Monroe: Think MVP Race Is Tight? Check Coaches

[duncan228]

Think MVP race is tight? Check coaches
Mike Monroe

This season's MVP race is so difficult that Tim Duncan changes his mind daily about the most worthy candidate.

This season's coach of the year race is just as headache-inducing.

Criteria for deciding which coach has done the most masterful job vary, voter to voter. Historically, media representatives who pick the award winners reward the coach who has done the best job in the most adverse cir stances.

Squeezing victories from rosters challenged by injuries and marginal talent seems to carry more weight than merely winning. Otherwise, Phil Jackson would have a mantel full of Red Auerbach trophies, rather than the one he was awarded in 1996, after his Bulls won 72 games.

Likewise, Jerry Sloan never got full credit for coaching when he had John Stockton and Karl Malone executing the league's best pick-and-roll offense.

Sloan never has been coach of the year, an oversight bordering on travesty. It's also one of the reasons he has a great chance of winning this season. Combined with keeping the Jazz in the thick of the Western playoff picture despite injuries to his two best players, past injustice weighs in his favor.

I conducted a quick survey of nine of the NBA writers I most respect, and Sloan is on the short list of candidates of each of these veteran scribes.

So, too, was Stan Van Gundy. The Magic head coach has his team positioned at No. 2 in the Eastern Conference despite the loss of All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson, arguably his second-best player behind Dwight Howard.

Rockets coach Rick Adelman was on most lists, as were the Cavaliers' Mike Brown and Spurs' Gregg Popovich. Other coaches mentioned were the Heat's Erik Spoelstra, Celtics' Doc Rivers, Bobcats' Larry Brown, Trail Blazers' Nate McMillan and Lakers' Jackson.

You can make a case for all of them:

• Brown's Cavaliers likely will have the best record in the league, and he has dealt with his own share of injuries to meaningful players. True, he has LeBron James, but he gets credit for getting James to completely buy into his program.

• In his first season, Spoelstra has the Heat on the brink of the biggest season-to-season improvement despite having two rookies in the regular rotation, including his starting point guard.

• Adelman gets credit for keeping the Rockets near the top in the West despite losing Tracy McGrady for the season. Of course, some voters — at least one in San Antonio — believe this made Adelman's job easier.

• If the Bobcats sneak into the playoffs, Brown will deserve a fair share of votes for having turned around the culture of losing in Charlotte.

• Rivers, who won last season's Auerbach Trophy, won't have as good a record this time, but he has dealt with far more adversity, beginning with the loss of James Posey to free agency.

• McMillan has a team that hasn't been in the playoffs since 2003 in contention for a division le.

• Popovich has his older-than-dirt team in the No. 2 slot in the West despite losing Manu Ginobili for 32 games, Tony Parker for 10 and Tim Duncan for six.

Duncan, by the way, does have a firm thought about the MVP race: “Wade's definitely third. It's those other two guys I can't make a decision on.”

[dougp]

I don't see how anyone would choose Adelman as CotY - if you don't make Yao your #1 scorer, you're ing dumb. Allowing Artest to make the plays he's done? Bull ! The only thing I think the Rockets have done good this year is make Brooks the starter, but that took too long.

[Yuixafun]

• In his first season, Spoelstra has the Heat on the brink of the biggest season-to-season improvement despite having two rookies in the regular rotation, including his starting point guard.


Yes it's Spoelstra who has put the Heat on his back, leads the league in scoring and taken it upon himself to mold that young team, leading by example.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm carrying my sons out there" - Dwade (on his relationship with the younger players on the team)

[BlackSwordsMan]

It's going to mike brown for having that nike sponsored player on his team

[ploto]

Duncan, by the way, does have a firm thought about the MVP race: “Wade's definitely third. It's those other two guys I can't make a decision on.”

End of claims that Kobe or LeBron doesn't deserve it.

[Thompson]

Duncan, by the way, does have a firm thought about the MVP race: “Wade's definitely third. It's those other two guys I can't make a decision on.”

End of claims that Kobe or LeBron doesn't deserve it.

Duncan was obviously referring to Parker and Mason.