2. Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
It's hard to discount the job that Erik Spoelstra is able to do year after year. Even though it feels at times that his front office does him no favors, Spo continues to get the most out of his rosters. Interestingly enough, this year could be the ultimate test of Spo. With an aging superstar on a roster that doesn't fit all that well with each other anymore, it will be interesting to see what type of job Spo is able to do with them this year. If he manages to surprise the masses and get the most out of this roster by making an unforeseen deep playoff run, it may be time to reevaluate Spo's spot on this ranking next season.
For now, there's no shame in checking in at No. 2. As a head coach who helped change the game to embrace a more positionless style of basketball, Spo never truly gets his flowers. In fact, he's never even won an NBA Coach of the Year award. But there's no question he does have the respect of his peers.
With Steve Kerr stepping aside as the Team USA Basketball head coach, there's a good chance Spo will step into that role in the near future. And he'd be truly deserving of it.