By: James Tillman III
Hello NBA fans. Welcome back to our weekly discussion regarding the guys in the running to win the Coach of the Year award. Early on, Brad Stevens from the Boston Celtics and Erik Spoelstra from the Miami Heat were mainstays on the list before losing their spots to the likes of Mike Budenholzer and Frank Vogel.
Would there be a major shakeup for the second straight week? Here’s a look at the updated odds for the coaches in the running for the COTY award based upon how their teams performed over the past week (Jan. 31 through Feb. 6)
Coach of the Year 2020 Odds
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The Third-Best NBA Coach of the Year Odds: Frank Vogel (+500). Last Week’s Odds (+350)
The Los Angeles Lakers had three games on their weekly slate. They kicked off the week on a sour note with a 127-119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in their first home game in nearly two weeks. After that though, the Lakers got back to their winning ways with a 129-113 against the Sacramento Kings and another double-digit win against the San Antonio Spurs (129-102).
On the heels of a 2-1 mark, the Lakers have won six of their previous 10 games and they still have a two-and-a-half-game lead over the rival LA Clippers for the best record in the Western Conference. For reasons that we’ve already discussed, the Lakers remainder of the season will be difficult both on and off the hardwood. But if there’s any coach in the league that can help this team navigate through the good, bad and the ugly, it’s Frank Vogel.
The Second-Best NBA Coach of the Year Odds: Mike Budenholzer (+500). Last Week’s Odds (+600)
Last week, we gave a warm welcome to Bucks’ coach Mike Budenholzer for making his first appearance on our list of the top NBA coaches. After coming in at the No. 3 spot a week ago, Mike Budenholzer has overtaken Vogel for the No. 2 spot. The Bucks had four games on their schedule over the past week that began with a 127-115 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
But as they have done so many times following a loss, the Bucks responded in a big way. In their next outing, they defeated the Phoenix Suns 129-108 and followed that up with a 120-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Milwaukee concluded its week with a 112-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Thanks to another superb stretch, the Bucks have won nine of their last 10 overall and they have the league’s top record at 44-7. Additionally, the Bucks are a top-three team at both ends of the floor and they have the best point differential (+12.4) in the NBA. Should the Bucks continue to dominate the league, Budenholzer could be moving closer to capturing the COTY award for the second straight season.
The NBA Coach of the Year Odds Favorite: Nick Nurse (+200). Last Week’s Odds (+350)
Nick Nurse continues to hold down the No. 1 spot in the race for the league’s top head coach and here are just a few reasons why. For starters, the Raptors had another perfect week, posting wins in their outings against Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers. The win against the Pacers was the most impressive, considering they overcame a 114-103 deficit with just 3:50 left in regulation.
As a result, the Raptors set a record for most consecutive wins in franchise history. Not only that, but they also have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Although Nurse continues to be the head honcho on this list, don’t be surprised if Budenholzer continues to gain ground as the season progresses.
