NFL
It may be incredibly early in the NBA season, but we’ve already seen a head coach get fired so the heat is on. Poor Earl Watson never stood a chance in Phoenix. That got me thinking though, who else could get fired this year? Well I’ll tell you.
Stan Van Gundy – I mean, do I really need to make an argument here? Van Gundy is attempting to remake the ’08-’09 Orlando Magic in Detroit right now. Spoiler alert- it isn’t working. With Drummond essentially being the Dwight Howard here, this brand of basketball is proven to not work anymore. Furthermore Van Gundy’s overall demeanor and ‘work players into the ground’ mentality is a little dated. Which leads me to the next coach on my list…
Tom Thibodeau – Thibs had a solid career in Chicago, which led to a lot of optimism around his career in Minnesota with KAT and Wiggins in place already. The issue is that nothing has clicked yet. Considering Tom is known as a defensive minded coach, the Timberwolves have had terrible defense under him. Thibodeau also has the ‘work players into the ground’ mentality which doesn’t seem to be working well with Wiggins and KAT, who could both be all-stars someday. Some may actually argue that it is stunting their growth, as it forces them to play too many minutes and pickup bad habits. This year Minny picked up Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague which led many to believe that they could be headed to the playoffs. Problem is, that through just 5 games the Timberwolves have looked lifeless and as if they aren’t responding to their coach at all. This year will be massive for Thibodeau.
Doc Rivers – Another obvious one here. It should come as no surprise that the Clippers have disappointed since Doc has arrived in Los Angeles. With a lot of blame being given to Chris Paul, this year should serve as a test for what Doc Rivers can do when no one is butting heads with CP3. The Clippers have a solid roster in place and shoot make some noise in the West. As for the future of Doc’s coaching career, that is up in the air.
Tyronn Lue – Surprised to see this one here? Well you shouldn’t be. Ty Lue has done absolutely nothing to prove his worth as an NBA coach. I know he won a title, but let’s be real and say that was LeBron. The Cavaliers are clearly going to want to keep LeBron in town so they SHOULD give him the final say on if Lue stays or leaves.
Jason Kidd – For a while there has been a lot of question surrounding Kidd’s ability to keep his team under control. Now he has a rising superstar in the Greek Freak surrounded by a bunch of talent. This is a team that make a big leap this season. If the Bucks don’t make a big leap then expect potential changes in the coaching staff.
Brett Brown – It truly pains me to say this. I’m a big big fan of Brown. Saying this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a bad coach. He just might not be the right coach for this situation. The young 76ers are a team that, if healthy, should improve a lot. Brown has a brilliant mind for schemes, but his ability to make players better is up for debate currently. If the 76ers remain healthy for the most part and don’t show signs of improvement, it may be time to find a new situation for Brown.
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