trust and we need the stability in this organization to ultimately take that next step.”
Later on in the same press conference, McNair reinforced his belief in Walton:
“There was a lot of positives this year. Certainly, not enough, we understand that, but Luke and I talk every day. We have a great working relationship; he’s got the support of the players. We found some success especially late in the season to get back into the play-in race, and ultimately, I felt that we could build on that and that he’s the coach who is going to get us back to the playoffs.”
Although Sacramento’s front office clearly established a very real faith in Luke Walton, the team’s recent play was simply too poor to ignore. After starting the season an impressive 5-4, including wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns, the Kings have dropped seven of their last eight games, with their sole victory coming over the lowly Detroit Pistons. Friday night’s blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors and Saturday evening’s loss agains the Utah Jazz were undoubtedly the final straws in Luke Walton’s controversial tenure as Sacramento’s head coach, and may very well mark the final game of his career as a lead man in the league. Over the last 5+ seasons between the Kings and the Lakers, Walton has compiled a record of 166-241, an average of 33 wins per year.
With Walton exiting, the pressure will now mount on Monte McNair to make the correct calls moving forward, as the team’s primary scapegoat is gone. First, he must decide on the team’s interim head coach, a title that will likely fall to the highly experienced Alvin Gentry, a result that doesn’t necessarily evoke excitement. In 17 years of partial or full seasons as a head coach, Gentry has compiled an unimpressive record of 510-595. Woj reports Gentry will be in consideration for the interim role.
Kings associate head coach Alvin Gentry – a five-time head coach in the NBA – is expected get strong consideration to serve as interim head coach. Walton was 68-93 in two-plus seasons as Kings coach. https://t.co/jeZIFqmVCd
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2021
Others may call for Doug Christie’s candidacy, but it would be both rare and highly controversial for McNair to select a first-year assistant coach to take over the reins.
Beyond finding Walton’s replacement, management must also quickly find a solution to an unbalanced, uninspired roster. As bad as the coaching was at times over the past couple of seasons, the staff was also granted exactly one quality wing, too many centers, and more high-usage guards than busted Kings draft picks this year. A change in leadership could certainly shake things up for a short time, but additional adjustments must be made if this franchise wishes to make any progress in the coming months. Walton’s termination may have been necessary, but it should also be viewed as the first step to change, rather than as the final remaining move for a squad on pace for just 28 wins.
Ok
Time to bring up the summer champ Bobby Jackson along with his summer MVP who’s gotten zero minutes despite having literally no wings behind Barnes, finally!!
Dance Thread! Goodbye Puke Walton!
DANCE!
Straight outta the front row!
Straight outta Comped seats!
It took a fan vomiting on the court for Luke to get fired. How symbolic.
Anyways, this is whatever, we’re still going to suck. Monte, blow it up!
Someone needs to change Luke’s wikipedia page to note that his final coaching game resulted in puke.
(R.esulted I.n P.uke)
Haha! This is good
Finally! I thought the throw-up incident might’ve made them wait on this.
About freaking time. I’m glad Luke is gone, but hanging on to him for so long just shows how awful management is.
Time for Monte to provide some explanations, right?
Yes. Then search, search, search and search some more for the right coach. Maybe others.
Mostly because he’ll let two other teams swoop in at the last second and take his top choice.
McNair with another “almost”?
Yep. Was wondering how he’s going to back peddle and cover his ass with cliches and essentially say nothing for however long his press conference goes for.
I really hope someone quotes him when he said, “Luke will take us to the playoffs” just a few short months ago.
Who would dare?
Don’t one or some of the TKH writers have press passes now? That would be awesome!
I nominate Greg to do it.
Monte already hates Greg, so he’s got nothing to lose (except the Kings Herald media access).
You mean Gregory?
Maybe that Giraffe guy?
He’d really be sticking his neck out.
You’d spot him a mile away.
Doesn’t he live in Minnesota or something. He could use it once and hitchhike home
First, fuck you Vivek. Second, this has never felt like McNair was given autonomy. Like the idiot conglomerate of V, Dumars, Marina, Aneel etc all have say and Monte is/was working with parameters.
I still don’t believe McNair would have kept Puke if allowed. I mean, unless he’s a complete idiot. If I knew Walton was terrible, so does any GM in the league.
