3 NBA coaches who could be on the hot seat in the 2021-22 NBA season
There was a massive turnover of NBA coaches this past offseason. Eight teams decided that change was needed for various reasons: the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Wizards.
Some were expected as a result of underperforming last season, where the writing was on the wall. Others, such as the Boston Celtics vacancy, were a surprise to almost everyone around the NBA. Turnover seems to be more common than ever in the modern NBA, and there are likely to be even more coaches moving in mid-season in 2021-22.
There are very few head coaches in the NBA that can reasonably feel comfortable in any given year. Mike Budenholzer was highly criticized and seemed to be on his way out last season before leading the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA Championship.
Top of the division, bottom of the league, it doesn't matter.
Three coaches who could be on the hot seat in the 2021-22 NBA season
#3 Doc Rivers
You may not have expected to see the head coach of the best Eastern Conference regular season team here, but Rivers was highly criticized for his playoff performance. The Sixers fell to the Atlanta Hawks and the coaching staff seemed hesitant to adapt to what the opposition was throwing their way.
The Philadelphia 76ers are going to be in headlines for most of the 2021-22 NBA season, and already are with the Ben Simmons saga still current. With the well-documented high expectations and heartlessness of the Philadelphia fanbase, I could see pressure being placed on Doc Rivers if the start of the season is shaky.
He may be gifted the benefit of the doubt when working with a distinctly new roster after an inevitable Ben Simmons trade. Properly optimizing NBA MVP-candidate Joel Embiid is key here, and it's hard to say that Doc has done that during his tenure with the 76ers.
It would take a very rough stretch of basketball from the talented Phiadelphia 76ers roster, but Doc Rivers feels next in line to be the scapegoat after Simmons' departure.