Sacramento Kings’ newly appointed general manager, Scott Perry, will reportedly make his first important decision in his second stint with the organization. According to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee, Perry is expected to decide on Doug Christie’s future with the organization within the next week. Perry can choose to give Christie the full-time gig or go with someone he has reportedly been talking with.
“New Kings GM Scott Perry says he hopes to make a decision regarding the team’s head coaching vacancy in the next week or so,” Anderson recently tweeted. “He has spoken to Doug Christie and had good things to say, but he has also fielded calls from other coaches who are interested in the job.”
Sacramento Kings Coaching Search Underway, Does Doug Christie Deserve Fulltime Job?
It is interesting that Perry, who spent three months in Sacramento in 2017 before being named the New York Knicks GM, is talking to other potential candidates before deciding on Christie’s future. Does Christie deserve the full-time gig? Who else is Perry possibly talking with about the job?
Christie took over the Kings after Sacramento dismissed Mike Brown on December 27 on an interim basis. At the time of Brown’s firing, the Kings were 12th in the Western Conference at 13-18. Under Christie, the Kings went 27-24 to finish ninth in the conference.
Sacramento was upended by Dallas 120-106 in the 9-10 Play-In Tournament game. The Kings were outscored 44-19 in the second quarter. The Kings committed 18 turnovers and were outscored by 13 at the foul line, as the Mavericks attempted 26 free throws. Meanwhile, the Kings were 11 of 15 from the charity stripe.
Kings Improved Under Christie
Notwithstanding their record, Sacramento showed improvement under Christie. The Kings went 11-18 against teams with a .500 or better record under Christie, compared to 2-12 when Brown was still at the helm. The Kings only had D’Aaron Fox for 14 of the final 51 contests. Meanwhile, Domantas Sabonis missed nine contests, and Malik Monk sat out 10 of the 51 matchups.
Sacramento was definitely better offensively under Christie than under Brown. The Kings’ biggest improvement was on the offensive glass and 3-point shooting. The Kings also shared the ball better under Christie, though they didn’t get to the free-throw line as much. In addition, they were better in transition under Christie.
Defense was an issue for the Kings under Christie. Transition and paint defense were the Kings’ most significant issues. DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Keegan Murray saw a slight jump under Christie. Meanwhile, youngsters Keon Ellis, Devin Carter, and Isaac Jones showed some promise.
“This is where I want to be,” Christie told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee recently. “I think you guys know that. I need to finish what I started.”
There is no reason for Perry not to give Christie, who knows the community and franchise extremely well. Christie is also reportedly popular among Kings players.
According to Logan Struck of Sports Illustrated, the Kings players made it clear that they enjoyed Christie for being more of a “player’s coach.”
Analyzing Potential Candidates for Kings Head Coaching Job
Let’s say Perry does go in a different direction. Who are some potential candidates for the Kings’ head coaching job?
Michael Malone, David Adelman, Mike Budenzholzer, James Borrego, Steve Clifford, Mike D’antoni, Mark Jackson, Terry Stotts, Frank Vogel, Monty Williams, Sam Cassell, Lindsay Harding, and Micah Nori have been mentioned as possible candidates. Jerry Stackhouse, Bobby Jackson, Caron Butler, and Chris Quinn are also potential candidates.
Before delving into an analysis, let’s clarify something. Malone isn’t likely a serious candidate for the job. Yes, Malone did an excellent job with Denver, but he outlasted his welcome before getting axed. Plus, Malone went 39-67 in a stint with the Kings before getting fired 24 games into his second season. As a result, Anderson believes Malone holds resentment towards Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadive.
Clifford did an admirable job in Charlotte and Orlando. Clifford has made the playoffs in four of his 10 seasons, but the 63-year-old is 121 games below .500 for his career and hasn’t advanced past the opening round. He has just three winning campaigns.
D’antoni is 73 and has been out of basketball since being an assistant with Brooklyn in 2020-21. Stotts did a heck of a job with Portland after struggling in two-year stints at Milwaukkee and Atlanta. The 67-year-old, an assistant with Golden State, owns a 23-44 playoff record.
Ranking The Kings Remaining Candidates
Perry is considering other candidates for Sacramento’s job, so the position is considered open. That means the Kings are the third squad with an open head coaching job. Memphis and Denver are the other two teams who will be looking for a head coach. After Gregg Popovich‘s last medical emergency, San Antonio likely will also be looking for a new coach.
Micah Nori
Nori has been an NBA assistant since 2009-10 and has been the lead assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves since 2021. The 51-year-old has been a candidate for several openings over the past few years. He spent two seasons in Sacramento (2013-15) before moving to Denver.
Nori is considered an offensive saviant. Nori does not have any official head coaching experience. However, Norid did lead the Nuggets 2015 summer league squad to a 3-0 record and coached Team Pau during the 2024 Rising Stars Challenge.
“Micah Nori was a popular name last year during the coaching cycle and should be considered for the Kings’ job,” James McCauley of Sports Illustrated said. Nori spent several years with the Kings on Mike Malone’s staff from 2013 to 2015. He was then a lead assistant in Detroit and now has that role under Chris Finch in Minnesota. Finch (who Sacramento was interested in before hiring Mike Brown) was also on the Denver staff under Malone.
