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NBA_coaches_05.sTitle = "Who would you want?";
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NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Larry Brown","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050608/NBAcoach_larry_brown.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "J.p. Moczulski", "Reuters", "129", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "LARRY BROWN, PISTONSIn-game adjustments: He’s adept at creating defensive schemes on the fly to befuddle the most explosive opponents, like he did in last year’s Finals with Kobe Bryant and this year’s Eastern Conference finals with Shaq. He’s a little slow to change course sometimes when single coverage of an opposing superstar isn’t working.
Motivation: His years in basketball enable him to command respect. Even the most difficult personalities, like Allen Iverson in Philadelphia and Rasheed Wallace in Detroit, eventually comply with his wishes.
Experience: There aren’t too many coaches in basketball who can boast his varied background. He coached two clubs in the old ABA, seven in the NBA and two in the college ranks since first becoming a head coach in 1972.
Intangibles: He has often been maligned for having a wandering spirit. He’s never happy and never stays in one place too long. He’s a genius while he’s coaching, but he has problems with commitment.";
NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Gregg Popovich","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050608/NBAcoach_gregg_popovich.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Elsa", "Getty Images", "114", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "GREGG POPOVICH, SPURS
Strategy/planning: Pop is another defensive wizard who rarely gets the respect from the general public that he richly deserves. His teams are always prepared defensively, but they’re also extremely difficult to stop when they have the ball because he’s skilled at creating mismatches, whether it be inside with Tim Duncan or on the perimeter with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
In-game adjustments: He’s one of the best defensive coaches in the NBA, and he achieved that status by being able to react quickly when the other team goes on a run. In the conference finals, whenever one of the Suns got a hot hand, Pop was able to react and devise a way to shut him down, or in the case of Amare Stoudemire, slow him a bit.
Motivation: Because he has a military background, having attended the Air Force Academy, he’s much more of a no-nonsense guy than people realize. But he also has a great understanding of the modern-day NBA player, which has allowed him to thrive where others would have been eaten up because the Spurs respect him.
Experience: Having been to two previous NBA Finals –- winning both, in 1999 and 2003 –- Popovich knows what it takes to coax a veteran team through a long 82-game grind plus the postseason, and he knows how to get his team ready for a big series.
Intangibles: The Spurs are probably the NBA’s most gentlemanly team, which is a reflection of their head coach. However, it sometimes helps to have a mean streak when playing nastier foes, and this is somewhat of a problem under Popovich’s reign.";
NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Rick Carlisle","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050608/NBAcoach_rick_carlisle.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Elsa", "Getty Images", "123", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "RICK CARLISLE, PACERS
Strategy/planning: He doesn’t have the same amount of experience as many of his colleagues, but he makes up for it with a fanatical work ethic and a deep desire to improve and compete. He is one of pro basketball’s brightest young coaches and has held his own when matching wits with some of his more illustrious peers, like Detroit’s Larry Brown.
In-game adjustments: It’s impossible for a head coach to get his team as far as Carlisle got the Pacers this year with the roster in such disarray without being able to think on one’s feet. Moving his pieces around to cover areas of weakness, Carlisle proved this may be his greatest strength.
Motivation: He had problems in this area in Detroit, where he seemed to alienate the players with his rigid ways. But he has learned from that experience, and now he’s able to fire up his Pacers -– and they respond.
Experience: He’s only been a head coach in the NBA for four seasons, and although he’s come a long way in a short time, he could go down as one of the all-time greats if luck is with him and he gets to hang around for a while.
Intangibles: He’s fiercely loyal to his players, as evidenced by his yearly calls to media types lobbying on their behalf for postseason awards. That kind of devotion goes a long way toward getting players to buy into a coach’s philosophy.";
NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Jerry Sloan","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050608/NBAcoach_jerry_sloan.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Jack Smith", "AP", "116", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "JERRY SLOAN, JAZZ
Strategy/planning: His teams usually are intensely competitive even when the talent level isn’t high. That testifies to Sloan’s understanding of the entire league and his skill in being able to get his Jazz ready. He’s a defensive guru, but opponents’ inability to defend his pick-and-roll over the years shows he also knows how to coach offense.
