Award Watch: Coach of the Year
After two full months, the Coach of the Year race is starting to take shape. The rookies Monty Williams and Tom Thibodeau are entrenching a position for themselves, Mike D’Antoni has the spotlight in New York, and a couple of 50-game winning coaches from last year, Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers, are making a lot of noise. This race is far from over however and there is plenty of time left for coaches to make their case for COY.
Now entering the eleventh week of the NBA schedule, we are headed towards the All-Star break and the trade deadline, and for many coaches, their biggest challenges remain ahead of them.
#1 Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs 29-4, Pace-to-win 72, last year: 50-32
(Last week #3, 26-4)
The Western Conference Coach of the Month for November and December was Gregg Popovich.
Popovich has led his team to the best record in the NBA and is on pace for a special season following up a 15-2 November/October with a 13-2 December. It is hard to argue with success.
The Spurs have been doing what few teams are able to do on a consistent basis. They win the games that they are supposed to win and take advantage of their opportunities. Consistency over time is usually attributable to the coach and Popovich absolutely deserves credit for the Spurs’ record.
#2 Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics 26-7, Pace-to-win 65, last year: 50-32
(Last week #2, 23-5)
November’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month Doc Rivers could only win 11 of 14 in December and lost COM honors to a 15-1 Eric Spoelstra. A 14-game winning streak that ended on Christmas Day and injuries to Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett were not enough to tip the balance in Rivers’ favor last month.
The Celtics have successfully dealt with adversity all season and are far ahead of last year’s 50-win pace as Rivers continues to accomplish everything necessary to stay in the COY race.
#3 Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks 25-8, Pace-to-win 62, last year: 55-27
(Last week #1, 24-5)
When your team finished second in their conference the previous season expectations are justifiably higher and the margin for error or bad luck is significantly lower. Head Coach Rick Carlisle couldn’t overcome the loss of All-Star Dirk Nowitzki last week and went 1-3. In a race this close, that was enough to knock him off the top spot.
The Mavericks have been an impressive team at both ends of the floor this season. However, Carlisle is facing his first real taste of adversity with the injuries to Nowitzki and Caron Butler and how he manages to deal with these major issues will determine his chances at COY.
#4 Mike D’Antoni, New York Knicks 19-14, Pace-to-win 47, last year: 29-53
(Last week #4, 18-12)
Over the past couple of weeks, the Knicks have shown that despite their improvement from last year, they still are not at the level of the Celtics, HEAT, or Magic. However, Head Coach Mike D’Antoni is not being held to that standard this season.
The bar for COY in New York is justifiably lower than for many other teams and D’Antoni is on a pace that is keeping him in solid contention.
#5 Monty Williams, New Orleans Hornets 21-14, Pace-to-win 49, last year: 37-45, (Bryon Scott/ Jeff Bower)
(Last week #5, 18-13)
Rookie Head Coach Monty Williams has had the Hornets back on track since mid-December. The 3-9 swoon that followed the Hornets 11-1 start to the season has been followed up by a 7-4 stretch that is probably more reflective of this team’s real capabilities.
Ownership issues have made the coaching situation in New Orleans exceptionally challenging, and if this rookie head coach can lead the Hornets to a 50-win season, he will be a favorite for COY.
Honorable Mentions
Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls 22-10, Pace-to-win 56, last year: 41-41, (Vinny Del Negro)
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 19-10)
The Bulls cruised through a soft spot in the schedule to go 12-4 in December and build an eight-game lead in the Central division. Rookie Head Coach Tom Thibodeau has done a commendable job proving that he was more than ready to take the reins of a talented NBA team.
It could take a while for Thibodeau to crack the top five for COY, but it does not appear that he is going to let the Bulls fall off their current pace, and that should get him votes when it counts at the end of the season.
Erik Spoelstra, Miami HEAT 27-9, Pace-to-win 62, last year: 47-35
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 23-9)
{AUTHOR_BOX}December’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month was the 15-1 Erik Spoelstra, and after an uncomfortable 10-8 record to the end of November, it seems that the HEAT have figured things out.
The expectations for Spoelstra’s HEAT are much higher than would normally be expected for a previous 47-win team and just a 60-win season is probably not enough to get him serious consideration for COY. However, if the HEAT keep up something close to December’s pace, Spoelstra’s efforts to mold three young go-to-guys into a team will make him a favorite.
Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz 24-11, Pace-to-win 56, last year: 53-29
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 21-10)
Hall-of-Fame Head Coach Jerry Sloan’s success has created a long list of people who have been wondering what it will take for him to finally win COY. Unfortunately another mid-fifties win season is not the answer.
Some Coaches to Watch
There are some coaches who continue to get our attention and could move up if things improve.
Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City Thunder 23-12, Pace-to-win 54 (last week: 21-11), last year: 50-32
Phil Jackson, LA Lakers 23-11, Pace-to-win 55 (last week: 21-9), last year: 57-25
Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic 22-12, Pace-to-win 53 (last week 19-12) last year 59-23
George Karl, Denver Nuggets 20-13, Pace-to-win 50, (last week: 16-13) last year: 53-29
Notes:
The NBA Coach of the Year (COY) is selected at the end of the regular season by a media panel whose members each cast votes for their first, second and third place choices.
HOOPSWORLD is ranking the COY race based on how the coach’s team is performing against last year’s record, this year’s preseason expectations, and on how they are handling adversity during the season. A strong winning record is almost mandatory, but merely meeting already high expectations will not be enough. There is only a slight chance of a lottery bound coach winning this award.
Did we miss someone? Let us know in the comments section below or contact us during HOOPSWORLD’s daily NBA chats.
You can send me comment or a question about me COY, the Toronto Raptors, or anything else in the NBA here and check back on Thursday at noon ET for a response.
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