My explanation is simple, we don't know! Bagley has played in what, 13 games, and he's considered one of the most important parts of our team. I'm as disappointed as everyone else in where we are right now, and I do think some changes need to be made, but I'm not ready to throw out the baby with the bathwater just yet.
Until we get to see the entire team on the floor healthy for at least 30 or 40 games in a row, how the hell are we supposed to judge? First and foremost, what we want is a team, and to play as a team requires chemistry and familiarity. We've had very little of that this season. You can blame who you want for that, Vlade, the training staff, the basketball God's, perhaps to some extent, Walton, but regardless of who you blame, we still have no idea how all the pieces fit together.
When I see Corey Joseph out there guarding Porzingis I wonder if I've just traveled into an alternative universe? Just who do I blame for that? Walton? Yeah, probably, but despite that, how am I supposed to judge anything about the team based on that? That was one of the weirdest games I've watched in a long time, and my kneejerk reaction would be to immediately fire Walton. Upon later reflection, it's probably better to wait until the end of the season, so I can go hide for a bit. I'm speaking as Vivek.
I'm not sure where the KIngs rank in minutes lost to injury, but my guess is that were up there at the top. And it's not just minutes lost, but minutes lost to the most important players on the team. So yeah, Walton has been dealt a tough hand. But let me ask you this, if it was Joerger coaching the team, would we have more wins? How about Malone? Yeah, me too! I have my opinion on who needs to go and who needs to stay as far as players go, but I'll keep them to myself for now. But I would definitely get rid of Walton at the end of the year. I don't think he has a clue what he's doing.
Look, when everything falls into it's proper place, it's a lot easier to coach a team. I get that! But you can really evaluate a coach when he faced with situations he never expected. How will he rise to the occasion? Did I expect the Kings to make the playoff's despite all their injuries? No, and I don't think any logical person would. But I did expect them to look like a well coached team, not the keystone cops. There is talent on this team, and that should translate into more wins than we've had.
I'm fine with most of this roster going into next season, but we need a new leader. No more experiments. Hire a solid, respected coach who is good at dealing with young players as well as older experienced players. I would even go with a highly successful college coach like a Jay Wright of Villanova (only an example). But most of all, hire a coach with a winning track record, and preferably someone that's about team success more than individual success.