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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

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Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

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  • NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

    http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2010/10/...gregg-popovich



    SB Nation 2010-11 NBA Preview
    NBA Coach Power Rankings: Which Head Coaches Are The Best Of An Elite Group?
    By Mike Prada - Editor

    There are a ton of outstanding head coaches in the NBA, but which ones rise above all the rest? With the season just two weeks away, we unveil our NBA coach rankings.

    Oct 12, 2010 - NBA coaches suffer from the worst kind of stereotyping. People see that only six coaches have won an NBA title in the last 20 years and assume that means there are only a handful of capable coaches in the league. People also see the short shelf life for so many NBA coaches and assume that means coaches can simply be recycled willy nilly.

    But that stereotype couldn't be further from the truth. The reality is that there are too many good coaches, not too few. Pretty much every NBA head coach has spent years learning about the game on the frontlines, whether it's as a player, a scout, an assistant coach or all of the above. (Well, unless you're Vinny Del Negro). They've absorbed more information than, frankly, anyone writing about the game will ever forget. At the end of the day, this is a coach's league.

    More than any other NBA personnel man, a head coach has so many things to worry about. They're the public face of the franchise, the first person to answer when things go right or wrong. Internally, they have to manage a small group of players and prevent them from getting tired of each other. They need to motivate them to perform, design innovative formations to put them in the best positions to succeed and still find a way to give them the latitude to play the game like it was meant to be played. They have all the control, and at the same time, they have no control. Oh, and they have to do all this while being paid significantly less money than the players they're supposed to control.

    All this is to say that every man on this list is more than capable. However, some are better than others, and not necessarily because they have better won/loss records. With the NBA season just two weeks away, here's one attempt to try to figure out which coaches are the best of an impressive group of talent.

    Note: We're going to put the four first-time head coaches at the bottom of this list simply because they cannot be accurately ranked. This does not necessarily mean they are the four worst head coaches in the league.

    30. Larry Drew, Atlanta Hawks

    Drew takes over the Hawks' coaching job after the team fired Mike Woodson this summer. Skeptics will look at Drew's small salary compared to his peers and assume he was brought in simply because he came cheap, but he's at least paid his dues as an assistant. Drew comes in promising to change the Hawks' offense to one that more heavily emphasizes team play, but it will be a major challenge for him to get through to a group that's played one way together for many years.

    29. Keith Smart, Golden State Warriors

    It feels like Smart has been a head coach in-waiting for a while, but the longtime assistant will finally get his chance with the Warriors after Don Nelson stepped down just prior to training camp. With Nelson's health declining, Smart has essentially ghost-coached the team recently, so you have to wonder why he'd have more success. At least he's paying lip service to radically overhauling their system and making it more half-court oriented.

    28. Monty Williams, New Orleans Hornets

    At age 39, Williams will be the youngest coach in the NBA this season. He became head coaching timber after just five years as an assistant in Portland, taking the Hornets job earlier this summer. Williams' strength is player development, which makes him a good fit for an increasingly young Hornets roster. But as long as Chris Paul is around, the priority is to win now, and Williams' lack of experience could be an issue under those circumstances.

    27. Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls

    Over the past few years, Thibodeau has probably become the league's most famous assistant coach, and he parlayed that success into the head coaching job in Chicago. His fame isn't without merit - he was the mastermind behind the Celtics' great defense of the past couple seasons - but he's also a first-time coach, and his offensive pedigree remains an open question. The biggest test will be whether he can get Derrick Rose to play better defense and become a better setup man.

    26. Kurt Rambis, Minnesota Timberwolves

    * Coaching History: Los Angeles Lakers (1999), Minnesota Timberwolves (2009-present)
    * Record with current team: 15-67
    * Overall record: 39-80
    * Best season: 2009-10 Wolves is only full season
    * Worst season: 2009-10 Wolves is only full season
    * Playoff record: 3-5
    * Biggest strength: Hard-working
    * Biggest weakness: Unable to gain respect of team's best players

    Kurt Rambis is a classic example of why you often can't go from respected assistant to head man in this league. He got a second chance at a head coaching job for the Timberwolves after emerging as Phil Jackson's defensive guru in Los Angeles, but his first season in Minnesota was a disaster. Rambis tried to install the Triangle Offense with a team that could not have been a worse fit, and he strangely played his best and most coachable player, Kevin Love, less than 30 minutes a game. Rambis was definitely dealt a bad hand with that roster, but he made it worse. His previous head coaching experience was an uninspiring half-season babysitting the talented, but undisciplined 1999 Lakers, which also doesn't inspire confidence.

