We look at the NBA coaches that are under the most pressure this season
The NBA season started it’s 77th season on October 18 and while some teams start the season with a fresh perspective; others come into the season with the burden of their finish last year or the looming repercussions if the do not win this season. Here are the NBA head coaches who feel the most pressure this season:
Tom Thibodeau-New York Knicks (Record as Knicks Head Coach: 79-80 including playoffs)
Thibodeau is entering his third season as the Knicks coach and while the results have been better than when he was in Minnesota coaching the Timberwolves; he is still not brought many happy days to the fans at Madison Square Garden. During his tenure as the Knicks coach, the team still lacks an identity and has only played one NBA Playoff series. Last year in particular was shocking for the Knicks going 37-45 and finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference.
One of the biggest criticisms I have had of Thibs is his refusal to play younger players and instead play veterans who are past their prime. Promising forward Obi Toppin who the Knicks drafted 8th overall in 2020 was losing playing time to 36 year-old Taj Gibson last season and is not effective in large stretches of playing time. The Knicks traded for Cam Reddish who showed flashes of potential in Atlanta but Reddish only started to get playing time with the Knicks after injuries to other veteran players.
With the addition of point guard Jalen Brunson this summer and maybe a return to an All Star level play for forward Julius Randle, the Knicks should have the look of a playoff team and if they don’t then fans and general manager Leon Rose could look toward Thibodeau as the culprit of another disappointing season in Gotham.
Doc Rivers-Philadelphia 76ers (Record as 76ers Head Coach: 113-65 including playoffs)
Rivers is starting his third season as head coach in Philly and while he has won a playoff series in his first two seasons the 76ers have not gotten past the second round of the NBA Playoffs during his time as the head coach. When he was hired in 2020 to replace Brett Brown, the thought was that Doc would bring his experience of appearing in two NBA finals and winning a championship with the Celtics to this team who had only made the playoffs 3 out of the last 10 years.
The truth is that Doc Rivers has not made the conference finals as a coach since 2012 and has twice coached teams that have squandered 3-1 series leads and lost those series in seven games (Clippers vs the Rockets in 2015 and Clippers vs Nuggets in 2020). The pressure to win this year is huge with the uncertainty about Joel Embiid ability to stay healthy, the possible upcoming free agency of guard James Harden and the fact that general manager Daryl Morey did not hire Rivers.
Monty Williams-Phoenix Suns (Record as Suns Head Coach: 170-92 including playoffs)
On April 10, 2022, the Phoenix Suns ended the regular season with a 64-18 record and the number one team in the Western Conference, let’s look at all the things that have happened since then:
–Played a six game NBA playoff series in the first round vs the 36-46 New Orleans Pelicans
-Lost a game seven on their home-court to the Dallas Mavericks by 33 points in the second round of the playoffs
–Had a COVID outbreak that happen during their series vs Mavericks that may have violated NBA policy
–Re-signed starting center Deandre Ayton who has a frosty relationship with Williams to a four-year contract
-Trade demand by forward Jae Crowder
– Owner Robert Sarver being suspended for the entire year by the NBA for violating workplace standards and then facing pressure from sponsors and players he putting the team up for sale.
Since the Suns won Game 2 of the NBA Finals in 2021, they have a 7-10 record in the playoffs and are 1-6 in playoff road games. For a team that has a top 10 payroll this year and the 2nd best player on the team (Chris Paul) is 37 years old, the time is now in the Valley of the Sun. Basketball fans and media will be looking to see can Williams guide this team back atop the Western Conference and further in the playoffs.
Nate McMillian-Atlanta Hawks (Record as Hawks Head Coach: 81-62 including playoffs)
Coming into last season, the expectations for the Hawks was very high after making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 however the Hawks did not leave up to those expectations in 2022. The Hawks struggled for the first three months of the season and at one point their record was 17-25. The team would start to turn things around and eventually earn a playoff spot but would then lose to the Miami Heat in the first round. In the off season, the Hawks traded for guard Dejounte Murray who made his first All-Star game last season and can help share some of the ball-handling responsibility with Trae Young.
Of the eight players that are returning to the team and played the most minutes, all of them are under the age of 30 so the time is now for this team to take the next step and be consistent contenders in the Eastern Conference. The question that general manager Travis Schlenk may be asking is McMillian the coach to make the Hawks a consistent contender. The season will be key in answering that question.
Steve Nash-Brooklyn Nets (Record as Nets Head Coach: 99-71 including playoffs)
Nash’s tenure as Nets coach is one where you will fans and media are very divided about his performance going into his third season. On one hand, you can say that he has to deal with injuries to Kevin Durant (Durant has missed 74 games in the last two seasons), the refusal of Kyrie Irving to get vaccinated causing him to miss games in cities that required vaccinations, the depletion of their depth to make the trade for James Harden in 2021 and because of their bloated payroll an inability to add depth to the roster.
The critics of Nash point to constant lack of cohesion on offense and defense, inability to make adjustments vs the Celtics in the playoffs, not playing the younger guys on the roster more and not taking more authority with his two star players.
This offseason, Durant asked for a trade or the removal of Nash and general manager Sean Marks which owner Joe Tsai did not do and the Nets did not trade Durant. Can the Nets finally live up to hype and win important games in May and June?
Mike Budenholzer (Record as Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks: 251-118, including playoffs)
Of all the coaches on this list, Budenholzer has been with his team the longest and is the only coach to win a title with his current team. So you may ask why is he on this list? One of the reasons that he is on this list is because of the age of this Bucks roster. Of the projected nine players expected to play the most minutes this season, seven of them are 30 years old or older (Reserve forward Pat Connaughton will turn 30 in January).
While having experience can be helpful in winning games, it also puts pressure to win with an older group that could be prone to injuries and can have trouble playing lots of minutes. Also, forward Khris Middleton could potentially be a free agent at the end of the season (he has a player option), Brook Lopez will be a free agent as well as backup point guard George Hill.
The reason that the Bucks have been so successfully recently is players like Lopez and Middleton that surround Giannis Antetokounmpo and compliment his strengths as a player. The Bucks are going to have to ask themselves how much they are willing to pay to bring these players back to keep Milwaukee a title contender. The time to win with this group is now and Budenholzer has to manage this roster to make sure that they are ready for the important NBA playoff games next spring.
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