Which NBA coaches make biggest impact?
In the NFL, the daily coaching of the 53 players on each team is done by specialty assistants variously in charge of offensive linemen, defensive linemen, defensive backs, linebackers, running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, quarterbacks and special teams. Supervising these assistants are "super" assistants in command of defense and offense. The head coaches certainly impress their own personalities and strategic preferences on their teams, but primarily function as overseers.
Baseball managers are in a similar position. They have infield coaches, outfield coaches, hitting coaches, bullpen coaches and bench coaches. In addition, the 10-12 pitchers on a 25-man team require their own coach. As in the NFL, the MLB head man is essentially a supervisor who tries to fashion his team in his own image. A major difference between the two sports is that MLB managers usually make every important game-time decision while NFL coaches depend almost entirely on their assistants to call the plays on offense and to designate the "packages" on defense.
In the NHL, coaches determine styles of play and also make substitutions. But the very nature of the game (mostly the end-to-end speed, the relatively brief player-rotations, and the precariousness of each puck possession) drastically limit an NHL coach's game-time control of his players.
For sure, several NBA coaches charge their assistants with being familiar with the opponents' money-plays and last-second plays. Still, no other head man in any other major U.S. sport can match the influence that an NBA head coach has on the game-time goings-on. Combine the long NBA season, the comparatively small rosters, and the (literally) thousands of rapid-fire decisions that must be made in each game, and the result is total involvement.
Still, as in every sport, some NBA coaches are better than others.
Here, then, is the short list of those NBA coaches (listed alphabetically) who have the biggest and most positive impact on their team's fortunes.
Also, P.J.'s motivational talents are second to none. It's obvious that, during the long season, players routinely get used to their coach's palaver and eventually come to ignore the same-old, same-old. But Jackson's tie-dyed shirts, beating of tom-toms, cleansing of the locker room with burning sage, meditation sessions, and other new world activities have the effect of always keeping his players guessing and therefore always snagging their attention.
And here's the answer to those critics who claim that Jackson has achieved his successes only because he's been lucky enough to have several all-time great players on his teams:
Over the course of Jackson's nine championships, he has coached three players who will be automatic choices for the Hall-of-Fame (Shaq, MJ, Kobe), and one probable honoree in Scottie Pippen.
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Compare this with the number of Hall-of-Famers who helped Red Auerbach achieve his nine championships — Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Frank Ramsey, Tom Heinsohn, John Havlicek, K.C. Jones, and Sam Jones. In addition, Arnie Risen, Clyde Lovellette, and Andy Phillip were basketball immortals who played minor, but significant, roles in Auerbach's career.
There are, of course, other coaches who do make a difference — some positive, some negative and some capable of leading their teams in either direction.
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| Don Nelson's failings as a player are the same now that he's a coach ... the man just pays no attention to defense. (Rocky Widner / Getty Images) |
The last words on this quixotic subject belong to Kevin Loughery, who once said, "Coaching an NBA team is better than working, and coaching an NBA team is better than not working."
Whatever that means.
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