Coaches on the hot seat
In a column in Sunday morning's Tribune, I suggested as many as 13 teams could change head coaches after the season.
I wrote about two.
In Philadelphia, Maurice Cheeks seems on shaky ground, especially with Larry Brown now on the payroll as a consultant.
In Detroit, there's a chance Flip Saunders could leave the Pistons and take over at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota.
Space limitations prevented me from listing the other coaches who could be in danger, so here's a quick rundown:
*Isiah Thomas (New York): Owner James Dolan said he had one year to prove himself. Guess what? If the playoffs started today, the Knicks would be watching.
*Doc Rivers (Boston): Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge has been supportive and the Celtics have enough young talent for a quick turnaround. But can Rivers survive a 22- or 24-win season?
*Brian Hill (Orlando): The Magic got off to a quick start but have been fading steadily since Christmas. Hill is getting much of the blame.
*Mike Woodson (Atlanta): In his third season, Woodson has the Hawks playing better. But will that be enough if they once again fall into the lottery, which appears likely?
*Bernie Bickerstaff (Charlotte): Bickerstaff has taken the Bobcats through the growing pains of expansion and has them on the right track. It might be time for him to turn this team of the future over to someone else, perhaps Kentucky coach Tubby Smith.
*Terry Stotts (Milwaukee): Injuries have ruined the Bucks' season. If management is smart, they'll stick with Stotts. If management looks for an undeserving scapegoat, they'll fire him.
*Tony Barone (Memphis): He became the interim coach after Mike Fratello was fired. But he's not the long-term answer. Will the Grizzlies go after Phoenix assistant Marc Iavaroni?
*Randy Wittman (Minnesota): He took over when Dwane Casey was fired and was expected to get a real shot next year. But the Timberwolves have played horribly lately, making Wittman's future uncertain.
*George Karl (Denver): Karl will probably survive the Nuggets' turmoil-filled season, but another flame-out in the playoffs will have some folks suggesting a different coach is needed to take Carmelo Anthony to the next level.
*Bob Hill (Seattle): Frankly, it would be shocking if the team's new owners stuck with Hill instead of hiring their own guy, considering the Sonics' disappointing season.
*Eric Musselman (Sacramento): With Mike Bibby and Ron Artest feuding: along with Brad Miller's injury problems: Musselman never had much of a chance.
— Steve Luhm
I wrote about two.
In Philadelphia, Maurice Cheeks seems on shaky ground, especially with Larry Brown now on the payroll as a consultant.
In Detroit, there's a chance Flip Saunders could leave the Pistons and take over at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota.
Space limitations prevented me from listing the other coaches who could be in danger, so here's a quick rundown:
*Isiah Thomas (New York): Owner James Dolan said he had one year to prove himself. Guess what? If the playoffs started today, the Knicks would be watching.
*Doc Rivers (Boston): Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge has been supportive and the Celtics have enough young talent for a quick turnaround. But can Rivers survive a 22- or 24-win season?
*Brian Hill (Orlando): The Magic got off to a quick start but have been fading steadily since Christmas. Hill is getting much of the blame.
*Mike Woodson (Atlanta): In his third season, Woodson has the Hawks playing better. But will that be enough if they once again fall into the lottery, which appears likely?
*Bernie Bickerstaff (Charlotte): Bickerstaff has taken the Bobcats through the growing pains of expansion and has them on the right track. It might be time for him to turn this team of the future over to someone else, perhaps Kentucky coach Tubby Smith.
*Terry Stotts (Milwaukee): Injuries have ruined the Bucks' season. If management is smart, they'll stick with Stotts. If management looks for an undeserving scapegoat, they'll fire him.
*Tony Barone (Memphis): He became the interim coach after Mike Fratello was fired. But he's not the long-term answer. Will the Grizzlies go after Phoenix assistant Marc Iavaroni?
*Randy Wittman (Minnesota): He took over when Dwane Casey was fired and was expected to get a real shot next year. But the Timberwolves have played horribly lately, making Wittman's future uncertain.
*George Karl (Denver): Karl will probably survive the Nuggets' turmoil-filled season, but another flame-out in the playoffs will have some folks suggesting a different coach is needed to take Carmelo Anthony to the next level.
*Bob Hill (Seattle): Frankly, it would be shocking if the team's new owners stuck with Hill instead of hiring their own guy, considering the Sonics' disappointing season.
*Eric Musselman (Sacramento): With Mike Bibby and Ron Artest feuding: along with Brad Miller's injury problems: Musselman never had much of a chance.
— Steve Luhm
9:59 PM
| 
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home