Fat Boy Club

The Toronto Raptors, established in 1995, are the only remaining Canadian-based basketball team currently in the National Basketball Association. In the Raptors ‘ franchise history, there have been eight different head coaches tasked to lead the Raptors since its inauguration, now headed by head coach Dwayne Casey. While Casey has his very own tops and valleys as the coach of the Toronto basketball franchise, the three greatest coaches so far for the Toronto Raptors are Butch Carter, Sam Mitchell and Lenny Wilkens.

No.3: Butch Carter (1998 – 2000)

In the lockout-shortened year of 1998-99, Butch Carter was designated as the Toronto chief coach, turning into the franchise’s 3rd in history. Carter has spent his entire NBA coaching career with the Toronto Raptors. In 2 seasons as head coach, he led the Raptors in 165 regular season contests. His regular season % stands at (42%), with a win-loss record of 73-92. Carter is one of only three coaches in Toronto to steer the Raptors in the NBA postseason. In his playoff coaching career, Carter lost all 3 playoff contests.

No.2: Sam Mitchell (2004 – 2008)

Sam Mitchell’s complete coaching career in the NBA was spent with Toronto, and the only one to be awarded NBA Coach of the Year, when he led the overachieving Raptors to the 2007 NBA playoffs. For the regular season, Mitchell has been on the bench for the most contests for the Raptors with 345 for over 4 seasons, more than a hundred contests more than its closest competitor. Out of 345 contests, Mitchell ended up on top in 156 of them, for a winning proportion of (45%). In two years of leading the Raptors to the postseason in 2007 and 2008, Mitchell led a grand total of 11 playoff contests, coming out on top in 3 of them for a winning percentage of (27%).

No.1: Lenny Wilkens (2000 – 2003)

A hall of famer both as a head coach and as a player, Lenny Wilkens was the 4th chief coach in franchise history, when he was given the position in 2000. The second winningest coach in league history, Wilkens guided Toronto to 17 playoff games, the most by a coach in team history. His win-loss mark in the postseason for two berths is at 8-9, for a winning share of (.471). Guiding the Raptors to two playoff appearances, Wilkens holds the franchise record in playoff victories, losses and playoff pc.s. As far as the regular season goes, he led the Raptors with 246 regular season wins, for a win-loss percentage of (.459). Lenny Wilkens is the only Raptors coach to lead the Toronto franchise to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Among the 3, Lenny Wilkens so far has been the most successful coach to be the boss for the Raptors. He has simply led his teams to their best records, and has reached the deepest in the playoffs. Lenny Wilkens is the greatest coach in Toronto Raptors history.

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Basketball season is here and you have to get out and get ready to line up and get your Oklahoma City thunder tickets before they run out. Although this may appear to be the simplest thing in the world, it really isn’t. There’s loads of trouble associated when getting your tickets for Oklahoma City Thunder. To be able to stay away from all the stress and also hassle, here I will discuss a couple of things you should take into account.

1. Go there earlier. You won’t be the just one eager to look for the best seats for the game and cheap great Oklahoma City Thunder Tickets, thus try to go there as soon as you are able to. By doing this, you get probably the most choices for the best seats.

2. Put on comfortable clothing. Girls, this isn’t the time to put on your best heels and guys it’s not the very best to wear your suits. Be sure you use your comfiest clothes, you never know how much time you’ll be lining up and what the weather may be. When you’re planning to fall into line early, it will most probably cold and you’ll be standing for hours. Don flats or sneakers and make sure you have a comfy jacket or scarf to keep the cold at bay. Layers are important, safer to take layers off whenever it gets hotter than suffer from the cold.

3. Bring some entertainment. Bring a journal, a book, a music track, almost anything to keep boredom away while you’re lining up.

4. Bring some snacks and beverages. You’ll be waiting around for quite a while so to avoid getting out of the line or going hungry, pack some snacks plus some water. Maybe a thermos of coffee would be nice, bring extra, you may make a friend while waiting on line.

