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NBA Coach of the Year: Why Warriors’ Steve Kerr should have won

By Connor Muldowney

April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left) talks to guard Stephen Curry (30, right) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left) talks to guard Stephen Curry (30, right) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Steve Kerr stepped into his first ever head coaching role and succeeded beyond expectations. Why should he have been name 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year?

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I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Golden State Warriors are the overwhelming favorites to come out of the Western Conference and make it to the NBA Finals.

There are a couple reasons for the team’s favoritism in the West. One, Stephen Curry and his two other stars, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, are playing out of their minds, and two, Steve Kerr has been the perfect guy at head coach that this team needed.

Although Atlanta Hawks‘ head coach Mike Budenholzer, a second year guy who improved this team by 22 wins from last year, won the 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year Award on Tuesday afternoon, many people, including myself, would like to explore why Steve Kerr should have won.

Take a look at just how close the race was between Budenholzer and Kerr:

Why Kerr should have won

After the organization fired Mark Jackson at the end of a 51-31 season with a first-round playoff loss, it seemed like the Warriors were very far from their ultimate goal.

However, that hasn’t been further from the case in 2014-15. Jackson led the team last year to just 51 wins while finishing second in the Pacific Division, but losing its first-round playoff series, 4-3.

Golden State was then searching for a young coach who could relate to his players and who had been in their shoes before, just like Jackson.

Enter, Steve Kerr.

The 49-year-old head coach played 15 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2003 and becoming a television analyst for TNT and an executive for the Phoenix Suns not too long after. Basically, Kerr has done it all and he had a little experience running a team in the past.

Mar 27, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /

Head coaching, however, was new to Kerr, yet he still accepted the job to coach the Warriors in May of 2014 and he hasn’t looked back since.

Kerr took a team that seemed lifeless at the end of last season and built it into the NBA’s most dominant in 2014-15. He took a 51-win team and, unbelievably, turned it into a 67-win team, nearly becoming the second 70-win team ever.

It’s not often you see a 51-win team hire a new coach after losing in the first round of the playoffs and then become a 67-win squad.

Kerr has done an absolutely brilliant job. He has utilized all of his players perfectly and realized the potential of Draymond Green who hadn’t been getting a real chance until this season. He has also let Stephen Curry be Stephen Curry and one of the finalists for this year’s MVP.

First-year coach leading a team from first-round out to 67 wins is something special that deserves to be recognized with an award.

No disrespect to Budenholzer, but the award should have been West Coast-bound.

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