So, will the little shit owner allow for McNair to have power? I doubt it but if he hires a coach, not just an interim, I’ll feel maybe he’s getting some control.
Same for this idiotic quest for play in. I still think rebuild is way Monte was talking when he first got job but wasn’t allowed.
McNair will eventually get fired if things stay as they are. Maybe, it would be better for him to challenge Vivek. If he gets fired doing that, it would be better for his reputation around the league.
Agree. I’d like to see McNair do that. Just so many morons to get past. Let’s not forget Dumars doing what exactly? Except helping Vivek ruin this franchise.
https://twitter.com/_petethetrainer/status/1462495010461417473?s=21
This is telling and confirmation what is being reflected here. 4 on 5 does not work in the NBA. I appreciate here we stayed but when you surround yourself with admirers or hangers on you give your people a product to puke over. We will revolt and you have already seen it with the empty seats. Vivek let go and let the basketball minds preform there job and stay in your lane on the business end. Thank you Pete Youngman for trying to bring this to light.
Vivek fired him
While I know he didn’t play a main role in the decision, I’d like to thank Puke Man for helping get this done.
That guy pretty much summed up Walton’s tenure as coach. Nothing more symbolic to end his time here with the Kings.
Now it’s Doug’s turn to get used up by the Vivek shit show machine. Good luck Dougie and I hope we won’t hate you as much as Vlade at the end.
Spoiler alert….we will.
Vivek 🖕🏼
We really will. Hope doug never gets the HC or GM job.
Before the end of the year Doug will be HC. The benchmarks that are being given to Gentry are impossible to fulfill.
Finally! Curious, why is there no talk about calling Bobby Jackson up from Stockton? He has a lot of experience and familiarity with current players, plus even though Gentry is more qualified, I’m kinda meh on him and at least Jackson would be fun to root for as a coach.
I’d love to see McNair give him a shot at the interim job. See what he can do and go from there. Today is a good day
I’d hope Jackson doesn’t take it and rather prefer to coach in Stockton to get some experience there.
I would be excited, but Alvin Gentry strongly considered to be interim coach. Same old, same old. I`m starting to think Mcnair likes weak coaches who will do what they are told, and not an actual quality head coach.
Refering to the interview where he said, paraphrasing, “I talk to Luke several times a day.”
We will see with interim hire if he just wants toadies and not real quality coach
As I said last night..
Monte just put himself on the hot seat. Maybe we’ll finally get some semblance of urgency.
One can only hope. I’d certainly like to know why Luke Walton was retained. Maybe it was money. Maybe it was buying time by having a scapegoat. Maybe Fox insisted. Hard to believe McNair actually kept Walton for basketball reasons, but there’s also the possibility the front office is just incompetent.
Agree. I don’t think McNair was only one making decision.
If the GM is in power he should trade all he can and start real rebuild and hire an actual real coach.
But I doubt V will let him.
Or McNair is actually an idiot and terrible GM. I don’t think that’s the case.
i dont agree with the Vivek meddling theory. McNair could have stayed silent but he went out of his way to back Walton. I wouldnt have given the press conference if I was not fully behind the decision.
My take is the organization saw what we all saw i the first few games in the offseason and thought they had a winner. I think we can all agree that we were not clamoring for Luke’s firing 8 games ago.
The problem is this team doesnt adjust and doesnt have confidence. Clearly other teams scouted and took away some of our goto plays and the team never seems to have a plan B and just takes tough shots after tough shots.
Also a lack of a superstar is really hurting. Donovan mitchell is light years ahead of Fox. Eventhough fox has gotten back some, his game seems very predictable.
Bottom line, this team doesnt have an alpha. So the coach needs to be the alpha.
Smells like a Vivek move on retaining Walton until this season.
Good start but not enough.
Unfortunately, enough = Get the fuck out Vivek
Good. I was getting tired of this no moves November.
Nice of you to show up Monte. Don’t stop now.
Anyone else notice that Tim had the article up just 4 minutes after Woj dropped his bomb? I’m guessing that giraffe had this one already written and stashed away for the inevitable.
I definitely would have. It was only a matter of time.
or Woj got his info from Tim, who is actually running shit
Ticking Tim Bomb > Woj Bomb
Tim the Woj Whisperer.