5. Bring someone. This is useful in lots of ways. Not only can you beat feeling of boredom by having anyone to speak with, you’ll also have anyone to save you a spot for any bathroom breaks or even snack breaks.

6. Bring sufficient cash or a credit card. Absolutely nothing’s worst than having your turn at the ticket office and never having enough cash, forcing you to run to the closest ATM and going back in line, or worst, angering the rest of the folks waiting behind you. Make sure you have sufficient and a bit extra just in case you might wish to acquire more tickets or when you have to acquire other items as well.

Hopefully, the following pointers will make ticket buying in the future much easier as well as much quicker.

The Kings franchise settled in 3 different towns before settling in Sacramento in 1985. They had one championship in 1946 as the Rochester Royals in the NBL and won their first NBA championship in 1951. Those championship teams were led by Bob Davies, Al Cervi, George Glamack, Otto Grahamm, Les Harrison, Maurice Stokes, Red Holzman, Arnie Rysen, Jack Twyman and Bobby Wanzer. By the point the Royals moved to Cincinnati in 1957, the organization had 9 future basketball Hall of famers on their roster.

The team changed into a footnote of the era as they would not win another title and lose promising players till they were moved to Kansas City in 1972. The Royals were modified to the Kings because Kansas already had a Royals baseball team. They would net a star in Nate Archibald and would surround him with a bunch of solid players in Tom Lorry Arsdale, jumpin ‘ Johnny Green, and Matt Guokas. But they would trade Nate Archibald and waste their high draft selections till they lucked into drafting rookie point guard Phil Ford. By this time they assembled a new nucleus of solid vets like Otis Birdsong, Scott Wedman and Sam Lacey. The Kings would make the playoffs, but they would lack the capability to take advantage of their success till they were transferred to Sacramento in the 1985-86 season.

Even though they moved to a new city in the 1985-86 season, they were still unable to find playoff success till they used their draft pick on Jason Williams in 1996. With the inclusion of Vlade Divac, the trade of Mitch Richmond for Chris Webber, and coincidental with the appearance of Peja Stojakovic; the franchise ultimately had a team worthy of making a deep run in the playoffs. They’d go on to reach the playoffs in successive seasons, but would lose in the 1st round each times.

It was not until they traded Corliss Williamson for Doug Christie and flashy point guard Jason Williams for Mike Bibby did the team truly take off. With the new pieces in place the Kings would put together a remarkable 61-21 record in the 2001-02 season. They’d have a date with the LA Lakers in what would be a hard fought and exciting series. They would lose in 7 games and would be widely known as one of the greatest teams who were unable to win the NBA championship. Have a look at our 2012 NBA Finals odds for a glance at who is the favorite to win it all this season.

Because of this, the 2001-02 Kings is the best team in the history of Sacramento. Despite winning a championship in 1951 as the Rochester Royals. The 2001-02 Kings are the greatest team in Sacramento history, due to their unprecedented popularity and near NBA Finals appearance. Most fans are still stinging from the 2002 conference finals loss and they're indeed one of the very finest teams in the history of the NBA to not win a championship.

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The Detroit Pistons were originated in 1941 and won 2 National Basketball League (NBL) Championships. Since joining the NBA in 1948 the franchise has won three NBA Championships, the latest coming in 2004. Since entering the league the Pistons had 42 head coaches. The sportsbooks think greatest 3 head coaches of the Pistons are Flip Saunders, Larry Brown and Chuck Daly.

No. 3: Flip Saunders (2005 – 2008)

Flip Saunders led the organization in 246 regular-season games at a winning percentage of (.715), the best such winning % for any Detroit coach. He had 176 regular-season wins at the helm. He coached the franchise in the second-most playoff games, with 51, recording a winning share of (.588) by coming out on top in 30 of them. The organization managed to set a regular-season record for victories under Saunders with a record of 64-18 in 2005 to 2006.

