Well, the New York Times selected Nash and D'Antoni... and that is as East Coast as one gets. I did not post the entire article, just the COY and MVP parts. They also selected Colangelo for executive.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/17/sports/basketball/17hoops.html?
Award Going to Top Coach Is Also One for Survival
[size=-1]
By LIZ ROBBINS [/size]
You must be registered for see images
Published: April 17, 2005
You must be registered for see images attach
harles Darwin established the credo for the N.B.A.'s endangered species in this wild season, an 82-game reality show worthy of a Mark Burnett production: Sideline Survivor.
The count? Nine coaching changes, six voted off the island, two leaving with stress and health issues, one bequeathing his power to his handpicked successor, two Hall of Famers gone, two top coaches still without contracts for next season and two coaches parachuting in from exile.
You must be registered for see images
You must be registered for see images
And we're not even talking about Phil Jackson. Though off in a separate reality, he gets mentioned in every coaching discussion, which is every day in the N.B.A.
Naturally then, when it comes time to selecting the coach of the year among the candidates tough enough to remain on the sideline, the decision is painstakingly difficult.
Here are the candidates:
Seattle's Nate McMillan ignored widespread speculation before the season that he could be fired and that his team would compete for only the Western Conference cellar. He made the SuperSonics into one of the top squads in the West - until injuries struck and the team started spiraling.
Indiana's Rick Carlisle lost three starters - Jermaine O'Neal (15 games), Stephen Jackson (30 games) and Ron Artest (75 games) - in the wake of his team's participation in the worst brawl in recent professional sports history. Even after O'Neal and Jackson returned, Carlisle has never had a full roster. Under Carlisle, the players rallied around themselves when others would have quit.
Chicago's Scott Skiles transformed the young Bulls from a team that started 0-9 into the conference's genuine surprise, using the bench and pushing the right buttons to motivate players like Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler. In the playoffs, the Bulls will sorely miss Curry, out for the season with an irregular heartbeat, but they will play with the same tenacity Skiles had as a player.
Ultimately, the postseason awards should reflect the team's record and accomplishments. On behalf of all coaches that lasted through the season, mild-mannered Mike D'Antoni of Phoenix should accept the honor. He is headed toward the league's best record, one season after winning only 29 games. He restructured his team around the free agent Steve Nash, and persuaded Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion to play out of position. He said he tried calling plays, but gave up when he realized Nash & Company were already up the court, scoring. The Suns made the N.B.A.'s largest scoring jump in the shot-clock era - averaging 16.1 points more than last season. Sometimes, the best coaching is knowing when, and how, to hold back.
COACH OF THE HALF-YEAR George Karl, Denver Nuggets. Mike Fratello deserves credit in Memphis. But Karl imposed discipline and belief in an aimless bunch. The most astounding statistic of the second half? The Nuggets have won 23 of 25 games since the All-Star Game break.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Debate teams should try this one. Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal each make a great case: Both joined new teams with vindication in mind after bittersweet goodbyes to their old ones. They are the ultimate leaders because they are unselfish and make teammates better. Not that Dwyane Wade needed much help.
O'Neal, at 7 feet 1 inch, 350 pounds or so, is the most dominating player in the league - offensively, defensively and in the locker room. His trade from Los Angeles to Miami turned the Heat into championship contenders.
But try this criteria: Miami made the playoffs without O'Neal last year, and with him has won 14 more games than last season. Without Nash, the Suns were in the desert last year. Also, Phoenix finished with the best road record in the league, at 31-9, and Nash's leadership cannot be underestimated.
Nash admits he is not a complete player, saying he wants to improve his defense. But he has recharged Phoenix and guided its captivating style - run fast and furious and flatten your opponents. His 11.5-assist average is the highest in a decade, since John Stockton's 12.3. Nash is also shooting a career-high 50.6 percent.
