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5 reasons the Sacramento Kings need to hire Sam Hinkie

By Ian Levy

Feb 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 30, 2016; Martinsville, VA, USA; Martinsville Speedway is seen in the glasses of a spectator during the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2016; Martinsville, VA, USA; Martinsville Speedway is seen in the glasses of a spectator during the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Need a little vision

If you had to categorize the current Kings’ front office, would you consider them subjectively firm? Objectively flexible? Metaphysically wrinkle-free?

Reasonable people can disagree about the merits of Hinkie’s approach with the Sixers, both the guiding principles and the implementation. But one can’t really argue about his ability to stick with a difficult plan, even when things get tough. There are myriad problems with the Kings approach right now but it’s hard to identify what those problems are because the approach seems to change by the day.

More than anything else right now, the Kings’ front office needs a strong guiding vision. That’s not to say blindly following a dogmatic template (which, frankly, is a mischaracterization of Hinkie’s process anyway), but something solid to guide decision-making, to lean pros-and-cons against, to measure evidence with. Things like, you know, sticking with a coach for a few seasons. Identifying a style of play and trying to build a roster towards it.

Bringing in Hinkie doesn’t mean just running back “The Process” but it would almost certainly bring some much needed stability in terms of goals, focus, and organizational values.