The NBA season has ended for a majority of the teams.
As they begin to prepare for the 2021-2022 season, some coaches have been let go or hired along the way.
Currently, seven coaches have been fired and only four have been hired.
There have been some firings that were necessary for a long time.
However, some teams missed the mark on their replacement.
Along with this, some teams fired their coach without giving them enough time to prove themselves or fired them without valid reasoning.
There are two NBA teams that made major coaching mistakes this offseason.
2. Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers recently “mutually parted ways” with Terry Stotts and hired Chauncey Billups.
Stotts was a head coach for the Trail Blazers for the past nine seasons.
Each year with Stotts at the helm, the Trail Blazers overachieved considering the talent level of their rosters.
However, after a first-round exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, enough was enough and they were forced to move on.
This seems to be a last ditch effort in hopes of keeping Damian Lillard happy and on the team.
After Stotts was let go, Lillard announced that he wanted the team to pursue Jason Kidd or Chauncey Billups.
Shortly after, Billups and the Trail Blazers agreed to a five-year deal with a team option on the fifth year.
Breaking: Chauncey Billups has reached an agreement on a five-year deal to become the head coach of the Trail Blazers, sources tell @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/r9C6JzHrU5
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 28, 2021
This is a huge risk the Trail Blazers are taking by giving Billups such a long contract.
While it takes the pressure off of him to win right away, it also means they are stuck paying him even if he ends up being an awful coach.
Along with this, Billups has zero head coaching experience.
While he has spent time as the assistant of the Los Angeles Clippers, this is his first head coaching job.
There are “rumblings” that Damian Lillard is getting antsy. (Via @jwquick) pic.twitter.com/qxvSkU9Nzf
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) June 24, 2021
If this coaching change does not keep Lillard on the roster, this may be the worst coaching hire this offseason.
1. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have recently gone through a front office rebuild.
Longtime President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge chose to call it a career after spending 18 years with the Celtics.
Along with this, Brad Stevens stepped down as the head coach and took Ainge’s role in the organization.
The Celtics then chose to replace Stevens with Brooklyn Nets assistant coach, Ime Udoka.
Breaking: The Celtics are finalizing an agreement to hire Nets assistant Ime Udoka as the team's new head coach, sources told @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/vLNN3jPC4P
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 23, 2021
It was clear that the Celtics needed changes after their uninspiring 2020-2021 season that ended in them being swept by the Brooklyn Nets.
However, giving up on Stevens as the coach may not have been the best move.
Stevens was not only a remarkable college coach but also had a great record coaching in the NBA as well.
Not to mention that he developed young stars like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Despite this, he was never able to elevate his team to the next level.
It will be interesting to see what Udoka will be able to do with this young but talented roster.
With Boston fans being notorious for having short fuses, it is important that Udoka gets off to a hot start with the team before the fans and media get a chance to turn on him.
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