Skip to content 
Having one of the best NBA head coaches 2022-23 can take a team to great lengths this season. Those guys know how to make the most of the hand they’ve been dealt, making adjustments and bringing the best out of their players even when all odds are against them.
Best NBA head coaches 2022-23
How many teams have we seen a team with untapped potential get hurt by its own coach, especially in the playoffs? That’s why every serious organization needs to build from the top down, getting an elite tactician and then focusing on building their roster.
Of course, there are always a lot of vacancies to fill and not many suitable candidates. One could make a case for guys like Ettore Messina, David Blatt, Pablo Laso, or even Becky Hammon as people who should get a chance to coach in the NBA, but that’s unlikely to happen.
So, considering what we’ve seen thus far and their career trajectories, just a handful of coaches could actually be considered elite. With that in mind, we present you with our list of the top 10 best NBA head coaches 2022-23. Buckle up!
10. Doc Rivers
While this could be controversial, Doc Rivers should definitely be considered one of the best NBA head coaches 2023. He’s an NBA champion coach and has turned every team he’s been a part of into a contender, albeit he’s had some well-documented struggles in the postseason as well.
Rivers is one of the best regular-season coaches in the league, and his teams are often defensively sound. His biggest issue is his reluctance or inability to make in-game adjustments when the second unit is getting killed, but we should still give credit where its due.
9. Tyronn Lue
While he hasn’t been around for that long, Tyronn Lue has proven to be one of the top coaches in the NBA right now. He wasn’t LeBron James‘ puppet as some claimed when he took over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it showed as soon as he joined the Los Angeles Clippers as well.
Lue usually steps his game up in the postseason. He’s proven to be great at making adjustments between games, and it seems like you can never count him out, even if his team seems to have its back against the wall. He’s got a bright future ahead, and maybe, one day, people will forget Allen Iverson stepping over him.
8. J.B. Bickerstaff
J.B Bickerstaff is one of the quickest risers in the NBA hierarchy of coaches. He was questioned and doubted, and he responded by turning the young Cleveland Cavaliers into one of the most well-balanced teams in the Association last season. They were offensively explosive and defensively disciplined.
Bickerstaff takes pride in his defense, and it’s clear that the players bought into his philosophy right away. Of course, he’ll now have to back this up by being even better this season, especially after the Cavs pulled off that massive trade to get Donovan Mitchell to The Land.
7. Taylor Jenkins
The Memphis Grizzlies were supposed to be a rebuilding team. They were expected to win just a handful of games, tank, and continue stacking talent through the Draft. But that’s just not going to happen on Taylor Jenkins’ watch, as he’s one of the best current NBA coaches.
You could and should give Ja Morant plenty of credit for the Grizzlies’ success. However, Jenkins has found ways to win multiple games without him, and that ‘next-man-up’ mentality in Memphis makes the Grizzlies a team to keep an eye on regardless of who’s on the floor.
6. Monty Williams
Not many people expected Monty Williams to change things for the Phoenix Suns, and who could blame them? They had been terrible for years. But Williams made an immediate impact and nearly led them to the playoffs in the NBA bubble, following that effort with a trip to the NBA Finals.
While Chris Paul also had plenty to do with that culture turnaround, the Phoenix Suns should be on their knees thanking Williams for bringing back postseason basketball to the desert. The Suns are an elite defensive team, and he’s been great when facing contenders since he took over.
5. Nick Nurse
Nick Nurse earned his stripes in the G-League and slowly climbed his way to the big seat. People doubted him when he took over the Toronto Raptors, and he responded by leading them to an NBA championship. Then, he continued to prove that he was one of the best NBA head coaches 2023 even when Kawhi Leonard left.
Nurse’s teams are well known for their suffocating defense. They can throw multiple looks at you, and they’ve even found ways to keep Stephen Curry in check, which is a lot to say. The Raptors are entertaining to watch, and Nurse has a never-ending set of tricks up his sleeve.
4. Billy Donovan
While he didn’t find all that much success with the Oklahoma City Thunder, last season’s turnaround made Billy Donovan one of the best current NBA coaches. His Chicago Bulls were the best team in the Eastern Conference when they were all healthy.
Donovan’s offensive expertise turned the struggling Bulls into an offensive force, boasting one of the most explosive backcourts in the Association. However, some still doubt him when it comes to making in-game adjustments and protecting big leads.
3. Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs have struggled for years now, but even if they finish with the worst record in the league this season, no one can deny that he’s still one of the greatest head coaches in NBA history, if not the greatest.
Simply put, Popovich is mildly responsible for modern basketball. His coaching tree runs deep into the NBA, and it’s hard to find a coach that’s not tied to him one way or the other. It’s a shame to see his immaculate record get stained with a tanking season, but that’s just the way it goes in this business.
2. Erik Spoelstra
Erik Spoelstra is once again one of the best NBA coaches right now. He’s made a living out of turning misfits, undrafted players, and mostly unknown guys into legit rotation pieces, and he finds ways to win games he wasn’t supposed to win in the first place.
Spoelstra is a defensive mastermind, and even though he’s a player’s coach, he won’t hesitate to hold his guys accountable and dig themselves out of the hole they got into. No wonder why Pat Riley has always stood by his side and even chose him over LeBron James.
1. Steve Kerr
And unsurprisingly, Steve Kerr is considered the best among the best NBA head coaches 2022-23. He’s fresh off winning an NBA championship, and that’s his fourth in the past eight seasons.
People counted the Golden State Warriors and their dynasty out, and he responded by putting together an even deadlier version of the ‘death lineup.’
Kerr’s full-motion offense was revolutionary and one of the most explosive and influential in basketball history. But he doesn’t get enough credit for how defensively dominant his teams are as well. Now, he’ll look to win his 10th ring overall after amassing five as a player. You just can’t argue he’s a born winner.
