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The 2022-23 NBA season saw multiple coaches being fired or stepping down, with notable names such as Monty Williams, Nick Nurse, Mike Budenholzer, and Doc Rivers being given their walking papers. NBA coaches being fired or stepping down is nothing new, but the number of coaches being fired has increased in recent years. Like every other season, there are several coaches who are on the hot seat or should be on the hot seat. The following four coaches are or should be on the hot seat as the futures of their respective organizations could be determined by the 2023-24 season.
JB Bickerstaff
Having been the Cleveland Cavaliers’ coach since taking over during the 2019-2020 season, J.B. Bickerstaff has led the Cavs to a better record with each passing season. Leading the Cavs to a 22-50 record during the shortened 2020-21 season, the Cavs improved to 44-38 for the 2021-22 season and 51-31 for the 2022-23 season. While things look good from the outside, the Cavs NBA championship window is closing quickly, which could mean the end of Bickerstaff as head coach. Their first regular season with Donovan Mitchell was great, but the team quickly fell apart in the first round against the New York Knicks. Rumors and reports of Mitchell still wanting to go to the Knicks and the possibility of him requesting a trade if the Cavs have another early playoff exit instantly came out following the series loss. With Mitchell under contract through the 2024-25 season (with a player option for 2025-26), the 2023-24 season will be a do-or-die season for the Cavs and Bickerstaff. If the Cavs struggle early in the season, Bickerstaff could be fired in an attempt to save Cleveland’s season.
Billy Donovan
The situation in Chicago is questionable from all angles. The organization has preached continuity since the trio of Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic was formed. Reports came out that Billy Donovan was given a secret extension during the 2022 offseason, that something that wouldn’t be revealed until several months into the season. Many have criticized Donovan’s coaching decisions, whether that be not playing rookies, poor late-game choices, and more. With the 2023-24 season being seen as the Bulls last chance to do something, Donovan should be on the hot seat. Even though he had success in OKC, the same cannot be said for Chicago. With Bulls’ owner Jerry Reinsdorf recently making huge changes within his Chicago White Sox organization, it’s possible the same could happen for the Bulls. If Chicago has a rough start to the season, the organization could blow it up and enter a rebuild, trading their stars and firing Donovan as well.
Adrian Griffin
While it’s very rare for a rookie coach to be on the hot seat, Adrian Griffin’s seat is already warm. Having been an assistant coach for the Bucks under Mike Budenholzer for several years, Griffin was immediately a candidate for the job, with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo playing a role in the decision to promote him to head coach. Over the last couple of seasons, it’s looked like Milwaukee’s championship window is closing, even though they’re one of the best regular-season teams. With Giannis under contract for another two seasons (with a player option for the 2025-26 season) and the recent reports of him saying winning a championship is above all no matter the team, the Bucks are in a very dangerous spot. Having an aging and injury-prone core around Giannis, the championship window may already be closed. While it’s highly unlikely that Griffin would be fired in his first season as coach, a catastrophic start to the Bucks’ season would be the only way Griffin is fired.
Steve Clifford
Steve Clifford has had a rough time coaching the Charlotte Hornets. In his six seasons as Hornets’ head coach across two stints, Clifford has had two winning seasons, both during his first stint as head coach. In the first season of his second stint, Clifford led the team to a 27-55 record as previous head coach James Borrego led the team to a 43-39 record in his last season. While the Hornets did miss star LaMelo Ball for over half the season as well as missing Miles Bridges for the entire 2022-23 season, the team was not competitive for much of the season anyway. One of the biggest reasons Clifford is on the hot seat is not just the play of the team, but who hired him. Clifford was hired by former Hornets majority owner Michael Jordan, who recently sold his majority share of the team. With Clifford no longer having his biggest advocate and the new majority owners likely wanting to take the NBA franchise in a new direction, the odds of Clifford being fired during or at the end of the 2023-24 season are pretty high.
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