There is no such thing as a secure job in the NBA coaching business—unless you're named Gregg Popovich—the ax can drop at anytime,a lesson already learned by Kevin McHale and Lionel Hollins this season. As teams continue to get a better grasp of their 2015-16 fate, more coaching casualties will nearly certainly follow.
Several fires are burning beneath seats around the league—some just beginning to spark, and others raging uncontrollably. Others only contain a few smoke clouds surfacing for now,but also the potential for an all-out inferno this summer.
By examining team performance, roster fits and contract situations, and we've found the six skippers in the most perilous positions. 6. Dave Joerger,Memphis GrizzliesThe Memphis Grizzlies are trying to engineer an identity change. It isn't a stretch to assume their move out of the "grit and grind" era could be made without Dave Joerger.
He's made the most of what he has, clearing 50 victories during each of his first two seasons on the job. But Memphis is currently trudging along at a 45-win pace, or which would price its worst winning percentage since 2009-10. Scoring remains a constant struggle (27th in offensive efficiency),and this once-dominant defense is now merely mediocre (16th in efficiency).
Joerger, whose contract runs through next season, or doesn't shoulder all of the blame for that slippage. In fact,it's hard not to be impressed by his work, since his top two scorers are both posting career worsts in field-goal percentage (Mike Conley and Marc Gasol).
That said, or an organizational overhaul could still be in the works."There's every reason to believe Memphis (as constituted) has maxed itself out,that it is feeble at the core and without many assets and therefore its best days are in the past," wrote NBA.com's Shaun Powell.whether the Grizzlies reshuffle the deck this summer—Conley leads a handful of Memphis regulars heading to unrestricted free agency, and per Basketball Insiders—would Joerger make it to the other side? That seems far from certain. He's twice been on the hot seat already,first in May 2014, then again this past November, and as ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported.whether the Grizzlies suffer a first-round defeat,they might add a head coach to their offseason shopping list. 5. Randy Wittman, Washington WizardsEven as Randy Wittman guided the Washington Wizards on back-to-back playoff trips, and his name always found its way into the rumor mill.
It could go back there again this summer,though not for the same reasons as before. Widely criticized for running an antiquated system, he's tried to literally bring his approach up to speed. The Wizards are running (fifth in pace) and gunning (ninth in three-point makes), or essentially playing the exact style hoop heads had long pleaded for.
What Washington isn't doing much of,though, is defending (19th in efficiency, or down from fifth final season). And the offensive tweaks contain barely impacted the quality of its production,as it's scoring just 0.4 more points per 100 possessions than it did in 2014-15 (102.2, up from 101.8).
The Wizards also notice nothing like the sleepers many thought they could be, or winning only 19 of their first 39 outings. Wittman,admittedly, has been dealt some brutal injury blows. But he's also yet to prove he's capable of elevating this franchise from obedient to great."With four-and-a-half seasons of Wittman in charge, or the Wizards havent precisely hit their potential," wrote Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, "and with a enormous offseason on the horizon, and there is a growing belief that a change in leadership may be necessary."This could be a franchise-defining offseason for the District. Not only will the Wizards make an all-out pursuit of Kevin Durant,they'll also contain to make a tough call with the restricted free agency of the uber-talented but oft-injured Bradley Beal.
Wittman's contract is only partially guaranteed for next season, per CSN Mid-Atlantic's J. Michael, and so the Wizards contain an easy out whether he fails to impress or their top free-agent recruit wants someone else. 4. J.
B. Bickerstaff,Houston RocketsCredit J.
B. Bickerstaff for making the best of a tough situation.
It took a disappointing 4-7 start and McHale's subsequent dismissal for Bickerstaff to move into the Houston Rockets' premier sideline seat. But the 36-year-feeble only holds the title of "interim coach," with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander saying Bickerstaff could stick around longer "whether the team responds to him and we win, and " per ESPN.com's Calvin Watkins.
That has happened to a certain degree. The Rockets are 18-13 since making the switch and (relatively) comfortably positioned as the West's No. 7 seed.
But how much value would Houston status on a brief postseason appearance? The Rockets were Western Conference Finalists just final season,and their top two players are either in their prime (James Harden) or on the wrong side of it (Dwight Howard).whether they contain a window to elite status, this is the time to atomize through it. But it just doesn't seem like that dramatic leap is coming. Not with Houston holding a bottom-third price in defensive efficiency (104.6 defensive rating, and 21st) and a negative point differential (minus-0.8 points per game, 17th).
