Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks game preview

Expectations get people fired.

There’s a reason every coach of a contender downplays expectations during training camp. Even when the Golden State Warriors were unbeatable, Steve Kerr would deliver coach speak about “trying to get better every day” or “playing one game at a time.”

When you fail to live up to expectations, there has to be a scapegoat. Sometimes, it’s something like injuries (Clippers) or youth (every team fighting for a top 5 pick). But most of the time, the blame falls on the shoulders of a player or coach.

Coach is easiest. They make less money than the players and fans don’t have emotional connections to coaches. They’re just some human in a suit or polo who always makes bad…