On Saturday, the NBA playoffs get underway. Each club that enters the tournament will be somewhat confident in its ability to get to the NBA Finals. There will be talent on at least nine teams that can win championships.
These are the five head coaches who might be fired if their clubs don’t make it to the playoffs.
5. Ty Lue
Four players on the Los Angeles Clippers roster have the potential to be Hall of Famers. Next season, they’ll be playing in their new stadium. They’ll probably consider anything less than a trip to the Western Conference Finals to be a failure.
Even though Ty Lue is one of the greatest NBA coaches, he might not be on the bench if the Clippers falter. It should be challenging to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round. Lue may not be with the Clippers for long if his team loses in the opening round.
4. Doc Rivers
Midway through the season, Doc Rivers joined the Milwaukee Bucks and now finds himself in a challenging situation. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out with a calf injury as his team prepares for the postseason. He might be unable to play in the first round’s opening games. This season, the Bucks have had difficulties on both ends of the court.
It could be a nightmare to play in the first round against the four-time beaten Indiana Pacers. Less than six months after joining the team, Rivers’ stay with the Bucks might end if they lose in the first round for the second time in a row.
In the unlikely event that they are unable to contend for the Eastern Conference Finals this season, their front staff will probably not want to run it back with the current rotation.
3. Frank Vogel
When the Phoenix Suns acquired Bradley Beal in advance of the upcoming season, they threw everything on the line. With what is perhaps the NBA’s most gifted offensive trio, Vogel’s club is anticipated to go far in the postseason.
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, as a trio, need to see significant playoff success. Vogel was brought in to guide this group to the title. His tenure as head coach will be up for debate if the team makes an early exit.
2. Mazzulla Joe
Joe Mazzulla now has the finest NBA roster, thanks to Brad Stevens’ efforts. The Eastern Conference was easily won by the franchise. It had the best record in the league at the end of the season. The Boston Celtics are thought to be the favourites to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy this season because of their abundance of quality and depth.
Last season, Mazzulla was thrown into the head coaching role for the Celtics. He took Ime Udoka’s place in a challenging situation. This season, he assembled his own group of assistant coaches. In the front office, Stevens has shown himself to be a patient leader. Mazzulla will be in dangerous territory going into the 2024–25 season, though, if the Celtics lose this season.
1. Darvin Ham
The Los Angeles Lakers have high hopes after reaching the Western Conference Finals the previous season. Due to a season marked by difficulty and instability, the Lakers are currently playing as a low seed.
In the opening round, they will take on the Denver Nuggets. Denver is unbeaten against the Lakers this season after defeating them handily in the previous one.
If the Lakers lose this season, Ham is probably going to be placed on jobless benefits. Anthony Davis and LeBron James will be driven to succeed. If Ham is unable to guide them to victory, general manager Rob Pelinka will probably search for a different coach.