In-game adjustments: One of the best. He doesn’t miss a trick. He can see an opponents’ trend before it becomes too damaging and make moves to counteract it. His substitution pattern is usually flawless, although he sometimes gets angry with a particular player, exiling him to the bench and thereby allowing his ire to affect his decision-making.
Motivation: He is one of the league’s toughest taskmasters, and that doesn’t always work with every player. Just ask Carlos Boozer or Greg Ostertag. For guys who are willing to work hard and do what is necessary to win, he’s a father figure. For those who can’t deal with it, he’s a real mother.
Experience: Played 11 NBA seasons, the last 10 with the Chicago Bulls, where he developed a reputation as a hard-nosed defender. He has served as a head coach for three years in Chicago and the past 17 seasons in Utah. He has never won an NBA championship, yet he also hasn’t lost his intense desire to compete for one.
Intangibles: He’s a small-town, tractor-pull kind of guy. No pretensions. No B.S. Players know that when he says something, it will be straightforward and honest, whether they like what they hear or not.";
NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Phil Jackson","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050608/NBAcoach_phil_jackson.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Jed Jacobsohn", "Getty Images", "105", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "PHIL JACKSON, LAKERS
Strategy/planning: An excellent technician when preparing his team in the triangle offense. As a defensive strategist, he did a splendid job of using his resources in Chicago, but wasn’t as successful in getting the most out of the Lakers on that end.
In-game adjustments: One of the knocks on Jackson is his penchant for allowing his veteran players to work their way out of trouble. So he doesn’t take too many timeouts and doesn’t make many adjustments. His use of his bench is inconsistent and sometimes mystifying.
Motivation: His much-ballyhooed Zen-like approach to the game works superbly with veteran players who need a leader but who don’t need an in-your-face coach. Yet Jackson has been known to occasionally read the riot act to people like Shaq and Michael Jordan. He strikes the perfect balance. Motivating players in-game, and over the course of an entire season, is one of his great strengths.
Experience: He was a head coach in the CBA for five years before becoming an assistant in Chicago. Then he became the Bulls’ head man in 1989 and won six titles in nine seasons. He came to the Lakers in 1999 and won three straight championships right off the bat. He is tied for Red Auerbach for most titles by an NBA head coach with nine.
Intangibles: Jackson has been criticized for taking jobs in Chicago and Los Angeles where championship-caliber teams were already assembled. He has not yet proved he can do what Larry Brown does, which is take an average team and raise it close to an elite level.";
NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","George Karl","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050608/NBAcoach_george_karl.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Douglas C. Pizac", "AP", "116", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "GEORGE KARL, NUGGETS
Strategy/planning: As a strategist, he’s not recognized as being one of the league’s most innovative minds. But as a planner, he’s terrific, because whether it’s coaxing or cajoling a sulky superstar to get in line, or in infusing his entire squad with the confidence that they can win, there aren’t too many who are better.
In-game adjustments: He does a workmanlike job of substituting and reacting to an opponents’ moves. He’s loyal to veterans and is more likely to stick with a veteran player longer than he probably should during a game.
Motivation: This is where he excels. The Nuggets were a mess before he came this year. He turned around the players’ attitudes and convinced them they were a playoff team. He’s personable and knows how to reach the modern player.
Experience: He’s been around longer than you might think. Five years as a head coach in the CBA. Then 17 more in the NBA with five different clubs. He’s only had three losing seasons during his 22 seasons as a head coach, and only one in the past 15.
Intangibles: He can definitely make a team better, but he hasn’t proved yet that he can lift a team to a championship level, primarily because his teams rarely play great defense. He took the Sonics to the Finals in 1996, but they really were not a threat to Jordan’s Bulls.";
NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Jeff Van Gundy","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050608/NBAcoach_jeff_van_grundy.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Glenn James", "Getty Images", "120", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "JEFF VAN GUNDY, ROCKETS
Strategy/planning: Learned from one of the best in Pat Riley. He understands the value of breaking down an opponent and sticking to a game plan. He did a great job in New York of keeping his team in contention throughout the season even though the talent level was shaky. Like Riley, he knows just when to push his stars and when to ease up over the course of a season.