    25. Jay Triano, Toronto Raptors

    * Coaching History: Toronto Raptors (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 65-82
    * Overall record: 65-82
    * Best season: 2009-10 Raptors (40-42)
    * Worst season: Only one full season
    * Playoff record: N/A
    * Biggest strength: Offensive tactics
    * Biggest weakness: Terrible defensive coach

    The Raptors fired Sam Mitchell and promoted Triano early in the 2008-09 season because Triano's philosophy fit more closely with the European-style floor-spacing offensive style of the roster. But a head coach also needs to stress and emphasize defense to accompany that style, and Triano has failed in that respect. Last season, the Raptors were the league's worst defensive team, and it felt like Triano was pleading for better defense rather than demanding it. Perhaps Triano rebuilds his reputation now that the Chris Bosh situation has been resolved, but if not, it's worth installing a more defensive-oriented coach.

    24. Vinny Del Negro, Los Angeles Clippers

    * Coaching History: Chicago Bulls (2008-2010), Los Angeles Clippers (present)
    * Record with current team: First year
    * Overall record: 82-82
    * Best season: Both seasons were the same
    * Worst season: Both season were the same
    * Playoff record: 4-8
    * Biggest strength: Not afraid to hand playing time to youngsters
    * Biggest weakness: Designs overly simplistic offensive schemes

    Del Negro was an odd hire by the Bulls back in 2008, considering he had no coaching experience of any kind. In two years with Chicago, he coached like ... a man with no previous head coaching experience. His game plan on both ends was overly simplistic, and he struggled with in-game coaching adjustments. To his credit, he kept his team playing hard at least. Now, he heads to the Clippers, who hope his simple style is the right fit for their young roster. They probably should have gone with a proven coach that knows how to develop young players in this league.

    23. Jim O'Brien, Indiana Pacers

    * Coaching History: Boston Celtics (2000-2004), Philadelphia 76ers (2004-05), Indiana Pacers (2007-present)
    * Record with current team: 104-142
    * Overall record: 286-300
    * Best season: 2001-02 Celtics (49-33, Eastern Conference finalist)
    * Worst season: 2009-10 Pacers (32-50)
    * Playoff record: 14-17
    * Biggest strength: Inspires solid defensive performances
    * Biggest weakness: Encourages poor offensive shot selection

    O'Brien's coaching career has been defined by one trademark. He's historically given his players free reign to shoot, so long as they play hard defensively in return. The end result is that he's presided over a bunch of average teams that chuck a lot and defend well (yes, even the current Pacers, who have been better defensively than offensively once you adjust for pace). That's not a winning formula, but it's not a losing formula either. It's surprising that he's still the Pacers coach, especially considering the cryptic comments he made about youngsters Josh McRoberts and A.J. Price last year.


    22. Doug Collins, Philadelphia 76ers

    * Coaching History: Chicago Bulls (1986-1989), Detroit Pistons (1995-1998), Washington Wizards (2001-03), Philadelphia 76ers (present)
    * Record with current team: first year
    * Overall record: 332-287
    * Best season: 1988-89 Bulls (47-35, Eastern Conference finalists)
    * Worst season: 2002-03 Wizards (37-45)
    * Playoff record: 15-23
    * Biggest strength: Brilliant at designing set plays
    * Biggest weakness: Inability to relate to his players

    Former Washington Post writer Michael Leahy summed up Doug Collins in one passage during his book When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback. Leahy quoted a former Detroit Pistons official who had this to say about Collins.

    "If we could have called a time out every minute, we might have won every game."

    Indeed, it's Collins' basketball knowledge that makes him among the best coaches to have in your corner in a late-game situation. That said, his emotional and erratic style has caused him to wear out his welcome at three different NBA stops. Why the Philadelphia 76ers believe the fourth time will be the charm is beyond me.

