THE ZEN MASTER'S PLACE IN HISTORY

Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers captured the 15th NBA championship in their franchise history with a 99-86 victory over the Orlando Magic. It also marked the record 10th championship for Phil Jackson, as he has now moved ahead of Red Auerbach for the most championships by a coach in any of the four major North American sports.

The question that many are asking now is where does Jackson rank among the all-time coaches/managers in sports? No one can take away his ten championships, but skeptics have always gotten on him for having the best players in the NBA. Prior to this year, he won six championships with the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and three in Los Angeles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. I don't disagree with those people that say Jackson basically won the lottery when he inherited the Bulls from Doug Collins when they were set to peak in 1989. He then caught a second big break when he took the Lakers' job right before they were set to win championships in 1999. I cannot argue that other coaches would have won with those rosters.

Let me ask these critics a stupid question though. What great coach won without great players? Auerbach won with an absolutely loaded Boston Celtics team. The Celtics had the likes of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam and KC Jones, and John Havlicek. Don't forget that Auerbach was not even the coach when the Celtics won their last two titles in that era. Russell was the player-coach in their 1968 and 1969 title years. Pat Riley won four titles with Magic, Kareem, and James Worthy. He then won a fifth with Dwyane Wade and Shaq in Miami. Gregg Popovich has won four rings with Tim Duncan. John Kundla won five championships with George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers back in the 1950s. I am not trying to diminish these coaches' accomplishments, but for some reason, Jackson has always gotten much more abuse than them when it comes to their championships.

If you are one of those people who feel Jackson has been lucky, then I point to championship #10. After the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in 2004, Jackson stepped down and the mighty Shaq was traded to Miami. The Lakers were reduced to a .500 team at best when Jackson returned to the bench a year later. However, Jackson slienced the critics and has done a remarkable job rebuilding the Lakers without the roster he is used to having. Sure, Kobe Byrant is an all-time great, but this Lakers team does not have the secondary player or depth to their roster that his Bulls or earlier Lakers teams had. They did rip off Memphis to get Pau Gasol, but he is a far cry from what Pippen was to Jordan or what Byrant was to O'Neal.

In my opinion, Phil Jackson is the greatest coach to ever grace the sidelines in NBA history. It is not only because he now has the record for championships, but he has won with really four different teams with many different egos. The first three-peat and second three-peat with Chicago were with two very different rosters. The Lakers' three-peat was a totally different team than the one Jackson has just won with now. Whether it was Jerry Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause giving the Bulls hell in the late 90s or Kobe and Shaq sparring off in this decade, Jackson's leadership held those teams together. A lot of credit has to be given to his mentor Tex Winter and his creation of the triangle-offense, but Jackson has been more than lucky, he has been the all-time greatest.

Pat Morgan

THIS WAS NBA PLAYOFF BASKETBALL

Struggling Bulls Fire Skiles

Coming into the season, the Chicago Bulls were predicted by many to contend for the top seed in the East and possibly represent the conference in the NBA Finals.

However, the Bulls have started the season a very disappointing 9-16, which leaves them 10 games back of the Pistons in their division, and only ahead of the Miami Heat and New York Knicks for the worst record in the East. Today, the head coach, Scott Skiles, took the fall for the Bulls' dreadful start. The breaking point had to be the Bulls last two games where they lost by a combined 43 points to the Celtics and Rockets.

I do not agree with John Paxson's decision to fire Skiles today. Skiles has taken this Bulls team from an embarrassment every year to one of the best young teams in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately at the first sign of trouble, Skiles has been given the ax. He should have definitely been given the rest of this year to turn the team around, and I would have given him next year too for making the playoffs the last three years. It isn't Skiles' fault that two of his best players in Luol Deng and Ben Gordon were severly distracted by the Kobe Bryant rumors, and now are more concerned about their contracts that will be up in the air after this season. That is the GM's doing. Should have given the coach the rest of the season to make things right.

Despite the poor start, the Bulls only sit 2 games out of a playoff spot, and surprisingly they are only 4.5 games back of the #4 seed. They are too far back from the surging Celtics or Pistons for something better, but they certainly have time to make something good happen from this year. And should they make the playoffs, they will be a handful for either of those teams should they meet.

This move is symbolic of how the NBA has become. Coaches get fired more in the NBA than any other league. In fact, the only organization I can think of in another sport that changes coaches at such an alarming rate is the New Jersey Devils. I love Paxson for his key championship contributions as a player from '91-'93 and for rebuilding this current team as GM, but this was a very classless move on his part. Shameful! On Christmas no less! And if Isiah Thomas still has a job, shouldn't Skiles?

Pat Morgan

The Great Trade That Could Have Been

A trade that would have sent Kobe Bryant to the Chicago Bulls in a three team deal fell through earlier today. The Bulls would have only had to give up Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, and PJ Brown. Gordon would have gone to Sacramento with PJ Brown, while Ben Wallace and Ron Artest would have gone to the Los Angeles Lakers.

