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Although the season is still young, there has been plenty of movement within NBA power rankings. It is not only the players who deserve credit for teams' performances, however, but the head coaches too.
Often missed by the focus on players, it is the mentality and strategy enforced by a team's head coach that can make or break a franchise's season.
The Toronto Raptors' Nick Nurse won the award last year, and in our current NBA power rankings, it is another Eastern Conference leader who sits atop our standings. Without further ado, let's take a look at who our three early contenders are for NBA Coach of the Year.
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NBA Power Rankings: Early-season candidates for Coach of the Year
#1 Doc Rivers
Though they don't have the best record in the NBA, Doc Rivers has the Philadelphia 76ers playing at the level that fans have been waiting for since the emergence of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid's ability.
Rivers knows what it takes to win this award, as he did with the Orlando Magic in 2000 and has NBA championship experience in the East when coaching the Boston Celtics. Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising to see him named NBA Coach of the Year as he sits atop of current power rankings.
After a challenging offseason, Embiid has returned to the Philly roster with a renewed purpose in his ability. With the coaching of Rivers, the 76ers team has been structured to get the best out of their big man who is averaging a career-high 27.7 points.
Against most teams, Embiid has been the difference, an aspect of the Sixers roster Rivers was eager to tap into preparing his side for their playoff matchups. Potential postseason opponents, the Boston Celtics, were unable to handle Embiid across two games in which the Cameroonian scored 80 points.
Aside from Embiid, Doc Rivers has brought the best out of former player Tobias Harris, who hit the 76ers game-winning shot against the Lakers on Wednesday. While playing under Rivers in LA, Harris enjoyed career-highs in points and rebounds and is stating his case again to earn an NBA All-Star selection after missing out while at the Clippers.
Bringing a new coach into a side that is already a championship candidate can be challenging but the effect Rivers has had is evident almost seven weeks into the season. With a kind schedule so far, Rivers has been afforded the time for his season-starters to settle in together, and they are currently 10-0. The 76ers are playing faster and boast the 5th best defense in the NBA.
#2 Quin Snyder
The team who does have the best record in the league is Quin Snyder's Utah Jazz who are currently enjoying a 10-match winning streak that has seen them pip the LA franchises to the top of the West. Snyder has risen up our power rankings for NBA Coach of the Year with his side the only team to rank inside the top 5 on both defensive and offensive efficiency.
Snyder has already been shortlisted for the award in 2018, though the Utah Jazz look far stronger after a quarter of the season than the side that won 48 games.
Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are on a mission to prove the critics wrong after coming under fire from former players in the media. Although Mitchell was out Wednesday night against the Mavericks, Snyder's roster is deep this season and Joe Ingles filled in to score 21 points and 8 assists. Meanwhile, Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Jordan Clarkson, came off the bench with 31 points.
Coach Snyder has the Jazz all pulling in the same direction and their togetherness is what has propelled them to the top of the Western Conference and their coach to the peak of our NBA power rankings. After blowing their 3-1 lead in the playoffs to the Nuggets, some would have questioned the Jazz's mental capacity to overcome their disappointment.
Furthermore, beginning with a 4-4 start isn't quite the comeback Utah was after. But once their offense started pouring in threes, a stat they currently lead the league in at 16.6 per game, there has been little to no thwarting them as they have eased past nine of their 10 opponents by 10 points or more.
#3 Tom Thibodeau
Where others have failed, Tom Thibodeau is thus far succeeding with the New York Knicks and sneaks into our NBA power rankings. Much like his team's playoff hopes, Thibodeau is an outside bet for this award after providing renewed faith among the Knicks' fanbase.
Thibodeau's young side is currently 8-11 in the East and just inside the playoff berths after a 3-game losing streak. The Knicks have produced impressive results already this year over the Jazz, Pacers and Bucks behind Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett who are each having career-years.
After years of disappointment, Thibodeau finally has the Knicks competing again. Although, through their inexperience, they will drop games fans will be happy to see their side challenge in each game rather than being rolled over and falling into the lottery picks.
Prior to the season, Thibodeau ensured that he had instilled his basketball philosophy on his players and the effects of this are in the proof of their results. A positive aside of how the Knicks perform this season will be the fact that the franchise becomes a desired destination for players again which has boosted his worth in our NBA power rankings. Thibodeau's improvement of his youngsters may just coincide with the Knicks being able to bring in some seasoned stars.
