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Power ranking NBA head coaches: 2015-16 season

By John Buhler

Oct 23, 2015; Manchester, NH, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens gestures from the sidelines during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Verizon Wireless Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2015; Manchester, NH, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens gestures from the sidelines during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Verizon Wireless Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 1, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle in the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle in the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks

Rick Carlisle has been an unbelievable basketball coach wherever he’s been. While he did a great job both in Detroit and in Indiana, where Carlisle has done his best work has been with the Dallas Mavericks. He’s been a perfect match for their forward thinking owner Mark Cuban. Carlisle has happily embraced the analytics movement when it comes to coaching his basketball team.

It also helps to have a revolutionary big man in Dirk Nowitzki, a near seven-footer who is one of the best outside shooters the game of basketball has ever seen. Carlisle, Nowitzki, and the rest of the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Finals that year. That was only Carlisle’s third year with the Mavericks organization.

Dallas has typically been a great offensive team under Carlisle’s direction. It is when they become a bit more defensive do the Mavericks really take off. Dallas has won at least 50 games four times and has only missed the playoffs in the deep Western Conference once since Carlisle took over the team in 2008-09.

What Rick Carlisle seems to do a better job of any head coach in the NBA is that he gets the most out of his players. Dallas may come across as a big spender under Mark Cuban, but his teams often outperform expectations due to Rick Carlisle’s supreme coaching. Carlisle is cementing a spot for himself in the Basketball Hall of Fame for his great coaching of the Dallas Mavericks.

Next: 2. Steve Kerr

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