2010 NBA Finals: Are the Two Coaches Tough?

On Wednesday, I rated my top five punks and tough guys from the Boston and LA teams that are playing in the NBA Finals. 

Before the series begins, I want to know from readers if the head coaches from both teams are tough.

A reader said that he thinks Doc Rivers is tough.  I think he is, too.

He was never afraid to go to the hoop or play tough defense in his playing days.

On top of that, Rivers has been through the playoff wars as a player for the Atlanta Hawks.

Rivers had to learn street survival skills to navigate through Chicago, where he was born.  I think he would've made Orlando a tougher team than Stan Van Gundy has.

But Rivers was fired after the 2003 season, so Orlando's loss was Boston's gain.

The players sometimes take on the personality of their coach.

You can look at Boston's roster in this series.  They return with the core group of players who were on the 2008 NBA Championship team.

They pissed off the Lakers in the Finals that year, who now want revenge.  We'll see if the Lakers are up to the challenge.

Phil Jackson is a great coach, but I think he's always ridden on the backs of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant.  He's a little tough, but he never had to start a team from scratch.

To me, the Lakers became more of a finesse team after Shaq left.

Little Kobe and Shaq could no longer co-exist.  Since Kobe wanted to be numero uno, somebody had to go.  Jackson, with his psychology background, played it safe and let Kobe have his way.

That's why I put Kobe on my punks list.

Jackson didn't have to develop street smarts growing up, since he was the son of a minister in North Dakota.  Now, come on.  Who really fights in North Dakota?

I give Jackson credit for being on the 1973 New York Knicks championship team.  Have the Knicks won another title since then?

At least Jackson is one-up on Rivers in the championship department.

Jackson wouldn't last as coach in a blue-collar town like Boston.  That's why he's laid-back Cali, crossing his legs when he's on the bench.

If this is his last year coaching, good riddance.

And Jackson can take the boss' daughter back to the cabin in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and chill.