The 5 coaches under the most pressure heading into the 2026/27 NBA season

The NBA coach carousel this summer was largely marked by teams coming off disappointing seasons looking for a new voice. None of the six teams that changed coaches won a playoff series in 2026, and four of them finished more than 10 games out of the play-in spots.

The dynamics are set to be very different during the 2026-27 season. After an especially active preseason, during which numerous All-Star players changed teams, the pressure on coaches from franchises aspiring for the title will be considerably greater.

These are the five coaches facing the greatest scrutiny this upcoming season.

5. Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland Cavaliers

Kenny Atkinson has had more success than almost any of his peers since arriving at the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024. The former Golden State Warriors assistant led Cleveland to 64 wins in the 2024-25 season and, a year later, reached the Eastern Conference Finals, the franchise's first without LeBron James since 1992.

However, the Cavaliers have also become accustomed to suffering particularly painful eliminations. In the 2025 playoffs, Cleveland, as the top seed, was crushed in the second round by the surprising Indiana Pacers. A year later, the Cavaliers were uncompetitive against the New York Knicks and were swept in the Eastern Finals.

The question now is how many endings of this kind a coach can endure. That is the dilemma facing Atkinson, although he is supported by an expensive, highly talented roster with great continuity.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert showed his firm commitment this summer to compete and win with the generous contracts given to Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and newcomer Peyton Watson. Cleveland also retained its pair of big men, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who will collectively earn 78 million dollars this season despite doubts about their fit in the lineup and their inconsistent performances in the playoffs.

The Cavaliers have the necessary pieces to remain among the top contenders in the East. Now Atkinson must find a way to get the team to deliver its best version in crucial moments.

4. David Adelman, Denver Nuggets

Since winning the championship in 2023, Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets have followed a path similar to that of the Milwaukee Bucks after Giannis Antetokounmpo led them to the title in 2021. Denver fired Michael Malone in 2025 when the team's performance began to decline. Milwaukee did something similar with Mike Budenholzer in 2023 after two first-round exits.

Now the focus is on David Adelman, who replaced Malone a few days before the 2025 playoffs. Denver came close to reaching the Western Conference finals that year, but lost ground the following season and was eliminated relatively easily in the first round by a weakened Minnesota Timberwolves.

The comparison with Milwaukee presents a troubling precedent. Adrian Griffin, Budenholzer's replacement, was a rookie coach who lasted only a short time before being replaced by a more experienced coach like Doc Rivers. Adelman is also a relatively inexperienced coach leading a team that is vying for championships and aims to make the most of the prime years of an MVP-level star.

Furthermore, his job is affected by an incomplete roster with some deficiencies. Denver breathed a sigh of relief on Monday when Jokic announced his intention to renew with the Nuggets next summer, but that does not necessarily reduce the pressure on Adelman to reverse the franchise's poor trajectory.

The coach cannot ask much more from Jokic, who averaged a triple-double of 27 points last season and finished in the top two in the MVP voting for the sixth consecutive season. Adelman can hope for an improvement in Aaron Gordon's health and a bounce-back season from Christian Braun. He should also rely on Denver being on the other side of the playoff bracket, away from Minnesota.

The challenge, nonetheless, is enormous. The Nuggets have lost Michael Porter Jr. and Peyton Watson in the last two preseasons, while this summer's additions, DeMar DeRozan and Marvin Bagley III, do not seem to be game-changing players. If Denver's playoff progress stagnates again despite Jokic's brilliant performance, Adelman could end up taking the blame.

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3. Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs

With Victor Wembanyama as the main attraction, expectations for the San Antonio Spurs under Mitch Johnson will be very high during the 2026-27 season.

In retrospect, Johnson came out relatively unscathed despite San Antonio's poor performance at times during their loss in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.

The youth and inexperience of the Spurs were significant issues, while Wembanyama was not fully prepared to take control of the series either. But Johnson’s own youth, at 39 years old, also played a role. The coach refused to adjust his starting lineup or make significant changes to the rotation while his team continuously squandered leads and completely lost control of the game during San Antonio's unforgettable defeat in the fourth match.

The Spurs are not an impulsive organization. Johnson, who arrived after the legendary Gregg Popovich, is only their second coach in nearly 30 years. However, youth can no longer serve as an excuse now that Wembanyama is possibly the best player in the NBA and after San Antonio won 62 games and eliminated the 2025 champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals, also as the visiting team.

Johnson has one of the most enviable rosters in the NBA. San Antonio will recover all its key players and will additionally bring in veteran forward Tobias Harris.

