Saving the Sacramento Kings, step 2: Determine if Walton is the coach for the future
The Kings hired Luke Walton last offseason and the results have been questionable. Walton was hired after the team fired Dave Joerger after he led the team to their best season in years. The idea was that Luke Walton would continue to bring the tempo that Joerger had but be more willing to work with the front office, improve the defense, and connect with the young players.
It’s not wrong to wonder if Walton is actually the coach we thought he was when he filled in Steve Kerr during the Golden State Warriors’ 73-win season. His tenure with the Lakers was rocky, but the Lakers also had a lot of internal problems.
With a new front office in place, the first thing to do would be to talk to players, and then continue to look and evaluate Walton.
If the result is that Walton is not the guy then the team needs to be quick to move on from him and get one of the top coaching prospects on the market.
If it turns out Walton is the guy, then be open with him. The best teams in the NBA have synergy between the front office and head coach. Talking to Walton and having a more collaborative process would put the team in a better position for the future.