Head coaches are the backbone of every team in every sport, especially the NBA. With a relatively small group of players and in a fast-paced sport, so much of NBA head coaches’ responsibilities come on the fly, whether that’s an in-game adjustment or managing the personalities in the locker room.
But that’s why NBA coaches get paid the big bucks. If they don’t perform, they’re likely out the door before they know it. Some, like the first coach on the list, have been with a team for over a decade. Others, a year.
Regardless, we took whatever sample size there was and ranked each NBA head coach — excluding the one vacancy in Phoenix and the situations in Denver and Memphis in which the interim took over for very little time but will walk in as the head coach next season.
We’ll begin with a coach who has staggeringly never won a Coach of the Year award yet is still widely known and appreciated as the top head coach in the sport.
1) Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
Although the Miami Heat have struggled in recent seasons due to questionable roster building, injuries, and the saga that led to star Jimmy Butler III’s departure, it was just two years ago that Erik Spoelstra engineered a surprise run to the NBA Finals with a roster that should have been overmatched.
The longest-tenured head coach in the NBA, Spoelstra has two championships to his name along with six Finals appearances. A terrific in-game tactician who adapts extremely well to his roster and the game’s flow, Spoelstra-led teams always seem to have a chance at pulling off improbable upsets.
In the playoffs, the Heat are one of the most feared teams due to their head coach’s acumen for mid-series adjustments and nearly always out-coaching the opposition.
Spoelstra has been the best coach in the NBA for years now, and one rough season won’t dethrone him, as he still extracted everything he could out of a depleted roster.
2) Tyronn Lue, Los Angeles Clippers
Tyronn Lue’s tenure as a head coach is relatively fresh, as his first crack at leading a team was with the famed 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, who came back from a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit in winning the title.
Lue has been the Los Angeles Clippers’ head coach since 2020. He has consistently elevated his coaching performance in the postseason, becoming a dreaded matchup due to his ability to create mismatches and anticipate multiple steps ahead. Rarely, if ever, has he lost the coaching battle in a playoff series.
Lue’s best work may have come last season with the Clippers. They were counted out as a potential bottom-feeder in the Western Conference with an aging James Harden at the point surrounded by career role players and the seemingly imminent absence of Kawhi Leonard.
But Lue established that Los Angeles was not to be messed with. They remained in the playoff and play-in tournament hunt into the final day of the regular season, knocking off the Golden State Warriors for their eighth consecutive win and claiming the No. 5 seed in the West.
Though the Clippers were bounced in the first round in seven games, no one imagined Los Angeles to be on the verge of a second-round appearance. Much of the credit has to go to Lue, who allowed Harden to have a resurrection-type season and Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac to have career years, further placing himself in the NBA’s upper echelon of head coaches.
3) Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers
Rick Carlisle solidified himself as a Hall of Fame head coach during the Indiana Pacers’ 2025 playoff run, culminating in pushing the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder to the brink in the NBA Finals.
With a roster lacking an All-NBA level go-to scorer, Carlisle demonstrated an impressive feel for lineup adjustments and a calm presence on the sideline, defying the odds. Simply put, it was a two-month coaching masterpiece.
Carlisle already has an NBA championship to his résumé with the underdog Dallas Mavericks in 2011. At times considered a fluke, he has shown that it was anything but that after nearly reaching the same feat with Indiana.
It’s hard to think of how any coach could’ve led the Pacers any better — a sign of Carlisle being one of the best coaches in the NBA.
4) Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Steve Kerr’s transition from player to announcer and then to head coach of the Golden State Warriors went remarkably smoothly. He won championships in 2015, 2017, and 2018, largely thanks to a well-stocked roster. However, it was in their 2022 title run that we began to see Kerr’s coaching acumen in a clearer light.
Without Kevin Durant and with Klay Thompson coming off multiple long-term injuries, Kerr thoroughly out-coached then-rookie Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka with several on-the-fly adjustments that swung the series. These included allowing Stephen Curry more opportunities to attack the older Al Horford in the pick-and-roll and giving Andrew Wiggins the confidence to become a true difference-maker.
The Warriors won the series in six games, giving Kerr four championships as a head coach.
Although his handling of situations involving Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga regarding playing time has been criticized, Kerr has consistently made the proper lineup adjustments. He gets the most out of his players, despite operating with limited resources during the past two seasons.
