Odd Twist

     This is a hard list to make because there are so many that could possibly go on this list. I am not sure why certain coaches stick around the NBA coaching circles and continue to get recirculated into a new team. Somehow I think different owners see one good aspect of a person and figure they can get different results. As for how I chose the coaches, the criteria is relatively straightforward. I looked for coaches who mainly are unable to make adjustments to the other team whether it be in game, at the half, or from game to game in the playoffs. Another good criteria is the teams performance in the clutch since it basically boils down to execution of a game plan if there is one and how well the coach has instilled confidence in his players to execute. Development of young players is another key facet of a good coach. Finally, a good coach should be able to get the most out of a player to the point where if that player goes to another team, he appears to be a lot worse on the new team. Finally, the coach has to have been a head coach for a couple years so we get a true evaluation of their skills.

     Of course, Isiah Thomas would be high on this list but he fled the scene and now is in the college game so he is exempt from this list.

     5. George Karl: His teams always fail in the clutch. Notice how Denver thinks and claims they are the best but always lose the close playoff games to the Spurs and now Lakers. I assume Karl assumes his team is better and therefore decides adjustments would be a waste of time.

     4. Don Nelson: His teams are always mediocre.

     3. Doc Rivers: He was blessed with a true leader and clutch player in Paul Pierce, a clutch shooter in Ray Allen, and an emotional leader and stats guy in Kevin Garnett. He rode this talent and did not really have to coach. Knock out one piece and his flaws show. He too doesn’t understand how to make an adjustment and so he just hopes his players figure it out.

     2. Mike Brown: He rides LeBron and it showed. No offensive gameplan and no adjustments throughout a series where they were getting pounded.

     1. Mike Woodson: Far and away the worst coach in any of the 4 leagues. His own GM tried to fire him several times but the cheap owners denied the request. He has the worst stretch of 82 games of any team ever (check me on this but I believe it is true). He cannot stand playing any young guy and plays them until they make one mistake and then yanks them and bad mouths them. He overplays his older guys throughout the season and then wonders why they are tired and get injured come playoff time although their injuries provide him with a nice excuse. The players that leave the team are much better on their new team since their new coach recognizes and utilizes their strengths instead of trying to force them into positions which expose their weaknesses. No offense game plan. The main play is Iso Joe. No defensive game plan except to stress defense but not actually have a defensive plan. The plan is to switch every pick and hope that the other team doesn’t notice they are doing it because then they will run a couple picks to get a favorable match up at which Woodson will hope that Josh Smith will block the shot. The team got into the 2nd round only due to the fact that their young nucleus got better over the years despite the coaching.

     The factors that go into this are a combination of public perception, salary, and actual play. So, obviously if a player thinks they are great, the public thinks they are great, and they really are not that good, but they only play for the veteran’s minimum then they are NOT overrated since they play for a low pay.Now take the opposite extreme of a player who nobody thinks is great, the player probably realizes he is not very good, and he makes around 20 million per year. This player is also not overrated. I tried not to penalize someone based on their injury status or history because that would cover too many people and really is not a reflect of talent i.e. Speedy Claxton

     5. Kevin Garnett: Definitely a talented player, I cannot deny that. Probably the most talented of this group. But keep in mind he is the highest paid player in the NBA and makes about $25 million per year. I would think a $25 million per year guy would be the floor leader and the clutch guy on the team but nope, that award goes to Pierce. He is scared to shoot in the 4th and will over pass. Just take a look at how he could only lead his team so far in Minnesota, then faked injury (up for debate) so he could force the owner into trading him to a “contender”, and then was magically healed once traded. I loose respect for all supposed stars who want to be traded to a contender. First off, if you are a star, you should make your team a contender. Secondly, if you didn’t demand so much money, maybe the team could get some stars to play around you.

     4. Chris Bosh: I feel sorry for whoever signs him to his upcoming max contract. It will be one of the biggest wastes of money that summer. There is not much to say about Bosh. He cannot lead a team, that much is obvious. He is not a true big man but more of a Jermaine O’Neal type who can only find a true home if he can play along a star.

     3. Vince Carter: He could be number one on this list. He perhaps brings the largest crowds to the arenas and definitely is one of the more athletic players in the league and at times he can really take over but he has show in Canada and said as much, that he does not always play hard. It did not really need to be said since it was obvious if you ever watch him play. The team he was on a couple years ago in New Jersey was top notch but he is also a guy who needs to play second fiddle. One good gauge to see if a person is second fiddler is by looking at players who really light it up and are clutch against much weaker opponents but who always seem to just miss when playing good opponents. Meet Mr. Carter.

     2. Shawn Marion: The ultimate stat stuffer. He gets a few boards, a few points, a few assists. What he doesn’t do is make a difference. He goes largely unnoticed and is probably not worth more than about $12 million a year. To make as much as Pierce and Dirk, its a shame this is allowed because I would take 1/2 of either one for all of Shawn. There is a reason teams are willing to trade him.

     1. Carmelo Anthony: The worst part about Carmelo is that he talks about himself interchanging himself with LeBron. The only thing they have in common is being in the same draft. Carmelo is currently not the best player on his team (that would be Chauncey Billups), not the most cerebral (Chauncey again), and not the most clutch (I’ll let you guess on this one). He is what I call a stat stuffer. His stats are always good but he needs a leader on the team to show him what to do and someone to take over at the end. Yeah I know he made a game winning shot against Dallas but I think (and I realize this is just a thought) that he thought they were going to blow the whistle which makes that shot 100x easier. In addition, his baby attitude of wining when he gets pulled, and a couple years ago, whining when he was supposed to go back in. He apologized after his mother told him to. Then we will never forget his backpedaling against a midget in a fight after a sucker punch. Add to that a cheap shot on Ginobili when they were about to lose the series in the first round and you have a spoiled baby. For all his talk and bravado, he is what I call a 2nd tier star. These are guys who get max contracts but need to play second fiddle on a team to succeed. He tops the list.