NBA postseason coaching tiers: From Doc Rivers to Darvin Ham, what’s at stake in coming weeks?

Tier 1: The Ring(z) holders

Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat)

Previous years as head coach: 15 (Miami)
Years in the playoffs: 12 (.800 appearance rate)
Playoff series record: 23-10 (.696)

Top postseason achievement(s): Two NBA titles (2012, 2013); six East titles (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2023).

Worst postseason moment(s): After the Heat went 58-24 in the first season with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, their six-game loss to Dallas in the 2011 Finals (after leading the series 2-1) was a seminal moment for all involved. LeBron bore the brunt of the criticism, but Spoelstra certainly played his part. 

Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors)

Previous years as head coach: 9 (Warriors)
Years in the playoffs: 7 (.777)
Playoff series record: 23-3 (.884)

Top postseason achievement(s): Four NBA titles (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022); six West titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022)
Worst postseason moment(s): The Warriors’ historic 3-1 collapse against Cleveland in the 2016 Finals.

Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets)

Previous years as head coach: 10 (Sacramento, Denver)
Years in the playoffs: 5 (.500)
Playoff series record: 8-4 (.667)

Top postseason achievement(s): NBA title with Denver (2023); West finals appearance with Denver in 2020 (lost to Lakers in five games).
Worst postseason moment(s): The Nuggets’ second-round loss to Portland in 2019 was a heartbreaker, as they lost Game 7 on their home floor (100-96) despite holding Damian Lillard to 13 points (Portland’s CJ McCollum buried them with 37 points on 17-of-29 shooting). Denver (54-28) was the third seed that year, while Portland (53-29) was the fourth. If only the Nuggets had pulled off Game 4 of that series, when they fell short in an epic four-overtime affair in Portland.

Tyronn Lue (LA Clippers)

Previous years as head coach: 7 (Cavs, Clippers)
Years in the playoffs: 5 (.714)
Playoff series record: 12-4 (.750); 10-2 in Cleveland, 2-2 with Clippers

Top postseason achievement(s): NBA title (Cavs in 2016); three East titles (Cavs in 2016, 2017 and 2018).
Worst postseason moment(s): Finals losses to Golden State in 2017 and 2018 (they were heavy underdogs in both matchups, but fell short nonetheless).

Nick Nurse (Philadelphia 76ers)

Previous years as head coach: 5 (Raptors)
Years in the playoffs: 3
Playoff series record: 5-2 (.714)

Top postseason achievement(s): NBA title (Toronto in 2019).
Worst postseason moment(s): Falling to Boston in Game 7 of the 2020 second round (92-87) in the bubble. Those Raptors had already survived so much in their title defense campaign, finishing second in the East (53-19) despite Leonard having left for the Clippers in free agency the offseason before.  They battled back from an 0-2 hole against the Celtics in that series, with Fred VanVleet declaring that Boston had “f—– up now” after Toronto started clawing its way back with a Game 3 win (including that unforgettable Kyle Lowry inbounds pass and the OG Anunoby game winner from the left corner). They forced Game 7 with a double-overtime thriller in Game 6, but fell in the finale when their offense failed them at the worst possible time.

Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers)

Previous years as head coach: 21 (Pistons, Pacers, Mavericks, Pacers)
Years in the playoffs: 14 (.667)
Playoff series record: 11-13 (.458; 3-2 in Detroit, 3-3 in Indiana, 5-8 in Dallas)

Top postseason achievement(s): NBA title (Dallas in 2011)

Worst postseason moment(s): Carlisle has fallen in the first round eight of the 14 times he’s been in the playoffs, with seven of those times coming during his 13-year run with the Mavericks (2008-21).

Frank Vogel (Phoenix Suns)

Previous years as head coach: 11 (Pacers, Lakers)
Years in the playoffs: 7 (.636)
Playoff series record: 9-6 (.600; 5-5 in Indiana, 4-1 with Lakers)

Top postseason achievement(s): NBA title (Lakers 2020); two East finals appearances (his Pacers lost to Miami in 2013 and 2014).

