NBA Coaches with the Most Command over the Locker Room
Coaching in the NBA is one of the most complicated jobs in all of sports.
It's not just about coming up with a cohesive starting lineup and knowing when to turn to the bench. Coaches have to understand what motivates their players and know how to reach them on a consistent basis.
They have to set the tone in practice, and they have to know when to push down hard on the gas pedal and when to back off over the course of a grueling 82-game season.
There are also times when a head coach has to reach his players with words and emotions. This takes a certain amount of presence that allows him to command the locker room.
Gregg Popovich of the defending champion San Antonio Spurs clearly has this command and perhaps more of it than any of his peers. In this piece, we look at the top NBA coaches with the most command in the locker room.
10. Monty Williams, New Orleans Pelicans
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Monty Williams has had just one winning season in his four previous years with the franchise, and there was some speculation that New Orleans might let him go at the end of last year's 34-48 campaign.
But that speculation came from the outside, and there was no indication from within that any change was going to occur. The Pelicans have had to contend with serious injuries, and Williams rarely had the opportunity to work with a healthy team.
Throughout it all, Williams ran tough practices and his word is not challenged. He is tough on the team's young players, and he runs demanding practices. There is an old-school diligence to his coaching style, and he has gotten the support from New Orleans management to remain in place for a fifth season.
New Orleans has gotten off to a 7-8 start, and it has the look of an improved team that could start to find its stride if it can finally stay healthy.
9. Terry Stotts, Portland Trail Blazers
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Terry Stotts was just another guy working the sidelines in the NBA prior to the 2013-14 season. As he started his second year with the Portland Trail Blazers and his sixth in the NBA, he had never had a winning record and had done little to distinguish himself.
However, Stotts put together a terrific offensive system that his players bought into, and the Blazers got off to a tremendous start. While his team ultimately cooled off a bit, Portland remained a good team through the end of the season and finished with a 54-28 record that allowed it to take the No. 5 seed and meet the favored Houston Rockets in the playoffs.
The Blazers took the series in six thrilling games, and Stotts established himself as a solid and respected coach. His players enjoy playing for him and his uptempo game plan, and they play hard for him on an every-night basis. The Blazers continue to show that they are in tune with Stotts' game plan as they have gotten off to a sharp 12-4 start this season.
Stotts continues to establish himself, and his command of the locker room continues to grow.
8. Jeff Hornacek, Phoenix Suns
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The selection of second-year head coach Jeff Hornacek to this list is a bit questionable because he is just in his second year, but he appears to have a long and successful career in front of him based on the way his first season went.
The Suns did not look like they would be competitive in the 2013-14 season based on the talent level on the roster, but Hornacek didn't care about outside assessments. He put in a game plan that his players bought into fully, as they passed the ball around and enjoyed a stellar offensive season.
The Suns finished with a 48-34 record, and the arrow is pointing up in Phoenix for the long term. His players not only have upgraded their play on the court, they respect Hornacek for the way he treats them in the locker room.
Perhaps some of this changes when the Suns have to deal with legitimate adversity, but Hornacek is building his team the right way, and he has the respect of the men in the locker room.
7. Stan Van Gundy, Detroit Pistons
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Stan Van Gundy may have all the appeal of an unmade bed, but he has command of the locker room as he returns to the NBA this season after a three-year absence.
Van Gundy comes back to the NBA as the the man in charge. Not only is he the Pistons' head coach, he is also head of basketball operations. That gives him power, and he is going to have time in Detroit to establish his game plan and make sure that he has the players to execute it.
Van Gundy is well respected because he is perceived as an excellent defensive coach. While his problems with Dwight Howard became a full-fledged fiasco, he helped turn Howard into an excellent defensive player. It's expected that he will eventually turn the Pistons into a tough defensive team.
Players like Van Gundy because he works them hard and helps them improve. He is a proven head coach with eight full years of experience, and he has the power and influence to help this troubled franchise improve.
6. Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City Thunder
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There is a school of thought around the NBA that Scott Brooks is a point A to point B kind of coach, but not the type of leader who is going to get the Oklahoma City Thunder to an NBA championship.
That may not be fair, since he has been competing in the same conference as the San Antonio Spurs, and that's a massive assignment for any team.
