The Sacramento Kings have fired head coach Mike Brown. ESPN’s Sham Charania was the first to report the news, and The Athletic’s Sam Amick confirmed the report.
The Kings have lost 5 straight games, and currently sit 12th in the Western Conference with a record of 13-18.
It’s strange. I don’t think this firing fixes anything. I think Mike Brown was certainly part of the problem, but I don’t think he was the problem. And yet I’m also not that upset that he’s gone. I will say, though, that the Kings are rapidly on their way to once again being a punchline of the NBA. Mike Brown is only the second coach in franchise history to win over 40 games, and he’s done it both seasons he’s been in Sacramento. He won Coach of the Year in 2023, and was given a multi-year extension just this past summer. And he helped end the drought. But for all the good he did, something had to change with this team. And right or wrong, the head coach is often the first on the chopping block. We’ll see if a new voice can suddenly inspire the Kings roster or cover up the holes in the roster construction.
Best of luck to Mike Brown. He drove me mad with his rotations and challenges, but overall he seems like a pretty good dude. I’m sure he’ll be scooped up as an assistant in no time, or he can sit back and count Vivek’s money and laugh. I wish him well.
The clown show returneth…
It never left…
DE’AARON FOX, COACH KILLER!
Blow it all up.
Coach. After Coach. After Coach. After Coach. After Coach. After Coach.
Vivek should step in as Coach . Some 5 on 4 might be fun !
I nominate Anjali
Hey, it won Anjali an AAU chip.
Yes and has the coach made a difference. It all about and only about the roster. Focus on that.
Interim coach the rest of the season or are there actually any candidates worth checking in on? My suspicion says interim until more candidates free up. Hopefully, this is also saying Monte knows changes are needed more than just a coach switch.
Luke Loucks is Fox’s choice
Clearly there was an internal struggle going on between Fox and Brown. By choosing Fox, this guarantees the worst possible outcome for this iteration of the franchise.
Now they won’t move Fox until he forces his way out, and they’ll get essentially nothing in return.
Nothing ever changes…
This is exactly my fear. This team isn’t one (1) coach away from contending. MB frustrated me like he did everyone else but I don’t think this is the answer.
Missed the shit show after 18 month’s away. Hold tight
That 24 million should ease the pain . Not certain it’s going to help but his actions did not help either . To me the bigger problems are Vivek and Monte. Fox moving to problem territory as well . Oh well, back to Kangzland ????
Welp, that’s one decision …
I didn’t really think this was on the table, but sure, I guess?
If it works, great! If, as seems more likely, it doesn’t, there’s still plenty of time until the trade deadline to blow it up.
Are you not entertained?
Christie or Triano won’t turn this around. No decent asst in the league will be interested in this job.
Expect the usual retread suspects to get another shot.
This take (not you, just the take genrerally) is ridiculous. You’re telling me that when one of only 30 jobs of its kind open up that includes millions of guaranteed dollars and gives you the chance to work with Fox and Sabonis who may be motivated to prove Brown was the problem IS NOT an appealing job? Maybe some won’t want it. Lots of them will. I’d love to go after Chris Quinn or David Adleman if not Becky Hammon.
They are straws and the Kings are grasping.
I detest this decision. There is much we do not know – the interaction between Coach and Front Office – the interaction between Coach and Players –
but this will return the nightmare of the Boogie Cousins Kings – This is just so Michael Malone to Ty Corbin to George Karl – and that was just so darn Kangz.
I have to put the blame on this with the Top: King Vivek and Queen Matina should abdicate the throne. Until they do – I can’t help but expect more of the same.
Have they cleaned out Ty Corbin’s office yet?
Is this a joke? No coach worth there salt wants to come to a dumpster fire. More coaches will get fired with better opportunities for a good coach to go to. The 30 jobs thing sure works out well in other sports like the dumpster fire in the ny jets.
Not every coach works out, but when the Jets hired Salah he was a great candidate. The organization stinks to high hell starting at the top, but a confident coach believes they can come in and make things better. We’ll see.
Also — Mike Brown is a great coach. In his presser last night he made great points about where the breakdowns fell. I’m not thrilled to see him (probably) go down the road to GSW’s bench and make them even better.
Salah was burdened with the GM Aaron Rodgers
& Woody Johnson’s an awful owner.