Worst postseason moment(s): The Pacers’ anticlimactic Game 7 loss to the James-Wade-Bosh Heat in the 2013 East finals, when they were dominated (99-76) in Miami after playing so well in Game 6 (a 91-77 win). It was their best chance to take down the Heatles, and they couldn’t have played much worse.

Doc Rivers (Milwaukee Bucks)

Previous years as head coach: 24 (Magic, Celtics, Clippers, Sixers)
Years in the playoffs: 19 (.791)
Playoff series record: 17-18 (.485 winning percentage; 0-3 in Orlando, 11-7 in Boston, 3-6 with the Clippers, 3-3 with the Sixers)

Top postseason achievement(s): NBA title (Celtics 2008); two East titles (Celtics in 2008 and 2010).
Worst postseason moment(s): You already know what goes in this section: Rivers’ penchant for blowing 3-1 series leads (three in all; once in Orlando, twice with the Clippers). While he has pushed back on the years-long criticism on this front, rightfully pointing out that the context of each team’s situation should be considered, it doesn’t change the reality that many of his teams have let up when it matters most. It’s a blotch on his résumé, no matter how you slice it. Rivers’ teams have lost 3-2 series leads four times (Orlando once, Boston twice and once in Philly) and one 2-0 series lead (Clippers).

And then there are the Game 7 losses. Rivers has more Game 7 defeats than any other coach in NBA history (10) but also has taken part in the most (16, with Pat Riley second at 11). Late Celtics legend Red Auerbach has the all-time record for Game 7 wins (eight, with no losses, which is simply remarkable).

Tier 2: The best of the rest

Tom Thibodeau (New York Knicks)

Previous years as head coach: 11 (Bulls, Timberwolves, Knicks)
Years in the playoffs: 8 (.727)

Playoff series record: 5-8 (.384; 4-5 in Chicago, 0-1 in Minnesota, 1-2 in New York)

Worst postseason moment(s): It might be harsh to deem Thibodeau’s longest playoff run a failure, but that’s the reality of his 2010-11 Bulls team that featured MVP Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah. They had the league’s best record that season (62-20), then made relatively quick work of Indiana (five games) and Atlanta (six games) in the first two rounds. The Heatles handled them in the East finals, though, winning in five games.

Mike Brown (Sacramento Kings)

Previous years as head coach: 9 (Cleveland, Lakers, Sacramento)
Years in the playoffs: 7 (.778)
Playoff series record: 9-7 (.563; 8-5 in Cleveland, 1-1 with Lakers, 0-1 with Kings)

Top postseason achievement(s): Eastern Conference title in 2007 (the Cavs lost to San Antonio in four games in the Finals); getting the Kings to the playoffs in 2023, breaking the franchise’s 16-year long postseason drought.

Worst postseason moment(s): Cleveland’s Eastern Conference finals loss to Orlando in 2009. The Cavs, having gone a league-best 66-16 in the regular season, fell to the Magic in six games. Cleveland’s East semifinals loss to Boston in 2010 in six games is a close second, if only because it led to Brown’s firing and the departure of James to Miami in free agency that summer.

Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks)

Previous years as head coach: 9 (Utah and Atlanta)
Years in the playoffs: 7 (.777)
Playoff series record: 3-7 (.300); 3-6 in Utah, 0-1 in Atlanta

Top postseason achievement(s): West semifinal appearances with the Jazz in 2017, 2018 and 2021.

Worst postseason moment(s): In case you wondered, a coach can have his best and worst postseason moments intersect. While I mentioned Snyder getting the Jazz to the second round in 2021 as an accomplishment, their six-game loss to the Clippers once they got there was a major letdown for a team that had the best record in the league during that COVID-shortened season (52-20).

Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls)

Previous years as head coach: 8 (Oklahoma City and Chicago)
Years in the playoffs: 6 (.750)
Playoff series record: 2-6

Top postseason achievement(s): In Donovan’s first season in Oklahoma City (2015-16), his Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook-led Thunder downed Dallas and San Antonio in the first two rounds and nearly toppled the dynasty Warriors in the West finals. Their Game 7 loss at Oracle Arena, if you somehow hadn’t heard, led to Durant’s choice to join the Warriors as a free agent the following summer.

Worst postseason moment(s): The bar was lowered in OKC after Durant’s departure, and with good reason. But the 2018-19 Thunder went 49-33 in the regular season and entered the playoffs as the sixth seed, only to fall to Portland (53-29; third seed) in five games in the first round. Donovan’s teams have lost in the first round in his last five trips to the playoffs.

Tier 3: The unprovens

Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Previous years as head coach: 3 (OKC)
Years in the playoffs: 0 (.000)
Playoff series record: N/A

Top postseason achievement(s): N/A

Worst postseason moment(s): N/A

Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Previous years as head coach: 3 (Minnesota)
Years in the playoffs: 2 (.667)
Playoff series record: 0-2 (.000)

Top postseason achievement(s): N/A

Worst postseason moment(s): First-round losses to Memphis (six games) and Denver (five) in his first two seasons.

Willie Green (New Orleans Pelicans)

Previous years as head coach: 2 (New Orleans)
Years in the playoffs: 1 (.500)
Playoff series record: 0-1 (.000)

Top postseason achievement(s): N/A

Worst postseason moment(s): First-round loss to Phoenix (six games) in 2022.

Jamahl Mosley (Orlando Magic)

Previous years as head coach: 2 (Magic)
Years in the playoffs: 0 (.000)
Playoff series record: N/A

Top postseason achievement(s): N/A

Worst postseason moment(s): N/A

Tier 4: The pressure’s on

Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics)

Previous years as head coach: 1 (Celtics)
Years in the playoffs: 1 (1.000)
Playoff series record: 2-1 (.667)

Top postseason achievement(s): East finals appearance with Boston last season (lost to Miami in seven games).

Worst postseason moment(s): If you missed the disclaimer above, it is possible to have the same playoff experience qualify as good and bad. To that end, the Celtics’ loss to the Heat in the East finals a year ago was a massive missed opportunity. It would have been one thing if they fell to a fellow East juggernaut, but Miami was eighth in the East last season and even lost a Play-In game (to Atlanta) before pulling off its improbable run to the Finals.

Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks)

Previous years as head coach: 7 (Nets, Bucks, Mavericks)
Years in the playoffs: 4 (.571)
Playoff series record: 3-4 (.428; 1-1 in Brooklyn, 0-2 in Milwaukee, 2-1 in Dallas)

Top postseason achievement(s): In his first season in Dallas (2021-22), Kidd’s Mavericks downed Utah (six games) and Phoenix (seven games) to reach the West finals. They lost to Golden State in five games.

Worst postseason moment(s): The aforementioned West finals loss in 2022, in which the Mavs’ four losses came by an average of 13.3 points.

J.B. Bickerstaff (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Previous years as head coach: 7 (Rockets, Cavs)
Years in the playoffs: 2 (.285)
Playoff series record: 0-2 (.000); 0-1 in Houston, 0-1 in Cleveland.

Top postseason achievement(s): First-round appearance with Houston (lost to Golden State in five games in 2016).

Worst postseason moment(s): Bickerstaff’s Cavs, in their first season with Donovan Mitchell after the September 2022 blockbuster trade with Utah, fell in five games to the Knicks in the first round last April. After finishing fourth in the East (51-31) and securing home-court advantage for that series, it was a letdown.

Darvin Ham (Los Angeles Lakers)

Previous years as head coach: 1 (Lakers)
Years in the playoffs: 1 (1.000)
Playoff series record: 2-1 (.667)

Top postseason achievement(s): West finals appearance with the Lakers in 2023 (lost to Denver in four games)

Worst postseason moment(s): N/A (No, getting swept by the eventual champs in the West finals when you entered the playoffs as a Play-In team doesn’t count).