The Cases for Coach of the Year

This has been a big year for the NBA, largely because of league-wide coaching advancements. Let's go into this season's most impactful coaches and the cases they have for coach of the year.

This year has been an historical year for the league for a couple of reasons; as with any sport that gathers worldwide attention, the talent level has increased immensely, but there is also much to be said about the style of play and how that translates to overall team stats. This is when team coaching comes into play. The historic team numbers naturally go hand in hand with how the said team is coached, so let’s delve into the stand-out coaching performances for the season so far.

Mike Brown has set a new precedent for winning basketball in Sacramento. Having made the distinction of being the second ever head coach to lead the Kings to a 40-win season, it is no wonder why so many have him as the favorite to win coach of the year. The adjustments coach Brown has made to team roles and playing style should come as little surprise to anyone familiar with his tenure with the Golden State Warriors. By implementing an offense that is predicated on movement, spacing, and finding the great shot vs good shot, Mike Brown has seemingly set himself apart from the other coaches in the league this year.

A fair step behind Brown in the coach of the year ladder lies Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. Following the suspension of Ime Udoka, many wondered if the 34-year-old assistant coach (at the time) could step up to the expectations of postseason success. With 6 games to go in the season, the Celtics have already increased their winning percentage by 6%. Though much of this can be attributed to a step up in play from backcourt pieces Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, credit should also be going Mazzulla’s way for dealing with whatever turbulence might have come with the Udoka drama that took place over the offseason.

With the 2-way scheme that we have seen from Denver over the past few years, few are surprised that Nuggets coach Mike Malone has garnered Coach of the year talks as he does most seasons. Of course, much of the Nuggets’ success lies at the hands of Jokic and what he & his supporting cast is able to do on the offensive side of the ball. There is, of course, much to be said about how Malone implements half-court defense. As Nikola Jokic has suffered criticism for his lackluster defensive prowess throughout his career, Malone deserves a lot of credit for helping his team adjust to this, and making them appear legitimate playoff contenders.

This has been an historic year in basketball. As the level of talent rises and the general style of play adjusts, it has become so much more important to have a head coach that acts as both a glue-guy and a gameplanner. Though it seems like this year has a clear cut favorite in Mike Brown, it will be interesting to see how teams might adjust come playoff time.