Having a good coaching staff is the most underrated aspect of basketball management.

[russwest0]

You look at the NBA standings right now and see who the top 3 teams are? The Warriors, Hawks, and Grizzlies, who have the three best coaching staffs in the league in my opinion.

I think once you get a solid coaching staff in place that works well together and is very adaptive to a constantly changing league, you can EASILY start building a consistent contender as long as you as a team are able to acquire some talent along the way (which is much easier to acquire with a good staff since players want to play in good systems and on winning teams).

I mean you look at a team like the Thunder who were severely misusing Thabo Sefolosha (his role was greater than it should have been) and then you see the Hawks add the guy and he fits right in and is a decent addition to the team, you don't have fans calling for the guy to be cut, everything works out. You look at the Warriors and they haven't had any problems with egos or anything like that, and they have two former all stars in Iguodala and Lee coming off the bench...

It's just as a team, your ability to acquire and maximize talent that fulfills the needs required to contend seem to be much dependent upon how good your coaching staff is.

I guess I just think that teams should really, really start investing a lot more of their time and effort, and expenses into finding, developing, and hiring top tier coaching talent that works well together. I mean you look at the Thunder and they are paying Kendrick Perkins 10 million a year when they could just use that money to buy a top tier coaching staff. Yet they ultimately decide to stay with a relatively poor coaching staff and here they are, struggling to make the playoffs with an absolutely loaded roster.

Makes no sense to me why hiring a good coaching staff isn't priority #1 on every GM's list. Seems to me if you are building a team you start the building process there and then start acquiring talent later, not the other way around like we've seen with teams like the Thunder, Rockets, Magic, 76ers, etc.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Explain how erik spolestra won 2 championships and had 4 straight finals appearances without using the words "LeBron" and "James".

[russwest0]

Explain how erik spolestra won 2 championships and had 4 straight finals appearances without using the words "LeBron" and "James".

dan/joey crawford + scott foster + ray allen + weak conference because none of the upper management in the East know what they are doing :confusedshrug:

[dunksby]

dan/joey crawford + scott foster + ray allen + weak conference because none of the upper management in the East know what they are doing :confusedshrug:
I usually wanna neg you but this one cracked me up :roll:

PS: you forgot Pat Riley

[russwest0]

I usually wanna neg you but this one cracked me up :roll:

PS: you forgot Pat Riley

yeah having Pat Riley helps. Have to give him credit with the success he's been able to have as a coach and executive. I remember through the big 3 heat's up's and down's, there was tons of media chatter about Spolestra being fired, with it getting to the point at times where even Wade and LeBron wouldn't vocally support Spo as the coach when asked about him. But Riley didn't give in to those petty demands and stuck with what he knew would work.

Spoelstra also doesn't get enough credit for the changes he made to Miami's offense after their first year together.

[dunksby]

yeah having Pat Riley helps. Have to give him credit with the success he's been able to have as a coach and executive. I remember through the big 3 heat's up's and down's, there was tons of media chatter about Spolestra being fired, with it getting to the point at times where even Wade and LeBron wouldn't vocally support Spo as the coach when asked about him. But Riley didn't give in to those petty demands and stuck with what he knew would work.

Spoelstra also doesn't get enough credit for the changes he made to Miami's offense after their first year together.
Spo did a better job than Pop adjusting in 2013 and he completely out-coached Brooks the previous year.

[russwest0]

Spo did a better job than Pop adjusting in 2013 and he completely out-coached Brooks the previous year.

Yup. Don't know why there are a myriad of people who try to downplay Spo and act like he is Brooks level though. Brooks got dominated coaching-wise in the 2012 finals against Spo and recently lost to the Spurs because of stupid coaching decisions and overall failing to adjust and adapt (what Spo did so well vs the Spurs).

That is one of Spo's strengths that often goes under the radar, his ability to adapt to a changing environment rather than feeling the need to force a certain playstyle, force the playing of a certain player, etc... How many times have you seen a bad coach justify a poor coaching decision with something along the lines of "that's just the type of team we are, thats just the style of ball we play, etc." Meanwhile good coaches like Spo seem to put very little stock into whatever style of ball and team that is, as long as it is effective at winning when it matters most

As an OKC fan I sit and watch the Spurs laugh their way past the Thunder in the PO's each year because Scott Brooks willingly allows them to pull Ibaka away from the 3pt line with scrubs like Bonner and Diaw, because Brooks keeps overplaying and misusing vets like Sefolosha, Perkins, Butler, etc.... yet you look at Spo and put him in the same position as Brooks and suddenly Perkins is riding the bench, Ibaka is the center, and they are going small with Durant at the PF spot and then suddenly the Spurs have it much tougher and are forced to adapt to Spo's choices.... I mean can you ever imagine the Spurs starting Bonner at the PF spot (which they did in the WCF last year) if the Thunder just started Ibaka and Durant as their frontcourt? Hell no. Bonner would get embarrassed trying to guard Durant and Durant would have it much easier on D guarding Bonner than Kawhi. It's really only a successful move that they were able to pull off because of incompetent coaching on their opponents end.

