Pick a coach

[lwc]

I have been thinking back to all the coaches that I can remember in recent memory for the Kings. There was only one that was good, and he was great.

In your opinion, of all the coaches in recent memory, not named Adelman, pick one to coach this team starting right now and going into the future. (I am going back 25 years, no reason to go any further for this discussion)

For fun, also choose the WORST of these coaches.

Here are the options:
Source

[TABLE="class: wikitable sortable jquery-tablesorter"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]13[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #DDFFDD"]Jerry Reynolds*[/TD]
[TD]1987[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[TD].367[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][9][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]14[/TD]
[TD]Bill Russell[/TD]
[TD]1987–1988[/TD]
[TD]58[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[TD]41[/TD]
[TD].293[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][28][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]—[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #DDFFDD"]Jerry Reynolds*[/TD]
[TD]1988–1990[/TD]
[TD]110[/TD]
[TD]34[/TD]
[TD]76[/TD]
[TD].309[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][9][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD]Dick Motta[/TD]
[TD]1990–1991[/TD]
[TD]161[/TD]
[TD]48[/TD]
[TD]113[/TD]
[TD].298[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][29][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]16[/TD]
[TD]Rex Hughes[/TD]
[TD]1991–1992[/TD]
[TD]57[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]35[/TD]
[TD].386[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][30][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]17[/TD]
[TD]Garry St. Jean[/TD]
[TD]1992–1997[/TD]
[TD]395[/TD]
[TD]159[/TD]
[TD]236[/TD]
[TD].403[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD].250[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][31][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]18[/TD]
[TD]Eddie Jordan[/TD]
[TD]1997–1998[/TD]
[TD]97[/TD]
[TD]33[/TD]
[TD]64[/TD]
[TD].340[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][32][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]19[/TD]
[TD]Rick Adelman[/TD]
[TD]1998–2006[/TD]
[TD]624[/TD]
[TD]395[/TD]
[TD]229[/TD]
[TD].633[/TD]
[TD]69[/TD]
[TD]34[/TD]
[TD]35[/TD]
[TD].493[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][33][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]20[/TD]
[TD]Eric Musselman[/TD]
[TD]2006–2007[/TD]
[TD]82[/TD]
[TD]33[/TD]
[TD]49[/TD]
[TD].402[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][34][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]21[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #DDFFDD"]Reggie Theus*[/TD]
[TD]2007–2008[/TD]
[TD]106[/TD]
[TD]44[/TD]
[TD]62[/TD]
[TD].415[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][10][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]22[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #DDFFDD"]Kenny Natt*[/TD]
[TD]2008–2009[/TD]
[TD]58[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]47[/TD]
[TD].190[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][35][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]23[/TD]
[TD]Paul Westphal[/TD]
[TD]2009–2012[/TD]
[TD]171[/TD]
[TD]51[/TD]
[TD]120[/TD]
[TD].298[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD]—[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"][SUP][36][/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]24[/TD]
[TD]Keith Smart[/TD]
[TD]2012–present[/TD]
[TD]59[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]39[/TD]
[TD].339[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


REMEMBER, Rick Adelman is not a choice for the best coach of the bad coaches. He would be the obvious, no brainer choice for best coach because he is the man. Pick someone else. I want this to be interesting.

 

[Bricklayer]

An amusing idea, but oh the pain. I've made the point before that we've had exactly 8 winning seasons in the 27 years of Sacto hsitory, and all 8 belonged to 1 coach.

Why though did you leave off Phil Johnson? Just because he coahed the team before Sacto too?

 

[The_Jamal]

Bill Russell coached us for a year? Well, you learn something new everyday!

 

[ESP47]

I'll go with Garry St. Jean. He had us hovering around .500 a couple times and got us to the playoffs with 1 great player and a bunch of jerk offs.

I'd probably take Eddie Jordan after him based on his early success in Washington.

 

[swisshh]

Why can't I use Phil Johnson?

1. Phil Johnson
2. Eddie Jordan
3. St Jean/ Theus

Now assemble a list of unemployed NBA coaches. That's a pretty good list right now.

 

[PurpleHaze]

I remember when Bill Russell got hired, and few days later I was in Bob Cook's office (minority Kings owner) doing some financial biz with him. I wanted to talk biz which we did and ask about some marble he was importing from Philippines for interior part of a mansion he was building - but all he wanted to tell me was how "lucky" Kings were to get Russell. I was not nearly as impressed but let him gush. Later, Reggie Theus who I knew even better than Cook and was only Kings "star" at the time told me about how Russell ran practice - very aloof, mostly delegating everything, sometimes not into it at all. I sensed trouble was brewing almost immediately as Russell was canned after a year and Theus was traded.

On different occasion, I was at Harlow's Bar downtown and in walks a regular, right after another Kings loss - Coach Dick Motta. He had already been somewhere else as his eyes were bloodshot as he ordered yet another Bloody Mary. Luckily, he wasn't driving as there was a limo parked outside for him unlike another long gone plastered Kings coach who did try to drive while drunk as a skunk.

