Suns head coach Monty Williams has won the Michael H. Goldberg award for the 2021/22 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It’s the second consecutive year in which Williams has been named the National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself. However, it isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later in the year.
Williams led the Suns to an NBA-best 64-18 record this season, despite missing All-Star point guard Chris Paul for an extended stretch in the second half. Phoenix finished the year ranked in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating — the team’s +7.5 net rating was the league’s best mark.
A year ago, Williams won the Coaches Association’s award and then finished second to Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau for the official Coach of the Year award. This season, Williams will face stiff competition for the Red Auerbach Trophy from Taylor Jenkins, Erik Spoelstra, Ime Udoka, and J.B. Bickerstaff, among others.
According to Wojnarowski, Jenkins (Grizzlies), Spoelstra (Heat), Willie Green (Pelicans), Tyronn Lue (Clippers), and Gregg Popovich (Spurs) were among the other coaches who received votes for this season’s Michael H. Goldberg award.
Phoenix’s coach should have won the Red Auerbach Trophy, aka Coach of the Year last year. But didn’t. So the coaches voted for him again. Likely he’s voted COY this year but the Celtics coach may win as “media members” who vote had to be stunned by the Celtics turn around, orchestrated by their 1st year coach!
I did predict it, that Udoka and Green would be the top newbies. They have completely different styles.
And that Williams has been the top coach, and Bickerstaff good for Cleveland.
There are many good candidates.
Probably Jenkins’ turn next year.
Well deserved!!
Is it though? I never understand how players and coaches win awards when a team performs and meets expectations. Yes, impressive that the Suns won without HOF Chris Paul but they still have a deep roster.
The job Pop and Finch did with their teams is more COY worthy in my opinion.
Ime Udoka should be the coach of the year and it shouldn’t be close.
As a rookie coach, he turned an underachieving and mediocre team into a juggernaut in half a season.
But if BRK wins tonight… BOS season will end in the R1EC, a bit disappointing for a juggernaut if you ask me, right?
Okay Skip.
Without question. To go from outside the play-in to nearly a 1 seed in the span of a few months without that much of an influx of talent (White is a great piece, but he’s no superstar) is incredible, especially in the context of a head coach’s first season. And they didn’t just win games; they were dominant, especially on the defensive end. Another win for the Pop tree, at least.
After him, I’d probably go with Finch. His work with the Wolves has been great, despite working with the same cast of characters.
Lot of pretty good candidates this year. Not sure Monty would even make my top-4 due to the aforementioned expectations and talent level. Not that he’s done a bad job.
You’re entitled to your opinion but unfortunately you don’t get to vote. Monty wins.
Monty is a worthy winner, though there are so many deserving this year, moreso than past years.
Jenkins, Spoelstra, Bickerstaff, Udoka, Nurse …… cant deny the work that Finch, Kidd, Lue, even Doc did.