NBA: Top 10 candidates for 2018-19 Coach of the Year award

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10. Mike D’Antoni, Houston Rockets

Since Mike D’Antoni took over, the Houston Rockets have won 55 and 65 games, finishing third and first in the Western Conference. Ironically enough, the year he won his second Coach of the Year award was the 55-win season, when some thought the Rockets might miss the playoffs and instead, they trotted out a 3-point heavy offense that took the league by storm.

Houston was even better last season, adding the league’s sixth-ranked defense to the equation and coming one win shy of the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, D’Antoni wasn’t even one of the three finalists for the award, despite successfully integrating James Harden and Chris Paul into the same backcourt.

D’Antoni’s system hasn’t led to championship glory just yet, but it’s pretty clear what he can do when an elite floor general is flanked by 3-point shooters. Houston has a new supporting cast, so it’ll be impressive if the team finds the same level of success as last year, but it’s unlikely there’s a storyline here to attract the voters’ eyes — even as he and the Rockets continue to sustain excellence in the loaded West.