NBA Today: Top 5 head coaches in the league right now

The NBA is a league built around its stars, although there is no doubting that head coaches also play a vital role in the success of a team. While talents such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan have all made huge contributions to title-winning teams, the coaches behind them have often enforced their talent through superior coaching.

In the past, famed coaches such as Pat Riley and Phil Jackson have developed systems that led to year's of dominance, and while the legendary duo is no longer coaching, the NBA is still home to an array of notable coaches. So, ahead of the 2019-20 season, here we will take a look at the NBA's top five head coaches.

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#5 Quin Snyder

Quin Snyder has guided the Utah Jazz to the postseason in three straight seasons

After serving as an assistant coach with the LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Atlanta Hawks, Quin Snyder finally got his big opportunity in 2014. The Utah Jazz appointed Snyder as head coach on a three-year deal, and despite narrowly missing out on the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, Snyder's deal was extended in the summer of 2016.

Since then, Snyder has guided the Jazz to the playoffs three times, and his side picked up a notable series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2018 postseason. While some expressed disappointment with Utah's 18-19 season, Snyder's style of grinding down opponents remains effective, and few will argue that there is a better defensive coach in the NBA.

The Jazz has a very bright future after adding Mike Conley to an already talented roster, and Snyder will be confident that he can guide his team to the Conference Finals.

#4 Mike D’Antoni

Mike D'Antoni has helped revolutionize the NBA

Mike D'Antoni's coaching style has plenty of notable detractors, although there is no doubting the impact that the Rockets head coach has had on the NBA. For decades, teams refused to embrace the three, however, D'Antoni's 04-05 Phoenix Suns side proved that it is possible to compete with a combination of pace and outside shooting.

Billed the 'seven seconds or less' team, the Suns won 60 games throughout the regular season, and under D'Antoni, a reinvigorated Steve Nash set the blueprint for future stars such as Steph Curry.

After enduring miserable spells with the Knicks and Lakers, D'Antoni has once again found success with the Houston Rockets, and his strategy to spread shooters around the floor has resulted in three-straight trips to the Western Conference Semifinals. D'Antoni and the Rockets will be in contention for the foreseeable future, and it will be interesting to see how the coach integrates Russell Westbrook into his system.

#3 Steve Kerr

Steve Kerr has guided the Warriors to three NBA titles

Steve Kerr's initial success as a head coach in the NBA has been unrivaled to the point where some have questioned how much credit he deserves.

However, the Warriors were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs in the season prior to his arrival, and Kerr himself made the huge call to install Draymond Green into his starting lineup. Kerr also installed the uptempo system that he had learned from working with D'Antoni, and Steph Curry and Klay Thompson quickly transformed into the best backcourt of the modern era.

Kerr's ability to incorporate Kevin Durant into his system back in 2016 didn't result in the deserved acknowledgement, and he also warrants much praise for leading an injury-hit Warriors to the 2019 NBA Finals.

Nevertheless, with Curry, Thompson, and Green locked in for the long haul, Kerr has a chance to further establish his reputation as one of the NBA's best coaches.

#2 Brad Stevens

Brad Stevens has quickly transformed his Celtics team into contenders

Brad Stevens is still only 42, although the Boston Celtics head coach has already established himself as one of the most renowned intellects in the NBA. Stevens developed his coaching style during twelve years with the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team, and he made enough of an impression to be appointed as Celtics head coach in the summer of 2013.

Stevens inherited a poor roster, although the young coach took just two-seasons to guide the Celtics to the playoffs. Boston has since made four consecutive trips to the postseason, and Stevens was just one game away from guiding a young Celtics roster to the NBA Finals during the 17-18 season.

His ability to improve raw talents has been widely praised, and many have lauded his capacity to expose weaknesses in opposing teams. Ultimately, Stevens' career in the NBA is just getting started, and he will be confident of building a dynasty in Boston.

#1 Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich has spent more than a decade with the San Antonio Spurs

Gregg Popovich took over as head coach of the Spurs back in 1996, making him the longest-tenured active coach in the NBA. Originally, Popovich served as General Manager in San Antonio, although the Indiana native appointed himself as head coach following the Spurs' disastrous start to the 96-97 season.

The following summer, the team drafted Tim Duncan, and Popovich quickly began to focus his gameplan around teamwork and ball movement. A first title came in 1999, and Popovich soon built around his famous big three of Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili. Three more titles arrived, as Popovich continued to display his uncanny ability to get the most out of role players.

Popovich's famous trio has since left, while Kawhi Leonard also forced a trade out of San Antonio. However, despite working with limited resources, Popovich has continued to surpass expectations by guiding the Spurs to the postseason - a streak that dates back to 1997.

Simply put, Popovich is the best head coach of his era, and NBA fans should savor his remaining time in the league.