Ranking Best Coaches Remaining in 2013 NBA Playoffs

Only four head coaches remain in the NBA playoffs, and they all guided their team to the conference finals in a different way. 

None of the teams that are still alive have been forced to play in a seven-game series, but that could very well change in the upcoming rounds. The remaining teams are all very well coached, so it will take crisp and efficient performances to win games moving forward. 

Don't expect many coaching errors as the end of the postseason draws near, as each head coach thoroughly understands his team and how to maximize its strengths. 

The coaches will be ranked using various criteria, with past success, their team's current form and overall performance this season each factoring in. 

Just because a coach is having success with one team doesn't mean that same success could be easily extrapolated to a different situation. Just like anything else, certain coaches are better at dealing with certain players due to both personality and personnel reasons.

Who would you want leading your favorite team when it matters most?

Leave your preferred coach and reasoning in the comments section. 

4. Lionel Hollins

It's tough to start this list with Lionel Hollins, as he has been an excellent coach for the Memphis Grizzlies all season. That being said, the other remaining coaches are the very best that the NBA has to offer. 

When the Grizzlies hired Hollins back in 2009, then-assistant coach and former teammate Johnny Davis said the following about Hollins, according to CommercialAppeal.com:

"

He's going to be thoroughly prepared and he's a great X's and O's coach. He has the ability to communicate very well with players. He'll be demanding but in a fair way. Everyone will know it's about getting the team to be better and getting players to be better. Players will respect that.

"

That summation of Hollins has proven to be exactly true, and his arrival sparked the Grizzlies' culture change that made this deep playoff run possible. 

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Hollins has won 51.6 percent of his regular-season games and 58.1 percent of his postseason contests. Neither mark is extremely impressive, although the Grizzlies are 8-3 in the playoffs after two rounds. 

Hollins is a competent coach in every aspect. He gets the most out of his players, has installed an excellent defensive system and doesn't get shaken in big moments. 

Memphis has a legitimate chance to overcome the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, as Hollins has implemented a system on both ends of the court that fits his personnel. 

With Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol on the interior, Hollins has emphasized starting the offense from the inside and working the ball outside, a tactic that has been efficient since the Rudy Gay trade. 

When the Grizzlies decided to jettison Gay midseason, some thought it would cripple the team's postseason hopes for this season. That hasn't been the case, however, as Memphis is actually better with Tayshaun Prince in the starting lineup. 

According to 82Games.com, the Grizzlies lineups featuring Prince over Gay are better in effective shooting percentage, effective shooting percentage allowed to opponents and in net free-throw attempts. 

One thing is for sure: Hollins deserves a lot of credit for making adjustments once Gay and his average of 16.4 shots per game left town. 

3. Frank Vogel

Frank Vogel has developed young talent well, as both Roy Hibbert and Paul George were selected to their first All-Star games under his tutelage. 

With Vogel on the bench, the Indiana Pacers fight hard every night and play excellent defense. According to HoopsData.com, the Pacers led the league in defensive efficiency and finished second in scoring defense. 

Vogel deserves a lot of credit for preaching defensive ideals, as the Pacers' play on that end of the court has fueled their ascension into the league's elite. 

The Pacers Achilles' heel has been their bench, as the second unit averaged just 25.3 points per game during the regular season. (h/t HoopsStats.com)

Imagine how dominant Indiana would be with a competent bench, as only the Portland Trail Blazers received less production from their reserves. 

No team had to depend on their starters more than the Pacers, but Vogel adapted by finding a way to maximize the production of his starters while properly managing their minutes. 

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Vogel has won 60 percent of his regular-season contests and 51.4 percent of his postseason games. His playoff record should improve moving forward, as the Pacers have a bright future due to their young assets, including George and Hibbert. 

Also, the Pacers have managed to make a run this season without Danny Granger, who led the team in scoring during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. 

2. Erik Spoelstra

Take a second to ponder the following: What would have happened if the Boston Celtics had defeated the Miami Heat in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals?

While it's impossible to say if Erik Spoelstra would have been relieved of his duties, the victory made him one of the most secure coaches in the league. 

It's easy to forget how much scrutiny Spoelstra was under prior to winning his first NBA title, but there was a fair share of speculation about him being the wrong man for the job. After earning his first ring, Spoelstra finally started to get credit for all of his hard work. 

Spoelstra has been nothing short of a basketball genius since the inception of the Big Three era.

From the onset, he has preached defense, which is evident from the numbers. In each of the past three seasons, the Heat have finished among the league's top six in scoring defense on each occasion. 

Also, Spoelstra created a unique offense that centered on the talents of the best player in the world: LeBron James. The Heat play small ball better than any other team in the league, and Spoelstra deserves a lot of credit for installing the system and overseeing the team's progression. 

Pundits attempt to diminish Spoelstra's contributions due to the talent he has on his roster, but he shouldn't be criticized for coaching skilled players such as James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. 

Once James decided to bring his talents to South Beach, it signified the union of a team that was going to be defined by intense external and internal pressure. Instead of succumbing to the stress, Spoelstra led the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2011 and 2012 and is just four wins away from representing the Eastern Conference for the third straight year. 

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Spoelstra has won 66 percent of his regular-season contests and 64.6 percent of his playoff games during his five-year tenure with the Heat. 

1. Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich is the only remaining coach to win multiple titles, so ranking him first was a no-brainer. Throughout the span of his career, Popovich has won 68.1 percent of his regular-season games and 61.3 percent of his postseason contests, according to Basketball-Reference.com. 

Pop has four rings in his collection, as he led the Spurs to the NBA title in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. 

What can be more impressive than winning four rings?

If anything could be, it would the Spurs' unprecedented level of consistency in the last decade and a half. 

While Popovich isn't going to be mistaken for a light-hearted leader, his players obviously love competing for him. The success that Pop has found is cemented in his relationships with his players, and the Spurs' streak of 14 straight 50-win seasons perfectly represents that. 

Winning 50 games in itself is an accomplishment, so to do it 14 straight years is almost unthinkable. There have been plenty of bumps in the road for the Spurs, but Popovich has proven to be the best in the business at solving problems.

Being a good coach requires a variety of skills, as game managers must invent strategies that bring out the strengths of their players while minimizing their weaknesses. There is also a large social component to coaching, which is often a tough line for most coaches to toe. 

Popovich has no problem toeing that line, as evidenced by his decision to bench Tim Duncan for the final minutes of the Spurs' series-clinching win against the Golden State Warriors. 

At this point, Duncan and Pop have created a relationship that is unshakable, which has in turn manifested itself in the locker room. 

The Spurs might not be the favorite to win the NBA title, but if they do get knocked out, it wont' be due to poor coaching.