Oklahoma City Thunder rumors: Could Scott Brooks be on the hot seat?
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals and although they were very disappointed, it looked like they were ahead of schedule. Since then, they have parted ways with guard James Harden, dealing him to the Houston Rockets and have fallen short of the finals in each of the last two seasons, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round in 2013 and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals in 2014.
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Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders believes Brooks could be on the hot seat in Oklahoma City if the Thunder begin to struggle.
"Two things have to be said at the top: Scott Brooks is an excellent coach whose team and players adore him. That said, the clock is ticking. There is no question that the Thunder are on the clock, especially with star forward Kevin Durant inching closer to free agency in the summer of 2016. The Thunder have preached a message of continuity and instituted a strong development program, and that has paid dividends in OKC, but failing to reach the NBA Finals again before Durant’s free agency could spell disaster for the Thunder as the outside voices creep into the discussion and try to lure Durant out of OKC.Brooks has come under fire a lot over the last two seasons, so if the Thunder regress or start to struggle expect his job status to become a topic, even if no one in Oklahoma City wants to think about it."
Brooks took over in 2008 and is 293-179 with the Thunder, including a playoff record of 39-34. However, the expectations are for Brooks to win a title and Kyler is right when he sees the rumors surrounding Durant will only add to pressure.
Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league as we get you ready for the start of the 2014-2015 season.
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