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NBA Award Watch: Chris Paul is on a mission

By John Buhler

Nov 14, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) drives to the basket against the Brooklyn Nets in the first half of a NBA basketball game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) drives to the basket against the Brooklyn Nets in the first half of a NBA basketball game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 13, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Coach of the Year: Luke Walton

There are a bunch of really solid coaches in the NBA this season. Fred Hoiberg has his Chicago Bulls looking like a playoff team. Steve Clifford has his Charlotte Hornets as a serious contender in the East. Even first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson has his lowly Brooklyn Nets playing respectable ball.

However, who in their right mind outside of the Staples Center would have though that the Los Angeles Lakers would be 7-5 through their first 12 games in 2016-17? Kobe Bryant was clearly smothering the fire of the young corps in Los Angeles. New head coach and former NBA Champion with the Lakers Luke Walton has been fantastic so far this season.

Walton was a huge part of the success that the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors had when he was Steve Kerr’s top assistant. He is taking all that he learned in Silicon Valley and injecting it into this young Lakers team.

The Lakers are going up-tempo offensively and it’s working. Los Angeles is fourth in pace at 100.4 possessions per game, third in points scored per game (110.0), and ninth in offensive efficiency (109.6).

Next: 10 Biggest NBA Draft Mistakes of All-Time

If the NBA season were to end today, the Lakers would get the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. That is shocking and Walton is definitely a serious candidate for NBA Head Coach of the Year in 2016-17.

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