There’s no doubt that once Kerr reaches the playoffs, anything can happen with him in the lead, as evidenced by his 2022 and deeper-than-expected postseason runs in 2023 and 2025.
5) Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
Now with a league title to his name, Mark Daigneault, at 40 years old, has reached the pinnacle of NBA coaching. He took the long route, previously coaching the Thunder’s G League team before being hired as Oklahoma City’s HC in 2020.
Since then, Daigneault has had a jump in wins in each of his five seasons. He elevated them to a special atmosphere during the 2024-25 season, as they won a franchise-record 68 games and claimed Oklahoma City’s first championship.
Daigneault’s coaching philosophy was on full display, as the Thunder emphasized forcing turnovers and getting runout baskets. That proved to be the difference in each of OKC’s wins — most importantly in Game 7, where they dominated the turnover battle.
It was a long journey from winning 22 and 24 games in his two seasons at the helm, but Daigneault is now a championship head coach and will continue to learn and ascend higher with more experience.
6) Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
Only three seasons into his head coaching career and just 36 years old, Joe Mazzulla is already considered among the best in the sport. His second season culminated in a dominant playoff run and NBA championship, making him the youngest head coach to win a title since Pat Riley in 1970.
Mazzulla has become known for his calm, stoic demeanor at press conferences, but make no mistake, he has some fire in him. It’s not uncommon for Mazzulla to work the officials and get on them, in turn lighting a fire underneath the Boston Celtics, who have tended to sleepwalk through regular-season games the past two seasons.
Joe Mazzulla said, “A coach’s greatest gift is a group of guys that want to be coached, want to be led.”
“Everything starts with them – their ability to buy, their ability to execute.”
Leadership thrives when people embrace growth, accountability, and teamwork. pic.twitter.com/f3tAdFKapg
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) November 28, 2024
It does help having a loaded roster with several All-Stars scattered throughout. Still, the sentiment of pushing the right emotional buttons remains true in how Mazzulla finds a role for each of his players, trusting and empowering them to do their job.
Winning a title is not easy. Still, Mazzulla has put his team in a position to do so heading into the postseason for two consecutive years and is just scratching the surface of what his legacy will be as the Celtics’ head coach for the foreseeable future.
7) Ime Udoka, Houston Rockets
The man who came before Mazzulla on the Celtics, Udoka, was hired by the Houston Rockets before the 2023-24 season and has been a significant revelation for the franchise.
In his first season, Udoka restored order in the organization. He instilled a defensive mentality and identity across the entire roster, which led to a 19-win improvement from the previous season, achieved mainly with the same core, supplemented by a few veteran additions.
Houston improved even more last season, reaching 52 wins and claiming the West’s No. 2 seed — another double-digit win total leap and now a fundamental factor in the Western Conference. Unfortunately for Udoka and the Rockets, they couldn’t muster up enough offense to defeat the Warriors in the first round, falling in Game 7 at home.
The defense did its job, however, holding Golden State to under 100 twice. The problem was that Houston scored under 100 three times, lacking creativity and shot-making.
Udoka has proven himself to be more than a developer of talent and a floor-raiser as a coach, as his Finals run with the Celtics in 2022 was no fluke. If the Rockets’ front office can secure a reliable offensive scorer and creator, Udoka could very well be the coach that brings them to the top.
8) Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Speaking of coaches who can bring teams to the top, Kenny Atkinson did exactly that in his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, lifting them from a 48-win team in 2023-24 to 64 wins last season and being awarded as the NBA’s Coach of the Year.
Atkinson began his HC career with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2020, in which the team finished with an above .500 record just once, missing the playoffs in three of four seasons. He then spent one season as an assistant with the Clippers before three more with the Warriors, where he clearly gleaned a lot from Kerr and how Golden State played the game.
Atkinson implemented much of the Warriors’ quick-passing, player-movement offensive philosophy in the half-court offense to the Cavaliers, who have four stars in guards Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, forward Evan Mobley, and center Jarrett Allen. Previous head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fired largely for his inability to unlock the offense with the four on the court.
That’s exactly what Atkinson did, pulling the correct strings and instilling a new mindset on the offensive end, leading to a 16-win jump and the Eastern Conference’s top seed. Though they were bounced in five games to the Pacers in the semifinals, where injuries were a major factor, Cleveland looks poised to once again compete for a Finals appearance next year amid a seemingly wide-open East with Atkinson’s guidance and expertise.