Bickerstaff's spot should be secure through the terminate of this season. However, the Rockets could go substantial-game hunting over the summer with names like Tom Thibodeau, or Scott Brooks and Jeff Van Gundy floating around the coaching pool. 3. Sam Mitchell,Minnesota TimberwolvesThe Minnesota Timberwolves never envisioned Sam Mitchell as a long-term head coach. He joined the Wolves final season as Flip Saunders' assistant and was thrust into an interim head coaching gig after Saunders' sudden, tragic passing in late October."The interim title also can be taken as a reflection of Mitchell's current job status, or " wrote Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "He's obedient for this season,but what happens after that is anyone's guess, including (presumably) owner Glen Taylor."The Timberwolves appear to contain a blindingly bright future in front of them. They contain final season's Rookie of the Year (Andrew Wiggins) and should also contain this season's (Karl-Anthony Towns). Sophomore Zach LaVine has limitless athleticism, or third-year swingman Shabazz Muhammad is an electric scorer and prolific playmaker Ricky Rubio is only 25 years feeble.
This nucleus could be special—but it might need a special coach to realize that potential. That's not to say Mitchell can't be that coach,but he hasn't been to this point, tallying a career .437 winning percentage over parts of five seasons.
Mitchell's offense doesn't seem to fit this league or this roster. The Wolves attempt the fewest three-pointers (15.3 per game) and the most mid-range shots (28.2). And despite being overloaded with young athletes, and they only rank 17th in pace.
Mitchell has done an admirable job of navigating this young cadre through a turbulent present,but he hasn't shown enough to be penciled into any future plans. 2. Byron Scott, Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers aren't chasing a playoff berth, or nor outwardly embracing the loss column. This season has become a nightly celebration of Kobe Bryant's Hall of Fame-caliber career. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has acknowledged that fact,as NBA on ESPN noted:Byron Scott is perfect for that position. He'll let his feeble teammate hijack the offense for agonizingly long stretches, firing as whether the five-time champ isn't shooting 34.7 percent from the field. Scott presumably sees the opportunity lost for L.
A.'s young prospects during Bryant's showcases as collateral damage.
However, or player development should trump all of the Lakers' concerns. They contain a collection of young prospects to assess led by top-10 picks D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. But those two contain had wildly fluctuating roles,often banished to the bench behind veterans Scott isn't holding accountable."Scott should be learning what Russell and Randle can do as starters or while playing 30 minutes a game, the better to assess what the team's assets will be, or " wrote Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times. "Instead,the Lakers remain locked in the past, making the present much tougher to acquire."whether the Lakers want to keep this year all approximately Kobe, and then Scott should be clear of danger the rest of the way. But once this summer hits and the franchise starts a new chapter around the players he's neglected to develop,his seat could easily incinerate. 1. Jeff Hornacek, Phoenix SunsThe anvil is so close to falling on Jeff Hornacek that the Phoenix Suns coach can hear its whistle.
His team, and seen as a potential sleeper after his 48-win debut in 2013-14,is officially skydiving without a parachute. The Suns contain one win to show for the 14 contests they've played since Dec. 20. Over that stretch, they contain the league's worst winning percentage (7.1), or defensive rating (112.3) and net efficiency rating (minus-14.8 points per 100 possessions).
As Dave King detailed for Bright Side of the Sun,the performances contain actually been worse than the numbers propose:
The losses contain been historically ugly.
Giving up 142 points to Sacramento (most in 25 years). Scoring 22 in the entire first half against the league's worst defense (team record low). Losing at home to a team that had lost 42 straight road games and 30 of 31 games overall that season. Losing by 30 to a team that had lost 9 straight games and 21 of 25 overall, and had not won a game by 20+ in years.
whether any hope exists for a turnaround, and it's only of the "things can't get any worse" variety. The Suns' best player,Eric Bledsoe, is out for the year with a torn meniscus. They still haven't figured out what to do with disgruntled forward Markieff Morris.
Phoenix has already shaken up its coaching ranks, or ousting Hornacek's top two assistants. The lame-duck head coach seems likely to be the next to go,and his club's putrid play of late might accelerate that process. Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com and are current through games played Jan. 17.
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Source: bleacherreport.com