How does Flip Saunders rank as an NBA Coach?

On a scale of 1 through 10, compare Flip Saunders in overall coaching ability to the other 29 NBA active head coaches.

Let's do total score. 1 thru 10, 10 equals best.
Play calling and design ..P&D
Xs& Os........................X&O
Leadership, getting the most out of the players...L
In game Management..[dealing with the refs]......GM
Substitutions...........................S
-------------
P&D...............9
X&O..............9
L...................7
GM................6
S..................4
-------------------35 out of 50

I didn't spend alot of time thinking this one through, so this is a gut feeling. It's hard to argue with the regular season wins, so that puts him in the top half. His teams (Minny and Det) make the playoffs, so that helps.

However, I can't help but think that at least a dozen coaches may have the same success given the teams that Flip has coached.

Riley (current champ)
Jackson (winningest coach alive)
Popovich(always a contendah)
Brown (out of the league, but close to my heart)
D'Antoni (keep running, baby!)
Johnson (runner up, in his first year)
Nelson (always fun to watch his teams)
Sloan (tuck your shirt in, son)
Skiles (defense!...thump thump... defense!)
McMillan (took the Sonics pretty far with the fancy shootin')
Thomas (his Pacers were tough, his Knicks are improved)
Carlisle (for the first two seasons, until the team tunes him out)
Saunders (best regular season record in Pistons history)

Here is a list of coaches. It may help you decide. I only saw 8 that I like less than Flip.

HoopsHype - NBA Coaches

Flip is the definition of average NBA coach. He does a lot to improve the team. And he does a lot to make the team worse. Larry Brown may be the pinnacle of being the most destructive and the best dang coach in the league at the same time, but Flip sure is trying his best.

The five coaches in the top tier are clearly Jackson, Popovich, Johnson, Riley, and Sloan.

In the second tier I have Nate McMillan, Rick Carlisle, Byron Scott, Scott Skiles, Lawrence Frank, and Mike D'Antoni. That makes twelve.

Whether he's better than Zeke, Jeff Van Gundy, George Karl, Don Nelson, Mo Cheeks, and a couple of others is questionable and/or a matter of taste. I think he was outcoached by Mike Brown in last year's playoffs, and I'm not sure than Brown is even in this third tier. So, borderline top half.

Nelson<defense=<Championship~Saunders

Here are my top ten and although numbered, each have the ability to exceed expectations depending on combined GM-coaching duties, contracts, staff assistants, cap room. Add to this the particular style of play determined by team culture, ownership, market placement and media-fan sophisication.
1. Popovich
2. Jackson
3. Riley
4. DeAntoni
5. Karl
6. Sanders
7. McMillian
8. Van Grundy
9. Nelson
10. Johnson

There is a whole side to coaching that we never see. I don't really know how he does in the film sessions, motivating the team in the locker room, dealing with players' personal issues, etc. I'm open to the possibility that he is good at those things.

I guess the main reasons I don't like him are that he hasn't shown any creativity OR old school approach. It's like he's caught in the middle.

He stubbornly played guys like Flip Murray, Nazr, Hunter way too much while he didn't develop the younger players as much as he could have. He hasn't done anything strategy-wise that surprised me in a positive way. Some of those last second play calls made me sick to my stomach. I don't like the jump shooting philosophy and feel like we are doomed to fail with poor shooting against a good playoff team.

Given all of that, I still think he is probably in the top half of the coaches in the league.

Deep down inside, I really want to see Laimbeer get his shot while the team still has talent.

I am a Laimbeer fan as well. I feel like he is an excellent motivator who emphasizes defense. This impression is based on an interview with Swin Cash I read a few years back.

My problems with Flip:

1.Doesn't seem to really understand the importance of defense. Scoring is great, look at the Wizards, Suns, and Mavericks. Combine that scoring mentality with lockdown defense, and great things happen.

2. The playbook. I've read soooo much about the playbook, and when the Pistons are in the groove, things look great. Put a little defensive pressure on them though, and the playbook seems to be... one pass and jack up an ill advised jumper. Seriously, someone needs to introduce "the paint" to Mr. Saunders.

3. Plays out of timeouts. See #2.

4. Matchups. Flip doesn't seem to really recognize the advatages this team has against other teams. It seems like he is married to "the system" and never strays. Adaptability is important, and I haven't seen too much from the head coach.

I struggled deciding whether to put Flip into the Top 9 or the Top 12. I like some guys like Isiah and Avery, but it's still early to see how they fit into this list. As of today, here are my top nine:

1. Jackson
2. Riley
3. Popovich
4. Sloan
5. Nelson
6. Karl
7. Rivers
8. D'Antoni
9. Saunders

TheLow, you think there are 12 coaches worse than Flip Saunders? I thought Flip was part of the axis of evil?

Anyone got the playoff records for all of them? That would be some interesting info. I'd look it up myself, but I'm feeling lazy today.

wood...I wonder if those were her thoughts based on the philosophy Bill has coached her...or if she was just repeating Bill's disgruntlement with Flip's coaching style? In any case, she's right on the money.

Avery Johnson may not have a very long track record, but he's top 6 in my book. Skiles is top 12. Know why? They coach with a passion like all good coaches do...they inspire players to motivate themselves.

Flip seems cliche and passionless in interviews & postgames. I'd love to see a practice some time.

detteam, did something get jumbled in your post?

I don't think that matters too much. If it did, then how is that Bill Belichick's teams have managed to win anything? To put it mildly, Flip's record can't compare with Belichick's, but I don't think it's any more fair to criticize one of them for being passionless with the media than it is the other.

If you show too much personality, everyone will want your time. There is an art to sounding so lifeless.

He's awful alright. But, even he, sir, is no Don Cheney.

Townsfolk-Harming, Explorer-Lacerating Ogre of Wrath
accurate...