OT - Coach Draft Big Board
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 10:49 am
What would your coaching big board look like? If you had the opportunity to get any coach currently in the league, who would you go for? Rank all 30!
1. Gregg Popovich - I can understand the desire to stay away from him at #1 because he probably only has a few years left (and would probably retire immediately if this type of hypothetical coaching draft actually happened). Still, he's the type person you'd want to create a system and a culture....things that would last beyond his reign.
2. Rick Carlisle - I would've been happy giving Carlisle a lifetime contract. Would we have ended up with multiple championships? Zero? Who knows? What he's done in Detroit, Indiana, and Dallas is incredible.
3. Tom Thibodeau - What he's done both with and without Rose is incredible. Thibodeau's teams always come to battle and they are always great defensive teams.
4. Stan Van Gundy - The most prepared coach in the NBA. He and his brother just have a passion for this stuff and he will tirelessly work on studying tape, creating strategy, etc. He puts teams in the position to succeed.
5. Doc Rivers - One of the most respected NBA coaches. He thrives at building a winning culture and has achieved levels of success in Orlando, Boston, and with the Clippers.
6. Jeff Hornacek - This may be a bit high for a 1st year coach who has never even guided a team into the playoffs, but he got Phoenix playing so far above their talent level, you've got to be excited for his future in the league.
7. Lionel Hollins - The knock on him is that he is anti-analytics. It is also said that Memphis' success is Joerger's doing. That may be partially true, but I have Hollins ahead of Joerger because he handles his business and knows when and how to delegate. Memphis saw continued improvement under his watch, from doormat to contender. I loved his handling of Iverson. He may be old school, but there is still a place for him in the league.
8. Erik Spoelstra - One of the hardest guys to peg...When you have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, you're expected to win championships. He fulfilled that expectation, winning 2. Still, there are questions about his utilization of Bosh and his failings against better coaches. This year should give us a better indication of his mettle.
9. David Joerger - Success has followed him wherever he's gone. With one year as an NBA coach, it's hard to tell if that will continue. The rumors of Memphis not wanting him/sending him to Minnesota this offseason were strange, to say the least.
10. Steve Clifford - Another 1 year wonder. He went to a place that has been eating up and spitting out coaches for who knows how many years. He was able to take the talent they had and turn it into a winner. I don't know much about him, but he deserves respect for that.
11. Frank Vogel - Seemed like a rising star with Indiana's sudden dominance under his watch, but it's hard to look at him the same way after the team mentally crumbled over the 2nd half of the season. Still, he has reached a certain level of success and for a while it seemed like they were ready to supplant Miami even without any of the star power.
12. David Blatt - He could end up at the bottom of this list by the end of the year, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. He seems to have the ability to adapt, he's intelligent, and he's player-friendly. I think he'll rise to the top of the coaching profession - I'm just not sure enough to put him any higher than this.
13. Brad Stevens - Another potential pick. I love what Boston did with him - signing him to a long contract and allowing him to soak up the nuances of NBA coaching without putting any pressure on him. He built a great college program in the most surprising of places, but has nothing implying his skills will transfer to the NBA. Still, I think he'll end up a fine coach.
14. Dwane Casey - I didn't think he should've been fired in Minnesota. He over-achieved with them and he's helped build a strong Raptors team. I don't think he'll ever be an upper-echelon coach, but he's good.
15. Mike Budenholzer - I like what he did with Atlanta last year. He seemed to open up their offense and use their shooters well. They didn't fold when Horford went down. A Popovich protoge, I think he has a chance to be a strong coach in his own right.
16. Terry Stotts - Milwaukee was lousy under Stotts but worse after he left. He actually over-achieved with them. Then, he took a Portland team that most assumed wouldn't make the playoffs and turned them into one of the top teams for most of the season. I could almost talk myself into putting him a few slots higher.
17. Scott Brooks - He's gotten a lot of wins and traveled deep into the playoffs on numerous occasions. Still, that's not enough with the Thunder team he has. He seems to lack creativity and adaptability. His offense often resembles Mike Brown's old "give the ball to LeBron and get out of the way" offense. The sheer number of wins, playoff experience, and mulligans due to injuries beg for him to be higher on this list, but I'm also tempted to put him even lower.
18. Brian Shaw - He actually had a decent first year in a very difficult conference. They had a losing record, but with the addition of Afflalo and Harris, I could see his star start to shine a bit brighter in the future.
