It’s one of the most competitive leagues in the world and with everyone in the basketball community now shifting their focus to next season, let’s catch up on some of the most notable appointments; the newest NBA coaches.
There will be six fan bases with the renewed optimism that comes with a new mastermind at the helm; fresh ideas and a motivated squad.
Some of the freshly appointed NBA coaches are returning to the top job at a new location, while others begin their career.
Unlike most years, where the struggling franchises have been forced to make drastic changes, this time around it’s some of the most successful teams of the past few seasons opting for a fresh start in the coaching department. Franchises that feel they’re contending can’t afford to waste seasons when they’re inside that window.
Phoenix, Milwaukee and Toronto have got rid of the NBA coaches that took them to the NBA Finals, or beyond. It sparks drastic change that will have fans curious about the future of the teams.
There are still also struggling sides that are turning a new leaf; the 14th-placed Rockets in the Western conference and last-placed Detroit Pistons in the East.
This 2023 off-season can definitely be characterised as carousel of new NBA coaches and only time will tell if they can make a lasting impact. But here are the six teams taking new NBA coaches into next season.
Teams with new NBA coaches
Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons
The changes this time around in the NBA coaches department are not as excessive as last season, which saw seven total changes across the association. Nothing like the most recent Premier League season in English football.
This, though, doesn’t include mid-season sackings or coaches stepping aside, such as Brooklyn with Steve Nash and the appointment of Quin Snyder in Atlanta.
Championship winning NBA coaches have been moved on, leaving many scratching their heads. That includes current Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue.
Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The Shop’, Lue spoke on the difficulties of being a head coach and how quick franchises are to throw them away.
“A coach makes one mistake or two mistakes and he gets fired,” Lue said.
“But a player can have seven turnovers, 4-15 (shooting)…but you keep good coaches, keep blaming the coaches. Everybody’s gonna make mistakes.”
“A coach makes 1 mistake or 2 mistakes, he gets fired? But a player can have 7 turnovers, 4-for-15… You keep firing good coaches, keep blaming the coaches. Everybody's gonna make mistakes.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 18, 2023
Ty Lue on the NBA coaching carousel 💼
(via @TheShopUN)pic.twitter.com/h1VH1mfl8T
Who are the newly appointed NBA coaches for next season?
Nick Nurse – Philadelphia 76ers
The 2019 championship winning head coach of the Toronto Raptors has been picked up as quickly as he was dropped from the Canadian franchise, finding a new home in Philadelphia starting next season.
Nurse is proven he can make drastic, successful changes as soon as he’s appointed as seen by his rookie year championship as an NBA coach.
The 76ers are moving on from Doc Rivers who was at the helm for just three seasons, taking them to the post-season every time but struggled to get the team over that final hurdle and into the NBA Finals.
Adrian Griffin – Milwaukee Bucks
Making his head coaching debut in the 2023/24 season will be newly appointed Milwaukee Bucks coach Adrian Griffin.
Griffin has spent the last five years as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors and has done a number of stints at other franchises including a brief time spent with the Bucks from 2008-2010.
He is praised for his defensive capabilities as a coach helping the Raptors finish in the league’s top ten in both defensive rating and fewest points allowed per game in four of the seasons he was there.
Griffin will be filling big shoes though in Milwaukee, taking over from 2021 championship winning head coach Mike Budenholzer who ended a serious title drought in the city.
Monty Williams – Detroit Pistons
The 2021 NBA Finalist Monty Williams has been forced to find a new home after not being able to secure a championship with Phoenix following the signing of Kevin Durant in one of the most active trade deadlines of all-time.
He’s a huge scalp for the struggling Pistons who have been somewhat the laughing stock of the NBA over the past few years and are in desperate need of some direction, and one of the best NBA coaches available should do the trick.
In the same year Williams led the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance in 28 years, he was awarded Coach of the Year and has been one of the best in the league ever since.
Detroit’s young core will learn plenty from Williams and hopefully for Pistons fans, this relationship last a while and can bring some success.
Darko Rajakovic – Toronto Raptors
Rajakovic has taken the long and winding road to become one of 30 NBA coaches, being announced Raptors head coach from the start of the 2023/24 season.
Since 2014, Rajakovic has been applying his trade as an assistant coach under four franchises – Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Memphis, Toronto – and has finally been given his opportunity.
The Serbian has also been an assistant with his national team, coaching the likes of Nikola Jokic.
Toronto could be set to make some changes in the NBA off-season with star players seeming to be on the move and Raptors players on the board in a lot of front offices around the league.
Ime Udoka – Houston Rockets
Ime Udoka has been given a second chance as one of the top NBA coaches, taking the head coaching role in Houston.
Udoka was forced to leave his previous head coahing job in Boston due to breaches of his contract that meant one season with the Celtics was all he could get.
Although, in that lonesome year, Udoka took the Celtics to the NBA Finals were they held a 2-1 lead over Golden State before Steph Curry showed why he is one of the greatest players of all-time and stole the championship.
It will definitely be a challenging task ahead to turn the 14th placed Rockets in the western conference to a playoffs team but the NBA Draft could present a piece to the puzzle that could unlock the franchises potential.
Frank Vogel – Phoenix Suns
After a year’s absence from the NBA, Frank Vogel is back as one of the 30 NBA coaches, this time with championship favourites the Phoenix Suns.
Vogel previously was the coach of the Lakers, leading them to their 2020 championship alongside LeBron James in the infamous ‘bubble’.
Bradley Beal is forming a new Suns’ Big 3 with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker pic.twitter.com/Klz1wmUVLQ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 18, 2023
This upcoming stint in Phoenix will be his fourth as a head coach, previously being with Orlando and Indiana to accompany Los Angeles.
Expectations are high in the valley since the signing of Bradley Beal to create a big three with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, so only time will tell if he can get the job done.
