Atlanta Hawks: How Long is Lloyd Pierce’s Leash?

Taking a look at the Atlanta Hawks head coach’s future.

The consensus seems to still be out on Lloyd Pierce, even after two seasons of him serving as the team’s head coach. He was undoubtedly dealt a bad hand – the 2018-19 Atlanta Hawks squad he inherited in his first year was just about the worst team in the league. The following year’s roster wasn’t much better.

Interestingly, the team slightly overachieved in Pierce’s first year, while slightly underachieving in the next. The latter is a product of what was likely unrealistic expectations from fans and John Collins’ 25-game suspension, but it’s true that the first-time head coach hit a sophomore slump.

Fans weren’t calling for his firing (well, maybe a few knuckleheads), but that could certainly change if the team struggles again in 2021.

The first sign of Pierce’s seat being warm came in April when reports came out that star Trae Young not seeing eye to eye with the coach. The second was when more reports surfaced that the team had “explored” adding ex-Pacers coach Nate McMillan to the coaching staff.

It’s unclear how involved Pierce himself was/is involved with the potential addition, but if it was solely coming from the front office or ownership, that smells a lot like future interim coach Nate McMillian rather than simply an assistant coach.

Since the COVID-19 shutdown, it has become very clear that Pierce has the support of (most) the locker room. He seems like a great guy and a player-coach for sure, but those two things can only take you so far when the team you coach is losing on the court.

The 2021-22 Atlanta Hawks aren’t 100 percent in playoffs-or-bust mode, but it’s clear they want to win. Pierce would likely get the brunt of the blame if the team gets off to a rocky start.

His seat isn’t hot just yet, but it’s warm – a touch above room temperature. And his leash isn’t going to get longer unless the team starts winning games.

What do you think of Atlanta Hawks’ coach Lloyd Pierce?