NBA Awards Watch: Week 4
By Ben Nadeau
Coach of the Year
1. Brad Stevens (Last Week: –, Up 3)
At heart, I am a jaded Nets fan/writer, so this hurts me to my very core, but the Boston’s Brad Stevens might be well on his way to winning Coach of the Year.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 50 wins for the Celtics in 2015-16 sounds insane and unreasonable — but when you beat the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets in the span of three days, you deserve a little bit of shine.
Look at the Celtics roster, do you see a single superstar? What about a single All-Star? Nope.
What Stevens is creating in Boston is getting close to basketball bliss and with two showdowns with the Nets this week — the team that incredibly traded their unprotected first-rounder to the Celtics two summers ago for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett — this dreamy situation could get even better.
Stevens’ Win of the Week: 11/15, Boston Celtics 100, Oklahoma City Thunder 85
Week Grade: A+
2. Luke Walton, Golden State Warriors (Last Week: –, Up 2)
OK, I held out for as long as I could, but, hey, if you’re chasing history, you deserve a spot in the top three. Although many agreed that Luke Walton might be the next great NBA mind, nobody expected the Interim head coach to keep this revolutionary style chugging along at breakneck speeds.
With reports saying that Steve Kerr may be out longer than expected, Walton could be in this thing for the long haul.
Besides, Walton’s Win of the Week rolls off the tongue and how could we deprive you of that any longer?
Walton’s Win of the Week: 11/14, Golden State Warriors 107, Brooklyn Nets 99, OT
Week Grade: A
3. Fred Hoiberg, Chicago Bulls (Last Week: 3, –)
Finally some stability, am I right? The Chicago Bulls and Fred Hoiberg had a short week but grinded out a couple of tough 2-0 wins against the Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers. Believe me, Cavaliers fans, I was this close this week to pulling the trigger on David Blatt in the first round, but I couldn’t wipe out the entire ladder in one week!
However, it’s certainly worth noting that Hoiberg has the Bulls playing at a top-five defensive level as their 96.3 Defensive Efficiency rating is good for fifth in the league. The Bulls’ rating under defensive guru Tom Thibodeau last year? That would be 101.5 and 11th in the NBA, so you could say the new guy has made some major improvements already.
With three away games at tough Western Conference arenas, Phoenix Suns, Golden State, and the Portland Trail Blazers, we’ll see if The Mayor can hold off the outside threats for another week.
Holberg’s Win of the Week: 11/6, Chicago Bulls 102, Indiana Pacers 97
Week Grade: A
Bounced Out: Stan Van Gundy, Detroit Pistons; Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
Honorable Mentions: Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks; David Blatt, Cleveland Cavaliers; Stan Van Gundy, Detroit Pistons; Frank Vogel, Indiana Pacers; Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers; Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat, Jason Kidd, Milwaukee Bucks; Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs; Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors; Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
Week 1: Fred Hoiberg, Chicago Bulls
Week 2: Fred Hoiberg, Chicago Bulls
Week 3: Stan Van Gundy, Detroit Pistons
Week 4: Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
Next: The Smoothest Scorer In Utah