NBA

2014-15 NBA Midseason Awards Report: Top 10 Leaders For Coach of the Year

2014-15 NBA Midseason Awards Report: Top 10 Leaders for Coach of the Year

Gregg Popovich Steve Kerr San Antonio Spurs Golden State Warriors
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The NBA is at the halfway point of the season, which is a good time to look at the various award races. It is shaping up to be a very close race for coach of the year with a handful of very deserving candidates. Here are the leaders to win NBA coach of the year.

10. Doc Rivers

Doc Rivers Los Angeles Clippers
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10. Doc Rivers

Doc Rivers Los Angeles Clippers
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Doc Rivers the coach has been much better than Doc Rivers the GM this season. The Clippers have some obvious holes in their roster, but they have found ways to overcome them on the court. Los Angeles is currently 18-6 against the West, which is the third-best record in the NBA.

9. Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich San Antonio Spurs
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9. Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich San Antonio Spurs
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Gregg Popovich is the best coach in the NBA, but that doesn't guarantee winning this award. The Spurs got off to a slow start, which will hurt his chances to win. He is the defending champion in this award, but he will need San Antonio to climb the standings in the West if he is going to make it two in a row.

8. Randy Wittman

Randy Wittman Washington Wizards
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8. Randy Wittman

Randy Wittman Washington Wizards
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Randy Wittman has led Washington to the No. 2 seed in the East this season. The Wizards are legitimate threats to make the NBA Finals, and Wittman deserves some credit for that. He will have a hard time winning the award, but he should be mentioned along with the other candidates.

7. Jeff Hornacek

Jeff Hornacek Phoenix Suns
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7. Jeff Hornacek

Jeff Hornacek Phoenix Suns
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Jeff Hornacek had a case to be the coach of the year last season when he led the Suns to a 48-34 record. He is on his way to doing the same this season with his fast-paced offensive scheme. Hornacek has turned Phoenix into one of the most exciting teams to watch and should be considered for coach of the year if they make the playoffs.

6. Rick Carlisle

Rick Carlisle Dallas Mavericks
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6. Rick Carlisle

Rick Carlisle Dallas Mavericks
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Rick Carlisle falls into a similar group as Popovich. He is regarded as one of the best coaches in the league, which means he has to do something very special to win the award. Carlisle was given the difficult task of having to rework his rotation a month into the season when Dallas traded for Rajon Rondo. He has handled the situation well, as the Mavericks currently have the No. 6 seed in the West.

5. Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd Milwaukee Bucks
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5. Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd Milwaukee Bucks
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No one else on this list has done more with less than Jason Kidd. He has the Milwaukee Bucks at .500 and sixth place in the East with a roster full of unknown players to mainstream NBA fans. Kidd found a way to overcome the injury to Jabari Parker and has Milwaukee as one of the surprise teams in the league which will get him plenty of votes.

4. Terry Stotts

Terry Stotts Portland Trail Blazers
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4. Terry Stotts

Terry Stotts Portland Trail Blazers
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Portland was one of the surprise teams last season, and they haven't taken a step back this year. However, Terry Stotts has a big challenge ahead with the injury to LaMarcus Aldridge. He has a chance to move even higher in the rankings if Portland finds a way to win without their All-Star forward.

3. Dave Joerger

Dave Joerger Memphis Grizzlies
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3. Dave Joerger

Dave Joerger Memphis Grizzlies
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Memphis currently has the third-best record in the league, and they have done it in a unique way. In an era where most teams are trying to speed everything up and play smaller, the Grizzlies are doing the exact opposite. Dave Joerger has Memphis punishing teams down low and playing great defense. Most people wouldn't recognize him if he passed them on the street, but Joerger is one of the top candidates for coach of the year.

2. Steve Kerr

Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors
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2. Steve Kerr

Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors
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What Steve Kerr has done in his first season is simply incredible. Golden State is off to one of the best starts in NBA history, and Kerr deserves a lot of credit for that. He has a lot of talent to work with, but he has put them in the right spots to succeed. In most years, he would be a runaway winner of this award, but this isn't an ordinary year.

1. Mike Budenholzer

Mike Budenholzer Atlanta Hawks
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1. Mike Budenholzer

Mike Budenholzer Atlanta Hawks
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The story of the season is the Atlanta Hawks, and Mike Budenholzer has his fingerprints all over their success. The former Popovich assistant has transformed Atlanta into a powerhouse. The Hawks have a 16-5 record against winning teams. Budenholzer will be the coach of the year if they continue playing at this level.

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