Phil Jackson or Greg Popovich

[scanry]

Dude, were it not for Ben Wallace and the NBA's bias towards big men when it comes to Defensive Player of the Year, Bruce Bowen would have 3 or more DPOY awards. On a Spurs team that cashes it's checks with defense, having Bruce Bowen alongside Tim Duncan is as potent as any 1-2 punch in the league.

Nice try though, but the Spurs had a perennial mvp candidate and a perennial DPOY candidate playing side by side for years.

Bottom line is Phil wins this REGARDLESS of how you try and spin it. Typical Spurs fan response to completely ignore that Bruce Bowen was a defensive superstar, and in many ways was the backbone of the Spurs defense...for years.

Pretty sad.

I kind've agree with what you're saying, but Bruce wasn't that effective in Boston or Miami. Bruce needed a very effective post defender like Duncan (and vice-versa) to be effective.

However other NBA teams (and some Spurs fans) under appreciate Bruce. I'll say this, Spurs would have 3 less championships without this man.

[jacobdrj]

Before 2006, I would have said they are fairly close. They both have their strengths: Pop seemed more capable of building a team and wasn't awful in clutch situations, whereas Phil had already cemented himself as the best crunch time coach I had seen, perhaps with 2 exceptions. But I would have given the edge to Phil Jackson simply because I value crunch time decisions more than I value the ability to build a team at the NBA level.

However, after 2006, when it became apparent that he was the difference between the Lakers making the playoffs and not from 05 to 06, and the fact that he also built this championship Lakers' team from that crappy 2005 squad as a starting point, there is no doubt that Phil is the overall better coach.

[Fabbs]

yea. Manu was a real superstar back in 03 and 04.

Yeah, Kobme was a real superstar back in 03 and 04.

Snaq just camped in the lane and waited for the refs service him as he bowled over completely set defenders. When the Detroit series refs called it fairly he was done. Well that and Kobme jacking up every brick he could think of.

Spurstrodamus

Solid point about the Gasol trade, but let's not forget Popovich got Duncan. Popovich was also obliterated by a rookie head coach(who is no longer employed) when he had the best team in the league in 2006.

You mean Phil J would not fail with the best roster and vs a rookie coach?
+1

[TheMACHINE]

Pop has never got a hand of cards including Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, or the combo of Shaquill O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

and Duncan, Robinson, Manu and Parker are crap?

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Yeah poor Pop didn't get to Nut-Hug off Michael Jordan..

MJ wasn't winning before Phil showed up.

Some think Phil is overrated, I personally think he doesn't get enough credit. The triangle offense allows SG's to be the best they can be, and a team running the triangle never has to worry about becoming a team where the PG dominates the ball and does everything. Yeah, MJ was great and Kobe and Shaq are great, but Kobe and Shaq needed Phil to get over the hump, as did MJ.

[urunobili]

100% Finals winning percentage

[TheMACHINE]

100% Finals winning percentage

gratz?

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

100% Finals winning percentage

Making the finals and losing > not making the finals at all

Anyone who seriously thinks otherwise is dumb.

[Dunc n Dave]

Hey, Dunc!!!!!!!!!! Where the have ya been, youngster?

Back to work... teachin the younger "youngsters" a little U.S. History. I'll make my appearances in the evenings. I know it breaks your heart...

[Culburn369]

Making the finals and losing > not making the finals at all

Making the finals is just the mandatory means to the end.

Nothing more.

[Dunc n Dave]

First you belittle the championship by complaining about injuries, then try and make it seem like you're not a whiney by saying they won it fair and square. It's quite obvious you think they only won because of injuries, which makes you stupid. The Lakers were clearly the best team in the NBA last season. it was obvious.



And Malone was injured in those finals. As was Horace Grant. This means that the Lakers had to start Slava Medvedenko. Slava isnn't gonna get it done in the Finals. So considering Malone was injured and not playing, it isn't fair for to say Malone as part of the stacked team. It was more like: Kobe Shaq Payton and Slava

You go off when I bring up injuries and then in the next paragraph about injuries in 2004 yourself? Who's the whiney now? Guess that means "it's quite obvious you think they (the Pistons) won because of injuries, which makes you stupid" too.

