NBA Coach of the Year Contenders: Assessing the Top Candidates
As the 2023-2024 NBA season hastens towards its heralded All-Star break, basketball enthusiasts and casual fans alike turn their gaze to the league’s coaching ranks, where the race for the prestigious Coach of the Year award is intensifying.
In the wake of the NFL’s thrilling 2023 season, the NBA offers its own narrative-rich sporting drama, and getting acquainted with the top figures vying for this accolade is a prime method to dive into the heart of pro basketball’s ongoing stories. This award not only recognizes overall excellence but often shines a spotlight on coaches who have steered their teams to exceed expectations, surmount unprecedented challenges, or have engineered a revitalized campaign that departs markedly from previous lackluster performances.
Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder
Stepping into the spotlight, Mark Daigneault, head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, has emerged as this year’s foremost contender for the prestigious Coach of the Year honor. Finishing a commendable second in last year’s Coach of the Year voting, Daigneault has only solidified his claim to the title with his laudable performance in the current season. In the previous race, Daigneault ceded the top spot to Sacramento Kings’ coach Mike Brown, who rightfully earned recognition for guiding the Kings to their first division title in two decades.
However, it’s Daigneault’s work during the 2022-23 season that particularly distinguished him. Though the Thunder achieved a seemingly modest 40-42 tally, this marked a significant improvement for the franchise striving to rebuild, having amassed a 46-108 record over the prior two seasons. The groundwork laid by that 40-42 finish has burgeoned into remarkable success; the Thunder boast an impressive 37-17 record as they approach the All-Star break, securing second place in the robust Western Conference.
With the Coach of the Year electorate historically favoring mentors who spearhead dramatic turnarounds, Daigneault has made a most compelling case for the accolade, having orchestrated what may be deemed the most impactful franchise revival of the season.
Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves
In sharp contrast to Daigneault, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch isn’t a stranger to success with his team. Since taking the reins, Finch has directed the Wolves to positive records and consecutive playoff appearances, albeit with disappointing first-round exits.
This season, however, the Timberwolves are not just meeting expectations but exceeding them, particularly after their blockbuster trade to acquire Rudy Gobert, who has fortified their defense to a league-leading stature. The acquisition has catapulted Minnesota to the very apex of the Western Conference standings, even nudging past Daigneault’s Thunder.
Under Finch’s leadership, stars such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards are thriving, contributing to a robust offense coupled with the aforementioned elite defense that renders the team formidable. Despite the Timberwolves’ dominance, there have been notable lapses, including unexpected defeats to teams with inferior records, which could tarnish Finch’s Coach of the Year narrative.
To retain his top-tier status among his peers, Finch will have to rectify these inconsistencies and maintain the Wolves’ winning momentum as a testament to his coaching prowess.
JB Bickerstaff, Cleveland Cavaliers
Considering the trajectory of the Cleveland Cavaliers under the stewardship of JB Bickerstaff, it’s easy to appreciate why his name surfaces in the Coach of the Year discussions. Appointed as the full-time head coach ahead of the 2020-21 season, Bickerstaff’s tenure saw gradual improvements within the team.
Notwithstanding a rocky start to the 2023-24 season, the Cavaliers have caught fire since the turn of the new year, capturing 17 victories in their last 20 encounters since January 1st and seizing second place in the daunting Eastern Conference. This resurgence echoes the team’s ascent from the depths of their struggles post-LeBron James era, a period marked by consecutive seasons with sub-20 victories. However, under Bickerstaff’s leadership, the victory tally has consistently risen, positioning the Cavaliers on the cusp of their first Central Division apex since the 2017-18 season.
The Cavaliers’ early trials can be partly ascribed to the absence of critical players—both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were sidelined for over a quarter of the first 52 games. Yet, the team’s robustness in the face of these challenges could be pivotal in bolstering Bickerstaff’s Coach of the Year proposition. His narrative closely mirrors that of Mark Daigneault’s: catalyzing a rebuilding squad’s emergence to conference leaders. Should the Cavaliers maintain their vigor, and if the Thunder’s performance wanes, the scales could tilt in favor of Bickerstaff clinching the esteemed coaching accolade.
Tyronn Lue, Los Angeles Clippers
Our last coach in contention is Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers, whose leadership steered the team to a commendable 35-17 record, placing them third in the heated Western Conference. Yet, even with the Clippers’ significant progress this year—a stark improvement from their preceding seasons—it’s challenging to envisage a scenario where Lue emerges as the frontrunner for Coach of the Year.
While other teams in the race have overcome hardships to reach their current standings, the Clippers’ ascendancy can largely be credited to the health and performance of their cornerstone players rather than any particular innovations on Lue’s part. Previously, the team’s potential was undermined by injuries to key duo Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, whose game-time was considerably curtailed.
The present season paints a different picture, with the pair missing a mere seven games in total. Their synergy on-court has enabled the Clippers to overpower opponents by an impressive +13.8 points per 100 possessions when both stars play, branding them as one of the NBA’s most daunting duos. This reliance on player availability over coaching strategy places Lue at a relative disadvantage in the competition for the coveted Coach of the Year title.
The Bottom Line
As the regular season winds down, speculation starts to ramp up surrounding not just the Coach of the Year award but also the impending playoffs and, ultimately, the NBA Finals themselves.
Bookmakers like FanDuel have already begun offering NBA finals odds, giving fans and bettors a chance to gauge how the teams coached by Daigneault, Finch, Bickerstaff, and Lue are being evaluated on the sport’s biggest stage.
These odds are meticulously crafted, reflecting not only the teams’ performance throughout the season but also taking into account variables like star player health, team chemistry, and even the tactical acumen of the coaching staff. For fans keeping an eye on the FanDuel NBA finals odds, it’s clear that they not only see a forecast of the playoffs but also a reflection of the success these coaches have wrought this season.
