Ranking top 20 coaches Oct. 10, 2006 By Tony Mejia CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer 1. Pat Riley, Miami: He put the team together, then came back after a two-year hiatus and coached it to a championship. Riley is one of the few whose motivational ploys -- like his "15 Strong" philosophy -- can be taken seriously by veteran future Hall of Famers like Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton. Players revere him in a manner few coaches will ever know. Rightly so. Riley has won five championships and should win his 1,200th game at some point this season. O'Neal calls him the greatest coach he has played for. It's hard to disagree. 2. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio: He won more than 70 percent of his games over the past nine seasons, hanging three championship banners in the process. Although he has benefited from the presence of Tim Duncan, consider how well the Spurs persevered when transitioning from the old supporting cast (David Robinson, Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott) to the new (Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker). Pop inspires an ego-less atmosphere and wins big by exposing weaknesses while recognizing his team's own limitations. 3. Phil Jackson, L.A. Lakers: The job he did in 2005-06 was one of his best, coaxing a playoff appearance and a near upset of second-seeded Phoenix in a first-round series that went the distance. He mended his relationship with Kobe Bryant, who bought into creating opportunities for teammates in time for the postseason. Jackson's staff also worked to improve Kwame Brown and helped Lamar Odom get a better understanding of his role in the triangle. The titles won with Michael Jordan and O'Neal will always be what Jackson is remembered for, but he proved his brilliance as a coach by significantly improving a team that had glaring holes. 4. Avery Johnson, Dallas: Falling short of an NBA title in his first full season as head coach will always sting, but you can expect he'll be better for it. The coaching prodigy was outdone by Riley after taking a 2-0 win in the Finals, learning valuable lessons that he'll employ in future championship endeavors. Count on there being a lot of those for Johnson; you don't win more than 75 percent of your games right out of the gate unless you're born to coach. 5. Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix: The marriage of his philosophies and Steve Nash's talents generated 116 regular-season victories and consecutive trips to the conference finals. For those who call D'Antoni's relentless pushing of the basketball gimmicky, take into account what he accomplished last season without Amare Stoudemire. If that's gimmicky, the gimmick works. 6. Jerry Sloan, Utah: He should win his 1,000th game by early 2007, but what makes Sloan great isn't numbers or longevity, but rather a tenacity that remains infectious. In a coaching career that spans three decades, his no-nonsense style still resonates. It's also worth recognizing that Sloan could've gone out with the Mailman and John Stockton, but instead has stuck around to see the team's next generation off and running. After a rough 2005, Utah is headed in the right direction. 7. Byron Scott, New Orleans/Oklahoma City 8. Mike Dunleavy, L.A. Clippers 9. Don Nelson, Golden State 10. George Karl, Denver 11. Jeff Van Gundy, Houston 12. Rick Carlisle, Indiana 13. Scott Skiles, Chicago 14. Mike Fratello, Memphis 15. Lawrence Frank, New Jersey 16. Flip Saunders, Detroit 17. Nate McMillan, Portland 18. Bernie Bickerstaff, Charlotte 19. Mike Brown, Cleveland 20. Brian Hill, Orlando 詳細內容請見原文 http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/9718594 --

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