5 NBA Players Who Would Be Great Coaches

Being a coach in the NBA seems simple. Take the best 5 guys and throw them on the court until they get tired. Unfortunately for anyone that’s ever coached the game, it’s not that simple.

Coaching in the NBA involves installing a system which your team will run. For Phil it was the Triangle. Mike D’Antoni used the pick and roll. No matter what system you use, you must tailor it to the players you have. That’s where the job gets difficult. Coaches who only played youth basketball tend to have a difficult time coming in and adjusting game plans when things are not going well. But a coach who played in the NBA has seen it all before and they know what to expect and how to adjust.

With more and more teams going the retired player route, it begs the question: What current players might be the next best coaches? We’re going to look at the top 5 players who would make great coaches.

1. J.J. Reddick

J.J. may not have turned into the stud player many thought he would be out of college, but he is a serviceable player with great knowledge of the game. The reason Reddick would make an excellent coach is his knowledge, and the fact that he’s played under two of the best coaches of our generation (Coach K and Doc Rivers). Those guys are famous for their exceptional coaching, winning attitudes and incredible basketball I.Q. Reddick is also an extremely personable guy, which is key when becoming a coach.

2. LeBron James

LeBron will never become a coach in the NBA, he is going to become an owner. That much is clear, but if for some bizarre LeBron decides he wants to play the role of coach, too, he could do it. LeBron is one of the great basketball players and basketball minds of our generation. The guy eats, sleeps and breathes basketball. He knows what most teams are going to do before they know they’re going to do it. He knows how to get the best from his teammates and puts them in a spot to succeed, which is the exact purpose of a coach. One reason why coaching for him may not work is simply that he has a tendency to run when things get too difficult. That’s a bad quality for a coach to have.

3. Andre Miller

Andre Miller has always been a tricky player to gauge during his NBA career. He was never considered the most talented player in the game, but always knew how to play. Andre Miller could bring a savvy veteran type approach to the sidelines and could surely help any player improve their game. Like the others on this list, Miller’s knowledge and incredible basketball I.Q. would give him the ability to come up with great offensive sets that would baffle opposing teams.

4. Tim Duncan

Duncan is another player that will most likely never take up coaching on the NBA level, but if he wanted to, he may have more upside than anyone on this list. After spending about 20 years playing under Coach Popovich, Duncan may be the most well coached player to ever lace ‘em up. Though we will likely never see it, how great would it be if Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all joined forces to coach the Spurs after Coach Pop retires?

5. Rajon Rondo

Rondo is a question mark when it comes to coaching. Could he do it? Absolutely. Does he understand the game? As well as anyone. Do people like him? Not one bit. From a strategic standpoint, no one is better than Rajon Rondo. He knows how to pick apart defenses and make just about everyone look foolish. But that’s not all it takes to be a coach. Rondo is known for getting into it with coaches when things do not go his way. Though this is not a good sign, it is not necessarily a bad one either. Rondo loves control, he loves to know that he has the ability to make decisions and that’s what he would have as a coach.

This list has players of different statures and talents, but they all have the qualities that could make them elite coaches if they so choose. Though it is unlikely that we will ever see LeBron or Duncan on the sidelines drawing up plays, they certainly would be great at it. Rondo is a question mark because of his poor attitude, but his knowledge makes him someone that every team would have to consider. J.J. and Andre are the most likely to take on the task of coaching when they retire and if they do, watch out, because they will be able to do it as well as anybody.

–Michael Hersey