Jason Kidd and Dave Joerger named NBA coaches of the month for January

When the calendar turned to 2014, both the Memphis Grizzlies and (especially) the Brooklyn Nets looked to be in deep, deep trouble with regard to the NBA playoff race. Now, both teams have surfaced in a positive way and as a result, their respective coaches have been rewarded with a league-wide recognition.

At the beginning of January, the Brooklyn Nets were 10-22 and staring directly in the face of a lottery pick, especially given the loss of arguably their best player, Brook Lopez, for the season. However, Brooklyn has turned things around in a big way, going 10-3 in the month and with that push, they now sit in the 7th spot in the ever-evolving Eastern Conference. Jason Kidd had bared the brunt of many jokes in the early months of the season, but he now has his time playing very effectively despite some serious roster issues.

On the side of Joerger and the Grizzlies, the turnaround has been nearly as impressive. Memphis currently holds the league’s longest winning streak with 6 consecutive victories, and the Grizzlies went 12-3 in the month of January. Of course, the team does have a defined reason for their success with the return of Marc Gasol, but at any rate, Joerger deserves some credit for navigating the waters effectively.