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Does a First Time Coach Make it Les Likely A Team Will Win a Championship

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by crash5179, Jun 8, 2016.

  1. crash5179

    crash5179 Contributing Member

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    Les Alexander:
    Les Alexander’s statement sounds logical. An experienced coach should give a team a better chance to reach the final and win than a young coach. But we all know that Steve Kerr took a Golden State Warriors team that was no better than the Houston Rockets while Mark Jackson was coaching and has them about to win their 2nd straight championship. But he is just an outlier right?

    How many NBA coaches were able to win a championship that didn’t win one at their first head-coaching job? What I found is that if you don’t win a championship at during your first head coaching Job you will probably never ever win one. In the last 36 years there have only been 5 coaches who were able to win a championship after not winning won at their first attempt at a head coaching job.

    The following list does not indicate the Rockets cannot win a championship with Mike D’Antoni but it certainly suggests you probably shouldn’t place a bet on it happening.

    First time NBA head coaches that won a championship with their 1st teams
    Steve Kerr – won championship in 1st seasons and 2 total
    Greg Popovich – won championship in he 2nd full season with Spurs and 5 total
    Eric Spolstra – won championship in 4 season and 2 total
    Phil Jackson – won championship in 2nd season and 11 total
    Pat Riley – won championship in 1st season and 5 total
    Rudy Tomjanovich – won championship in 2nd season and 2 total
    K.C. Jones – won championship in 1st season and 2 total
    Billy Cunningham – won championship in 3rd season 1 total
    Paul Westhead – won championship in 1st season 1 total


    Recycled Coaches to Win Championships that did not win with their original team
    Rick Carlisle – 1 with Dallas
    Doc Rivers – 1 with Boston
    Larry Brown – 1 with Detroit
    Chuck Daily – 2 with Detroit
    Bill Fitch – 1 with Boston
     
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  2. tinman

    tinman Contributing Member
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    Let's trade les for the owner of the Spurs or warriors
     
  3. arjun

    arjun Member

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    right, but there are also alot of first time coaches that have failed or experience steep learning curves. there are always exceptions.....
     
  4. crash5179

    crash5179 Contributing Member

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    True, but there is only one champion every year out of 30 teams. in the last 36 years the Championship has been won 30 times by a coach who had championship success during his first head coaching experience. Thats a crazy lopsided number.

    30 to 6
     
  5. StupidMoniker

    StupidMoniker I lost a bet
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    Steve Kerr – won championship in 1st seasons and 2 total
    - took over a team on the rise from Mark Jackson, 2xMVP Steph Curry comes into his own
    Greg Popovich – won championship in he 2nd full season with Spurs and 5 total
    - drafts Tim Duncan, wins championship next season
    Eric Spolstra – won championship in 4 season and 2 total
    - has a middling team led by Wade, LeBron and Bosh sign below market value, suddenly championships
    Phil Jackson – won championship in 2nd season and 11 total
    - took over ECF team with Michael Jordan, won championships, Jordan "retires" doesn't win, Jordan comes back, wins championships
    Pat Riley – won championship in 1st season and 5 total
    - Lakers win title with Westhead as coach behind Magic and Kareem in 79, Magic is injured in 80, they lose in the first round, Riley becomes coach and Magic comes back in 81, they win title again
    Rudy Tomjanovich – won championship in 2nd season and 2 total
    - God mode Hakeem
    K.C. Jones – won championship in 1st season and 2 total
    - takes over Bird, McHale, Parish Celtics who had recently won a Championship, wins 2 more titles
    Billy Cunningham – won championship in 3rd season 1 total
    - takes over NBA Finals team with Dr. J, wins in 6th season (not 3rd) when the team adds reigning MVP Moses Malone
    Paul Westhead – won championship in 1st season 1 total
    - won with the aforementioned Magic and Kareem Lakers, lasted less than 2 years, never took a team to the playoffs again

    There is also a missing third category, recycled coaches who had previously won with a different team:
    Jackson with the Lakers
    Riley with the Heat
     
    #5 StupidMoniker, Jun 8, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2016
  6. clutch citizen

    clutch citizen Contributing Member

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    Van Chancellor - won championship 1st season and 3 in a row after
    First 4 years as WNBA head coach, 4 WNBA titles. Robert Horry/Sam Cassell of WNBA head coaches.
     
