Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra - Ten greatest active coaches in NBA (Part 1)
In the modern NBA era, there have been a number of outstanding coaches who have marked a significant difference with their exceptional leadership skills. The success of the teams and their players heavily depends on their coaches
who can change the fate of the team with the exceptional amount of experience and basketball knowledge they carry.
Great names like Lenny Wilkens, Red Auerbach, Pat Riley and Phil Jackson come to mind while thinking about some of the greatest coaches in the history of NBA. Most of these coaches were not only influential leaders; they had a
dominating career as a player as well.
Considering active NBA coaches, there is a list of names who are doing an outstanding job to keep their teams in competitive position. Here is a list of ten greatest active NBA coaches which includes a couple of young names as
well.
Erik Spoelstra: Currently coaching Miami Heat
In the second season after becoming the NBA Champions, Miami Heat finished with the League’s worst 15-67 record under the leadership of Pat Riley which opened the doors for Erik Spoelstra to acquire the responsibility of the head
coach in 2008.
Spoelstra has been assisting Miami Heat since 2001 and gained a valuable knowledge under Riley and Stan Van Gundy. Pat Riley remained the president of the franchise and named Spoelstra as his successor.
"This game is now about younger coaches who are technologically skilled, innovative, and bring fresh new ideas. That's what we feel we are getting with Erik Spoelstra. He's a man that was born to coach. A lot of players want the
discipline; they will play [hard] for Spoelstra, because 'they respect him.” Riley said.
After an impressive tenure as an associate coach and helping Miami Heat to clinch the Championship title in 2006, Erik lived up to the expectation as a head coach by bringing the team back on the track.
In the first two seasons, Erik proved his brilliance by guiding the team into the play-offs with only one superstar Dwyane Wade on the roster. Spoelstra inculcated a defensive strategy which helped the team to gain control over
the opposition.
Before the beginning of the 2010-2011 season, Miami Heat became a formidable threat with the addition of two best players of the league LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Despite all the abhorrence that eventually Miami Heat had to face
as a result of James hatred campaign, which was triggered by the fans of Cleveland Cavaliers for shifting his talent, Spoelstra led the heavy line-up magnificently.
Miami finished with the second seed in the Eastern Conference and toppled every opposition in the play-offs to clinch the NBA Finals berth where they were eliminated by the veteran power Dallas Mavericks.
In three complete seasons, Erik has guided Miami Heat toward 148 regular season victories and in the process lost 98 games. Spoelstra has proved himself as a great defensive coach and his team will remain a strong contender for
the NBA title for at least next five to six years. Spoelstra is in the early stages of his coaching career as his leadership skills will only get better with the passage of time.
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