Fansided

5 biggest surprises of the 2016-17 NBA season

By John Buhler

Mar 24, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni points towards guard James Harden (13) after a play during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni points towards guard James Harden (13) after a play during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 26, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg reacts in the second quarter during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg reacts in the second quarter during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /

3. No head coach is getting fired this regular season

Even though a third of the league was trotting out new head coaches this season, it’s still utterly amazing that no NBA head coach has been canned this regular season. ESPN’s Marc Stein pointed out earlier in the season how long it has been since the NBA didn’t have a coach fired mid-season.

That was way back in 1970-71 when there were 17 teams in the NBA. It’s been 46 years since every NBA owner has been cool with letting his head coach go the full 82-game slate. The strange part to this coaching stability phenomenon is that nobody has truly deserved to be axed.

Sacking a coach mid-way into year one is an atrocious look for an NBA organization. So it’s understandable why struggling teams with first-year head coaches like the New York Knicks, the Orlando Magic and the Sacramento Kings have been willing to see these disastrous seasons through.

Other teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns are essentially trying to lose on purpose for better lottery odds. Luke Walton and Earl Watson are doing what Jeanie Buss and Robert Sarver are telling them down the stretch.

The two guys that could have been fired mid-season in Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg and New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry clearly aren’t going to be whacked now. GarPax has done a lousy job of getting Hoiberg the pace-and-space players he needs to bring Hilton Magic to the United Center. New Orleans is poorly run to begin with, but the DeMarcus Cousins trade with the Kings should give him more time to get those birds to flock together in NOLA.

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