20 Most Uncoachable Players For The 2015-16 NBA Season

By Frank Ewere

20 Most Uncoachable Players For The 2015-16 NBA Season

David Blatt and LeBron James — It is often said that players should play and that coaches should coach. But in today’s NBA, the league is a player’s league. Even though coaches are paid to direct a team, sometimes players tune them out because the coach doesn't fit their style. Here are 20 players in the NBA today who just can't be coached.

20. J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith Cavaliers

20. J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith Cavaliers — When someone says “When in doubt, shoot the ball,” that player is automatically a coach’s worst nightmare. Smith has been known throughout his career to take too many ill-advised shots and be a disruption because of other issues. The first coach who can get consistent production and attentiveness from Smith will be the last one.

19. Lance Stephenson

Lance Stephenson Clippers

19. Lance Stephenson

Lance Stephenson Clippers — Lance Stephenson has been on two separate teams in the last years primarily because he has been unable to fit within a team structure. Although it has improved a little, Stephenson’s maturity has made him difficult to coach at times. Hopefully his new team, the Los Angeles Clippers, will be able to change him.

18. Deron Williams

Deron Williams Nets

18. Deron Williams

Deron Williams Nets — Williams is the player who is famously known to have made coaches quit or be fired while he played for them. Williams is a great talent, but his inconsistency and uncooperativeness with coaches has always been a problem.

17. Josh Smith

Josh Smith Rockets

17. Josh Smith

Josh Smith Rockets — Josh Smith is a player who said he likes to play with “freedom.” If a player has freedom, that player can’t be coached well. Smith has some talent, but he still takes bad shots and hasn’t listened to those who tell him not to shoot those shots.

16. Goran Dragic

Goran Dragic Heat

16. Goran Dragic

Goran Dragic Heat — Dragic is a borderline All-Star who ended up on the Miami Heat because he had problems with how he was being utilized by coaches on the Phoenix Suns. Now he wants the Heat to play faster. Dragic isn’t a player who can be coached because no matter what, he wants to play his way.

15. Dion Waiters

Dion Waiters Thunder

15. Dion Waiters

Dion Waiters Thunder — Waiters is a poor man’s version of J.R. Smith. The difference between the two is that Waiters can’t get as hot as Smith nor has he done anything in the league (Smith has been to the NBA Finals and he has a Sixth Man of the year award). Waiters needs to learn quickly to listen to coaches.

14. Nick Young

Nick Young Lakers

14. Nick Young

Nick Young Lakers — Young was celebrating wildly after a win against the Boston Celtics earlier this season. He also is known to be a player who likes the spotlight too much. Young needs to humble himself and follow the advice he gets from his coaches and Kobe Bryant.

13. Joe Johnson

Joe johnson Nets

13. Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson Nets — One of Johnson’s nicknames over his career has been “Iso Joe.” Johnson is a clutch-time performer, but he is also sometimes too ball-dominant, even against the wishes of his teammates and his coaching staff.

12. Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard Rockets

12. Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard Rockets — Howard has been in the league for 11 years but he still has no post moves and he can’t shoot free throws. He has the council of Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin McHale, two of the greatest post threats of all time, but Howard is a player who seems like he just can’t learn from anyone’s coaching.

11. Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo Mavericks

11. Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo Mavericks — Rondo was an All-Star level point guard under the accountability that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen brought and the coaching of Doc Rivers. But after his recent stint under Rick Carlisle, Rondo has proven himself to be a player with a bad attitude and a player who won’t listen to anyone but himself.

10. DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins Kings

10. DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins Kings — Cousins has been known in the past to have maturity problems. He has slightly improved, but his tantrums can make it hard for coaches to coach him at times.

9. Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony Knicks

9. Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony Knicks — Anthony is a player who could have been in the Hall of Fame. But after 12 seasons in the league, Anthony still has a propensity to shoot too much and not care about defense. His coaches just can’t seem to reach him, especially now that Anthony has nothing to play for.

8. Manu Ginobli

Manu Ginobli Spurs

8. Manu Ginobli

Manu Ginobli Spurs — Ginobli is one of the only players on the San Antonio Spurs who sometimes breaks away from the Spurs mold. Head coach Gregg Popovich often seems like he is getting a heart attack just from watching Ginobli’s recklessness. Although Ginobli is a team guy, he sometimes plays out of control and he is hard to reign in.

7. Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes Grizzlies

7. Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes Grizzlies — Barnes is an emotional player. During the 2014-15 regular season, Barnes earned one flagrant foul, 13 technical fouls and he was ejected twice. Barnes can’t possibly be a coachable player because he can’t seem to consistently control his emotions on the court and he always seems like he’s looking for a fight.

6. DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan Clippers

6. DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan Clippers — Jordan is almost like a modern day Bill Russell. Opponents and big men are always changing their shots when Jordan gets close. But after so many years in the NBA, he still can’t shoot free throws and he has no post game. If a player can’t learn any of that after seven years in the league, then he has to be a player who can’t be coached.

5. Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett Timberwolves

5. Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett Timberwolves — Garnett is a player who can’t be coached. But not for the obvious reasons one might be thinking of. As a seasoned veteran, he is no longer trying to get better and what he does on the court isn’t of importance. He is now a mentor to players on the Minnesota Timberwolves and what the coaches tell him shouldn’t matter. He already knows what he needs to do.

4. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook Thunder

4. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook Thunder — Westbrook is a demon on the court. He is one of greatest competitors in the NBA, but this can sometimes be to his detriment. Former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks couldn’t contain Westbrook’s fire and neither will new head coach Billy Donovan.

3. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant Lakers

3. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant Lakers — Bryant is a basketball savant who lives, breathes, and eats basketball. But his passion can sometimes get in the way of his willingness to listen to others. Even Phil Jackson once described Bryant as someone who couldn’t be coached.

2. Chris Paul

Chris Paul Clippers

2. Chris Paul

Chris Paul Clippers — Paul is one of the only players in the league who deserves to be called a “coach on the floor.” He is a cerebral player who knows where each of his teammates should be at all times. But someone who often attacks his opponents by going below the belt can’t possibly be a coachable player.

1. LeBron James

LeBron James Cavaliers

1. LeBron James

LeBron James Cavaliers — James currently has one of the highest levels of basketball understanding amongst NBA players and coaches today. But that also means he thinks that some coaches can’t coach him because they aren’t at his level. With the recent drama between Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt and James, James has proven he can’t be coached unless he is coached by someone who is close to his equal.

Frank Ewere is a Beat Writer for the New Orleans Pelicans on www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheFrankEwere, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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