19. Flip Saunders - We know what he is. His teams play to their level....No higher, no lower. He was never able to win the big one with Garnett or the Pistons teams. Not a bad coach, but he has a low ceiling.
20. Brett Brown - We don't know what he is....at all. Just being a respected Popovich protoge, maybe I should have put him higher, but his team was terrible last year. Again, that's not his fault, the front office all but assured it. He's just a big question mark.
21. Monty Williams - I think he's a decent coach, but we need to see what he can do with rising talent and the emerging star he now has in the fold.
22. Michael Malone - The Kings had enough talent to be better than they were last year, but that's a tough team to coach. He did well fitting Gay into their scheme, but I'm not sold on him yet.
23. Derek Fisher - A dime a dozen pick. He's well respected among the players in the league, but I have no idea how his coaching chops will be.
24. Steve Kerr - Similar to Fisher, but he has already had a failed stint as a GM in Phoenix. One of the crossover requirements for GMs and coaches is talent evaluation. I'm not high on Kerr. His salary is absurd.
25. Byron Scott - Making the finals in NJ seems like a long time ago. That was far and away the most talented team in the East and his PG eventually turned on him. He hasn't had any success in his future jobs, either. Cleveland was a train wreck.
26. Quin Snyder - Well, he's probably in the state that has the least amount of cocaine in it, so that's a positive. He could very well turn into a good coach, and he's done well to rebrand himself, but I just don't see him being successful.
27. Kevin McHale - They had big expectations but couldn't deliver. McHale hasn't had terrible results, but he also hasn't shown the ability to successfully run a team.
28. Randy Wittman - He put together a nice year last year, but he has a long track record of losing. I'm not so sure he's figured it out as much as he has a team that fits well with his style - I wouldn't trust him in a new situation.
29. Jason Kidd - Up and down first season. The fact that he got things turned around in Brooklyn bode well for him. Then again, with the veterans on that team, they should've been able to run themselves. He's had too many negatives - wife beating, drunk driving, Lawrence Frank, backstabbing the organization - to put up with a guy who narrowly averted underachieving in his first year.
30. Jacque Vaughn - Nice enough guy, but Orlando has put together enough talent that they should have been more competitive than they were under him.
1. Gregg Popovich - I can understand the desire to stay away from him at #1 because he probably only has a few years left (and would probably retire immediately if this type of hypothetical coaching draft actually happened). Still, he's the type person you'd want to create a system and a culture....things that would last beyond his reign.
2. Rick Carlisle - I would've been happy giving Carlisle a lifetime contract. Would we have ended up with multiple championships? Zero? Who knows? What he's done in Detroit, Indiana, and Dallas is incredible.
3. Tom Thibodeau - What he's done both with and without Rose is incredible. Thibodeau's teams always come to battle and they are always great defensive teams.
4. Stan Van Gundy - The most prepared coach in the NBA. He and his brother just have a passion for this stuff and he will tirelessly work on studying tape, creating strategy, etc. He puts teams in the position to succeed.
5. Doc Rivers - One of the most respected NBA coaches. He thrives at building a winning culture and has achieved levels of success in Orlando, Boston, and with the Clippers.
6. Jeff Hornacek - This may be a bit high for a 1st year coach who has never even guided a team into the playoffs, but he got Phoenix playing so far above their talent level, you've got to be excited for his future in the league.
7. Lionel Hollins - The knock on him is that he is anti-analytics. It is also said that Memphis' success is Joerger's doing. That may be partially true, but I have Hollins ahead of Joerger because he handles his business and knows when and how to delegate. Memphis saw continued improvement under his watch, from doormat to contender. I loved his handling of Iverson. He may be old school, but there is still a place for him in the league.
8. Erik Spoelstra - One of the hardest guys to peg...When you have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, you're expected to win championships. He fulfilled that expectation, winning 2. Still, there are questions about his utilization of Bosh and his failings against better coaches. This year should give us a better indication of his mettle.
9. David Joerger - Success has followed him wherever he's gone. With one year as an NBA coach, it's hard to tell if that will continue. The rumors of Memphis not wanting him/sending him to Minnesota this offseason were strange, to say the least.
10. Steve Clifford - Another 1 year wonder. He went to a place that has been eating up and spitting out coaches for who knows how many years. He was able to take the talent they had and turn it into a winner. I don't know much about him, but he deserves respect for that.
