Outlet Names Wizards Head Coach Brian Keefe Among Coaches on Hot Seat

Every year, there are always a handful of NBA coaches that are on the hot seat heading into the off-season. Whether that be from poor leadership or underachieving in the regular season, there is a constant carousel of vacant head coach openings. 

For the Washington Wizards, they haven't had a steady head coach in quite some time, with the most successful one over the past decade being Scott Brooks in the mid to late 2010's. 

As there are only seven regular season games remaining for Washington, management will start to entertain the idea of bringing in a new head coach to replace Brian Keefe. 

With that being said, CBS Sports released an article on eight head coaches whose jobs are on the hot seat as the season winds down, with Keefe being ranked three on the list. 

The question remains: Is firing Keefe justifiable? 

There's no denying that Washington has been one of the worst teams in the NBA under Keefe, as their 43-152 record proves how poor of a basketball team they have been. 

However, it comes to no surprise that Washington has been one of the worst teams in the league under Keefe, as they have gone under a significant rebuild for the past three seasons. With that being said, it's unfair to expect Keefe to lead an unproven group of teenagers to the playoffs, especially when the franchise and management are keen on acquiring top draft picks through the NBA Draft Lottery.

 However, it's evident that Keefe's coaching style isn't special by any means, as Washington's offense and defense have ranked in the bottom five every year since he took over. You could make an argument that it's because Washington doesn't have the proper talent, or simply that they've been a tanking team and aren't trying to actively win games.  

Sam Quinn of CBS Sports added to my claim that Keefe's coaching style isn't desirable: "Nothing has really stood out in his two and a half years helming the Wizards. There's no discernible culture or playing style that suggests they're building something here."

While all of that is true, Keefe likely won't have another head coaching job after this stint in Washington.

With that being said, is it fair for Washington to fire Keefe after two and a half years of coaching a tanking team? No. 

Is it justifiable to fire Keefe and hire a more proven head coach to lead Washington in their playoff aspirations going forward? Yes. 

Washington's management and front office will have a lot of decisions to make this off-season, with the status of Keefe's future being at the top of their bucket list.