    21. Byron Scott, Cleveland Cavaliers

    * Coaching History: New Jersey Nets (2000-2004), New Orleans Hornets (2004-2009), Cleveland Cavaliers (first season)
    * Record with current team: First season
    * Overall record: 352-355
    * Best season: 2001-02 News (52-30, Eastern Conference Champions)
    * Worst season: 2003-04 Hornets (18-64)
    * Playoff record: 33-24
    * Biggest strength: Commitment to sound defensive principles
    * Biggest weakness: Overly conservative in his half-court offenses

    Scott's had a weird NBA coaching career. In New Jersey, he rode Jason Kidd to two Finals appearances, then was fired because he was too intense. In New Orleans, he rode Chris Paul to 56 wins, then was fired because everyone other than Paul thought he was too lax. It seems Scott overcompensated after being tuned out in New Jersey, so it'll be interesting to see what happens in Cleveland. Scott's schemes are simple, which often lead to quick improvement, but he really set the Hornets back by not playing rookies Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton last year before being fired. The Cavaliers are not young, but they are rebuilding, so Scott will need to place more trust in young players in the future than he did in New Orleans.

    20. Paul Westphal, Sacramento Kings

    * Coaching History: Phoenix Suns (1992-1996), Seattle Supersonics (1999-2001), Sacramento Kings (2009-present)
    * Record with current team: 25-57
    * Overall record: 292-216
    * Best season: 1992-93 Suns (62-20, Western Conference champions)
    * Worst season: 2009-10 Kings (25-57)
    * Playoff record: 27-22
    * Biggest strength: Easygoing nature with youngsters
    * Biggest weakness: Erratic player rotations

    Westphal was an interesting hire by the Kings last season, but he did better than I expected. The team's win-loss record was poor, but Westphal wasn't afraid to give young players a chance, and many of them, especially Tyreke Evans, rewarded him with solid play. Westphal will need to correct his tendency of resorting to erratic player rotations. Fifteen players played at least 10 minutes per game last season, and while lots of that had to do with trades, that's still entirely too many people. Westphal alienated veterans in Seattle and Phoenix by fluctuating their minutes. Once the Kings are ready to content, he'll need to curb that habit.

    19. John Kuester, Detroit Pistons

    * Coaching History: Detroit Pistons (2009-present)
    * Record with current team: 27-55
    * Overall record: 27-55
    * Best season: 2009-10
    * Worst season: 2009-10
    * Playoff record: N/A
    * Biggest strength: Offensive creativity (though it didn't show last year)
    * Biggest weakness: Unwillingness to push the pace

    It's impossible to get an accurate read on Kuester after one season in Detroit, so we'll stick him here. His roster is a mess, and it suffered a lot of injuries last year. We'll have a better idea of Kuester's coaching chops after this season.

    18. Lionel Hollins, Memphis Grizzlies

    * Coaching History: Vancouver Grizzlies (1999-00), Memphis Grizzlies (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 53-68
    * Overall record: 71-114
    * Best season: 2009-10 Grizzlies (40-42)
    * Worst season: That's his only full season as a coach
    * Playoff record: N/A
    * Biggest strength: Offensive ingenuity
    * Biggest weakness: Defensive chops

    Hollins did an excellent job with the Grizzlies last season, coaxing some sort of team play out of a roster of shoot-first players. For a year, it was pretty remarkable. If Hollins can keep it up, he will certainly surge ahead of the coaches ahead of him that have more of a track record. Until then, though, we'll stick him here and hope he finds a way to get the Grizzlies to play defense.

    17. Scott Skiles, Milwaukee Bucks

    * Coaching History: Phoenix Suns (1999-2002), Chicago Bulls (2003-2007), Milwaukee Bucks (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 80-84
    * Overall record: 361-335
    * Best season: 2006-07 Bulls (49-33, second-round playoff appearance)
    * Worst season: 2008-09 Bucks (34-48)
    * Playoff record: 18-24
    * Biggest strength: Great defensive coach
    * Biggest weakness: Hard-line style tends to wear on players

    Scott Skiles is the Will Ferrell of NBA coaches. He has only one dimension, but that dimension is proven to work. In Skiles' case, that dimension is defense. No matter who he has on his roster, Skiles will always get them to defend. The problem is that Skiles neglects the offensive end, where his teams always rely too heavily on long-range two-pointers. His teams also pretty much stopped listening to him in his third full season on the job in his last two stops. This is Skiles' third full season in Milwaukee, so it's worth watching whether the trend continues or whether the third time is the charm.