No. 2: Larry Brown (2003 – 2005)

Larry Brown brought the 3rd NBA title to Detroit in 2004. He managed 48 playoff games with the organization at a postseason winning share of (65%), which ranks the highest for any Detroit head coach. Larry Brown won 31 postseason games, the second-highest for a coach of the Pistons. Larry Brown’s regular-season winning share of (66%) is ranked 2nd in franchise history, as he led the team in 164 regular season games and came out on top in 108. Larry Brown is one of 2 Detroit head coaches to be named to the Hall-Of-Fame.

No. 1: Chuck Daly (1983 – 1992)

Chuck Daly led Detroit in 738 regular-season games, the highest for any head coach of the team. He also has the most regular-season wins, with 467 at a winning share of (.633). Daly is the most renowned coach of the franchise during the playoffs, coaching it to the most playoff games and playoff wins, with 113 and 71, respectively, for a playoff winning percentage of (.628). The coach, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, led Detroit to two sequential NBA championships, in 1989 and 1990. Daly created a team form of physical play and the teams that he coached were eventually called the “Bad Boys.”

Chuck Daly proved to be a blessing for the Detroit Pistons organization. He brought work ethic, discipline, recognition and, most importantly, much-needed success to the franchise in the NBA. Chuck Daly is the greatest head coach for the Detroit Pistons.

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The Memphis Grizzlies, just like the Toronto Raptors, were created in 1995. The Grizzlies were originally based in Vancouver, as one part of the NBA’s enlargement into Canada. The Grizzlies have not won a Title, Conference Championship or Division Championship. Before 2011, The franchise had never won a postseason content, let alone a playoff series. Ten head coaches have managed Memphis until now. Our NBA handicappers assume the best 3 head coaches of the Memphis Grizzlies are Lionel Hollins, Mike Fratello and Hubie Brown.

No. 3: Lionel Hollins (1999 – 2000, 2004 & 2009 – Present)

Lionel Hollins is presently on his 3rd coaching tenure with the team, and so far it’s been his best from a probabilistic point of view. Prior to the beginning of the 2011 year, he led the franchise in 121 regular season games on his 3rd run as head coach at a winning share of (44%). He presently has the organization heading in the right direction as he looks to lay the building blocks for of a solid basketball future team. Prior to him coaching the team in 2009, he coached the Grizzlies in 2004 for four games, losing all four, and in 1999 for 60 contests, winning but only won a trifling 18 games at a winning percentage of (30%).

No.2: Mike Fratello (2004 – 2006)

Till the 2011 postseason, Mike Fratello lead s all of the other Grizzlies head coaches in the postseason with eight games coached, and that is was about it for the organization in terms of playoffs. He led the franchise in 182 regular – season contests at a team- leading winning share of (.522), winning 95 of the 182 such games. Despite not never winning an NBA championship, he was a highly touted NBA coach.

No.1: Hubie Brown (2002 – 2004)

Hubie Brown led the Grizzlies in 168 regular – season games at a winning share of (49%), winning 83 of such his games. At the time of his hiring, he was the eldest coach in the NBA at 69 years old and many criticized the organization ‘s call to choose him. How did he pay back the franchise? He brought them it to the postseason for the first time in its history. He was one of the more successful Grizzlies head coaches in the playoffs, if we are allowed to can say such a thing of anybody. The coach was on the sidelines for four playoff games, but never managed to win any of them. He was named Coach of the Year in the 2003 to 2004 season.

Not very much success has come the way of the Memphis Grizzlies; to be honest, they have had no real success at all prior to 2004. Hubie Brown changed all that and permitted them to compete in the playoffs for the 1st time despite questions surrounding his age, Hubie Brown is the greatest Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach.

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The Toronto Raptors were set up in 1995 as an element of an NBA expansion team. In its first one or two years in the league, the team had a young core of Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, Walt Williams and Carlos Rogers nevertheless it never amounted to any success. By 1998 however , the Raptors started to really play a lot better basketball and it wasn’t long before the team would start to win more than they loss.

With a new nucleus of Vince Carter, Tracy Mcgrady, Charles Oakley, Alvin Williams, Kevin Willis and Doug Christie, Toronto eventually had a lot of potential and the team displayed plenty of promise despite missing the playoffs in the shortened 1998-99 season. By the 1999-2000 the team would make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Though they’d lose in the first round to the Knicks, the rise of Vince Carter would gain National media interest for fans and researchers alike.

