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Coaching an NBA team is a tough job. Leading an NBA franchise goes way beyond just the standard Xs and Os. Of course, a coach needs to be sound in those aspects, but being a good leader and having a strong influence in the locker room matters just as much.
Coaches are the first to face the bait when a team doesn't produce the desired results, but they don't receive as much credit when the team succeeds. However, some stand out to the point where fans and critics have nothing but good things to say for these coaches, who play just as crucial a role as the team's best player, if not more.
Best coaches entering the 2023-24 NBA season
It takes significant time to cement the legacy of an elite NBA coach. That comprises winning records, experience, championship success and the ability to stay consistent regardless of the team at their disposal. We rank the top five coaches in the NBA entering the 2023-24 season.
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Some up-and-coming coaches may be left out of these rankings as they are yet to prove themselves in the league. This list eludes any recency bias. Let's have a look:
#1 Erik Spoelstra
Erik Spoelstra is coming off his sixth NBA finals run with the Miami Heat as a head coach. Spoelstra led an underdog eighth-seed Heat team to wins against favorites like the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. He's the same coach who guided a star-studded team featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh to four finals and two championship wins.
Whether it's managing the locker room or out-coaching his peers, Spoelstra stands out. His ability to adapt to different situations and make in-game adjustments is arguably unparalleled right now. Unlike most good coaches known for either their offense or defense, Spoelstra is among the ones with sound tactics on both ends.
#2 Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr has been the winningest coach since he took over at Golden State. He's guided them to four championships and six finals appearances since then. The Warriors' worst playoff result under him was last year when they lost 4-2 in the conference semifinals to the LA Lakers.
They made it past the conference bracket in all six playoff runs before last year. Some might argue that Kerr's teams were stacked in the past, but the fourth title debunked that narrative. The Warriors remained elite and won a championship again without Kevin Durant to shut their critics.
Kerr also made excellent adjustments in the conference semifinal loss to the Lakers, which nearly gave his team a legitimate shot at winning the series. There have been extreme ups and downs for him since 2019, but in the grander aspect, Kerr remains a top coach in the league.
#3 Michael Malone
Michael Malone's championship success with Denver Nuggets has put him in the conversation as a top-five coach this year. Now you might say this contradicts the disclaimer we put out that these rankings aren't based on recency bias, but Malone has been elite for years now and just lacked some silverware.
The two-time NBA All-Star coach has led Denver's charge throughout the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray era. During that stretch, the Nuggets have made it to the postseason five consecutive times since 2018. Malone has helped Denver achieve a top-three seeding four times and a sixth-place finish once.
He's also had only one All-Star in Nikola Jokic during that stretch. In the 2021-22 season, the Nuggets made it to the playoffs despite the absence of Jamal Murray for the entire season and Michael Porter Jr., who played only nine games.
#4 Gregg Popovich
The NBA's all-time career wins leader among head coaches, Gregg Popovich, is next on our list. Popovich's San Antonio Spurs have been in a rebuild for the last few years after they made 22 consecutive playoff trips under him, which has impacted his record since 2019. Their worst finish was 10th in three seasons before last year's league-worst 15th-place finish.
However, the patience paid off, with the Spurs winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Coach Pop signed a lucrative five-year deal with the franchise, and we could see the Spurs gradually returning to winning ways under his reign.
Coach Pop remains among the elite coaches for his knowledge of the game. He has an unmatched influence and hold over the locker room. It will be interesting to see how he shapes this new era for the Spurs.
#5 Ty Lue
Ty Lue is another coach with some pedigree as a great manager who is proficient at implementing Xs and Os. Injuries to the LA Clippers' leading stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, have dominated his tenure with the franchise, but Lue has done a solid job of keeping the team afloat.
He nearly guided the team without Kawhi and PG to the playoffs in 2021-22 after helping them achieve the seventh-best record. The Clippers ran out of steam in the play-in tournament that year. Lue also had to deal with the same issue last season, leading to frequent lineup changes. LA still made it to the playoffs as the fifth seed.
Lue has proven himself with healthy teams during his time with the Cavaliers, leading them to the NBA finals three consecutive years, including a championship win despite being down 3-1 against the 73-9 Warriors. He showned flashes of it with the Clippers during their 2021 conference finals run.
LA has a legitimate shot at contending if Leonard and George are healthy, with head coach Ty Lue leading the charge.
