Yes, he is a face. With only 30 GM jobs in the NBA, the positions are coveted-especially for guys that have never been the GM before. So if you get the GM job, certain non-published job descriptors are put in place. Like if the owner wants the Coach fired then you say things like "I made the decision."
However, we all should know that we need to read between the lines, realizing of course, the owner makes the call. If the owners says, we must get to the play-in this year, then you try to implement such a plan-even though you know that the team will be mired forever more in mediocrity...or in the Kings case, even less.
And if you don't get to the play in, you shuffle the blame at the easiest target-The Coach.
What's hard for me to understand here, with so many different head coaches the Kings have had, we are still losers and fans regularly blame the coach.
Secret, it's not the Coach.
Could John Wooden have done it without Jabbar, Walton, Goodrich, Wilkes. The Spurs-without the all-stars Robinson, Duncan, or the Jazz without Stockton and Malone. Kerr and even Luke without Green, Steph, Klay.
I suspect that Christie will be the next coach of the Kings. He will be looking for a shot, so he will be cheap. However, the results will be the same. He will do for a young re-building tanking team as a motivator and good guy. However, Doug too will go the way of Vlade.