The Sacramento Kings’ coaching situation is already under a microscope, and on Sactown Sports’ The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, Dave didn’t leave much room for optimism about Doug Christie’s future.
The question hanging over the team is simple enough: if the Kings lose at home to the Lakers, is Christie in danger? Dave’s answer was even starker than that.
In his view, the trouble is already there. The only thing left to sort out is timing.
Dave said his read comes from years of watching this franchise and sensing the same kind of tension that built before the stretch leading to Mike Brown’s firing in December 2024.
“It smells very much like a coach firing, especially if they come off the trip 0-7,” Dave said.
Publicly, though, the Kings are still talking patience. Dave said he’s heard the same thing The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported: the organization wants to see Christie work with a healthier roster, including Keegan Murray back in the mix.
Even so, Dave expects a change either after the Lakers game or shortly after it, and he said he’d be “very surprised” if that didn’t happen.
He also laid out what he thinks the next steps would be. Mike Woodson, who is already on the bench, would likely step in as the interim option. After that, Dave sees a broad offseason search ahead, with Tom Thibodeau as the name he’d put at the top of the list.
“It would absolutely be Tom Thibodeau,” Dave said.
Jason Ross wasn’t as ready to put the firing on the clock, but he didn’t dismiss the possibility either. He said he had viewed this season as Christie’s chance to show what he could do, especially with GM Scott Perry’s roster construction pointing more toward next year. A strong season could have changed that picture.
Instead, the results haven’t matched that kind of runway. Jason noted that coaches have been let go with better records than this one, and his concern is how quickly the losses can pile up in the public eye.
A loss in Dallas would tie the franchise record for a winless start, and then the Kings would head into a Lakers game that could feel even rougher if the crowd leans heavily toward the visitors.
“That’s a vibe killer, right?” Jason said. “Doesn’t mean that’s the job-ender.”
He stopped short of calling a firing imminent, but he made clear that once the discussion is out in the open, the idea has already taken hold.
Neither host sees much relief coming from the schedule. Dave said he doesn’t view the Kings as favored against the Lakers, San Antonio, Miami or Orlando. The best chance to be favored, in his view, comes Nov. 18 against Phoenix.
That’s why both hosts kept circling back to the NBA’s familiar escape hatch: anything can happen. It’s not a prediction so much as a place to stand while the situation plays out.
There is also the organization’s stated focus to consider. Dave said the Kings are not treating wins as the main priority right now. The bigger goal is establishing Acuff as a franchise centerpiece, and the coaching staff has been giving him heavy minutes and “road miles.”
Jason’s take on that was blunt: on that front, “they’ve checked the box.” He said any coach might be able to handle that assignment, but this staff is doing it.
That leaves the real question: does the front office see Christie as the coach helping develop the young players, or as the one getting in the way? Dave pointed to one possible complication - whether everyone in the building agrees on how much young players such as Clifford should play.
If there isn’t a clear answer, the standings may end up making it for them.
In Other News...
Kings Finally Showed Something Fans Have Been Waiting To See
For a team that has spent much of the season searching for a cleaner identity, the 115-100 win over Dallas offered a much better snapshot of what Sacramento wants to be. Darius Acuff Jr. set the tone with 25 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds, while the Kings got real help from the second unit, with Malik Monk, Emanuel Sharp and Leaky Black all making their presence felt in a game that looked more connected on both ends.
What stood out most was the way Sacramento defended and the way it spaced the floor, two areas that had been inconsistent before this one. It was the Kings best showing of the season so far, and the kind of performance that can matter beyond one night because it gives the coaching staff something tangible to build on, even if the bigger question is whether they can make it a habit. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Face An Early Rebuild Dilemma On The Wing
The Kings finally got into the win column after an 0-6 start, and one of the more encouraging developments came from the bench. Leaky Black gave Sacramento a useful lift with 12 points, four steals and three rebounds, a reminder that even in a rough opening stretch there are still rotation spots to be won as the team sorts through its young wings.
Nique Clifford, meanwhile, has seen both his minutes and his production taper off, which puts his place in the picture under a brighter spotlight. For a Kings team already leaning into an early rebuild conversation, the wing spot is becoming a real evaluation point, and how they handle Clifford's role could say plenty about which young players they intend to keep developing. [Read more 🡒]
Darius Acuff Jr. Is Giving Kings Fans Real Hope Already
Darius Acuff Jr. has wasted little time giving Kings fans a reason to pay attention. Through seven games, the rookie has been producing at a level that is hard to ignore, averaging 26.1 points and 6.3 assists while showing real growth as both a scorer and a creator. He has also strung together three straight games with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists, a run that puts him in rare company for a first-year player.
For Sacramento, the early returns are even more striking because Acuff is already matching a standard not seen from a rookie since 2019, and he has joined Oscar Robertson as the only Kings rookies to do it. The numbers alone suggest a player who is settling in quickly, but the bigger question is how far this kind of all-around production can go once the league has more time to adjust. [Read more 🡒]