Happy Friday, Nooners!

It’s been an exciting week of basketball, from vintage Curry and the Warriors’ revival to the Charlotte Hornets’ historic losses, and, of course, another sacred Bol Bol Believer moment.

But this time, our focus isn’t on the players, it’s on the coaches.

Being an NBA coach is one of the most thankless jobs in modern basketball. When a team is losing, you’re 100 percent to blame. The media makes sure of that, holding a magnifying glass to your every move. But when a team is winning, most of the credit goes to the players.

Still, in a league overflowing with talent, having the right guy behind the clipboard has never been more important. Just look at the Pistons and Monty Williams last year—what the hell was that?

It’s not easy to quantify, it’s not easy to rank, but these are our favorite coaching minds in the modern NBA today.

10. Tom Thibodeou 

The minutes management is its own conversation, a lengthy topic we’ve dedicated an entire post to in the past, but putting the elephant in the room aside, you have to give Thibs his flowers.

No matter where he’s been or who he’s coached, his teams have been disciplined, focused, and downright tough.

He isn’t revolutionizing offensive tactics or redefining rotations, but he routinely builds legitimate contenders with established identities and clear directions.

Now with the best roster he’s had in at least ten years, there will be no excuses. Not many coaches with as much on the line in these upcoming playoffs as Tom Thibodeou 

9. JJ Reddick

Who would’ve thought a podcaster would establish himself as one of the best sideline operators in the business in his first year?

The Lakers had been searching for some sense of cohesion and tactical competence for a couple of years now, and LeBron’s co host has delivered in a big way so far. 

The offense feels assertive and free, getting the ball to their playmakers in favorable spots and empowering them to confidently make decisions.

From Austin Reaves offensive leap to LeBron’s defensive resurgence, this year's Laker squad isn’t just floating, they’re swimming. Don’t count them out just yet.

8. Kenny Atkinson

After making his mark with the 2018 Nets, Kenny Atkinson has been biding his time, spending the past few years on the benches of NBA juggernauts.

This year, he finally got his shot, and it wasn’t just with some rebuilding team looking for a placeholder. The Cavs had a roster built to contend, and with Atkinson holding the clipboard, they finally look the part.

Both guards have found ways to coexist and play off of each other, Evan Mobley looks like the hybrid big we always thought he would be, and Ty Jerome could very well be the sixth man of the year. Cleveland is for real.

7. Mark Daigneault

To some, it may feel like the Thunder came out of nowhere over the past two years. But Loud City knows. This was building for a while.

After cutting his teeth in the G League, OKC took a shot on their developing young coach to guide a developing young roster. The marriage has been nothing short of blissful.

Since Daigneault took the reins, the Thunder have played tough, physical defense and well-paced, collaborative offense. They’re never fazed by the moment or bored by the monotony of an 82-game season.

The most professional, talented young core you’ll ever see.

6. Mike Malone

Sure, having that cybernetic Serbian reverse-engineer defenses and dismantle them piece by piece helps. But Mike Malone has emphasized rapid ball movement since the day he touched down in the Rockies.

Playing at Denver’s pace can lead to reckless turnovers, or worse, out-of-control play that wastes possessions.

But under Malone? That’s never been a problem.

He’s found the balance. He knows how to let his players play free, inventive basketball while still maintaining the authority to rein them in when the moment calls for it.

And he’s a hell of a lot of fun at parades.

5. Joe Mazzulla

We could listen to this guy’s press conferences all day. But when you push past the bombastic one liners and suave media evasions, you see a rare kind of general.

Boston has a cutting edge style. A strict adherence to living by the drive and kick three, with the safety net of an adaptive and fundamental defense.

Coming up with this kind of plan is one thing, even instituting it is another, but standing by it with a cold assertiveness in front of the Boston media? That’s not common. 

4. Ty Lue

Without the media spotlight that comes with coaching LeBron James, Ty Lue has faded into the background a bit. But his Clippers are playing grown man basketball in Southern California.

With a mismatched roster of aging stars and established role players, the Clips have nailed down a sound and reactive defense, bolstered by an offense that stays patient and makes great decision after great decision.

The guys we expected to see at the bottom of the standings could very well find themselves in the postseason.

Don’t let the Lakers dazzling new duo steal all the shine, the other LA team is worth the watch

3. Steve Kerr

Steve Kerr ruffles some feathers, it’s bound to happen when you’re such a prominent figure in the world of basketball. 

But regardless of how you feel about the physical embodiment of Napa county, the guy can flat out coach.

His movement centric offense built off the foundation laid by the Spurs, and tore the league apart. Obviously the dubs don’t have the same level of shooting talent they’ve boasted in the past, but that hasn’t stopped them from being competitive.

Now with a renewed slashing presence in Jimmy Butler, keep your eye on the bay. You never count a champion out.

2. Erik Spoelstra

No coach in recent history has done more with less than Erik Spoelstra.

The architect of Heat Culture and the premier developer in the league, Spo has earned his reputation as both a tactical genius and an impeccable communicator.

He can draw up groundbreaking ATOs, engineer complex zones that stifle elite offenses, and keep his team locked in even on the wrong end of a 10-0 run.

He’s got every trick in the book, and somehow, he’s still getting better.

From video intern to all-time great. One hell of a journey

1. Gregg Popovich

We know he’s not on the sideline in San Antonio right now. We know his return is up in the air.

But as long as he’s on the list, Gregg Popovich is the greatest coach in basketball.

An absurdly wise, unusually adaptive leader who knows every button to push, every lever to pull.

He’s evolved with the game, reinventing San Antonio’s offense from the stagnant, low-post-heavy days of the early 2000s into the symphony of passing that defined the 2010s.

If he’s in the pool, we’re taking him every single time.

Get well soon, Pop. We all miss you.