Five NBA Coaches on the Hot Seat Going into the 2022-23 Season

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With the preseason starting late last week, the 2022-23 NBA season is only a couple of weeks away. There were multiple coaching changes, with new and familiar faces filling coaching vacancies. The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Frank Vogel and hired Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham. The Sacramento Kings fired Alvin Gentry after they fired Luke Walton mid-season. They would replace him with former head coach and Golden State Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown. In Charlotte, the Hornets fired James Borrego after another disappointing season and brought back former head coach Steve Clifford. Lastly, the Utah Jazz hired former Boston Celtics assistant coach Will Hardy after parting with Quin Snyder after eight years of coaching the team. While most new coaches get a year or two before they are on the hot seat, not all of them get a fighting chance. For these coaches, new and old, it may be only a matter of games before they either see the door or they could finish up the NBA season before being fired.

Honorable Mention: Ime Udoka

The Ime Udoka case is very different from the other coaches on this list. Currently serving a season-long suspension for his off-the-court actions, it is possible Ime Udoka has coached his last game for the Celtics, if not coaching in the NBA. After being an Assistant for nine years combined across the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets, Ime Udoka got his chance as a head coach with the Boston Celtics. After a rough first half of the season and calling out his stars, Udoka coached the Celtics to a 51-31 record and a trip to the NBA Finals. This season, Udoka is watching from home as assistant Joe Mazzulla is leading the team as interim head coach. Recent reports have noted that Boston would not stand in his way if he were to look for another coaching job. There have not been any reports of if Boston will fire Udoka upon the end of his suspension but finding a new coaching role may be very difficult following his off-the-court actions.

Billy Donovan: Chicago Bulls

Heading into his eighth season as an NBA head coach, Billy Donovan has seen success and failures. In his five seasons as the coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Donovan led the team to a winning record each season, reaching the playoffs each season. In his first season coaching the Chicago Bulls, Donovan led the team to a 31-41 record after they won less than 30 games each of the three prior seasons. Last season, Chicago finished with a 46-36 record, making their first playoff appearance in five seasons. After bringing back 12 players from last season, the pressure is growing on Donovan. With the Bulls missing a key player in Lonzo Ball and the East growing stronger, it’s possible the Bulls may drop off in the standings this season. While he does have a good relationship with the front office and star players like Zach Lavine, the only chance Donovan could be fired is if the Bulls have a horrible season that falls far beyond expectations. Donovan would be a desirable head coach as he has a good reputation coaching younger players. With his contract expiring in 2024, this season will play a significant role in his coaching future with the Bulls.

Steve Nash: Brooklyn Nets

Heading into only his third season as an NBA head coach, Steve Nash has had a rough time. Coaching the Brooklyn Nets, Nash has coached several superstars including Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and now Ben Simmons heading into the 2022-23 season. In his two seasons so far, Nash has led the Nets to 48 and 44 wins, while receiving a lot of criticism from fans and even his players. Kyrie Irving openly said the Nets did not need Nash as a coach when they had three coaches on the court (referring to Durant, Harden, and himself). This past offseason, Kevin Durant gave ownership the ultimatum of him or Nash and the Nets GM when requesting a trade. Thankfully for Nash, ownership expressed their support of Nash as head coach. The 2022-23 season will be a make-or-break season for the Nets. It’s likely that Irving won’t resign with the team in free agency after not getting an extension this season. It’s also likely Durant could request another trade if the Nets have another bad season. With a lot on the line this season for Brooklyn, Nash may only have a handful of games to determine his future as the Nets head coach. If the Nets have a losing record a quarter of the way into the season, Nash may not finish the season as head coach.

Darvin Ham: Los Angeles Lakers

After spending 11 years as an assistant coach for three teams including the Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and Milwaukee Bucks, Darvin Ham is starting his head coaching career for the team he began his coaching journey with. While most new coaches have a season or two before they’re on the hot seat, Ham is coaching a Lakers team with high expectations and the clock ticking. Previous head coach Frank Vogel was fired at the end of last season, even though he led the team to a championship in 2020. That team is very different today. The previous two seasons have seen the Lakers be eliminated in the first round and miss the play-in tournament last season. Although he signed an extension, LeBron James is aging. Next to LeBron, Anthony Davis has struggled the last couple of seasons due to numerous injuries. Finally, Russell Westbrook has a tough, but solid overall season last year, but took most of the blame for the Lakers disappointing season. With the expectations being high for the Lakers and many outlets predicting another bad season for an aging Lakers team, Ham may only have a season to prove he’s the right coach for the team.

Tom Thibodeau: New York Knicks

It is only a matter of time before the Knicks part ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau. In his two seasons with the Knicks, he’s led the team to one winning season with a first-round playoff exit, and an 11th-seed finish. Thibodeau led the Bulls to winning records every season he coached the team and led the Wolves to their first playoff appearance in 14 years. In his few seasons with the Knicks, Thibs has relied heavily on veterans and those he’s coached in the past including Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson. At the same time, the Knicks have had several promising young stars who have been put on the bench or not given a real chance because of Thibs coaching style. This past offseason, Knicks management said Thibs was their guy, but the preseason has shown Thibodeau may not change his ways. With many seeing the Knicks having another bad season, it may be Thibs last season as head coach. Knicks management is focusing on the future and Thibodeau is not the right coach for the Knicks’ future.

Doc Rivers: Philadelphia 76ers

Many believe Doc Rivers does not deserve to be listed as one of the 75 greatest NBA coaches of all time and he hasn’t had any real success since leading the Boston Celtics to a championship in at the end of the 2007-08 season. As the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, Doc has had regular-season success leading those teams but did not have post-season success. The Los Angeles Clippers had seven winning seasons with Doc as head coach and couldn’t make it past the second round. In Philadelphia, the same result. Many criticized Rivers after keeping superstar Joel Embiid in a playoff game that he would eventually get injured in, something that played into their eventual second-round exit last season. Going into the season with Joel Embiid still in his prime and a healthy James Harden, Doc Rivers will be the fall guy if Philadelphia fails to meet expectations once again. With the East looking the strongest it’s been in years, especially at the top of the conference, Philadelphia’s season may end in another playoff exit, followed by Doc’s exit from the team.