In a shocking development, the Denver Nuggets have reportedly fired longtime head coach Michael Malone. Less than two weeks before the start of the 2025 NBA playoffs, the team pulled the plug on its franchise leader in wins (471).
Malone was the fourth longest-tenured coach in basketball. Fascinatingly, he was one spot ahead of Taylor Jenkins entering the 2024-25 campaign, which the Memphis Grizzlies dismissed in late March. Both clubs are fixtures in the Western Conference postseason mix and approaching 50 wins, making their ill-timed departures even more questionable.
Despite leading the league in wins over the past five seasons (by a decent margin), the Nuggets opted to move on from Malone. Denver won its first-ever championship with him at the helm two seasons ago! It goes to show that no one is safe.
The organizations mentioned below should consider taking a page from Denver and Memphis' books. Rather than waiting for their incumbent sideline chief to flounder, getting ahead of the curve could prove worthwhile from short-/long-term perspectives. It wouldn't only improve chances of success this year, but front offices can also get a head-start on searching for replacements.
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided's daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend. If you hate it, share it with an enemy!
The Magic have regressed under Jamahl Mosley, and it might be time for a new voice to lead Orlando
Following an impressive turnaround in 2023-24, Jamahl Mosley and the Orlando Magic have taken two steps back.
Orlando finished 47-35 last season en route to earning the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. Many expected them to carry that momentum forward and sneak into the top four of the standings. Instead, they find themselves below .500 and in the play-in.
Of course, Orlando's star trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggshave barely played together this season, which is worth noting. They've each endured extensive absences due to injury. Nonetheless, Mosley's inability to adjust accordingly has plagued the Magic.
Under Mosley's guidance, the Magic have been elite defensively. They were second in defensive rating last year and are pacing to do so again. However, their well-chronicled offensive woes remain an issue, particularly from beyond the arc.
Regardless of the circumstances, Mosley has had ample time to adapt. Since he hasn't, change could be necessary.
Jason Kidd has been dealt a brutal hand, but the Mavericks should consider going in a different direction
It's hard to think of a coach who's found himself in as tough a spot as Jason Kidd with the Dallas Mavericks this season. After all, general manager Nico Harrison pulled the rug out from underneath him, randomly trading away a generational talent just entering his prime.
Kidd and the Mavs have hung on by a thread since Luka Dončić was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers. Like Mosley in Orlando, Dallas has faced insurmountable injuries, virtually operating without a true center for quite some time.
Nevertheless, we have a large enough sample size to suggest Kidd is a Luka-merchant. He's followed a winning season with a losing one at every stop along his journey to Dallas, with the Mavericks being the latest instance.
Dallas has reached the Western Conference Finals twice in four seasons with Kidd, including a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals. In between their deep postseason runs are a pair of sub-40-win efforts.
Showing Doc Rivers the door sooner than later could pay dividends for the Bucks
Arguably no one has leveraged a single title into a full-blown career more than Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks. It's been nearly two decades since he guided a star-studded Boston Celtics crew headlined by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to a championship.
Since then, Rivers has bounced around and been given several opportunities to add another ring to his collection, though to no avail. Meanwhile, he's done the polar opposite, developing a reputation as a choke artist come playoff time.
Rivers has blown three 3-1 series leads in the playoffs during his 26-year coaching career. Two such instances have occurred since Boston traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013 (2015 and 2020). Moreover, he hasn't reached the Conference Finals upon parting ways with the Celtics, which is another troubling tidbit.
For whatever it's worth, Rivers brought some sense of stability to Milwaukee after the team relieved first-year coach Adrian Griffin. But there's a ceiling to the Bucks with him (or any team he leads) in the mix. And given the speculation surrounding organizational centerpiece Giannis Antetokounmpo's future, time is of the essence.