Miami Heat: 10 Coaches That Could Be Better Than Erik Spoelstra
Grumblings in the locker room. Disses during press conferences. Frustrated players. The star player’s attitudes being questioned during practice. And now debates surfacing on if a bump in passing was “inadvertent” between the team’s best player and his coach?
Yep, the “heat” has become literal regarding the seat of Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra and by the looks of things, it just a matter of time. So which coach can step in and help LeBron, Wade, Bosh and the rest of the squad get back to smoke machines and choreographing intros again?
Here are 10 coaches that should get a look. Some might be complete fantasy while others should get a serious consideration.
10. Mark Jackson
1 of 10
Okay, so sitting behind the table and being one of the best color commentators in NBA doesn’t automatically deliver wins as a coach right away (Doug Collins anyone?), but with the Heat’s talent, Jackson will have a much easier chance of winning.
His fire, hip lingo, connection to players and mind set as a team leader after a stellar career as a point guard should do the trick. Plus, he’s never got that ring. Everyone will be hungry.
9. Rudy Tomjanovich
2 of 10
He’s tasted the champagne baths in back-to-back wins with the Rockets in ’94 and ‘95, and made an effort to do a balancing act with a Lakers squad that tried to get Hall-of-Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton rings to no avail due to health reasons in 2004.
Always known as a “players’ coach,” he would fit in nicely with The Heat. Why not give it a try?
8. Sam Mitchell
3 of 10
People still wonder why Toronto canned him last season, but hey, he’s sitting as an assistant coach with the Nets and would love the chance to get the Heat from lukewarm to hot.
Like some of the other coaches listed, he never had this kind of firepower under one roof and was still Coach of the Year in 2007.
This could be his chance to go from a good coach to a great one.
7. Maurice Cheeks
4 of 10
He’s worked with a few of the Top 50 all time basketball players in League history and will get instant respect with the experience Mr. Cheeks has.
To add, his point guard career with a championship team in ’83 should help the Heat learn how to share a lot better. No, he didn’t win with Iverson, but which coach could?
6. Don Nelson
5 of 10
Come on, Don Nelson invented the "point forward" system, is the most winningest coach in NBA history and he brought beer to every press conference. What's not to like?
Sounds like Nellie Ball would be a nice fit here -- at least for this year. Let's bring him to the East.
5. Patrick Ewing
6 of 10
For starters, LeBron wouldn’t bump him.
Seriously, Ewing’s worked with both Van Gundy brothers so when it comes to the East, he knows it up and down. To add, the Heat is missing a legitimate big man, so he will do his best to work with what he has so that LeBron and Wade get some better support in the paint.
Perhaps the time is now to finally make him a head coach after earning so much experience as an assistant--especially with the Magic, which can really help in the end. At least the respect will be there regardless of no bling on the fingers. Hell, he might even need to suit up with the Miami's current middle being more soft than a Twinkie's.
Give Pat a chance.
4. Mike Fratello
7 of 10
Fratello’s experience surely doesn’t hurt. Plus, he was Coach of the Year so he knows what he’s doing.
With experience coaching three different teams and getting paid to dissect every team in the NBA as a color analyst, maybe the fourth time’s a charm for the man who ranks 19 on the NBA's all-time win list.
Plus, a chance to win his first ring has to add some fuel to the fire to win.
3. Mike Brown
8 of 10
The Cavs did Brown dirty by making him the scapegoat for a team that simply didn’t have the same talent the Celtics and Magic had.
Amazingly, no one gave him a second chance. Yeah, LeBron worked with him for five years and although they didn’t win the big one, The King misses the fun and license to kill Brown granted him and with Wade on the wing, results will be on the upswing.
Bring him in during the Cleveland visit on December 2nd, and it will be an even more dramatic return to their old stomping grounds. They'll just need more security than President Obama during the visit.
2. Jeff Van Gundy
9 of 10
We will surely miss his humor behind the mic while he called games, but his knowledge of the game, fire, mentoring from Riley and involvement with some of the most memorable playoff games in the history of the NBA, who wouldn’t want to see him go against his brother and the Magic in a possible Eastern Conference Championship matchup?
Plus, if there’s a scrum, let’s hope he rides the leg of an opposing player once again. He might not guarantee a World Championship, but he will surely get an A+ for entertainment.
1. Pat Riley
10 of 10
His name comes up the most and for good reason.
No matter how Van Gundy puts it, the facts remain: Riley took over when things weren’t going according to plan back in 2006 which resulted in the Heat’s sole championship, and it’s time to do it again.
Although Dywane Wade is reportedly not feeling like going through yet another return of the Hall-Of-Famer, too bad.
Get ready for the ultimate return and one hell of a Christmas present for NBA fans when he debuts on December 25 against no else but the Lakers. The ratings are going to be even higher thanks to this adrenaline shot of media hype.
