Steve Smith Fave Five coaches

[YODA]

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/01/09/nba_20090109_faves.nba/index.html
Not sure if direct link, but the list goes
1 pop
2 jackson
3 rivers
4 sloan
5 brown
hard to argue that group.

The clip gives some nice props to Pop.

[phyzik]

Pop is definately the best COACH! Let no Laker faker persuade anyone otherwise. Phil has had Talent under him his entire career and had to do virtually nothing. Pop has MOLDED players to help the team.... there is a difference.

[WildcardManu]

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/01/09/nba_20090109_faves.nba/index.html
Not sure if direct link, but the list goes
1 pop
2 jackson
3 rivers
4 sloan
5 brown
hard to argue that group.

The clip gives some nice props to Pop.

Doc Rivers just got lucky, he's yet to prove himself.

[MarHill]

That was a nice piece by NBA TV. Smith giving props to Pop!!

[K-State Spur]

Doc Rivers just got lucky, he's yet to prove himself.

Doc was overrated as a coach for so long and everybody figured that out that it's led to him being a bit underrated now.

Yes, he had KG/Allen/Pierce fall in his lap. But outside of Posey, their supporting cast isn't that good. PJ Brown came in off the street and instantly became their best back-up big. 3/4 of their roster had a career year last year and I don't think that's COMPLETELY independent of their coach.

I think Rivers falls in a similar category to Joe Torre. They both make decisions that leave you scratching your head. But they're both very adept at dealing with people and egos.

Now, I wouldn't rank him in the top 5 coaches in the game myself - but he's not just lucky & unproven either.

[Raoul Duke]

that was really enjoyable to take in i love that there are so many spurs connections on tv now so we get more and more of a behind the scenes look.

[jack sommerset]

Doc Rivers just got lucky, he's yet to prove himself.

Doc Rivers did not have Jordon,Duncan,Shaq,Bird, Magic or Olajawun on his team. Amazing how great these coaches are with those players.

I would put Brown or Sloan first. Rivers has one ring and did a great job for only 1 year with those players and I know some of you disagree with me but Pierce is OVERRATED. I don't want to discredit what Jackson has done because Jordan was in the league along time before Jackson took over and Shaq and Kobe did not win shit until Jackson took over but those are some freaken great players. Throw out the strike season. Pop has 3 rings and he had a little help with injuries or suspensions to the road to those rings plus the man Duncan. Lets see how he does when Duncan retires. Nelson might be able to crack that line up. Long history of making normal teams great. D'Antoni might be right there with the rest of them. Depends on what he can do with the Knicks.

[DANILO DRASKOVIC]

doc hates the environment
he has 30,000 gallons of oil on his face

[K-State Spur]

Doc Rivers did not have Jordon,Duncan,Shaq,Bird, Magic or Olajawun on his team. Amazing how great these coaches are with those players.

I would put Brown or Sloan first. Rivers has one ring and did a great job for only 1 year with those players and I know some of you disagree with me but Pierce is OVERRATED. I don't want to discredit what Jackson has done because Jordan was in the league along time before Jackson took over and Shaq and Kobe did not win shit until Jackson took over but those are some freaken great players. Throw out the strike season. Pop has 3 rings and he had a little help with injuries or suspensions to the road to those rings plus the man Duncan. Lets see how he does when Duncan retires. Nelson might be able to crack that line up. Long history of making normal teams great. D'Antoni might be right there with the rest of them. Depends on what he can do with the Knicks.

Where to begin with that ridiculous post.

Pop has FOUR rings.

Injuries and suspensions? :lol Hell, if not for injuries to Duncan in '00 and DA in '02 - He might have 6 rings.

How many "GREAT" teams has Nelly coached?

And your top 2 coaches have combined for 1 title.

[YODA]

Doc was overrated as a coach for so long and everybody figured that out that it's led to him being a bit underrated now.

Yes, he had KG/Allen/Pierce fall in his lap. But outside of Posey, their supporting cast isn't that good. PJ Brown came in off the street and instantly became their best back-up big. 3/4 of their roster had a career year last year and I don't think that's COMPLETELY independent of their coach.

I think Rivers falls in a similar category to Joe Torre. They both make decisions that leave you scratching your head. But they're both very adept at dealing with people and egos.

Now, I wouldn't rank him in the top 5 coaches in the game myself - but he's not just lucky & unproven either.

Not that it matters, but this was top 5 active coaches.

