How close do you put Popovich with Phil Jackson??

[greg683x]

I'd like to state beforehand that I think Red Auerbach is the best coach of all and will always be the best coach of all time.  The guy changed the game and built his dynasty from scratch.

That being said, in this era, a lot of people have Phil Jackson as the best coach.  And he is a great coach, he gets the most out of his players, and he has won 11 titles, he gets championship caliber rosters to play like champions.  However, he cherry picks his titles.  Jordons gone, Phils gone, Shaq and Kobe are splitting up??  Phils gone.  Dwight Howard going to LA??  Hey, Phil said he'll come back.

Gregg Poppovich doesnt have 11 titles.  He has 4, if there is a god, soon to be 5.  He'll never catch Jackson considering his age.  But this guy has had the Spurs going in and out of the finals and conference finals since the late 90's now and in a highly competitive Western Conference .  His superstars are all past their prime but hes found a way to bring in younger guys and role players and get the absolute most out of all of them.  I think it's amazing.  All his older stars never go over 30 minutes ago, something Doc could never accomplish here.

And yes, Phils teams have beat Pops teams in the past, but as far as longevity goes, theres something to be said about a coach that has the balls to stick around and work it out to keep his team elite when it looks like his superstars are past their prime.  Not run away and retire. 

[Onslaught]

I'd put both Pop and Pat Riley over Jackson myself.

[Sketch5]

Phil's always had the best player on the Floor. Pops hasn't, nothing against TD or Parker, but Jordan, Kobe and Shaq make it much easier. Phil had to manage minutes, but Pop's had to manage the game, out think, and use pure skill to win games.

I think Pop's has done more with less. It's why you don't see Phil taking on the NY coaching gig.

[D.o.s.]

Too many variables to go by rings alone. Popovich is better at subsuming his players into playing how he wants them to play (ala Larry Brown), while Jackson is/was better at making disparate personalities mesh in the locker room and on the floor (ala Rick Adelman), but both of them got their players to create something better than the sum of their parts.

I have a hard time accepting the idea that Tim Duncan's never been the best player on the floor.

[SHAQATTACK]

Pop is a coaches coach in the traditional sense ...old school .....team first

Jackson was director of  "ME BALL"

Stroking egos of overpaid divas

[Fafnir]

Yeah Tim Duncan was/is a better player than Shaq/Kobe overall. I don't think the "he had the best players" works when comparing Pop/Phil.

I think Pop is the better coach, the ability to completely shift your team's identity like he did after Tim slowed down to build the offense around motion, pace, and perimeter movement is impressive.

[Fafnir]

Pop is a coaches coach in the traditional sense ...old school .....team first

Jackson was director of  "ME BALL"

Stroking egos of overpaid divas

Funny, Jackson's strength was getting the Divas to play within a very team oriented system most of the time.

The triangle is anything but "ME BALL".

[sahara]

Dr.James Naismith would agree with me when I say Pop.

Edit. Sorry, misread the topic. I have much respect for both, but still Pop is that one little notch above Phil.

[Birdman]

I could coach the Bulls with Jordan, Pippen etc and Lakers with Kobe, Shaq, etc...I rather have Pop any day

[fairweatherfan]

I think Pop is the better coach, the ability to completely shift your team's identity like he did after Tim slowed down to build the offense around motion, pace, and perimeter movement is impressive.

It's insane that after 4 rings mostly playing slow-down, grind-it-out ball, the Spurs have now made 2 straight Finals by basically becoming a more versatile version of the Steve Nash Suns.

[manl_lui]

Pop is a better coach, developing players and keeping his players in relatively great shape

[317]

Pop way over Phil. along with what has been mentioned already you also have to consider that Pop has to work with a small market budget for signing international draft picks. imagine if some of these players that the Spurs drafted but could not afford to keep had played for them.

for Luis Scola and Jackie Butler they got Vassilis Spanoulis and a 2009 2nd round draft pick (Nando De Colo was later selected).

they drafted then later traded Leandro Barbosa for a future 2005 1st round draft pick. traded that, Malik Rose and a 2006 1st round draft pick Jamison Brewer and Nazr Mohammed.

for Goran Dragic they got Malik Hairston, cash and a 2009 2nd round draft pick (DeJuan Blair was later selected)

[cltc5]

Pop is the better coach.  Pop developed a team.  Jackson had team handed to him.  Same thing with Doc Rivers and Spoelstra.

[2short]

I'd put both Pop and Pat Riley over Jackson myself.

without a doubt
pop GREAT coach, adapted players to his system and altered his system to better suit his players at that time
pat riley did it with showtime and the knicks defensive half court game
please remember tommy ball as well
phil jackson?.tex winters offense, m jordan, scotty pippen?closer to doc rivers with thibs defense and kg, pp and ray (and young rondo)

[Celtics4ever]

Pop, he doesn't have assistants that run the show like Phil did with the triangle.   Phil is a get the best star and get out of his way coach like Spoelstra except he can manage the press and his players better than Spoelstra.