Award Watch: Coach of the Year
With the possible exception of the Miami HEAT, most teams are beginning to feel the wear and tear of the long NBA season. Add to this the stress of the impending NBA trade deadline and injuries to key players and games that teams might have won easily in November can turn in battles or even losses.
It could be argued that this period is when coaches really earn their pay. Gone is the excitement of opening day, and the playoff stretch drive starts after the All-Star break. All that lies ahead in January is a lot of hard work.
Now entering the twelfth week of the NBA schedule coaches will be challenged to keep their teams focused and on-track as they deal with injuries and the grind in the middle part of the NBA season.
#1 Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs 31-6, Pace-to-win 69, last year: 50-32
(Last week #1, 29-4)
This past week the Spurs headed east for a three-game road trip to face the NBA’s highest scoring team, the New York Knicks, and the league’s best shooting team, the Boston Celtics on a back-to-back. Afterwards, one might have gotten the impression that Head Coach Gregg Popovich was not happy with his Spurs defensive efforts in the two road-losses where his team gave up an average 116.5 points.
The NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month need not have worried as the next two games saw the Spurs hold the Wolves and Pacers to an average of 89 points in Spurs victories.
Popovich continues to hold the best record in the NBA and remains on pace for a special season. He has been around long enough to know that it is never easy.
#2 Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics 28-9, Pace-to-win 62, last year: 50-32
(Last week #2, 26-7)
Without Kevin Garrett in the lineup, Doc Rivers’ team just isn’t quite as good and seems to be stuck playing at a .500 pace. Of course staying 19-games over .500 without your team’s leader and best defensive player could be considered an accomplishment in and of itself.
The Celtics have successfully dealt with adversity all season and remain far ahead of last year’s 50-win pace as Rivers continues to accomplish what is necessary to stay in the COY race.
#3 Mike D’Antoni, New York Knicks 21-15, Pace-to-win 48, last year: 29-53
(Last week #4, 19-14)
Life has been good for Head Coach Mike D’Antoni and the Knicks since November 28 in Detroit when a double-overtime win brought them to 9-9. New York has become Phoenix east, the highest scoring team in the NBA, and D’Antoni has been able to re-create the exciting brand of basketball New Yorkers thought would be played there when he was hired. The acquisition of an All-Star in the off season might have helped.
For New York, the recent win over the Spurs at home more than offsets Sunday’s loss to the Lakers on the road, and if D’Antoni can keep the Knicks at this pace, he is going to remain in serious contention for COY.
#4 Monty Williams, New Orleans Hornets 22-16, Pace-to-win 47, last year: 37-45, (Bryon Scott/ Jeff Bower) (Last week #5, 21-14)
Rookie Head Coach Monty Williams has acknowledged that the 11-1 start to the season was not very reflective of what we should expect going forward but, based on last year, being six-games over .500 in January is not what many people expected either. After sliding significantly during the sale process for the franchise, the Hornets have managed to play at or above .500 and have beaten some quality teams in the process.
Coach Williams deserves a lot credit for keeping the Hornets from completely falling apart when the team was put up for sale and no one wanted it. If Williams can keep his team in the playoff picture, the voters for COY will remember what he overcame.
#5 Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks 26-10, Pace-to-win 59, last year: 55-27
(Last week #3, 25-8)
Head Coach Rick Carlisle has not been able to overcome the loss of Dirk Nowitzki and has gone 2-5 without his All-Star. It didn’t help that Caron Butler was lost for the season during this period as well.
When your team finished second in their conference the previous season however, expectations are justifiably higher and the margin for error or bad luck is significantly lower. There is rarely anything more than sympathy for teams or coaches who struggle because of the loss of key players.
Carlisle still has his Mavericks playing a solid defensive game that should see them return to form once Nowitzki is cleared to play. It is premature to count him out of the COY race, but this set-back may be too much to overcome.
Honorable Mentions
Erik Spoelstra, Miami HEAT 30-9, Pace-to-win 63, last year: 47-35
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 27-9)
The Eastern Conference Coach of the Month Erik Spoelstra has the HEAT on roll that is lasting longer than even their most star-struck supporters should have imagined at 21-1. Sometimes when things are going right, even games you should lose turn into victories, as the HEAT stole overtime victories on the road in their last two games.
{AUTHOR_BOX}This prolonged winning streak has finally propelled the HEAT into the first place position most people envisioned they would occupy at the start of the season, but it will take a lot more to hit the 70-win pace that their strongest supporters thought was possible.
It is getting hard to ignore what Spoelstra has accomplished with the HEAT this season.
Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls 25-12, Pace-to-win 55, last year: 41-41, (Vinny Del Negro)
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 22-10)
To go 3-2 over a seven-day stretch isn’t bad, however beating the Celtics does not make up for losing to the Nets and the 76ers.
Rookie Head Coach Tom Thibodeau continues to lead the Bulls to a solid record in the Central Division and the team continues to meet expectations. It may take until Joakim Noah returns from injury, but for the moment we are left with the feeling that this team could be doing even better.
Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz 25-13, Pace-to-win 54, last year: 53-29
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 24-11)
If the Hall-of-Fame Head Coach Jerry Sloan was going to make a serious bid for COY this season, these first eight-games after Christmas were going to be key. The Jazz had a legitimate shot at going 7-1 and building a lead in the Northwest Division, but they split the games 4-4 to remain in a first-place tie with Oklahoma City.
Unfortunately another divisional first-place finish and a mid-fifties win season is not going to get the sentimental favorite for COY a shot at the honor.
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 25-13, Pace-to-win 54 (last week: 23-12), last year: 50-32
Phil Jackson, LA Lakers 27-11, Pace-to-win 58 (last week: 23-11), last year: 57-25
Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic 25-12, Pace-to-win 55 (last week 22-12) last year 59-23
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 me about COY, the Toronto Raptors, or anything else in the NBA here and check back on Thursday at noon ET for the response in my chat.
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