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NBA Coaching Carousel: Five NBA Coaches on the Hot Seat

By Daniel Tran

Apr 9, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau yells during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau yells during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams instructs against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Monty Williams

A playoff berth may have saved New Orleans head coach Monty Williams’ job for now, but it did not cool down his seat by much. Injuries have not help Williams out, but fans and front offices want results, not excuses.

Williams may have the Pelican’s offense running well, ranking eighth in the NBA in offensive efficiency, but it is their lackluster defense even with Omer Asik and Anthony Davis that makes it hard to believe that he can take them over the top. At the end of the season, the Pelicans were the eighth worst team in the NBA in terms of defensive efficiency, giving up 107.3 points per 100 possessions.

Though he has the full backing of his players, Williams job is far from secure simply because he has not yet proven he can be a consistent winner. Before this year, the last time Monty Williams made an appearance in the NBA Playoffs was in 2011 when he had Chris Paul, and even then he lost in the first round. That is three consecutive years of missing the playoffs with no real development of talent outside of Anthony Davis, who luckily became one of the best players in the NBA.

Making a playoff appearance may have granted him time, but based on the results of his previous seasons, and the franchises moves towards a win-now mentality, Williams may find himself on the outside looking in sooner rather than later.

Next: Randy Whittman

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