[bigdog]

he probably picked Pop because Pop got Smitty a championship ring....



and because Pop is the best coach! lol. but nonetheless, props to Smitty for giving Pop the top spot

[lefty]

Rivers????????/

[peskypesky]

It's between Pop and Phil Jackson. Very tough call for me, because even though I love Pop and acknowledge his greatness, there are a lot of times when he does stuff that just seems so idiotic. Like going small-ball against the Mavs in 2006. Like giving a gimpy Manu so many minutes against the Lakers last year. Like his habit of taking a hot hand out of the game (I've seen this a painful number of times). I don't follow the Lakers as closely, for obvious reasons, but I don't seem to hear Lakers fans bitching about Phil's coaching decisions.

But Pop is a great coach. His emphasis on defense and team play and his refusal to coddle stars put him at the top, rubbing shoulders with Phil.

[Rockhound]

Pop has been able to instill a system that keeps the Spurs in the hunt every single year.

He would not have dealt with that 12 yr old girl drama that LA did. Lakers could still be winning 'ships but Jackson couldn't keep the girls from arguing.

Pop has gone after class players and won 4 instead of the measly 3 the Lakers have won post Jordan.

[Manufan909]

Pop has been able to instill a system that keeps the Spurs in the hunt every single year.

He would not have dealt with that 12 yr old girl drama that LA did. Lakers could still be winning 'ships but Jackson couldn't keep the girls from arguing.

Pop has gone after class players and won 4 instead of the measly 3 the Lakers have won post Jordan.

+1

I've said it before, with Pop over Shaq and Kobe, that bitching wouldn't have been alowed. Like a few Spurs have said on championship dvds, Pop gets on everyones ass, from Tim to the 15th man. THat shit wouldn't have exploded if he'd been in control.

[duncan228]

Pop gets on everyones ass, from Tim to the 15th man. THat shit wouldn't have exploded if he'd been in control.

Duncan takes it well, which sets the tone down to the 15th man. Who knows how Shaq would have handled being coached like that, his display of ego is much different than Duncan's.

[Udokafan05]

Larry Brown is the most overrated coach in NBA history.

[YODA]

Larry Brown is the most overrated coach in NBA history.


Yet Pop would be the 1st one to say he learned alot from him.

[K-State Spur]

[/B]

Not that it matters, but this was top 5 active coaches.

I got that.

I'd probably go with Pop, Jackson, Sloan, McMillen, and D'Antoni. But Rivers falls firmly in the 6-10 range.

[K-State Spur]

Yet Pop would be the 1st one to say he learned alot from him.

I don't doubt that he did. Brown is clearly one of the better basketball minds that the game has seen in recent decades.

However, part of being a coach is being able to relate to and get the best out of your players. It cannot be discounted that LB has worn out his welcome at most of his stops after 2-3 years. It speaks volumes that Pop can still get the best out of his guys after over a decade.

[whottt]

That's pretty high praise considering Pop basically benched Smitty for good while he was a Spur...and he wasn't exactly thrilled with that decision. I know the Spurs tried to get Smitty to come back in 04 or 05 and Smitty wouldn't do it...he went to the Bobcats instead or something like that. Maybe retirement has changed his perspective...I will say that Pop went out of his way to treat Smitty with respect when he was a Spur and I do think Smitty appreciated it. Beyond all doubt Smitth was nothing but total class while he was a Spur even if he was basically done as a player. Nice praise from Smitty for Pop though.


I personally think Phil Jackson is a better coach. Yeah he's had a lot of talent...and he's also won with it. Jackson is fantastic at half time adjustments and isolating weak players...and he's also great at instilling confidence in his teams...

The one huge negative I see in Jackson style and probably the major difference between he and Pop...Jackson tends to pit his players against one another and motivate them by antagonizing them. This tactic works fantastic in the short term, but it creates huge chemistry problems long term. His players tend to be sick of him and each other after 3 or 4 years together. OTOH, mixing team chemistry is probably Pop's greatest strength as a coach. When you add it all up though, I still rate Jackson as the better coach on a game by game or series by series basis. Better at x's and o's, better at motivating, and better at getting under the other teams' skin to positive effect. And I've seen Jackson outcoach Pop...probably every single time they've been matched up in the playoffs except for 02-03. And I wouldn't say Pop really outcoached Jackson in 02-03 either...I'd say it was a draw.

Pop is a fantastic coach, probably a top 5 all time, but Jackson is probably the greatest coach in NBA history....arrogant jerk or not...he's good.

[lefty]

Rivers ??????????

