The Sacramento Kings fell to 0-5 last night, leaving them as one of two remaining winless teams and sporting the worst point differential in the league. Despite this uninspiring start to the season, it does not sound like change is on the horizon. Sam Amick recently shed some light on the situation. 

Amick acknowledges the leaguewide sentiment that if the Kings – who were 0-4 before losing to the winless New Orleans Pelicans last night – did not secure a win on their current four-game road trip, then Christie’s job could be in real jeopardy. 

However, Amick is hearing that this is not the case. He explains that “there is an internal belief that Christie deserves a fair chance to be evaluated with a team that is much healthier than this current Kings lot.”

How Real is this Explanation? 

It is true that Sacramento has had to weather injuries to almost all position groups at this point. We saw injuries turn the Kings’ roster upside down last year as well. 

This year, the void at the backup center position has likely been the most noticeable. Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell have yet to suit up this season, and the drop off when Domantas Sabonis is off the floor is steep. 

At other positions, forward Keegan Murray is once again on the shelf with ankle capsulitis. Ben Simmons tore his Achilles before opening night, ending his comeback tour before it even began. So, there is some merit to practicing some patience as it relates to Christie’s coaching job. 

However, injuries are an unfortunate reality in this sport, and they are not only happening to the Kings. As the Kang Gang Pod notes in their newest hit song, 15% of the league is injured. It feels like we see a notable player get hurt every day at this point. 

Sacramento lost to a New Orleans team playing without starting guard Dejounte Murray and starting center Yves Missi last night. The Memphis Grizzlies were without starting center Zach Edey when they beat the Kings earlier this week. The Los Angeles Clippers were missing star forward Brandon Ingram when they blew the Kings out on opening night. 

Injuries certainly do not help the organization evaluate their head coach; the more relevant lens for the evaluation is whether he is doing the best possible job with the players available to him. 

Are There Other Factors In Play Here? 

Amick also notes that “development – both his and that of key young players – is considered the most important aspect of [Christie’s] duties.” 

This is undoubtedly true, and also speaks to why the organization may be taking its time to make any real decision on their coach’s future. 

As currently constructed, it seems like the Kings’ young core includes Darius Acuff Jr., Nique Clifford, Alex Karaban, Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell. Assessing Christie’s development of the young core when three of those players are injured is a tough task. 

For what it’s worth, Darius Acuff Jr. has looked more comfortable leading an offense with each passing game. That is certainly a promising development. He is by far the most important young player, so this probably weighs heavily on the team’s ‘develop young players’ score. 

On the other hand, Nique Clifford and Alex Karaban have made little to no impact this season. Not because they have been bad (in fairness, they have not been great when they have played), but because they hardly see the floor at all. 

Karaban and Clifford should theoretically be the players flanking Acuff on the wing as he leads the offense. That has simply not been the case this season. The duo combines to average 4.3 PPG, 1 RPG, and 1.3 APG in 16 minutes per game. Karaban has received 2 DNP CDs, and Clifford has received one as well. 

It would be one thing if Clifford and Karaban were each playing over 20 minutes per game and simply not playing at the level the team needs. The coach of a rebuilding team – who is clearly being evaluated in large part based on how key young players develop – simply not playing those key young players is an entirely different issue.  

Where Does the Team Go From Here? 

Christie is on the last guaranteed year of his contract, with a team option for 2027-28 at a staggeringly low salary compared to the market rate for NBA head coaches. If injuries persist, the team could continue using the injury explanation as a reason to pick that option up and let Christie coach the 2027-28 season on his relatively miniscule salary as well. 

At some point, though, Sacramento will need to shift focus from what/who the team does not have available to them, and evaluate their coaching situation based on what the team has done with what they have. 

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