As academics often write, "More research is needed"

"Despite years of careful analysis, nobody has determined what it is that NBA coaches actually do."

(That might exaggerate some. The coach's job is to try to have the right players playing and to try to have the right players shooting. There have been, I think, some papers to that effect. Still, it's an interesting topic and I'm sure more research would be useful.)

Comments

[JorgXMcKie]

Perhaps nobody knows what NBA coaches do, but some of them obviously do it better than others. I give you Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson.

Same as baseball, I suppose.

[Greg Ransom]

I'm glad economists are working on this, and they're completely ignoring the underlying foundations of macroeconomics and cycle theory -- e.g. don't go on the job market or attempt to get tenure working on the history of macroeconomic thought or the explanatory foundations of that subject.

[Jake]

Their job is to distract the TV cameras from the game and onto themselves while they are yelling at the players.

[greg]

It does seem pretty fickle. The NBA coaches of the year for 04-07 are not with their teams (avery johnson fired, raptors coach was fired, memph coach retired, and i forget the 4th). Looking at someone like Phil Jackson, it seems that maybe you just need to have good players and the ability to stay on their good side. Theres talks of byron nelson (right name?...hornets coach) is on his way out because paul & co. dont like him.