This is dated April 14th, but it talks about the games last night and is a new insider. I think he dated it wrong.
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Playoff coaches on the hot seat
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford
Wednesday, April 14
The coaching massacre of 2003-04 is showing no signs of letting up. In the span of less than a year, GMs have systematically wiped out a staggering 17 coaches, including 14 in the Eastern Conference.
With the regular season behind us, several lottery coaches, including Kevin O'Neill, Eric Musselman, Terry Stotts, Chris Ford and Nate McMillan, are in big trouble. Portland's Maurice Cheeks also looks like he's getting pushed to resign and take the Sixers' job. If Stotts goes, as rumored, every coach in the Eastern Conference will have resigned or been fired in the span of a year.
The madness knows no bounds. Even playoff coaches must sweat it. Last year, Rick Carlisle was fired despite leading the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals. Byron Scott was fired midway through this season despite leading the Nets to consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals.
Landing in the lottery still is the quickest way to get kicked to the curb, but these days even playoff coaches have to watch their backs. In fact, of the 16 coaches who guided their teams to the playoffs last season, nine either lost their jobs or resigned.
That's not very good odds for this year's group. While a few coaches, like Memphis' Hubie Brown, will have their jobs for as long as they want them, a number of coaches in the playoffs are under some pretty serious pressure as the postseason gets under way.
Here's a look at who's going to be coaching on the hot seat this postseason.
Jeff Bzdelik, Nuggets: Bzdelik is in the most trouble, despite leading Denver to one of the best improvements in NBA history. While everyone agrees Bzdelik has been a master motivator and one of the most-prepared coaches in the league, there's a reason why the Nuggets haven't signed him to an extension just yet.
Despite Carmelo Anthony's endorsement, Jeff Bzdelik's job is in serious jeopardy.
The front office has been concerned that Bzdelik abandoned the development stage of the team in pursuit of a playoff berth. Two top young building blocks -- Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Rodney White -- were given limited playing time this season, despite a feeling in the front office that the development of young players was a higher priority this season than a playoff berth.
The other problem is that Bzdelik's slow-down, grind-it-out style of coaching is at odds with the team Kiki Vandeweghe is building in Denver. Vandeweghe wants the Nuggets to run and take advantage of the mile-high thin air. He's given Bzdelik a number of players perfectly suited to do just that. When the Nuggets have run, they've usually won. However, Bzdelik hasn't completely embraced the system.
That doesn't mean he'll be fired, however. Star rookie Carmelo Anthony came out in support of Bzdelik after the team made the playoffs, and Bzdelik still has one year, at $1.5 million, left on his contract. Bzdelik's fretting in the press about an extension hasn't helped the situation, but it has had an important effect -- he has garnered enormous sympathy. Will it be enough to save his neck?
Don Nelson, Mavericks: Mark Cuban is spending a lot of money to make the Mavs into contenders, but it seems like they've taken a major step backwards this season. Cuban is finding out, much like his billionaire friend Paul Allen did, that having the highest payroll and a slew of high-profile players doesn't guarantee success.
Nellie faced a near impossible task this season -- trying to figure out a way to integrate the games of Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison. He has no one to blame but himself. It was Nellie who advocated the unusual lineup, and it was Nellie who failed to address the team's most glaring weakness -- a lack of toughness in the paint.
With that said, has Cuban now painted himself into a corner? Nellie has assembled a team that only he really can coach. Bringing in a high-profile guy like Pat Riley next year would be a joke. Finley is the only one of the Mavs' Big 5 who is a Riley-type player. Trades will be tough, because four of the Big 5 are max players, and the other one, Nash, is heading into free agency.
What's Cuban to do? The word around the league is Nellie and crew are gone if the Mavs lose to the Kings in the first round. Finding a guy able to pick up the pieces in Dallas is a different story altogether.