The next season, a head coaching change was made as Butch Carter got replaced by the great head coach Lenny Wilkins. Some much-needed roster changes were made as well as Doug Christie was traded for Corliss Williamson, Antonio Davis was bought via trade also. Although they’d lose Tracy Mcgrady, the team had no issues making the playoffs in the 2000-01 season. They might win a franchise high 47 games and would beat the Knicks in the 1st round, before losing to the 76ers in the next round in a seven game thriller. This would be as high as they'd go in regards to their achievement in the playoffs. Have a look at our 2012 odds to win the NBA Finals for a better look at which teams are in the running this year.

After a number of years of barely making the playoffs and falling in the 1st round, Lenny Wilkins was fired and Vince Carter asked for a trade. Carter was granted his wish and was traded in 2004, thus ending the era of Air Canada. With the exit of Carter, Chris Bosh was elevated as the team’s franchise player. Bosh turned out to be a pretty special player, but like those before him he was unable to make the Raptors and prime championship contender.

With the short history of Toronto, the best Toronto Raptors team in history has to go to the 2000-01 team. They would win a franchise high 47 games and would get past the 1st round. They would also provide lots of excitement and fan fare, as Allen Iverson and Vince Carter provided an excellent show in the second round. They’d lose to the 76ers in the second round, but Vince Carter showed a lot of his heroics in the seven game thriller.

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The Phoenix Suns are one of the presently active franchises of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Suns, founded in 1968, became the first major pro sports team in the state of Arizona. The Suns franchise had its equal share of NBA prosperity, with the Suns winning 2 conference championships, six division titles, and have gone to the NBA postseason for 29 times in their rich history. Regardless of achieving numerous winning years and going to the the NBA Finals two times (1976 against the Boston Celtics and 1993 versus the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls), the Suns have not won the slippery Larry O’Brien prize in their 44 years of competing.

Throughout the Suns ‘ history, their team has been coached by fourteen different head coaches, with Alvin Gentry currently heading the ship. But is he the finest the franchise has ever had?

According to our top NBA handicappers, the 3 greatest head coaches in Phoenix Suns annals are Cotton Fitzsimmons, Mike D’Antoni and John MacLeod.

No.3: Cotton Fitzsimmons (1970 – 1972, 1988 – 1992 & 1996)

Born Lowell Fitzsimmons, “Cotton” had three different head coaching runs with the Phoenix Suns. In all three periods, he managed to accomplish a winning percentage of .591 from 1970 to 1972, .662 in 1988 until 1992, and a win-loss % of 55% in his final stint as the Suns coach from 1995 to 1997. Fitzsimmons ‘ second reign in Phoenix from 1988 to 1992 is the highest regular season p.c. by any Phoenix boss in the franchise’s history. His consistency in the regular season was supported with a combined 44 postseason games, with a postseason winning p.c. of .388. Out of a total of 541 regular season games, Fitzsimmons won a grand total of 341, with a career win-loss percentage of .630 for the Suns. Almost all of the franchise’s overall success is credited to Cotton’s time with the team.

No.2: Mike D’Antoni (2003 -2008)

Mike D’Antoni won the NBA Coach of the Year Award with the Phoenix Suns in the 2004-05 season. D’Antoni, a previous professional hoops player in Italy, was named the 12th boss in franchise history. D’Antoni is at present ranked 2nd behind Fitzsimmons in regular season contests coached with 389, with a winning % of 65%, also the second highest winning proportion of any boss appointed by the Phoenix franchise. In terms of regular season victories, D’Antoni is also the 2nd winningest boss in Phoenix history with 253 victories. Nonetheless his playoff tenure in Phoenix puts him thirty games short for the most games coached in the post-season with 51 total postseason contests, and winning 26 of them for a postseason winning percentage of 51%. His signature fast-paced offensive plays have made the Suns a fan favourite during his reign, but have come up short in winning the NBA championship.

