NBA Coach of the Year Power Rankings featuring JB Bickerstaff, Monty Williams and more | February 17th, 2021
The NBA is heading into the All-Star break, and teams are trying to end the first half of their season on a high note. The NBA Coach of the Year race is heating up as the top teams in the standings are constantly changing positions. The top four teams in the West have been the same for weeks, while the Eastern Conference has been quite turbulent.
Coach Erik Spoelstra deserves a shoutout for the award as the second-place Miami Heat managed to win games despite facing injuries.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks haven't been consistent in the new year and are losing games to subpar teams. They are currently third in the East. If they manage to gain momentum and grab the first seed, coach Mike Budenholzer should make an entrance in the race.
If the Dallas Mavericks or the Boston Celtics end up in the top four seeds of their conferences, coaches Jason Kidd and Ime Udoka could also be considered for the award.
Meanwhile, coach Quin Snyder is out of the top five of our rankings. The Utah Jazz went on several losing streaks in January and have dropped in the standings.
So without further ado, let's take a look at the top five of the NBA Coach of the Year power rankings by Sportskeeda.
#5 J.B. Bickerstaff
Previous week's NBA Coach of the Year Power Ranking - 5th (-)
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 1; Games lost - 2
Overall: Games played - 58; Games won - 35; Games lost - 23
Offensive Rating: 110.8 (18th of 30)
Defensive Rating: 106.5 (4th of 30)
Average Points Scored: 106.7 (23rd of 30)
Average Points Conceded: 102.5 (1st of 30)
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff's stock is climbing this season. He has led a team of young guns to fourth place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
The Cleveland Cavaliers allow the fewest opponent points scored and are ranked fourth in the NBA in defensive rating. Darius Garland was selected to his first All-Star team, and Evan Mobley is on pace to win the Rookie of the Year award. The team has managed to succeed despite the absence of Collin Sexton.
OFFICIAL: @jbbickerstaff_ is January's Eastern Conference Coach of the Month!
DETAILS: on.nba.com/3Gp7KDX
#LetEmKnow https://t.co/6PElNMxZvb
#4 Steve Kerr
Previous week's NBA Coach of the Year Power Ranking - 2nd (↓2)
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 1; Games lost - 3
Overall: Games played - 59; Games won - 42; Games lost - 17
Offensive Rating: 111.8 (12th of 30)
Defensive Rating: 104.8 (1st of 30)
Average Points Scored: 110.6 (12th of 30)
Average Points Conceded: 103.7 (4th of 30)
Steve Kerr has recently taken a lot of heat in the media due to his subpar coaching performances in the last few games. He kept Steph Curry in a game for defense while Gary Payton II sat on the bench. The games against the LA Clippers and the New York Knicks also saw massive defensive blunders.
The 56-year-old acknowledged that his team's top defensive rating is inflated because of the first half of the season and that they have been abysmal lately. He continues to assure fans that the Golden State Warriors will be fine regardless of these recent losses.
Kerr: “It’s hard to win in this league when you’re looking like we are defensively” https://t.co/MUVVpPi9hw
The Warriors still hold the second-best record in the NBA, and coach Kerr can climb the Coach of the Year ladder down the stretch of the season.
"I made some decisions at the end that didn't work out."
-Head Coach Steve Kerr says he's partially to blame for the Warriors stunning loss to the Nuggets. #DubNation @kron4news