The Kings‘ surprising start may not be enough for head coach Dave Joerger to keep his job, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Joerger is locked in a philosophical battle with the front office over minutes for some of the team’s younger players, Haynes explains. Management sees this as a development year for the organization, while Joerger is focused on winning as many games as possible.
Of particular concern is the way Joerger is treating Marvin Bagley III, the second player taken in this year’s draft, who is playing just 22.3 minutes per night. The 19-year-old is putting up decent numbers despite the limited playing time, with per-36-minute averages of 18.7 PPG and 8.9 RPG.
The front office wants to build around a core of Bagley, point guard De’Aaron Fox and young forwards Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere. Joerger has preferred to rely on veterans, including 30-year-old Nemanja Bjelica, who has started every game this season.
While management recognizes Joerger’s contributions to an 8-7 start, there are concerns that may lead to a coaching change. Several voices in the organization are calling for more playing time for Bagley, who many in the front office projected as a starter before the season began. Bagley is still seeing much more action than Giles, who is averaging 10 minutes per night, and Labissiere, who is at a career-low 5.6 minutes and has gotten into just five games.
The discontent in the front office, coupled with frustration from players over lack of consistency in their roles, could prove too much for Joerger, even though his contract runs through next season.
However, GM Vlade Divac responded to the report with a statement of support for Joerger, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Dave has our full support and confidence,” Divac said. “We continue to work together to develop our young core and compete.”
You’ve got to be kidding me with this. Are the Kings always going to be looking to next year?
Come on, you’ll never be able to hire a decent coach like this one if you keep mandating agendas over winning basketball games.
Seems like they will always be the Sacramento Kings. It’s been what, 15 years since theyve had success…Weber peja Bibby days?
Ya, I agree. Handing young players a starting role doesn’t always lead to improvement. It’s early in the season, the Kings are playing well. Let them compete.
Stupid franchise is stupid. What’s new?
The Kings should want them Vets playing its giving them wins, they should do everything in they power to get wins to hurt the Celtics from getting a high draft pick because they don’t have a draft pick this year so why would you wanna play the young players if they not helping you win
I suspect Popovich got wind of this.
I mean, he went out of his way to credit Joerger & Divac a few days ago, like they could use some support.
I saw this and thought that the timing of Popovich’s comments were pretty interesting as well
Vlade should coach. They’d be a 50 win team.
Nice one. I good appreciate sarcasm.
Ooops
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I must agree with management, were is the difference for them between winning 2o or 30 even 35 games, they are not gonna go to the playoffs this year, no chance at all. What they have to do is develop their young guys, I already mentioned before that MBIII & Giles should be the starting duo upfront then Skal as first man from the bench, then you can use WCS & Bjelica. As I said WCS is only playing well for his contract, which is good at least he will get offers & leave the Kings, but I feel that MBIII is playing very well when he has the chance, must play more, also Giles he can do a lot given a chance. Also I must say last year didn’t think much of Fox at all but this year he has been exceptional so far. Also Buddy is having a great year, the Kings have to go younger & getting rid of Joerger wouldn’t be a bad idea, never liked his style, they need a younger coach too.
Bagley doesn’t fit in with the Kings best lineup. Yes, he is doing well and producing good numbers, but just shoving him into the starting lineup won’t necessarily produce better results.
He’s only 19 and playing 20+ minutes a game. He’s a poor shooter and a poor defender and cratering the whole team to feature him is just going to lead to yet another losing season for us, without even a draft pick to waste at the end of it.
Let him work on his game on the second unit while the Kings actually attempt to not be a laughingstock for the first time in a decade.
Rushing young guys and poorly planned development is why the kings have been so bad for so long. Dave is trying to make a winning culture for the young guys to learn in.
Guess the kings just want rooks to put up numbers, lose, and never learn how to win.
Theres Kings management going all Kings management again.
You don’t have your first this upcoming draft, you want to keep the losing culture long enough that you end up with a bunch more DMC’s, and you want to sacrifice the best coach you’ve had in years. Way to go worst franchise in the NBA.