It was just hours ago that former Cavs coach Tyronn Lue got fired from the team that made four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.
And after a 0-6 start, assigning questionable minutes to his young guys, and a rift in the front office, it was only a matter of time.
But who’s next?
Besides Lue, a list of other coaches are on the hot seat as well. Here’s three of them:
3. Scott Brooks (Washington Wizards)
The Wizards aren’t a bad team… they’re just not very good.
The problem is, they’ve been stuck in that class for a number of years now. When the Wizards brought Brooks on, it was with the hope that he’d bring them over the hump.
As time progresses, it’s becoming increasingly clear that he’s just not the guy to do it. And if this 1-4 start is anything close to how this season will play out, then don’t expect Brooks to hold down his job in D.C. for too much longer.
2. Luke Walton (Los Angeles Lakers)
The Lakers seem to finally be hitting their stride, as they work their way back towards .500.
But in Los Angeles, and with LeBron James, there will always be enormous pressure. Pressure to perform, pressure to keep LeBron happy, and pressure to keep the young guys growing. As a result, Luke Walton will likely be the first to blame if things continue to go sour. It was like that for Lue, after all.
Being in the loaded Western Conference doesn’t help either, as the urgency to win every game is higher than ever.
1. Billy Donovan (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Something is wrong in the Thunder universe. Yes, the season is still so young. So yes, there’s plenty of time for recovery.
Yet, as things stand today, it seems hard to believe the Thunder are going to be the team they thought they would be entering the season. After exiling Carmelo Anthony, they did a good job using him as the scapegoat for their struggles. Though, now with him gone, they might’ve looked better with him. They’re still a disaster; only, without an excuse.
When Andre Roberson comes back, we’ll see how his presence impacts the team. Sad thing is, if OKC continues their current trend, Billy Donovan may not be around to see it.