Phil Jackson, Lakers: Phil Jackson is not in danger of being fired. However, his contract expires this summer, and he hasn't made major headway toward an extension. With so much turmoil in L.A., is this the last year we'll see Jackson coaching the Lakers?
The answer could be yes, if the Lakers flounder in the first or second round. A disappointing loss could set in a motion a disastrous series of chain reactions. If a clearly troubled Kobe Bryant decides to bolt in free agency, two more free agents, Gary Payton and Karl Malone, may decide to walk with him. If that happens, look for Jackson to pack up and ride off into the sunset, leaving Mitch Kupchak and Shaq to clean up the rubble.
John Carroll, Celtics: He's a place holder for the guy Danny Ainge wants to install this summer. The word is that guy is former Suns and Sonics head coach Paul Westphal. Carroll defied Ainge to a certain extent by continuing to play veterans like Walter McCarty over rookies like Marcus Banks and Brandon Hunter.
Ainge thought the Celtics would wind up in the lottery with a nice, high draft pick. Instead, they're in the playoffs in what should be a losing cause against the Pacers. You can blame Carroll for much of this. He stuck with what Jim O'Brien was trying to do there, knowing his loyalty to O'Brien would be more likely to be rewarded down the road than his loyalty to Ainge. The bottom line in Boston is Ainge wants his own staff and wants his team to play an up-tempo, West Coast style of basketball next year. That's not Carroll's thing.
Flip Saunders is under enormous pressure to take the Wolves deep into the playoffs.
Flip Saunders, Timberwolves: I think Saunders is one of the most underrated coaches in the league. That being said, the Wolves have never won a playoff series, and the pressure on them is now enormous.
They have the best record in the West but face a terrifying lineup of Western Conference powerhouses. They should be able to get by Denver in Round 1. But after that, a second-round matchup vs. the Kings or Mavericks looms. If the Wolves stumble, will Kevin McHale finally lose his patience? He spent an awful lot of money last summer to put the team in a position to win it all.
Tim Floyd, Hornets: Poor Tim Floyd. After being chained to one of the worst teams in NBA history in Chicago, he finally got his big break when his hometown Hornets came calling last summer. After a sizzling start, things started to fall apart in New Orleans. Injuries and attitudes have contributed to a late-season slide that has put Floyd back into familiar territory -- the coaching hot seat.
Now, the Hornets are facing a tough first-round matchup against the red-hot Heat. If Miami knocks the Hornets out of the first round, changes are going to be made in New Orleans. There's already talk that GM Bob Bass might be gone. Others think that this group of Hornets has been together too long and changes need to be made. However, Floyd knows his neck is on the chopping block too. Given his messy tangos with history ... he's sweating like Barry Bonds at a drug test.
Rick Adelman, Kings: Adelman is in a situation similar to Saunders. He's done a great job in Sacramento and has never really gotten the credit he deserves. The Kings have had a major injury or two every year, and Adelman has always found a way to get the most out of his team. But is Adelman's time running out?
For most of the season, it was the Kings, not the Lakers, that looked like the team to beat in the West. A late-season slide that just so happened to coincide with the return of Chris Webber has everyone worried. If the Kings stumble early, will the Maloof brothers try to salvage their investment by bringing in another coach with a better defensive plan?
Lenny Wilkens, Knicks: This really has nothing to do with Wilkens and everything to do with Isiah Thomas. Wilkens hasn't done enough yet to lay a stranglehold on his job. It would take a pretty impressive playoff run to do that. A first-round exit is more likely. In which case, if Isiah wants the job ... Lenny's gone.
Hubie Brown, Grizzlies: Hubie Brown is in zero danger of losing his job. But, he's been saying all year that he may step down at the end of the season. Age and the endless grind of coaching in the NBA have worn him down. Jerry West and Brown both have one year left on their contracts. They'd love to make a move or two in free agency or trade (a big man or a star are top priority) and make a run at it one more time. Win or lose, the job West and Brown have done in Memphis has been masterful. Will they be able to keep it up?