9) Tom Thibodeau, Free Agent
Tom Thibodeau was unceremoniously fired by the New York Knicks three days after their Game 6 Eastern Conference Finals loss to Indiana, despite it being the franchise’s deepest playoff run in 25 years.
Thibodeau compiled a .565 winning percentage and took the team to the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm. Yet, it just wasn’t enough for Knicks’ management to keep him.
There was repeated criticism from the media and even Mikal Bridges towards Thibodeau’s reluctance to play reserves and instead load up the minutes for starters in both the regular season and the playoffs.
Despite that, Thibodeau has nearly always fielded and crafted an extremely competitive team that no one wants to see come playoff time.
As the oldest head coach in the NBA last season, Thibodeau, 67, may have to wait another year for a job to open up. But whenever and wherever it does, his name should be at the top of the list for teams with the goal of competing in the playoffs right away, as Thibodeau has done that throughout his career with whatever roster is given to him.
10) J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons
Bickerstaff finished second in the 2025 Coach of the Year voting after leading a massive 30-win turnaround in his first season with the Detroit Pistons after being fired by the Cavaliers. Across those two stops, Bickerstaff has demonstrated an ability to set the culture and raise the floor of previously talented, yet unproven squads.
With Cleveland, he brought them to the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James was on the team. In Detroit, Bickerstaff took over a team that had lost 28 straight games the season prior and worked his magic, vaulting them into the playoffs, where they put up a fight in their first-round series against the Knicks.
Looking ahead to Year 2 with the Pistons, expectations will be high as far as topping what was a surprise 44-win season. With the experience he’s gained and marked improvement in playoff adjustments in the New York series, the sky is the limit for Bickerstaff and the Pistons.
11) Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves
Over the past two seasons, Chris Finch has seemingly flew under the radar as doing a tremendous job in leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to two consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances.
While that may have been due to him not being the sideline coach during their 2024 run due to injury, he was still calling the shots. In 2025, though, Finch was right there as they broke the Los Angeles Lakers and Warriors before falling to the 68-win Thunder.
An offensive coach by nature, Finch has changed his ways in engineering a top-five scoring defense in each of the last two seasons. Also, having to deal with the trade of Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo right before training camp last year, his ability to adapt has been admirable.
Finch appears to be the Timberwolves’ coach for the long run, as he clearly has what it takes to bring them to the top.
12) Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks
Beginning his coaching career with the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, it didn’t quite seem like being a head coach was a fit for Jason Kidd. But after getting an opportunity once Carlisle resigned from Dallas, Kidd hasn’t looked back.
With the Mavericks, Kidd has employed a more hands-off approach to the action on the court, instead entrusting his players with more freedom. He’s very well respected from his playing days as a Hall of Fame point guard, commanding a mutual respect from his players.
Kidd was excellent two seasons ago, putting the pieces together after multiple trade deadline deals and establishing the Mavericks — even with Luka Dončić on the court — as one of the top defensive teams on their way to the NBA Finals.
While 2024-25 was much different thanks to injuries and the departure of Dončić via trade, Kidd won’t be short on talent to work with, as the front court of Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and the eventual No. 1 pick in 2025, Cooper Flagg, will be problematic for opposing team’s in the future. Count on Kidd to make it all fit together.
13) Jamahl Mosley, Orlando Magic
A “players’ coach,” as the phrase goes, Jamahl Mosley connects with his players in a way that isn’t seen much in today’s NBA. Quickly into his tenure, Mosley instilled a defensive mentality into the Orlando Magic that still stands four years later, as they had the top-ranked scoring defense in the league last season.
The 46-year-old has turned the Magic around since taking over, as the team won just 22 games in his debut season. Since then, however, they improved to 34 wins, then 47 in 2023-24, pushing the Cavaliers to a seventh game in the first round. It was Orlando’s first playoff appearance since 2020.
This past season, Orlando took a slight step back, winning 41 games. But that was primarily due to a massive number of injuries to each of its star trio: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs.
Now with the addition of Desmond Bane, Mosley will be expected to make another big leap into a possible contender in the Eastern Conference. Orlando certainly believes that Mosley is the man for the job.
14) Will Hardy, Utah Jazz
Hired ahead of the 2022-23 season away from the Celtics, where he served as an assistant, Will Hardy has endured loss after loss and still made a name for himself around the NBA. At just 37 years old, Hardy connects well with players and has been a tremendous leader as they navigate a rebuild.
