Earlier today, we discussed how it’s officially “list season,” with articles like “Top 10 Games to Circle on Your Calendar” popping up everywhere. In the spirit of that, I’ve put together another list for you to review. It has a Phoenix Suns twist to it, so why not talk about it?

The 30 coaches in the NBA, as ranked by CBS Sports? Ooo. get your popcorn! (Fun fact…I am actually eating popcorn as I write this…and it’s getting on my keyboard)

Let’s start with how Sam Quinn of CBS Sports is ranking these coaches. What metrics is he using? What subjectness is being deployed to make arguments for and against coaches throughout the NBA? What are we ranking here? Well, it’s not rocket science…just coaching brilliance!

• First, there’s the track record: a great coach wins games and goes deep into the playoffs (duh). Then there’s performance against expectations.
• Can they turn lemons into a championship lemonade, or do they fumble the bag with elite talent?
• Points of emphasis matter too: is the team taking the right shots and playing smart ball?
• Creativity is key. Any genius out-of-bounds plays?
• How about player development? Are they molding stars or letting future MVPs slip away?
• Rotation management: do they play the right guys or exhaust their stars?
• And lastly, people management: do the players actually like them, or are they dodging a mutiny?

With those benchmarks in mind, where does new Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer rank? Out of nine tiers, Quinn places Budenholzer in Tier 4, alongside notable names like Mike Brown (Kings), Chris Finch (Timberwolves), Joe Mazzulla (Celtics), Tom Thibodeau (Knicks), and Ime Udoka (Rockets). Per Quinn, Budenholzer is the 9th best coach in the league.

His thoughts:

Mike Budenholzer and the Suns might be the perfect match of team and coach. Phoenix took all of the wrong shots last season. Budenholzer teams only take layups and 3s. Budenholzer teams are bad at scoring late in games. The Suns have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Phoenix has no defensive personnel. Budenholzer runs the most vanilla defense in basketball, but does it so well and so consistently that it’s basically impossible for his teams to hover very far from league average on that end of the floor. Budenholzer underuses his best players. Phoenix’s best players are injury-prone and should probably play less. Both coach and roster have flaws, but they cover one another up. Both coach and roster have specific gifts, and in this case, they mesh perfectly.

I can see how other fanbases could be frustrated with this list. Mazzula is 11th, despite just winning a championship. Ty Lue is 5th despite not making any trips to the NBA Finals since joining the Clippers in 2019. Jason Kidd is 18th despite recent success.

For us in Phoenix, ranking Mike Budenholzer right now is like trying to judge a dish before it’s even cooked. All the ingredients are there, but does Buddy know what temperature to set the oven at? Doe she know the altitude? How does that affect this Suns casserole he’s cooking? I wonder if he rocks an apron?

Sure, placing him 9th sounds nice on paper, but it feels more like a “let’s wait and see” than a solid assessment. We haven’t yet seen him work with our star-studded lineup and who knows what kind of coaching recipe he’ll whip up. Maybe he’ll make a championship stew, or maybe it’ll need a bit more seasoning. Until Bud proves he can handle the pressure cooker of Suns-level expectations, it’s tough to say where he truly ranks in the coaching hierarchy.

But hey, lists!