The Red Auerbach Trophy is an award that goes to the NBA's best coach during the season in which they receive the award.
Whenever a coach wins the award, it is usually because they are the head coach of the best team that season. It can also mean that a team has made a turnaround from the previous season without adding any major parts to the roster.
Maybe it's just me—but I've never been a fan of coaches winning Coach of the Year after their team added major parts during the offseason.
In 2005, Mike D'Antoni of the Phoenix Suns won Coach of the Year.
Phoenix won 62 games that season, but Quentin Richardson, Joe Johnson, and Steve Nash—who went on to win the MVP award the next two seasons, had been added to the roster.
This season, the same situation could potentially happen in Boston, where Doc Rivers' Celtics has had a wonderful turnaround season.
But not so fast: Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, James Posey, and Eddie House all were new faces in Boston coming into this season.
Not to take anything away from Doc Rivers, because a 31-win turnaround from last season with 14 games to go is always impressive.
So should be this year's Coach of the Year?
A case can be made for all these guys:
1. Byron Scott, New Orleans Hornets (46-21)
After being plaqued by injuries last season, the Hornets got off to a fresh start this year by going 29-12 the first half of the season.
Last season, New Orleans finished the season with 39 wins and of course didn't make the playoffs.
The play of Chris Paul has been a huge reason for the turn around this season. But Byron Scott gets the credit as well.
Considering that Scott coached the New Jersey to two consecutive Finals appearences in 2002 and 2003, it really should come to no surprise that the Hornets are one of the Western Conference's best teams.
The Hornets also stand atop the same division that features both San Antonio and Dallas.
2. Jerry Sloan, Utah Jazz (45-25)
Eleven 50+ win seasons, including three 60+ win season, and two NBA Finals appearances.
What does Jerry Sloan have to do to win Coach of the Year?
Coach Sloan doesn't try to force his players into a system. He's also never been known to complain about the lack of talent on his team. Instead, he looks at the players he has and molds a system around them.
It's amazing that he has never won the Coach of the Year award.
After leading Utah to the Western Conference Finals last season, Sloan and Co. seem to be on same track.
Sloan's team is first in their division and fourth in the conference, but that can change within one day.
Aside from the addition of Kyle Korver, Utah is pretty much working with the same unit they had one year ago.
Sloan might get snubbed from the award again this season, but no one is more deserving of the award than this guy.
3. Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic (46-25)
Van Gundy was the preseason favorite to win Coach of the Year by the experts at ESPN, and he his right there at the top of the race.
This guy has to be overwhelmed with joy this season, especially since his former team, the Miami Heat is sitting dead last in the NBA.
Sweet redemption for the guy who was forced out of Miami after Pat Riley showed signs that he wanted to coach the team.
And another thing that makes his situation so good is that he wasn't even coaching last season.
The Magic did make a big offseason move by acquiring Rashard Lewis, but Van Gundy is still a big reason why the Magic holds the third best record in the Eastern Conference.
The Winner: Byron Scott
Other Candidates
Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers
Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics
Maurice Cheeks, Philadelphia 76ers
Rick Adleman, Houston Rockets
NBA Coach of the Year Past Winners
2006-07 - Sam Mitchell, Toronto
2005-06 - Avery Johnson, Dallas
2004-05 - Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix
2003-04 - Hubie Brown, Memphis
2002-03 - Gregg Popovich, San Antonio
2001-02 - Rick Carlisle, Detroit
2000-01 - Larry Brown, Philadelphia
1999-00 - Doc Rivers, Orlando
1998-99 - Mike Dunleavy, Portland
1997-98 - Larry Bird, Indiana
1996-97 - Pat Riley, Miami
1995-96 - Phil Jackson, Chicago
1994-95 - Del Harris, Los Angeles Lakers
1993-94 - Lenny Wilkens, Atlanta
1992-93 - Pat Riley, New York
1991-92 - Don Nelson, Golden State
1990-91 - Don Chaney, Houston
1989-90 - Pat Riley, Los Angeles Lakers
1988-89 - Cotton Fitzsimmons, Phoenix
1987-88 - Doug Moe, Denver
1986-87 - Mike Schuler, Portland
1985-86 - Mike Fratello, Atlanta
1984-85 - Don Nelson, Milwaukee
1983-84 - Frank Layden, Utah
1982-83 - Don Nelson, Milwaukee
1981-82 - Gene Shue, Washington
1980-81 - Jack McKinney, Indiana
1979-80 - Bill Fitch, Boston
1978-79 - Cotton Fitzsimmons, Kansas City
1977-78 - Hubie Brown, Atlanta
1976-77 - Tom Nissalke, Houston
1975-76 - Bill Fitch, Cleveland
1974-75 - Phil Johnson, Kansas City-Omaha
1973-74 - Ray Scott, Detroit
1972-73 - Tom Heinsohn, Boston
1971-72 - Bill Sharman, Los Angeles
1970-71 - Dick Motta, Chicago
1969-70 - Red Holzman, New York
1968-69 - Gene Shue, Baltimore
1967-68 - Richie Guerin, St. Louis
1966-67 - Johnny Kerr, Chicago
1965-66 - Dolph Schayes, Philadelphia
1964-65 - Red Auerbach, Boston
1963-64 - Alex Hannum, San Francisco
1962-63 - Harry Gallatin, St. Louis
Michael Whittenberg is a senior writer and NBA Community Leader at BleacherReport.com
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3 months ago
i find quite perplexing that byron scott is having such a great year. i mean look at his years in new jersey. they couldnt wait to get rid of him and once he left.... we had great seasons. i seriously doubt the teams success is due to byrons coaching ability
from 3 months ago
Scott had some good seasons in New Jersey as well. It's amazing what you can do with an all-world point guard.