    16. Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks

    * Coaching History: Detroit Pistons (2001-2003), Indiana Pacers (2003-2007), Dallas Mavericks (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 105-59
    * Overall record: 386-270
    * Best season: 2003-04 Pacers (61-21, best record in the East)
    * Worst season: 2006-07 Pacers (35-47)
    * Playoff record: 37-41
    * Biggest strength: Consistent player rotations
    * Biggest weakness: Can sometimes favor an underperforming veteran to a dynamic young player

    Carlisle and the Mavericks are a perfect match for each other. Carlisle's teams always execute well, because Carlisle himself is always well-prepared. He had his issues being too intense early in his career, but he's mellowed since coming to Dallas. Carlisle's problem is that he has a tendency to bury promising youngsters that could provide the necessary spark to push his good teams over the top. Rodrigue Beaubois is the latest example, but the same could be said of Tayshaun Prince in Detroit. Carlisle's offensive sets can be complicated, which is fine for veterans, but not always good for younger players.

    15. Avery Johnson, New Jersey Nets

    * Coaching History: Dallas Mavericks (2005-2008), New Jersey Nets (present)
    * Record with current team: first year
    * Overall record: 194-70
    * Best season: 2005-06 Mavericks (60-22, Western Conference champions)
    * Worst season: 2007-08 Mavericks (51-31, first-round playoff exit)
    * Playoff record: 23-24
    * Biggest strength: Outstanding defensive coach
    * Biggest weakness: Intense style can wear on his players

    It's hard to argue with Johnson's record, which is impeccable, but I think it overrates him as a coach. He inherited a nice situation in Dallas, and while he deserves credit for pushing that team even further than Don Nelson did before him, he also deserves blame for how it fell off after the shocking playoff upset to the Warriors in 2007. There really isn't that much of a difference between Johnson and Skiles. Both inspire great defensive efforts from their teams and build their offenses around mid-range shooting, but both wear on their teams. The major difference is that Johnson had Dirk Nowitzki, the best mid-range shooter in basketball. The Nets are hoping Johnson can foster a toughness the team lacked last year, but you have to wonder whether he's the right voice for such a young team.

    14. Flip Saunders, Washington Wizards

    * Coaching History: Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2005), Detroit Pistons (2005-2008), Washington Wizards (2009-present)
    * Record with current team: 26-56
    * Overall record: 613-452
    * Best season: 2005-06 Pistons (64-18, Eastern Conference finalists)
    * Worst season: 2009-10 Wizards (26-56)
    * Playoff record: 47-51
    * Biggest strength: Most creative tactician in the league
    * Biggest weakness: Struggles to encourage unity when faced with adversity

    Flip Saunders gets a bad rep in some respects. He's seen as a guy who cannot get the respect of his players, despite all the success he's had in the league. That obscures some major things Saunders brings to the table. He's a creative mind, both offensively and defensively, and that manifests itself in the most detailed playbook in basketball. He's run into some problems with veteran players that do not like how he tends to avoid conflict, but many of those players later say they wish they had Saunders back. Saunders does have a tendency to fire a shot, then back down when the player gets upset, something that cost him with the Wizards last season. He hasn't coached a young team in a very long time, so this year should be an interesting challenge for him. In many respects, his creativity and emphasis on player development should be a better fit for a younger roster.

    13. Alvin Gentry, Phoenix Suns

    * Coaching History: Miami Heat (1995), Detroit Pistons (1998-2000), Los Angeles Clippers (2000-2003), Phoenix Suns (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 70-41
    * Overall record: 249-267
    * Best season: 2009-10 Suns (54-28, Western Conference finalists)
    * Worst season: 2000-01 Clippers (31-51)
    * Playoff record: 12-9
    * Biggest strength: Ability to get players to like him
    * Biggest weakness: In previous stops, was walked over a bit.

    Alvin Gentry's won-loss record is pretty mediocre, but that's an unfair way to judge him as a coach. He was caught in a terrible situation with the Clippers, and his previous stops came when he was promoted after the incumbent was fired. That's also how he became the Suns' head coach, but he's done an outstanding job in altering the Suns' style without tinkering at their essence. He and his staff deserve all the credit for developing the Suns' bench last year, which is something Mike D'Antoni never did. His players respect him, though that was sometimes a problem at previous stops. It looks like he's learned a lot from his time as a Suns assistant.

