I’m a day or so behind on happenings around the league, I missed out on the big news of Theus’ departure. ESPN ran the first story I saw:
Two days after a heavy home loss to the New York Knicks, Reggie Theus was fired Monday as coach of the Sacramento Kings.
Assistant coach Kenny Natt has been elevated to interim coach. Natt is Sacramento’s fourth coach in less than three years, following Theus, Eric Musselman and Rick Adelman, who left the club after the 2005-06 season.
One of Theus’ assistants, Chuck Person, was also dismissed, with the Kings having lost 13 of their past 15 games in a 6-18 start.
I was surprised they fired Chuck Person also. I wonder why they did that.
Geoff Petrie on why he made the decision
“When you look at the overall level of performance that we’ve experienced this year, it’s just not where we want to be,” said Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ top basketball executive. “Sometimes you just need to try a different voice if you want to try and change things. It’s not about just any one game.”
Theus’ thoughts
Speaking to ESPN.com’s Andy Katz after his dismissal, Theus said: “I had no idea [in advance]. We were just coming off our best win [over the Lakers] the past two years. We’ve had a lot of injuries. … Everyone knew we were rebuilding and the projection was for 20-25 wins.”
“It was a great experience, and I just wish I could have seen it through,” Theus told KHTK-AM, the Kings’ flagship radio station. “For it to have been better, a lot of things would have had to have been different. … I think we were entertaining. Good and bad, when people came to games, it was fun.”
ESPN on some of the dirt
But Theus’ job security has been a leaguewide topic of conversation throughout the first quarter of the season, especially after Kings co-owner Joe Maloof publicly questioned his coaching methods in a recent radio interview. It’s also believed that fan disillusionment with the state of the team and a growing number of empty seats at Arco Arena — after Joe Maloof and brother Gavin were sold on Theus partly because they believed that, as a star from the team’s early days in town, he’d connect with Kings fans — were factors.
There’s also a video on ESPN analyzing the decision.
Here was the initial article on the news on Sam Amick’s blog for the Sacramento Bee.
Interesting insight into the Chuck Person angle
By all appearances, Person’s firing is tied to his culpability as the team’s defensive coordinator as well as his close relationship with Theus. While Natt was the lead assistant, Person had taken on much of the lead assistant role midway through last season and had a much greater influence on Theus
Also the financials
The firing [Person] means the Kings have yet another coach to pay to go away, as they owe Theus the remainder of his salary through this season from his original contract (two years guaranteed for approximately $4 million). They are still paying Eric Musselman as well, as the payment of his contract ($5 million remaining) was spread out over four years from his April 2007 firing.
Also, here’s a link to the Bee’s forum discussion on the firing – some good insight there on Kings fan’s reactions.
There was an interesting article from over a week ago in the Bee which I’m reminded of:
Coach Reggie Theus played the part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt after Sunday’s practice, knowing that losing 11 of 12 games is a Great Depression of sorts for restless Kings fans and looking to address his critics rather than run from this reality.
So he sat down inside the media room at the team’s practice facility, an unprecedented and unprompted change in scenery from his typical on-floor interviews.
There he discussed the sorry state of this union and the fact that even he doesn’t know how much longer he will remain at the helm.
“I believe that they want me to just fight the battle and in the end to allow them to make their decision,” he said of Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and basketball president Geoff Petrie. “And I’m OK with that. I really hope that I have the opportunity to finish out. And that’s not a plea in and of itself, that’s just me saying that to you.
“I believe in the plan. I believe in what Geoff and the Maloofs have in mind. And whether it is a success on my side or not, I understand what we’re trying to do. That’s my job is to try to do what they’ve asked me to do. I think I’m at least moving in the right direction.”
Theus was always angling at the ownership interference angle, regular references to it.
Some complaints on Reggie’s coaching and the situation (link below, Natt coaching changes)
Spencer Hawes said waiting for the ax to fall on Theus had caused a disruption.
“It’s hard to say it’s a weight off our shoulder, but you hear so many rumors about it,” Hawes said.
Some players said the Kings’ offensive package was too complicated under Theus.
More from Petrie
“You’re always hoping for some sign that there will be change with some durability to it,” Petrie explained in a separate interview with The Bee. “It’s not about any one game or any one loss. It’s about a situation more in its entirety. Once you’ve come … to the conclusion that you’re only prolonging the inevitable, you may as well go ahead and do something.”
Some more complaints on Reggie
Theus, the former Kings star who had no NBA coaching experience and two seasons as a head coach of any kind (New Mexico State), barely survived a first season. His inexperience showed through and the always-challenging presence of Ron Artest tested him daily. The Kings had surpassed most expectations by finishing 38-44, earning national praise. But the approval rating wasn’t nearly as high in-house as numerous non-basketball issues quietly affected the relationships of most importance to Theus.