No.1: John MacLeod (1973 – 1987)

John MacLeod is the best coach in Phoenix Suns history. With 14 years of training under his belt, MacLeod has amassed numerous Phoenix Suns head coaching records in each major class. He holds the franchise record for the most regular season games on the bench with 1,122, and most regular season games won with 579. The mythical coach has mixed a winning % of 52% for his regular season coaching career with the Suns. Apart from the regular season, MacLeod also leads the franchise in playoff games coached and playoff wins, with 81 and 37 games respectively, for a win-loss percentage of.457. MacLeod gave the Suns a streak of NBA success during his tenure, and his teams have always overachieved to make the playoffs. Regardless of his suave leadership, MacLeod was unable to get the Suns that needed push to win the renowned NBA championship. His coaching career is highlighted by the Suns ‘ NBA Finals appearance in 1976 against Dave Cowens and the Boston Celtics, in what many considered the best game in NBA history during Game 5 of the finest of seven series.

The Phoenix Suns have been granted multiple possibilities in their franchise’s storied history. While some head coaches. Proved their worth by leading the Suns to basketball excellence, the numbers can attest to truth, that John MacLeod is the best Phoenix Suns coach of all time.

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The Sacramento Kings are one of the longest lasting basketball franchises in the league. Set up in 1945 as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League (NBL), the Kings later joined the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1948, and winning the NBA Championship 3 years on in 1951 (check out the current NBA championship odds). Since their formation in the league, the teams formerly known as the Royals have had 24 different coaches in their rich history. The Kings are at present coached by interim head man Keith Smart, could he be a potential star in Kings head coaching annals? To this point, the three best head coaches for the Sacramento Kings to date are Cotton Fitzsimmons, Lester Harrison and Rick Adelman.

No.3: Cotton Fitzsimmons (1978 – 1984)
Born Lowell Fitzsimmons, “Cotton” was awarded the league Coach of the Year in the 1978-79 season. His features among the Kings ‘ regular season games managed is 2nd with 492, bringing home the win in 248 of them, for a winning share of (50.4%). Fitzsimmons led the Kings to 26 playoff contests in their history, coming out on top in 9 of those, for a winning percentage of (34.6%).

No.2: Lester Harrison (1948 – 1955)
Lester Harrison was the first coach ever in franchise history. Under his guidance, the team known back then as the Rochester Royals played for 38 playoff contests and winning 19 of them, for a winning share right at .500. He now leads all other Sacramento coaches in playoff winning %s. Harrison rates second among all head coaches in franchise history by winning 62 p.c out of 476 regular season contests. He also come out on top in 296 regular season games with the Royals, the 2nd most by a Kings/Royals Head Coach. He’s the sole coach who has won an NBA title to the franchise when the Royals won the ultimate prize in 1951.

No.1: Rick Adelman (1998 – 2006)
Rick Adelman has led the Kings in 624 regular season games coached, the top in the team’s 64 years in the league. His record proves to be more galvanizing, winning 395 of them, for a franchise-best (63.3%) winning percentage. Statistically speaking, Adelman is the most renowned coach in Kings history. He also rates ahead of all the other head coaches with 69 playoff contests, winning 34 of them for a winning proportion of (.493). During his reign, he made the Kings one of the most prosperous Western Conference groups in the early 2000′s, and carrying the franchise to the playoffs for all 8 years as Sacramento’s leader.

Rick Adelman has made the Sacramento Kings an elite NBA team during his complete stint. He made the franchise both as a marquee attraction in the league, and as a consistent top contender, a feat no other Kings coach have done. Rick Adelman is the greatest coach in Sacramento Kings history.

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The Clippers have suffered from being one of the worst run organizations in NBA History. Ever since being transferred to L.A. As the Lakers ‘ less successful and less popular “brother”, the Clippers have been full of disappoinment. In Clippers history, the number of seasons they reached the postseason could be counted on two hands and the amount of season where they won a playoff round could be counted on one.

