Sacramento Kings: Should They Consider Mike D’Antoni as Head Coach?
As you may have already heard, the Sacramento Kings fired their head coach, Mike Malone. That leaves a gaping hole that for now, assistant coach Tyrone Corbin will fill. The question is, what kind of head coach does Kings owner Vivek Ranadive want if he was so unhappy with Malone?
It’s actually quite simple — Ranadive doesn’t want a defensive-minded coach. He wants a coach who will run-and-gun and according to Yahoo Sports, they’re eyeing George Karl and Vinny Del Negro as potential candidates. If they’re willing to take a look at Karl and Del Negro — two coaches who have had their share of playoff disappointments, why not take a look at D’Antoni as well?
In D’Antoni’s 12 seasons, he compiled a regular season record of 455-426 (.516) with a playoff record of 26-33 (.441). The fact that his teams haven’t won a playoff game since 2007-08 would be enough to scare most teams away, but I’m here to offer a different look at things. Don’t forget that from 2004-05 to 2007-08, D’Antoni went 232-96 (.707) during the regular season and a respectable 26-25 over those four seasons.
For some reference, Karl put up a .599 regular season record and a .432 playoff record, with Del Negro at .533 regular season and .345 in the playoffs.
So, what happened to D’Antoni after he left the Suns and why would he be a good choice for this Kings team?
First off, coaches are only as good as their players. It’s the job of the front office to put together a roster that meshes well with the coaches’ philosophy. Then, everyone has to buy-in and everyone has to go out and execute. When D’Antoni was with the Suns, that’s exactly what happened. Management backed him, they had personnel that fit the system and everyone believed in the “Seven Seconds or Less” era.
Did the New York Knicks offer the same package? Quite simply, no. The key to that Suns team was Steve Nash and his ability to run pick-and-rolls and his tremendous ability to shoot. Who manned the point guard position for the Knicks? Chris Duhon — he of the 39.3 career field goal percentage. It didn’t get better — as the Knicks then brought in Ray Felton.
Once D’Antoni hit Los Angeles, he was again hit with a roster that didn’t quite fit his vision. Pau Gasol is a tremendous player, but he isn’t a run-and-gun type. Kobe Bryant is not a transition player this late in his career. Nash had a decent first season but was too old and broken down to make a difference.
Going to Sacramento would afford D’Antoni a more athletic roster with a management team that is hellbent on creating an uptempo system. Their D-League affiliate — the Reno Big Horns — average an astounding 140.1 points per game. Through nine games, they’ve taken 459 3-point shots, with opponents putting up just 200. Ranadive would love to see that kind of system in Sacramento as well.
Coach Malone was trying to establish more of a defensive mindset, and it wasn’t working. The Kings are 8-5 when scoring over 100 points, combined with just 3-8 when they fall beneath the century mark.
The makeup of this Kings squad isn’t 100 percent perfect — it would have been better with Isaiah Thomas still in town — but it’s a good start. Having an athletic wing in Rudy Gay, an up-and-coming shooting guard in Ben McLemore and the league’s best young center in DeMarcus Cousins is a great start. The only cog that doesn’t quite fit is Darren Collison. He’s a very good finisher (65.7 percent inside 3-feet, a career high), but he’s not much for knocking down the 3-pointer (30.2 percent, career-worst).
I’d love to hear what you have to say, Kings fans. Do you want Karl, Del Negro, D’Antoni or someone else?