Hornacek finishes 2nd as Coach of the Year

[BC867]

With the NBA's best record, Gregg Popovich won the Coach of the Year award with 59 1st place votes.

Missing the playoffs, but with a great performance vs. predicted, our own Jeff Hornacek had 37 1st place votes.

I am almost glad that Horny didn't win it in his first year as Head Coach, but what a great showing for a first year Head Coach.

Now with, hopefully, some help in the front court, on to bigger and better things next season.

 

[JS22]

Pretty much assumed he'd get second.

If the Suns made the playoffs he probably would have won it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

it's tough to argue against this. every year people assume it's the end of the line for the Spurs and every year, Pop and Co. consistently prove them wrong. Best record in the league with Duncan missing 8 games, Leonard, Ginobli and Parker all missing 18 games, Splitter missing 23 games and seemingly never having their starting lineup in there. Dude just knows how to freaking coach.

and of course, a Suns has to lose to a Spur.

All that said, Horny coached his freaking ass off this year and if we had made the playoffs, I think it would have been a travesty for him not to get the nod.

 

[Catlover]

it's tough to argue against this. every year people assume it's the end of the line for the Spurs and every year, Pop and Co. consistently prove them wrong. Best record in the league with Duncan missing 8 games, Leonard, Ginobli and Parker all missing 18 games, Splitter missing 23 games and seemingly never having their starting lineup in there. Dude just knows how to freaking coach.

and of course, a Suns has to lose to a Spur.

All that said, Horny coached his freaking ass off this year and if we had made the playoffs, I think it would have been a travesty for him not to get the nod.

I'd have been disappointed if Hornacek had lost out to one of the other candidates but it's hard to make a better claim than Pop has. The voting was fairly close between the two and they were well separated from the rest of the list as they should have been.

 

[KloD]

First, Pop will go down as one of the best coaches in NBA history, and is well deserving to be mentioned year after year, but IMO he shouldn't have won it this year. He's got a number of veterans that help set the atmosphere for the few newcomers each season and his teams have remained pretty consistent for some time. So while he's probably the best coach active today, I really think the award should go to someone who's done the most with the least. Does that mean I think it should have been awarded to Hornacek? No, or at least I think it should have been between he and Toronto's Dwane Casey. That Casey finished 5th is just silly to me. His team played well above expectations. His team doesn't have a star. They made huge improvement as the season wore on rather than taking steps back as many teams do. They made the playoffs (yes it's the east, but still). I really think it should have been a close contest between Casey and Hornacek with which ever one came out on top well deserving of the recognition. In fact, maybe a tie would have been best IMO.

Oh well, I'll always hate the Spurs, but have huge respect for Pop... so congrats Pop.

 

[Chaplin]

I think I read that Pop has only 3 coach of the year awards, including this one. That is mind-boggling to me.

 

[SirStefan32]

I think I read that Pop has only 3 coach of the year awards, including this one. That is mind-boggling to me.

Pop has the same problem Shaq had as a player. One could have made an argument that Shaq was the MVP every single year, and in my opinion, Pop as a coach is in the same situation.

 

[Catlover]

Pop has the same problem Shaq had as a player. One could have made an argument that Shaq was the MVP every single year, and in my opinion, Pop as a coach is in the same situation.

How? The MVP is a regular season award and Shaq coasted during the regular season. I can only think of one season that Shaq could have made the case to win it and didn't and that was the year that Iverson beat him out. He was an unstoppable force when he chose to play but dogging it against lesser opponents along with skipping 10 to 15 games most seasons cost him that hardware. A better example would be Michael Jordan who was beat out by Barkley and Malone for the reason you were suggesting (voter boredom, basically).

 

[Chaplin]

Just got an alert from ESPN that Goran won Most Improved.

 

[HooverDam]

I think I read that Pop has only 3 coach of the year awards, including this one. That is mind-boggling to me.

Both Coach and Exec. of the year awards often go to people involved with teams that surprise us and beat expectations. We expect the Spurs to be good each year, and they are, which I imagine hurts Pop.

 

[Catlover]

Both Coach and Exec. of the year awards often go to people involved with teams that surprise us and beat expectations. We expect the Spurs to be good each year, and they are, which I imagine hurts Pop.

It does. But now he falls into that "much better than expected" group too. You expect them to still be pretty good but their regular season record is incredible considering their aged stars and the fact they play the tougher Western schedule.

 

[Errntknght]

Much as I admire Pops coaching ability, I dislike him for allowing, and perhaps even encouraging, Bowen and Ginobili to play in a manner that put other players at risk of injury. Manu was always banging into other players legs as he flopped but it was always an opponents legs which means that it was intentional. (I assume a review of Bowen's nasty moves is not needed.)

 

[HooverDam]

Much as I admire Pops coaching ability, I dislike him for allowing, and perhaps even encouraging, Bowen and Ginobili to play in a manner that put other players at risk of injury. Manu was always banging into other players legs as he flopped but it was always an opponents legs which means that it was intentional. (I assume a review of Bowen's nasty moves is not needed.)

Bruce Bowen was a crappy basketball player and a crappier person. I wish ill on very few, but he's one person I do wish it on. I hate him. And Horry too. Both dirty, classless human beings.

At least the Spurs no longer have those sorts of guys on their squad so they're a bit less hateable.