Yeah, we do prewrites when something seems likely. Tim wrote it and rewrote it several times to keep it up to date.
Let us in the looking glass, what’s the next likely thing?
I’m totally expecting the team to still suck eggs and wouldn’t be surprised if they got even worse, but in this case I thought change for the sake of change was necessary even though some media folks have been against a mid-season firing. But this means we’re committed now right? To doing things???
The mark of a poorly managed team is doing this now instead of in June. The only hope now is full tank/fire sale. Good coaching gets this roster to #8. No higher. Take your time and get a top 5 pick and an up and coming assistant with a great pedigree as HC. Each guy on the roster has strengths and weaknesses and not even the best coach can cover up all the weaknesses…
Fox…too soft
Barnes…too small at 4, too slow at 3
Holmes…too light on the D end, needs help at the rim
Buddy…burned out here, lost confidence (and no D)
Haliburton…not quick enough at 1, not strong, aggressive enough at 2
Everybody else…not starting caliber
They have to start over. If McGenius is even McAverage, he has to see that. If not…your new head coach…Doug Christie!
I have hope for Haliburton, otherwise, I agree.
Barnes, Haliburton, Holmes, Mitchell and Fox, Len can play on my team. They need a lot more.
This roster is nowhere near #8, even with good coaching.
Great start Monte, now trade half the roster.
No reason to stop now
What’s the worst that can happen? We lose more games? Try me.
Ty Corbin maybe?
Reggie Theus PartII?
The Kings finally Choosing the Harder Right rather than the Easier Wrong.
The FO needs to replicate this choice by doing it again in terms of hiring a head coach.
Today is a good day.
really? Firing Walton was a hard decision to make? The kings haven’t chosen anything right
Yes, really.
Failing organizations, and people, quite often compound their errors by making continued wrong choices because those choices may appear to be easier in the moment, even though it is clearly the wrong choice, rather than taking a harder right step to fix the problem(s).
The Kings fired Walton today. Completely the right choice. They got that right.
The end of an error. Waltdumb will never again be an NBA head coach. McNair vouching for him back in May was just ridiculous.
I just literally refreshed the page to make sure I was seeing correctly. Thank you, Monte. Now, let’s take our time to properly evaluate the coaching market and best coach to help this team improve long term. Next time, let’s just hire someone to vomit on the court when the coaching is absolute garbage.
The fans have spoken!
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462489512983109635?t=hBo8Jf26N-Y5fAqhgvQFng&s=19
This smells Matina/Vivekian
Yup. This is the fear. Those 2 will never learn and back off.
No more legacy hires with no experience, please. We’ve already gone down that path.
For reals. Have they not learned a damned thing???
No they have not. Egos that big tend to rule out rational thought.
I despise Vivek
Seriously. Don’t ruin Doug Christie’s coaching career with this bad roster before it’s ever been started.
Hire Gentry knowing you won’t retain him, and that it’s not going to add wins. Then actually make a trade.
All you can do at this point is get drunk and puke.
Done and done
https://twitter.com/sam_amick/status/1462490050860490756
Oh the announcement is coming can confirm. They have been talking about this since he was promoted to the staff because of attendance.
REPORTER: “Walton, what can you say about the loss of your job?”
Hahahaha!
I can’t tell you right now. I’ll get back to you after I watch the tape.
Narrator: “He never did watch the tape.”
Unfortunately we now get to see Gentry stumble through the remainder of the season. We need a real search for a real coach.
I’d much rather watch that then what we were watching. Not even close.
”Uninspired.” I would take both Christie and Bobby Jackson over Gentry as internal candidates. Or grab Becky Hammon. Be bold.
I know it looks like a legacy hire, but I would, too. I’d rather go high risk/high reward with Christie or Jackson than with Gentry. Hammon would be great, but would she take a job with this organization?
I hope Christie and Jackson think about their legacy, and if they want to endanger it.
What did Christie do to you?
That’s hilarious.
Yup, we missed out on Messina before. Go get Becky.
The last game he coached a fan blew chunks all over the floor. A fitting end to another sad chapter of this franchise.
Mega Dance Thread?
So wrong.
Let’s goooooo
Let’s not forget, Bye Bye Vlade!
https://twitter.com/_petethetrainer/status/1462495010461417473
Youngman!
