Phil Jackson has had 7 60+ win teams in his career. And he is 7-0 in winning a championship. The man can win when he has the goods. Pat Riley has also had 7 60+ win teams in his career. And he is 3-4 in winning a championship. This post inspired by a columnist that felt Riley was the greatest of all-time as of last week.
I'd say Riley's Laker's teams had more talent than any of Phil's Bull's teams. Being 3-4 in the finals is pretty disappointing given all of that talent. Up until the last few years with the Laker's, Phil's teams never suffered from the complacency and malaise that comes with being the champions.
Riley won a lot of games with the Knicks but no championships. Proof that defense wins championships. On the other hand, those Laker teams with showtime offense won 4 for him and another for Westhead, and made it to the finals 3 more times.