Ted Sevransky is a Covers Experts handicapper. Check out his articles and picks here.
Only six NBA coaches have won a title in the last 21 years. Phil Jackson has nine rings from his tenure in Chicago and L.A. Pat Riley has three rings from his time with the Lakers and Heat (more rings than that if we go back further). Greg Popovich has four rings with San Antonio. Chuck Daly earned two rings with the ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons teams of the early '90s, and Larry Brown earned a single ring with Detroit in 2004. Last, but not least, let’s not forget about Rudy Tomjanovich who notched a pair of titles with the Houston Rockets.
Clearly, coaching matters at this time of the year. When only six coaches have proven capable of winning the title in 21 years, it means something. In a best-of-seven series, the better coaches will make quality adjustments from game to game, giving their team an enormous advantage. And these elite level coaches also utilize the type of motivational techniques that get their team to bounce back from adversity and/or step up their level of play when their opponent is showing any kind of weakness.
If the NBA Finals comes down to coaching, Phil Jackson has a decided advantage over Doc Rivers in terms of championship level big game coaching experience. Based on both team’s fortunes here in the postseason, Jackson’s experience has paid off in spades for LA, while Rivers relative lack of playoff coaching experience has resulted in choppy play from the Celtics. And when we listen to the miked coaches talking during timeouts, the disparity between Jackson and Rivers is even more apparent – Jackson is instructing his team in X’s and O’s; Rivers seems more like a cheerleader, trying to bolster his team’s often sagging confidence.
But, as we all know, coaching is only one piece of the equation – talent and desire certainly come in to play significantly. Look no further than the Giants monumental upset of the Patriots in the Super Bowl this past year for a prime recent example – the G-men came to play, and they had enough talent and more than enough execution to steal the win. And make no mistake about it – each of those six coaches listed above with at least one ring on their finger had championship caliber talent to work with.
Jordan and Pippen. Isiah, Dumars, Rodman and Laimbeer. Magic, Kareem and Worthy. Shaq and Kobe. Olajuwon Cassell, Horry and Drexler. What duo, trio or quartet will be the names that we remember from 2008?
The Lakers are the favorite in this series, despite the fact that Boston had the best regular season record, earning homecourt advantage for the Finals. L.A. also has a decided advantage offensively against the Celtics. Phil Jackson’s triangle offense has certainly proven it’s merit with nine championships. L.A. was the fourth highest scoring team in the league during the regular season, averaging more than 108 points per game. They ranked third in the league in shooting percentage and sixth in the league in both three-point shooting percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio. Here in the playoffs, L.A.’s offense is ranked even higher, leading the league in both points scored and shooting percentage.
Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau has been known as one of the best defensive assistants in the NBA for the last two decades, most notably with Houston and New York. In 17 years prior to his arrival in Boston, his teams finished in the top 10 in team defense 14 times. Make no mistake about it – Thibodeau’s coaching has been a real difference maker for the Celtics in 2008. Boston was the single best team in the NBA in terms of defensive field goal percentage allowed; second in the league in terms of points allowed. Here in the postseason, Boston still ranks No. 1 defensively, holding foes to 87 points per game on 42 percent shooting.
We’ve got a true marquee matchup between two elite franchises. One team has coaching, offensive execution and three time champion Kobe Bryant on their side. The other team has the homecourt edge, a trio of veteran superstars, and a defensive mentality that is second to none. The Lakers are -160 to win the series at the opener, with Boston favored by three points in Game 1 at TD Banknorth Garden. Check back for Part 2 of this NBA Finals preview for a personnel matchup breakdown between these two teams.
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