Kings hire Luke Walton

Coach Luke Walton. What's your initial reaction?

  • Great

  • Pretty happy

  • Unsure

  • Not real happy

  • Bummed


Results are only viewable after voting.
Playoffs or bust is shortsighted at best. Playoffs is a good high end goal, it’s slightly realistic, but the way this team closed the season it would be unfair to put that pressure on everyone.

45 wins. Continue to improve from last season. Hopefully see the beginnings of a beautiful well-oiled machine between Coach/Team/Front Office. Anything more is icing on the cake.
Depends on who we acquire. I’ll go along with this if we keep the exact same team, but i doubt we will
 
Ew, small-ball again? That's gonna rain on my parade. Then again the Lakers' bigs were notable meme Javale McGee, the rotting corpse of Tyson Chandler, and Ivica Zubac who hadn't done anything in his career up to that point and once he showed he could play he worked his way into the rotation, and it's not like Joerger wasn't shoehorning in small-ball as well.

Not to mention that with Joerger's firing not utilizing the talents of Bagley and Giles clearly isn't going to fly, but then again we can also debate the merits of the FO making a power play like that.

Ugh, I don't know.
Joerger played Giles and Bagley together quite a bit this year and I'm sure he would have ramped it up even further next year if they continued to play well together. With Luke, I have no clue now. I'm all for putting whoever gives them the best shot to win on the court. The way the roster is constructed right now, playing those two guys together quite a bit seems to be the best thing for the future. The roster will change by next October so who knows what will happen but the last thing the Kings need to do is go small to try and score more points. They need defense and rebounding much more than scoring these days.
 
Joerger played Giles and Bagley together quite a bit this year and I'm sure he would have ramped it up even further next year if they continued to play well together. With Luke, I have no clue now. I'm all for putting whoever gives them the best shot to win on the court. The way the roster is constructed right now, playing those two guys together quite a bit seems to be the best thing for the future. The roster will change by next October so who knows what will happen but the last thing the Kings need to do is go small to try and score more points. They need defense and rebounding much more than scoring these days.
The way I look at it is Luke figured Joeger out in head to head matchups this year. To the point where it got ugly at times. Also, when he had his 3 best players on the court they were 15-8. And that was first season, working together for the first time, and LeBron half assing it.

This team and this franchise will be better for this move. Mark my words.

And the Lakers will continue to be the crap Show, not the Lake Show.
 
Such success omg I had no idea that Luke was so prestigious in his accomplishments
You still didn't answer the question of what coach did you expect?

It's very easy to come on here and take pot shots at the selection but not once you you offered an alternative and why you think they would be a better coach.

If you think you are being constructive, then let me break it to you. You are NOT!. A classic case of someone who ALWAYS complains about everything but never offers an alternative solution and reasons why it would be better.
 
Walton couldn’t get Lebron into the playoffs which has been almost impossible. See how I can spin things too?
Before this season, LeBron never played in Western Conference. In the east, you could have LeBron and surround him with a bunch of average role players and he gets you to the playoffs. Thats the luxury that LeBron has ALWAYS had in his career. He never faced best teams multiple times in a season because he was playing in a much easier conference.

Come over to the West and it becomes a lot tougher proposition. Especially, when you consider the sort of trash Magic has put around him in LA this season.
 

SLAB

Hall of Famer
Before this season, LeBron never played in Western Conference. In the east, you could have LeBron and surround him with a bunch of average role players and he gets you to the playoffs. Thats the luxury that LeBron has ALWAYS had in his career. He never faced best teams multiple times in a season because he was playing in a much easier conference.

Come over to the West and it becomes a lot tougher proposition. Especially, when you consider the sort of trash Magic has put around him in LA this season.
Don’t you dare bring facts into this narrative being spun. :p
 
"Luke Walton is not good with the Xs and Os." This observation does nothing to instill confidence in a new coach.
The NBA is complicated. Good coaches are always coming up with plays and new schemes.
 
There was only one player in LA that didn’t care for him and that was Lebron. Even Rondo had nice things to say about him. Rondo doesn’t have nice things to say about alot of people.
Respect and nice things to say about someone isn't the same thing.
 
"Luke Walton is not good with the Xs and Os." This observation does nothing to instill confidence in a new coach.
The NBA is complicated. Good coaches are always coming up with plays and new schemes.

Well that's great... Not sure why people are happy here about this move. Walton has not proven a damn thing except for he's "nice".
 