Thinking about immortal Dick Motta, Rex Hughes, Eddie Jordan (isn't he now with Lakers?), Russell, Musselman, Natt, Smart, etc. - all give me a splitting headache as bad as any hangover I've ever had

 

[Heuge]

This is kinda like the would you rather game...

Worst coach we have had is our current color analyst.

 

[JB_kings]

Bill Russell coached us for a year? Well, you learn something new everyday!

Yep. And I really am trying to forget.

 

[TyFreak Evans]

Best coach other than Adelman? Theus
Worst coach? Musselman

In all honesty, I barely followed the Kings pre-Adelman, but did find myself going to a handful of games here and there, so I base the above on coaches post-Adelman...

 

[VF21]

Bill Russell coached us for a year? Well, you learn something new everyday!

It's one of those things old-time fans would just as soon forget.

There is no coach on that list (leaving Adelman out of the discussion as stipulated) I would want to see again.

As for the worst coach, I think anyone who starts off his career here with a DUI has to rank right up there. All things considered, however, I'd have to say Russell came in with the most hopes that he would do well and we were all horribly disappointed.

 

[funkykingston]

I'd take Fast Eddie.

I always thought Jordan did a very respectable job given the talent he had to work with.

He had a team that was starting Anthony Johnson at the point, a 32 year old Mitch Richmond, Corliss and Billy Owens at the forwards and a center platoon of Yogi Stewart and Bad Cop Polynice at the pivot.

Obviously Adelman was the right move but I felt bad for Jordan who deserved a shot with the massively more talented team that the Kings fielded in the lockout shortened 1999 season.

 

[jcassio]

I'd take Fast Eddie.

I always thought Jordan did a very respectable job given the talent he had to work with.

He had a team that was starting Anthony Johnson at the point, a 32 year old Mitch Richmond, Corliss and Billy Owens at the forwards and a center platoon of Yogi Stewart and Bad Cop Polynice at the pivot.

Obviously Adelman was the right move but I felt bad for Jordan who deserved a shot with the massively more talented team that the Kings fielded in the lockout shortened 1999 season.

I agree about Eddie Jordan. But if we could pick from our collection of Sac King's assistant coaches, we'd at least have Scott Brooks and Byron Scott to choose from! This wouldn't be quite so painful.

 

[Warhawk]

I agree about Eddie Jordan. But if we could pick from our collection of Sac King's assistant coaches, we'd at least have Scott Brooks and Byron Scott to choose from! This wouldn't be quite so painful.

Good call. Opening it up to the assistants would be interesting. Not even sure about a lot of them back in the day.

 

[macadocious]

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

Tough to answer. I actually think as a coach, Musselman still has some potential. The DUI thing really killed him here. Talk about a bad start to your first season as head coach. But he's one guy that I can point to and say "He will get another shot". Theus might, as well.

I think Keith Smart is the best guy on that list. He has some glaring weaknesses as a coach (The big one being his rotation) but he still does a lot of things I like, and he is coaching in what is by far the worst situation in the league. Absent owners, a GM who is sleeping and also cannot make any moves because of absent owners. Arena distractions everywhere. We'll see how he finishes up this season, but we are starting to win some games here.

 

[lwc]

To answer the question some of you had, I just took 25 years worth of coaches.

 

[Glenn]

To answer the question some of you had, I just took 25 years worth of coaches.

I think you made that clear. I have no answer to the question except a bunch can be eliminated like Russell, Muss, Natt, Theus, Reynolds, and Hughes. Hmmm, maybe that leaves me with one left over like Jordan who I think would not be great but a significant jump over Smart.

Russell didn't even take part in practices but I suspect his rotations were better than what we have.

 

[bajaden]

It's one of those things old-time fans would just as soon forget.

There is no coach on that list (leaving Adelman out of the discussion as stipulated) I would want to see again.

As for the worst coach, I think anyone who starts off his career here with a DUI has to rank right up there. All things considered, however, I'd have to say Russell came in with the most hopes that he would do well and we were all horribly disappointed.

My worse would be Bill Russell, and my best after Adelman, would be Phil Johnson, who was a very good coach. Its too bad that Coton Fitzsimmons didn't come with the team when it moved here from Kansas City. I'll never forget the story about Russell, where he ran into a friend in the airport, and his friend asked him how he liked his gig with the Kings. Susposedly Russell grabbed his crotch, and said I've got them right here. He was one of the few coaches that wasn't here, even when he was here!

 

[King Baller]

Why can't I use Phil Johnson?

1. Phil Johnson
2. Eddie Jordan
3. St Jean/ Theus

Now assemble a list of unemployed NBA coaches. That's a pretty good list right now.

^This, LOL!!!

KB

 

[pshn80]

I'll go with Smart as the best (or least worst) and Russell as worst.

 

[LWP777]

Reggie Theus is looking like John Wooden at this point. We should have just stuck with him the whole time. At least he had the balls to play the players who deserved to play big minutes.