5 NBA coaches on the hot seat

It's safe to assume some head coaches are feeling the pressure more intensely than others at any point on the NBA calendar. That remains the case today, with the start of the 2022-23 season just days away.

Here are five bench bosses entering the new campaign on the hot seat.

Steve Nash, Brooklyn Nets

If the pressure on Nash wasn't heavy enough before this season, it must feel downright taxing now.

Nash will immediately face intense scrutiny thanks to the Nets' roller-coaster summer. The most obvious factor will be his relationship with Kevin Durant, who reportedly called for the Hall of Famer's firing as part of an ultimatum to team owner Joe Tsai. Though Durant apparently acquiesced, Nash's job security is likely tied to the success with which he and Durant navigate now-awkward circumstances.

In addition to that drama, there are on-court concerns. One can argue that factors beyond Nash's control have contributed to the team's postseason shortcomings, but the fact remains: He's taken a loaded roster to the playoffs twice and has yet to make the conference finals. It doesn't help that the Boston Celtics embarrassed Brooklyn in April - despite Durant and Kyrie Irving both being fully available - in what was probably the low point of Nash's coaching career.

With his hold on the locker room seemingly teetering and a championship the only acceptable outcome, Nash's job could be in danger quickly if the Nets sputter out of the gate.

Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks

Zeroing in on a free agent weeks in advance before throwing $104 million at him suggests the Knicks' front office considers former Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson a key piece of the puzzle. And after whiffing on free-agent star after free-agent star over the years, New York likely isn't waiting much longer for Thibodeau to fit those pieces together.

Through two seasons, the 64-year-old is just two games above .500 in his Knicks tenure and has one playoff win to his name. That sole victory came in Game 2 of New York's 2021 first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, a five-game disappointment that soured the Coach of the Year honors Thibodeau later received for the Knicks' regular-season success.

The biggest issue facing Thibodeau in 2022-23 is internal expectations. Influential members of the franchise are banking on the squad to take a step forward after it went 37-45 for an 11th-place finish last season, according to SNY's Ian Begley.

But how much better can the Knicks realistically be this year?

It's unlikely they fail to make the play-in this tournament time around. But with six of last year's top seven squads - the Celtics, Nets, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, and Chicago Bulls - seemingly locks for the half-dozen automatic first-round berths, a brief play-in appearance may be New York's ceiling.

If that's as far as Thibodeau takes this squad, it's hard to believe there won't be a change behind the bench. It's a harsh outlook for a head coach when the most likely outcome isn't enough, but patience has never been the Knicks' best quality.

Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers

It's exceedingly rare for a new hire or head coach with a recent extension to be dismissed quickly. But these Lakers are a special case.

There is arguably no bench boss in the league under more pressure to win immediately than Ham. It's one of the requirements implicitly placed on any coach who takes over a squad led by LeBron James, especially a 37-year-old James entering his 20th NBA season.

Los Angeles is seemingly out of options to improve the roster overnight thanks to a dearth of future draft picks, and Ham could pay the price if the team isn't racking up wins out of the gate. Though he's well-touted in coaching circles and has vast experience as an assistant, this Lakers team could be too daunting a task for the first-year head coach.

Unless Rob Pelinka can swing a shocking trade before the season, Ham will have to manufacture what seems like a miracle: bringing out the best of Russell Westbrook while also getting that version of the 33-year-old to complement the rest of the squad. As Frank Vogel learned last year, that's easier said than done.

If the Lakers quickly start to suffer from the same shortcomings they did last season, it won't be long before Ham's seat is uncomfortably warm.

Nate McMillan, Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks took a significant step back last year after their stunning conference finals run in 2021 when McMillan first succeeded Lloyd Pierce midseason. Despite lofty expectations for 2021-22, Atlanta finished just four games above .500 and survived the play-in tournament only to crash out of the first round in five games against the Heat.

Team president Travis Schlenk and recently promoted general manager Landry Fields are convinced that Atlanta's current core, headlined by star Trae Young, has the talent to compete with the East's best once again; the Hawks' impressive trade to acquire Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs made that clear. Murray didn't come cheap, however, costing Atlanta three first-rounders (one via the Charlotte Hornets) and the right for the Spurs to swap first-round selections in 2026.

With so many front offices understandably quick to initiate rebuilds, it's refreshing to see one trust in its young stars by pushing its chips to the middle of the table. But it also means the pressure is now on McMillan to prove Atlanta right.

Four of the team's first five games of the year are against the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets - the three worst teams in the league last season. The other is against the Hornets, who matched the Hawks' 43-39 record in 2021-22 but should be worse after failing to replace Miles Bridges and Montrezl Harrell this summer. If Atlanta stumbles during what should be a simple opening stretch, the front office will likely reconsider whether McMillan is the right fit.

Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers

Thanks in large part to James Harden, the 76ers were able to make some key offseason acquisitions with one goal in mind: winning a title.

The former MVP's decision to delay his new contract while also agreeing to a drastic pay cut helped Philadelphia add P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, two former Harden teammates who should provide Rivers with the veteran depth necessary for a championship run. But Rivers might be running out of time to get them there.

Despite a solid supporting cast surrounding MVP candidate Joel Embiid, the 76ers have crashed out of the playoffs in both of their seasons under Rivers. Some of that is due to some bad luck, like Embiid's litany of injuries this past spring and Ben Simmons' infamous cold feet in the clutch during Rivers' first year.

Yet one could also argue Rivers left Embiid in too long during Philadelphia's Game 6 series-clinching win over the Raptors - a game in which the center suffered an orbital fracture and a concussion with just over four minutes left and the 76ers up by 29 points. One could also argue Rivers should have done more throughout his first season to improve Simmons' offensive confidence.

Regardless of how much blame he deserves for Philadelphia's postseason failures, the former Coach of the Year seems unable to shake playoff turbulence. Since taking the Celtics to the NBA Finals back in 2010, Rivers has never advanced past the second round. Luck - or the supposed lack thereof - only goes so far.

One last factor in Rivers' future is team president Daryl Morey. The former Rockets executive is a proponent of bringing in personnel familiar to him, but the 76ers hired Morey one month after naming Rivers their new head coach. If Rivers can't lead this revamped roster to success, Morey may not wait long to replace him with a familiar face.