Award Watch: Coach of the Year
It is the middle of January and the long double-digit winning streaks are just a distant memory. Now is the time when teams really feel the wear and tear of the long NBA season and the frequently mentioned excuse about not winning the playoffs in the middle of the season can seem to ring true.
As we enter the thirteenth week of the schedule coaches are challenged to keep their teams focused and on track as they deal with injuries and the grind of the NBA season.
#1 Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs 35-6, Pace-to-win: 70 (last year: 50-32)
(Last week #1, 31-6)
Since giving up 105 points to the Celtics in Boston on January 5th the Spurs have reeled off six straight wins while holding their opponents to under 100 points, and there is every reason to believe that San Antonio can go undefeated into February.
Head Coach Gregg Popovich continues to hold the best record in the NBA and remains on pace for a special season.
#2 Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics 31-9, Pace-to-win: 64 (last year: 50-32)
(Last week #2, 28-9)
Kevin Garnett returned to the Celtics’ lineup on Monday night and was a big part of Boston’s 109-106 win over the Magic. Who in the East is in a position to stop the Celtics now?
The Celtics have successfully dealt with adversity all season, and with Garnett’s return seem poised to start another double-digit winning streak. The result, Head Coach Doc Rivers is a solid contender for COY.
#3 Monty Williams, New Orleans Hornets 26-16, Pace-to-win: 51 (last year: 37-45, Bryon Scott/Jeff Bower)
(Last week #4, 22-16)
New Orleans has the second-longest winning streak in the NBA at five games and that includes overtime victories over the Magic and Rockets. Shades of that 8-0 start to the season seem to have reappeared for rookie head coach Monty Williams in January, but to repeat that 8-0 mark the Hornets will have to beat the Spurs again on Saturday.
The Hornets continue to surprise. The team has not folded under pressure and looks more like the playoff team of two and three seasons ago than was expected at the start of this season.
A lot of the credit for the Hornets resurgence belongs to their head coach.
#4 Mike D’Antoni, New York Knicks 22-18, Pace-to-win: 45 (last year: 29-53)
(Last week #3, 21-15)
Head Coach Mike D’Antoni and the Phoenix Suns East, also known as the New York Knicks, continue to lead the NBA in scoring at 107.5 points per game. Unfortunately they also give up the third-most at 106.7 and that lack of defense led to a 125-131 loss to the Jazz and a 121-129 loss to the Suns over the past week.
D’Antoni has successfully recreated the exciting brand of basketball that he was known for in Phoenix and made the Knicks relevant again, and for that, he is in serious contention for COY.
#5 Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls 28-13, Pace-to-win: 56 (last year: 41-41, Vinny Del Negro)
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 25-12)
Over the past two weeks the Bulls made statement wins over the Celtics and the HEAT as rookie head coach Tom Thibodeau continues to show that his Bulls need to be taken seriously.
The Central Division crown seems all but assured and the team continues to meet expectations but Thibodeau needs to do more. Recent losses to the Nets, 76ers, and Bobcats indicate that there is still room for improvement. Thibodeau needs to get his Bulls to win more of the games that they are supposed to win.
Honorable Mentions
Erik Spoelstra, Miami HEAT 30-12, Pace-to-win: 59 (last year: 47-35)
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 30-9)
On a long road trip sometimes reality stands up and hits back. The HEAT was not going to win the rest of their games this season and their star players are not immune to the injury bug. Miami’s prolonged winning streak ended after two overtime road victories in a three-game slide.
Despite the minor setback over the five-game road trip, head coach Erik Spoelstra has the HEAT performing at a high level, and everyone is watching.
Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks 26-14, Pace-to-win: 53 (last year: 55-27)
(Last week #5, 26-10)
Head Coach Rick Carlisle was not able to overcome the loss of Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler and has watched helplessly as his team went 2-9 over their past 11 games. However, Nowitzki has been back for two games now and put up 32 points in the loss to Detroit, so the bleeding should be expected to stop soon.
{AUTHOR_BOX}If Carlisle can get his Mavericks to play the solid defense that was witnessed earlier in the season, it may be premature to count him out of the COY race, but based on our preseason expectations it may already be too late.
Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz 27-14, Pace-to-win: 54 (last year: 53-29)
(Last week: Honorable Mention, 25-13)
Hall-of-Fame Head Coach Jerry Sloan appears to be leading the Jazz to yet another mid-fifties win season and a possible first-place finish in the Northwest Division, but that is not going to get the sentimental favorite for COY many votes at the end of the season.
The Jazz remain locked in a first-place tie with the Thunder in their division.
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 27-14, Pace-to-win: 54 (last week: 25-13), last year: 50-32
Phil Jackson, LA Lakers 31-12, Pace-to-win: 59 (last week: 27-11), last year: 57-25
Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic 26-15, Pace-to-win: 52 (last week: 25-12) last year: 59-23
Larry Drew, Atlanta Hawks 27-15, Pace-to-win: 53 (last week: 25-14) 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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