Where.is everyone pulling justification for.the firing of a very good coach in Dave(who needed one more.year, despite front office disputes, people disagree it's a business) and the hiring of Steve Kerr's "yes man" I dont get it.
This is a young man who learned the game from Lute Olsen and Phil Jackson, two of the finest coaches in modern history. His father is a college basketball legend, who learned from John Wooden and Jack Ramsey and is one of the former's greatest living acolytes. He began his NBA coaching career with Steve Kerr, not as his "yes man", and in their second season was selected as the guy to run the team in Steve Kerr's absence, and lead them to one of the finest half seasons in NBA history.

So pardon me, but who the hell are you?
 
You still didn't answer the question of what coach did you expect?

It's very easy to come on here and take pot shots at the selection but not once you you offered an alternative and why you think they would be a better coach.

If you think you are being constructive, then let me break it to you. You are NOT!. A classic case of someone who ALWAYS complains about everything but never offers an alternative solution and reasons why it would be better.
I'll do you one better. How many coaches that dont have jobs have been in the playoffs within the last 5 years......
 
This is a young man who learned the game from Lute Olsen and Phil Jackson, two of the finest coaches in modern history. His father is a college basketball legend, who learned from John Wooden and Jack Ramsey and is one of the former's greatest living acolytes. He began his NBA coaching career with Steve Kerr, not as his "yes man", and in their second season was selected as the guy to run the team in Steve Kerr's absence, and lead them to one of the finest half seasons in NBA history.

So pardon me, but who the hell are you?
I've been on the Oprah show when I was 11. Does that make me a TV guru? Anyway. Bad hire. He will be fired at the end of the day. Screenshot this. There is nothing of substance that points to this was a good hire. At all.
 
This is a young man who learned the game from Lute Olsen and Phil Jackson, two of the finest coaches in modern history. His father is a college basketball legend, who learned from John Wooden and Jack Ramsey and is one of the former's greatest living acolytes. He began his NBA coaching career with Steve Kerr, not as his "yes man", and in their second season was selected as the guy to run the team in Steve Kerr's absence, and lead them to one of the finest half seasons in NBA history.

Luke was not the best coach available for this team.... you're saying luke took over the team and implemented his own system on the warriors? That's how I read that. That it was.all Luke's coaching and Luke's system
 
Yeah, who knows how many wins it will take to make the playoffs next year. I dont see much in the way of some western teams falling off, perhaps SA, and a couple teams like Dallas getting better.

I do like what Vlade has done. He's cleaning house and eliminating excess brass. He is not replacing Brandon Williams but instead letting Peja and Ken Cantanelli absorb those responsibilities.

As a hands on hard nosed worker my entire life, dogged by a bunch of useless management running around creating more problems then they solve, I can only appreciate getting the right people that dont cause problems to do the job.

Luke should be a great fit with a hella nice deameanor for our young crew. Nail free agency and life will be sweet.
I do like that he fired the 2 people that caused the biggest dysfunction within the organization. I respect him for that.
 
I'm saying that Luke was Kerr's top assistant from day one and that they both come from the same coaching tree.

Rightly or wrong, this team has a lot of Warriors influence and short of hiring Kerr himself, this was the best choice to finish the vision. If you factor in his dad and all the other influences that made Luke, this is a guy who could potentially be an all time great coach.

No guarantees at all. But the amount of vitriol some are spewing right now is just absurd compared to the folks that are cool with this hire.
 
Lmfao under Kerr's system with the best team in the league
Stop being asinine
Did he or did he not do better record wise with the same team? Did he not see the record for largest margin of victory in the first 4 games in league history?

I'm not saying he is a better coach than Steve Kerr. But he did do a better job record wise with the same team. You called Luke Kerr's yes man. Kinda hard to just be a yes man when you get better results.
 
Joeger wasnt fired FOR Walton. Joeger found a way to get himself fired all by himself. The king record was not on the list of reasons he was fired.

Who were you expecting? Kings to entice a top coach to quit and come to Sactown? Who is this coach with his list of prestigious accomplishments you are wanting? George Karl?

THEN vlade hired Walton
I am not sure on this. If as it has been reported Walton was Vlade's 1st choice 3 years ago but he had no interest in the Kings job, then its not far fetched to think that Vlade got rid off his 2nd choice so he can get his 1st.

