I actually have no way of knowing about the jersey part of this. I can dream, though. Dream of a day when a Matlock-blue Kings replica jersey, the name “Douby” in proud letters beneath the number. It’s easy to understand why the Kings wouldn’t bring back their goofy late-’80s jerseys, especially considering that they did their best last season to imitate one of those teams by posting 33 wins, one DUI arrest for the coach and some predictable quirkiness/unpredictable domestic violence from Ron Artest. They’ve taken a first step — maybe not towards something better, but certainly something different — by naming former Kings star, and erstwhile New Mexico State head coach, Reggie Theus as their new coach. Marc Stein, break it on down:

Unlike Muss(elman), Theus should last more than a season on the Kings’ bench. But he starts his new challenge facing the uncomfortable perception that the Maloof brothers — after losing Stan Van Gundy to Orlando and clearly unmoved by a variety of periphery candidates in a coaching search that lasted nearly two months — instructed team president Geoff Petrie to hire Theus as much for the buzz factor as anything in the face of increasing fan frustration in Sactown.

If that isn’t messy enough, Theus will be starting out with a flawed roster … in a conference that’s only getting deeper with the impending arrivals of Greg Oden and Kevin Durant … and with a major test from the start if Artest and Bibby are both still Kings in October.

“Next season will be great,” countered Artest.

End of story! There is, of course, Theus’s lack of NBA coaching experience, but since he was able to get a productive full season from this guy — one of the few former St. John’s products whose bad judgment rivals Ron-Ron’s — at NMSU last year, who knows. I actually really like Artest, and think he’s capable of great things, but it’s not usually a good sign when owners, let alone these two Maloofs, are making calls on these sorts of hirings, right? Incidentally, Jeff Johnson said that he women photographed with Les Maloofs for that article “look like Mark Knopfler.” Better that than Rick Adelman, I guess.