The 2021 NBA Playoffs are right around the corner and there several noteworthy storylines to discuss. For instance, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers may have to get through the play-in tournament. Also, following a season in which they advanced to their third conference finals appearance in four years, the Boston Celtics are facing a similar scenario. Don’t forget about a Philadelphia 76ers team that sits atop the Eastern Conference with just a handful of games left.
Three Coaches who could be out of a job after the NBA Playoffs
So as we embark on what should be an interesting postseason, here’s a look at the NBA coaches who could be in danger of losing their jobs.
3. Scott Brooks – Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards were a playoff team during the first two years of Brooks’ tenure with the franchise. Unfortunately, the Wizards have not been able to sustain that success as they failed to qualify for the playoffs since. Not only that, but they won just 32 games in 2018-2019 and 25 games in 2019-20.
The Wizards appeared to be heading home early for the third straight season. But thanks to a surge that has seen them win 13 of their last 18 games. They are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference. If they can hold on to that spot, they will need to win two games to nab the final playoff berth.
Sure, the Wizards are on the verge of finishing below the .500 mark for the third straight year. But given the fact that the roster has been injury-plagued over the past several seasons, earning a playoff berth in what was once a lost season may be enough for Brooks to retain his job.
2. Terry Stotts – Portland Trail Blazers
First, let’s begin with the positive side of the narrative. With the exception of his first two seasons, the Portland Trail Blazers have gone to the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons. This includes an unexpected run to the conference finals back in 2019.
The bad news is the Trail Blazers made it to the second round of the postseason just twice prior to 2019. And they were eliminated in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs by the Lakers. At the time of this writing, the Trail Blazers are tied for the fifth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. If they hold their place in the standings, that would pit them against the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets. Denver is a team hoping for another deep postseason run following their run to the conference finals last season.
True, it is possible that the Trail Blazers could knock off the Nuggets in the first round. However, it will be interesting to see if getting to the second round will be enough for the organization to keep Stotts around.
1. Mike Budenholzer – Milwaukee Bucks
It almost doesn’t seem fair to include Budenholzer on this list. After all, the Milwaukee Bucks finished with the best record in the NBA during his first two years with the team.
Additionally, the Bucks have been the highest-scoring team in the NBA over the past two seasons. Not only that, but they’ve also led the league in defensive efficiency as well.
On the other side of the narrative, the team’s success during the regular season hasn’t carried over into the playoffs. In 2018-19, they fell to the Toronto Raptors in six games in the conference finals despite winning the first two games of that series.
In last year’s NBA playoffs, the Bucks were eliminated in five games by the fifth-seeded Miami Heat. Needless to say, that is not how the team wanted their season to end in either scenario. Although the Bucks have the third-best record in the eastern conference, Budenholzer’s tenure with the team could come to an end if he’s unable to lead this group to an NBA Finals appearance.
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