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2016-17 NBA Awards Season: Top 5 Coach Of The Year Candidates

By Gerald Bourguet

April 10, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni watches game action against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 10, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni watches game action against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Coach of the Year
Mar 18, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Rockets won 109-105. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Mike D’Antoni

Spoelstra has far less talent to work with, Brooks has been a nice story in his first season in D.C., and Kerr and Popovich remain the quintessential examples of coaching excellence. But if you’re looking for the Coach of the Year frontrunner, it’s got to be Mike D’Antoni.

Yes, he has an MVP candidate to work with in James Harden. And yes, his front office has been gung-ho about its three-point heavy attack for years now. But after extremely unsuccessful stints in New York and Los Angeles, Mike D has reminded people what his basketball mind is capable of when he has an elite point guard to orchestrate his diabolical offense with.

James Harden is the one doing the heavy lifting, but it’s no coincidence that D’Antoni’s arrival triggered the heaviest onslaught from three-point range that the NBA has ever seen. The Houston Rockets have already shattered the record for three-point makes in a single season, and they’re attempting an unholy 40.1 three-pointers per game — 6.2 more than the next closest team.

The Rockets are only shooting 35.8 percent from downtown, so they’re not exactly a bunch of snipers on the perimeter.

But in the same season, D’Antoni’s offense has managed to restore Harden’s reputation as a once-in-a-lifetime floor general who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Steve Nash; resurrect the careers of Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson; aid the development of Clint Capela; give opportunities to Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell; field the NBA’s second-ranked offense; and lead the Rockets to the third-best record in the association.

Next: 2016-17 NBA Power Rankings: Week 25

Considering Houston was slated by most experts to be fighting for a playoff spot entering the season, what we’ve seen from this team is remarkable. Mike D’Antoni represents the perfect union between front office ideology, head coach, star personnel and the NBA’s pace-and-space era, and he should absolutely win Coach of the Year for it.