Nick Nurse, Kenny Atkinson listed among NBA coaches who could be facing the heat

For some NBA coaches, well, the heat may be on.

David Adelman with the Nuggets. Nick Nurse with the 76ers. Ime Udoka with the Rockets. Kenny Atkinson with the Cavaliers. Perhaps even Mitch Johnson with the reigning Western Conference Spurs. At least, these were the names identified by ESPN in an article entitled “Five coaches facing the most pressure to win.”

Those names make sense, too, albeit for very different reasons. All five of those teams are expected to contend. The Sixers, Spurs and Cavs are likely thinking championship. In the NBA, just getting to the conference finals isn’t enough. (Here’s looking at you, Tom Thibodeau.)

For instance, Nurse has quite a task in Philly. All he needs to do is find a way to make sure that LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and the others fit well together. One hiccup and, well, nobody is gonna blame the players.

“The primary puzzle Nurse must solve on the court is how to distribute touches and shots. James, Brown, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are all high-usage players, and VJ Edgecombe and Anfernee Simons also are talented scorers,” wrote ESPN’s Ben Golliver. “From there, Nurse will need to coax consistent defensive effort from veteran stars accustomed to being surrounded by high-energy role players.”

As Golliver pointed out, Nurse will also have to manage the minutes for James and Embiid. 

Meanwhile, Adelman faces a “tall coaching order,” according to Golliver.

“The Nuggets have lost Michael Porter Jr. and Watson over the past two offseasons, and this summer’s additions — DeMar DeRozan and Marvin Bagley III — don’t project as game changers,” he wrote. “If Denver’s playoff progress stagnates despite Jokic’s continued brilliance, Adelman could find himself stuck absorbing the heat.”

Udoka and Atkinson face challenges of their own. Namely, high expectations in what could be considered make-or-break coaching seasons. (We wrote more about Atkinson here.) Unless your name is Erik Spoelstra, patience can run out quickly in today’s NBA. Sometimes, but not often.

Finally, Johnson did a nice job in guiding Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs young guns to the Finals. But there were questions about the young coach’s decisions once they arrived. Granted, that’s gonna happen anytime you lose a game. That’s just the fans and media, for you.

Still, the Spurs got a taste. They want more. If they don’t get it, again, that’s something that could fall on the coach.

That’s just coaching. That’s just the NBA. And it makes sense to list these five as those who may be feeling the most pressure.