As the 2024-25 NBA season approaches, some players and coaches will slowly transition from their shared kumbaya phase of peace and eternal love to frustration, anger and deep resentment.
When losses start piling up and expectations level off, some organizations might consider making a change, and as history has shown us, change usually starts with a head coach, as opposed to pivoting star players.
There will undeniably be teams that enter this season with a certain level of expectation. Only 16 of 30 teams make the playoffs each year, and considering the league currently doesn’t have 14 teams that are rebuilding, odds are good we could be looking at some hot seats.
Now, before we get into those trainers who might find themselves in a tough spot, a crucial preface:
It is very difficult for even the best beat writer or analyst to know what goes on behind closed doors. NBA locker rooms are sacred places, and rarely do fans or pundits ever get the full picture of the internal dynamic between a head coach and his team.
As such, the following names will exclusively be listed in perspective of potentially failed expectations.
(Coaches entering their first year with a new team, or their first year in general, are exempt. So while the Phoenix Suns might not live up to expectations, Mike Budenholzer is, by all accounts, safe. For now.)
Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks
The half-season hiring has always been strange. The Bucks actively got worse last season, going from 30-13 under Adrian Griffin to 17-19 under Rivers.
MarJon Beauchamp, one of the few young players currently on the roster and potentially a crucial element for next season, played 15.7 minutes over his first 34 games. After Rivers arrived, he saw game action in just 14 games, playing 5.3 minutes on average.
For an old team that needs to develop youth, to take some of the load off of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, it seems counterproductive to actively keep youth off the floor.
Now, in fairness, Rivers will have a full training camp with this team, and the Bucks nailed their minimum signings this summer, taking Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince and Delon Wright. They might be right back on track to win 55 games.
However, Rivers is not known for installing creative offenses, which means there is a scenario in which the Bucks could stagnate. This begs the question: Where do they go from there?
Will they prefer to save face, and not fire a coach in the middle of the season for the second year in a row? Or will they realize they have a potential top 10 player of all time on their roster, in his prime, and do what’s best for him?
Willie Green, New Orleans Pelicans
Let’s just make something abundantly clear. Green has improved every year he’s been an active head coach, and there’s nothing to suggest his seat is warming up.
That said, if the Pelicans run into a scenario where Zion Williamson is healthy, but the team can’t seem to gain traction in the win column, so what?
The organization has committed to Williamson trying to mold a rotation around his skill set, even bolstering the point guard position by adding the perennially underrated Dejounte Murray, which should allow Williamson to pick and choose when he enters creator mode with the ball in his possession. hands
Yes, the team never really figured out what to do with Brandon Ingram, who morphed into a reluctant 3-point shooter for reasons that are unclear. And no, that shouldn’t land on the feet of Green, whose job is to do the best he can with the players he’s been given.
Logic dictates that the Pelicans will be fine as long as Williamson is healthy. But if they are not, Green could become the brutal, and unfair, victim in his quest for a higher level.
Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls
Similar to Green, no head coach should be held accountable for the actions of a front office. This remains true in Chicago. But the Bulls have a poor record of firing coaches on a whim, including firing Scott Skiles on Christmas Eve 2007 after a 9-16 start.
Donovan lasted longer than most expected, especially when you consider Chicago’s lack of results and its seemingly eternal presence in the play-in tournament.
(Two more appearances in the Bulls’ play-in should lead to the league offering them at least a five-year jersey patch promotional deal, promoting the event during the season. At that point, the Bulls would have won it.)
Donovan has also become deeply rooted in the organization, as his son, William, is the head coach of the G-League’s Windy City Bulls. Relieving Donovan of his duties likely means a ripple effect.
But after five seasons on the job, with just one playoff win and a 49.1% winning percentage, it’s not like it would be a hard sell to the fan base if team president Artūras Karnišovas decided to pivot from Donovan if the Bulls got off to a slow start. .
Despite losing DeMar DeRozan this summer, the organization still sees itself as competitively relevant. It’s clearly not, but from that perspective, firing Donovan before the time they are 10-12 games under .500 would not be illogical for them. Maybe they could hire Doc Rivers. It wouldn’t make sense, but that’s basically how the Bulls like to operate today.
Mike Malone, Denver Nuggets
Okay, this is a curveball and not a great one. Malone helped the Nuggets win the 2023 championship, and by all accounts he has a great relationship with the NBA’s best player, Nikola Jokić.
He should be safe. Point.
But there’s reportedly growing tension between Malone and the front office, which means it’s not a wild stretch to suggest the franchise could be looking for an excuse to end the relationship.
Malone signed a lucrative contract extension less than a year ago, which won’t be easy for Nuggets ownership to swallow. That said, there is likely language in his deal that offsets future earnings against what the Nuggets owe him, which is customary in coaching contracts. It would take Malone a New York minute to find a new job, and the Nuggets are likely aware of that.
It is difficult to see the way in which such a decision could be justified though. Malone wasn’t responsible for losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in back-to-back offseasons, so firing him would more than likely turn the flame of Nuggets fans toward the front office — and quite a bit.
Honorable mention
Quin Snyder, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks owe their 2025 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, unprotected no less, meaning there’s zero reason to lose games this season. The Hawks will try to win every game imaginable, and if they find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference before the new year, it wouldn’t be outrageous for them to look for an alternative coaching route.
