In the NBA, no one’s job is ever secure. That statement follows suit from the 12th man on the bench to the general manager. Yet it often comes to pass that the majority of the failures in the NBA are blamed on the head coach. Every season a handful of coaches are fired, and even this early in a season that has already been true. Kevin McHale was the first casualty this year, despite his release coming as a surprise to just about everyone. So who else is on the hot seat? Let’s take a look at 5 NBA coaches who are already on thin ice.
Lionel Hollins, Brooklyn Nets
Hollins is in a position where he basically can’t win. The Nets are clearly in no position to compete for the playoffs, and their roster is in limbo between playing for now and playing for the future. At the same time, the Nets don’t control a draft pick until 2019, so bottoming out will only help the Boston Celtics or Atlanta Hawks. The Nets are locked in at the bottom of the east, and Hollins hasn’t been able to string together wins. For a team that had championship aspirations as little as two years ago, they look as futile as they did during their 12-win season, and Hollins could be getting the boot.
Brett Brown, Philadelphia 76ers
Poor Brett Brown. The coach has been stuck with a perplexing roster under an owner with a pipe dream masquerading as an organizational plan. The 76ers have been preaching “future” for years now, and it looks like Brett Brown might not be part of that, for better or worse. The 76ers have started out 0-16, and while ownership says they back him, and the fans support him, if the team surpasses the New Jersey Nets’ record of 18 straight losses to start a season, it’s hard to imagine Brown surviving that. As the team closes in on futility yet again, Brown might be closing out his tenure in Philadelphia.
Byron Scott, Los Angeles Lakers
Meanwhile, things are getting ugly on the west coast. The Lakers are no better now than they were last year, and Kobe Bryant looks like his body has had enough. The problem is that Byron Scott won’t make any changes, and seems committed to going down with this ship. After an offseason that brought in promising new pieces, this team has continued to spiral downhill, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope anymore. Could this be Kobe’s doing? Maybe he has something to do with it, but even his play now can’t speak for how bad the team has been. This horror show could be over quickly for Byron Scott.
George Karl, Sacramento Kings
The saga in Sacramento continues into the regular season for George Karl. Despite stellar play from Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings are still stuck in their losing ways. There was a ton of tension this offseason between Karl and Cousins, and that doesn’t seem to have subsided, when Cousins called out his teammates, coaches, and the whole organization during a players only meeting. If the team keeps losing, it’s likely that it will have to move either Karl or Cousins. A 50/50 shot between a franchise center and a coach might not be such a difficult decision, and it’s very possible that the Kings will force Karl out before they do to Cousins.
Bernie Bickerstaff, Houston Rockets
The Rockets’ start was underwhelming at best, and it cost Kevin McHale his job. The team turned to assistant Bernie Bickerstaff, and the play hasn’t been any better. Now the Rockets face a tough stretch that could determine if Bickerstaff keeps his interim role or if he gets the boot too. They’ve lost 7 of 8 and the team looks disinterested and despondent. If Bickerstaff can’t get the Rockets to play better defense (the team has given up 100 points in every game except one), this team is headed for a disappointing season, and Bickerstaff will be gone.