At the conclusion of the 2008-2009 season, Phil Jackson surpassed Red Auerbach for the most championships by a head coach.

So, many people have decided Phil Jackson is now the best coach in the league.  Well, I would take Red Auerbach, and a bunch of other coaches over Phil Jackson almost any day of the week.

Is Phil a good coach?  Yes.  Is he an immortal coach?  Hardly.  Let us look back at the two teams he won titles with. Prior to the 1989-1990 season, when Phil Jackson took over as head coach of the Bulls, the team lost to the eventual champion Pistons.  The team already had developed stars Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright.  The team was ready to compete for a title, Jackson was on the gravy train.  The situation was no different when Jackson took over for the Lakers in 1999.  The team already had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.  They lost to the champion Spurs in 1999 and made it to the Eastern Finals in 1998. 

Jackson has done absolutely no player development.  Even when he came back to the Lakers in 2005, he had Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.  They won the championship by trading for Pau Gasol.  Whether or not you like him, he is and was then one of the most talented players in the world.  Jackson is the ultimate bandwagoner.  He has never had to come to a team and build players, make them the best.  Also, NBA officials have admitted over time that they let Jordan and some other superstars (including Kobe and Shaq, all three players of which, have been coached by Jackson) get by with a few more fouls. 

The triangle offense, a staple of Jackson, wasn't even his idea, it belonged to his long-time assistant Tex winter.  In conclusion, it took Jackson 19 years and two teams to get 10 titles, on teams he absolutley no hand in building prior to his assumption of head coach and were already there. 

Red Auerbach on the other hand, built the entire Celtics dynasty, almost from scratch. He developed and mentored Hall of Famers like Bill Russell, John Havlichek, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and many more.  He built a dynasty that dominated the league, nine titles in 10 years.  He brought the team to compete against the likes of some of the greatest teams ever assembled that included Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, who is 'the' symbol of the NBA.

After he stepped down, he had a hand in the Celtics next 7 titles, including picking Bill Russell as the first black coach in the NBA, drafting such players as Dave Cowens, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.  He still remains the standard for coaching and building teams.  So I will take Auerbach and day.

I don't even think Jackson is the best coach today, but that is a whole differnet post.....

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

Comments (2)

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Add Comment