Mike Brown is looking to do something that hasn’t been done in 16 years: lead the Sacramento Kings to the postseason.
The Kings have long-needed stability at the head coaching position. And Brown is catching the eye of Sacramento’s biggest rival, the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I expect this franchise to change for the better,” Lakers head coach Darwin Hamm told beat reporter Jason Anderson. “Mike is relentless. He doesn’t quit. I think Mike is going to do some amazing things for this franchise.”
Hamm served as an assistant coach under Brown with the Lakers.
“F-king turn on the jets!” 🗣️💨
Kings HC Mike Brown was moving during practice 😅
(as if @SacramentoKings) pic.twitter.com/o7NCycZkPP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 19, 2022
The Kings have had 9 different head coaches since 2010, including Mike Brown. Most recently, Luke Walton has a 42.2 percent winning percentage after going 68-93 in 17 games of the 2022 season. That, combined with constant front-office turnover, has caused the franchise to miss the playoffs every year since 2006.
The Kings are coming off an undefeated preseason, including two sweeps of the Lakers. In a surprise move for Domantas Sanibis, they traded young guard Tyrese Halliburton to Indiana at the trade deadline. They also traded for Kevin Huerter from Atlanta and signed Malik Monk in the offseason. They also drafted Keegan Murray to keep veteran forward Harrison Barnes and add to the Sabonis-De’Aron Fox combo.
Who is Mike Brown?
Sacramento won’t be Mike Brown’s first rodeo as head coach. Especially in the year He served as Cleveland’s head coach from 2005-2010, including a playoff run in 2007. The Cavaliers are known for their excellent defense, ranking 10th in scoring defense 3 times. In the year In 2012, he made the playoffs as the coach of the Lakers. In the year The early 2010s were a difficult time for Brown. In the year He was fired from the Lakers after 5 games in 2012. Ultimately, he was hired as the Cavaliers’ coach for just one season, winning 33 games. Most recently, he served as an assistant coach for Golden State from 2016-22, helping them win three titles.
Brown’s specialty is defense, which is important considering the Kings’ past struggles. During Luke Walton’s tenure, they ranked in the bottom ten in defense. Including 2021, they ranked last in the league at 117.2. Last year’s team also ranked 28th in opponent field goal percentage and 29th in opponent three-point percentage.
Offensively, one might expect the Kings to move slowly. Mike Brown’s side quickly found themselves in the bottom half of the league. It’s a philosophy that clashes with the Kings, who have ranked 10th in rushing in 3 of the last 4 seasons. However, the teams have been very good offensively during that season, including a 4th place finish in 2009.
The Sacramento Kings fan base has been starving for him to root for. It remains to be seen if coach Mike Brown is the one to do it, but people seem to be buying it.
The Kings open their season on Oct. 19 when they play host to the Portland Trail Blazers.
