NBA Coach of the Year 2021: Final Power Rankings – May 19th
The 2020-21 NBA regular season has come to an end and the race for the NBA Coach of the Year award has picked up steam.
Many coaches qualify for their efforts this season as we've seen several NBA franchises turn their fortunes around. While the majority of the league was grappling with injuries, several teams took advantage and roared to the top.
NBA Coach of the Year: Latest and Final Power Rankings of the season
Good coaching staff is a must for a championship team. NBA players take the limelight after a win and the coaches are barely recognized for their efforts. In the NBA, coaches mainly face criticism for a loss but hardly get any praise when the team wins.
Nevertheless, at the end of the season, the league rewards the best coach with the NBA Coach of the Year award to give them the recognition they deserve.
So let's take a look at the NBA Coach of the Year Power Rankings for the 2020-21 NBA season.
#5 Steve Nash (Brooklyn Nets)
Previous NBA Coach of the Year Power Ranking: N/A
Team Record: 48-24 (.667) (2nd in East)
Not many people would have Steve Nash as an NBA Coach of the Year candidate, but he makes a solid case for it. In the interest of giving props to coaches who lost their key players, Steve Nash did exactly what was expected of him.
Nash led the Brooklyn Nets to their best record ever since the franchise moved to Brooklyn from New Jersey. All three of Nash's superstar players - Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden - missed plenty of games this season, yet he ensured that the team kept on winning.
Durant missed 37 games, Irving missed 18 games and Harden missed 36 games. Nash had to constantly figure out different rotations and strategies to adjust for having just two stars or sometimes even just one star available. The Brooklyn Nets have used over 35 different starting lineups with almost 18 different starters throughout the year.
Steve Nash has faced all kinds of adversity this season and despite all the chaos, the Brooklyn Nets are ranked 1st in offensive rating.
#4 Doc Rivers (Philadelphia 76ers)
Previous NBA Coach of the Year Power Ranking: 4th (-)
Team Record: 49-23 (.681) (1st in East)
Doc Rivers' addition to the Philadelphia 76ers has done wonders for the team. He has coached Joel Embiid to an MVP-calibre season while Ben Simmons is a major candidate for 'Defensive Player of the Year.
After being swept in last year's first round of the playoffs, grabbing the 1st seed this season is a major improvement and Doc Rivers deserves much of the credit.
The team is ranked 2nd in defensive rating and 13th in offensive rating. With Doc Rivers' advice, Daryl Morey and the organization acquired Danny Green, Dwight Howard and Seth Curry.
He has also got the best out of Tobias Harris, who has had a spectacular season. Doc Rivers' championship pedigree has molded this Philadelphia 76ers team into the dominant force they are now and many expect them to knock out the star-studded Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs.
#3 Quin Snyder (Utah Jazz)
Previous NBA Coach of the Year Power Ranking: 2nd (↓1)
Team Record: 52-20 (.722) (1st in West)
Quin Snyder has taken the seemingly unassuming Utah Jazz squad from last year and turned them into a juggernaut this season.
They were the first team to reach 50 wins this season and surprisingly got 52 victories in a shortened 72-game season. Coach Quin Snyder has a real shot at winning the NBA Coach of the Year award this season as his coaching helped the Utah Jazz finish top of the rugged Western Conference.
They are one of just four teams who are top 10 in both offensive and defensive ratings. The Jazz are on the cusp of a deep playoff run and coach Quin Snyder is the one who deserves credit.
#2 Tom Thibodeau (New York Knicks)
Previous NBA Coach of the Year Power Ranking: 3rd (↑1)
Team Record: 41-31 (.569) (4th in East)
The New York Knicks are back and coach Tom Thibodeau is getting showered with love and praise. He ended their long playoff drought and has helped the team grab home-court advantage in the first-round of the playoffs.
Thibodeau has coached Julius Randle to an MVP-worthy season, with many calling the forward the runaway winner of the Most Improved Player award. Randle has also been getting MVP chants at Madison Square Garden and coach Tom Thibodeau is the one who should get credit for his stellar campaign.
Thibodeau won his first NBA Coach of the Year award in 2011 when he coached a young Derrick Rose to the MVP award.
Tom Thibodeau has acquired Derrick Rose again this season and many expect him to get the best out of the point guard. The Knicks were the laughing stock of the league for the longest time but this season they have a new look.
They have a strong defensive identity as they have been top 5 in defensive rating nearly all year. Although their offensive rating isn't that high, they are ranked 3rd in defensive rating in the league. The New York Knicks are set to make noise in the NBA playoffs.
#1 Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns)
Previous NBA Coach of the Year Power Ranking: 1st (-)
Team Record: 51-21 (.708) (2nd in West)
Once a bottom-dweller franchise, the Phoenix Suns are now in the upper echelons of the Western Conference, and Monty Williams is the reason behind it.
He was reunited with his former player Chris Paul and coached the team to the second-best record in the league. The Suns are one of just two teams with 50+ wins in a shortened 72-game season and one just four teams who are top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating. They are 5th in offensive rating and 9th in defensive rating this season.
The Phoenix Suns' winning percentage in the two seasons before Monty Williams was 24.3%. That has shot up to 54.3% in the two seasons since his arrival.
Moreover, the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) voted Williams as their NBCA Coach of the Year. All 30 coaches vote on it and the majority winner gets the award.
The Suns are ending their long playoff drought and Monty Williams winning NBCA Coach of the Year boosts his chances of winning the NBA Coach of the Year award.
Also Read: Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams is named as the NBCA Coach of the Year