Phil’s Quest for 10

By: Eli Kaberon

When Game 1 of the historic 2008 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics tips off on Thursday night, the answers to many questions will finally come to light. Does Kevin Garnett have the inner-drive to dominate a defender who has one-third of his skills? Can Lamar Odom fill the Finals X-Factor shoes that Robert Horry wore for so many years? And whose fans are more annoying, the loud and obnoxious ones in Bean Town or the late-arriving superstars of Tinsel Town?

But in between non stop clips of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, loud debates over who is the best prep to pro of all time, Kobe or KG, and all of the questions listed above, maybe the most interesting inquiry to ponder during the next two and a half weeks is this one: If the Lakers win, can it be etched in stone that Phil Jackson is the greatest basketball coach to ever roam the Earth?

Labeling somebody as the GOAT, or Greatest of All Time, is not an easy thing to do. Either that person has to be far and away better than their competition, like Bill Gates being the best ever at earning money, or they have to be extremely good for a very long period of time, like calling Jay-Z the greatest rapper to ever live. Jackson doesn’t really fit either of those categories. But at the same time, he fills them both perfectly.

phpd1ryhjpm.jpgJackson’s head coaching career began in 1989, when he was promoted from Bulls assistant after the firing of former (and maybe future) coach Doug Collins. His tactics, including splicing game film in with clips from real movies, having his players collectively read books and a refusal to divert from a game plan or substitution rotation, are rare. But not as rare as the success he has achieved as an NBA head coach.

Teams under Phil’s watch have won nine NBA Championships, thus far, which is tied with former Celtics coach Red Auerbach as the most ever. He is the only coach in NBA History to ever have both a regular season and playoff winning percentage over .700. His regular season career record of 976-418, which puts him 279 games over .500, is the best in history. And his 191 playoff wins is 20 more than the next highest on the list, Pat Riley, and Jackson has lost 31 fewer post-season games that Riley.

Yet for some reason, there is still a doubt if the Zen Master is the best ever. Some people complain that he has moved jobs, going from Chicago to L.A., something that Auerbach never did. Others state that he’s not very smart, and that he only has won titles because of the genius of assistant Tex Winter. And then there is the most common chink in his armor, that Jackson only won titles because he coached some of the sports all time greatest players.

Supporters of Auerbach do have a real argument for their man. Red was the first real coaching celebrity of basketball and was one of the games most important innovators.

In 1950, Auerbach’s first year as coach of the Celtics, he drafted Chuck Cooper, the first African-American to play in the NBA. Six years later, University of San Francisco center Bill Russell was brought to Boston, and teamed with point guard Bob Cousy, the Celtics rattled off nine championships in ten years. Auerbach also created the victory cigar, lighting up on the bench (imagine that happening now) when his team had the victory in the bag.

In 1966, after that ninth title, Red stepped down as Boston’s head coach. He was still a part of the franchise, either as team general manager or president, when the C’s won seven more championships between 1967 and 1986. But right now the only thing being examined is his time as head coach. Auerbach had a 795-397 regular season record during his time in Boston, and another 91 playoff wins. His run of dominance between ‘56 and ‘66 will never be duplicated in basketball history, nor will his ability to give fans in the front row lung cancer from secondhand smoke.

But the argument that he is ahead of Jackson in the GOAT coaching race because all of his championships came in one city is crazy. Jackson may have switched teams, but he also coached during the expansion era, as the league added six franchises since 1988. That made winning tougher than it was in Auerbach’s day, when in the year he left as coach the league had only nine teams total. Phil also handled media coverage about 1,000 time more pressurized than Red did and more complex game plans from opponents.

Argument number two, which states that all Jackson did was follow the lead of assistant Tex Winter, is also blown out of proportion. It is true that Winter created the triangle offense. But Jackson is credited with convincing players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal, arguably two of the games ten best all time players, to buy into the system. Both MJ and Shaq had won scoring titles before Jackson became their coach, but neither player had won an NBA Finals game. Both Jordan and O’Neal also say that Jackson was the greatest coach they ever had. (Though O’Neal later said Pat Riley was his favorite.)

Jackson also understands, maybe better than any other coach ever to wear a whistle, how to handle his players. With some guys, like Jordan and presently Kobe Bryant, he allows them to work through struggles, knowing they have the ability to step up their game when it matters most. Other players, such as Dennis Rodman, had a tighter leash, because letting the Worm loose was trouble for everybody involved. And then there were guys like Toni Kukoc and Odom, players with extreme talent but who needed to be directed at all times, because they tended to play out of control when they had to carry the team on their back.

And that brings us to Phil’s most often heard criticism, that his players were so good, anyone could win a title. Every year he has coached, in my opinion, Jackson has had the league’s best overall player on his roster- Jordan from ‘89-’93, Scottie Pippen in ‘94-’95, MJ again from ‘96-’98, O’Neal from 2000-’04, and Bryant from ‘06 through the present day.

But that shouldn’t be held against Jackson. Auerbach had Russell, who was arguably the best center of all time, as the centerpiece of his title teams. And having great players to win titles is not uncommon. In fact it is the reason that since 1980, which is 27 completed NBA seasons, one of these six players have been on all but two of the title winners- Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal. The only exceptions are the ‘82 Philadelphia 76ers, who had Hall of Famers of their own (Moses Malone and Julius Erving) and the ‘04 Detroit Pistons, who were built around a lineup that featured four All-Stars. Winning with great players is no sin, really it’s the opposite. When a coach is given a roster with these legends, it is expected that a title will follow. Saying that Jackson is overrated because he had some of the best ever is an insult not only to Jackson, but also the great players. All of the banners that Jackson, and Auerbach, helped hang up in their respective arenas symbolize great basketball, but also great coaching.

So will another of those banners be hung this year with Jackson’s help? I think the Lakers and Celtics are pretty even across the board, but with two exceptions. The first is obviously coaching, as Jackson holds a great advantage over Doc Rivers. And the second is at the end of the game, when an important shot needs to be made. Everybody wearing purple and gold know that it’s going to be #24, Kobe Bryant, taking the game-winner. But the folks in green and white have questions. Some nights it might be Paul Pierce, who took over the series clinching games versus Cleveland and Detroit. Other nights it could be Ray Allen, who was the fourth quarter money man during the regular season. Or it could be Rajon Rondo, Eddie House, James Posey, or if they are really lucky, Garnett. But there’s no sure thing. And in a series this close, when the only real difference is at end-of-game, clutch situations, its impossible not to side with L.A. I say Lakers in six, meaning ten titles for Phil Jackson. You can be that Red Auerbach will be turning in his grave if it happens.

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Eli Kaberon is a 2005 graduate of Evanston Township High School and currently is attending Columbia College in the loop, majoring in print journalism. A life-long fan of the Cubs, Bears and Bulls, Eli also works as a seat vendor at Wrigley Field and has sold hot dogs to everyone ranging from Bears tight end Greg Olsen to Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Eli can be reached at ekaberon@yahoo.com.

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