In each of his first two seasons, with a rebuild in mind, Hardy led the Utah Jazz to a record in which they were competing for a play-in berth at the All-Star break. And in both seasons, upper management seemed to make a call and essentially pull the plug on the operation as the team tanked down the stretch.
That is a direct representation of Hardy, who has shown the ability to get the most out of whoever is on the floor. Presumably intending to win soon, Hardy has the chance to rise on this list when the wins stack up quickly.
15) Quin Snyder, Atlanta Hawks
Quin Snyder quickly put himself amongst the top head coaches in the league during his time from 2014-2022 with Utah, leading the Jazz to six consecutive playoff appearances. They haven’t been back since.
After being fired, Snyder was signed by the Atlanta Hawks in February 2023 and had a vision of pairing his technician-like abilities offensively with All-Star guard Trae Young. Though that hasn’t gone exactly as expected, Snyder has been part of developing several young wings on the perimeter who look poised to become stars.
That’s not to say they aren’t still one of the top offenses in the NBA, coming in fifth in scoring per game last season. An injury to top forward Jalen Johnson ruined what could’ve been a playoff run, but next season, the arrow is certainly pointed up for the Hawks with Snyder leading the way.
16) Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks
Doc Rivers, 63, has now been an NBA head coach for over a quarter-century after completing his first full season with Milwaukee. Hired midway through last season, Rivers got his full handprint on the team and managed to produce 48 wins despite injuries marring the team.
A very strong leader, Rivers is well respected and liked across the league. He also uses his experience to make expert-level in-game adjustments, both in the regular season and the playoffs.
The Bucks are currently in a pivotal time for the franchise, as superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo could potentially be moved. If that’s the case, that would heavily impact Rivers’ ability to lead the Bucks to contending status.
Either way, one thing is for sure: Rivers will motivate his players to play their hardest for him and the team, as that’s been a staple of his squads for years.
17) Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers
After winning an NBA title in his first season as the Toronto Raptors’ head coach, Nick Nurse quickly became a known name around the league for his offensive acumen, terrific set plays, and ability to contort lineups and get the most out of his players.
Though his reputation might’ve taken a hit during his second season with the Philadelphia 76ers last season (24-58 record), much of that was due to injuries and the unfamiliarity of adding Paul George to the lineup.
Entering Year 3 with the 76ers, there’s a slight bit of pressure building for Nurse to figure out how to make the trio of George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey work, as they struggled together in limited minutes early last season. If he can, Nurse would reestablish himself as one of the top coaches in the NBA, with a roster capable enough to compete.
18) JJ Redick, Los Angeles Lakers
It was clear early on in his rookie season with the Lakers that JJ Redick was more than fit to be a head coach. He brought with him a vast IQ of the game from his playing days and time spent in the media, as he’d seen the game from all possible angles besides coaching.
Redick demanded the respect of all of his players — even James, his former podcast partner and fellow 40-year-old, who continuously went out of his way to praise his new coach.
Gotta love JJ Redick….
Lebron hits a 30 foot three to end the quarter and JJ is yelling at LeBron and Dalton about a missed assignment pic.twitter.com/bgmo4WTK84
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) November 14, 2024
What also came with that were significant learning experiences, none bigger than when Redick played one lineup for the entire second half of a game against Minnesota in the playoffs. By the end of the game, the rested Timberwolves were running circles around that Lakers lineup, which was visibly gassed.
But just one season in, the Lakers should be confident that they have a long-term option at head coach.
19) Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls
Billy Donovan has now spent a decade as an NBA head coach, five with Oklahoma City and having just completed his fifth with the Chicago Bulls. Overall, he’s been a successful coach, amassing a 438-362 record (.548) with six playoff appearances.
The issue is that only once has that come with the Bulls, and that was four seasons ago. Since then, Chicago has been a repeater in the play-in.
Despite the lack of on-court success, Donovan is very well respected across the league for his ability to connect with players and instill confidence in them. He’s coaxed career years out of Coby White as well as Lonzo Ball before injuries and easing him back post-injury.
If he were to be let go or walk away on his own after next season and another campaign of missing the playoffs, Donovan would be a prime candidate for other NBA openings.
20) Jordi Fernández, Brooklyn Nets
An assistant with the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings before receiving his first job opportunity with the Nets, Jordi Fernández impressed during his rookie season, sticking out for his ability to connect with players.
