5 NBA coaches on the hot seat

May 29, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks speaks to the media after the loss to the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. San Antonio won 117-89. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

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April 4, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Michael Malone instructs against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Kings 102-69. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

MIKE MALONE

The goats aren’t going to scape themselves in Sacramento if (more likely when) another season filled with heavy losses ensues from here. The Kings’ wretched offseason combined with the ending honeymoon for non-Maloof ownership means there will have to be accountability somewhere in the organization. Unfortunately, the easiest target will be Mike Malone, through very little fault of his own. When Sacramento could put talent on the floor last season, they were a decent enough team, playing .500 ball when DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas all started. The downgrade from Thomas to Darren Collison is substantial, while Nick Stauskas seems unlikely to provide much immediate impact.

It’s a bit of a shame for Malone, who started to bring the best out of Cousins both from a production and attitude standpoint last year. But teams that get and stay bad for a while tend to cycle through coaches quickly, more to insulate executives than for any real failing on the coaches’ part.

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