These five coaches have quickly found the hot seat

Fifteen games. Maybe 20. That was the answer Wizards coach Eddie Jordan gave last week when asked how long it takes for an NBA team to establish an identity. About a quarter of the season. Sounds right, doesn't it? That's roughly a month for a team to gel or unravel, to bond or go bonkers. It's also enough time to assess five coaches whose teams have stumbled out of the gate and currently reside at the bottom of their respective divisions, making that seat on the sidelines awfully toasty.

Mike Fratello, Grizzlies AP The Skinny Poor Mike. Faced with a nearly impossible situation (a broken-down star, new ownership, young roster) Fratello has failed to rise to the occasion, riding the woeful Grizzlies to the basement. Prior to the season Fratello was directed to run a more uptempo offense and develop some of the club's young talent. However, the veteran coach has reverted to his grind-it-out offense (a lot less effective without Pau Gasol, still nursing a broken foot) that has Memphis near the bottom of the league in scoring while favoring less-talented veterans who don't make mental mistakes rather than promising youngsters who make lots of them. The Verdict The Czar is back in the broadcast booth by Christmas. The Possible Replacements Tony Barone Sr., Lionel Hollins, Larry Brown Sam Mitchell, Raptors Harry How/Getty Images The Skinny This is inevitable, isn't it? I give Mitchell credit for buying into GM Bryan Colangelo's "run 'til you drop" philosophy." When I talked to Chris Bosh during training camp, he described a Raptors practice as a glorified track meet. "Run, run, run," said Bosh in September. "That's what we're all about." It just hasn't been effective. Toronto is averaging 99.9 points per game (down from 101.1 last season) and is worse defensively, giving up 105.4 points a night (29th in the NBA) compared to 104.0 last season. Mitchell has a young roster (eight players -- including four rookies -- with two years experience or less) and no job security (he's in the last year of a three-year contract). That's a recipe for a pink slip. The Verdict Colangelo's vision for the future involves taking some lumps in the present. As long as Mitchell keeps playing the kids, he survives the season. The Possible Replacements Marc Iavaroni (who can't be hired by Toronto until next season), Randy Wittman, Billy Donovan Bernie Bickerstaff, Bobcats Streeter Lecka/Getty Images The Skinny Last year Bickerstaff, Charlotte's coach and GM, told me he was willing to "take a bullet" to develop the young Bobcats, with the underlying thought being that he would deal with the growing pains himself and then move back to the comfort of the front office to watch that talent blossom. Of course, that was Michael Jordan was looking over his shoulder. Jordan has the ear of Charlotte owner Bob Johnson, making Bickerstaff the lamest duck in the proverbial pond. Jordan has a lot to prove (which he knows) after his disastrous stint in Washington and likes to shake things up (which he will). When he does, Bickerstaff will be on the outside looking in. The Verdict Bickerstaff has enough clout to last the season but will lose a power struggle with Jordan next summer. The Possible Replacements Jim O'Brien, Brown, P.J. Carlesimo, Leonard Hamilton. OK, we're kidding about the last one. Dwane Casey, Timberwolves AP The Skinny The T'Wolves have as much chemistry as a bi-partisan breakfast; in related news, Ricky Davis is still on the roster. Casey is being set up as the fall guy for a team with an awkwardly constructed roster and a GM on thinner ice than he is. Mike James was a band-aid on a bullet hole and Kevin Garnett is simply not capable of carrying the team by himself. That's not to say Casey is a scapegoat; that Minnesota has allowed opponents to shoot better than 50 percent in the fourth quarter in each of their last four games is an indictment of Casey's inability to get his message through. The team is in need of a serious overhaul that will likely include trading Garnett (hello, Chicago) and a complete housecleaning of the operations staff. The Verdict Randy Wittman is a ready-made replacement who if nothing else will put points on the board. Casey will get the axe before the February trading deadline. The Possible Replacements Wittman, O'Brien, Iavaroni, Brown, Phil Johnson Terry Stotts, Bucks AP The Skinny Stotts was the feel-good coaching story last season when he led the Bucks back into the playoffs and expectations were high coming into this season. Milwaukee had a young and talented frontcourt, quality reserves and arguably the best pure scorer in the NBA. So what has gone wrong? Milwaukee's defense has been atrocious, giving up 103.6 points per game. They have been puzzlingly inconsistent, as much a result as an unfortunate bout with the injury bug (Charlie Villanueva, Bobby Simmons) as anything else. But this is a results-oriented league and Bucks ownership expects steps forward, not back. And the competition at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket isn't getting any easier. The Verdict Barring an epic collapse, Stotts completes the season and gets a chance to right the ship next year. But it better straighten out fast. The Possible Replacements Tom Izzo, Rick Adelman, O'Brien