    12. Larry Brown, Charlotte Bobcats

    * Coaching History: Denver Nuggets (1976-79), New Jersey Nets (1981-83), San Antonio Spurs (1988-92), Los Angeles Clippers (1992-93), Indiana Pacers (1993-97), Philadelphia 76ers (1997-2003), Detroit Pistons (2003-2005), New York Knicks (2005-2006), Charlotte Bobcats (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 79-85
    * Overall record: 1089-885
    * Best season: 2000-01 76ers (56-26, Eastern Conference Champions)
    * Worst season: Technically, the 1988-89 Spurs, but in reality, the 2005-06 New York Knicks (23-59)
    * Playoff record: 100-93
    * Biggest strength: Commitment to defense and fundamentals, leading to quick improvement
    * Biggest weakness: Poor offensive coach, flakiness

    Brown's the most difficult coach on this list to rank. He's similar to Skiles and Johnson, except he has an NBA title under his belt. Whereas Skiles and Johnson take teams to a certain level, Brown can often bring them over the top. It's impossible to argue with all his success in all those stops, so we have to put him in the top 12. That said, he's never been able to build a good offense, and it's a huge red flag that he cannot commit to one team. He's made the Bobcats better, but he's also completely remodeled the team and made a bad salary cap situation even worse. Is it all worth it? Probably, but it's still distressing.

    11. Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat

    * Coaching History: Miami Heat (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 90-74
    * Overall record: 90-74
    * Best season: 2009-10 Heat (47-35, playoff team)
    * Worst season: 2008-09 Heat (43-39, playoff team)
    * Playoff record: 4-8
    * Biggest strength: Attention to detail, especially defensively
    * Biggest weakness: Offensive creativity

    Spoelstra obviously has the most to prove this season, so he could shoot way up or way down the next edition of this list. In his short time as a coach, he's impressed me with his work ethic and ability to coax a strong defensive effort out of his team. Spoelstra keeps things simple on both ends of the floor, and his Heat teams have overachieved the last two seasons. That'll obviously have to change (particularly offensively) with Miami Thrice in town, but I have a feeling LeBron James and Chris Bosh will enjoy Spoelstra's dedication.

    10. Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City Thunder

    * Coaching History: Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 72-79
    * Overall record: 72-79
    * Best season: 2009-10 Thunder (50-32, playoff team)
    * Worst season: Only full season
    * Playoff record: 2-4
    * Biggest strength: Ability to relate to young players and get them to defend
    * Biggest weakness: Jury still out on tactical skills

    Tenth may seem pretty low for the reigning Coach of the Year, but Brooks simply doesn't have the record of the guys in front of him. His young team clearly respects him, as indicated by their outstanding defensive performance last season. They also had a tendency to perform extremely well after timeouts, which is the sign of a good coach. That said, Brooks was outcoached tactically in key late-season games and in the playoffs, and he'll have to maintain the defensive effort without lead assistant Ron Adams, who returned to Chicago. Many coaches have won Coach of the Year and then failed to evolve. Brooks runs the risk of continuing the trend if he adds nothing to his mindset from last year.

    9. George Karl, Denver Nuggets

    * Coaching History: Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-86), Golden State Warriors (1986-88), Seattle Supersonics (1992-1998), Milwaukee Bucks (1999-2003), Denver Nuggets (2005-present)
    * Record with current team: 278-172
    * Overall record: 986-671
    * Best season: 1995-96 Sonics (64-18, Western Conference champions)
    * Worst season: 1984-85 Cavaliers (36-46, still a playoff team)
    * Playoff record: 74-93
    * Biggest strength: Ability to motivate players
    * Biggest weakness: Tends to foster undisciplined play in key moments

    Anyone who doubts George Karl's coaching value should pop in some tapes of the 2009-10 Denver Nuggets late in the season. Karl's illness singlehandily ruined a potential Western Conference finalist, and getting him back is huge for the Nuggets as they maneuver through stormy waters. Few inspire and motivate their players better than Karl. He always gets his players to play hard, fostering a crazy atmosphere that wrecks havoc on his team's opponents. The double-edged sword is that his teams often make silly mistakes and underachieve in the playoffs.