In-game adjustments: Like Phil Jackson, he’s the type to trust his veterans and let them work out of trouble. But he’s not nearly as hands-off as the Zen Master and is more likely to use a timeout to calm his troops down and help them regain their focus rather than impart any game-breaking Xs and Os wisdom.
Motivation: He’s another players’ coach. Besides having a love of and appreciation for the game of basketball, he also respects players and is able to get them to listen. NBA players usually don’t respond that well to coaches who haven’t played in the league, but Van Gundy is one of the few exceptions.
Experience: He was a high school head coach, a college assistant and an assistant with the Knicks before getting his shot as head coach, replacing Don Nelson in March, 1996. He served as head man in New York for six seasons after that, reaching the Finals in ’99. He took over the Rockets prior to last season.
Intangibles: He has an unhappy streak. He does seem to become weary of the grind of the NBA and sometimes wonders aloud about his future. And his recent tirade this postseason about a conspiracy by the officials illustrates how his frustration level can sometimes reach absurd limits.";
NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Stan Van Gundy","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050608/NBAcoach_stan_van_grundy.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Victor Baldizon", "Getty Images", "119", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "STAN VAN GUNDY, HEAT
Strategy/planning: Obviously he became a much better strategist when the Heat acquired Shaquille O’Neal. But last year he did an exceptional job preparing his team for the playoffs; the Heat weathered a brutal seven-game first-round series against New Orleans with an uneven mix of talent, then gave Indiana a tussle before bowing out in six. This year Van Gundy proved he knows how to strike a balance between the inside dominance of Shaq and the perimeter prowess of Dwyane Wade.
In-game adjustments: He’s probably a step behind when tangling with more esteemed coaches like Larry Brown. But he knows how to keep going with a hot hand; he knows when Shaq is lively and when he is listless and reacts accordingly; and he’s good at making key substitutions.
Motivation: He’s a straight shooter, and players like that. He will tell them when they’re on and when they’re not without having to yell. He was able to spend an entire year with Shaq without the big man once complaining publicly about him –- as he has done in the past with other head coaches, including Phil Jackson -- so he must be doing something right.
Experience: He bounced around in the college ranks before joining the Heat, where he spent eight seasons as an assistant under Pat Riley. Stan and his brother Jeff grew up in a basketball family. Their father Bill was a coach in college.
Intangibles: He’s a rather cool customer who never panics and never seems to allow the pressure to rattle him. Unlike his brother Jeff, Stan has a sunny disposition and that optimism rubs off on his players."; NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","factors","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Strategy/Planning","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "How does the coach develop and implement a plan that suits his players? Is he inovative and does he adjust when his personnel changes? Does he excel at planning for a particular oppponent, especially during a drawn out playhoff series?"; NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","In-game adjustments","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "This is all about adjusting on the fly, changing your strategy to address unexpected factors that come up during a game. How do you adjust to shut down the opposing player who suddenly got hot? What kind of play do you come up with during a timeout late in the game? How do you adjust when a key player gets into foul trouble?"; NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Motivation","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "A key part of coaching in the NBA is managing the egos of a high-priced and sometimes pampered roster. Can you figure out what makes your players tick, and get them to buy into your plan? If they won't play for you, all the talent in the world won't help."; NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Experience","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "The more situations you've experienced in coaching, the better you know how to deal with them when they come up. A coach with experience can also learn from his past failures."; NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("","Intangibles","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); NBA_coaches_05[i-1].body = "Do the players view your personality with admiration, and take it on as their own on the court? Do you have a way of getting the referees on your side? Do you have the magic touch with substitutions, and with foreseeing how a game will be played?"; NBA_coaches_05[i++] = new Array("8161173","Make your pick","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data