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The Sacramento Kings have never been known for stability and rationality, but their actions on Friday were extreme even for their standards. The organization fired head coach Mike Brown on Friday after he ran a full practice and media session, creating an awkward situation as the team boarded a plane to Los Angeles to face the Lakers.
However, the team claims that it had no ill intent with the timing, via The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Sam Amick.
“From the organization’s perspective, team sources said, there was no specific purpose or malice intended with the timing or execution,” they reported. “The decision to dismiss a head coach — one who leaves with more than $20 million guaranteed on an extension signed less than six months ago — comes attached to several necessary conversations and boxes to check.”
The Kings promoted former guard and current assistant coach Doug Christie to replace Brown in the interim.
“The ultimate green light from ownership didn’t arrive until the early afternoon, after the practice and before the flight,” Slater and Amick continued. “Team sources said there is no coaching search planned beyond Christie, who should have the remainder of the season to prove he’s worthy of a longer look.”
On the surface, it's no surprise to see the head coach of a losing team get fired. The NBA is a “What have you done more me lately?” business and a squad with playoff expectations starting 13-18 is uninspiring. However, Brown deserved more courtesy in the firing process. Also, the 2023 Coach of the Year was far from Sacramento's biggest problem.
Kings fired Mike Brown prematurely
This isn't the first time that an NBA coach with past success got the boot, as Mike Budenholzer got fired by the Milwaukee Bucks in '23 after leading them to a championship in '21. Executives have short memories, and it's hard to keep them happy when the present reality isn't satisfying them.
Brown never reached Budenholzer's heights, but he didn't have time to, either. The two-time Coach of the Year ('09, '23) led Sacramento to its first playoff berth since '06 two seasons ago, his first as the team's coach. The Kings finished 48-34 in the regular season, good for third in the Western Conference, and took the Golden State Warriors to Game 7 in the first round before ultimately falling.
Brown, though, became the first coach in history to unanimously win Coach of the Year, receiving all 100 votes. While having De'Aaron Fox and Damontas Sabonis undoubtedly helped, it's no coincidence that Sacramento finally ended its gargantuan playoff drought as soon as he got there.
With the offseason acquisition of six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, the Kings should have theoretically been better this year after another playoff-less campaign last season (46-36, lost Play-In tournament). However, they've underachieved, and their latest five-game skid was too much for their higher-ups to handle.
Whenever talented teams don't play up to their potential, coaching is always a part of the problem. However, player execution is also vital, and Sacramento didn't always follow Brown's direction. There's no better example of this than Brown's final game with the Kings, which was Thursday's 114-113 home loss to the Detroit Pistons.
With the Kings up by three in the final seconds, Brown instructed them to not allow a good look from deep. However, Fox sagged off of Pistons guard Jaden Ivey in the corner, and the Purdue alum cashed in from downtown. Even worse, Fox closed out and fouled Ivey as he shot, resulting in a game-winning four-point play for Detroit.
Brown deservingly blamed the players post-game, via Locked On Kings' Matt George.
“If you're up three, you've gotta guard your man at the three-point line. There should be no close-out opportunity,” Brown explained. “We told our guys: ‘can't give up a three, can't give up a three, can't give up a three.' And we close out and we foul with three seconds to go. To relax like that at that point in the game was tough.”
“It doesn't matter, it won't make anyone feel better,” Fox said when asked what he saw on that final play.
Coaches often try to avoid calling players out directly to the media, but there wasn't much else Brown could have done in this situation. Even so, the former Cleveland Cavaliers coach still took accountability on Friday, via George.
“Mike Brown's tone with the media at practice today was very different from last night. He repeatedly talked about ways he could have been better,” George reported. “When asked about De'Aaron Fox's leadership, he complimented Fox's growth and made sure to point out that others like Sabonis & DeRozan also carry that responsibility.”
“Mike made sure to reaffirm his belief in this roster, as constructed, to be able to play the right way regardless of being undersized or not known for their defense. It was the tone of a man who expected to continue to coach the team in Los Angeles tomorrow and for the foreseeable future.”
Even with Sacramento's current troubles, Brown still led the troubled franchise to a 107-88 record over his two-and-a-half years at the helm. However, it's easier for the front office to use him as a scapegoat than to patiently build a consistent winner.
Christie is now controlling owner Vivek Ranadive's eighth coach in 12 years, but why blame the common denominator?
