Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Keith Smart didn’t necessary do a bad job with the Sacramento Kings. In some respects, he deserves another season, especially if the team ends up trading DeMarcus Cousins. Those two obviously never got along.
But the speculation remains strong that Smart will soon be relieved of his duties as the Kings’ coach. Very few Kings fans are thinking that Smart will be around. His 48-93 record in two seasons with Kings and 93-170 mark in four year as an NBA head coach aren’t exactly doing him many favors.
The team did show some signs of life late in the season, but it probably came too late. Plus, the team drew special motivation over the uncertainty of which town was going to get the franchise.
It’s likely that Smart would have been fired by now had it not been for the ownership transition. Obviously, management wants to let some time elapse before making the decision on Smart. With the NBA draft drawing near, it’s a good idea not to have a lame duck coach around when a critical decision will be made on the team’s future.
Smart has coached four teams, and each one of them has failed to make the NBA playoffs. The Kings don’t want the 2013-14 team to be the fifth. To guarantee that, the Kings will have to fire the guy. That’s been known for quite some time, but obviously, the new ownership wants the timing to be right.
Only then can they bring in the coach the Kings need to help them compete for the playoffs.