The record shows that Brooks has done an outstanding job in his first six seasons as the Thunder's head coach. He won the NBA Coach of the Year Award following the 2009-10 season, and he led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in the 2011-12 season.
There are criticisms about Brooks' X's and O's work, but when you have Kevin Durant on your side, it's hard not to depend on the NBA's Most Valuable Player to get the job done.
Brooks' players compete hard every night, and while they have gotten off to a brutal 5-12 start, that should turn around when Durant returns from the foot surgery that has sidelined him since the start of the year.
5. Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
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The initial perception on Erik Spoelstra is that he was just the guy who was lucky enough to get the ride on Superman's back, and he was able to cruise to two NBA titles.
However, just because he coached LeBron James did not mean the titles were handed to the Miami Heat automatically. In addition to the two NBA titles, the Heat went to the NBA Finals four consecutive years with James and happened to win two titles in a row.
Spoelstra had to keep a veneer of normalcy in the locker room, because it easily could have turned into a circus with LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Spoelstra did it by getting his team as prepared as possible. Spoelstra is an excellent defensive coach and he was able to make it clear to all his players where he wanted them on the floor so they could do their best defensive work.
His players respected his knowledge of the game and his preparation, and this gave him a lot more strength in the locker room than most observers realized he had.
4. Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks
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Rick Carlisle has been a head coach in the NBA for all but one season since the start of 2001-02, and he is extremely well respected in his locker room because his players know that when it comes to strategy and tactics, he is going to give them an opportunity to win much of the time.
In last year's NBA playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs were clearly the best team in the league. However, Carlisle's Mavericks extended them to seven games as he was able to play the chess game with Gregg Popovich, and he nearly got the best of the NBA's grand master.
Carlisle tends to be a bit cold to the media, but that works in his favor in the locker room. His players know that he is rarely going to roast anyone in public, and if he does, he has good reason.
Carlisle has a way of getting the most out of his players, and he does it by preaching defense, which becomes his team's foundation. His players are believers, and they respect his game-planning.
3. Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers
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Perhaps Doc Rivers belongs at the top of this list. Not only is he respected in his own locker room, he is respected in every locker room in the league for the way he held his team together in last year's playoffs while standing up for them against the racist words and deeds of former owner Donald Sterling.
Rivers is all about maximizing his team's talent. He is not going to obsess about minutes for his superstars during the regular season, because he wants all his best players to be in peak form during the playoffs. He will work his younger players into the mix and help them develop their talent as well.
He is a reasonable man to talk to, but when he feels like it is necessary, he can let a player know who's boss and that the effort seen is not acceptable.
Whether it has been in Orlando, Boston or Los Angeles, his players have loved and respected him, and they want to win for him.
2. Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls
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Tom Thibodeau sets the standard for all coaches in the NBA when it comes to preparation, teaching and strategy. He may have the edge on all coaches in the four major sports when it comes to those characteristics, because he is such a tireless worker who loves his sport unconditionally.
He goes hard to win every game, and his players know they have to leave it on the court every night for him. While there are many demanding coaches out there who push their players to the max, there aren't many who follow suit when it comes to their own job.
He's pushing himself harder than he pushes his players. It's clearly a labor of love, but he is working hard every day.
Other coaches hold him in awe as well. When he served as Mike Krzyzewski's assistant this summer for USA Basketball, he instituted the defensive sets, and he held court for 45 minutes explaining all nuances to his players. He may have been surrounded by talent and high-level coaches, but nobody had to interrupt or say anything else because Thibodeau covered all angles and possibilities.
He is as respected as anyone because of his knowledge, commitment and his desire to win.
1. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs
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Gregg Popovich is simply the best coach in the league, and he walks with Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach as the greatest coaches of all time.
He has won five championships by making sure his players meld their immense talents together and think about the good of the team at all times and not what they can do as individuals. This is a simple concept, but it's one that is particularly difficult to implement in the NBA.
His players play team basketball at all times, and individual stardom is not a factor in San Antonio. He has gotten Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard to buy in, and the result is often symphonic-like team basketball that takes the sport to a very high level.
His players know that Pop is responsible, and they respect him fully. They also love him, because he doesn't overwork his players in the regular season. He gives his players time off and even games off if he thinks the team will benefit during the most important point of the season.