Yep. Has anything really changed in 8 years?
8 Years, 3 GMs and 5 coaches. Trickle down ineptitude.
….0 playoffs.
Vivek has made the same mistakes multiple times!
2 mistakes ahead
Sixth time’s the charm! – Vivek
Courtside fan pukes at a blowout loss and coach loses his job. This story just writes itself.
https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1462495371934855173?t=aVJgp_vP9k0Re0UFEutlJw&s=19
If it’s Gentry, they’re still going for the stupid play-in. If it’s Christie or Jackson, they actually care about player development over the next year. I don’t see it as legacy. The rest of this season should just be an extended training camp.
LOL, Carmichael Dave on Twitter Spaces asking why fans believe that they do not have the influence to demand a change for ownership.
The same Carmichael Dave who came to tell us at the old site that we shouldn’t have a billboard targeting Vivek.
!!!
Ha. Doof. And I do think billboard or similar is in order if Vivek doesn’t finally back off.
I hope others heard it too, because I didn’t believe my ears.
And this owner/FO is soooo dumb/out of touch they don’t even realize Kings fans would flock back to games if there was an actual rebuild.
Morins for thinking a run at mediocrity-play in- is what we want.
Yes, this. We would all quickly get behind a young, passionate team on the rise. Exhibit: Summer League.
BTW Monte, do you know you have no wings, and Louis King is leading the G League at 30 ppg and 77% from 3?
Yeah, but that’s just looking at the roster “traditionally.” 😉
Sigh, it’s only the most important position in today’s game.
After performing so well in Stockton’s first two games, I wonder why Louis King was inactive for games 3 and 4.
Injured. Carrying the hopes of being the answer at the 3 from an entire fanbase.
Honestly, no idea.
Wait, what?!?!
is that true?
if so…
how the fuck is that guy nit on the roster? Let King get some run at the starting 3 spot and have Metu back up Barnes at the 4.
This has been a constant frustration. How come know-nothing fans and other front offices can see the potential in a player – and yet the Kings don’t ever seem to see it. Content traipsing out veteran re-treads and never developing their own young guys…. It’s no wonder others continue to lap Sacramento in rebuilding.
I rather have DC or BJax as the interim instead of Gentry. With Gentry, I’m afraid if the team responds and plays decent and somehow reached the play-in, Vivek will offer him a 3 year contract.
No real coach will want to step in mid-season. Let DC and BJax have at it and do a true coaching search in the off season.
Lindsey Harding? First woman head coach in the NBA?
I’m all for having females breaking the coaching ceiling in the NBA, but I fully believe if the Kings were the first to hire a woman it would be for PR more than her ability to coach.
And a possible disaster for the female coach in question and setback for female coaches in general.
Yup. That’s why I want to see Hammon take over for Pop when he retires in the near future. She’s been groomed by an excellent organization to take over down there.
Kayte—so she can explain to the players what they don’t understand!
Jman, will there be a limerick for Walton’s departure?
How could I possibly top the poetry of Luke being dumped right after the puke game?
No truer words have ever been spoken!
I think we would all agree that it’s far past time for this incompetent, jackass coach to be fired. Walton was constantly outcoached on both ends and could never make any sort of adjustments on defense.
It frankly doesn’t matter who they promote as coach. Coaching was a problem, but they’re never going to win with this roster. The head coach of this team is just playing out the string this year until they’re replaced in the offseason. Just promote Gentry. Don’t ruin Jackson or Christie’s coaching career before it ever starts.
As far as the front office goes, McNair officially looks like an idiot for saying Walton was going to lead this team to the playoffs literally 17 games ago. And congrats on wasting this season instead of firing the coach and improving the roster in the offseason. Both the roster and the coach were obvious problems the day McNair was hired, and the front office has failed to do anything outside the draft about either for two offseasons and two deadlines, until today.
Ultimately, this is a needed move, and the team’s predictable failure to be competitive finally puts the urgency squarely on the front office to stop being passive and actually make a trade. Blaming the interim coach for the team’s failure is not going to fly. It’s time to act, and that can’t happen too soon.
One thing I’ll stand on: If McNair fails to act on improving the roster during this offseason, we’re going to hear “Fire Monte” chants in Golden1 arena early next season, and maybe even later this season.
