Sportskeeda Awards 2014: Top 5 NBA Coaches of the year

Mike Budenholzer, Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks

General Managers along with the rest of the front office put together the roster before the season begins. Over the course of the 82 game regular season grind, the players leave it all on the floor in the hopes of winning an NBA Championship. The job of a Head Coach is to translate the winning intentions of the management into the playing style of the team.Often the onus falls on the Coach, when his team puts up disappointing performance despite being healthy. However, when the alternate happens and the team surprises all with its great play, the credit goes to the players. So the job of a Head Coach is one of the toughest within a franchise.The last couple of seasons have seen a lot of activity in terms of the appointment of rookie head coaches or veteran coaches taking over new teams.The year of 2014 saw all kinds of coaches: Veteran Coaches showing their class while some young and rookie coaches stepped up. Here is the Sportskeeda’s list of the top 5 coaches for 2014:

#5 Mike Budenholzer - Atlanta Hawks

Mike Budenholzer, Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks

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A Head Coach in his rookie season with the Atlanta Hawks makes it to the list. However, the surprise element in this achievement vanishes when you realize Mike Budenholzer was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs before he took over the reigns in Atlanta. He was appointed the Head Coach by President of Basketball Operations for the Hawks Danny Ferry who was also once member of the Spurs franchise. Together they began building what many call the Spurs team of the East.

What earns him a spot on the list?

Two months into his first season with new head coach Budenholzer, Atlanta lost its All-Star center Al Horford to a shoulder injury which led to the team struggling the following month. The move that he made next is the sole reason he is on this list. He decided to change the team’s style of play. He decided to make the team play small ball, run the floor and knock down a lot of threes. The plan worked – not only did the Hawks recover to make the Playoffs as the eighth seed, they also gave the top seed in the Indiana Pacers a run for their money in the first round pushing the series to seven games.

Imagine how strong the Hawks would have been if Horford wasn’t injured?

Well, just follow the team this season because without making a lot of noise, the team is currently third in the East at 18-7, just two games behind the top seeded Toronto Raptors.

#4 David Joerger - Memphis Grizzlies

David Joerger, Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks

Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach David Joerger is the second and last rookie Head Coach on the list. Unlike Budenholzer who was taking control of a team in a city where he was welcomed, the same cannot be said for Joerger.

The year before he became Head Coach, the Grizzlies had surprised the entire league by making it to the Western Conference Finals under seasoned Head Coach Lionel Hollins. After such a successful post-season, the franchise surprised the league just as much by firing the very coach that was responsible for the success.

His predecessor had done such a good job that Joerger’s performance was under a lot of attention despite Memphis being among the small markets in the league. As many suspected, he struggled with the team initially and while analysts blamed his coaching style, in actuality it was just the absence of their best player Marc Gasol and early season jitters.

Once Gasol returned for the second half of the season, the team turned its game around and magically began to gel. Even without having their best player for a major portion of the season, the team finished with 50 wins. The team would have performed much better if they had Gasol healthy from the beginning.

Well just like the Hawks, the Grizzlies are replying to those what if questions thrown at them prior to this season. The team is currently second best in the league with a record of 21-5, just one and a half game behind the league leading Golden State Warriors.

#3 Terry Stotts - Portland Trailblazers

Terry Stotts, Head Coach of the Portland Trailblazers

Terry Stotts was an unknown name in the coaching ranks before he led the Portland Trailblazers last season to their first playoff series victory since 2000. Although his Head Coaching record stands at 201 wins and 245 losses, he developed a great mind for the game growing as an assistant coach under some of the smartest Head Coaches in the league in George Karl and Rick Carlisle.

His first season in Portland, they missed the Playoffs after losing their last 13 regular season encounters and finished the season at 33-49. The next season with more or less the same roster, the Trailblazers got off to a quick and hot start. They locked up the fifth seed and defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round.

The emergence of a Big 3 in LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Damian Lillard was said to be the reason behind Portland’s improved performance, but it’s hard to not give their Head Coach the credit he deserves. During the 2014 summer, Stotts and the front office took care of a couple glaring issues from an amazing last season – bench production and defense.

In the ongoing season so far, the second unit is so good they have won games on their own sometimes and being tied third on defensive efficiency charts is a testament to the work Stotts put in over the off-season to strengthen their weaknesses.

#2 Dwnae Casey - Toronto Raptors

Dwane Casey, Head Coach of the Toronto Raptors

Dwane Casey, the Head Coach of the Toronto Raptors has 35 years of experience in the basketball coaching business of which he has been Head Coach for 10 years. After being hired by the Raptors, Casey had a tough time with the team during the first two seasons. Before the 2013-14 season, he had an overall coaching record of 110-160 which is disappointing given his experience.

His successful run in Toronto began right around the same time Masai Ujiri was appointed as the General Manager of the franchise. Somehow both these individuals hit it off immediately and their understanding led to the franchise growing successful by the day.

Ujiri made a host of trades that helped the franchise basketball wise and financially. However the benefit of those trades on the court could not have been realized if it wasn’t for Casey.

Trading Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings was where all the success on the court began for the franchise. With Gay out, Casey focused on team play and importance of utilizing the best option at that moment. The team does have two superstars in Kyle Lowry and DeMar Derozan, but what puts this team apart from the others is their depth which Casey uses like a wizard.

He has been using the last season first round Playoff loss to the Brooklyn Nets as a fire to motivate and keep the players determined. A young team with young superstars, Casey’s experience and leadership plays a huge understated role in the Raptors success.

#1 Gregg Popovich - San Antonio Spurs

Gregg Popovich, Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs

The 2014 NBA Coach of the Year had to be Gregg Popovich. It was a landslide victory for Pop with no other coach coming close to contending. The Spurs were one defensive rebound away from sealing the 2013 NBA Finals in Game 6, instead they lost in the Finals for the first time in franchise history in seven games.

The Finals hit the team hard, but in particular Pop who was extremely disappointed. Right from training camp, Popovich emphasized on passing, team play and making the extra pass for a better shot.

With the help of his international scouts, Pop built a team which was strong from player 1 to player 15. In order to make back to back NBA Finals, every player needs to be mentally and physically fit for the ordeal. He made sure of that by resting his key players during the second night of a back to back rubber. Every player on the roster was put on a minute’s restriction.

Not a single player in the team averaged more than 30 minutes over the course of the 82 game season. Having given so many rests to a player, you would expect the team to struggle, but the Spurs finished with the league’s best record of 62-20. They dismantled the two time defending champions in 5 games in the Finals with a masterclass of shooting and passing.

What the Spurs did and the manner in which they did was truly a remarkable achievement and Pop was awarded for that. He was named the KIA 2013-14 NBA Coach of the Year at the end of the regular season.

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Edited by Staff Editor