Nori would likely bring a faster pace and run Sacramento’s offense through Domantas Sabonis, which could recapture some of what helped Sacramento break their playoff drought in 2022-23.”
Chris Quinn
Like Nori, Quinn has recently been a candidate for a variety of NBA jobs. Quinn, who played six seasons in the Association, has been in the league as a coach since 2013-14 with every season with Miami.
Here is what ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz previously said about Quinn as an assistant coach:
“Quinn is a point guard’s point guard who has excelled at every task en route to the lead assistant’s chair in Miami. Ask Heat insiders who most embodies the team’s culture, and Quinn is commonly the answer (one league source affectionately referred to Quinn as [Erik] Spoelstra‘s “mini-me” for his temperament and organizational skills). He’s an emotionally stable leader who inspires confidence in players.”
Mark Jackson
Jackson did a remarkable job with Golden State but was unceremoniously dismissed by the Warriors in favor of Steve Kerr. Jackson led the Warriors to two playoff appearances and a 121-109 record. He spent several seasons as an NBA analyst with ESPN until 2023.
“Jackson compiled a 121-109 (.526) record with two playoff appearances in three seasons as head coach of the Golden State Warriors from 2011-14,” Anderson said. “He was a candidate for the job in Sacramento when the Kings hired Mike Brown in 2022.”
Frank Vogel
Vogel is an excellent coach who has gotten a raw deal in his last two stops, Phoenix and Los Angeles Lakers. Vogel produced a winning eight of his 12 seasons and made eight playoff appearances, posting a 49-43 record.
Here is what Anderson said about Vogel: “Vogel won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020. He has a 480-422 (.532) record over 12 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Magic, Lakers and Suns.”
Jerry Stackhouse
Stackhouse doesn’t have NBA head coaching experience. But the 50-year-old spent five seasons at Vanderbilt (70-92) and was head coach for the G-League Raptors 905, where he was named coach of the year. He is currently an assistant with the Warriors.
Here is what McCauley said about Stackhouse: “Stackhouse brings a lot of the same qualities as Christie, but with more experience. He has G League (Raptors 905) and college (Vanderbilt) head coaching experience, and now runs the Warriors’ defense. He would also command player respect, enjoying a productive 18-year playing career that ended in 2013. ”
Bobby Jackson
Like Christie, Jackson played for the Kings in the early 2000s. Jackson was on Sacramento’s coaching staff sporadically for five seasons before spending the last two years in Philadelphia. He received head coaching experience with the G-League Stockton Kings in 2021-22
Here is more from Mccauley:
“Bobby Jackson, in attendance during the Play-In trouncing, is another former King who has built a solid resume as an assistant coach with some head coaching experience under his belt as well. Jackson served as Head Coach of the Stockton Kings in 2021-22, then was an assistant coach in Sacramento under Luke Walton. He has been an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers under Nick Nurse since 2023.”
Caron Butler
Butler concluded his playing career in Sactown. He has said he wants to be a head coach and has been alongside Quinn on the Heat’s bench for the past five years.
Here is what McCauley said about Butler:
“Caron Butler is a former King and current assistant with the Miami Heat. Butler retired in 2016 after one season in Sacramento and has coached in Miami since 2020. Butler would immediately command respect given his notable playing career, and his short experience coming in the Heat organization gives him more credibility than most coaches with this amount of experience.”
Mike Budenholzer
Budenzolzer had a terrible time with Phoenix this past season. But Bud is an NBA champion coach who had successful five-year stints with Atlanta and Milwaukee. The 55-year-old owns a 520-363 record while also going 56-48 in the playoffs. His teams have advanced out of the first round in six of their nine playoff appearances.
James Borrego
Borrego did a fine job in Orlando and Charlotte under challenging situations. However, Borrego never made the playoffs and owns a losing overall record (148-183). He was the associate head coach with New Orleans this season.
David Adelman
Adelman, the long-time NBA coach and former King top man Rick Adelman, is currently the interim coach with the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets tied the Los Angeles Clippers at 2-2 in their first-round series tonight, so it is conceivable he will get the Nuggets full-time gig.
Adelman is 5-5 since taking over for Malone. Before taking over the Nuggets, he was an NBA assistant coach from 2011-12. Adelman directed the Minnesota Timberwolves summer league squad for three seasons when he served on Flip Saunders’s staff.
Sam Cassell
Cassell is a long-time NBA player who has been in the coaching business for years. The 55-year-old, considered one of the top assistants in the league, has worked under Joe Mazzula for the past two years.
“Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell has been a hot name for several years now,” McCauley said. “Cassell played until 2008 and has moved from the Clippers to the 76ers to the Boston Celtics as an assistant in recent years, learning under Doc Rivers and Joe Mazzula.”
Monty Williams
Williams is a well-respected and NBA champion head coach who had a horrible season with Detroit in 2023-24. The 53-year-old has produced five winning seasons in nine years, a 29-27 playoff record, and a .485 career winning percentage.
Lindey Harding
Harding is a long shot. But the 40-year-old served five seasons with the Kings’ organization, including leading their G-League team in Stockton. She is currently an assistant with the Lakers.
Photo Credit: © Sergio Estrada, Imagn Images
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