I never said the Lakers weren't the best team last year. Although they never got to prove it against the other top teams at full strength. The point was I would have been most impressed with the job PJax did this year, more so than the Bulls or three-peat Lakers had it not been for an easier road to the championship due to key injuries. It's not their fault though. The Spurs have won it all when other teams have suffered injuries as well (see 2003 Dirk injury).

This was the first time Phil had a team with ONE dominant player win a championship. Gasol is good, but only a Laker homer would argue he's the best player at his position like Shaq and Kobe were in the early 2000's. Had he won it vs a healthy Boston or Cleveland, there would be no arguement that Phil is the GOAT, despite his CONSTANT ing to the media about the refs to compensate for his players inability to play through the bad calls.

Right now, until he proves otherwise, Phil obviously has the most championships, but he also has always had 2 first team ALL-NBA players (the best at their positions) or multiple injuries to the best teams help him to those 10 rings.

Give Pop a Kobe or an MJ to go with Duncan and he wins the next 3 championships, guaranteed. 2 of the top 5 players in the NBA can turn any good coach into a GREAT coach.

[Dunc n Dave]

Dude, were it not for Ben Wallace and the NBA's bias towards big men when it comes to Defensive Player of the Year, Bruce Bowen would have 3 or more DPOY awards. On a Spurs team that cashes it's checks with defense, having Bruce Bowen alongside Tim Duncan is as potent as any 1-2 punch in the league.

Nice try though, but the Spurs had a perennial mvp candidate and a perennial DPOY candidate playing side by side for years.

Bottom line is Phil wins this REGARDLESS of how you try and spin it. Typical Spurs fan response to completely ignore that Bruce Bowen was a defensive superstar, and in many ways was the backbone of the Spurs defense...for years.

Pretty sad.

Bowen was a great wing defender. but was a liability of the offensive end. You can't SERIOUSLY try to compare a Duncan/Bowen combo to a early 2000's Shaq/Kobe combo! Shaq and Kobe were the most unstoppable scorers at their positions AND were at least Top 10 defenders at their position during those years. Same for MJ and Pippen.

Bowen has never been EVEN close to being the best player at his position. Look at Kobe's numbers vs Bowen. It's not like Bowen held Kobe under 20ppg, he just forced him to take more shots to get his numbers. Not even the BEST defender can completely SHUT DOWN an elite scorer like Kobe or Shaq circa 2000. As you said, nice try though...

I'd EASILY trade a Duncan/Bowen combo for a Duncan/Kobe or Duncan/MJ combo ANY DAY. , I'd even take a Duncan/Pippen combo over Duncan/Bowen.

[Dunc n Dave]

He had Duncan and Ginobili who are better then Snaq and Kobme.
At the very least equal.
2003 proof
2004 a flukey last second shot the only thing stopping a 2-0 sweep by Dunkar/Ginobili

Kobe>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Manu

Manu has been 3rd Team All NBA ONCE. Do I even need to mention Kobe's resume?

[Fabbs]

Kobe>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Manu

Manu has been 3rd Team All NBA ONCE. Do I even need to mention Kobe's resume?

3 les each as sidekick.
2 Finals losses for Kombe as sidekick, one with Snaq and one with Gasol.
1 Finals win vs the weakassed Orlando Lakers who gave so much help to Kobme it was sickening. Kobme sucked with the game on the line in 3 of those finals games. Bailed out.

Yeah, playoffwise GNob has been the equal of Kobme.
Throw out his 2006 brain fart and he'd be superior.

[KSeal]

3 les each as sidekick.
2 Finals losses for Kombe as sidekick, one with Snaq and one with Gasol.
1 Finals win vs the weakassed Orlando Lakers who gave so much help to Kobme it was sickening. Kobme sucked with the game on the line in 3 of those finals games. Bailed out.

