So how'd you like to be Doug Collins, about to coach the greatest player in basketball history? Wow.

	Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson understood each other and thrived in Chicago. Jordan won five MVPs and six NBA titles with the Bulls.

So how'd you like to be Doug Collins, about to coach the boss? Whoa.

It comes as neither a new feeling, since Collins had coached Michael Jordan before, or new speculation about job security, since Collins was picked by Jordan himself and not inherited to coach the Washington Wizards. But it does come as a unique challenge and a curiosity and a storyline within the ultimate storyline of the start of the season -- The Return. Oh, and only the entire basketball world, and some beyond, will be dissecting it every 24 seconds or so.

"It's going to be a very peculiar arrangement, Doug Collins and Michael Jordan," said Tex Winter, the Los Angeles Lakers veteran assistant.

That's not just a new thought either. Apart from being a basketball original -- why do you think James Naismith was running the triangle offense 10 minutes after the peach basket went up? -- Winter was also a top lieutenant for Phil Jackson in Chicago, just as in L.A. Phil Jackson coached Michael Jordan in Chicago. Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan won six NBA titles in Chicago. So Tex knows of what he speaks like few others.

"I think that's one of the reasons Phil has been so successful," Winter said. "He has been able to relate to superstars. If you don't do that, your job will be in jeopardy. That's something Phil has been very good at, with Michael and then Kobe and Shaq here. With Michael, it was a hard sell for a while. But I think Phil really convinced him that if they were going to win, Michael was going to have to give himself up in some ways. He was going to have to make a point to get his teammates involved.

"Now, Michael will certainly understand what Doug brings, beyond his coaching knowledge. That's the enthusiasm and energy. I think that's what Michael wanted over and above. But I think that because Michael is the one who hired him, that makes it peculiar."

And different than any other player-coach relationship, or coach-executive relationship. (Did we miss anything?)

They both need this to work. The greatest twist of all is that Jordan the executive especially needs things to work between Collins and Jordan the player, since MJ has said he isn't looking at a comeback as a one-season stand. He has already had one coaching hire, Leonard Hamilton, go bad, and having another short-timer will greatly sidetrack what has been an encouraging start to his front-office run.

Imagine that. The executive under the gun the most in the NBA as camps open is probably the same guy under the Sears Tower of a microscope as a player, not that it will necessarily be that way since no one will be paying much attention to the front office when Jordan steps back on the court. (He might officially have to give up the title of president of basketball operations, but there is reason to believe whomever comes in as heir Jordan will be the titular head, still getting marching orders instead of serving as an actual replacement on personnel moves.) MJ made the gamble of being the first to take a high school player, Kwame Brown, at No. 1 in the draft. MJ made the decision to hire as coach someone who can emotionally flame out, at a time when what the Wizards need most is stability.

Buying out/waiving Mitch Richmond and Rod Strickland were the right moves, but also easy calls. Anyone who suggested Jordan deserved consideration for Executive of the Year based largely on those decisions missed the point that they were no-brainers. The Juwan Howard trade was worthy of more congratulations -- and a good move also for the Mavericks, a team in a different situation in the standings and in the wallet -- and not just because of getting out from under the contract. Courtney Alexander, acquired in the deal, has great promise as a scoring guard.

The Collins-Jordan merger will be among the greatest subplots, though.

"My personal opinion is that Michael will do whatever it takes to make the franchise successful," Winter said. "It's that important to him. And if he's not happy with the direction, he can sabotage the whole process. It could have been the same thing with us when he was with the Bulls. It would have been much different in terms of outcome and circumstances if he had not bought into Phil's ideas or at least gave them a chance."

Prompting the obvious question:

Can Jordan buy completely into every part of the new plan, even during the times the Wizards will be losing and shots or minutes will be given to the development of young players?

"I think so," Winter said. "If he can't do it, then I think Doug Collins will have a very difficult job."

Scott Howard-Cooper covers the NBA for the Sacramento Bee and is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.