Including one funny one plus a rebuttal
There was a frequent complaint from the front office and players that Theus was habitually late to team buses or slow arriving to games; there was the way in which his candid nature with the media would irk the players and the team’s training staff; there were stories of the coach answering his cell phone during practice. In many ways, Theus had only re-emphasized his me-first reputation of old.
In the locker room a sign put up by Theus read “It’s not about you.” The sarcastic retort among his critics, however, was that it was about him.
“If they’ve got to reach that far, if that really has any credence to it, that’s ridiculous,” Theus said by phone Monday. “I answered my cell phone one time last year. I don’t know if it was the beginning of practice or what, but I was expecting a very important phone call. … I haven’t even worn my cell phone this year. So even to bring it up is such a reach.
“I’ve not been late to a bus, not one time. … I told Geoff when it was brought up that I never (wanted) to be there before the bus was ready to go because if one of the guys were late, I didn’t want to have to fine them or leave them. It’s the way I did it in college because you don’t want to have to sweat the little things like that.
Reggie on his mistakes as a head coach
“Don’t judge me by one or two mistakes that I made last year as a first-year coach. The second year going in, that’s when they would’ve been mistakes on my part because now I know.”
Voisin with a short note on Theus amongst her bullet points prior to Kings game
Reggie will be missed. He was an incredibly bright, classy guy to deal with, even as the pressure intensified. I definitely see him resurfacing somewhere as a head coach, probably in college. What mother could resist his charms as a recruiter?
Interesting interview with Reggie post-firing
On whether he clicked with Petrie during his tenure in Sacramento and whether he ever felt his firing was inevitable…
“You know as much as I do the parameters in me getting hired, whether I was the guy or not the guy and so on and so forth. You know what I’m talking about. So last year, the relationship was exactly what it was. Anybody who knows Geoff knows that it takes a minute to get to know Geoff.
I completely 100 percent feel confident that Geoff and I got to know each other a lot better over the summer and that our relationship and the direction and my marching orders were all (established). I think we were all on the same page. Geoff made a lot of suggestions that were good suggestions, and we implemented them into what we were doing. I just felt really confident that he and I were on the same page. I’m a pretty good judge of people, and I really feel that he knew that he could trust me and that I was doing what I was asked to do with the team.”
Also
On whether he has any greater understanding of why he was fired…
“You know what, there’s no way I’m going to understand. There’s no way I could ever understand it because, Sam, the team hasn’t been healthy in two years going back to last year. This year, the team hasn’t been healthy. It’s still not healthy. Unless they thought we should be fighting for a playoff spot.
“Either you’re rebuilding or you’re not. And if you’re rebuilding and you’re healthy and you expect your team to play a certain way and the team isn’t playing that way so the young guys can develop, then yeah you should make a move. Absolutely. I’d be the first one to say, ‘Yeah, I did a (bad) job and that’s the way it should be.’ But under the circumstances that I have no control of – players being out from the beginning of the season (in Francisco Garcia) and has not played one game this year where he’s been healthy. Kevin (Martin) has been out 15 games already and is probably going to be out several more. Our two young guys in Spencer (Hawes) and Jason (Thompson) are being talked about all over the league as being guys who are being developed and are being great. Bobby Brown shows potential, Donte’ (Greene) shows potential. The minutes of what they asked me to do are moving the direction of where they should be. And at the same time, we have competed in almost every game. So when you look at that, there’s nothing that I can say that wasn’t in line with what I was asked to do.
“The locker room is immaculate. Compared to locker rooms in all of sports, our locker room is immaculate. The camaraderie, the togetherness of the team, how hard my staff works. There were no negatives at all. The only negatives came from somebody else’s view of what should be happening with our team talent-wise.
Decent article on NBA.com by David Aldridge who feels it was a necessary move for the Kings
We didn’t really have a choice, is how I see it,” Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said by telephone Monday. “We love Reggie and we were really pulling for him. I had a nice conversation with him and wished him luck.”
Team president Geoff Petrie recommended Theus’ firing to Maloof and his brother, co-owner Gavin Maloof, in a meeting Sunday evening.
The attendance
Four of those defeats had come at Arco Arena, which was once a pit for opposing teams to visit but now is filled with docile fans — at least those that come. Sacramento is next to last in the league in attendance, drawing just 12,307 per game to its building, 4,000 less than capacity.
Chiming in on the Kings search for a head coach and decision to hire Theus
Theus was Sacramento’s fall-back choice as head coach less than two years ago, after the team fired its winningest coach, Rick Adelman. Sacramento believed it had reached an agreement with Stan Van Gundy to replace Adelman, only to see Van Gundy back out and instead take the head job in Orlando. The Kings interviewed Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis and now-Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks before choosing Theus, who’d played for Sacramento during his playing days and was coming off a strong showing as head coach at New Mexico State.
