You don't win multiple championships by being lucky - unless your Phil Jackson. Popovich has turned his Spurs from the slow moving, boring Spurs into a faster paced, more exciting style while maintaining their defensive reputation. Still a team in championship contention, Pop is grooming the young players on the team like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Tiago Splitter and centering the team from the aging Duncan to Parker.
Known as a players coach, Doc is loved and respected by his players, especially his championship Celtics squad. He motivates and relates to his players, while also teaching them every step of the way. He has good relationships with his players and the chemistry translates on the court.
3. Tom Thibodeau - Chicago Bulls
Achieving the league's best record with a lone superstar is one thing, but then achieving the league's best record again without the lone superstar is impressive at worst. Like the two coaches ahead of him on this list, Thibodeau gets his players to play hard night in and night out. He is a defensive guru, winning the championship with the Celtics in '08 as an assistant coach, and has a bright future as a head coach in this league.
4. George Karl - Denver Nuggets
George Karl is one of the best in coaches in NBA history that hasn't won a championship. He's come close with Seattle's Gary Payton-led team and Denver's Carmelo Anthony-led team, and seemed to always be the underdog. He's beaten a number one seed as an eighth seed in the playoffs, and that really speaks volumes. He wasn't known as a young players coach until recent, but he has been bringing up this Denver core of Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried, Javale McGee, and Danillo Gallinaro and handling their inexperience well, almost upsetting the Lakers in the first round last year.
Adelman is actually in the same place as Karl: one of the best that hasn't won a ring, coming close a few times with the Kings and the Rockets, and now coaching very young, high potential teams. Adelman's team, on the other hand, hasn't seen the playoffs in quite sometime but it sure to be in the race this year if their players can stop getting injured.
Honorable Mention: Monty Williams - New Orleans Hornets
Another young, up and coming coach who will grow with and teach a young unit with a core of Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers, and Eric Gordon, we'll see how far Monty Williams takes this team in the future.
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