As a Jets fan, I beg of you to not bring up that dumpster fire here. I come to this shithole to escape that shithole.
Well, Mike Malone’s comments won’t help encourage candidates to line up for the job, that’s for sure.
I am firmly in the never-say-never camp on this. Sometimes when a team is underperforming it’s just because the current coach’s shit just stops landing with the players for whatever reason and the rando assistant who gets promoted turns things around.
Hope springs eternal, I guess.
What else is it about?
I’d be happy to see examples where this actually happened, then. The only example that comes to mind is David Blatt being run out of time by LBJ (and Rich Paul), but that team was actually winning and had a generational talent. We have (checks notes) De’Aaron It Doesn’t Really Matter Fox.
I think the general consensus is that in almost all cases the team does not improve substantially under an interim-coach.
Ah, Frank Vogel comes to mind as well, I suppose.
This also makes me wonder if Jordi had been serving as a go-between / peacemaker between Fox and Brown for the past two seasons.
Just kind of shocking how quickly it all went bad…
Jordi has been doing a fantastic job in Brooklyn. May as well name Doug Christie interim coach
Funny you should say that…
https://kingsherald.com/4756afb7-a92e-49a3-a1de-837818c03ea2
That literally made me laugh out loud.
Doh! I suck at the inter-tubes.
…. and so it begins….
Enjoy the money Mike. The Kings don’t deserve you. Kings are officially back on schedule as the worst organization in the NBA with the Hornets and the Wizards.
As if MB was doing a good job.
If you fire a coach, you better have a better option waiting in the wings that isn’t named Luke Walton. I feel like he knew it was coming at the presser, basically saying that there isn’t much more a coach can do if the players aren’t listening.
I’m not a fan of mid-season coach firings.
Likely:
Doug Christie
Mark Jackson
Jay Triano
Luke Loucks
Alvin Gentry is still on the payroll
yes – add him to the list. I put Doug Christie first because Glory Day Kings has been the consistent trend for Vivek along with anything Warriors. Anything.
None of these are a better option.
Mark Jackson incoming in 3…2…1.
It doesn’t really matter. It’s not going to make anyone feel any better.
Dude….that’s gold!
Should have did it when Jordi was getting offers and kept him.
Jordi had an abrasive confrontational attitude. That’s not going to work.
Damn, he just ran a practice and talked to the media too.
https://bsky.app/profile/itsmeghanlhall.bsky.social/post/3lecydvlf3k2i
Damn he pulled out the Keisha Magic School Bus quote.
He’s in the middle of a remodel of his house as well, he did not see this coming… Good grief, Happy Holidays
Vivek will be paying for the remodel, and now MB will have plenty of time to oversee the work
How can one organization employ SO MANY incompetent people for SO LONG?
There’s an incompetent person at the top.
Right, and before that there two TWO incompetent people at the top. How many more decades does this go on?
It’ll probably go on as long as Vivek owns the Kings.
Now that it happened, I’m still wishing Monte and co were the first to go. Brown did a bad job this year, but Monte squandered the best team in a generation. I’m not sure what the downstream effects will be. Here we go!
I said that the extension was a mistake. From COY to play-in loss to 13-18. All downhill. Needed to proved he could get back to the playoffs this year to get an extension. Trade them all. Would like to keep Keon and Domas.
Trading Domas would hurt, but I think that blowing this team up by trading Fox & Domas is almost certainly the best course of action.
Yep. The obvious choice was to let MB go and promote Jordi and never procure MB with the extension. But MM has trouble making big ball decisions. And no, firing MB mid season is not a big ball decision, it’s a pathetic cop out because he doesn’t have the stones to trade Fox.
Yup it was. Premature extensions are a Kangz special.
Fans gave Mike Brown a pass for ending the playoff drought that season but he also lost in the 1st round with a better team after being up 2-0. Then failed to capitalize on it the next season
Monte needs to contact the Clippers to request permission to speak with Van Gundy. If Van Gundy is interested make him a offer he can’t refuse, get him here asap.
Respectfully, I don’t think a new coach fixes this. Monte more at fault than Brown. Didn’t get him the players he needed.
Why oh Why would Jeff Van Gundy want to work for the Vivek Kings when he’s on the bench with Ty Lue on Steve Ballmer’s LA Clippers ? Just my opinion: Fat Chance.
