As the 2024-25 NBA season approaches, some players and coaches will slowly move from their collective kumbaya phase of peace and eternal love to frustration, anger and deep resentment.
When losses begin to accumulate and expectations begin to decline, some organizations may consider making changes, and as history has shown us, change usually starts with the head coach, not with turning away the stars.
There will undoubtedly be teams that enter the season with a certain level of expectation. Only 16 of the 30 teams make the playoffs every year, and considering the league doesn't currently have 14 rebuilding teams, there's a good chance we'll be looking at some attractive spots.
Before we move on to coaches who may find themselves in a difficult situation, a few key introductory words:
It's very difficult for even the best beat writer or analyst to know what's going on behind closed doors. NBA locker rooms are hallowed places, and it's rare for fans and pundits to have a complete picture of the internal dynamics between a head coach and his team.
As such, the names below will only be mentioned from the perspective of potentially failed expectations.
(Coaches who are entering their first year with a new team, or their first year at all, are exempt. So while the Phoenix Suns may not live up to expectations, Mike Budenholzer is for all intents and purposes safe. For now.)
Doktor Rivers i Milwaukee Bucks
Renting in the middle of the season has always been strange. The Bucks deteriorated significantly 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 key piece of the upcoming season, played 15.7 minutes in the first 34 games. After Rivers' arrival, he saw action in just 14 games, playing an average of 5.3 minutes.
For an old team that is in dire need of youth development to take some of the load off Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, actively keeping that youth off the floor seems counterproductive.
Now, to be fair, Rivers will do a full training camp with this team, and the Bucks made minimal signings this summer, signing Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince and Delon Wright. Maybe they'll get back on track to win 55 games.
However, Rivers is not known for his creative offense, which means there is a scenario where the Bucks could stagnate. This begs the question: where do they go from there?
Did they prefer to save face and not fire the coach in the middle of the season for the second year in a row? Or will they realize they have a potential top-10 all-time player on their roster, in excellent form no less, and do what's best for him?
Willie Green, New Orleans Pelicans
Let's make something absolutely clear. Green has improved each year he has been an active head coach, and there has been no sign of his seat warming up.
That said, if the Pelicans face a scenario where Zion Williamson is healthy but the team can't gain traction in the win column, what then?
The organization has made a commitment to Williamson, trying to build a rotation around his skill set and even strengthening the point guard position by adding the perennially underrated Dejounte Murray, which should allow Williamson to pick and choose when he gets into creator mode with the ball in his hand. hands.
Yes, the team never really knew what to do with Brandon Ingram, who for unclear reasons turned into a reluctant three-point shooter. And no, that shouldn't fall to Green, whose job is to do his best with the players he's been given.
Logic dictates that the Pelicans will be fine as long as Williamson stays healthy. But if that doesn't happen, Green could become a brutal and unfair sacrifice in his pursuit of the next level.
Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls
As with Green, no head coach should be held accountable for management's actions. This remains true in Chicago. However, the Bulls have a bad history 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 considering Chicago's lack of results and his seemingly eternal presence in the play-in tournament.
(Two more play-in appearances for the Bulls should lead to the league offering them at least a five-year jersey promotional deal, advertising the event throughout the season. At this point, the Bulls would deserve it.)
Donovan has deep roots in the organization because his son William is the head coach of the G League's Windy City Bulls. Relieving Donovan of his duties will likely have a domino effect.
However, after five seasons in office, with just one playoff win and a 49.1% winning percentage, it's not like it would be a hard sell to fans if team president Artūras Karnišovas decides to sideline Donovan if the Bulls start slow .
Despite losing DeMar DeRozan this summer, the organization still considers itself relevant to the competition. Definitely not, but from that perspective it wouldn't be illogical for them to fire Donovan before they were 10-12 games below .500. Maybe they can hire Dr. Rivers. It wouldn't make sense, but that's basically how the Bulls like to operate these days.
Mike Malone, Denver Nuggets
Okay, this is a curveball and not a great one. Malone helped the Nuggets win a championship in 2023 and, by all accounts, has a great relationship with the NBA's greatest player, Nikola Jokić.
He should be safe. Dot.
However, tensions are reportedly growing between Malon and management, which means it's not too far-fetched to suggest that the franchise may 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 to swallow for the Nuggets owner. That said, there is likely a provision in his contract that offsets future earnings against the amount the Nuggets owe him, as is customary in coaching contracts. It would take Malone a minute to find a new job in New York, and the Nuggets are probably aware of that.
However, it is difficult to see a path justifying such a decision. Malone wasn't responsible for the loss of Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the offseason, so firing him would likely turn the flames of Nuggets fans towards the front office – and rightfully so.
Distinction
Quina Snydera and Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks owe their 2025 first-round draft pick to the San Antonio Spurs, who are no less vulnerable, meaning there is no reason to lose games this season. The Hawks will look to win every game they can, and if they find themselves bottom of the Eastern Conference by the new year, it wouldn't be outrageous for them to seek an alternative coaching path.
