As if the Sacramento Kings needed more drama, news broke Wednesday afternoon that former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau is with the team in Memphis as it prepares to take on the Grizzlies.
Thibs is with the Kings at the request of George Karl. He is acting in a consultant role, like he has with several other clubs this season, and he will be with the team until Saturday.
"I think he's intrigued by our offense and we're probably intrigued by his defense," Karl said.
[HAM: Gameday: Bruised Kings in desperate need of win in Memphis]
Thibodeau, 58, is unofficially taking the year off from coaching after a five-year run with the Chicago Bulls. He compiled a 255-139 record in Chicago, leading the Bulls to the playoffs in each of his seasons at the helm.
The veteran coach spent 20 years as an assistant coach, working under some of the game’s great defensive minds. He also has ties to plenty of Sacramento Kings players.
Thibodeau worked with both DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay with Team USA. He was an assistant under Doc Rivers in Boston for three seasons, including the 2007-08 Championship Celtics team that featured Rajon Rondo as the lead guard. And he worked with Marco Belinelli with the Bulls during the 2012-13 season.
Thibodeau will enter the summer as a hot commodity with plenty of teams vying for his services.
Whether Sacramento will join that group or not is anyone’s guess. For now, he’s with the team to give some input on the defensive end where the Kings rank last in the league, allowing 109.6 points per game.
