NBA Coaches On the Hot Seat

These are the current standings in the NBA.

Each job is different in expectations and timelines. For example, Gregg Popovich is overly qualified and paid (highest-paid coach at 13 million) to be coaching a team like he has. He’s also done so much for the organization and is likely to retire within a few seasons. Others however may not have the time. When teams with expectations underachieve in the playoffs, the coach is usually the first to go, not the stars of the team.

You may be the franchise’s savior one day, and the next, while you’re collecting money from the final two years of your head-coaching contract, you’re talking about getting recruited as an assistant someplace. Coaches are frequently changed in the NBA. NBA Coach of the Year winners have often gone on the job market the following summer. Remember when Dwane Casey was let go by the Raptors and afterwards praised for his coaching abilities on Twitter?

Let’s look at all 30 coaches in the NBA, both interim and permanent, to determine how concerned they should be about their future employment. We’ll categorize them and engage in what sports fans love to do: talk disparagingly about other people’s jobs!

Doc Rivers

Rivers time may be coming to a head if they flame out in the playoffs. Many of the good coaches with teams with expectations ultimately will be decided in May and June. Several NBA observers questioned whether Rivers would still be in this position when Daryl Morey took over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was strange since it happened four weeks after Rivers had agreed to become the Sixers’ head coach. James Harden was substituted for Ben Simmons. They assembled a crew that was more Morey-like. Also, there have been speculations and rumors that Morey would have a head coach who was more similar to Morey whenever the Sixers had a slump. All of it may be rumor or speculation, but Rivers still ranks among the top five coaches who are most likely to be let go next.

Billy Donovan

When considering Donovan’s future with this squad, the question becomes quite straightforward. Did they assemble this squad with the intention of becoming a championship contender in the future, or did they do so simply to be competitive and perhaps try to pounce on a star who was unhappy at some time in the future? If the former is true, Donovan will unquestionably be blamed if the Bulls fail to advance even to the conference finals. If it’s the latter, he’ll probably be alright there – until players decide to ignore him.

Dwayne Casey

From Coach of the Year to fired once before. No coach of the years in sight but he might be fired. Remember all the goodwill the Pistons generated with their successful season finale the previous year? They played excellent basketball in the second part of the season when Casey established a connection with the young players. To begin this season, all of it is gone. There are several explanations for it, but Casey was the second-most likely candidate according to the probabilities of the “next coach getting fired” cited before. I don’t believe that will happen, myself. This club is awful to begin the year, even if he moves away and somehow gets involved with the front office.

Chris Finch

There has to be a fall person when you mortgage your future draft considerations to a player like Rudy Gobert to cure all of your problems and then things start to get even more humiliating. My assumption is that someone like D’Angelo Russell will be the fall man before Finch, but changing the coach is far simpler than making drastic personnel adjustments. Finch excels as a coach. He is the cause of their last season’s triumph. But he hasn’t yet discovered the formula. Even though I doubt it, he needs to find out how to put these parts together if something happens. Things seem to have gotten better once Karl Anthony Towes went down. He will have to be reincorporated shortly before the playoffs setting up a crunch period which Finch is responsible.

Michael Malone

In each of the previous five seasons, Denver has won at least 46 games. He assisted Nikola Jokic in developing into one of the finest NBA players and a multiple-time All-Star. But ultimately, postseason success is necessary. Better coaches than Malone have demonstrated that before. Denver may feel as though something is impeding its progress at some time, and coaches frequently stumble into or are driven onto that sword. Maybe a spot in the bubble conference finals is insufficient if they miss the playoffs once again in the upcoming couple of years? Although he’ll probably remain if Jokic wants him to. Denver has had a wonderful regular season but with a 2 time MVP and probably the best player on the planet the expectation becomes in the playoffs. This has a Mike Budenholzer-type of feel potential. I don’t think it’s win or bust but there needs to be some positive playoff results to keep the heat off at least.

Stephen Silas

Silas had only been there for about two seasons and a half, but at that time, he genuinely took over a dire circumstance. All the good players were eager to go, so the Rockets adopted tanking right away. The hope is that after suffering so many defeats, Silas will also be able to contribute to the victory. This squad is still in its early phases of growth, with no evidence of a winning future. As unjust as it may sound, Silas seems to be a competent coach, but we haven’t yet seen results in the victory column. Do you believe Tilman Fertitta’s patience will hold out in the long run? This is the point in many rebuilds that management pivots and signs real players to pair with the young ones and hires a proven coach to try to win.

Fired

Steve Nash

Nate McMillan