I don't believe for a second that Joerger was sacked without Vlade knowing full well that Walton is available. Vlade and Walton were team mates. Walton has been a dead man walking from the moment LeBron signed with the Lakers and it got even more apparent after the All-Star game when Vlade himself said he started thinking about a possible change.

The conspiracy theory of me joining the dots together goes a bit like this:
- Vlade's 1st choice has always been Walton who had no interest in the job in 2016
- Next in line for Vlade was Marc Jackson who was favourite to get the job until Joerger quit on Memphis. Vlade pounced and got Joerger as his 2nd choice
- Williams and Joerger did not get along from the start but it escalated when allegedly Williams leaked to the media. Vlade HATED this
- Joerger then kicked Williams out of the practice (again Vlade would not have liked this).
- Vlade was not a fan of it but thought Joerger was doing a great job and you don't always get everything perfect.
- Communications to Walton are made through "back channels" to gauge his interest in taking the Kings job given that he is a dead man walking in LA.
- Walton flags his interest
- Vlade sacks Joerger
- Walton mutually agrees to part ways with Lakers
- Vlade signs Walton to 4 year deal.

Bottom line, I am not convinced that Joerger gets the sack if Walton is unavailable. Maybe I am wrong but its just the feeling I get.
 
I'm saying that Luke was Kerr's top assistant from day one and that they both come from the same coaching tree.

Rightly or wrong, this team has a lot of Warriors influence and short of hiring Kerr himself, this was the best choice to finish the vision. If you factor in his dad and all the other influences that made Luke, this is a guy who could potentially be an all time great coach.

No guarantees at all. But the amount of vitriol some are spewing right now is just absurd compared to the folks that are cool with this hire.
Count me as cool with this hire.

My first problem with Joeger came a couple years back in how he treated Kayte Christensen in an interview. Joeger acted as if she and her question was dumb.

Now maybe I was a bit sensitive to the genders involved (the amount of respect given to women in a Male dominated sport) but it seemed as if he just lacked respect.

I personally have lacked respect especially for sideline reporters that are women at NFL games. I think to myself "Self, she hasnt played this game of football. What qualifies her to be on the sideline asking any type of question?".

None of that is the case for Kayte. She has played the game and knows it really well, and on top she does a fantastic job both analyzing the game and reporting on it. If Joeger cant even give her some modicum of respect how must he handle people when the cameras are off and the microphone isnt there?

That was my first indication that something isnt really right with Joeger. His treatment of Kayte.
 
I am not sure on this. If as it has been reported Walton was Vlade's 1st choice 3 years ago but he had no interest in the Kings job, then its not far fetched to think that Vlade got rid off his 2nd choice so he can get his 1st.

I don't believe for a second that Joerger was sacked without Vlade knowing full well that Walton is available. Vlade and Walton were team mates. Walton has been a dead man walking from the moment LeBron signed with the Lakers and it got even more apparent after the All-Star game when Vlade himself said he started thinking about a possible change.

The conspiracy theory of me joining the dots together goes a bit like this:
- Vlade's 1st choice has always been Walton who had no interest in the job in 2016
- Next in line for Vlade was Marc Jackson who was favourite to get the job until Joerger quit on Memphis. Vlade pounced and got Joerger as his 2nd choice
- Williams and Joerger did not get along from the start but it escalated when allegedly Williams leaked to the media. Vlade HATED this
- Joerger then kicked Williams out of the practice (again Vlade would not have liked this).
- Vlade was not a fan of it but thought Joerger was doing a great job and you don't always get everything perfect.
- Communications to Walton are made through "back channels" to gauge his interest in taking the Kings job given that he is a dead man walking in LA.
- Walton flags his interest
- Vlade sacks Joerger
- Walton mutually agrees to part ways with Lakers
- Vlade signs Walton to 4 year deal.

Bottom line, I am not convinced that Joerger gets the sack if Walton is unavailable. Maybe I am wrong but its just the feeling I get.
I wouldn't say Luke had NO interest in the Kings job at the time. I would just say it wasnt his first option at the time.
 
I've been on the Oprah show when I was 11. Does that make me a TV guru? Anyway. Bad hire. He will be fired at the end of the day. Screenshot this. There is nothing of substance that points to this was a good hire. At all.
**** me do you honestly think that this is an intelligent post?

Majority of coaches coaching in the NBA at this point have been fired at some point in their NBA coaching career or will be fired.
 
This really isn’t a bad choice. It’s not like we run an innovative offense. The offense will be basically exactly the same just with better rotations, putting Barnes at the 3, and calling timeouts better.