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NBA Awards Watch: Should Anthony Davis be in the MVP hunt?

By Brad Rowland

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts to knock the ball away from New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts to knock the ball away from New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer coaches against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Kings 130-105. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer coaches against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Kings 130-105. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Coach of the Year

Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks – The Hawks are running away with the Eastern Conference. Atlanta set an NBA season-high with 42 assists in a 130-point showing against Sacramento, and that was a perfect display of what Budenholzer’s approach has meant to this club. Atlanta is outscoring opponents by 6.6 points per 100 on the season, but the balance that makes the Hawks a top-6 team on both ends of the floor (by efficiency) is what sets this coaching performance apart. It is misplaced to refer to the Hawks as simply a band of overachievers, but Budenholzer has perfectly molded their collective talents into the body of a legitimate contender.

Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors – Kerr’s team still holds the best record in the league (albeit by only a half-game), but Golden State is more talented than Atlanta from top to bottom. That isn’t a shot at Kerr, who has been tremendous on both sides of the ball, but objectively, the first-year head coach has some subtle areas where he must improve, even if the Warriors have been far and away the best team in the NBA on a per-possession basis.

Kevin McHale, Houston Rockets – For all of the attention on James Harden and his MVP candidacy, his coach has done an incredible job. McHale is often overlooked in discussions about top coaches around the NBA, but Houston is 43-20 in the loaded West and Dwight Howard has been absent for much of the proceedings. The Rockets undoubtedly have talent and Harden has been a one-man wrecking crew, but Kevin McHale has put this team in position to succeed on a nightly basis, and his development as a coach has been noticeable since his arrival in Texas.

Next: Most Improved Player

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