Shortly after Reggie Theus was named the head coach of the Sacramento Kings, a handful of doubters questioned whether he could succeed in the professional ranks.

The questions were numerous… Could he make them a team? Restore their confidence? Make them believe in themselves? And most importantly, could he make them winners?

"I thought it was warranted," Theus said, leaning against a table inside the Kings practice facility, understanding those who doubted his head coaching abilities in the NBA. "People didn't know. There are a lot of people who don't know a lot about basketball that make comments. So you can only consider the source. But I knew what I could do. I knew exactly what I could do. I knew what I brought to the table and I knew this was a great fit. There was no doubt in my mind."

All of those doubts were expressed before the Kings sustained injuries to their starting point guard, starting shooting guard, starting small forward, starting power forward and their number one draft pick — a blossoming, you guessed it… center.

In spite of the adversity, just as he said he would, Theus built the team's approach around hard work and trust.

"When I talk to guys about basketball, I think they read me, I think they understand," Theus said of motivating a blue-collar team. "We have a good communication line going and I think the trust is there for our staff. And they know for me, it's all about the game. But at the same time, it takes certain individuals to accept that. When these guys want to win, they want to listen. They want to do the right things. That's why we've been able to be successful. Everybody has done their part."

The team's mentality has turned into a reputation. One that every coach wishes he could boast.

"I've heard the team was the hardest playing team in the NBA," Theus said modestly. "I've heard that several times. For me, it's great because that’s the only thing I promised when I arrived here -- this team would play hard."

Kevin Martin

Francisco Garcia has hit three game-clinching buckets. John Salmons is averaging 19 points and five rebounds per game as a starter. Quincy Douby is developing. Mikki Moore is firing up his teammates and the crowd. Beno Udrih is maturing as a play-maker. And last year's only starter of the bunch, Brad Miller, is playing out this world. Everyone is playing within their ability and making an impact.

Theus is quick to point out that his staff has been instrumental in helping him succeed in his first year as an NBA head coach.

"I think head coaches are only as good as their staff," Theus said. "The staff does so many things behind the scenes. They put out little fires all day long that I never even get wind of. When I'm going over the edge, they pull me back and they keep me prepared. The great thing about the NBA is I coach my staff and they implement a lot of what we're doing. And it's interesting because in college I did offense, defense, scouting, everything. And here, you're the facilitator of a lot of the stuff. I'm not really interested in that other stuff. I want to coach the games."

His charisma off the court is the same on the court. Theus is cool. Not in a hip sort of way, although he does have a strong sartorial sense. Cool, as in unflappable.

The final minutes of a game are what force many coaches to lay awake at night anxious, especially rookie coaches that lead a team that has a penchant for close games.

Not Theus. In fact, he's been known to chat casually with a fan near the bench late in the game with the outcome hanging in the balance.

"I've always been a multi-tasker," Theus said with a laugh. "I've juggled four jobs at one time. And I like people, so having moments where you can just step away and deal with something I think that is natural for me, because everybody is an individual. I may be irritated as heck at one guy and now I have to talk to you, who I'm not mad at. So I can't take my frustrations from here and direct them at you, or to people who are at the game. I think for me, it's the best part of having (this job) and being who I am. I enjoy that aspect of being the head coach, being on the sidelines. Because I believe the people that watch the games are just as important as the people who are in them, in terms of the outcomes of the games and the overall chemistry of everything. Those are (important) little interactions. And it also, kind of, chills me out for a second."

Mike Bibby

Recently a new set of questions has surfaced. What will he do now that three of his four starters have returned? How will the team finish the season? Can the team sustain the work ethic? All those questions will be answered in the coming months, but one question which has already been addressed is Theus' job so far.

He's been outstanding.

When Theus was recently asked how he felt about being mentioned in the same sentence as the Coach of the Year Award, he was nearly speechless.

"Wow," Theus said, searching for words. "I don't know..."

Humbling?

"Very," Theus replied. "We have a lot of good coaches (in the NBA) that are doing well. I don't think about it really. I try not to because I don't know any other way to do it than what I've done.

"I'm just really proud of our guys more than anything and how hard they play."

So is Sacramento.