Why Nick Nurse Still Has the Best NBA Coach of the Year Odds: December 19, 2019
By: James Tillman III
Welcome back NBA fans to our weekly look at the coaches who are in the running for the Coach of the Year award. A week ago, the list included Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), Brad Stevens (Boston Celtics) and Nick Nurse of the defending champion Toronto Raptors. Did these coaches hold on to their spots on the list or did a couple of new names emerge?
Without further delay, here’s a look at the updated odds for the coaches who have the best chance to win the COTY award, based upon how their teams performed over the past week (Dec. 13 – Dec. 19).
Best Sportsbook 2019
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The Third Best NBA Coach of the Year Odds: Erik Spoelstra (+500—No Change)
The Miami Heat played four games over the past week and their performances during that stretch were a mixed bag of sorts. They fought valiantly against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers but ultimately fell short 113-110. After defeating the Dallas Mavericks, the Heat followed that up with a rather surprising seven-point loss at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Fortunately, Miami did manage to end their week on a high note, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 108-104. This was significant because the Sixers had not lost a game at home. Despite their recent stretch of inconsistency, the Heat have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Boston Celtics by just a half game in the standings. While Spoelstra’s odds didn’t move from what they were last week, he continues to keep his team in the running for one of the top four spots in the conference.
The Second Best NBA Coach of the Year Odds: Brad Stevens (+450—Last Week’s Odds: +400)
Brad Stevens’ odds in this race dipped from where they were last week, but he remains No. 2 on the list. Ironically, the Boston Celtics played just one game over the past week – a road outing against the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics won that game 109-103 to improve to 18-7 on the season.
The good news is the Celtics have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. The bad news is that Gordon Hayward is on the shelf with a foot injury. He has been ruled out for the team’s upcoming against the Detroit Pistons and as of right now, no timetable has been provided as to when he may return to the rotation. While the Celtics managed to stay afloat when Hayward was out of the mix earlier this season, it will be interesting to see if they can have the same level of success should he be out for a significant stretch of time.
The Best NBA Coach of the Year Odds: Nick Nurse (+450—Last Week’s Odds: +400)
For the second straight week, Nick Nurse’s odds to win the award dropped a bit. On the positive side, he remains in the No. 1 spot. Unlike the other teams on the list, the Toronto Raptors posted a perfect 3-0 mark over the past week. They kicked off their slate of games with a 110-102 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 14. They followed that up with a blowout 133-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, before concluding their week with a 112-99 win against the Detroit Pistons.
The most impressive factor about their last three outings is the fact that they won despite shooting less than 43 percent from the field in two of those three outings. Although the Raptors continue to be a middle-of-the-pack team from an offensive standpoint (13th in scoring – 111.7 points per contest), they continue to play well on the defensive end.
For instance, they are ranked 7th in scoring, giving up 105.4 points per contest and they have the fourth-best defensive rating in the league, yielding 103.6 points per 100 possessions. Not only that, the Raptors are limiting opponents to 41.7 percent shooting from the field, which is tied for the best mark in the league in this category. As a result, the Raptors are holding down the No. 4 spot in the east.
Unfortunately, there is also cause for concern. You see, Pascal Siakam (groin), Marc Gasol (hamstring) and Norman Powell (shoulder), who sustained injuries in the win against the Pistons, will be out indefinitely. It will be interesting to see if Nurse can continue to help this short-handed team stay afloat without three key rotational players in the lineup.