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Playoff coaches on the hot seat
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford
Wednesday, April 14
The coaching massacre of 2003-04 is showing no signs of letting up. In the span of less than a year, GMs have systematically wiped out a staggering 17 coaches, including 14 in the Eastern Conference.
With the regular season behind us, several lottery coaches, including Kevin O'Neill, Eric Musselman, Terry Stotts, Chris Ford and Nate McMillan, are in big trouble. Portland's Maurice Cheeks also looks like he's getting pushed to resign and take the Sixers' job. If Stotts goes, as rumored, every coach in the Eastern Conference will have resigned or been fired in the span of a year.
The madness knows no bounds. Even playoff coaches must sweat it. Last year, Rick Carlisle was fired despite leading the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals. Byron Scott was fired midway through this season despite leading the Nets to consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals.
Landing in the lottery still is the quickest way to get kicked to the curb, but these days even playoff coaches have to watch their backs. In fact, of the 16 coaches who guided their teams to the playoffs last season, nine either lost their jobs or resigned.
That's not very good odds for this year's group. While a few coaches, like Memphis' Hubie Brown, will have their jobs for as long as they want them, a number of coaches in the playoffs are under some pretty serious pressure as the postseason gets under way.
Here's a look at who's going to be coaching on the hot seat this postseason.
Jeff Bzdelik, Nuggets: Bzdelik is in the most trouble, despite leading Denver to one of the best improvements in NBA history. While everyone agrees Bzdelik has been a master motivator and one of the most-prepared coaches in the league, there's a reason why the Nuggets haven't signed him to an extension just yet.
Despite Carmelo Anthony's endorsement, Jeff Bzdelik's job is in serious jeopardy.
The front office has been concerned that Bzdelik abandoned the development stage of the team in pursuit of a playoff berth. Two top young building blocks -- Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Rodney White -- were given limited playing time this season, despite a feeling in the front office that the development of young players was a higher priority this season than a playoff berth.
The other problem is that Bzdelik's slow-down, grind-it-out style of coaching is at odds with the team Kiki Vandeweghe is building in Denver. Vandeweghe wants the Nuggets to run and take advantage of the mile-high thin air. He's given Bzdelik a number of players perfectly suited to do just that. When the Nuggets have run, they've usually won. However, Bzdelik hasn't completely embraced the system.
That doesn't mean he'll be fired, however. Star rookie Carmelo Anthony came out in support of Bzdelik after the team made the playoffs, and Bzdelik still has one year, at $1.5 million, left on his contract. Bzdelik's fretting in the press about an extension hasn't helped the situation, but it has had an important effect -- he has garnered enormous sympathy. Will it be enough to save his neck?
Don Nelson, Mavericks: Mark Cuban is spending a lot of money to make the Mavs into contenders, but it seems like they've taken a major step backwards this season. Cuban is finding out, much like his billionaire friend Paul Allen did, that having the highest payroll and a slew of high-profile players doesn't guarantee success.
Nellie faced a near impossible task this season -- trying to figure out a way to integrate the games of Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison. He has no one to blame but himself. It was Nellie who advocated the unusual lineup, and it was Nellie who failed to address the team's most glaring weakness -- a lack of toughness in the paint.
With that said, has Cuban now painted himself into a corner? Nellie has assembled a team that only he really can coach. Bringing in a high-profile guy like Pat Riley next year would be a joke. Finley is the only one of the Mavs' Big 5 who is a Riley-type player. Trades will be tough, because four of the Big 5 are max players, and the other one, Nash, is heading into free agency.
What's Cuban to do? The word around the league is Nellie and crew are gone if the Mavs lose to the Kings in the first round. Finding a guy able to pick up the pieces in Dallas is a different story altogether.
Phil Jackson, Lakers: Phil Jackson is not in danger of being fired. However, his contract expires this summer, and he hasn't made major headway toward an extension. With so much turmoil in L.A., is this the last year we'll see Jackson coaching the Lakers?
