The biggest news in the NBA over the past week has been the hiring of legendary coach Phil Jackson as President of the New York Knicks. Phil’s coaching resume speaks for itself, and he now will try to prove that he can not only conquer the bench and but also the executive office.
With no prior experience, is there a way to determine if Phil will succeed? We know Phil will bring his own philosophy and presence to the Knicks, but will that translate to winning on the court?
Looking at past coaches who have made their way to the executive office over the year, it confirms that there is no perfect blue print to follow when building a franchise. However, if Phil Jackson is able to have the same success as any of the three NBA Coach to executive moves below, he will become the most beloved man in New York.
Pat Riley
Coach: Lakers, Knicks, Heat
Executive: Miami Heat
Pat Riley laid the blueprint of going from being behind the bench to the executive office. Since he started running the Miami heat in 2008, Riley has won two championships, was the 2010 executive of the year, and lured probably the most highly recruited free agent of all time in LeBron James.
Best Move:Sign & Trade for LeBron James
This one is easy; since signing LeBron, the Heat have been to three straight NBA finals winning their last two trips. Did Dwayne Wade provide some assistance in wooing LeBron? Of course, but being able to sign the top free agent of the past decade looks good on any resume.
Worst Move: Traded Marcus Thornton to the New Orleans Hornets for two second round draft picks (2010 & 2012).
It’s really hard to find a blemish on Riley’s resume, but if I had to pick one I would pick the Marcus Thornton trade in 2009. The only reason this is considered his “worst move” is because Thornton is a player who can put the ball in the bucket, and right now he would look good coming off the bench for the Heat. That being said, if this is the worst move on your resume you are probably doing a pretty good job.
Larry Bird
Coach: Indiana
Executive: Indiana
In 2007, Bird received coach of the year honors as his Pacers went 52-24. He followed this same trend four years later as he won executive of the year in 2011.
Best Move: Trading Jermaine O’Neal to the Toronto Raptors for Maceo Baston, T.J. Ford, Roy Hibbert and Rasho Nesterovic.
Add this trade to another blemish on Bryan Colangelo’s resume. Bird was able to trade an aging center, making $21 million per year, while receiving the two best players in the trade (T.J Ford & Roy Hibbert). The fact that Bird was able to get Hibbert, who is now one of the best Center’s in the league, makes this the best move of his tenure.
Worst Move: Drafting Jerryd Bayless 11th overall in the 2008 draft.
The same draft where Bird was able to get Roy Hibbert, six picks earlier he selected Bayless with the 11th selection. Bayless never became the standout point guard and has had a journeyman career so far in the NBA. Just Imagine if Bird drafted Hibbert at 11, and then either grabbed Serge Ibaka (24th), or Nicolas Batum (25), with the 17th pick. However, if Batum was drafted, the Pacers may not have Paul George today.
Danny Ainge
Coach: Phoenix Suns
Executive: Boston Celtics
Ainge took the Suns to the playoffs in three of his four seasons as head coach before being let go 20 games into the 1999-2000 season. Ainge resurfaced in 2003 as an executive with the Boston Celtics and was executive of year in 2007 and won an NBA title in 2008. Ainge is currently in a rebuilding year with the Celtics, but as witnessed in 2007, he knows how to swing deals and make his teams relevant.
Best Move:Traded Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and a 2008 2nd round pick to Seattle for Ray Allen and Glen Davis.
In 2007, the move that made news during the NBA offseason was the trade for Kevin Garnett. However, when looking back, the trade for Ray Allen really was the key move that put Boston over the top. Ainge was able to fill out his “big-three” with the best three point shooter of all time. During the 2008 NBA Finals, Allen averaged 20.3 PPG, which was second only to Paul Pierce.
Worst Move: Signed Jeff Green to a four-year, $35 million contract in 2012.
I remember scratching my head at this signing. Green had not played the year prior due to a heart ailment, and then Ainge went ahead and gave him just over 8 million per season. This signing seems like a hefty price for a player who average only 13.3 points in his last full season. Green’s contract will run until the end of the 2015-2016 season where he will be paid almost 9.5 million. The bright side is, Green increased his scoring this season and is averaging 17 points per game.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOSjeff. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
Main Photo:
