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Ranking all 30 NBA coaches for the 2017-18 season
May 22, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich gives direction to his team against the Golden State Warriors during the first half in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Ranking all 30 NBA coaches for the 2017-18 season

Over the years, it wasn't too surprising to see NBA teams hire and fire coaches seemingly at will, leaving only the cream of the crop safe from the fiery hot seat.

However, the NBA head coaching profession has experienced some rare stability recently. As such, it's an excellent opportunity to rank the top 30 NBA head coaches heading into the 2017-18 regular season.

 

30. Fred Hoiberg, Bulls

Fred Hoiberg, Bulls
Derick E. Hingle / USA Today Sports Images

Chicago was one of the most disappointing teams in the league in 2015-16 when Hoiberg was hired, and now the Bulls are in rebuild mode after two seasons. Hoiberg is only two games above .500 in two seasons with the team, and it's somewhat surprising Chicago hasn't moved on from him. However, the perception is he's a good coach for a rebuild given his college experience at Iowa State.

 

29. Kenny Atkinson, Nets

Kenny Atkinson, Nets
Nicole Sweet / USA Today Sports Images

Atkinson deserves a break for his first season in Brooklyn given the lack of talent that he had to work with. The Nets went 20-62 last season.

 

28. Jeff Hornacek, Knicks

Jeff Hornacek, Knicks
Soobum Im / USA Today Sports Images

Hornacek finished 14 games above .500 in his first season in Phoenix, but he hasn't won since then. He's in his second stint as a head coach, going 31-51 with the Knicks last year.

 

27. Earl Watson, Suns

Earl Watson, Suns
Brett Davis / USA Today Sports Images

The Suns are just 33-82 in Watson's 115 regular-season games as head coach. More importantly, young Devin Booker is developing into a star for the rebuilding squad, but it could be a while before Watson has a chance to win.

 

26. Alvin Gentry, Pelicans

Alvin Gentry, Pelicans
Steve Dykes / USA Today Sports Images

Gentry has head coaching experience with five organizations, but he's resided over only two winning seasons in 14 years. New Orleans has high expectations this season with both DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis together from the jump.

 

25. Steve Clifford, Hornets

Steve Clifford, Hornets
Jeremy Brevard / USA Today Sports Images

Clifford likely needs a winning season to keep his job this year after the Hornets added Dwight Howard. Charlotte was a disappointing 36-46 last season after winning 48 games the previous season. Clifford is 160-168 in four seasons.

 

24. Mike Malone, Nuggets

Mike Malone, Nuggets
Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today Sports Images

Malone has yet to make the playoffs in three-plus NBA seasons between Sacramento and Denver, not that he's had much to work with. The Nuggets have more optimism this season, and there's pressure for Malone to improve on last year's 40-win campaign.

 

23. David Fizdale, Grizzlies

David Fizdale, Grizzlies
Soobum Im / USA Today Sports Images

Fizdale gets an incomplete with only one year under his belt, leading the Grizzlies to a 43-39 record last season. Memphis could regress this year after some offseason losses, including longtime Grizzlie Zach Randolph.

 

22. Dave Joerger, Kings

Dave Joerger, Kings
Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports Images

Sacramento sees Joerger as the right man for the organization's seemingly never-ending rebuild. He made the playoffs in all three of his seasons with Memphis and won 32 games with the Kings last year despite trading DeMarcus Cousins. He has a solid .546 winning percentage for his career.

 

21. Terry Stotts, Trail Blazers

Terry Stotts, Trail Blazers
Steve Dykes / USA Today Sports Images

Portland has made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons under Stotts, though the team is coming off a disappointing year. He has a .544 winning percentage in five years with the Blazers but likely needs to show improvement this year.

 

20. Luke Walton, Lakers

Luke Walton, Lakers
Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today Sports Images

Walton was the hottest commodity in the coaching ranks last offseason after leading the Warriors to a 39-4 record during Steve Kerr's absence in Golden State. Predictably, the rebuilding Lakers won only 26 games in his first season but seem very confident in his ability to build a winner.

 

19. Brett Brown, 76ers

Brett Brown, 76ers
Bill Streicher / USA Today Sports Images

For Brown it hasn't been about how many games he could win but rather how Philadelphia's young players are developing. He gets solid reviews so far despite a 75-253 record through four seasons, but Brown's team has pressure to show significant improvement this season.

 

18. Quin Snyder, Jazz

Quin Snyder, Jazz
Kyle Terada / USA Today Sports Images

Utah was one of the biggest surprises in the league last year, improving by 11 wins to make the playoffs at 51-31. After losing Gordon Hayward, a regression seems very likely, but Snyder has plenty of experience developing young players with a history coaching college.

 

17. Mike Budenholzer, Hawks

Mike Budenholzer, Hawks
Jason Getz / USA Today Sports Images

Atlanta has a winning record in three consecutive seasons under Budenholzer's watch, including an outstanding 60-win season in 2014-15. He's managed with less talent more recently and has a .576 winning percentage through four seasons.

 

16. Nate McMillan, Pacers

Nate McMillan, Pacers
Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today Sports Images

McMillan had made six playoff appearances over 13 NBA seasons between Seattle, Portland and Indiana. The Pacers could be headed for a long year after losing Paul George, but McMillan has significant experience developing young players.

