10. Doc Rivers (ORL BOS)
Saw some moderate success in Orlando, winning coach of the year in 2000 made the play-offs six seasons then coached one of the best single-season teams of the decade, the '08 Celtics winning the franchises 17th championship.
9. Don Nelson (DAL, GSW)
Winningest coach ever, sucessful in the regular season throughout the decade. Never won a thing though. Biggest series of this decade for him was the stunning 1st round upset over Dallas in '07.
8. Pat Riley (MIA)
He is one of the best ever, but he's pretty much on this list for taking over in 06 to coach Miami to their first Championship, been pretty mediocre other than that.
7. Larry Brown (PHI, DET, NYK, CHA)
Iverson issues aside, he brought the Sixers to the Finals in '01. Although they would be easily disposed of in 5 games, Brown got his revenge on the Lakers 3 seasons later coaching Detriot
to a tremendous upset over the dream-team talented Lakers, a season later he gave the Spurs their toughest Finals series ever, although they lost, Tim Duncan's never had to work that hard in the Finals.
6. Flip Saunders (MIN, DET)
Another coach who isn't well liked. He's coached some good teams. He coached the Wolves to the best season in their franchise history (58-24), and coached the Pistons to the best record in basketball in '06, never won anything though.
5. Mike D'Antoni (PHO, NYK)
Well I'm not big on D'Antoni. He hates defense and I believe most of his success had to do with how immensely talented the Suns are, but he was successful. Coach of the year in '05, with Nash he has 60+ seasons and two 50+ under his belt. Without Nash, a 21 win season (PHO) and 32 win season (NY).
4. Stan Van Gundy (MIA, ORL)
Alot of people don't like Van Gundy. Everyone says he just has a lot of talent, he blames everyone but himself blah blah. Every team he coached has finished over .500, he's made the Finals once, Eastern Conference Finals twice, out of his 4 full seasons, he had 3 with 50 wins or more.
3. Jerry Sloan (UTA)
Just recently been inducted into the HOF in 2009. Never won the big one but he's one of those coaches excused by the Jordan-Era. Utah made the play-offs 7 out previous 10 season and had 40+ win seasons 9 out of 10.
2. Greg Poppovich (SA)
Championships: 3 (2003, 2005, 2007)
The most consistent coach this decade, 3 titles from 2000-2009 and 4 overall. the only coach to manage 50+ win season the whole 10 seasons. He's and Duncan are two peas in a pod, talented, consistent, wins championships
1. Phil Jackson
Championships: 4 (2000-2002, 2009)
Zen-Master, though he is the greatest coach ever, he probably would have been #2 on this list had it not been for the Lakers title run in '09 giving him not only the most of the 2000's (4) but the most ever (10). Many take credit away from him for having 2 of the NBA's best duos ever (Jordan, Pippen and Bryant, O'Neal). What people don't realize those duo's won rings immediately after Phil Jackson took over. No matter who you have three 3-peats and 10 titles doesn't come easy
I think it's next to impossible to argue with the top 2 but I think LB should be higher up if not number 3 or 4. I know he has jumped shipped many times and was out of coaching for a short period but isn't what makes a coach great in sports their playoff success? He lead 3 trams to the finals and a won a ring in 04. That can't be said for Flip, Stan, Sloan, or Dantoni in this decade. Sloan's two appearances against Jordan in 97 and 98 can't be taken in account for this list. Brown also did this with much more of a collective group of players then super stars. Yes he had A.I. in 01 but the Piston teams were a unit more then a star like D'Antoni's Suns with Nash and Amare. Pat Riley and Rivers both won titles that those others guys did not in the decade. Although they either were retired or had very bad years mixed in so I agree with where they are slotted.
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ReplyDeleteMaybe I am shafting Larry Brown a little, but like you said he would jumped ship, he dissappeared after a 23-59 season in New York then we didn't see him till he closed out the decade with a 35-47 record in Charlette and he was pretty inconsistent other than 04 and 05 with Detroit, in fact he is a pretty inconsistant coach throughout his entire career. The Pistons were more like a unit team the Philly was, but they did have future HOF(Billups), a four time defensive player of the year, and two other all-stars so it was a great Unit. Stan Van Gundy does have a ring with Miami, you can count it or not if you want to. Mike D'Antoni had a couple deep play-offs runs and had it not been fore Amare's injury in '06 he might have a ring of his own. Jerry Sloan is an excellent coach, he kept the Jazz at .500 for 9 of the ten seasons, that's just as many as Phil and one less than Poppovich.
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