Kings mailbag: Will GM Monte McNair make changes? Is now the time to fire Luke Walton?
The Kings are approaching the quarter pole in the 2020-21 NBA season with more questions than answers.
Losing four in a row and nine of 11 while giving up a zillion points per game raised a few red flags, but the Kings responded with better defensive efforts in back-to-back wins over the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic. General manager Monte McNair is watching it all unfold, trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t in his first months on the job.
The Kings are 7-10 heading into Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, Toronto’s temporary home. Sacramento is last in the Pacific Division and 13th in the Western Conference. Talk of the Kings reaching the playoffs has quieted considerably since Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal cursed them following a surprising 3-1 start.
So now what? Is Luke Walton the right coach for this team? Will he be the one to bring winning basketball back to Sacramento? Is McNair eager to make a change? What’s up with Jabari Parker and DaQuan Jeffries?
You have questions and we have answers in this week’s Kings mailbag.
Note: Some questions have been edited for length or clarity.
Will McNair make changes?
@Drnesto93 asks: Monte McNair said he wanted the Kings to be competitive, which largely has not happened. What needs to be done to change this? Is it better to make an immediate change or wait it out and weather the storm?
McNair probably won’t make any win-now moves unless he is presented with something that also fits his long-term vision. He will be involved in frequent discussions leading up to the March 25 trade deadline and will likely look to move some of his veterans for younger pieces that fit the timeline of players like De’Aaron Fox, rookie Tyrese Haliburton and Marvin Bagley III.
A coaching change is possible at some point, and that could be hastened by another long series of ugly losses, but in my mind that would be premature. The Kings have churned through 10 head coaches since Rick Adelman left in 2006. That hasn’t fixed anything.
The next general manager who succeeds in Sacramento will be the one who doesn’t fire a coach every year and a half. At some point McNair will have to make sure he has the right coach for the roster he assembles over the next year or so, but Walton is here now. It would be wise to find out if he is the man for the job before letting him go.
Some people have made up their minds already, but I’d still like to see what Walton can do with a steady ship. He didn’t have that with the Los Angeles Lakers and he hasn’t had that so far in Sacramento.
Let’s not forget the Lakers were fourth in the Western Conference when LeBron James got hurt in 2018-19. Walton is a guy who grew up with John Wooden quotes written on his lunch bag and the Pyramid of Success on every wall in the house. Kobe Bryant and Steve Kerr said they thought Walton would be a great coach. Maybe that won’t be the case, but for now the prudent thing might be to watch Walton work and see how his players progress before making a long-term decision for the future.
That’s the first place you can look for a change in the way this team competes. The players have to step up, be tougher, be stronger, and Walton’s staff has to coach them up, particularly on the defensive end. They knew they were getting pushed around. They finally pushed back in wins over New York and Orlando. Let’s see if they can maintain that level of focus, intensity and toughness.
COVID-19 protocols at Golden 1 Center
@Robdw18W asks: Now that California has reverted to the tier system for public gatherings, are the Kings preparing for fans to return and what protocols will be in place for fans to attend?
We probably aren’t going to see fans inside Golden 1 Center until Sacramento County reaches the least-stringent yellow tier for COVID-19 restrictions, which will allow most indoor business operations to open with modifications.
When we get there, the Kings will be ready. As we reported in November, the Kings have been consulting with local health officials and the NBA to establish protocols for fans to return to the arena. The Sacramento Bee obtained a copy of an NBA memo to all 30 teams outlining COVID-109 protocols to be implemented at all arenas, including provisions for health screenings, personal protective equipment, social distancing, fan testing, seating configurations and other measures.
The Kings issued a statement to The Bee before the season began, explaining steps they are taking to bring fans back to the arena.
“We are closely monitoring the rapidly-evolving coronavirus situation, and our top priority remains the health and well-being of the community and everyone connected to our game,” the team said.
“As part of our ongoing conversations over recent months with local officials, we are working to start the 2020-21 NBA season next month at Golden 1 Center in accordance with all NBA and Sacramento County-approved protocols for games with team and league personnel, essential arena and operations staff, and media in attendance. We have also been working with state and local public health officials and medical experts to develop health and safety protocols to welcome fans back to Golden 1 Center for the upcoming season once state and county public health orders permit.”
Where’s DaQuan Jeffries?
@JohnnyDolt asks: What is the status of DaQuan Jeffries?
Jeffries suffered a grade-3 ankle sprain while participating in 4-on-4 drills Dec. 29. The following day, the team announced Jeffries was out with a grade-3 sprain and an update on his status would be provided in six weeks. We’re still a couple of weeks away from that date. That’s really all we know at this point.
It was unfortunate timing for Jeffries, 23, who had already missed the start of the season due to back soreness. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard/forward had a 44-point game in the G League last season and showed some potential in the NBA bubble before re-signing with the Kings on a two-year, $3 million deal with a team option for next season.
And where’s Jabari Parker?
@vtl42 asks: Why isn’t Jabari Parker playing?
This question comes up almost every day. Guys, barring injuries, it probably isn’t going to happen.
The Kings acquired Parker in the Feb. 5 trade that sent Dewayne Dedmon back to the Atlanta Hawks. That was 359 days ago. Since then, Parker has only appeared in six games for the Kings, averaging 13.3 minutes per game in those contests.
Parker is only 25, but he will be 26 in March and has a long history of injuries. He’s still in Sacramento after exercising his $6.5 million player option for this season, but there has been no indication he is part of the team’s plans.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 5:30 AM.
