The Sacramento Kings are transferring ahead with Doug Christie as their head coach, the group introduced Thursday. It removes the interim tag he carried this previous season after taking on for Mike Brown, who was fired in December. Monetary figures weren’t launched, however Christie and the group had been reportedly engaged on a multi-year deal, based on ESPN. 

Kings normal supervisor Scott Perry, who the group not too long ago employed after parting methods with Monte McNair, met with Christie final week, but in addition deliberate to speak with different candidates for the job as effectively.

It seems as if Perry determined Christie was one of the best particular person for the job, seemingly as a consequence of the truth that the Kings completed 27-24 with him on the helm. It did not lead to a lot success past the common season, as Sacramento fell to the Dallas Mavericks within the play-in spherical, however the group put up the ninth-best offense throughout Christie’s brief tenure.

“I first met Doug Christie when he was a participant in Toronto, so I like him as a participant, his profession,” Perry advised reporters throughout his introductory press convention final week. “I’ve watched him this yr from afar. By way of his capability to have a presence on the courtroom, I believe he is made a reference to gamers.”

Christie was an assistant coach for the Kings courting again to the 2021-22 season, and performed for the franchise from 2000 to 2005. He turns into the group’s thirteenth coach since Rick Adelman, the group’s longest tenured and winningest coach in franchise historical past departed in 2006. 

Since Adelman, it has been a revolving door of coaches for the Kings, with Brown being the one one who managed to get Sacramento to the playoffs for the primary time because the Corridor of Fame head coach was in cost. However Brown was proven the door simply two years after breaking the playoff drought for the Kings, so Christie is aware of persistence isn’t one thing the Kings entrance workplace and group proprietor Vivek Ranadivé have in abundance.

The primary order of enterprise for Christie and the Kings will likely be to determine methods to enhance this roster for subsequent season. Whereas the Kings had been a top-10 offense, the protection ranked twenty third with Christie in cost. It is why Sacramento struggled so closely in opposition to the Mavericks, who had no problem scoring in opposition to the Kings in that play-in recreation. 

Brown could not get enhance Sacramento’s protection, however maybe Christie may have a greater time at doing so. Time will inform, however simply altering the pinnacle coach will not be sufficient for the Kings to interrupt into the higher echelon of the Western Convention. Roster adjustments should be made as effectively, although the previous few offers the Kings have accomplished haven’t gone of their favor.