NBA Head Coach Odds: Fizdale, Brown & Saunders Expected to Hold Jobs in 2019-20, Walton & Kokoskov Not
- Several coaches find themselves on the proverbial hot seat as the 2018-19 NBA season winds down
- Will the Lakers retain Luke Walton?
- Has JB Bickerstaff done enough to keep his job in Memphis?
As the NBA has grown in popularity, the pressure to succeed has grown with it. This has introduced more turbulence to the NBA coaching landscape than ever.
In created odds for whether a select number of coaches will retain their jobs beyond the 2018-19 season the “Yes” option below indicates they’ll still be employed, while the “No” option indicates that they’ll be shown the door.
Will the Following NBA Head Coaches Retain Their Jobs?
| Coach | Record | Yes Odds | No Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Walton (Lakers) | 35-43 | +1000 | -2500 |
| JB Bickerstaff (Grizzlies) | 31-47 | -200 | +150 |
| Brett Brown (76ers) | 49-29 | -300 | +200 |
| Igor Kokoskov (Suns) | 18-61 | +120 | -160 |
| Ryan Saunders (Timberwolves) | 16-22 | -400 | +250 |
| David Fizdale (Knicks) | 15-63 | -500 | +300 |
*Odds taken 04/03/19
Brown Will Stay Put in Philadelphia
Brett Brown was the coach that the 76ers invested their future in, a steward to guide them through the tumultuous years of #TheProcess. Now he’s shifted their eyes towards the NBA Finals. With an embarrassment of riches – especially on the wing – the 76ers are finally on the rise.
Brett Brown and the @sixers Host Third Annual Bounce Out the Stigma Clinic for children with Autism. Bounce Out the Stigma was founded in 2005 by Mike Simmel and his father as a basketball program for children with special needs. #WorldAutismAwarenessDay ? pic.twitter.com/BhmGiVPvu2
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 2, 2019
A great indicator of how Brown orchestrates his offense is the 76ers’ three-pointers attempted (19th league-wide) and their three-point percentage (eighth league-wide). The 76ers have three below average three-point shooters in Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Jimmy Butler that eat up a lot of shots in their offense.
Regardless of that, the offense is tailored in such a way that Simmons takes the bulk of his shots in transition, and Embiid and Butler get their shots off the bounce towards the rim. That allows scorers like JJ Redick and Tobias Harris to wreak havoc on opposing teams in the space their teammates provide.
Embiid and Simmons aren’t natural fits, and yet Brown has built a top-10 offense around them.
The 76ers are hyper aware of the Spurs pedigree that Brown comes from, and no matter the outcome of this season, not only has Brown shown a knack for developing talent, but maximizing it as well. Embiid and Simmons aren’t natural fits, and yet Brown has built a top-10 offense around them.
Whether or not the 76ers make good on their puncher’s chance at the NBA Finals, or they bow out in the conference semis, they’ll look to Brown to take them into the future regardless.
Pick: Yes (-300)
Walton Will Be Shown the Door in LA
LeBron James abandoned Mike Brown to go to the Heat. Since that time, no coach has stayed on to coach him, unless they went to the Finals or won it all.
Steph Curry on what it’s like to go into a postseason without LeBron James in it and how he believes Luke Walton is “a great coach. Anybody would be lucky to have him leading the team.” pic.twitter.com/Prz1VxMMCT
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 4, 2019
Under Luke Walton the Lakers didn’t even make the playoffs. Caveats/injuries aside, it seems clear that won’t slide with James or management. James has been dejected and removed as a Laker for a large part of the season, and has an obsessive proclivity towards choosing his own bench boss. History alone makes the case for Walton to lose his job in the offseason.
Pick: No (-2500)
JB Bickerstaff is Righting the Ship in Memphis
While the Grizzlies remained competitive early on in the year, they eventually pivoted, and traded former DPOY and beloved star Marc Gasol. With clear intentions of bottoming out, Bickerstaff moved a lot of the Grizzlies younger pieces into the starting line-up and began to groom what looks to be the Grizzlies of the future.
Grizzlies coach JB Bickerstaff today on balancing winning vs playing young players as an interim coach, and his fathers great advice. pic.twitter.com/KaJM9qzqz6
— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) January 26, 2018
He’s maximized Jonas Valanciunas especially, but the play of Delon Wright, a reinvigorated Mike Conley, and Justin Holiday have lent credence to his ability to get production from a myriad of player types.
Bickerstaff has shown an ability to get production from a myriad of player types.
The Grizzlies are entering a new era in their franchise. It would be a surprise to see them opt to try their fourth coach in three years. Bickerstaff who has been a bright spot in his time with the team.
Pick: Yes (-200)
Our staff writers work tirelessly around the clock to provide you with all the information you need - stats, odds, trends, expert analysis etc. - to make intelligent and informed bets for every major sport, as well as entertainment.
