NBA Rumors: Five head coaches who may already be on the hot seat.
The 2023-24 NBA season has gotten off to an exciting start. The Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets look like they are in a class of their own and the likes of the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves have given us much to think about when it comes to that second tier of contenders in both conferences.
At the same rate, there are also some other teams that have gotten off to disappointing starts. And that will naturally equate to a few head coaches finding their way to the hot seat. Let’s explore five of the coaches who should feel the most pressure to dig their way out of their early-season holes.
5 struggling NBA head coaches
Jacque Vaughn, Brooklyn Nets
As the Brooklyn Nets turned a new leaf in trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at least year’s NBA Trade Deadline, it’s pretty clear this is a franchise heading in a new direction. With a new core in place, though, you can’t help but wonder if the team will eventually look to find a new leading voice in the locker room.
This is Vaughn’s eighth season with the Nets and was promoted at the beginning of last season to head coach. He led the Nets to a 43-32 record under his watch. And he’s gotten off to a 6-5 start to this year. It’s not about Vaughn’s capabilities as a head coach and the fact that he could be on the hot seat has more to do with the fact that the Nets are in a bit of a transition.
It’s just something to keep an eye on if the Nets fail to make the playoffs this season.
Willie Green, New Orleans Pelicans
This is Willie Green’s third season as the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans and, believe it or not, the clock may be ticking for him. What’s most troublesome is that after a hot start to last season, there was hope that the Pelicans could emerge this season as somewhat of a dark horse threat to be a top 6 team in the Western Conference. And while the idea of that is not completely discarded, the fact that they’ve gotten off to a 5-6 start to the season can’t help any.
The slow start of the season could very well fall on the shoulders of Green. Right now, the Pelicans don’t really do anything well on the basketball court. They have a bottom 5 offense and a below-average defense. That’s the exact recipe for an average team. And that’s exactly what the Pelicans have been this season.
There’s time for Green to turn the Pelicans around. They certainly have the talent to rebound in a big way. Maybe getting healthy is exactly what this team needs. But that’s far from a guarantee. If the Pelicans don’t make the playoffs this season, there’s a very good chance Green ends up taking the fall.
Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is entering his fourth year with the franchise, but the fact that he’s only made the playoffs once is pretty concerning. Making the decision to return their same core, the Bulls were heading into this season under a microscope. They were a situation that many rival teams were waiting to combust. As you would’ve expected, there’s a chance that may already be happening, just 12 games into the season.
Through the first few weeks of the season, the Bulls look like a non-needle moving once again. They have a playoff roster but are playing nowhere near their potential. And that generally points to a team that needs some sort of change. The recent whispers suggest that the first of those changes could be a big in-season trade, but you’d have to imagine that Donovan’s seat has to be getting pretty hot.
With how things are evolving, there’s at least an outside chance that the Bulls elect to make a change at the head-coaching position before they make a rash trade. I don’t think that’s completely off the table at the moment.
Taylor Jenkins, Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies may not be one of the worst teams in the NBA but they’ve surely played like one over the first few weeks of the season. Most of that can be attributed to the Ja Morant suspension but there could be something deeper going on with the Grizzlies. And if there is, one of the first culprits is going to be head coach Taylor Jenkins. This is Jenkins’ fifth season with the Grizzlies and there’s a chance he may have already peaked with this core.
After winning 56 games two seasons ago, the Grizzlies took a bit of a step back last year in which they only won 51 games and lost in the first round of the playoffs. This season, they’ve gotten off to an embarrassing 2-9 start. In fairness, I don’t think we can truly judge Jenkins until Morant returns from suspension, but the early returns are not good.
Hopefully, the Grizzlies are just a team that misses their best player. If they can’t figure out how to turn it around by the midway point of the season, don’t be shocked if they decide to make a coaching change.
J.B. Bickerstaff, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are another team that entered the season with high expectations. And with an impending decision regarding Donovan Mitchell’s future still needing to be made, it only added more intrigue and pressure for the team to start the year. So far, the Cavs have not responded well. They’re 5-6 through the first 11 games of the season and have not looked anything like a promising contender in the Eastern Conference.
In a big spot, the Cavs are coming up short. And if this trend continues over the next few weeks, you can bet that the whispers surrounding J.B. Bickerstaff and his job are only going to grow. Bickerstaff is entering his fourth full season as the Cavs coach and after leading the team to an impressive 51-game win season a year ago, you can’t help but question their sluggish start to the year.
It’ll be interesting to see how this season ends up playing out for the Cavs but it’s clear they don’t have much time to mess around. Maybe Bickerstaff doesn’t end up being the scapegoat but that’s generally the way it goes if a team falls short of expectations in the Association.