5 NBA Coaches Who Could Be on the Chopping Block

Once the new NBA season starts, a handful of coaches could be coaching each game as if it is their last.  Despite free agency not starting, some teams have already improved greatly by trades made on draft night and it is now up to the coaches to make the most of said changes.

However, some coaches don't have change going for them and rather don't have any excuses whatsoever.  The one who best exemplifies this circumstance is New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni (pictured), who has three of the best players in the NBA on his team, yet cannot for the life of him seem to field a team that plays solid and consistent defense.

In other cases, some coaches just haven't been doing the job they are being paid to do.  That being said, let's dive right in.

Here are five coaches who could find themselves on the chopping block next season.

No. 5: Paul Westphal, Sacramento Kings

Now, while his time in Sacramento may have little to show thus far, Paul Westphal is actually a better coach than his 49-115 record with the Kings indicates. 

He got his first head coaching gig with the Phoenix Suns back in 1992 and in his very first season, took the team to the NBA Finals.  Sure enough, the Suns were defeated by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.

Westphal spent two more seasons with Phoenix and lost in the conference semifinals twice before being fired after a 14-19 start in 1995.  He then had two uneventful seasons coaching the Seattle Super Sonics before taking the head coaching job at Pepperdine University.

Since coming to Sacramento, Westphal has had to field a young team without any clear leader, and to add insult to injury, he is working with players who aren't sure where their next home will be, what with the possibility of the Kings moving becoming more and more likely each day.

This year is a different story seeing as how the Kings have rookie point guard and college sensation Jimmer Fredette on the team now.  If all goes well, Fredette will be the leader that the team needs and hopefully his electrifying shooting will complement second-year center DeMarcus Cousins well.

Yet, if there isn't at least some improvement shown, Westphal could find himself out of a job before the All-Star break.

No. 4: Flip Saunders, Washington Wizards

Flip Saunders is not a bad coach by any means.  He has 15 years of experience as a head coach and has made the postseason in all but three seasons, and one of those shouldn't even count because he was fired before season's end.

Before coming to the Wizards, Saunders coached the Detroit Pistons and took the team to the conference finals all three years he was there.  Since he has been in Washington, however, it has not been a pretty picture.  Saunders has gone 49-115 in his two seasons in Washington.

As bad as that number is, it's hard to place all of the blame on Saunders for the team's underachievement.  His first year with the team was marred by the Gilbert Arenas gun drama, and losing him was a devastating blow to the team's chances. 

Last season, team management wanted to distance the franchise from the incident and traded Arenas to the Orlando Magic for Rashard Lewis, who was not the leader many hoped he would be and instead was a disaster.

The lone bright spots of Saunders' time in Washington have been the emergence of young guard John Wall and center JaVale McGee, who both had decent seasons despite the team doing badly. 

If guard Nick Young can be brought back and forward/center Jan Vesely proves to be effective, then Saunders will have some key tools in bringing the Wizards back to the playoffs.

Otherwise, if the team starts off slowly again, he could find himself on the unemployment line.

No. 3: Scott Skiles, Milwaukee Bucks

The coaching career of Scott Skiles has been an interesting one.  It began with the Phoenix Suns in 1999 and has also included some years with the Chicago Bulls.  In that time, Skiles went to the conference semifinals twice.

He has now been the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks for three years and to be perfectly honest, he has not had much to show for his time there.  Skiles has taken the Bucks to the playoffs just once and was eliminated in the first round.  On top of that, when Michael Redd was injured, he was unable to fill that void effectively.

This season, however, Redd is a free agent and Skiles has two new additions to work with who could prove to be sparks for the team: Beno Udrih and Stephen Jackson.  Throw in rookie Tobias Harris, and this is a squad that has some potential.

All Skiles has to do is motivate them into competing.  If great improvement is not seen soon, don't be shocked if team management decides to bring in a new coach.

No. 2: Mike D'Antoni, New York Knicks

Considering how I am personally a fan of Mike D'Antoni, it hurts to admit that he may not be coaching my beloved New York Knicks at the end of this season. 

The offensive-minded coach is entering the final year of a four-year deal worth $24 million and is coming off his first playoff season with the Knicks.  The bad part is that the team was swept out of the first round by the Boston Celtics.

On top of that, D'Antoni was denied a simple one-year extension by team owner James Dolan.  It may be premature to judge it as such, but that alone seems very telling as to how much D'Antoni has to lose this year.

Simply put, this season is make or break for D'Antoni, one that I have titled "Past the First Round or Bust."  The man has three of the best players in the NBA on his team in Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, and the fact that the Knicks may not be able to compete with the likes of the Celtics or Miami Heat just makes no sense.

If he can't have them dominating and in serious contention from the get-go, then the Knicks will more than likely be undergoing a coaching change next offseason.

No. 1: Mark Jackson, Golden State Warriors

I know what you're all thinking. 

Mark Jackson hasn't even coached one game for the Warriors yet, so why is he a candidate to be on the chopping block?  Well, while I am curious to see what kind of coach the former NBA point guard will be, recent history indicates that Warriors' team management may not be so patient with the new coach.

Look at it this way: The head coach of the Warriors last season was Keith Smart and he led the team to a 36-46 record. 

Considering how the Warriors have no truly effective bench players and center Andris Biedrins was hurt for most of the year, that really isn't that bad.  If anything, it could have been much worse.

Instead of giving Smart one more season to try and get the most out of the team, especially with rookie guard/forward Klay Thompson on the team to generate a spark on the bench, owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber fired him and brought in Jackson, a man with no coaching experience whatsoever.

That being said, unless a major turnaround happens and very quickly for the Warriors, I wouldn't at all be surprised if team ownership's impatience reared its ugly head and fired Jackson after just one season, or even less than that. 

He has two talented shooters in Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, not to mention a decent power forward in David Lee, so hopefully he can put together a lineup and a bench that is able to compete in the Western Conference.

If not, it could be back to the broadcasting booth for Jackson.