Since the start of 2016, there have been 12 head coaches hired by NBA teams. There are only four head coaches who have been with their current teams for at least five seasons: Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra, Rick Carlisle and Dwane Casey. Some of the new coaches are being tasked with building from the ground up and others will be trying to adjust to a new situation with their new team. While there doesn’t seem to be too many coaches who will be coaching to keep their job, there are a number who will be under increased pressure.
Alvin Gentry, New Orleans Pelicans
Alvin Gentry first season with New Orleans didn’t go like the front office wanted it to go. The Pelicans posted 15 fewer wins that they did during the year prior, in which they made the postseason for the first time since the 2011 season. The reality for the Pelicans was the team was completely battered by injuries. Several key players like Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon all missed time due to various injuries. This season, the pressure will be on Gentry and the Pelicans to have a better season. Suffering injuries as much as they did was a matter of some bad luck on their side, but the team will be expected to have a better season with a healthy lineup returning. During the offseason they added Solomon Hill and E’Twaun Moore through free agency and drafted Buddy Hield and Cheick Diallo. With a healthy cast of players, Gentry and the Pelicans will be under pressure to return to the playoffs with a full squad.
Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers had a rough season in 2015-16. They lost Blake Griffin for more than half of the season after Griffin broke his hand after punching a team equipment member and suffered a groin injury. The team also lost Chris Paul and Blake Griffin during the playoffs. The Clippers were eliminated by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. This coming season is going to be a big one for the Clippers. Griffin and Paul can both opt out of their contracts and become unrestricted free agents next summer. There have been rumors surrounding Griffin’s future with the team. The team has maintained that they’d like to keep Griffin, but it seems as though his future is still uncertain. The Clippers have made the playoffs in five-straight seasons, but they have failed to advance past the second round in each year. If they fail to live up to expectations again this season, the team could look to make some big changes to the roster and possibly the coaching staff next offseason. Doc Rivers serves as the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, so it remains to be seen if the Clippers would look to move on from him.
Dave Joerger, Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are in a very unstable environment unlike any other, they have cycled through one coach per year for the last decade. The Kings have now turned to Dave Joerger to save them from this never-ending lottery picks and guide them back to the playoffs. Joerger really has his work cut out for him with the Kings this season. The reason why a first time head coach is on the hot seat already is because the tiniest of mistakes could be enough reason for Vlade Divac to fire Joerger and put him on the list of the other failed coaches he hired. Whether Joerger can pull it all together remains to be seen. Right now, time isn’t on the Kings’ side with DeMarcus Cousins becoming a free agent in 2018 . They have to get the situation right in Sacramento to try to convince their big name center to stay longer.
Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have experienced a lot of success under Mike Budenholzer, including their a great run two years ago, winning 19 straight games, 60 games overall, locking up the top seed in the East and making their first ever Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Unfortunately, the Hawks ended that season being beat badly by the Cavaliers in a 4-0 sweep. Over the last two years, Budenholzer has lost to Cleveland eight straight times in the playoffs. Back to back years of humiliating sweeps against the same team isn’t going to boost any head coach’s job security. Going into this season, Budenholzer has a new gadget on his team to play with in Dwight Howard, and will need to get the most out of him. One more slip-up against the Cleveland and LeBron in the postseason and that might be it for Budenholzer.