  7. Amiga

    Amiga I get vaunted sacred revelations from social media
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    sounds like we should get a new HC every season, for eternity
     
  8. crash5179

    crash5179 Contributing Member

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    There are other superstars in the league every season besides the ones on championship teams. If Avery Johnson and the Mavs had beaten the Heat you could have pointed to Dirk. If Magic had beaten the Rockets you would have pointed to Shaq & Penny. It goes on and on. You don't win in this league without great players, thats a given. The Clippers have great players with CP3 and Blake Griffin but what has that gotten them.

    And Steve Kerr is a great example. The Warriors were not any more of a team on the rise with Mark Jackson coaching them than the Rockets were with Kevin McHale coaching them. They were a terrific team with some terrific players but they didn't approach what they are today until Kerr took them over.

    Riley and Jackson both won a championship with their first team. What they did after that is just more validation. By the time they wont with their 2nd (3rd in Riley's case) teams we already knew they were championship coaches.
     
  9. photojoe

    photojoe Member

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    In order to get San Antonio or Golden State to even consider it we would need to include a couple of draft picks. Plus a power dancer or two. And Carroll Dawson's retired jersey. And maybe the Toyota Center parking garage.
     
  10. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    ...says the breh who promoted JBB.
     
  11. photojoe

    photojoe Member

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    Personally I would rather JBB than D'Antoni...

    IMO- JBB>D'Antoni

    However, Bzdelik+D'Antoni>JBB.

    I'm more excited for Bzdelik than I am for Pringles.
     
  12. steddinotayto

    steddinotayto Contributing Member

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    In order for a 1st time head coach to even get a chance to win it all he needs a talented roster. If Les is saying he don't want the former because of the latter then yea I see where he's coming from. But if you're roster is still lacking talent, there's no combination of Riley, Phil Jackson, Pop that can save your team from not winning.
     
  13. hooroo

    hooroo Member

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    The coach formerly known as Pringles was handpicked by Harden?
     
  14. alethios

    alethios Member

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    I think he felt burned by that choice and wanted to go with experience for the next choice. Probably why he didn't go with Morey's choice.
     
  15. TheFreak

    TheFreak Contributing Member

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    Well, if you leave out Draymond Green emerging into a stud in his 3rd season.
     
  16. StupidMoniker

    StupidMoniker I lost a bet
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    So is Westhead a better coach than Rick Adelman or JVG because he won a championship with Magic and Kareem and they never won a title? He was so awesome they fired him one year later after a season Magic was injured.

    What about KC Jones taking over a Celtics team 2 years removed from their last title who have Bird, McHale, and Parish? Between 1950 and 1988 Boston had one full season that was coached by people that didn't win at least one title during their run: Auerbach, Russell, Heinsohn, Sanders and Cowens split the '78-'79 season, Fitch, and Jones. Outside of the '78-'79 season, that is 5 head coaches that won titles with the Celtics. Somehow I don't think it was because they happened to find great coaching for 37 out of 38 years.

    Spoelstra and Cunningham both won the title within two years of adding the reigning MVP to a team that was already in the playoffs. Don't you think the '03-'03 TWolves would have had a decent shot at a title if they added Tim Duncan to the roster?

    Since they are such great coaches, why didn't they go on to another championship with a different team or even a different roster.

    I think this list is looking at an anomoly and trying to generate some sort of rule from it. Clearly Pat Riley and Phil Jackson know what they are doing. I don't think that Phil coaching the Albany Patroons instead of some bottom dwelling NBA team is what made his career though. Likewise, had Riley coached the Suns for a year before taking over the Lakers, I think he still would have done just fine.

    No doubt coaching is important, but some coaching jobs are easier than others and to me leading the '83 76ers to the title doesn't say much about a coach's ability.
     
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  17. abaker28

    abaker28 Member

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    I think DAntoni was picked purely as a way to keep Harden happy and have a chance of keeping him in the coming years.
    Even if DAntoni fails, at least Les can say they did everything by bringing in an experienced coach.
    Plus if reports are to be listened to, then we stand a better chance of recruiting in FA as DAntoni tends to get players paid due to their increased numbers in his system.
     
  18. don grahamleone

    don grahamleone Contributing Member

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    I could swear that Steve Kerr has only won 1 championship. Multiple people have claimed 2 championships. WTF is happening? Did I sleep for 5 days straight? Didn't the Cavs drum the Warriors by 30 points?
     
  19. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    Veteran coaches are more solid that is true but they rarely surprise you

    while young coaches can go to the top when their system works or be darn right awful

    Volatile.
     
  20. crash5179

    crash5179 Contributing Member

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    I just gave you the historical data. Do with it what you will.
     

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