3 NBA coaches who are on the hot seat following slow starts

NBA coaches on the hot seat No. 2: Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks

The New York Knicks had playoff aspirations as the season began. With a new point guard in Jalen Brunson ushering in a new era of stability, the Knicks have not looked too impressive to start off the season. While Thibodeau has always been vaunted as a defensive coach, the Knicks rank middle of the pack in defensive efficiency at 16th. While this may be acceptable in other scenarios, pairing this position with the Knicks’ 24th-ranked offensive efficiency does not lend itself to winning basketball.

Thibodeau is another coach who was reportedly on the hot seat throughout most of last year. At this point in his career, Thibodeau has become notorious for turning around franchises in his first year with the team, with disappointing returns following the next several seasons. This has been the case in New York, with two disappointing seasons following the Knicks’ 4th seed season in 2020-21. Other items can be attributed to this too, like Julius Randle’s regression, but that may not be enough of an excuse to save Thibs’ standing as head man at MSG.