3 months ago
Its Rick Adelman.
3 months ago
Jerry "Susan Lucci of the NBA" Sloan just doesn't deserve it this year again. There's just something wrong getting the 4 spot because the rules say so instead of actually earning it. If he earns it rightfully, go for it, he's in the running but his team just seems very underwhelming this year. Who knows, it might just be harder to shine this year if you're in the Western Conference given all the excitement with trades, close races and all.
I'm going with Scott on this one. His team has just been phenomenal (just beat the Celtics tonight.) I think everyone keeps expecting the Hornets to slide but so far, that's just not happening. They deserve to be where they are and he deserves to be top contender for the prize, COY.
Good read, Michael, as always.
Oh yeah, GO SUNS!
3 months ago
Has the NBA ever thought of giving an award to the coach who has done the least with the most talent? That would be both entertaining and a great race.
Nice article, Michael. Another close race to add to this crazy season.
3 months ago
Don't forget about Eddie Jordan. That team is 35-33 and they've done it without Etan Thomas and Gilbert Arenas for the entire season. Caron Butler missed 20 games. Antonio Daniels missed 10. It's a miracle they're in the playoffs, even in the East. I'm not saying he should win the award. I'm saying he should be mentioned as a candidate. He did it with Antawn Jamison, DeShawn Stevenson, Andray Blatche, Darius Songaila, Roger Mason, Nick Young and Dominic Maguire.
If you can make and argument for Cheeks you can make one for Jordan.
from 3 months ago
Good point
3 months ago
He won't be considered, but Reggie Theus has quietly had a great season with the Kings. In the stretch when Bibby, Kevin Martin, and Artest were all hurt, the team still pulled together and won several games. Sacramento has been competitive, and Theus has improved a lot since his Hang Time days.
3 months ago
Are you kidding me, it is easily Scott Skiles of the.... Well never mind that one. I agree though Byron Scott is doing a fantastic job in New Orleans. Good article.
3 months ago
Good call, Michael. Either Byron Scott or Stan Van Gundy would be deserving of Coach of the Year.
3 months ago
Gotta get Nate McMillan in there for the superlative job he's done with the Blazers, especially when they were predicted to be about the worst team in the West when Oden went down.
Reggie Theus was also in there for a while when the Kings were around .500. Anyway, I like both Byron or Adelman to win it.
3 months ago
Good article Mike.
While Doc Rivers is my early choice, I can see why you would hesitate because of Boston bringing in so many talented players. Still, I feel that Boston has been so impressive with Rivers instructing the kids and motivating the veterans, that it's impossible to overlook his role.
I'd actually hesitate to put Sloan on the list because his team's defense is so poor, and because Utah can't win on the road.
My top 5 would be: 1) Rivers, 2) Scott, 3) Adelman, 4) Jackson, 5) McMillan
And on the "no way they win the award, but they've done damn good coaching jobs" list, I'd put Theus, Randy Wittman, Jordan, Cheeks, and Don Nelson
from 3 months ago
Oh yeah, Mo Cheeks for sure. And there isn't another who could be having nearly as much success with the Warriors as Don Nelson does.
from 3 months ago
I was waiting for someone to mention Nelson. This is a team that has already eclipsed their win total from last year and they still have 15 games to go. It's especially impressive when you consider that they started 0-6 and since then have one of the best records in the league. They also have rarely lost back to back games, and have an exceptional record in games decided by three points or less. All signs of good coaching.