Maybe re-hire Michael Malone… oh wait, he hates Vivek. Maybe Dave Joerger. or Micah Nori. Lots of former Kings coaches to chose from. (actually, Ime Udoka as a former player would be kind of super).
Man, being a Kings head coach is the best. You get 2-3 years of paid vacation, guaranteed.
Raiders as well. The two trashiest franchises in the NBA and NFL respectively and unfortuantely my two favorite teams.
Same. Add to that being an A’s fan as well.
Sigh. #FJF
Same same. We honestly shouldn’t even like sports at this point lol
At least we get the A’s for three years, assuming you’re in Sac.
Moved from Sac about four years ago…lol.
Same. Keeps the bars in business though
Well, it’s been a while since I’ve commented and I guess I’m one of the few that is OK with this move, but I feel like the team has regressed each year and I hold MIKE partially responsible for the loss against the Warriors in that seven game series. He didn’t make adjustments when we were getting killed on the offensive boards and game seven . I guess that’s one example but I think it’s indicative of his unwillingness to make adjustments when things aren’t going well.
His lack of adjustments and screwy rotations definitely played a part in it, but Monte is the one who built this shit show. He’s every bit if not more responsible.
Brown didn’t get fired. He got paroled. Did his time and got out.
If they could only have gotten Dedmon back, this would have never happened.
Oh boy…….Doug Christie is gonna be the interim coach…
Matina’s choice!
True Dat! Queen Matina and Prince Vlade as well.
Mike Bibby will be added as lead assistant
Sigh. Jman stop! you are giving me agita. If I had hair, I’d be shedding it right now.
F it. Bring Vlade back as the Assistant to the Assistant to the GM under Anjali and Peja as lead scout.
This is 100% Vivek. I don’t think any competent GM picks the 4th coach down the bench to take over.
Agreed.
Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence.
I hope that this’ll help the Kings, but I doubt that it’ll help the Kings. The roster construction problems seem like problems that are much worse than Brown’s flaws.
Fox is a spoiled brat and Monte is trying to save his job. Brown fell in the wrong spot politically.
If it comes out that Rich Paul was here to get Brown fired on Fox’s behalf he is a shit bag. If Fox trashes Brown or admits to getting Brown fired he is even a bigger shit bag than he showed himself to be yesterday. If the new coach comes out praising Fox that coach is a shit bag.
Something had to change in the coaching situation but this smells of shit baggery.
Brown knew his ass was on the line and he called Fox for what he is. Brown is not the greatest coach but he is NOT a shit bag.
Unfortuanetly, the truth will likely never come out unless MB divulges the dirty details which he won’t.
Brown gave us an indirect version when he openly criticized Fox for his play last night. He was basically telling the world that the team is playing poorly because of Fox’s lack of leadership and his open disobedience.
Bingo!
Brown tried a power play when he saw the season slipping away and called out Fox publicly and Fox turned out to have more power (and a strong agent).
If Monte still has any power he needs to pivot and blow it all up. Doug isn’t fixing Jack shit.
I thought your biggest criticism this offseason was the coaching, and the decision to re-hire Brown. Why would you then not be open to a new coach being able to right the ship?
Good question.
It is not that I am not open to a new coach (I am very much open to it), but IMO:
a) more needs to happen (a complete blowup); and
b) the timing is horrible.
A few explanations regarding the timing:
Brown shouldn’t have gotten the extension. But firing him now is not helping the organization in any way.
As stated above, it rewards Fox’s lack of accountability, which is horrible in my view. It does not improve the team’s chances of getting better (given the history of interim coaches’ succes in the NBA) and therefore it doesn’t improve the chances of keeping Fox in Sacramento (if that is what you’d want).
I think how the Kings let him run practice and talk to the press, to then fire him right afterwards is atrocious, almost comically and purposely ridiculous behavior from a corporation worth four billion dollars.
I think Mike is a “great guy/good coach”, sort of a Kirkland label Doc Rivers, and has been fired three times before, so its not a surprise that some of his worst tendencies showed up. With respect to the lack of bench wings, and some of the injury issues, Mike was not making the most of his roster/rotations, and seemed to be a bit of a deer in the headlights when things started to go sideways. If he can only coach a loaded/well balanced roster, well good luck because there are like six of those in the league, and couldn’t anyone coach that team?