Fernández, also the head coach of the Canadian national team, knows the ins and outs of basketball and has proven himself well-suited for being an NBA head coach. The Nets’ franchise arc last season seemed to be to lose as many games as possible and land a high draft pick.
Even without several high-level role players, Fernández had the Nets sitting at 10-13 at the beginning of December and looking like a potential contender for the play-in tournament. That was around the time management seemed to send a message about the need to lose more games, as Brooklyn finished with a 26-56 record, outperforming expectations by several games despite winning just five in the final month and a half of the season.
The Nets should rest assured knowing they have a coach who will elevate whatever roster is put in front of him moving forward.
21) Willie Green, New Orleans Pelicans
Previously believed to be on the hot seat after consecutive disappointing seasons, it was reported that Willie Green had agreed to a contract extension, indicating that the New Orleans Pelicans’ decision-makers believe he’s the right person for the job as they rebuild to become a playoff contender.
The 2024-25 season for the Pelicans was lost very early on, as the team stumbled out of the gate and struggled with injuries for the remainder of the year. They eventually shut down nearly all of their regular rotation players.
Throughout it all, Green remains excellent at getting the most out of his players. He’s known for his ability to communicate and relate to players on their level, seeing the game from their perspective due to his decade-long NBA career.
Players love him, but Green has to start putting wins on the board if he’s to continue into next summer as the guy in New Orleans.
22) Chauncey Billups, Portland Trail Blazers
Chauncey Billups’ four-year tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers was marked by numerous losses, particularly in the first three seasons, as the team has compiled an 81-165 record.
Billups wasn’t brought into the best situation, however, as he had to navigate the post-Damian Lillard rebuilding era. But he and the Trail Blazers finally began to make some headway in the second half of last season, at one point winning 10 of 11 games. Portland finished with a 36-46 record, even threatening to make the play-in tournament with a month to go in the season.
Thybulle on Chauncey Billups:
“It’s another thing to have a coach who is brilliant and proved it, but also has done it as a player. To have the coaches go over the play, but then to have Chauncey grab the ball and then show you how it’s supposed to be done, just takes things to… pic.twitter.com/3Lqvf1Wh5q
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) April 14, 2025
With that hot streak, they’d finally crafted an identity: defense. Much like when Billups was on the court during his Hall of Fame career, defense became Portland’s calling card during its win streak.
General manager Joe Cronin believes in Billups so much that the two sides agreed to a multi-year extension, giving him even more runway to return the Trail Blazers to the playoffs. They’re on an upward trajectory thanks to his coaching acumen on the defensive end of the floor.
23) Darko Rajaković, Toronto Raptors
European-born Darko Rajaković has led the Raptors for the past two seasons, posting a 55-109 win-loss record. That doesn’t tell the entire story, however, as injuries have halted much of the progress of their core.
Rajaković, known for his innovation and willingness to think outside of the box, is a coach who is also well-liked by his players. Despite that, his seat may be getting just a tad bit warmer as he enters the third year of his four-year contract.
With Brandon Ingram in the fold along with All-Star Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett, Toronto has a core worthy of competing for a playoff spot in the weakened East. The pressure is slowly building for Rajaković to make that happen.
24) Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
Mitch Johnson faces an unenviable task as he enters his first season as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, following in the footsteps of the legendary Gregg Popovich, who had to transition to a front office role due to health reasons.
Johnson essentially coached San Antonio for the entirety of last season (as Popovich dealt with his health issues), leading the team to a 12-win improvement from 2023-24, finishing with a 34-48 record despite Victor Wembanyama missing the back half of the season due to blood clots.
Moving forward, Johnson’s prospects as the Spurs’ long-term coach rest on how he can further accentuate Wembanyama’s talents as the team adds more talent (they hold the No. 2 and No. 14 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft) or makes an all-in trade for a superstar.
If San Antonio doesn’t push for (at the very least) a play-in tournament spot next year, there could be rumblings that the lack of experience that the 38-year-old Johnson represents needs to be replaced by a veteran who knows how to navigate in the playoffs and beyond. However, for now, the Spurs remain hopeful that he can be their guy, having been groomed as an assistant by Popovich since the 2019-2020 season.