3 months ago
When you think best coach of the leaugue you have to think of Phil Jackson. 9 NBA titles under his belt, the most of any active coach out there and not to mention his Lakers are seated no. 1 in the West and looks to stay that way with the rest of the teams they have left to play: Charlotte, Memphis, Washington and a few other under 500 teams.
Pau Gasol is coming back this week or early next week and Andrew Bynum is on the verge of playing the last 5 or 6 games which will definitely be a big help in getting him back into the swing of things for the playoffs.
I guess no one gives the Zen Master credit anymore because they expect to see him in the playoffs, and to add insult to injury he has the best player in the league hands down... everyone is mentioning coaches who will not go anywhwere in the playoffs and that probably wont even make the playoffs, names like Eddie Jordan and Mo Cheeks, HA!!! Just because these teams who are in no way seen as a threat in the playoffs or not making the playoffs at all, are making small unoticeable runs near the end of the season does not mean they have a good coach, a good coach wins games... Phil Jackson wins games, and not only that, he wins championships, he took the lakers who barely made the playoffs last year to the No 1 spot in the west this year, the toughest conference, and he also coached DA BULLS, the best team with the best team ever.
The Lakers are still in a rebuilding stage, they just lost Shaq all of 3 seasons ago and now look at them, it usually takes a team 4 or five years to bounce back from losing a marquee player like Shaquille O'Neal. So my coach of the year is Phil Jackson.
from 3 months ago
Don't pull the trigger on Cheeks and the Sixers just yet. That team has been playing damn good ball for a month and is probably the fourth best team in the East right now. They have the muscle and spare parts to throw at Howard, AI has evolved into a good two-way player, and any team with Andre Miller running the show will play hard because if they're open, they'll get the ball.
You don't beat the Celtics, Nuggets, Spurs, Suns, and Pistons in three weeks accidentally.
3 months ago
It's good to see that Stan Van Gundy can take getting effectively ''removed'' by Pat Riley in stride and still turn his new team their first season into a 50 win team that is the Dark Horse for the NBA playoffs. He gets my nod.
3 months ago
ERICK:
there is alot of truth to what you are saying, BUT at the same time teams who are on consistant winning streaks have to lose sometimes... doesn't necessarily mean at the hands of who, the sixers are a pretty good team but you and I both know they will not make it out of the first round, they are a scrappy teams that pull through some tough fought games, BUT, they will not win a 7 game series.
from 3 months ago
If the Sixers earn a date with Orlando, or Toronto they have a definite chance of getting out of the first round. Not so much with Cleveland because their back line defenders aren't strong enough to muscle LeBron. The Sixers are playing outstanding basketball right now.
3 months ago
I thought about it maybe Adelman, but the more I think about it, I don't think he'll get it. Simply put, the Rockets made their push a little late for him to win this award. Everyone already hadd Scott, Rivers, Sloan, and Jackson firmly planted in their brains and Adleman couldn't crack that.
As much as I would love Sloan to get it, (and voters should be ashamed if he doesn't get one before the end of his career) I really don't think he will. I think that Byron Scott has done a fantastic job in New Orleans and will be this year's recipient.
3 months ago
Getting new, talented players should not exclude someone. There is an art to molding them, getting them to fit together. Rivers has done a tremendous job of that. For an example of someone who regularly gets large infusions of talented players and struggles to win 30 just look at New York...
of course, the homer in me would love to see McMillan, a guy who took a team predicted by some to decline in wins and has them over .500 for the first time in 5 years without Oden and with both LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy missing significant stretches. With that said...Adelman should win it. He took a Houston team that lost one of its top 2 players to the 2nd longest winning streak in the league history, has adapted his style a bit to his players and his players a bit to his style, gotten them to buy into it and is doing a phenomenal job.
Sloan would have merit...but aren't they right where they are supposed to be?
3 months ago
Michael,
Yet another, solid article! I enjoyed the breakdown of your top three and the run-down of past winners. The only thing missing were some bonus points for Sloan. He deserves them for having to deal with the biggest primadona in the league: Andrei Kirilenko. He even got the kid to shut up and play some solid ball for most of the year. Although, in the end, it's tough not to give it to Scott and his impressive squad.
3 months ago
I would give it to Sloan.
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