We're still in the middle of the conference finals portion of the NBA playoffs, which means we've got a lot of offseason left.
However, nearly one-third of the league's teams have made a coaching change since the end of the regular season, which is good fodder for speculation even if the rosters they'll be heading could change drastically with the draft and free agency.
We've had nine head coaches dismissed and eight teams have hired replacements. The Rockets are the lone holdout, as they continue to do their due diligence. Let's take a look at the changes that have been made and what they could mean for Fantasy players moving forward.
Timberwolves
Out: Sam Mitchell (29-53)
Key numbers: 106.5 Offensive Rating (12th); 20th in Pace
Mitchell deserves a ton of credit for the development of his young players, with Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine all putting in really strong second halves last season. Mitchell especially deserves props for his work with LaVine, who made the transition from woefully overmatched backup point guard to dynamite shooting guard once Mitchell pushed him into the starting lineup. However, Mitchell also shunned the 3-point line in an offense that was more out of 1998 than 2015.
In: Tom Thibodeau (255-139)
Key numbers (2014 Bulls): 107.5 Offensive Rating (11th); 23rd in Pace
Because of both the combination of the talent on the roster and the track record of the coach, this is by far the most interesting new combination in the league. It's not hard to take pieces from this Wolves' roster and start plugging them into the Thibodeau Bulls offense. The development of Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah into All-NBA talents under Thibodeau should be especially exciting for Wiggins and Towns, respectively; Wiggins could turn into the star, high-usage wing Butler was, and Towns could easily step into the Noah role as the offensive fulcrum in the high post, except with so much more scoring ability.
The biggest question might just be how Ricky Rubio fits in long term. Derrick Rose obviously thrived under Thibodeau before injuries robbed him of his career, and the last few years of Thibodeau point guards have been more shooters and scorers, rather than primary ball handlers. Rubio is at his best when he probes the defense for the right pass, but Thibodeau's offenses over the years have grown highly structured. We'll see whether Rubio ends up in Thibodeau's long-term plans.
Lakers
Out: Byron Scott (17-65)
Key numbers: 101.6 Offensive Rating (29th); 19th in Pace
It will be best to just forget the Byron Scott era in Los Angeles, because it can only be described in rather unflattering terms. Scott's style never meshed with the rosters, and that just exasperate the players' natural limitations. Scott's insistence on continuing to run the offense through a broken-down Kobe Bryant undoubtedly held young players like Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle back, and the Lakers are better off for having replaced him.
In: Luke Walton (39-4 - as interim coach)
Key numbers (2015 Warriors [43 games]): 112.6 Offensive Rating (1st); 2nd in Pace
And what a replacement it is! Walton has the best head coaching record in NBA history! Err, technically, he has no head coaching record, because Steve Kerr gets credit for those wins as Walton was the interim coach. It's also fair to wonder how much of Golden State's success during his time at the helm, if any, had to do with Walton.
Still, it's probably fair to say he's learned some tricks under Steve Kerr, and the Lakers' young roster might eventually be able to play like Golden State. If you squint, Randle kind of looks like Draymond Green, as an athletic, play-making power forward who can grab a rebound and take it up the floor. And, as a sharp-shooting point guard, Russell has all of the tools needed to be an All-Star, even if a comparison to Stephen Curry is obviously unfair. Add in Clarkson and another top-3 pick, and the Lakers could be a lot more fun to watch next season in a more open offense under Walton, and that goes for Fantasy too.
Knicks
Out: Derek Fisher (23-31)/Kurt Rambis (9-19)
Key numbers: 104.6 Offensive Rating (24th); 26th in Pace
A long losing streak gave Phil Jackson cover to move on from Fisher, in a move that had at least something to do with Fisher's apparent unwillingness to stick with Jackson's beloved Triangle offense. Rambis led the team to predictably poor results, and was considered the default option to stay on as head coach until just about the last minute.
