The NBA world received a shock in recent days when the Milwaukee Bucks relieved Adrian Griffin of head coaching duties even though the Bucks had a 30-13 record at the time, which was good for the second-best in the Eastern Conference. This move from the Bucks has meant that every head coach in the NBA, including Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, must watch their six.

According to Brad Townsend of Dallas Morning News, the Mavericks head coach said that Griffin's firing “puts all other coaches on alert” that their job security isn't entirely dependent on the results they get on the hardwood.

As pointed out by many reporters, the Bucks have lost faith in Adrian Griffin's coaching. They merely nipped the problem in the bud before it became a lingering problem that resulted in an early playoff exit. The Bucks' strong win-loss record merely papered over the cracks.

This is not the first time, however, that a team has given up on a coach even though they have gotten strong results. While it's jarring that the Bucks fired Griffin not even a year into his tenure, this kind of gambit has worked out in the past for an aspiring contender.

Back in 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers fired David Blatt even though they had the best record in the Eastern Conference at the time (30-11). They elevated Tyronn Lue into the head coaching role, and it worked; the Cavs proceeded to win the 2016 NBA championship under Lue's tutelage, completing the greatest playoff comeback of all time against the greatest regular season team of all time.

That is the closest comparison to the move the Bucks pulled off. But in other instances, successful teams have still decided to change head coaches after lackluster playoff performances. In 2018, the Toronto Raptors replaced Dwane Casey even though he won the Coach of the Year award. In 2014, the Golden State Warriors hired Steve Kerr in place of Mark Jackson. And then in 2013, the Denver Nuggets also relieved George Karl of head coaching duties despite winning 57 games and the COTY award.

As for Jason Kidd, it seems like the Mavericks still have full trust in his capabilities. Kidd clearly bought enough goodwill with the strong playoff run the 2022 team had. But if results don't turn around soon, Kidd could be one of the next coaches to go.