3 NBA coaches who could be on the hot seat with a playoff collapse
By Ian Levy
Even some of the best NBA coaches may find their futures looking a bit insecure if they can’t help their teams deliver in the playoffs.
Making the playoffs puts you in the top half of NBA teams. But even clearing that hurdle may not be enough for these coaches. Even years of success might not be enough to save them if they can’t push their teams into the Conference Finals or beyond.
These NBA coaches may need a deep playoff run to keep their jobs:
3. Mike Budenholzer
The Bucks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now and a 10-11 stretch from the middle of December to the middle of January feels like a distant memory. But it’s worth remembering that there was a point during this Bucks’ season where it felt like the connection of this core and their relationship with their coach seemed to be fraying.
The Bucks will enter the playoffs as one of a handful of championship favorites but changes are coming regardless of how things end. Khris Middleton may exercise his player option looking for a longer-term extension at a length and price the Bucks might not be willing to meet. Brook Lopez is also a free agent, as are recent additions Jae Crowder and Joe Ingles. All that will be backgrounded by a new co-owner joining the franchise — Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
An early exit, say in a second-round matchup with the Cavs or Knicks could be enough to set off a cascade of changes — bidding goodbye to Middleton, adding some more youthful pieces around Giannis and potentially looking for a new voice and direction at the end of the bench.