That trade would have been an absolute steal for Chicago, considering many thought the Bulls would have to part ways with Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, and/or Joakim Noah. Yes, Ben Gordon has been Mr. Clutch for the Bulls in the 4th quarter, but with Kobe, Gordon's time to shine would have decreased drastically. Ben Wallace has not lived up to expectations, and PJ Brown would have just been re-signed then traded so contracts would match up.

The Bulls will be a contender to win the Eastern Conference, but adding Kobe in that deal would have made them the heavy favorites. It would have also given them a legitimate chance to win the NBA Finals. Other than a lack of an offensive inside game, the Bulls biggest flaw is they do not have a consistently big scoring threat. Kobe would have given them just that. The Bulls go cold from the field quite often, so the addition of Kobe would have fixed that problem. Talks are continuing between the Lakers and Bulls, but the question is what the Bulls will have to give up? Deng? Thomas? I almost drove into a tree when I heard that deal fell through. Would have been highway robbery!

Pat Morgan

Pat Morgan's Stone Cold, Lead Pipe, Giant Lock NBA Picks

Tonight marks the beginning of the new NBA season. The Spurs will raise their fourth championship banner vs. the Oden-less Trail Blazers (scheduling people stabbing themselves). Then at 10:30, the still Kobe lead Lakers will host the Rockies, and the Warriors will host the Jazz in a Western Conference Semifinal rematch. I doubt I will get into the NBA til after the Super Bowl, but I love giving predictions (using my lunch break to do it). Here you go!

Eastern Conference
Atlantic- Boston (2)
Central- Chicago (1)
Southeast- Miami (5)
Playoff Teams- Detroit (3), Cleveland (4), New Jersey (6), Milwaukee (7), New York (8)
Lottery- Toronto (9), Washington (10), Orlando (11), Atlanta (12), Charlotte (13), Indiana (14), Philadelphia (15)

Western Conference
Northwest-Denver (4)
Pacific-Phoenix (1)
Southwest-Dallas (2)
Playoff Teams-San Antonio (3), Golden State (5), Houston (6), Utah (7), New Orleans (8)
Lottery-LA Lakers (9), Memphis (10), LA Clippers (11) Seattle (12), Sacramento (13), Portland (14), Minnesota (15)

Biggest Sleeper: Milwaukee Bucks; They have a three headed monster inside with Andrew Bogut, Yi Jianlian, and Charlie Villanueva, to go with Michael Redd on the outside. After the top 5 or 6 teams in the East, the 7 and 8 spots are up for grabs. You can make a case for anyone in the East to get those spots, so why not Milwaukee with some size, which is rare in the conference.

Biggest Bust: Los Angeles Lakers; With all the Kobe distraction, I wonder if this team will win 30 games this year. Kobe will still win a bunch by himself, but when does the divorce finally become final?

Eastern Quarterfinals
(1) Chicago 4, (8) Washington 2
(4) Cleveland 4, (5) Miami 3
(3) Detroit 4, (6) New Jersey 0
(2) Boston 4, (7) Milwaukee 2

Western Quarterfinals
(1) Phoenix 4, (8) New Orleans 0
(5) Golden State 4, (4) Denver 3
(3) San Antonio 4, (6) Houston 2
(2) Dallas 4, (7) Utah 1

Eastern Semifinals
(1) Chicago 4, (4) Cleveland 2
(3) Detroit 4, (2) Boston 3

Western Semifinals
(1) Phoenix 4, (5) Golden State 1
(2) Dallas 4, (3) San Antonio 3

Eastern Finals
(3) Detroit 4, (1) Chicago 2
(2) Dallas 4, (1) Phoenix 2

NBA Finals
(W2) Dallas 4, (E3) Detroit 1

San Antonio is the most popular pick, and with good reason being the NBA champions and keeper of the best player in basketball in Tim Duncan. However, they have never won back-to-back titles in their run of four championships. The Dallas Mavericks have been stewing over the stunning upset to Golden State for months, and I think they will be highly motivated to win that elusive championship. They seem too good to me to not have won a title yet, so I think this will be their year. Look for them to back off from winning 67+ games again, and prepare everything for the postseason.

I think Chicago will win the best record in the East, but the Detroit Pistons play best in the playoffs when they are forgotten about. The last two years they have been the best team in the eastern regular season by far. They have the deepest, most experienced team in the league. Plus, Flip Saunders is on the ropes. They need to make the finals this year, as it could be their last stand as Chicago, Cleveland, and Boston are getting better by the day.

MVP: Kevin Garnett, Boston

Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant, Seattle

Coach of the Year: Larry Krystkowiak, Milwaukee

Sixth Man of the Year: Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix

Most Improved Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Miami

Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, San Antonio

Pat Morgan