A head coaching position in professional sports is one of the most volatile jobs out there. One minute dude is on the hot seat, the next he's getting a contract extension. Then he gets fired because he didn't make make it out of the first round, despite getting to the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Then he ends up getting signed by another team and the cycle repeats. This is particularly true in the NBA, where the coaching carousel is the realest.
That's partially why I find it hard to judge whether or not a coach is actually good or not. I constantly hear people commenting about how great or awful this or that coach is, but my reaction is always, "How do you know? How can you tell?" With the constant change in personnel, players, and scheduling, it seems impossible to tell whether some coaches are good or not (unless it's somebody like Gregg Popovich). The answers lie within the details of the players and the interworkings of the team. This is how to tell if a coach is doing a good job:
Make Players' Values Known Without Inflating Egos
It's pretty incredible that, in the positions they're in, with all the hype surrounding them playing in the NBA, professional athletes can still have the most fragile in-game mental states ever. It's up to the coach to help condition that mentality and keep it above water. A poor mindset will completely ruin a player, no matter how talented. But that's what the coach is there for. He needs to be able to prop that player up with votes of confidence and support. Make the player recognize what he's capable of...to a point. Too much praise can also lead to a level of confidence that throws off the entire chemistry of the team, so it's also important to keep players in check.
Players Aren't 100 Percent Reliant on the Coach
This quote from Pop speaking about Kawhi in last season's playoffs says it all: "I haven’t called a play for him the entire playoff. I don’t call his number. Everything that’s there for him is out of the motion of the offense." A coach should be able to work with his players in practice to the point where they can function properly without training wheels or a crutch.
The Players Trust Coaching Decisions
Trust is basically the key foundation to having any good relationship in life. Period. For two people to work comfortably in the same space and create a positive outcome, there almost always has to be trust. This truth is even more apparent in sports. For a coach to work well with his players, he has to earn their trust. The methods of doing so can come from a variety of ways. The coach can actually show he cares about the person, not just the player. Or the player might try a new way the coach suggested and it works well. Regardless, if you can see that the players are buying into what the coach is selling, there's good chemistry happening there. But that's only part of it, obviously. What the coach is selling could be trash.
1.
Every Game is Different and Requires Different Adjustments
No two NBA games are the same. Each contest is going to present different situations, different matchups, different adversities, and that's going to require different plans and different adjustments. You can't use the same plays for everything, you can't rely on the same player for everything, and you can't treat Kobe and the Lakers like you treat LeBron and the Cavs.
Motivational Instinct
This somewhat goes hand-in-hand with the handling of egos, but a player doesn't always need to be down, they could just be lazy or uninspired. If a coach can flip a player's mentality from detrimental to productive, it can be the difference between winning and losing.
No Overworked Players
It doesn't matter who you are: Playing your best guys for every minute of a game every game is never a good idea. Tom Thibodeau is thought of as one of the best basketball coaches in the world, and even he gets criticized for overworking his players. Luol Deng basically averaged 39 minutes per game three seasons in a row. Jimmy Butler averaged 39 last year and is averaging 40 this year. Yes, you might need your best players on the court, but if you run them down to the bone, they won't be able to play at all or will be worthless when they do.
Recognize Talents and Don't Force Players Into Positions That Don't Work
Some players can adapt to a new team, to new positions, and to other players. Other can't at all. It's up to the coach to determine how much flex certain players have, and understand how he can use that flex to his advantage. Or if there is no flex, a good coach recognizes that and knows how to properly use that specific talent to its best potential. This also inherently requires a great amount of flexibility from the coach. Give and take on both sides is essential.
Handle the Media
The attitude and mental state of a locker room might be even more important than the actual talent of the players on the team. And that can largely be determined by how the coach handles himself when on-camera or talking with reporters. Good coaches can judge the state of the team and the mental toughness of his players and use that to determine how he discusses the team with the media. It's essential that the coach displays confidence and backs up his players and team, but there are also times when the coach should use the media to put the pressure on the team to try to elevate their play. It's just up to the coach to know where to press and just how hard. Or you can just go the Pop route and say nothing at all.