25) Doug Christie, Sacramento Kings
Given the interim tag after Mike Brown’s firing, Doug Christie satisfied the Sacramento Kings’ front office during his 51 games at the helm that he was offered a contract to become the team’s next full-time head coach.
Juggling a new roster featuring Zach LaVine instead of De’Aaron Fox and the team operating without a traditional point guard, Christie kept the Kings in the play-in tournament race by going 27-24 under his watch. They secured the No. 9 seed in the West but were defeated and eliminated by the Mavericks at home.
It was a disappointing end to the season, but Sacramento was pleased enough to commit to Christie on a long-term basis. Now entering a season in which he can implement his offensive and defensive schemes and get a feel for his roster before the season, the prospects of Christie as a head coach will be fully revealed in the 2025-26 season.
26) Charles Lee, Charlotte Hornets
Hired away from the Celtics before last season, Charles Lee’s job was clear: to improve the culture and defense. While he partly accomplished the first goal by fielding a team that competed each night, regardless of injuries (and even tanking at the end of the season), the defense took significant steps forward.
After ranking 23rd in allowing 116.8 points per game in 2023-24, the Charlotte Hornets jumped seven spots to 16th and allowed 114.2 points on average. For a team that projects as a high-scoring, fast-paced offense when fully healthy, being mediocre on the defensive end is a win.
Despite that, the team won just 19 games. Injuries played a huge factor, giving Lee an out on that aspect. He’ll need to start winning games next season, though, to maintain the confidence of Charlotte’s decision-makers.
27) Brian Keefe, Washington Wizards
While it may not entirely be his fault, as the Washington Wizards are in the middle of rebuilding and have a roster comprised mainly of young, unproven players, Brian Keefe has a career winning percentage of .215 — the worst of any active head coach in the NBA.
Elevated to HC midway through the 2023-24 season, Keefe was tasked with developing the young talent on the roster. Although it’s early, that just hasn’t happened at the level needed to begin competing with him at the helm.
If Washington has another losing season marred with a lack of player improvement once again, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Keefe out of this job by this time next year.
New Head Coaches | David Adelman, Denver Nuggets
David Adelman took over the Nuggets ahead of Game 82 in the regular season, after both head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth were let go. It revealed the curtain behind a suddenly dysfunctional and toxic workplace — something that Adelman quickly and improbably turned around.
He was praised by players for his positivity and joy, something that had been missing from the team. But it wasn’t just intangibles that earned Adelman the head coach tag and a new contract. After a 3-0 finish to the regular season, he led the Nuggets to a seven-game victory over the Clippers and took the Thunder to seven games with an outmatched roster.
Mind you, all of that came as Adelman’s first stint ever as an NBA coach. It was a no-brainer decision to hire him full-time, as he already showed himself to be an excellent option moving forward.
Tuomas Iisalo, Memphis Grizzlies
Tuomas Iisalo, similar to Adelman, took over as interim coach for the Memphis Grizzlies with nine games remaining in the regular season following Taylor Jenkins’ dismissal.
The results were mixed, as Iisalo adjusted the offense to suit All-Star point guard Ja Morant. But it ultimately led to a 4-5 finish to the campaign and a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Thunder in the opening round. While it wasn’t a slam dunk that he’d be back as the head coach, the interim tag was removed, and the Grizzlies are moving forward with Iisalo as their guy.
His offensive system is well-suited for the modern NBA, as he emphasized pace and space in the limited time he had on the lead. Now, with an entire offseason to devise a plan for how to utilize Morant and All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. best, we’ll get a real, long look at Iisalo as an NBA head coach and whether he has what it takes to continue in the job.
Jordan Ott, Phoenix Suns
Coming from the Cavaliers, Jordan Ott faces a daunting task with the Phoenix Suns: try to become the first coach in three years to last more than a single season. The last two Suns head coaches, Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer, were brought in to elevate the team to a championship, but failed to do so. And they were both gone after a year.
Ott is brought in under a different set of circumstances, as Phoenix dealt Durant and appears ready to reset and build around All-Star guard Devin Booker for the near future. What that means as far as expectations go remains to be seen, but Ott should get more than just one season at the helm.
He’ll bring a defensive mind to the franchise, as they’ve struggled on that end for years. Also, being young for an NBA coach at 40 years old, Ott should be able to connect with the players and receive feedback, an essential thing for a rookie HC to do.
The pressure is not the same as that of previous head coaches, but a disappointing debut season could put Ott on the hot seat heading into next year.
