The dawn of the new NBA season is always full of optimism.  It’s the one time of year everybody-even Clipper fans-can feel good about their team.  Well, maybe not good… hopeful is probably a more appropriate word.  Nevertheless, the beginning of a new season; when all the records sit at an unblemished mark of 0-0, is really the only time when you can freely pontificate about the potential of your team without one of your buddies bringing you back down to earth with statistics and records and other patent forms of reality.  It is the only time when sanguinity reigns supreme.  A time when Blake Griffin is still a savior, Shaq is still young and Lamar Odom is still married.

In the optimistic spirit of the times, I’ve decided to ask an appropriately optimistic question.  If Phil Jackson wins another ring this year will the Phil vs. Red debate finally be put to rest?  Even after last year, when Phil hung his tenth banner as an NBA head coach, the debate between the relative merits of the two best coaches in the history of the pro game has been blazing like the bong in Josh Howard’s living room.  If he wins number XI, does he finally move into undisputed status? Heavyweight champ of NBA coaching history?

The most common argument for Red Auerbach goes something like this:  Not only was Red a great coach, but he was also an exceptional GM.  Red built those Celtic squads from the ground up, drafting players like Bill Russell, and then coached them to nine championships.  Auerbach supporters are always quick to point out that Phil Jackson walked in on his championship rosters with all the pieces essentially in place (they also like to conveniently ignore the fact that, despite having championship-caliber talent, neither the Bulls nor the Lakers could manage to win an NBA championship before Phil arrived).

While this argument is generally accurate, there are a few majors points it fails to address.  First, there were fewer teams.  In 1966, there were still only 10 NBA teams.  Today there are 32 teams.  Fewer teams means fewer players, less games and less competition.  Not to mention the vastly increased length of the current playoff system.  The path to success was a shorter, less crowded road in the sixties.

And not only was the road shorter, the competition paled in comparison with today’s NBA.  Think about it, goaltending was legal until the Bill Russell era.  Nobody else could goaltend effectively until he came along. The NBA had never seen his combination of size, skill and athleticism.  Now, every 15^th man on every NBA roster can hit his head on the rim.  If goaltending was legal now, nobody would ever score a point.  It’s just a completely different game in the NBA today-there are far more teams and the players are not only more athletic and skilled but much more diverse (with the influx of international players).

Secondly, Red won all of his championships with basically the same team.  He won nine championships in ten years.  He never had to rebuild.  He just suited up Bill Russell and watched him dominate an entire decade of NBA basketball.  Phil has done it with three different players at the center of his offense: three times with MJ, three times with Shaq and now twice with Kobe.  He has proven he can win in a variety of different scenarios, with a guard or a center playing the dominant role.  Not just the same guy in the same role every year.

Third, the NBA player is an entirely different animal now.  When Red was coaching, he had real control.  There was no free agency or player’s unions or contract disputes.  He didn’t have to worry about arguing with the GM or the director of player personnel.  Red was it.  He ran the Celtics his way-no questions asked.

Nowadays, we’re stuck with a bunch of spoiled millionaires who won’t hesitate to demand a trade if they’re not feeling the weather in their current city.  They have all the power.  The coaches are about as indispensible as the guy dressing up as the mascot.  Today’s NBA player (especially the star) is someone who must be handled adroitly, with tact and precision.  Phil Jackson has turned it into an art form.

It might sound cliché but you have to admit, it’s just a lot more complicated now.  The competition, obstacles and diversity successfully faced by Phil Jackson prove he is the greatest coach in the history of the NBA-even without the 2010 championship ring.  If he wins again this year, as I am optimistically assuming he will, you guys gotta stop arguing about this.  It’s over.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 4:39 pm and is filed under Basketball, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA-West. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.