In: Jeff Hornacek (101-112)
Key numbers (2015 Suns): 102.2 Offensive Rating (28th); 3rd in Pace
Jackson ultimately went with Hornacek, who was considered arguably the best up-and-coming coach in the league about a year and a half ago. What makes the Hornacek hiring so interesting is that the offense he ran in Phoenix represents a pretty drastic shift from the plodding pace the Knicks played at in recent years. Hornacek's teams ran like mad, with two- and often-three point-guard lineups tearing up and down the floor, shooting 3's and attacking the basket. The problem with replicating that recipe in New York is it's not clear the Knicks have one point guard worth devoting big minutes to, let alone two or three.
There are still plenty of Triangle devotees around, and you can probably still run a successful, efficient modern NBA offense with the Triangle as your basis, but it doesn't appear as if New York will be the next place it is attempted. We should see the Knicks play at a faster pace, with more of an emphasis on 3-pointers than in recent years, which won't be a bad thing for the Fantasy value of the likes of Carmelo Anthony or Robin Lopez.
And of course, Kristaps Porzingis could emerge as an absolute superstar in a more fast-paced, wide-open offense, either as a power forward or center. His athleticism, shooting and play making could all be featured more heavily under Hornacek, which is reason enough to be excited. He has first-round upside.
Rockets
Out: Kevin McHale (4-7)/J.B. Bickerstaff (37-34)
Key numbers: 108.3 Offensive Rating (21st); 7th in Pace
Clearly, McHale wasn't the problem. The Rockets just never got right last season, and the unexpected success they stumbled onto in the previous playoffs looks like a distance memory at this point. The Rockets have leaned on James Harden to an absurd degree in recent seasons on offense, which has been great for his Fantasy value, but hasn't exactly bred an atmosphere conducive to the kind of spread-the-ball offense Fantasy owners prefer to see.
In: N/A
Key numbers: N/A
The Rockets have interviewed basically every single person on the market, and right now, it just isn't clear what they are going to look like next season. That goes for the coaching staff, to be sure, but also the roster; Dwight Howard seems as good as gone, and they have some interesting decisions to make about the likes of Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas and others as they head into what should be another typically busy Daryl Morey offseason.
Wizards
Out: Randy Wittman (41-41)
Key numbers: 105.3 Offensive Rating (20th); 5th in Pace
Wittman finally opened the offense up, like we've been screaming for for years, and the results were... not pretty. They ran like hell this season, but often seemingly without a plan, and ended up struggling to score yet again. It's hard to blame Wittman for their struggles on offense too much, with Bradley Beal in and out of the lineup, Otto Porter struggling with consistency and a roster constantly in flux around John Wall.
In: Scott Brooks (338-207)
Key numbers (2015 Thunder): 107.8 Offensive Rating (10th); 7th in Pace
Brooks is harldy known as an offensive guru, but he got results in Oklahoma City by simplifying things and letting his stars work. John Wall might be the closest thing the league has to Russell Westbrook outside of Oklahoma City, but there's no Kevin Durant here (RIP, KD2DC) so it's hard to see him making huge improvements with this roster as currently constructed. However, it is worth noting that they may be better suited to play the four-out offensive style than they were under Wittman, if only because a full season of a dialed-in Markieff Morris (I know, I know...) could pay huge dividends.
The one thing Brooks did exceptionally well in Oklahoma City was coach up the defense, and that's one place Washington should bounce back with. More actual transition opportunities, off turnovers and missed shots should serve a team built around Wall, Beal and Morris should be a good thing.
Kings
Out: George Karl (33-79)
Key numbers: 106.0 Offensive Rating (15th); 1st in Pace
This marriage just never worked out. The Kings nearly fired Karl last offseason, and he barely made it through another difficult season before the franchise brought about another coaching change. It's fair to wonder if any coach will be able to make this work, but DeMarcus Cousins is such an intriguing talent, it would be a fun test -- if it didn't seem so impossible. For his part, Karl did get Cousins to buy into the idea of stretching out his game, and Cousins knocked down 70 3-pointers, while averaging a career-high 26.9 points and adding 3.3 assists and 3.0 combined blocks and steals per game. They may not have been happy, but Cousins' box scores looked nice, at least.