The Spurs will need to find a way to manage their surplus of point guards and shooting guards, with De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, as well as refine Wembanyama's offensive impact in crucial moments. Johnson was completely reluctant to bench Fox during the past season due to his poor performance, but such decisions may be necessary to maximize the team's potential.

The good news for Johnson is that Wembanyama's presence practically guarantees elite defense and a good playoff position. Additionally, his players seem to have recovered from their disappointing end to the season and enjoyed valuable time together in France this summer.

Johnson will have to find a way to write a better ending this time.

2. Ime Udoka, Houston Rockets

Jamahl Mosley was the most successful coach of the six who were fired this summer. He led the Orlando Magic to 46 wins and one loss in seven games in the first round of the playoffs against the Detroit Pistons. Ultimately, Orlando concluded that Mosley had already had enough opportunities and gave way to Sean Sweeney, who will try to secure the franchise's first win in a playoff series since 2010.

Ime Udoka's tenure in Houston bears similarities to Mosley's in Orlando. Udoka has transformed the Rockets, who were previously a lottery team, into a playoff contender, but has failed to get past the first round in several attempts despite having a young and talented roster.

With Houston investing large amounts of money in Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson, the time has come for Udoka to turn his team's potential into results.

On his side is the return of Fred VanVleet, who will be back on the court after missing last season due to a knee injury. Additionally, Houston did not lose any key players from its rotation this summer.

The question is whether the Rockets can create enough spacing on offense and perform in close games. Udoka has built a reputation as a defensively-minded coach, but now he must show that he can find creative solutions to the team's offensive problems.

The collapse of Houston in the first round of last season against a Lakers team without Luka Doncic was the kind of painful defeat that can either unite a group or break its chemistry.

Udoka has some peace of mind thanks to the lucrative long-term contract extension he signed in 2025, but the time has come for the Rockets to turn things around.

1. Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers

Any coach would accept the challenge and opportunity that Nick Nurse has ahead of him. Talent is an essential requirement to win, and the revamped Philadelphia 76ers have amassed a huge amount.

Just two seasons ago, Nurse was leading a team with little hope, with only 24 wins, that started the season with a record of 2-12, and he could barely keep his star center, Joel Embiid, on the court.

Nurse survived that situation and subsequently led the Sixers to an unexpected first-round playoff victory against their rivals, the Boston Celtics, last season. In June, moreover, Daryl Morey, the franchise's long-time general manager, was fired, and, to Nurse's surprise, James and Jaylen Brown came into his hands. The change in scenery has been enormous.

The problem is that the 76ers, who have not reached the Eastern Conference finals since 2001, are now in a "championship or nothing" situation. And James's presence ensures that the team's performance will be under the highest scrutiny.

The situation can develop in different ways. Erik Spoelstra, coach of the Miami Heat, overcame a challenging initial phase after James arrived in 2010 and led Miami to two championships. David Blatt, on the other hand, did not complete his second season with the Cleveland Cavaliers after James returned in 2014. With the Los Angeles Lakers, Luke Walton lasted only one season after James arrived in 2018. The Lakers ended up having four head coaches during the eight seasons of the four-time MVP in Los Angeles.

Nurse has a creative background and a solid reputation. Moreover, he has an achievement that sets him apart from Spoelstra, Blatt, and Walton: he has already coached a championship team before James joined his roster, leading the Toronto Raptors to the title in 2019. Although Nurse's career had never intersected with James's, the coach now begins this new relationship under the pressure of winning a championship.

Nurse's main challenge will be how to distribute passes and shots. James, Brown, Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey are players with a high involvement in the game, while VJ Edgecombe and Anfernee Simons are also talented scorers.

From there, Nurse will need to achieve consistent defensive effort from veteran stars used to being surrounded by energetic role players.

You will also need to manage James and Embiid with an eye on the playoffs. In the past six seasons, Embiid, prone to chronic injuries, has averaged 47 games played, while James, now 41 years old, has averaged 60. Nurse will have to prepare four different rotations to manage the availability of both stars in each game: both play, neither plays, only James plays, or only Embiid plays.

Finally, Nurse will face the season knowing that Morey, the executive who hired him in 2023, has been replaced by the president of sports at HBSE, Bob Myers, and the president of basketball operations, Mike Gansey. New executives do not always retain coaches they did not hire, so it may be tempting to dismiss the current coach if the candidate does not meet expectations.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los 5 entrenadores con más presión de cara a la temporada 2026/27 de la NBA