Erik Spoelstra named co-recipient of NBA Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award
By Wes Goldberg
The NBA Coaches Association announced Erik Spoelstra and Mike D’Antoni are the winners of its inaugural coach of the year award.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra along with Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni have been named the co-recipients of the inaugural Michael H. Goldberg NBA Coaches Association Coach of the Year award, the NBCA announced.
The NBCA credited Spoelstra with the Heat’s second-half turnaround, in which they went 30-11 in the final 41 games, including a 13-game win streak.
"Through the leadership of Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, the Miami Heat finished the 2016-2017 regular season with 41 wins and a tie for 8th place in the Eastern Conference, missing the playoffs on a tie-breaker with the Chicago Bulls. He led the Heat to the biggest first half/second half turnaround in league history. The Heat were 11-30 at the mid-point mark and Spoelstra led the Heat to a 30-11 slate to finish out the season. And this was accomplished despite the Heat suffering through an injury-plagued season, one in which the Heat lost 328 player games due to injury or illness, the most in the NBA last season. Spoelstra’s adaptability and tutelage led to career years for Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Dion Waiters and James Johnson."
Next: How the Heat would have beat the Celtics in Round 1
This is the first year the NBCA named its coach of the year. The award is voted on by the 30 NBA coaches, and is named after longtime NBCA director Michael H. Goldberg, who died this year. Nine of the league’s 30 coaches received votes, including Scott Brooks, Dave Fizdale, Steve Kerr, Jason Kidd, Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers and Quin Snyder in addition to Spoelstra and D’Antoni.
The media’s Coach of the Year vote will be announced at the NBA’s award show on June 26.