Who are the top 5 coaches of all time?

[gordontrue]

This poll question about Pop got me thinking about who the top 5 NBA coaches of all time are.

My list

1. Phil
2. Red
3. Pat Riley
4. Pop
5. John Kundla

Honarable Mention: Larry Brown

Note: Its crazy that if the Heat win this year... Spoesltra would join the 5 on my list as the only coaches with 3+ championships.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Yes to Phil, he won the championship 55% of the time over a 20 year career #sample size adequate #domination

Only 5 coaches have more than 2 rings...kind of wow.

I am torn about Pat Riley, as far as a basketball mind I think he was great but his rings came from a huge talent edge over the rest of the league. Same can be said of Red and really every ring won that wasn't Larry Brown.

Just like rings shouldn't be overly used to judge players because there are so many outside factors they shouldn't be used to judge coaches.

Coaches like Thibs come to mind who will never won a ring because of their team never being good enough but he get's the most out of his players more so than any other coach. I would take him over a ton of coaches with 2 rings.

Spo is interesting because his teams tend to have complacency issues but he is one of the pioneering minds of stat analytics and utilizing talent and getting players to do what ever roll is needed to win when it counts.

Some combo of Thibs and Spo I think is the GOAT coach.

Phil Jackson was a master of psychology. He would be the old school "feel" style coach.

 

[lakersrule]

I disagree about Riley. It's not like the Lakers were the only talented team in the NBA during the 1980s.

Thibs may deserve more credit than Doc for the Celtics '08 title. Their defense that season was one of the best I've seen. That was Thibs design.

 

[Logicallylethal]

I'll do top coaches right now


1) Pop
2) Spo
3) Doc
4) Thibs
5) Brooks

 

[bksballer89]

This list is a joke if Spoelstra is not #1

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

This list is a joke if Spoelstra is not #1

Who?

 

[bksballer89]

Sarcasm son....

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Sarcasm son....

It would be. But sadly you actually believe it.

 

[bksballer89]

you're an idiot.....I'm far from a fan of Spo

 

[Clayton]

I'll do top coaches right now


1) Pop
2) Spo
3) Doc
4) Thibs
5) Brooks

1. Pop
2. Thibs
3. Doc
4. Carlisle
5. Spo

Brooks still thinks Perkins can play

 

[lakersrule]

1. Pop
2. Thibs
3. Doc
4. Carlisle
5. Spo

Brooks still thinks Perkins can play

 

[mrwallace2ku]

DR. Jack Ramsey...had to post his name, cuz no one else would here, at his prime, there was no better.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I'm throwing Lenny Wilkens' name in there too.

 

[trojanfan12]

This poll question about Pop got me thinking about who the top 5 NBA coaches of all time are.

My list

1. Phil
2. Red
3. Pat Riley
4. Pop
5. John Kundla

Honarable Mention: Larry Brown

Note: Its crazy that if the Heat win this year... Spoesltra would join the 5 on my list as the only coaches with 3+ championships.

I'm going with:

1. Phil - 11 rings with 2 different teams pretty well seals it. Plus, managing the ego's that he's had to manage is a great skill on it's own.
2. Red - How many did he win in a row? Regardless of how one feels about fewer teams, etc. The man could coach and what he did is impressive at any level, in any era.
3. Riley - He went from player, to the announcers booth, to the sidelines. Won 4 titles with the Lakers, then switched to completely different styles of play and if not for MJ, maybe wins titles with both the Knick and Heat. Then he moves to the front office and is the architect for Miami's 3 titles.
4. Ramsey - Won a championship with small market Portland and is arguably one of, if not the best, teachers of the game ever.
5. Pop - He constantly has the Spurs in the running for titles and has 4. Plus, I love his "I don't care" attitude re: how he deals with the NBA front office.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

If we are doing current coaches I am much more comfortable with that.

Spo is definitely top 5 and Brooks is definitely not IMO.

Not in any order other than Pop.

Pop
Thibs
Spo
Doc

leaving room for somebody to make an argument for #5...that isn't Brooks

 

[Clayton]

If we are doing current coaches I am much more comfortable with that.

Spo is definitely top 5 and Brooks is definitely not IMO.

Not in any order other than Pop.

Pop
Thibs
Spo
Doc

leaving room for somebody to make an argument for #5...that isn't Brooks

My argument for Carlisle is that he has a ring and he surrounds Dirk with different people almost every year and at least puts a competitive team on the floor in a deep Western Conference.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

My argument for Carlisle is that he has a ring and he surrounds Dirk with different people almost every year and at least puts a competitive team on the floor in a deep Western Conference.

I agree with Carlisle but it is the GM and Cuban who surround Dirk with players. I guess the coaches have some input on that too though.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan and Dylan!

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

I don't know about Spo yet. I dont think his career has been long enough and I don't know if he's that good or its that he has a big 3 team. Don't get me wrong, he get credit for the success, but im just not sure how much he gets.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

I don't know about Spo yet. I dont think his career has been long enough and I don't know if he's that good or its that he has a big 3 team. Don't get me wrong, he get credit for the success, but im just not sure how much he gets.

This, I am leaning towards giving him credit because he got Bosh and LBJ to change their games and helped Wade to check his ego but in the end nobody is winning a title with out the talent.