Best Coach in the NBA?

[wdleehi]

Popovich - His teams are title contenders year in and year out.

Jackson - 9 rings, but has had some pretty sweet coaching jobs.

Sloan - No rings, but his teams are always competitive.

Pop has had the sweet type of coaching job.  Has he ever have to coach a team without Duncan who has never missed the playoffs? 



I also think Larry Brown is a better coach then Sloan, he just switches jobs to often.  He won a title without a superstar.  And every job he has had for more then one year (Knicks is the ugly), he has improved the team.

[ManUp]

Popovich - His teams are title contenders year in and year out.

Jackson - 9 rings, but has had some pretty sweet coaching jobs.

Sloan - No rings, but his teams are always competitive.

Pop has had the sweet type of coaching job.  Has he ever have to coach a team without Duncan who has never missed the playoffs? 



I also think Larry Brown is a better coach then Sloan, he just switches jobs to often.  He won a title without a superstar.  And every job he has had for more then one year (Knicks is the ugly), he has improved the team.

I agree Pops has been gifted some players, but Phil has gotten to chose his situations. He went from Jordan & Pippen to Shaq & Kobe. Pops has had Duncan, and Robinson, but he's stuck with San Antonio through the changes, and has one several titles with some average supporting casts. I also I don't think Parker, and Ginobli would have become the players they are today if they were playing under a different coach. Sloan I just through in because it was the hot thing to do , I've got no problems replacing him with LB.

[celticmaestro]

I'd say Popovich is the clear front-runner with Sloan and D'Antoni behind him. Jackson, I've always thought, is overrated. A good coach, but not the best in the NBA and certainly not the best ever.

EDIT - Shocked by the lack of love for D'Antoni.

[RebusRankin]

D'Antoni isn't a great coach, he just runs an entertaining system. If I was player however he'd be the coach I'd want to play for.

[orrzor]

I like Stan van Gundy, Larry Brown, and Sloan. Poppovich has always had Duncan, who has been the prototypical championship big man. Hard to say how well he would do without Duncan, but he has at least played the hand he was dealt well.

[Chief]

If the ping pong balls came up different, would we be voting Pitino as the league's best coach instead of Poppovich?

[MBz]

I love how people are getting on Pop for having Duncan.  No matter what, it takes players to win.  A bad coach can win if he has players.  Every coach that was named, when they were winning, they had a superstar player who could carry a team. I personally think Pop is one of the best coaches in the league.  He puts his teams in the best situation to win night in and night out.  Other then Pop, you HAVE to put Jerry Sloan in the conversation.  He's always been successful, still shocks me he doesn't have a coach of the year award.

[celticmaestro]

D'Antoni isn't a great coach, he just runs an entertaining system. If I was player however he'd be the coach I'd want to play for.

I disagree, I think D'Antoni is an excellent coach. Sure, he runs a great system as you said, but he's a good motivator and gets a lot of wins.

[moiso]

D'Antoni isn't a great coach, he just runs an entertaining system. If I was player however he'd be the coach I'd want to play for.

I disagree, I think D'Antoni is an excellent coach. Sure, he runs a great system as you said, but he's a good motivator and gets a lot of wins.

Yep, D'Antoni is a great one.  That fact will be more universally accepted after a few more years of coaching in the league.

[nickagneta]

Hmmmmmm.

No love on Celticsblog for the former Coach of the Year who is currently one of only four coaches coaching in the NBA that has won a title, has won over 82% of his last 113 regular season games, over 52% of his total career games and is the current defending NBA World Championship coach who has happened to win the last three NBA Coach of the Month Awards in a row?

Why am I not surprised??

[cordobes]

NBA coaches are generally very good. I think there are plenty of great coaches. From my point of view, it depends a lot on our inclinations about game styles. 

Personally, Coach Larry Brown, Jerry Sloan, Mike Brown, Mike Dunleavy and Stan Van Gundy are among my favourites, the first two above the others. But of course coaches like D'Antoni, Saunders, Coach Pop or Rivers are also great coaches.

[housecall]

 Byron Scott comes to my mind when i think of best coaches...how he has brought a bad franchise up to one of the top contenders in the west in a few seasons.Also he did a good job with the Nets.(imo)

[Chief]

Byron Scott comes to my mind when i think of best coaches...how he has brought a bad franchise up to one of the top contenders in the west in a few seasons.Also he did a good job with the Nets.(imo)

2 straight NBA finals appearances is good enough for me.

[Finkelskyhook]

Hmmmmmm.

No love on Celticsblog for the former Coach of the Year who is currently one of only four coaches coaching in the NBA that has won a title, has won over 82% of his last 113 regular season games, over 52% of his total career games and is the current defending NBA World Championship coach who has happened to win the last three NBA Coach of the Month Awards in a row?

Why am I not surprised??

You shouldn't be.  Look at the three seasons prior to Danny idiot-proofing both the roster and through Thibodeau, idiot-proofing the coaching staff.  The defense consisted of a junk blitz gimmick defense and the only players showing noticable development were the bigs under Coach Ray.

If the ping pong balls came up different, would we be voting Pitino as the league's best coach instead of Poppovich?

No.  The "it's all about me, genius Coach Pitino" mantra and his manic system works about a quarter-season in the pros before any competent opposing coach can pick it apart.  Pros don't respond to playing 84 feet on every possession.  With the exception of the collossally overrated Jackson, there are few, if any NBA coaches who are successful at the NBA level when they are the face of the team.

Van Gundy will be back but I wish he'd stay where he is.  He's a brilliant and funny commentator.  Agree on Scott, also.

[indeedproceed]

I think G-Pop is hands down the best coach in the NBA