 

15. Billy Donovan, Thunder

Billy Donovan, Thunder
Thomas Shea / USA Today Sports Images

Donovan proved all he could in the college game at Florida before taking the Thunder job in 2015. He's been successful in two seasons so far and was particularly impressive working with Russell Westbrook last season. OKC is 102-62 in Donovan's two seasons and has championship expectations this year after acquiring Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

 

14. Frank Vogel, Magic

Frank Vogel, Magic
Logan Bowles / USA Today Sports Images

Vogel is leading a full rebuild in Orlando, and there are likely dark days ahead for the team after winning 29 games last season. He did have great success with the Pacers over six seasons with a .580 winning percentage and five playoff appearances.

 

13. Mike D'Antoni, Rockets

Mike D'Antoni, Rockets
Thomas Shea / USA Today Sports Images

Arguably the top offensive coach in the NBA, D'Antoni's system was a perfect fit for the Rockets last season. The team won 55 games, shooting a record number of three-pointers with an offense that resembled his past Phoenix Suns squads. D'Antoni's unsuccessful stops with the Knicks and Lakers are major blemishes on his record, however, but he does have a solid .530 career winning percentage.

 

12. Dwane Casey, Raptors

Dwane Casey, Raptors
Nick Turchiaro / USA Today Sports Images

Entering his seventh season in Toronto, Casey has a .548 winning percentage with the organization and has made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. It's fair to say the Raptors have reached expectations during his tenure.

 

11. Jason Kidd, Bucks

Jason Kidd, Bucks
John E. Sokolowski / USA Today Sports Images

Kidd left the Nets after only one season, when he was already acclaimed as one of the league's top coaches after winning 44 games on a talent-deficient squad. Milwaukee is looking up with a promising young team, and the Bucks have made the playoffs in two out of three seasons under Kidd.

 

10. Stan Van Gundy, Pistons

Stan Van Gundy, Pistons
Adam Hunger / USA Today Sports Images

Van Gundy had seven straight winning seasons between Miami and Orlando, including a Finals appearance with the Magic in 2009. Now with Detroit, Van Gundy led the team to the playoffs in 2016 and has generally exceeded expectations with a talent-deficient roster.

 

9. Rick Carlisle, Mavericks

Rick Carlisle, Mavericks
Kevin Jairaj / USA Today Sports Images

Now in his 10th season in Dallas, Carlisle resides over a rebuild. He won an NBA championship with the Mavs in 2010-11 and has finished below .500 only twice in his 15 seasons, which include three stops.

 

8. Doc Rivers, Clippers

Doc Rivers, Clippers
Richard Mackson / USA Today Sports Images

Rivers has made three stops as a head coach but truly established himself in Boston, leading the big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to a championship in 2008 and another Finals appearance two years later. His success with the Clippers' big three wasn't as great, but Rivers has still won more than 50 games in all four of his seasons. He has an impressive .579 winning percentage for his career.

 

7. Tom Thibodeau, Timberwolves

Tom Thibodeau, Timberwolves
Troy Wayrynen / USA Today Sports Images

The Bulls certainly missed Thibodeau after he left in 2015, showing immediate regression. He went 255-139 and made the playoffs in all five of his seasons with Chicago. The Timberwolves won only 31 games in his first season with the organization last year, but they have high hopes after adding Jimmy Butler in the offseason.

 

6. Tyronn Lue, Cavaliers

Tyronn Lue, Cavaliers
Tommy Gilligan / USA Today Sports Images

Lue had the tough task of taking on the Cavs midseason in 2015-16. All he did was lead them to a 27-14 record and a championship. The team didn't have a great regular season last year relative to expectations with 51 wins, but the Cavs found their way back to the NBA Finals. Obviously, LeBron James deserves much of the credit, but Lue is now immortal in Cleveland.

 

5. Scott Brooks, Wizards

Scott Brooks, Wizards
Greg M. Cooper / USA Today Sports Images

Brooks did a great job during his time in OKC with a .620 winning percentage and one Finals appearance, but he was ousted after seven seasons. He proved his worth after going to Washington last season, getting John Wall and Bradley Beal to co-exist for a vastly improved Wizards team that went 49-33.

 

4. Erik Spoelstra, Heat

Erik Spoelstra, Heat
Jeremy Brevard / USA Today Sports Images

Spoelstra led Miami's big three to four Finals appearances and two championships over four years. His ability has been tested more over the last three seasons following LeBron James's departure, but the Heat did win 48 games in 2015-16 and finished .500 last year.

 

3. Brad Stevens, Celtics

Brad Stevens, Celtics
Greg M. Cooper / USA Today Sports Images

Stevens was arguably the top young coach in the college game at Butler before making a shocking jump to the NBA in 2013-14. Since then, the Celtics have improved from 25 wins to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with 53 wins last season. Now with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, the pressure is on Stevens to at least make a Finals appearance.

 

2. Steve Kerr, Warriors

Steve Kerr, Warriors
Kyle Terada / USA Today Sports Images

Sure, Kerr has had elite talent in his three seasons with Golden State and missed a large chunk of that time nursing back issues, but his first three seasons are still incredible. The Warriors have a ridiculous .841 winning percentage and have won two NBA championships in his three years.

 

1. Gregg Popovich, Spurs

Gregg Popovich, Spurs
Kyle Terada / USA Today Sports Images

Popovich's record and consistency are unmatched by current NBA coaches. The longest tenured coach in the league, he's 1,150-506 during the regular season with 18 50-win seasons in 20 years. The Spurs have won five NBA championships under his watch.

Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.

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