11. Frank Vogel - Seemed like a rising star with Indiana's sudden dominance under his watch, but it's hard to look at him the same way after the team mentally crumbled over the 2nd half of the season. Still, he has reached a certain level of success and for a while it seemed like they were ready to supplant Miami even without any of the star power.
12. David Blatt - He could end up at the bottom of this list by the end of the year, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. He seems to have the ability to adapt, he's intelligent, and he's player-friendly. I think he'll rise to the top of the coaching profession - I'm just not sure enough to put him any higher than this.
13. Brad Stevens - Another potential pick. I love what Boston did with him - signing him to a long contract and allowing him to soak up the nuances of NBA coaching without putting any pressure on him. He built a great college program in the most surprising of places, but has nothing implying his skills will transfer to the NBA. Still, I think he'll end up a fine coach.
14. Dwane Casey - I didn't think he should've been fired in Minnesota. He over-achieved with them and he's helped build a strong Raptors team. I don't think he'll ever be an upper-echelon coach, but he's good.
15. Mike Budenholzer - I like what he did with Atlanta last year. He seemed to open up their offense and use their shooters well. They didn't fold when Horford went down. A Popovich protoge, I think he has a chance to be a strong coach in his own right.
16. Terry Stotts - Milwaukee was lousy under Stotts but worse after he left. He actually over-achieved with them. Then, he took a Portland team that most assumed wouldn't make the playoffs and turned them into one of the top teams for most of the season. I could almost talk myself into putting him a few slots higher.
17. Scott Brooks - He's gotten a lot of wins and traveled deep into the playoffs on numerous occasions. Still, that's not enough with the Thunder team he has. He seems to lack creativity and adaptability. His offense often resembles Mike Brown's old "give the ball to LeBron and get out of the way" offense. The sheer number of wins, playoff experience, and mulligans due to injuries beg for him to be higher on this list, but I'm also tempted to put him even lower.
18. Brian Shaw - He actually had a decent first year in a very difficult conference. They had a losing record, but with the addition of Afflalo and Harris, I could see his star start to shine a bit brighter in the future.
19. Flip Saunders - We know what he is. His teams play to their level....No higher, no lower. He was never able to win the big one with Garnett or the Pistons teams. Not a bad coach, but he has a low ceiling.
20. Brett Brown - We don't know what he is....at all. Just being a respected Popovich protoge, maybe I should have put him higher, but his team was terrible last year. Again, that's not his fault, the front office all but assured it. He's just a big question mark.
21. Monty Williams - I think he's a decent coach, but we need to see what he can do with rising talent and the emerging star he now has in the fold.
22. Michael Malone - The Kings had enough talent to be better than they were last year, but that's a tough team to coach. He did well fitting Gay into their scheme, but I'm not sold on him yet.
23. Derek Fisher - A dime a dozen pick. He's well respected among the players in the league, but I have no idea how his coaching chops will be.
24. Steve Kerr - Similar to Fisher, but he has already had a failed stint as a GM in Phoenix. One of the crossover requirements for GMs and coaches is talent evaluation. I'm not high on Kerr. His salary is absurd.
25. Byron Scott - Making the finals in NJ seems like a long time ago. That was far and away the most talented team in the East and his PG eventually turned on him. He hasn't had any success in his future jobs, either. Cleveland was a train wreck.
26. Quin Snyder - Well, he's probably in the state that has the least amount of cocaine in it, so that's a positive. He could very well turn into a good coach, and he's done well to rebrand himself, but I just don't see him being successful.
27. Kevin McHale - They had big expectations but couldn't deliver. McHale hasn't had terrible results, but he also hasn't shown the ability to successfully run a team.
28. Randy Wittman - He put together a nice year last year, but he has a long track record of losing. I'm not so sure he's figured it out as much as he has a team that fits well with his style - I wouldn't trust him in a new situation.
29. Jason Kidd - Up and down first season. The fact that he got things turned around in Brooklyn bode well for him. Then again, with the veterans on that team, they should've been able to run themselves. He's had too many negatives - wife beating, drunk driving, Lawrence Frank, backstabbing the organization - to put up with a guy who narrowly averted underachieving in his first year.
30. Jacque Vaughn - Nice enough guy, but Orlando has put together enough talent that they should have been more competitive than they were under him.
I completely agree. I'm not a fan of his as a person (from what little I know about his life) but I thought he did a solid job as a coach. He's still young for a coach and made some mistakes in his first year. However, when you look at the year as a whole I think you could judge it as succesful. I also think he turns it around in Milwaukee.