Coach of the Half-Year – Quin Snyder
Honorable Mentions: Tom Thibodeau, Monty Williams
Quarter-Pole Choice: Tom Thibodeau
The Utah Jazz are currently the best team in the league. They are one of two teams top 10 in both offensive rating (fourth) and defensive rating (fourth). Quin Snyder has brought this team together and they are annihilating teams. Quin Snyder deserves this award.
Donovan Mitchell is taking a leap as a leader and getting him and Rudy Gobert back on the same page after their rift last season is a treat. Mike Conley Jr. is back to being the player we saw with the Memphis Grizzlies. Snyder has made this team thrive on continuity while changing up their offensive game plan to attempt the most 3-point shots in the league.
Monty Williams is the coach of the other team that is in the top 10 of offensive and defensive rating at eighth and third. The Phoenix Suns have taken a step forward as a franchise from a team contending for the play-in to being the second seed in the Western Conference. This change of culture is astounding.
Finally, Tom Thibodeau has the New York Knicks playing the second-best defense in the league. Plenty of talking heads made jokes about the New York Knicks being in win-now mode but they are currently above .500 so they may have been on to something.