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Wise men say, only fools rush in. I know that because UB40 once told me that in the form of a song. That's why before I start falling in love with my decision for the NBA Coach of the Year, I'm going to take my time to review the crowd of candidates.
There hasn't been a year in recent memory where the award race was so close in this category, particularly with the continuous coaching carousel in the NBA. Here are the viable candidates:
Stan Van Gundy
Van Gundy received an early Christmas present when Shaquille O'Neal became a member of the Miami Heat, but he immediately felt a hot seat underneath himself with speculation of Phil Jackson or even Pat Riley pushing him aside for the job. After management reaffirmed the public that he was their guy, the lesser-known Van Gundy coached the Heat to the best record in the East and cemented them as a true championship contender. Unfortunately, his chances diminish since voters are more likely to accredit O'Neal for the sharp improvement rather than the coach.
Scott Skiles
Three rookies, a sophomore starting point guard, and two underachieving F/C's. Did you envision the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs? Since their 2-13 start, the discipline that Skiles has pounded into the Baby Bulls has been on display. A franchise that has been in shambles since Michael Jordan departed has finally been returned to a level of respectability with a 47-win season. Tyson Chandler's and Eddy Curry's lackadaisical production has led to the firing of a few of their previous coaches, but where the others have failed, Skiles has persevered to squeeze quality minutes out of this tandem. The strong defensive effort that the Bulls exhibit night-in and night-out can also be attributed to Skiles.
Mike D'Antoni
When the Phoenix Suns are passing from mouth-to-mouth near water coolers, D'Antoni's name is usually the last to be mentioned. Steve Nash for MVP, Shawn Marion for Defensive Player of the Year, or merely discussion of a recent Suns' highlight pack all precede any mention of the effective job D'Antoni has fulfilled with the league's best team (record-wise). He moved Amare Stoudemire to center in order to get his five best players into the starting lineup and in doing so, has forced every opponent to play the Suns' style of basketball. A large part of coaching is forcing your will on the opponent and dictating the style of play to them. In that case, a strong argument can be made for D'Antoni.
George Karl
One of the top candidates for this award is easily George Karl. Consider that he picked up an underachieving team that had compiled a 17-25 prior to his arrival, and then coached them to a 32-8 finish, you have to assign the bulk of that turnaround to the coach. There were virtually no roster transactions and no significant players returning from injury after his arrival. It was exactly the same team. An impressive feat, but what will likely keep the award out of his hands this time is that he only coached for half a season.
Nate McMillan
If the picture you drew of the 2004-05 NBA season had the Seattle Supersonics finishing as the number three seed in the Western Conference, then you, my friend, are a clairvoyant. The Sonics started as the hottest team in the league with a 23-6 record and nailed down first place in a division that Minnesota or Denver was supposed to own. More than half of the team's players do not have contracts beyond the end of this season, including franchise player Ray Allen, as well as McMillan himself, but that has not been a distraction. McMillan has imposed a level of professionalism that should not go unnoticed, but considering the team did finish with a mediocre 29-24 record after their hot start, his chances may shrink.
Rick Carlisle
No coach has had to overcome more obstacles than the Indiana Pacers' Rick Carlisle. Never mind the shame of the November 19th Malice at the Palace, the reality of it was that the Pacers lost their best player for the year, Ron Artest, and were forced to play 10 games without their second-best player, Jermaine O'Neal, and 30 games without their third-best player, Stephen Jackson. Take Nash or Marion off the Suns for a year, or subtract Shaq or Dwayne Wade off the Heat, are they still playoff-bound?
Also, you can factor in a plethora of injuries, headlined by starting point guard, Jamaal Tinsley, who has missed more than half the season and you start to wonder how this team even sported a winning record at the end of the regular season? With Artest onboard and a healthy lineup, this team would be contending for a ring. Nonetheless, while they've had every excuse to quit along the way, Carlisle has kept them focused.
Here's the process of elimination: the Pacers won just a few games less than the Bulls, Karl only coached half a season, McMillan's Sonics faded in the second half of the season, while Van Gundy and D'Antoni simply could not have overcome the same suspensions/injuries that the Pacers rose above.
Some may think that the red, red wine has gone to my head, but I just can't help falling in love with Rick Carlisle for NBA Coach of the Year.
UB40 and NBA coaches mix like Mondays and me.
"I have no special gift; I am only passionately curious." — Albert Einstein
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