Yeah, playoffwise GNob has been the equal of Kobme.
Throw out his 2006 brain fart and he'd be superior.

The Spurs played the weakest finals team ever in 2007. You're just spewing out a bunch of bull , stop.

[Goran Dragic]

3 les each as sidekick.
2 Finals losses for Kombe as sidekick, one with Snaq and one with Gasol.
1 Finals win vs the weakassed Orlando Lakers who gave so much help to Kobme it was sickening. Kobme sucked with the game on the line in 3 of those finals games. Bailed out.

Yeah, playoffwise GNob has been the equal of Kobme.
Throw out his 2006 brain fart and he'd be superior.

Are you seriously trying to say Manu = Kobe in the playoffs?

[Goran Dragic]

He had Duncan and Ginobili who are better then Snaq and Kobme.
At the very least equal.
2003 proof

You must have not watched the Spurs in 2003 if you think Manu was Duncan's sidekick that year.

[Fabbs]

The Spurs played the weakest finals team ever in 2007. You're just spewing owning me, stop.

2002s New Jersey Lakers might also be the weakest Finals team ever.
Lakers assistant coach Byron Scott making sure of that.

'Course then there is the way Kobme got to the 2002 *finals*, hitting Bibby in the jaw with a pussy cheap shot and having the networks make sure the foul call was on Bibby. One of but so many calls made sure to sway the series to the Laker$.

Go suck your Kobme doll.

GNob has done what he's done in the playoffs all with Sir Baffoon as coach vs Phil Jackson. Makes GNobs playoff performances all the more impressive.

[Hornets1]

Apples and Oranges. I like Pop's personality a lot more, so I voted Pop.

[Fabbs]

Apples and Oranges. I like Pop's personality a lot more, so I voted Pop.

and there you have it, Poop taking the lead 39-38.

I'm surprised it took this long for Pop to take the lead on SpursTalk.

[sprrs]

The fact that Pop has never won a back to back or even made back to back Finals basically removes him from the discussion IMHO.

I'll take not having a back-to-back if it means consistently being in the le chase for 10 years and counting.

Four championships and being great for 10+ years >>>> Back-to-back and being great for two years.

[Culburn369]

I'll take not having a back-to-back if

Sweetheart, you got no other choicePERIOD

[sabar]

He had Duncan and Ginobili who are better then Snaq and Kobme.

[elbamba]

Larry Brown--he takes crappy teams and puts them in the playoffs. Phil nor Pop could win in some of the places Brown has been. Plus he won an NCAA le.

MJ and Pipen to Kobe and Shaq to Kobe and Gasol. Phil could not win when he just had Kobe, Phil cannot put teams together, he needs to rely on the big markets. When Phil goes to New Orleans and wins a championship or Utah and wins a championship, then I will be impressed.

Pop while winning in a small market got lucky that Duncan fell into his lap. However, the Spurs were much more impressive in finding talent like Manu and Tony, but I give that up to a solid scouting team.

When was the last time LA drafted a player that mattered? Please don't say Bynum.

I'd still take Brown over both of them...his only flaw is that he will be gone in a year.

[TheMACHINE]

Larry Brown--he takes crappy teams and puts them in the playoffs. Phil nor Pop could win in some of the places Brown has been. Plus he won an NCAA le.

MJ and Pipen to Kobe and Shaq to Kobe and Gasol. Phil could not win when he just had Kobe, Phil cannot put teams together, he needs to rely on the big markets. When Phil goes to New Orleans and wins a championship or Utah and wins a championship, then I will be impressed.

Pop while winning in a small market got lucky that Duncan fell into his lap. However, the Spurs were much more impressive in finding talent like Manu and Tony, but I give that up to a solid scouting team.

When was the last time LA drafted a player that mattered? Please don't say Bynum.

I'd still take Brown over both of them...his only flaw is that he will be gone in a year.

The coach has to put teams together? I guess no need for GM's then. Also..i guess its "lucky" to tank a season and get Duncan.

Your post has alot of FAIL.