The Kings have announced that the third year option for Paul Westphal’s contract will be picked up:
“We’re all excited about the new direction Paul has given our team and his ability to keep our players focused during the course of the season,” said Petrie. “I think he’s done a tremendous job of helping us turn the corner. My congratulations to him and his staff. We continue to look forward to an ongoing great relationship as we rebuild the Kings.”
This is actually kind of risky move in terms of business because you could still have next season to evaluate the overall direction of the franchise under Coach Westphal. It would give you a bigger sample size to see the development of the young guys and how much a team could improve from the first year under the new regime through the second year.
But there is also the idea of rewarding a job well done earlier than you have to as a gesture to not just Westphal but to the entire team and organization that this is what the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie want from their team. Coach Westphal has helped turn this team from the doldrums of the NBA to an up and coming team that people outside of Sacramento are excited about.
Paul Westphal has been the consummate professional this season as he tries to teach the third youngest team in the NBA how to play in this league. Personally, I’m excited about getting to talk to him for at least two more years. He’s one of the most intelligent and engaging people you could ever talk basketball with and he’s got the Kings headed back to being one of the more dangerous teams in the league.
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