    8. Mike D'Antoni, New York Knicks

    * Coaching History: Denver Nuggets (1999), Phoenix Suns (2003-2008), New York Knicks (2008-present)
    * Record with current team: 61-103
    * Overall record: 328-275
    * Best season: 2004-05 Suns (62-20, Western Conference finalists)
    * Worst season: 2009-10 Knicks (29-53)
    * Playoff record: 26-25
    * Biggest strength: Most creative offensive mind in basketball
    * Biggest weakness: Stubborness can often alienate, confuse complimentary players

    With all the unrest in New York over the past couple of years, it's easy to forget about D'Antoni, but he remains one of the league's premier coaches. The Knicks' roster is hardly stacked, but for the first time in D'Antoni's tenure, they have a team built to play his style. D'Antoni is not perfect -- he stubbornly relies on a short rotation despite playing at a breathneck pace - but he's a brilliant offensive mind that understands the key to a good offense in this league is eschewing the mid-range jump shot. He's also able to turn tweenters into productive players, something we should keep in mind when thinking about newcomer Anthony Randolph. He's also a better defensive coach than people realize, though his team's defensive rankings are a bit misleading because D'Antoni preaches a low foul rate, sometimes at the expense of preventing points.

    D'Antoni's reputation took a bit of a hit with the success of Alvin Gentry in Phoenix this year, but I think he rebounds this year with an interesting Knicks roster.

    7. Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics

    * Coaching History: Orlando Magic (1999-2003), Boston Celtics (2004-present)
    * Record with current team: 280-212
    * Overall record: 451-380
    * Best season: 2007-08 Celtics (66-16, NBA champions)
    * Worst season: 2006-07 Celtics (24-58)
    * Playoff record: 46-40
    * Biggest strength: Ability to motivate players
    * Biggest weakness: Sometimes struggles to develop young players

    It's been an interesting ride for Rivers in Boston. Three years ago, he was firmly on the chopping block. He confused his young players with strange player rotations and complicated schemes that weren't conducive to good player development. The organization still had faith in him, though, and he's rewarded them with an outstanding coaching performance during the Big 3 era.

    Last year may have been his best year yet. He took a lot of criticism for taking it easy on the players during the season, but that approach kept the team fresh and fueled their deep playoff run. Rivers' strength is as a motivator, and he's smart enough to cede tactical responsibility to his assistants. It'll be interesting to see how he responds to not having defensive ace Tom Thibodeau at his side quarterbacking the defense this season.

    Rivers had indicated that his time in Boston is going to end after this year, but it appears he's having second thoughts about leaving an organization that's been good to him. The Celtics would be wise to commit to Rivers now before he has a chance to change his mind.

    6. Nate McMillan, Portland Trail Blazers

    * Coaching History: Seattle Supersonics (2000-2005), Portland Trail Blazers (2005-present)
    * Record with current team: 198-212
    * Overall record: 410-395
    * Best season: 2004-05 Sonics (52-30, second-round playoff appearance)
    * Worst season: 2005-06 Blazers (21-61)
    * Playoff record: 12-16
    * Biggest strength: Designs brilliant half-court offenses
    * Biggest weakness: Can be inflexible with slow pace

    The league's most underrated coach, McMillan proved his chops yet again by somehow guiding an injury-riddled Blazers roster to 50 wins last year. McMillan has done an excellent job developing the Blazers' young talent, and he handled stormy waters well in bringing the touchy Andre Miller into the fold last year. Many peg McMillan incorrectly as a hard-nosed, defensive-oriented coach; in reality, his biggest strength is constructing deadly efficient half-court offenses. He can be a little inflexible, preferring smart half-court players to athletic transition scorers, but usually it's justified. McMillan is under a lot of pressure this year to lead the Blazers past the first round of the playoffs and could be made a scapegoat for the team's injury problems if he can't do that. If so, he should vault to the top of every team's coaching search.

    5. Rick Adelman, Houston Rockets

    * Coaching History: Portland Trail Blazers (1989-1994), Golden State Warriors (1995-1997), Sacramento Kings (1998-2006), Houston Rockets (2007-present)
    * Record with current team: 150-96
    * Overall record: 902-577
    * Best season: 1989-90 Blazers (59-23, Western Conference champions)
    * Worst season: 1996-97 Warriors (30-52)
    * Playoff record: 79-78
    * Biggest strength: Brilliant offensive mind
    * Biggest weakness: Occasional inability to motivate players in high-pressure situations

    In 18 seasons as a head coach, Adelman has had a losing record just two times. That speaks to his ability to adapt to any kind of roster. In Portland, Adelman had an up-tempo team whose strength was rebounding and fast breaking. In Sacramento, Adelman had an elite passing team whose strength was half-court offensive execution. In Houston, Adelman has an elite defensive team with a traditional post-up player - until last year, when he had to adjust and push the tempo with Yao Ming sidelined. He's managed to succeed with all these styles, which makes him among the most adaptable coaches in the NBA. He gets criticized because his players have historically lacked the mental toughness to advance in the playoffs, but usually Adelman's clubs have just run into better teams. More than anyone, Adelman is victimized by the reality that superstars win in the NBA.

