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NBA: Best player and coach pairing from each team’s history

By Tony Pesta

LOS ANGELES - MARCH 2: Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs talks with head coach Gregg Popovich during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on March 2, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The Spurs won 106-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - MARCH 2: Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs talks with head coach Gregg Popovich during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on March 2, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The Spurs won 106-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Best coach/player pairing in Atlanta Hawks history: Mike Fratello & Dominique Wilkins

Coaching a player as athletic as Dominique Wilkins had to be a delight. The Human Highlight Film could fly over the top of defenses like no other star the league had ever seen before. To this day, Wilkins stands as one of the greatest dunkers in league history.

Still, Wilkins’ athleticism needed to be focused in the right direction. As we all know, brute force will only get you so far in the NBA. It is true skill that sets All-Stars apart from legends. This is where head coach Mike Fratello stepped in to help Wilkins take his game to the next level for the Atlanta Hawks.

Joining the team after Wilkins’ rookie season, Fratello played a pivotal role in assisting his development into an All-Star by his fourth season. Wilkins averaged a career-high 30.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, bursting on to the scene as a superstar.

Meanwhile, Fratello took home the Coach of the Year Award in the same season. The Hawks won 50 games in the regular season but fell 4-1 to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the postseason.

Atlanta would get another chance to beat the Celtics a few years later. These two powerhouses met in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Here, Wilkins and Bird put on one of the most memorable battles in league history.

For the series, Bird averaged 26.2 points per game while Wilkins put up 31.3 points. They each traded blows, taking the series to a decisive Game 7. In this final meeting, Wilkins erupted for 47 points but his team fell two points short as Bird posted 34 points and won the series.

Although Wilkins and Fratello never won a championship together, they sure left their mark on the league.