NBA Awards Watch: The Case for Chris Paul
By Brad Rowland
Coach of the Year
- Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors – Golden State is 63-14 with a roster that isn’t demonstrably different from a 50-win team a year ago. It must be noted that the Warriors made improvements to their bench in the offseason, but the biggest change was hiring Kerr in place of Mark Jackson and that is a move that facilitates the notion that the Warriors are the team to beat. Golden State’s net rating (+11.7 points per 100) sets a ridiculous and historic pace, and Kerr’s ability to lift this club to elite status on both ends of the floor is the calling card of a Coach of the Year winner.
- Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks – The gap between Kerr and Budenholzer is woefully thin. Budenholzer has done tremendous work with a roster that many see as limited, and the Hawks have been operating on cruise control for the better part of two months. Even with Atlanta pulling back on the throttle, Budenholzer has the club holding an insurmountable lead for the top seed in the East, and without the benefit of a near-flawless roster that Golden State boasts, there is clearly an argument for Budenholzer taking home the hardware.
- Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics – The Celtics are a playoff team right now. That statement seemed unimaginable earlier in the season, especially after Boston parted ways with both Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green, but Stevens has already developed into an elite coach from an x’s-and-o’s standpoint. It is fair to say that Boston is dead in the water in the playoffs, but that has a lot more to do with the roster than anything else, and with a giant drop-off after the top two coaches, Stevens is as deserving as anyone.
Next: Most Improved Player