I finally have some hope for this team. The new coach won’t be worse, and the front office can’t sit around doing nothing any more. The Kings had no chance to improve by doing nothing, and the time for doing nothing is finally over.
The coaches change, the GM’s change……
the only thing I’ve seen consistent in all these 8 years of failure is the owner. The head of the snake. (garden snake variety)
Sure. But McNair took the job knowing the situation. He’s sat in pressers and said he has the control and the money to do what he needs to do. He’s said the front office is a good group and are rowing the same direction. Pete D’Alessandro came in and made a flurry of trades, so I don’t buy that the lack of roster improvement is on Vivek.
The Kings would be better if Vivek were gone. No question. But Monte took the job, and his name is on the door, so he owns the results. I’m not going to attribute the good things to him and the bad things to Vivek.
Not excusing Monte-he’s not blameless, for sure. He’s just another GM that was hired by Vivek. Vivek should own the results of his hires.
Agreed!
Gentry it is.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1462506006831898637
This is fine. Whoever is in the seat is going to fail. This season is lost, so put Gentry in charge while the front office starts making moves to improve the roster. I don’t know what they’ve been doing for the last year, but it feels to me like the Kings front office is finally going to **start** work on this roster, and it’s about time.
(And yeah, there’s still some chance the Kings trip and fall into the 10th seed with 37 wins, but that’s not meaningful and is not a reason to continue to stand pat.)
Agree 1000%. But I’m not sure they will start the work.
If McNair doesn’t make real changes over the offseason, he’s going to lose his job.
Can’t wait for Alvin’s first press conference when he he’s asked about how he plans to get this roster to the playoffs:
I hope one of those benchmarks of success is player development
Walton was never going to be winning coach for this team.
Walton is only one of the many problems in this organization.
Replacing Walton now will not change this team. The problems are beyond the coach.
Fuck Woj. Tired of seeing him as the only source for NBA news. Why not go local? Kings even messed that up.
Our long national nightmare is over
Again…..until the next
Walton’s tenure was certainly a suck filled wafer thin mint.
As usual, this franchise can’t ever do the right thing. Instead of being smart, they panic and do the dumbest thing possible. A bunch of different fractured pieces with their own agendas.
SOSDD.
It seemed to me that Walton went away from the way the roster was constructed to improve rebounding. To use Monte’s metaphor, maybe he stopped rowing in the same direction. I don’t know what has else has changed, but there has been some (more) awful play (than usual).
This is the best news I’ve had as a kings fan since the team was stopped from moving to Seattle. I loathed having Luke Walton as a coach, the team was a depressing underachieving debacle with that amateur. I hope they have a proper interview and search process for a legit leader of this team next year.
I don’t get all the dancing gifs. this proves our gm is also unqualified. why give him 18 games? stick with him or fire him end of last season
Is it to early for Luke to use his challenge?
Wouldn’t be Kangz if the timing of the move wasn’t strange and awkward.
I have a slightly different take on why Walton was fired. It wasn’t the loss, it wasn’t Luke’s semi desperate presser last night……..IT WAS THE PUKE!!! vivek could have been there. He could have drowned.
If they hadn’t fired Luke what would be talking about today? It wouldn’t have been the loss, I’m certain nobody in Sacramento was expecting a win against Utah. It was the puke and maybe not in the way you think. What struck vivek….besides looking like a fool in front of his peers (because he already looks like a fool in the eyes of his peers).
What the spewing dude made vivek realize was that when this poor fan started throwing up and the reason he had to do something was when the dude puked he didn’t hit anybody. The court…sure. The seats to the side and in back of him……sure. Other fans in courtside seats?
Didn’t hit one of them because there wasn’t anybody close.
What vivek realized was that the rich fans who help to line his pockets are not showing up. He realized right then he had to do something. What could he do?
The answer my friends is still blowing the nauseating smell of this gentlemans prodigious output gently along the premium seats but vivek made a quick and slightly desperate decision and called Monte and told him to fire Luke and correct me if I’m wrong but you can’t deny that Luke’s firing, Gentry’s hiring has put the puke story a ways back where it will soon go away.
It dos feel nice to be free of the coach of The Great Satan. That said, we aren’t going to do much this year regardless.
That’s great! Now they need to fire Vivek to get this team rolling again!
Woohoo!
Badge Legend