The "better record" aspect isn't too relevant, IMO. We're talking about outlier records in both cases and Kerr faced the tougher schedule...the Warriors' schedule was pretty back-loaded. I think what Walton proved is that he's solid at keeping his team on track, but not much else was illustrated. They were still playing Kerr's system, based on Kerr's lessons and Kerr was still directly involved with the team, coming to practices and games when they were home and talking to Walton on the phone when they were away. I think Stotts would have made a perfectly good selection, but I don't think Walton's run with the team invalidates Kerr's candidacy.
In the event that Steve Kerr will be unable to perform his duties as coach of the year, Terry Stotts, the first runner-up, will assume all duties.
Did you really expect anyone other than Kerr to win? The W's won 73 games. He was the obvious choice. Sure, you can argue against it, (my words were taken a little too literal in this thread), but I guess if I am Stotts, I would have expected Kerr to win the award. Stotts still got plenty of respect from the voters.
I have pretty much viewed the COTY award as almost always a team accomplishment award. For good or for bad, you are viewed as a good coach if your team wins games. Sure, Kerr wasn't on the W's bench for many of those games, but the W's were the best team this year and Kerr is the head coach of that team. Hence, Kerr gets COTY.
But that's silly, because we might as well just give all the awards to the Warriors. 6th man = Iggy MVP = Curry DPOY = Draymond COTY = Kerr MIP = Curry Just give them all to GS and call it a day because of what that team accomplished. If we're actually going to look at who coached the best, I think Stotts should get this award. He took a team that lost 4/5 starters, a team that only returned 4 or 5 guys total from last year's team, and got them back into the playoffs.
He got a very respectable 2nd. Above Pop! I'm not sad about it at all... Kerr was going to win it regardless, it was a fight for 2nd.... and Stotts won that.
First game, Doc out coached Terry, but the last three games, I think Stotts has been fine. Adjustments look good and the guys are buying in. Getting that confidence from the players is half the battle. Not sure it's that unfortunate if he sticks around. I don't see anyone else better.
If the Blazers had accomplished what the W's accomplished and Stotts was denied COTY, I would feel disrespected and snubbed. Stotts was the coach of a 73 win team and didn't win Coach of the Year? WTF? Not all of the awards are really team awards, but a coach is good because his team wins. Kerr's team won 73 games and while he wasn't on the bench for all of those wins, he is the head coach of the team. I understand that you think Stotts did a better coaching job than Kerr this season, and your point has merit, but I don't think you can ignore 73 wins. Stotts may have done a better job coaching than Kerr, but when a team wins 73 games you almost have to de facto award it to the head coach of that team. My opinion and apparently many of the voters' opinions too.
Lets put it this way: Had Luke Walton coached this team the entire year because Kerr was out, Luke Walton would have won it as the interim head coach.
I don't get how you can give Kerr coach of the year. He missed 43 games. Kerr was handed this team and is overrated as a coach. These guys were already good when he got the job which is why when Luke Walton took over they still won a majority of their games. I think terry stotts deserved this hands down. Lost 4 starters, win 44 games. 5th seed in the playoffs, series with clippers tied. Sure you could of also gave it to pop but stotts dealt with so much shit here. Aside from cj and dame, the starters were bench guys their careers. Cj was too but he had his breakout year. I just don't get it. Yeah the Warriors had the best regular season in history but i don't give a ton of credit to Kerr for that
NBA Narrative > Logic. It was a fight for second. If Stotts was the coach of our team that had 73 wins, everyone would be outraged if he didnt win it. Stotts got 2nd place. Any other year he gets 1st, so I'm not mad.
