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New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was recently named NBA Coach of the Year for the 2020-21 NBA season. He led the Knicks to their first winning season in eight years and also ended the franchise's playoff drought. He also coached Julius Randle to the 'Most Improved Player' award this season.
He won by a slim margin and edged out Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams, which led to several fans inquiring about the NBA Coach of the Year voting process.
How is the NBA Coach of the Year decided?
This is coach Thibodeau's second NBA Coach of the Year award. He won his first in 2011 when he led the Chicago Bulls to the first seed in the Eastern Conference and coached Derrick Rose to become the youngest MVP in league history.
Although coach Thibodeau was one of the top prospects for NBA Coach of the Year, Suns coach Monty Williams was the clear favorite. Coach Tom Thibodeau earned fewer first-place votes compared to coach Williams.
The current NBA Coach of the Year voting system was introduced in 2003. A panel of 124 sportswriters from the USA and Canada voted on the candidates and gave them a vote each on first-place, second-place and third-place. The coach with the most overall points is declared the winner no matter the number of first-place votes. A first-place vote accounts for five points, a second-place vote is worth three points and a third-place vote is one point.
Coach Tom Thibodeau won the NBA Coach of the Year award with a total of 351 points despite getting fewer first-place considerations. It is a system employed by the NBA 17 years ago and unfortunately, it got the better of coach Monty Williams. Coach Williams ended up with 45 first-place votes and a total of 340 points. The 11-point difference between the top two coaches is the closest margin of victory in the NBA Coach of the Year award since this system of voting was installed in 2003.
Nevertheless, coach Tom Thibodeau is just as deserving as coach Williams. This season, he not only led the New York Knicks to the playoffs but earned home-court advantage with the 4th seed. This is the first playoff appearance and winning season for the Knicks since 2013. They ended the season with a record of 41-31 and were projected to win roughly 22 games by oddsmakers at the start of the season. Coach Thibodeau installed a winning mentality and culture in the Knicks and they have taken the first step this season to show the league that they are an attractive destination for big free agents.
Coach Thibodeau spoke about his season with the New York Knicks,
"It was a special season,’’ Thibodeau said on a conference call Monday night. “Just the way this group sacrificed for each other, it was special. They gave me everything they had. Great determination. There’s no better place than the Garden to win. I know what this team means to the city."
Also Read: Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams is named as the NBCA Coach of the Year
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