My issues with Mike were his stubbornness in sticking to his game plan (something that came up in LA & Cleveland) when it wasn’t working, not really managing the game or thinking on the fly. Watching SA run the same play over and over, getting Monk/Fox to switch on Wemby one-on-one, and not change the scheme at all for the last five minutes in a close loss is when I realized he does not have a handle on the team this year. A few nights later, after the Kings had played Memphis very well on the road, to watch it slip away because the Kings could not score in the last few minutes, was it for me. Sabonis had 17 in the first half, as Memphis literally had no one to gaurd him as he was too strong for JJJ/Huff, and the Sabonis did not get the ball at all in the 4th quarter. Not once, and that was also the game Keon only played two minutes because of whatever reason.
That stubbornness/deer-in-the-headlights showed to me in his lineup selections. I initially thought Monk starting might really put pressure on a defense, having two super quick guards to penetrate/create, but it did not. What it did was make it crowded, and neuter DeMar’s effectiveness, turning him into a jump shooter rather than creator. Tim did a nice job demonstrating DeMar’s effectiveness on drives and pnr’s, and Monk is similar, as is Fox. Too much. They needed a catch&shoot player in the starting lineup, and if it wasn’t Kevin, then it had to be Keon. Keon is very limited offensively, he is not a good ball handler, nor passer, and not a great decision maker, but he is a fantastic c&s from three point range.
Malik in Nov (6th man): 27.6 mpg, 16.2ppg, 4.1 ast, shooting 48/35/81
Malik in Dec (starter); 33.3 mpg, 16.4ppg, 5.8 ast, shooting 42/35/95
What stood out to me was his dip in FTA/g (from 2.9 to 1.7), and did not shoot a free throw in five of eleven games as a starter, likely as he did not have as much opportunity to get to the hoop. He only had three games of zero free throws attempted in his first 13 games off the bench.
DDR in Nov (Monk is 6th man): 22.5ppg, shooting 50/30/81 on 17.6 shots/game
DDR in Dec (Monk starting): 18.2ppg, shooting 44/33/90 on 14.4 shots/game
I think Monk starting made it difficult for both of them to play to their strengths, and did not work. Kevin was much more productive off of the bench, averaging 11pt/4rb/2ast and one steal a game, shooting 47/38/80.
Keon, meanwhile, played less than 20 minutes in six out of ten games in December, after playing 20+ twelve of the previous fifteen games.
I understand giving Kevin a shot as a starter this season, but when it wasn’t working out, Keon should have been made the starter, letting Malik and Kevin be a scoring punch off the bench, and Keon giving Fox/DDR/Domas a proper target to find on the perimeter, while not taking the ball out of their hands. I think this failure cost the Kings a couple of games, and likely MB his job.
I liked Mike but he didn’t show us his best this year and I’m not mad at this change. Good luck Mike!
I hope this is just the beginning though and Monte makes some moves SOON. I’m still a believer that DDR has to go while he still has value.
And for anyone wanting to see Fox moved, this organization just chose it’s side. Fox isn’t getting traded.
I think there’s still a good chance Fox gets traded.
Debending on how or who fired Brown that could still be true.
Are you really sure. If Vivek is the owner and he fired Brown Monte still IMO has the say on trades and doesn’t want Fox to be a Lebron James and that is true then I think Monte might still have something up his sleeve. I still think Monte has the say not Fox. We’ll see.
Monte has say just no power . Vivek hired Brown and fired Brown . See Malone takes . Vivek hired Monte and will eventually fire Monte .
The Kings fired the person least responsible for the team’s problems, letting the unaccountable star get the coach fired. Can’t wait for Fox to get resigned.
Hard disagree
The Kings have given the keys to the franchise to Fox. We will see how well it goes.
Remember what Fox said in an interview a couple days ago and what about his agent talking to Monte and Wes behind closed doors. Very interesting.
Maybe not.
Welp.
I don’t necessarily have a problem with firing Brown; he’s not a great coach, and he’s made plenty of questionable decisions during his tenure (starting Okpala, the weird back-up center rotation at the start of last year, having Terrence Davis guard Curry, the Keon Ellis allergy, etc.
