Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Sayson: Masterpiece coaching in the NBA By Home Sayson Second Overtime
CHICAGO—Choosing the NBA Coach of the Year is like picking the best masterpiece in the $800 million art collection that’s on display at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With Dallas streaking to a 66-14 win-loss slate, snaring homecourt advantage throughout the 2007 NBA playoffs, Mavs head coach Avery Johnson is the leading candidate. The 41-year-old “Little General” has spiked some nasty defense on his team’s already potent offense.
Mike D’Antoni of Phoenix is also a solid candidate. After all, he is the architect of the Greatest Fastbreak Show on Earth.
Sure, it’s easy to coach a team with Steve Nash as your captain, but D’Antoni has done a spectacular job of juggling the minutes in a 61-20 team that is enormously rich in talent.
Then there’s Gregg Poppovich. Quietly, under the shadows of Phoenix and Dallas, San Antonio is continuing to flourish. The Spurs, made up mostly of veterans above 33, can be easily outrun by the young turks, but their halfcourt game is arguably better than anyone else’s in the NBA.
Sam Mitchell of Toronto also deserves the nod. From out of nowhere, his team from Canada has seized the God-forsaken Atlantic Division. After starting the season at 3-9, the Raptors are 47-33 and bound for the playoffs as a No.3 seed. Who would have thought?
Flip Saunders is another worthy candidate. Under his steady hands, Detroit has survived the loss of Ben Wallace, who fled to Chicago during the off-season. As if that wasn’t turmoil enough, the Pistons added potential team-wrecker Chris Webber to the mix. Through it all, the Pistons came through and are now the team to beat in the East with a 51-29 record.
Utah’s Jerry Sloan had a body of work that stretches 22 years. He has never won the award, though, which makes him a sentimental favorite as the Jazz are 50-21 and winning the Northwest Division in the very tough West Conference.
However, my unofficial NBA Coach of the Year vote goes to Jeff Van Gundy of Houston. No team has gone through adversity this season like the Rockets have when they lost Yao Ming for 2 1/2 months due to a broken leg.
Thanks to the versatile Tracy McGrady, Houston went 20-12 without Yao. But it was Van Gundy’s iron will that helped the Rockets plod along minus their star center.
A stickler for defense, Van Gundy has turned Houston into the league’s best defensive team, surrendering only 92 points per game and allowing the other side to shoot a mere 42.9 percent from the field.
Phil Jackson deserved early consideration when the Lakers roared to 12 games above the .500 mark in February. But they have since faltered, staggering to the playoffs with a 41-40 record. And there goes Phil’s Coach of the Year award for 2007.
Yes, injuries to Luke Walton, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown have depleted the Lakers. But if the Rockets managed without Yao, why couldn’t the Lakers get by with Kobe still in the lineup and scoring 50 almost at will?
It’s not necessarily deep as Zen, but it’s a good thought. Anyway, pencil Van Gundy for me as 2007 NBA Coach of the Year.
