NBA: Ranking All 30 Head Coaches In The League

Apr 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Knicks head coach

talks to guard

(11) against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

30. Derek Fisher, New York Knicks

Okay, pop quiz, name the five starters for the New York Knicks at the end of last season. The correct answer is Jason Smith, Lance Thomas, Cole Aldrich, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Langston Gallaway. Did you answer correctly? No? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Derek Fisher didn’t walk into a great situation when he became the Knicks head coach. He was coaching a team of ragtag players, who could maybe go .500 in the summer league. A team like the Knicks doesn’t need a young coach coming right out of the NBA. They need a coach, who will provide structure and attract big-name free agents (no offense Robin Lopez and Derrick Williams).

It amazes me that the Knicks haven’t brought in an experienced coach like Tom Thibodeau, but maybe they are content with having Jason Smith as the face of their franchise. But actually, who thought it would be a good idea to make him the Knicks featured player?

Fisher does not have the experience to successfully coach the Knicks. It would be one thing if the Knicks had a point guard who Fisher could work with and develop, but they have Langston Gallaway (who even is that?).

But the Knicks should be fine this season. They only lost Hardaway Jr., and drafted a player whose last name sounds like an antidepressant. Keep up the great work, Fisher.

Next: Michael Malone

November 30, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Michael Malone (right) instructs forward

(34, left) during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Sleep Train Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Kings 97-85. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

29. Michael Malone, Denver Nuggets

Michael Malone went 39-67 while coaching the Sacramento Kings the past two seasons. But to be fair, Malone served more as a camp counselor than as a head coach. Having to deal with both DeMarcus Cousins and Reggie Evans could not have been easy, which was evident from Malone’s lack of success. Maybe he should have tried that 4-on-5 defense philosophy.

Luckily for Malone, he stepped into a program with more responsible players like Ty Lawson. Yeah, it was probably a good idea the Nuggets traded Lawson. Malone has been around the NBA for 12 seasons now, but will he be able to develop Jusuf Nurkic and Emmanuel Mudiay into starting caliber players?

Next: Brett Brown?