The problem is how: not only is the timing and manner distasteful, it also screams NO PLAN. I hope I’m wrong, but we all know that’s highly unlikely with this ownership group.
The sh!t show continues and I’m here for it lol.
Apparently the two DC’s are going to save our season. You can’t make this stuff up.
Another sideways move.
Monte “Sideways Move” McNair is becoming a thing.
Maybe we’ll get some decent rotations now
I’d 100% be behind Keon starting and moving Monk back to the bench.
Yeah that should be first move. I can’t see derozan coming off the bench but he should with lyles starting…I’ll be happy with just keon though
You’d think Christie would do this, but my sense is that we are going to see the veterans placated instead, which means even more Huerter.
My only positive angle is that Doug was a defensive dude and Keon has, at times, reminded me of him as a player.
Yes, that is my hope, too.
Colby, Huerter, Doug, Len, Crowder?
He dared to criticize De’Aaron lol
Crazy that it was after this loss which was clearly on the players. He told them exactly the right things to do and they just didn’t do them. But if the players no longer listen to the coach I guess you can’t fire all the players.
But you could get rid of those that don’t listen or try to run the organization. I don’t want a Lebron James on our roster.
I think back to when Monk was announced as being the starter. Domas said “it’s about time”.
Did the problems with Brown run deeper than some may have thought?
Were the players also frustrated with his rotations?
I expect this to do absolutely nothing in terms of team performance. It was just the easy move for Monte to make and say, “See, I’m doing something!” Throwing the coach under the bus is the easy go to move for a GM save face on a shit season.
The truth is, it’s still egg on Monte’s face. He’s the guy that gave Brown a 3 year extension just a few months ago.
Yep. Though I will say that MM has drafted better than any GM since Petrie. But that’s a low bar to clear.
I think it actually looks pretty bad.
2020
Haliburton was a major win, but he had to be there at #12. Still, A+ decision.
2021
Davion Mitchell – I like Davion better than most, because I was never down on his man defense. Still, he gave very little to the Kings and was traded in a salary dump.
2022
Keegan Murray – One really good season, one average season and now he looks like a bust. And this was a #4 pick.
2023
Traded pick to dump Richaun Holmes salary.
2024
Devin Carter – TBD.
They’ve gotten nothing out of second round picks.
Right now we’re sitting on what I would consider one good pick in four drafts, and effectively two picks traded to dump salary.
I think Murray has been misused this season, not a (full-time) PF.
Even with Keegan seemingly hanging in the balance, what GM has drafted better than that?
This was all Vivek . Monte is juiceless . The next Pete D .
And almost everyone here was praising that move and claiming that you shouldn’t have a good coach go into a lame-duck season, instead of making him earn it after a down year…
I remember you making comments about making him earn it, and thought you were pretty spot on.
Brown was one ofthe problems *and* the easiest move. McNair may not be a genius, bt is at least a competent GM. Let’s see if any trades are coming. I think a big decision is whether they try to salvage this season rf acquire future assets by e.g. trading Fox and tank to retain their own draft pick.
Vivek did all the above . Monte is just Pete D the second version . Has say in draft and little else .
I was so thrilled about MB during that 22/23 season. He seems like a great guy and I wish him well wherever he ends up. A midseason firing isn’t going to go well.
But he did so many goofy, inexplicable things as coach. As the last two seasons went on, I started getting the nagging feeling that he had somehow negatively impacted the confidence of both Keegan and Huerter. This team had become a psychological mess, in my opinion.
I know roster construction is a big problem, but not a 13-18 problem. The inability to hold onto double digit leads had become a part of the fabric of the team.
Monte needs to move players soon. I’d like to see them get a big haul for Fox but that ain’t happening right now, since it sure looks like he engineered the firing. So, get what you can for any combination of DeMar / Monk / Huerter. Doug Christie probably isn’t going to be the answer, so acquire some bigs and build around Domas, Keegan, Carter, Keon, and start to get some FRPs.
Sure wishing I saw any light at the end of this tunnel.
“As the last two seasons went on, I started getting the nagging feeling that he had somehow negatively impacted the confidence of both Keegan and Huerter.”
Aren’t they supposed to be professional athletes? How many opportunities is Huerter supposed to get to brick 3s and let his man blow by him to the basket?