On Monday, it was announced that Kenny Atkinson had won this season’s NBA Coach of the Year award. It wasn’t exactly unexpected, as he transformed the Cleveland Cavaliers from a good, playoff-caliber team to a squad that went 64-18 this season.
He had been hired by the Cavs to replace the outgoing J.B. Bickerstaff during the offseason. Ironically, he beat out Bickerstaff, who did a fine job turning around the Detroit Pistons, to win the award.
Some have felt lately that JJ Redick should get some Coach of the Year votes for guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to the third seed in the Western Conference despite no prior coaching experience of any kind at either the pro or college levels. But he finished sixth in the balloting and didn’t get any first or second-place votes.
Many had criticized the Lakers’ decision to hire Redick last June. The former NBA sharpshooter had become a podcaster and broadcaster after his playing career ended, and he co-hosted the “Mind the Game” podcast along with LeBron James. His friendship with James led some to wonder if he would merely be a yes-man for the four-time MVP.
But Redick kept the Lakers stable through multiple slumps and a major revamp of both their roster and their style of play. While the jury is still likely out on him as far as whether he’s truly a quality head coach, he has acquitted himself well so far.
#Redick #finish #NBAs #Coach #Year #voting