[Kori Ellis]

The weirdest thing in that clip is that Cheryl Miller calls Pop - "Sexy sex." :wtf :lmao

[K-State Spur]

That's pretty high praise considering Pop basically benched Smitty for good while he was a Spur...and he wasn't exactly thrilled with that decision. I know the Spurs tried to get Smitty to come back in 04 or 05 and Smitty wouldn't do it...he went to the Bobcats instead or something like that. Maybe retirement has changed his perspective...I will say that Pop went out of his way to treat Smitty with respect when he was a Spur and I do think Smitty appreciated it. Beyond all doubt Smitth was nothing but total class while he was a Spur even if he was basically done as a player. Nice praise from Smitty for Pop though.


I personally think Phil Jackson is a better coach. Yeah he's had a lot of talent...and he's also won with it. Jackson is fantastic at half time adjustments and isolating weak players...and he's also great at instilling confidence in his teams...

The one huge negative I see in Jackson style and probably the major difference between he and Pop...Jackson tends to pit his players against one another and motivate them by antagonizing them. This tactic works fantastic in the short term, but it creates huge chemistry problems long term. His players tend to be sick of him and each other after 3 or 4 years together. OTOH, mixing team chemistry is probably Pop's greatest strength as a coach. When you add it all up though, I still rate Jackson as the better coach on a game by game or series by series basis. Better at x's and o's, better at motivating, and better at getting under the other teams' skin to positive effect. And I've seen Jackson outcoach Pop...probably every single time they've been matched up in the playoffs except for 02-03. And I wouldn't say Pop really outcoached Jackson in 02-03 either...I'd say it was a draw.

Pop is a fantastic coach, probably a top 5 all time, but Jackson is probably the greatest coach in NBA history....arrogant jerk or not...he's good.

I actually thought Pop also coached Phil to a draw in '04, the big difference being Phil having the more talented roster.

Pop came in with a great gameplan that had the Lakers reeling after 2 games. Phil was able to adjust (moving Kobe to guard Parker being the biggest maneuver) after that and Pop really didn't have any bullets left in the gun. Once Turk and Horry decided that they weren't going to shoot worth shit in that series, there really wasn't much Pop could do after that. The roster didn't have enough depth to overcome their inability to hit open shots. Even with that, who knows if not for .4...

[YODA]

The weirdest thing in that clip is that Cheryl Miller calls Pop - "Sexy sex." :wtf :lmao

it would take a female to catch that,,haha

[polandprzem]

Duncan takes it well, which sets the tone down to the 15th man. Who knows how Shaq would have handled being coached like that, his display of ego is much different than Duncan's.
Yea interseting. Same thing said Red Auerbach about coaching Russell and Chamberlain. That Wilt would not handle his coaching because of the ego.

[YODA]

I don't doubt that he did. Brown is clearly one of the better basketball minds that the game has seen in recent decades.

However, part of being a coach is being able to relate to and get the best out of your players. It cannot be discounted that LB has worn out his welcome at most of his stops after 2-3 years. It speaks volumes that Pop can still get the best out of his guys after over a decade.

he did, and has. I just know he give a lot of credit to Larry

Everything else I agree with

[SpursFanFirst]

The weirdest thing in that clip is that Cheryl Miller calls Pop - "Sexy sex." :wtf :lmao

It's the beard. It gets 'em every time. :lol

[YODA]

It's the beard. It gets 'em every time. :lol


Pop....the most interesting man in the world

[jack sommerset]

Pop has been able to instill a system that keeps the Spurs in the hunt every single year.

He would not have dealt with that 12 yr old girl drama that LA did. Lakers could still be winning 'ships but Jackson couldn't keep the girls from arguing.

Pop has gone after class players and won 4 instead of the measly 3 the Lakers have won post Jordan.

Come on. Pop has DUNCAN. Just wait when Duncan is gone. Pop will disapear. K-State,the only people who consider the strike season an actual season is Spew fans. I am not going to even bore myself thinking about that dumbass 50 game season,Jordons retirement,Jackson leaving the Bulls, players not having teams,Spree's 8th seed Knicks make finals,etc.......

Don Nelson is the 2nd winningest coach in NBA history. You tell me what great Players old Nelson had to work with.And if Sloan coached the Spurs this decade he would have won 3 rings. If Sloan coached the Jordon Bulls, he would have won 6 rings. Brown takes shit teams and makes them winners. The same Detroit team is working on there 4th coach, Brown being the only one to win a ring.NBA is a players league. All of you should not get caught up on crater face Pop. He has the best power forward in the LEAGUES history playing for him.