MIKE DUNLEAVY
Team: Blazers
Yr. as coach: 9th
Record: 345-357 (56-22 this year)

Well, he looked a lot better before Shaq and the Lakers went to Portland a few weeks ago and sent the Blazers on a slide they've yet to recover from. Regardless, Blazers still can win 60 and have glimmer of hope of getting to the Finals, where Dunleavy took the Lakers nine seasons ago. Portland doesn't coach itself, contrary to opinion, and Dunleavy is well-respected around the league.

PHIL JACKSON
Team: Lakers
Yr. as coach: 10th
Record: 610-206 (65-13 this year)

Argument against Jax would be that he had Jordan all those years in Chicago, and now has the game's top player again. Or in other words, Jackson has never built a team, and he's never coached the Clippers. Fair enough. However, Jackson does have a .730 playoff winning percentage and has the best chance of any coach to get title No. 7 this year. And the Lakers had the same players last year and looked misguided. They don't these days.

GEORGE KARL
Team: Bucks
Yr. as coach: 13th
Record: 570-387 (39-39 this year)

So maybe Karl hasn't done his best work this season, as the Bucks underachieve to a .500 record. However, this is only Year 2 in this latest Karl regime and the team can make the playoffs. Karl's NBA coaching resume includes Cleveland, Golden State and seven winning seasons in Seattle with four division titles. No NBA titles, but 10 of 12 years in the playoffs. Not too bad.

GREGG POPOVICH
Team: Spurs
Yr. as coach: 4th
Record: 160-114 (50-28 this year)

It's nice having Tim Duncan, isn't it? The Spurs' GM since 1993-94, Pop made himself coach -- his debut in the NBA -- three years ago and with no Dunc or Admiral, and brutal team won total of 20 games, then won the lottery and the rest is history. Is Popovich the greatest coach? He's certainly lucky. He has an NBA title on his resume, and a lot of guys don't. So it's not all luck.

PAT RILEY
Team: Heat
Yr. as coach: 18th
Record: 997-432 (50-28 this year)

The numbers are stupendous. Riley will win his 1,000th regular-season game soon. In 17 years he's failed to finish first in his division twice. He has four NBA titles as coach (one as player) and no coach has won more than his 147 playoff games. We shouldn't let one bad John Starks game ('94 Finals with Knicks) and first-round exits three of the last four years in Miami ruin a Hall of Fame coaching career.

DOC RIVERS
Team: Magic
Yr. as coach: 1st
Record: 39-39 (all this year)

There's not a lot to go on, but can anyone argue with the job he's done this season? A solid choice for Coach of the Year, Doc stepped out of the broadcast booth and has taken a team many suspected wouldn't win 10 games, to a possible playoff berth. Rivers works his players hard, has a deep bench and a team attitude, and has been rewarded. When a big free agent or two joins up this summer, will we see Rivers' team among the elite?

JERRY SLOAN
Team: Jazz
Yr. as coach: 15th
Record: 729-417 (53-25 this year)

You know how long Sloan has coached the Jazz? Let's put it this way: No other NBA coach comes close. A two-time All-Star as a player in Chicago, Sloan coached 2½ seasons there before taking over for Frank Layden in Karl Malone's third season. This will be the sixth Midwest title in that span, and as this team runs out of chances, they hope a third trip to the Finals.

RUDY TOMJANOVICH
Team: Rockets
Yr. as coach: 9th
Record: 385-265 (32-46 this year)

Rebuilding has come early in Houston, and the record shows it. But could any coach survive the loss of two Hall of Famers the same season -- and still win 30+ games? The Rockets have been pretty competitive this year, and some say Rudy T has done his best work. Remember, he led Houston to two titles and this will be his first year in nine with no playoffs. He's so respected he'll coach the Olympians soon.

JEFF VAN GUNDY
Team: Knicks
Yr. as coach: 5th
Record: 189-126 (49-29 this year)

In each of Van Gundy's first three seasons, he led the Knicks to second-place finishes and second-round playoff exits. And just when the hammer was supposedly going to fall on his job, Van Gundy took the eighth-seeded Knicks to the Finals last June. New York remains as good a bet as any to get through the East this year.

LENNY WILKENS
Team: Hawks
Yr. as coach: 27th
Record: 1177-979 (26-52 this year)

Well this is the wrong year to be doing this topic, if you ask Lenny. A Hall of Famer as player and coach, Wilkens has coached a team into the playoffs 17 times and won one NBA title, with Seattle. No coach has more wins. Yet this Hawks group will present Wilkens with his worst season ever and first with less than 31 wins. Will Wilkens be coaching elsewhere next year? Let's just hope he doesn't go out this way.