    4. Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz

    * Coaching History: Chicago Bulls (1979-1982), Utah Jazz (1988-present)
    * Record with current team:
    * Overall record: 1096-659
    * Best season: 1996-97 Jazz (64-18, Western Conference champions)
    * Worst season: 2004-05 Jazz (26-56)
    * Playoff record: 98-104
    * Biggest strength: Sticks to offensive system that works
    * Biggest weakness: Style can break down in playoffs

    Twenty-two years after taking over the head coaching job from Frank Layden, Sloan is still going strong. He demands respect from his players in a way that few other coaches ever can, though it helps that the front office gives him a lot of job security. More importantly, Sloan has subtly changed his approach, with great success. Once upon a time, the Jazz ran more pick and rolls than anyone in the NBA. Now, they run the fewest, instead relying on a Flex offense that drives defenders crazy. Every year, a new coach tries to integrate Sloan's Flex principles into their team, and every year, they fail to do it. That's a testament to Sloan's coaching skills, as well as the way he commands his players' attention.

    3. Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic

    * Coaching History: Miami Heat (2003-2005), Orlando Magic (2007-present)
    * Record with current team: 170-76
    * Overall record: 282-149
    * Best season: 2008-09 Magic (59-23, Eastern Conference champions)
    * Worst season: 2003-04 Heat (42-40, second-round playoff team)
    * Playoff record: 45-31
    * Biggest strength: Ability to motivate players on both ends
    * Biggest weakness: Hard-nosed style could wear on players, though it hasn't happened yet

    Van Gundy is the rare coach that manages to be colorful and demanding. His players respect the former, and in turn, they are willing to live with the latter. His arrival immediately coincided with the Magic's rise to the top of the Eastern Conference, because Van Gundy was smart enough to understand that he needed to put shooters around Dwight Howard. Van Gundy has been outspoken in his belief that one key to being a successful team is eschewing the mid-range jump shot, and so far, his teams have walked the walk. More impressively, he's built arguably the league's premier defense despite having below-average individual defenders at three key positions (point guard, shooting guard and power forward). Having Howard helps, but it isn't everything. Van Gundy's ability to stay intense without being repetitive is why he's so high on this list.

    2. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

    * Coaching History: San Antonio Spurs (1997-present)
    * Record with current team: 736-362
    * Overall record: 736-362
    * Best season: 2002-03 Spurs (60-22, NBA champions)
    * Worst season: 2009-10 Spurs (50-32, second-round playoff exit)
    * Playoff record: 106-69
    * Biggest strength: Is respected by everyone
    * Biggest weakness: Occasionally inflexible with his system, though usually with good reason

    Popovich and Phil Jackson are basically 1 and 1a on this list, but I'll give the slight edge to Jackson because he's a little more flexible with integrating talented players into his system. That's no slight on Popovich, but there are very rare times when he doesn't make the best use of talented players that don't fit his style.

    That's me nitpicking to the nth degree, though. Nobody earns his players' respect better than Popovich. His teams are always outstanding defensively and they all understand the importance of being efficient on offense. Having Tim Duncan helps, but it was Popovich that immediately earned Duncan's respect. Popovich is also the league's premier player development coach, making stars out of raw youngsters like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Despite his age, Popovich is the ideal man to lead to Spurs once they inevitably start rebuilding.

    1. Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers

    * Coaching History: Chicago Bulls (1989-1998), Los Angeles Lakers (1999-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2005-present)
    * Record with current team: 553-267
    * Overall record: 1098-460
    * Best season: 1995-96 Bulls (72-10, NBA champions)
    * Worst season: 2006-07 Lakers (42-40, still a playoff team)
    * Playoff record: 225-98
    * Biggest strength: Ability to fit superstars into team setting
    * Biggest weakness: How good is he without superstars?