The answer could be yes, if the Lakers flounder in the first or second round. A disappointing loss could set in a motion a disastrous series of chain reactions. If a clearly troubled Kobe Bryant decides to bolt in free agency, two more free agents, Gary Payton and Karl Malone, may decide to walk with him. If that happens, look for Jackson to pack up and ride off into the sunset, leaving Mitch Kupchak and Shaq to clean up the rubble.
John Carroll, Celtics: He's a place holder for the guy Danny Ainge wants to install this summer. The word is that guy is former Suns and Sonics head coach Paul Westphal. Carroll defied Ainge to a certain extent by continuing to play veterans like Walter McCarty over rookies like Marcus Banks and Brandon Hunter.
Ainge thought the Celtics would wind up in the lottery with a nice, high draft pick. Instead, they're in the playoffs in what should be a losing cause against the Pacers. You can blame Carroll for much of this. He stuck with what Jim O'Brien was trying to do there, knowing his loyalty to O'Brien would be more likely to be rewarded down the road than his loyalty to Ainge. The bottom line in Boston is Ainge wants his own staff and wants his team to play an up-tempo, West Coast style of basketball next year. That's not Carroll's thing.
Flip Saunders is under enormous pressure to take the Wolves deep into the playoffs.
Flip Saunders, Timberwolves: I think Saunders is one of the most underrated coaches in the league. That being said, the Wolves have never won a playoff series, and the pressure on them is now enormous.
They have the best record in the West but face a terrifying lineup of Western Conference powerhouses. They should be able to get by Denver in Round 1. But after that, a second-round matchup vs. the Kings or Mavericks looms. If the Wolves stumble, will Kevin McHale finally lose his patience? He spent an awful lot of money last summer to put the team in a position to win it all.
Tim Floyd, Hornets: Poor Tim Floyd. After being chained to one of the worst teams in NBA history in Chicago, he finally got his big break when his hometown Hornets came calling last summer. After a sizzling start, things started to fall apart in New Orleans. Injuries and attitudes have contributed to a late-season slide that has put Floyd back into familiar territory -- the coaching hot seat.
Now, the Hornets are facing a tough first-round matchup against the red-hot Heat. If Miami knocks the Hornets out of the first round, changes are going to be made in New Orleans. There's already talk that GM Bob Bass might be gone. Others think that this group of Hornets has been together too long and changes need to be made. However, Floyd knows his neck is on the chopping block too. Given his messy tangos with history ... he's sweating like Barry Bonds at a drug test.
Rick Adelman, Kings: Adelman is in a situation similar to Saunders. He's done a great job in Sacramento and has never really gotten the credit he deserves. The Kings have had a major injury or two every year, and Adelman has always found a way to get the most out of his team. But is Adelman's time running out?
For most of the season, it was the Kings, not the Lakers, that looked like the team to beat in the West. A late-season slide that just so happened to coincide with the return of Chris Webber has everyone worried. If the Kings stumble early, will the Maloof brothers try to salvage their investment by bringing in another coach with a better defensive plan?
Lenny Wilkens, Knicks: This really has nothing to do with Wilkens and everything to do with Isiah Thomas. Wilkens hasn't done enough yet to lay a stranglehold on his job. It would take a pretty impressive playoff run to do that. A first-round exit is more likely. In which case, if Isiah wants the job ... Lenny's gone.
Hubie Brown, Grizzlies: Hubie Brown is in zero danger of losing his job. But, he's been saying all year that he may step down at the end of the season. Age and the endless grind of coaching in the NBA have worn him down. Jerry West and Brown both have one year left on their contracts. They'd love to make a move or two in free agency or trade (a big man or a star are top priority) and make a run at it one more time. Win or lose, the job West and Brown have done in Memphis has been masterful. Will they be able to keep it up?
