Conf Rank
Rk Team GB
1 x-Pistons* -
2 Cavaliers 2.5
3 Raptors* 6.0
4 Wizards* 6.5
5 Bulls 4.0
6 Heat 7.0
7 Nets 12.5
8 Magic 12.5
9 Pacers 13.0
10 Knicks 14.0
11 76ers 16.5
12 Hawks 18.0
13 Bucks 18.5
14 Bobcats 19.0
15 Celtics 24.0
Conf Rank
Rk Team GB
1 x-Mavericks* -
2 x-Suns* 6.0
3 x-Spurs 9.0
4 x-Jazz* 13.0
5 Rockets 14.5
6 Lakers 20.5
7 Nuggets 22.5
8 Clippers 24.5
9 Warriors 26.0
10 Hornets 26.5
11 Timberwolves 28.0
12 Kings 28.5
13 Trail Blazers 29.5
14 SuperSonics 31.0
15 Grizzlies 41.5
By Nigel Kerry
A new member is going to join the list of young and successful NBA coaches in the near future. The young and successful brigade already includes Mike Brown, Avery Johnson and Eric Musselman.
Warriors coach Don Nelson already has a likely candidate to take over as the next head coach in the league. Speaking about his assistant, Keith Smart, Nelson said that Smart has played under Bobby Knight and has been an assistant under some very good head coaches. Other than experience, Smart does not have any weaknesses, said Nelson.
Smart is jut 42 years of age and began to work towards his future of being a NBA head coach in the CBA for three years. From there, Smart joined the Cavaliers as an assistant coach and then went on become the interim head coach for 40 games when John Lucas was fired in 2003. During that time Smart was 9-31.
In 2003 season Cavaliers let go of Smart and he has been with Golden State as an assistant coach ever since. In the last years, Smart is working for the third coach and Nelson is the most important of all those coaches.
Cavalier’s center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has complete faith in Smart’s potential since he has played under him. He went on to say he was sure Smart would become a head coach some day. When the Cavaliers went through a rough year, Smart kept them together. Ilgauskas said that Smart has very good work ethic and he is extremely hard working.
Many former players with the Cavaliers and CBA who played under Smart can not stop talking about his coaching ability. Mikki Moore with New Jersey Nets is one such player. All these players agree that before long Smart will get an opportunity to become a head coach.