When the Clippers entered the NBA in 1970 they were known as the Buffalo Braves. Although they’d a few years of regular season success, questionable decisions by the teams management did them in. They’d later be moved to San Diego in 1978. Though the team showcased future hall of famers Bob McAdoo and Moses Malone on their roster, the organization was not in a position to accomplish much. Malone was traded away just a few weeks into his first season with the Braves, a move the Clippers would quite like to have never made.

Playing in San Diego didn’t do the franchise any favors as they were never capable of making the postseason despite having a 43-39 record in the 1978-79 season. In the entire reign of the Clippers in San Diego, the franchise never made the postseason till they were moved to LA in 1984.

As the Los Angeles Clippers, the management formed a foundation of Danny Manning, Ron Harper, Charles Smith and Loy Voight to form a solid playoff contender. The team made the playoffs in the 1991-92 season for the first time in 16 years going back to their Buffalo days. But they lost in the 1st round to the Utah Jazz 3-2. In the 1992-93 season, they made the playoffs once again but lost in the first round to the Rockets this time. Check out our NBA Finals odds for a better look at which teams are in the running to win it all this season.

The team regularly made player and coaching changes for a few years until the addition of Elton Brand thru trade in 2001. With a foundation of Brand, Lamar Odom, and the addition of Andre Miller in 2002 via trade. The team was all of a sudden looking primed to reach the playoffs once again, but injuries and chemistry issues stopped the Clippers season in disappointment. In the 2003-04 season, the Clippers lost the majority of its core players in free agency while keeping both Brand and Corey Maggette with long term contracts. By 2005 the team was able to build another solid club with the nucleus of Brand, Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, Sam Cassell and Vladimir Radmanovic.

With the team untouched, the 2005-06 team made it to the playoffs once more after a long playoff absence. This team would turn out to be the best LA Clipper team ever as they would be the only team in franchise history to get past the first round.

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When the Cavaliers joined the NBA in 1970, the team was led by head coach Bill Fitch. Although they had their early struggles, they slowly started climbing up the standings till they made the playoffs in the 1975-76 season. They posted a 49-33 record and won their first Central Division title. Bill Fitch won the Coach of the Year award and with the core of Bingo Smith, Nate Thurmond, Austin Carr and Jim Chones, the team made the playoffs and beat the Washington Bullets in the 1st round. They’d lose to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Finals In the following years, Cleveland would not be able to duplicate their success as they would make the playoffs but lose repeatidly

over and over in the first round till Bill Fitch resigned in 1979.

After Fitch’s resignation, what would follow would be a period of extreme disappointment and embarrassment for the club. Under Ted Stepien’s management and ownership, he oversaw lots of controversial staff decisions that really hurt the team the team until he sold the franchise to brothers George and Gordon Gund in the mid 1980s.

Despite different ownership, the Cavaliers were obviously in a rebuilding stage as a result they had 9 different coaches from 1983-86. They’d return to the playoffs in 1984-85 but would lose to the Boston Celtics in the first round. In 1986, the Cavaliers formed a core of Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance. They would find playoff success but would regularly lose to the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls. Jordan would be a big thorn in the Cavaliers backside till the majority of the core stepped away from the game in 1993.

From 1993-2003, the team tried to keep its relevance in the East as they would regularly be knocked out in the first round regardless of fielding a core of Shawn Kemp, Terrell Brandon and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The team would also struggle in the latter 90s to early 2000s as they’d be a perennial lottery team in spite of fielding a core of Andre Miller, Carlos Boozer and Drew Gooden.

By 2003, the team drafted LeBron James and the LeBron James era was in full force from 2003-2010. In the 2006-07 season, the team made the Finals for the first time in franchise history. This team would be the best team in franchise history. In spite of a core composed of mainly role players alongside James, the team beat the Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets and the Detroit Pistons en route to the NBA Finals and a date with the San Antonio Spurs. Hopefully you didn’t do any NBA betting on the Cavaliers in the Finals, as they’d be unceremoniously swept by the Spurs. still, the 2006-07 Cavalier team is the greatest in franchise history for being distinguished as the sole team to make the Finals.

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