Stevens COY consideration?

[slamtheking]

If we make the playoffs or just miss, I think Stevens is in the discussion but ends up somewhere between 3-5 in the voting. 

what he's got this team doing after such a huge roster turnover AND losing his 3 top players starting the year is impressive.

[saltlover]

Relatedly, everyone should start rooting for Indiana University to make it to March Madness and advance a few rounds.  Fans there want the coach fired, and Stevens will get a huge offer to coach there if it comes to pass. A Sweet Sixteen appearance will save his job.  Go IU!

[Joe Green]

I think you need to consider some other coaches who have outdone expectations:

Jason Kidd - converted arguably the 2nd worst team in the NBA to solid playoff team while losing his "star" rookie a few weeks into the season

My drakhorse COTY:
Frank Vogel - Everyone thought the Pacers will roll over and die after losing PG to injury and Lance to FA but they are now a playoff team, have beaten ALL the top teams and are actually the BEST TEAM IN THE NBA SINCE ASW record wise.

[indeedproceed]

I think you need to consider some other coaches who have outdone expectations:

Jason Kidd - converted arguably the 2nd worst team in the NBA to solid playoff team while losing his "star" rookie a few weeks into the season

My drakhorse COTY:
Frank Vogel - Everyone thought the Pacers will roll over and die after losing PG to injury and Lance to FA but they are now a playoff team, have beaten ALL the top teams and are actually the BEST TEAM IN THE NBA SINCE ASW record wise.

I wouldn't have called Milwaukee the 2nd worst team in the NBA before this season, but other than that both valid points.

[mgent]

I think you need to consider some other coaches who have outdone expectations:

Jason Kidd - converted arguably the 2nd worst team in the NBA to solid playoff team while losing his "star" rookie a few weeks into the season

My drakhorse COTY:
Frank Vogel - Everyone thought the Pacers will roll over and die after losing PG to injury and Lance to FA but they are now a playoff team, have beaten ALL the top teams and are actually the BEST TEAM IN THE NBA SINCE ASW record wise.

I wouldn't have called Milwaukee the 2nd worst team in the NBA before this season, but other than that both valid points.

I didn't think that either when reading his post.

Until I thought about it for ~5 minutes and remembered they had the worst record in the league last year.  Crazy how they managed that with the players they have.

[kozlodoev]

My favorite is Budenholzer in Atlanta.

[slamtheking]

I think you need to consider some other coaches who have outdone expectations:

Jason Kidd - converted arguably the 2nd worst team in the NBA to solid playoff team while losing his "star" rookie a few weeks into the season

My drakhorse COTY:
Frank Vogel - Everyone thought the Pacers will roll over and die after losing PG to injury and Lance to FA but they are now a playoff team, have beaten ALL the top teams and are actually the BEST TEAM IN THE NBA SINCE ASW record wise.

I wouldn't have called Milwaukee the 2nd worst team in the NBA before this season, but other than that both valid points.

I didn't think that either when reading his post.

Until I thought about it for ~5 minutes and remembered they had the worst record in the league last year.  Crazy how they managed that with the players they have.

Milwaukee grossly underperformed last year based on their roster.  they're performing at a level that I would have expected last year (perhaps just a few games better).  maybe Kidd is getting more from them or maybe it was just a bad - juju year for them last year.  in either case, I would consider what Brad is accomplishing to be more impressive.

[fairweatherfan]

I think you need to consider some other coaches who have outdone expectations:

Jason Kidd - converted arguably the 2nd worst team in the NBA to solid playoff team while losing his "star" rookie a few weeks into the season

My drakhorse COTY:
Frank Vogel - Everyone thought the Pacers will roll over and die after losing PG to injury and Lance to FA but they are now a playoff team, have beaten ALL the top teams and are actually the BEST TEAM IN THE NBA SINCE ASW record wise.

I wouldn't have called Milwaukee the 2nd worst team in the NBA before this season, but other than that both valid points.

I didn't think that either when reading his post.

Until I thought about it for ~5 minutes and remembered they had the worst record in the league last year.  Crazy how they managed that with the players they have.

And their two big roster adds this year were Parker and the return of Sanders.  Neither of whom did much. 

[fairweatherfan]

My favorite is Budenholzer in Atlanta.

I think he should be the one, but I also think Kerr probably will be the one.  Higher profile team and more connections with the media.  Plus the possibility of an identical or better record in a tougher conference.

[NYDan]

Kerr has taken a good team and made them a true contender without an influx of talent, and that is one of the hardest things to do in the NBA. I love what CBS has done and am excited for his future, but, imo, it is easier to make a bad team competitive than than do what Kerr has done.

I agree on the role of talent though because IT is probably the only person on our team who cracks the Warriors rotation, and even he wouldn't get much time

As good as GSW have been I'm more impressed with what Budenholzer has done in Atlanta - similar situation, good team that's now one of the best, but a more extreme case without an MVP caliber player on the roster to carry them. GSW's lineup is very impressive no matter who the coach is, Atlanta's dominance has been more of a surprise to me.

I love what Brad Stevens has done this year as well, especially considering the talent level, expectations and roster turnover, but more than anything else I'm not sure if the Celtics have the national media's attention to garner much COY support outside of a dark horse shoutout and "he'll be in the conversation someday" platitudes.

The C's haven't been bad enough to be an entertaining whipping boy (Knicks, Lakers) and aren't sexy enough to be an intriguing midrange team (Suns, Pelicans) - outside of those really paying attention, the story around the Celtics still seems to be young/bad team rebuilding through the draft. The lack of nationally televised games hasn't helped. A playoff berth would change that conversation significantly, really hoping it happens as the team deserves it considering how they've gone about their business in a supposed lost season.

[bdm860]

For some perspective, in 52 years of the award, only once has a coach with a sub .500 record won, and that was 1967.

Twice a coach with a .500 record won, most recently by Doc Rivers in 2000, the other was by Hubie Brown in '78.

So very doubtful he wins (plus Golden State and Atlanta).

But depending on how loosely you define "consideration," ya he'll probably get some "consideration" considering that over the last 3 years an average of 13 coaches got at least one 3rd place vote, and an average of 8.3 coaches got at least one 1st place vote (though I believe there's been only one coach in the last 3 years to get a vote with a losing record, Monty Williams with the 21-45 Pelicans).

[celtics2030]

Quin Snyder is better

[BDeCosta26]

Quin Snyder is better

Right. Snyder has done pretty well with the Jazz this season, and his future looks bright. But he has WAY more to work with in Utah than Stevens has in Boston. That team has Gobert, Favors, Haywood and a bunch of other talented young guys. I like our guys a lot, but the Jazz have a far superior roster. Stevens has done more with less

That said, both guys need a few years to get adjusted. You can see what time has done for Stevens and it could well do the same for Snyder. Especially with that roster. But right now I'd rather have Stevens

[saltlover]

Quin Snyder is better

Scoreboard.

[droopdog7]

I don't consider coach of the year for a losing team.  The distance between bottom feeder and fringe playoff team is much much smaller (especially in the east) that the distance from say 3-5 is to 1-2.