5 active NBA head coaches with the worst winning percentage heading into the 2021-22 NBA season

Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings
Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings

#3 JB Bickerstaff (37.5%)

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets

JB Bickerstaff spent his second full season as an NBA head coach last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 2018-19 was the first time he did so, but he has been an assistant for 15 years in the NBA.

Bickerstaff's head coaching stints are often complicated, as he seems to regularly fill in for a fired coach midseason. It's difficult to take anything from those years, as there was no time available to implement whatever system he saw as the best fit for the players rostered.

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Then you take a look at the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, and they were expected to finish towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference heading into the year. Bickerstaff was in charge of developing young talent and giving them ample opportunity for growth, which eventually reflected on his win percentage.

The above-mentioned aspects make it difficult to evaluate Bickerstaff's coaching abilities. But it could be telling that the Memphis Grizzlies decided to look in another direction.


#2 Mark Daigneault (30.6%)

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Brooklyn Nets
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Brooklyn Nets

The final two names on this list are both participating in their first NBA season as head coaches for tanking teams. Mark Daigneault's roster with the Oklahoma City Thunder is practically the definition of youth.

Of the nine players who saw the most floor time, eight of them were 23 or younger. Only five of the 14 who participated for 500 or more minutes didn't meet the criteria.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who I would comfortably label the best player on the roster, played just 35 games. Al Horford was the lone veteran presence, but got sent home after 28 showings.

It is going to take some time before we find out what caliber of coach the 36-year-old Daigneault is. Josh Giddey, the second-youngest player selected in the 2021 NBA Draft lottery, was the team's top selection. All signs point towards another season, where winning basketball games may not be the priority.


#1 Stephen Silas (23.6%)

Houston Rockets vs Washington Wizards
Houston Rockets vs Washington Wizards

If you thought Mark Daigneault deserved a pass for his roster situation, Stephen Silas should be rewarded for what he had to deal with in Houston. In his first stint as an NBA head coach after two decades as an assistant, Silas walked in amidst high drama at the Rockets.

It's easy to forget that James Harden was still a member of the Rockets at the start of the 2020-21 NBA season. He dramatically waited to be traded while coasting through the first eight games of the season. PJ Tucker stuck around a bit longer, but not because he wanted to. Eric Gordon seemed unhappy, and was unhealthy for most of the season.

John Wall was attempting to return from injury while getting acclimatized to his first home outside Washington. Victor Oladipo, the main player returning from Harden's departure, played only 20 games before getting injured.

That should be enough to convince you that Silas stood no chance last NBA season: Jae'Sean Tate logged the most minutes by a Rocket player last season, 717 more than Christian Wood.

Considering the Rockets' situation going into the 2021-22 NBA season, it makes it difficult to evaluate Silas's coaching ability.

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