Why Draymond isn’t surprised by Kings’ turnaround under Christie originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Doug Christie’s recent success in Sacramento isn’t surprising to a familiar NBA rival.
On the latest episode of his “The Draymond Green Show” podcast, Golden State Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green, Sacramento’s foe since the team’s first-round playoff series in 2023, revealed why Doug Christie is succeeding as the Kings’ interim coach.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Green said. “I know what they’re capable of, and I think Doug has probably made small fixes with practice and more Malik Monk minutes.
“The whole six-man thing is cool, but, all of a sudden, you’re down and need to get your best guns on the floor. I think he’s done some minor tweaks that were right there in their face. But, most importantly, you got guys that are working hard for you.
“And that is the challenge in the NBA as a coach: just to make sure that you have guys that are coming out to play hard. When you got guys that are playing for you, that goes a long way.”
In conversation with new co-host and former Warriors guard Baron Davis, Green also pointed out what might have led to former Kings head coach Mike Brown’s then-shocking dismissal in late December.
And, no, Green didn’t get behind the exhausted rumor of Brown falling out of favor with star guard De’Aaron Fox.
“I’m not very surprised because I felt like Mike [Brown] kind of lost the guys,” Green told Davis. “I think a large part of losing the guys was the amount they were practicing.
“I think a lot of guys started feeling a certain way about that. They got talent. That’s the same team that took us to Game 7 a couple of years ago but added DeMar DeRozan. Like, obviously, that should help.”
Since taking over for Brown, Christie, a former player and assistant coach for the Kings, has led Sacramento to a 9-2 record, catapulting his team to eighth in the Western Conference.
If the Kings keep at it, Green is convinced there’s no reason a franchise icon like Christie won’t lose the interim tag.“So, Doug, keep it up,” Green concluded. “He’s going to find himself with a job moving forward, not just as the interim coach of the Sacramento Kings.
“One thing is for certain: he’s put the time in. When it comes to that organization, Doug Christie has put the time in, probably more than anyone involved with the organization, including the ownership group. If he keeps winning and doing what he’s doing, he’s going to have himself a job moving forward, and it will be well deserved.”
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