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By Aman Sharma
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Five games in, the Sacramento Kings haven’t won, and the whispers about their coach have already started.
Doug Christie’s job isn’t in immediate danger, though, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, who cited a Kings source familiar with the team’s thinking. Sacramento reportedly wants to see Christie coach a healthier group before passing judgment.
Amick wrote that the chatter started before the latest loss.
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“Yet according to a team source, that’s not the case. Per the source, there is an internal belief that Christie deserves a fair chance to be evaluated with a team that is much healthier than this current Kings lot,” Amick wrote.
New Orleans, 0-4 entering the night, beat Sacramento 132-120 to drop the Kings to 0-5.
Injuries explain much of the slide. Ben Simmons won’t play again this season after tearing his right Achilles, and Keegan Murray has been dealing with a left ankle problem.
Maxime Raynaud has a right knee injury and Dylan Cardwell a left calf injury, so two more players Christie planned to lean on are unavailable.
Christie, 56, is in his first job as a head coach. His deal is guaranteed only through this season, and Sacramento holds an option for next year.
Pressure could rise if the losing continues, Amick noted. Still, Sacramento cares most about development, for Christie himself and for the team’s young players.
Rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. offered some encouragement against New Orleans with 34 points, 14 assists and six rebounds. He shot 13 of 26 from the field and 3 of 11 on 3-pointers, with six turnovers.
Per The Athletic’s James Jackson, that put Acuff alongside LeBron James, Stephon Marbury and Luka Doncic as players with a 30-point, 10-assist game before turning 20.
Acuff, the 19-year-old No. 7 overall pick from Arkansas, tops all rookies at 24 points per game. He’s shooting 37.8% overall and 22.2% from deep while averaging 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 turnovers.
Next up are the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 31, followed by the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 2 to close the trip, giving Sacramento two more shots at a first win.
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