In: Dave Joerger (42-40)
Key numbers: 105.4 Offensive Rating (19th); 27th in Pace
Joerger reportedly clashed with management in Memphis, which makes Sacramento an interesting landing spot, however he clearly connected with his players. We'll see if he can make it work with Cousins -- or if he'll even be given a chance, given the constant trade rumors swirling around this franchise. Joerger isn't kn0wn as the most innovative offensive mind, but he used Marc Gasol's all-around skill set well, and there's no reason to think he couldn't do the same with Cousins.
Magic
Out: Scott Skiles (35-47)
Key numbers: 105.1 Offensive Rating (21st); 12th in Pace
Skiles voluntarily stepped down a few weeks ago after one season at the helm, claiming, "I and I alone, have come to the conclusion that I am not the right head coach for this team." Skiles got the defense to step forward, but the offense remained cramped and full of redundant pieces, even after a surprise mid-season trade of Tobias Harris for rental shooters.
In: Frank Vogel (250-181)
Key numbers (2015 Pacers): 104.6 Offensive Rating (25th); 11th in Pace
Vogel re-shaped the Pacers' defense on the fly last season, transforming them from a massive, rim-protecting, rebound-snatching behemoth into a long, lithe unit that lived in passing lanes and contested shots at the perimeter. His ability to build an elite defense around two vastly different types of rosters bodes well for his chances of succeeding anywhere, especially in Orlando, with pieces like Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon around.
The offense is another story. Oladipo played like an All-Star for long stretches last season yet again, but remains maddeningly inconsistent. Vucevic is consistent, and can prop up an offense for stretches, but he is probably maxed out. Gordon remains one of the more intriguing young players around, though he didn't quite blossom as hoped when handed a starting role last season, raising questions as to whether his eventual destiny is as an elite role player.
And part of the problem is, Vogel never made his name as an offensive innovator. He never had great offensive personnel, but with George Hill, Paul George and Monta Ellis last season, he did have three capable ball handlers and still watched as his team stumbled to a bottom-six offensive ranking. He showed a willingness to play smaller and faster, but there isn't much in Vogel's track record to suggest he is going to unlock Gordon, Oladipo and Payton's latent potential.
Pacers
Out: Frank Vogel (45.37)
Key numbers: 104.6 Offensive Rating (25th); 11th in Pace
See above, basically.
In: Nate McMillan (478-452)
Key numbers (2010Trail Blazers): 108.8 Offensive Rating (10th); 30th in Pace
This is a tough one to make sense of. Larry Bird has talked a lot over the last year about how he wants the Pacers to play faster, and then hired a head coach whose last four full seasons in Portland saw his teams finish 30th in pace three straight years; they were 29th in 2007-08. Now, of course, that doesn't mean McMillan is going to have George Hill and Monta Ellis walk the ball down the floor, but it certainly looks puzzling from the outside.
Nets
Out: Lionel Hollins (10-27)/Tony Brown (11-34)
Key numbers: 103.2 Offensive Rating (27th); 19th in Pace
It's hard to put much blame on Hollins or Brown for what went wrong in Brooklyn; they just weren't very talented, with too much asked of Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, with little help elsewhere. I'm not sure Mike D'Antoni could have wrung much scoring out of a team that ended up giving 3,000-plus minutes to Donald Sloan and Shane Larkin, and viewed the loss of Jarrett Jack as a serious crisis at the point guard position.
In: Kenny Atkinson (N/A)
Key numbers: N/A
Atkinson is, by all accounts, a smart basketball mind, and his most recent stint with the Hawks could give us a hint of his style; pass-happy, with positional flexibility and lots of 3-pointers. That's great!
But the roster is just dreadful, and there isn't much hope for new blood coming in and helping. This is going to be one of the worst offenses in the league by default next season, and if he can wring a top-25 finish in Offensive Rating out of them, Atkinson might be a miracle worker.
