Luke Walton’s spot at the head of the Sacramento Kings bench is up for grabs. One more time. The California franchise had gotten off to a good start to the season, but a four-game losing streak has pushed it back to the bottom of the Western Conference.
The Kings were 5-4 before hitting a series of losses against Indiana, Phoenix, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The situation is not yet alarming, but the organization is determined to break a playoff drought that has lasted for fifteen years. And she is not willing to allow any more absences.
Thus, the room for maneuver available to Walton is limited. The situation is very similar to the one experienced last year. So the Kings were 5-10 before making a small recovery until early February (12-11). However, this would be followed by a pronounced collapse with thirteen defeats in the next 16 games.
At that time, as reported by the media ESPN, it was decided to continue betting on Walton due, in part, to the good rate of approval of the technician between components of the wardrobe and the offices, led by the general manager Mount McNair. On the other, the financial factor also played an important role, since the coach is guaranteed this season and the next for a total of 11.5 million dollars.
However, the general manager already warned a week ago that this time they expected significant progress from the team. “We felt we had a lot of positive signs last year,” McNair said. “Obviously we didn’t get where we wanted to go, so we worked to add depth and defense. Luke recognized that we had to be better on that end of the court. We have seen some good anticipated results this year. So, you know, we just have to stay on that line and hopefully see results. We’re rowing in that direction and we all want to make the playoffs and finally reap that reward. “
The first trial by fire will take place this Monday, when the Kings visit the Detroit Pistons court, then they will face the Timberwolves, Raptors and Jazz before closing the week.
(Cover photo by Tom Pennington / Getty Images)