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With only a handful of fixtures left in the 2020-21 regular season, it is still a tight race for the NBA Coach of the Year award for this campaign.
Currently, our power rankings reflect the fact that it will be exceedingly hard to call, though whoever does win will be deserving of the honor.
Usually, the award is given to the coach whose team has performed consistently well all season and sits atop or close to the top of their conference. This year could be no different with Utah Jazz's Quin Snyder and Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams leading the race for the award as their teams hold the top-two seeds in the West.
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But they could be usurped by Tom Thibodeau, who has led the New York Knicks to the brink of a playoff spot for the first time in seven seasons.
NBA Coach of the Year - Latest Power Rankings
Behind every great team, there is a great coach and coaching staff. It's no surprise the likes of the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks are playing so well after years of mediocrity.
Along with coaches who have brought teams back to the big time, some have to bear the pressure of guiding a team that is ready to win a championship. That comes with its own requirements and can make them just as worthy of winning the NBA Coach of the Year award.
Without further ado, let's have a look at our current power rankings.
#5 Tyronn Lue (LA Clippers)
Previous NBA COTY Power Ranking: 4th (⬇1)
Team record: 46-23 (3rd in West)
With two All-NBA caliber players at his disposal, there was a lot of pressure on Ty Lue when he was appointed as the head coach of the LA Clippers last summer.
However, they have been one of the most consistent teams this year, even though they've struggled with short and long-term injuries to key players. They sit third in the West and have the second-best record against teams in their conference.
The Clippers have made several shrewd signings this year and Lue has them running one of the smoothest offenses in the league. They have regularly been either above or within touching distance of the Brooklyn Nets for efficiency on offense and are currently scoring 115.3 points per game (2nd in the NBA).
Lue knows what it takes to win as a three-time NBA champion himself. If there is anybody that can finally take this Clippers side to the Finals, it is him.
#4 Doc Rivers (Philadelphia 76ers)
Previous NBA COTY Power Ranking: N/A
Team record: 37-22 (1st in East)
Like his predecessors, Doc Rivers inherited an elite defender in Ben Simmons and one of the most dominant bigs in the league in Joel Embiid. However, unlike them, the veteran coach has turned the Philadelphia 76ers into genuine title contenders as they look set to finish the regular season atop the Eastern Conference standings.
In just his first campaign with the Sixers, Rivers has helped Embiid become an MVP candidate and has got the best out of Tobias Harris, who has never scored at a more efficient rate in his career.
Although they were stacked, Philadelphia underachieved in the playoffs in the last few seasons. But Rivers has championship experience, and so do veterans Danny Green and Dwight Howard.
The Sixers could go all the way this year, which would be a bitter pill for the LA Clippers to swallow after letting Rivers go unjustly prior to this campaign.
#3 Tom Thibodeau (New York Knicks)
Previous NBA COTY Power Ranking: 3rd (-)
Team record: 38-31 (6th in East)
Tom Thibodeau has worked miracles with the New York Knicks. Although his roster is inexperienced when it comes to the playoffs, none of the top teams will want to face the Knicks in the first round.
Thibodeau has transformed the Knicks into one of the hardest teams to break down in the NBA. They have allowed the fewest points and field goals of any side this season. Thibodeau has done all of this while beginning the season without a single former All-Star in the starting five.
There is no doubt Thibodeau would be thoroughly deserving of the NBA Coach of the Year award if he wins it. He has brought life back to the New York Knicks franchise, reinvigorated its vast fanbase and made Madison Square Garden a menacing place to play for opponents.
#2 Quin Snyder (Utah Jazz)
Previous NBA COTY Power Ranking: 1st (⬇1)
Team record: 50-19 (1st in West)
Having the best record in the NBA and doing so in a stacked Western Conference is enough reason for Quin Snyder to win the NBA Coach of the Year award.
The Utah Jazz have consistently been the best side this season and are the only team to rank inside the top-5 for both offensive and defensive efficiency. Furthermore, they have been the best team at home this season, winning a staggering 31 of 35 matches.
They have even maintained their stellar form recently while playing without the backcourt pairing of Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley. Both stars have missed the Jazz' last eight games, but they still managed to go 6-2 during that time.
Unfortunately for Snyder, voters might overlook him for the NBA Coach of the Year award due to the talent he has at his disposal. The Jazz have a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Rudy Gobert, three All-Stars and two Sixth Man of the Year nominees.
Nevertheless, Quin Snyder has done a stellar job building this squad for years and turning them into genuine title contenders.
#1 Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns)
Previous NBA COTY Power Ranking: 2nd (⬆1)
Team record: 48-21 (2nd in West)
Monty Williams takes the top spot in our power rankings for the NBA Coach of the Year as the season closes. In only his second year with the Phoenix Suns, he has helped bring the franchise back to the playoffs after a hiatus of 11 years.
Prior to his arrival, the Suns ranked among the bottom-three teams for offensive and defensive efficiency. This season, they are fifth and ninth respectively. They finished in the bottom-two for four seasons in a row, but this year they have been contending for the top spot in the Western Conference standings with the Jazz.
Bringing in Jae Crowder and Chris Paul to play alongside their young stars Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton has helped the team tremendously this season. Suns fans should be excited about the team's future with Williams at the helm.