The decision not to pick up his option hurt Theus
Theus went 38-44 in his rookie season, getting the Kings close to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. But the Maloofs let him know that the heat was on when they declined to pick up the third-year option on his contract for the 2009-10 season, essentially making him a lame duck.
Ownership felt the club was regressing
“We weren’t progressing,” Maloof said. “We were regressing instead of progressing. We didn’t get the sense we were going anywhere. We were spinning on wheels. You can’t have those kinds of home losses. We were losing games by 20 points.”
Fired Coaches
Reggie Theus becomes the sixth NBA head coach to be fired this season. I believe that’s a record for the number of coaches to be relieved prior to Christmas.
Here’s links to the five other dismissals:
- Oklahoma City – PJ Carlesimo
- Washington – Eddie Jordan
- Toronto – Sam Mitchell
- Minnesota – Randy Wittman
- Philadelphia – Mo Cheeks
The Replacement Head Coach
There are rumours and sources saying that the Kings will strongly look at Eddie Jordan to return to Sacramento.
But for now, an interim Head Coach has been named and that’s Kenny Natt.
A few of his thoughts (first ESPN link):
“I told these guys that all I’m asking of them is hard work and discipline each day in practice, because that’s where you win basketball games,” Natt said. “There’s a rotation issue that’s been something we’ve had to deal with for a long time, but that’s something we’ll have to work our way through. … I’m not here as a coach to try to keep everyone happy. I’m here to look out for the best interests of this team.”
Geoff Petrie on Natt
“He knows the league,” Petrie said. “He knows our players. He’s been to three NBA Finals on two different teams and worked for some excellent coaches and has certainly paid his dues. We’ll support him and our players. I believe in the resilience of our players. As long as they want to play for something better and to try something different, I think they’ll do fine.”
Kenny Natt on his primary goals as head coach
Kenny Natt quickly began to tinker.
His mission: simplify the Kings’ offense and install defensive accountability.
His demand: discipline and hard work.
Veteran leader Brad Miller’s response
That, veteran center Brad Miller said, was the goal as the Kings posted their second-largest victory this season.
“I’m looking forward to going out there and working for Kenny now,” Miller said after contributing 14 points and 10 rebounds. “I’m looking forward to more accountability on everyone. Sometimes you need change to get more energy and enthusiasm around here. I think the whole team needed a shot of life.”
Further elements of Natt’s plans
And Natt plans on giving daily doses by simplifying the Kings’ offense and installing more pick-and-rolls.
“The strength of our team has always been pick-and-roll situations, and that was one of the primary focuses for me this morning, as far as putting them in simple plays we already had in our arsenal,” said Natt, who spent nine seasons as an assistant to Utah coach Jerry Sloan and three seasons as a Cleveland assistant before taking the lead assistant role in Sacramento last season.
Douby’s response
“We had a whole lot of plays (under Theus),” Quincy Douby said. “Today, in shootaround (Natt) made a few plays simpler. You know, quick hitters. It definitely will be easier in my opinion.”
Natt believes he’ll get to operate the club as he wishes, in contrast to Reggie’s regular references to ownerships ideas
“I’ve been told that I have the authority to do whatever I want,” Natt said when asked if he had the front office’s backing on such matters. “They are supporting me 100 percent in my decisions, and I’ve informed them that the only way that I know of doing things is the Sloan discipline way. And I can’t change that. And they were receptive of that.”
More from Natt and the defensive side of the floor – plus some on Chuck Person
Assistant coach Chuck Person was also fired. He implemented a defensive scheme similar to that of San Antonio and Cleveland, that required teamwork across the board and didn’t produce results with the Kings’ young roster. Players were, according to Natt, lost at times trying to understand the game plan.
“Some of the guys were maybe confused,” said Natt, who spent nine of his 13 seasons as an assistant under renowned disciplinarian Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz. “One of the things I talked to Geoff and the owners about was to simplify things as much as possible … not being as confusing and being more demanding and accountable. And that starts with being on time. You may not think that’s something, but that’s been an issue.
“Guys haven’t been focused or been responsible. You get paid a lot of money to come in and do their work for two hours a day. Here you’ve got people out there starving for jobs and opportunity and they’ve got one of the best. This is an opportunity for you to come out and give everybody their money’s worth.”
Update: Some good Kings multimedia with interviews from Petrie and Natt
Conclusions
This isn’t a black and white decision, it’s one of those grey area calls. There was a lot of talk in the Sacramento papers about the difficulties Theus and his team were having during his rookie season, and it’s hard to get an effective judge on what they were and what where there effects.
It seems to me though that one thing is clear, that Kings ownership’s interference undermined Theus and made his position increasingly difficult and caused problems in the locker room. They put Theus in a lose-lose position. With that in mind was there a way out without firing him? Probably not.
I like the decision to appoint Kenny Natt. I always like Natt. I think he’ll do good things.
