Doug Christie, the Kings, and the Crossroads of a Frustrating Season
The Sacramento Kings are in the thick of another rough stretch, and with each loss, the spotlight grows hotter on head coach Doug Christie. After dropping their third straight game - a second-half collapse against the Toronto Raptors - Christie didn’t deflect.
Instead, he stepped in front of the cameras and said something that, for Kings fans, might finally sound like a shift in tone: *“I need to be better.” *
That’s not just coach-speak. It’s an acknowledgment that the current approach isn’t getting the job done.
At 12-33, Sacramento’s record speaks for itself. There have been flashes - individual performances that pop, stretches of competitive basketball - but nothing that sticks.
And that inconsistency has become the defining trait of this team. The Kings are struggling to find an identity, and a big part of that falls on Christie’s shoulders.
Let’s be clear: Christie isn’t at the bottom of the NBA coaching ranks, but he’s not far from it either. He’s been operating with a defense-first mindset, trying to instill toughness and structure. But the results suggest that philosophy hasn’t translated - not with this roster, not in this moment.
Against the Raptors, the Kings came out strong. The first half was promising.
But then came the third quarter, and everything unraveled. Defensively, they couldn’t get stops.
Offensively, they couldn’t find rhythm. It was a collapse that’s become too familiar in Sacramento this season.
Christie acknowledged it postgame, pointing not just to the team’s performance, but to his own role in the unraveling. That’s a step in the right direction. Accountability matters - especially when the losses are piling up and the locker room is searching for answers.
But accountability isn’t enough. The Kings’ issues go deeper than one bad quarter or one defensive lapse.
This is a team that’s being asked to play in a way that doesn’t match its personnel. Christie continues to push a defensive identity, but the roster isn’t built for that.
You can’t expect career scorers to suddenly become elite stoppers, and you can’t force a system that doesn’t fit the players you have.
Take Zach LaVine, for example. After the loss to Miami, Christie called out LaVine’s defensive effort.
But LaVine has never been known for his defense - not in year one, not in year 13. He’s a scorer, a shot-creator, a guy who thrives with the ball in his hands.
Asking him to anchor a defense is like asking a sprinter to run a marathon. It’s just not who he is.
To be fair, Christie didn’t inherit a perfect situation. The previous front office left behind a roster with holes - mismatched pieces, questionable contracts, and a lack of true two-way players. That kind of roster construction limits what any coach can do, especially one still finding his footing in the big chair.
But even with that context, Christie’s inability to adjust is becoming a problem. Good coaches adapt.
They pivot when the plan isn’t working. They lean into their team’s strengths while finding creative ways to mask the weaknesses.
Right now, that flexibility hasn’t shown up in Sacramento.
There’s still time for things to change. The trade deadline looms, and the front office will likely be active.
Moves are coming. A rebuild is ongoing.
But in the meantime, Christie has to take a hard look at what’s happening on the court. Is the current strategy setting his players up to succeed?
Or is it boxing them into roles they can’t fill?
The Kings are at a crossroads. And so is their head coach.
If Christie wants to be part of the long-term vision in Sacramento, the next step isn’t just about accountability - it’s about evolution. Because if the Kings continue down this path without change, it’s not just the season that could be lost.
It might be Christie’s job too.