    Yes, Jackson has had elite talent, but if anything, his ability to consistently win with such talent is another feather in his cap. We hear so many stories in this league about star players ignoring or not respecting their head coach, but that hasn't happened with Jackson, dating all the way back to his first season in 1989-90. No other coach received Michael Jordan's respect, and no other coach has received Kobe Bryant's respect, either. Jackson's patience is ideally suited to being a professional coach, and his emphasis on fundamentals and simplicity has been essential in making the phrase "Triangle Offense" so hip.

    The bottom line is that coaching great talent is often harder than coaching average talent, because great talent comes with large egos and a lot of baggage. It's easy for a coach to either let the superstar get away with anything or alienate him by being too hard on him. Jackson manages that balance better than any NBA coach today, and frankly, better than any coach in modern NBA history.

  • #2
    Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

    There are 7 (!!) coaches that are worse than Obie??????

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

      Stan Van Gundy at number 3?


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      • #4
        Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

        Originally posted by Hibbert View Post
        http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2010/10/...gregg-popovich




        * Biggest strength: Inspires solid defensive performances
        Last edited by 31andonly; 10-12-2010, 03:10 PM.

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        • #5
          Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

          Biggest strength: Inspires solid defensive performances
          Wow , thats incredible how the writer came to that conclusion
          Sittin on top of the world!

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          • #6
            Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

            Avery Johnson ahead of Rick Carlisle?

            Nate McMillen ahead of Doc Rivers?
            "Look, it's up to me to put a team around ... Lance right now." —Kevin Pritchard press conference

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            • #7
              Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

              Originally posted by 90'sNBARocked View Post
              Wow , thats incredible how the writer came to that conclusion
              The raw stats and stats adjusted for pace actually back up the assertion that Jim is a far better defensive coach than an offensive coach.


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              • #8
                Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

                "Inspires solid defensive performances." Let me clarify. Here is what the writer is actually saying:


                Inspires = Lesser talented players getting big minutes

                Solid = That's as good as you're going to get out of that crew

                Defensive = Clearly his team should focus on their offense instead with the makeup of your roster

                Performances = Mounting Losses


                This roster has not been fit to be a great defensive team. We are closer now than we were a few years ago. We need to continue making this degree of progress with such talented young players. (And cap space to utilize next summer).
                "Your course, your path, is not going to be like mine," West says. "Everybody is not called to be a multimillionaire. Everybody's not called to be the president. Whatever your best work is, you do it. Do it well. … You cease your own greatness when you aspire to be someone else."

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                • #9
                  Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

                  O'Brien is probably right around 23 considering you can't really say the rookie head coaches are better than him although they can't be much worse.

                  Stan Van Gundy number 3? Ahead of Jerry Sloan and Rick Adelman? Please that's bull.

                  Mike D'Antoni and Nate McMillan probably shouldn't be in the top ten. I defiantly think that Rick Carlise and Scott Skiles are better than those two although.

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                  • #10
                    Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

                    I am expecting a lot of argument from many of you, Jim is by far the worst coach in the NBA. How can this writer suggest he is 23rd best. Actually though there are only 3 coaches listed lower than JOB who have ever been a head coach in the NBA.


                    5 best coaches currently in the NBA in no particular order -
                    Jackson
                    Sloan
                    Popovich
                    Larry Brown
                    Skiles

                    if we can get any of those 5, then lets fire JOB right now.

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                    • #11
                      Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

                      Yeah, I think those 7 behind him are basically rookies and Minnesota's coach. Wait another year, and they'll be mostly in front of him... other than Minnesota's coach.

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                      • #12
                        Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

                        Originally posted by Unclebuck View Post
                        I am expecting a lot of argument from many of you, Jim is by far the worst coach in the NBA. How can this writer suggest he is 23rd best. Actually though there are only 3 coaches listed lower than JOB who have ever been a head coach in the NBA.


                        5 best coaches currently in the NBA in no particular order -
                        Jackson
                        Sloan
                        Popovich
                        Larry Brown
                        Skiles

                        if we can get any of those 5, then lets fire JOB right now.
                        Come on Buck...he really is a bad coach. It's as simple as that.

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                        • #13
                          Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

                          I'm surprised more people don't give Doc Rivers some love. He's top five IMO.

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                          • #14
                            Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

                            I'm not surprised he's ranked at #23, it's all subjective. I expect Monty Williams and Tom Thibodeau to surge ahead of O'Brien very quickly.

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                            • #15
                              Re: NBA Coach Power Rankings: O'Brien 23rd

                              Who are the best available coaches not working right now?

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