The NBA All-Star weekend marks the perfect point in the season to break down the standings. The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have solidified their statuses as true NBA championship contenders. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers have remained in the mix as teams with the potential to make some serious noise come playoff time if they are healthy. Then there is the group of teams that have really disappointed throughout the first half. There is no doubt that at least a handful of coaches enter the All-Star weekend in a tough position as a failure to meet expectations continues to weigh on them. Here is a look at the four NBA head coaches on the hot seat heading in to the second half of the season.
George Karl, Sacramento Kings
There was a lot of talk about the decision by the Kings’ front office to fire Michael Malone as head coach and bring in Karl and some will say that the latter has never really gotten a fair shake because of it. DeMarcus Cousins was among those that spoke out about the decision to fire Malone and mentioned that the team was “emotional” about it because they believed he was the right man for the job. Sacramento has struggled to establish any kind of consistency all year and they limped in to the All-Star break with a 2-8 record over their last 10 games that left them at 22-31 on the season. Owner Vivek Ranadive has reportedly shown a strong interest in bringing in Kentucky head coach John Calipari. That might be a long shot, but it is also a clear indication that the Kings could already be leaning towards making another change. He’s got the pole position of the head coaches on the hot seat.
Alvin Gentry, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans posted a .500 record in 34 games following a miserable 1-11 start to the season, but they dropped four of their next six games and limped in to the All-Star break with a 20-32 record. New Orleans has lived up to expectations at the offensive end of the floor, but ranks among the worst in the NBA defensively and there is no reason to believe that the current crop of players will get better in that aspect under Gentry. A big part of the problem is the current roster beyond Anthony Davis. Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday struggled to stay healthy and even when they have played, the Pelicans haven’t been any more consistent. New Orleans also extended Omer Asik with a $60 million contract despite that he clearly isn’t a good fit anymore and that money would have been better spent elsewhere. General manager Dell Demps probably deserves a lot of the blame as well, but the bottom line is that the Pelicans were expected to be a playoff team under Gentry and if they don’t turn things around in the second half, it could mean his eventual dismissal.
Dave Joerger, Memphis Grizzlies
Consistency has been a major issue for the Grizzlies all season and their lack of identity could be what eventually leads to Joerger’s dismissal as head coach. Memphis hasn’t had the same elite level of defense that they played with in past years and that has only intensified the pressure with high expectations for the Grizzlies to win now. Remember, this was a perennial 50-win team and now they’re trying to tread above .500. There were reports out of Memphis before the break that Joerger’s dismissal could very well be imminent at this point as owner Robert Pera has openly questioned his leadership in the past. It could be only a matter before the Grizzlies make a change.
Randy Wittman, Washington Wizards
It seems as though every year at this time there is talk about Wittman being one of the head coaches on the hot seat and nothing happens. However, the scenario is a lot different this year for a couple of reasons. First, Washington is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Second, the Wizards are preparing to court Kevin Durant as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Wittman is in the first year of a three-year contract extension, but the combination of this year’s failures to this point and the possibility of landing Durant could force Washington’s hand. The outlook could change if the Wizards can find a way to turn things around in the second half, but right now there is no doubt that Wittman is on the hot seat heading in to the second half.
