The halfway point also means it’s time to take stock of the NBA’s postseason awards. All week, I’ll be making my picks for some of the NBA’s biggest prizes at this point in the season, plus getting betting angles from the experts at NBC Sports. Today: Coach of the year.
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NBA Coach of the Year: Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
2. JB Bickerstaff (Pistons)
3. Jordan Ott (Suns)
Analysis of the Coach of the Year race
This is always one of the toughest decisions of the year, in part because there are so many good coaches in the NBA. At different times last month, I had each of those top three as a winner. Right now I’m leaning towards Mazzulla.
Before the season started it was difficult to find a mention of the Boston Celtics without the words “gap year” attached; Joe Mazzulla was having none of that. He’s shown he can do more with less, putting role players in positions to thrive and keeping the defense respectable despite not having a great rim protector on the roster. Mazzulla has a ring, but this is his best work as a coach.
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For me, Detroit’s JB Bickerstaff is almost on a coin toss with Mazzulla, even though it’s two years of work; Don’t forget that two years ago this was a historically bad 14-win season. More than just Cade Cunningham, Bickerstaff has helped Jalen Duren develop and put him in positions to succeed. He has led the Pistons to the second-best defense in the league by understanding the talent they have and working to maximize it. Jordan Ott not only helped change the culture in Phoenix, he changed the defensive scheme to fit this roster and thrive, and completely changed the Suns’ shooting diet. Ott has been brilliant.
The Spurs’ Mitch Johnson deserves consideration, as he has the Spurs well ahead of schedule. Don’t forget about Mark Daigneault and his ability to keep the Thunder focused when most teams are moving slowly. David Adelman in Denver should be mentioned in this conversation, the Nuggets have been hit hard by injuries and continue to win. Erik Spoelstra deserves a lot of credit for what went well in Miami this season.
Betting Coach of the Year Race
We reached out to NBC’s sports betting experts to get their take on the Rookie of the Year race and how they might bet.
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Jay Croucher, NBC Lead Sports Betting Analyst
A very strong field this year, but JB Bickerstaff deserves the favoritism and should win the award if the Pistons maintain the number one spot. Bickerstaff, a team built in his image, has led a 14-68 team to a likely first-place finish in just two years.