Although it was announced last week, the Kings made Mike Woodson’s hiring official today, naming him as Doug Christie’s associate head coach.
With Christie entering his first season as head coach, it made perfect sense to add someone with extensive experience, and Woodson is an excellent choice to support Doug. In the press release, Christie shared his thoughts on Woodson’s addition to the coaching staff, expressing how valuable the veteran coach’s presence will be on the bench.
“Mike Woodson brings decades of coaching experience to this staff. His impact will be extremely valuable, and I’m looking forward to getting to work with him,” Christie stated.
When it comes to coaching candidates with experience, it’s tough to top Mike Woodson. Not only did he have an 11-year playing career in the NBA, but he also coached for nearly a decade. With stints as head coach for the Atlanta Hawks (six seasons) and New York Knicks (three seasons), Woodson brings a wealth of experience to the table.
The pairing of Doug Christie and Woodson seems like a strong fit. Though the two never played together, Woodson did coach former King Mike Bibby during his time in Atlanta, which could provide Christie some valuable insight. It wouldn’t be surprising if Christie reached out to Bibby to get a sense of what working with Woodson was like.
Woodson’s standout season came in 2012-13, when he guided the Knicks to a 54-28 record. What really stood out that year wasn’t just the impressive record, but the way the Knicks played. They finished the season with the third-ranked offense, leading the league with an average of 28.9 three-point attempts per game. While that number would place them at the bottom of the league today (with the Denver Nuggets taking the fewest last season at 31.9), the core idea still holds true: a higher volume of threes is a winning strategy.
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