[KyrieTheFuture]

Spurs?

[russwest0]

Spurs?

Hey look, a team who puts a good deal of their efforts into finding and developing a good coaching staff can win a championship or two... go figure.

[Keno]

agreed, certain players having phil jackson the greatest coach in nba history definitely helps.

[Miles and Miles]

"I hope so" says all remaining Kings' fans today.

[GimmeThat]

So, everyone wants tenure?

[AirBourne92]

Explain how erik spolestra won 2 championships and had 4 straight finals appearances without using the words "LeBron" and "James".

Ill give Pat Riley credit for creating a winning environment before I give credit to Lebron in the way you put it.

And trust me, im not a fan of Lebron but ill give him his credit for getting his rings.

[russwest0]

"I hope so" says all remaining Kings' fans today.

George Karl is overrated, though in the right environment and surrounded by the right assistant coaches I think that he can absolutely be the right coach to get the Kings on a path to success.

[Miles and Miles]

George Karl is overrated, though in the right environment and surrounded by the right assistant coaches I think that he can absolutely be the right coach to get the Kings on a path to success.

We aren't asking for a dynasty. He's the best coach we have had since Adleman without a doubt. So just some wins would be nice.

[russwest0]

We aren't asking for a dynasty. He's the best coach we have had since Adleman without a doubt. So just some wins would be nice.

I think you'd be best off getting a smart young assistant coach who understands the analytical side of things very well to develop under Karl.

Look at the Grizzlies and their current head coach Joerger... He was an assistant for them for 6 years before being made into the head coach and he currently looks like an elite head coach... No reason you guys can't do something like that with an assistant while improving the current reputation of your team with Karl as the head coach.

[dubnation]

I think you'd be best off getting a smart young assistant coach who understands the analytical side of things very well to develop under Karl.

Look at the Grizzlies and their current head coach Joerger... He was an assistant for them for 6 years before being made into the head coach and he currently looks like an elite head coach... No reason you guys can't do something like that with an assistant while improving the current reputation of your team with Karl as the head coach.

I think this is another good example of how important a strong assistant coaching staff is. The stark contrast between the Warriors' coaching performance this year and last goes beyond the difference in ability between Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr. Kerr has surrounded himself with some of the best assistants around the league (e.g. Alvin Gentry), while Jackson's ego would not allow him to do so.

[russwest0]

I think this is another good example of how important a strong assistant coaching staff is. The stark contrast between the Warriors' coaching performance this year and last goes beyond the difference in ability between Mark Jackson and Steve Kerr. Kerr has surrounded himself with some of the best assistants around the league (e.g. Alvin Gentry), while Jackson's ego would not allow him to do so.

Dude got hired and then INSTANTLY went out and got two of the best assistants in the league on board in Alvin Gentry and Ron Adams... There were other other great hirings as well, like Luke Walton who could develop into a great assistant down the line...

I still don't understand why people made a big deal of Kerr getting 5M a year either. That's NBA scrub money yet for whatever reason people have this mindset that teams shouldn't be giving their ****ing head coaches that much money. It makes no sense to me.

[Ariza4three]

Yup. Don't know why there are a myriad of people who try to downplay Spo and act like he is Brooks level though. Brooks got dominated coaching-wise in the 2012 finals against Spo and recently lost to the Spurs because of stupid coaching decisions and overall failing to adjust and adapt (what Spo did so well vs the Spurs).

That is one of Spo's strengths that often goes under the radar, his ability to adapt to a changing environment rather than feeling the need to force a certain playstyle, force the playing of a certain player, etc... How many times have you seen a bad coach justify a poor coaching decision with something along the lines of "that's just the type of team we are, thats just the style of ball we play, etc." Meanwhile good coaches like Spo seem to put very little stock into whatever style of ball and team that is, as long as it is effective at winning when it matters most

As an OKC fan I sit and watch the Spurs laugh their way past the Thunder in the PO's each year because Scott Brooks willingly allows them to pull Ibaka away from the 3pt line with scrubs like Bonner and Diaw, because Brooks keeps overplaying and misusing vets like Sefolosha, Perkins, Butler, etc.... yet you look at Spo and put him in the same position as Brooks and suddenly Perkins is riding the bench, Ibaka is the center, and they are going small with Durant at the PF spot and then suddenly the Spurs have it much tougher and are forced to adapt to Spo's choices.... I mean can you ever imagine the Spurs starting Bonner at the PF spot (which they did in the WCF last year) if the Thunder just started Ibaka and Durant as their frontcourt? Hell no. Bonner would get embarrassed trying to guard Durant and Durant would have it much easier on D guarding Bonner than Kawhi. It's really only a successful move that they were able to pull off because of incompetent coaching on their opponents end.
Too bad this isn't true at all. Since the Heat are by far the worst 3rd Q team in the league this year.

[Artillery]

Obviously, having a great coach is important. Look at the Lakers records since the year 2000:

With Phil Jackson: 610-292 (67.6%)
Without Phil Jackson: 160-204 (43.9%)