THE breathless pursuit of Phil Jackson in the latest version of Romancing the Stoner has made it seem as if it is Zen or bust for all suitors. The panting Knicks, among others, appear willing to throw themselves - and perhaps a $10 million salary - at Jackson for a chance to watch him slip on his 10th championship ring in their company. So the Herbal Legend will be feted and courted as the must-have celebrity coach of all time. The Knicks can tug on his sentimental ties to New York while trying to camouflage their gilded roster gaffes with promises and concessions. And the Cavaliers can trot out LeBron James to disguise any industrial gray visions Jackson has of Cleveland. And the Lakers can unabashedly flirt with Jackson even if both their interests in making up are more a public tease than a reality. Who knows what other teams will fawn over the Ring King? Who knows what team executive will be suckered into this bid abyss next? Life as one of the screaming girls beneath Jackson's window isn't worth it. This is not to diminish Jackson's coaching genius or the credibility of his nine championships or a résumé that twinkles like healing crystals. This is not to undercut the power of his triangle offense or the sensitive touch he has with players. But there are other coaches - some who even buy off the rack - who have revealed an ability to succeed without a celebrity pedigree. Two of these rumpled souls from the Filene's Basement of coaching prospects were on opposite sides of the sideline last night at the American Airlines Arena: the Heat's Stan Van Gundy and the Nets' Lawrence Frank. The Nets may well find themselves overwhelmed by a multifaceted Heat team that took a two-games-to-none lead in a first-round best-of-seven playoff series after Miami's 104-87 victory. It wasn't all Shaquille O'Neal; it was his backup and ex-Net, Alonzo Mourning, who illuminated yet another talent disparity between the No. 1-seeded team in the East and the eighth. "Zo told me, 'I know you're banged up and I got your back,' " said Shaq, who scored 14 points in 26 minutes, while Zo added 21 in 16 minutes. "I'm happy for him. The Hulk carried Superman." This superhero simpatico is part of Van Gundy's game plan. With the playoffs as their stage, Van Gundy and Frank possess the same key skill Jackson has often displayed but at a third of the cost to the fans, who, naturally, always pay in the end. Van Gundy and Frank know how to manage the egos of their megastars while tirelessly preparing a strategy to win. Multitasking is not unique to Jackson. Somehow, Frank has avoided becoming a victim of Jason (Black Widow) Kidd, with the way coaches have mysteriously disappeared in his presence over the span of his career. Somehow, Frank has blended in the delicate psyche and body of Vince Carter without losing his team over the controversial acquisition. For his part, Van Gundy may be even better at brokering peace within his team than Jackson, and without the aromatherapy candles. So far, Shaq and Dwyane Wade have exchanged nothing but love notes since they have joined together. At first sight, Kobe Bryant and Shaq were exchanging nothing but hard stares in Los Angeles. "It's hard for jealousy to develop because of the kind of people they are," Van Gundy said of Wade and O'Neal yesterday. "I think Dwyane and Shaq really want to see other guys succeed. If you went through our locker room and put guys on polygraphs, and not just used the stuff that was said public, I think our locker room loves those guys and loves playing with them because they know what kind of people they are. "I firmly believe, and have confidence in this, that we're not ever going to get beat from being divided as a team from within. If you beat us, it's because of basketball reasons or I screwed up or something." Accountability. That's what most players want from their coach. Work ethic. That's what they want to see out of their coach. "The thing I like about Stan, he puts in the time," said the Heat's Steve Smith, a veteran who has played for more than a half-dozen coaches. "And that shows he wants to get better at his craft. He goes at it 110 percent." Smith went on to discuss his reverence for Jackson, but his respect for out-of-work coaches like Flip Saunders, too. The list of high-quality head-coaching prospects should also include the respected journeyman assistant Elston Turner in Sacramento and the Nets assistant Brian Hill, who once coached fragile infant stars like Shaq and Penny Hardaway to the N.B.A. finals in Orlando. "It's about consistency," Smith said. "It's about honesty." It's not always about the celebrity. Players often resist anyone they have to compete with. (See Kobe Bryant during the Jackson breakup in Los Angeles.) And landing the Holy Grail of coaches does not always mean title results. (See the Lakers' disintegration under Jackson.) What Jackson accomplished early in Los Angeles and earlier in Chicago is truly amazing. He deserves to be the kingpin, the object of each suitor's affection.