Soaring Down South
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Soaring Down South’s NBA Awards Roundtable

By Collin Huguley

Jan 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; A fan holds a Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) MVP sign as the Rockets play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half at Toyota Center. Houston Rockets won 118 to 116. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; A fan holds a Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) MVP sign as the Rockets play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half at Toyota Center. Houston Rockets won 118 to 116. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 12, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni speaks to the media after the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni speaks to the media after the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Coach of the Year

Huguley’s pick: Mike D’Antoni. This guy can just flat-out coach. After failed stops with dysfunctional franchises (Lakers and Knicks), D’Antoni is back in a favorable situation and has made the most of it. He and James Harden will be a terrifying player-coach duo for years to come and the Rockets’ offense makes them capable of beating anyone. D’Antoni is one of the best offensive minds that the league has seen in a long time.

Snyder’s pick: Mike D’Antoni. D’Antoni turned the Rockets from a lethargic laughingstock to one of the best teams in the NBA. He’s resurrected the career of Eric Gordon, found a perfect role for Ryan Anderson, and his offensive system is part of the reason James Harden has been a passing/scoring juggernaut this season. Quin Snyder, Gregg Popovich, Brad Stevens, and Scott Brooks also deserve consideration.

Bende’s pick: Mike D’Antoni. He unlocked James Harden’s pandora’s box of offensive skill while turning a quickly crumbling team into a dark horse title contender.

O’Donnell’s pick: Mike D’Antoni. After a successful career in Phoenix early on with the “7 seconds or less” offense, D’Antoni fell off the radar after a couple bad seasons with the Lakers and the Knicks respectively. However, this year he has turned a bumbling franchise into an absolute buzzsaw of an offense. James Harden is having one of the greatest offensive seasons in NBA history in no small part thanks to D’Antoni. He built this team around Harden, filling the roster with floor spacers that can devastate the smallest mistakes made by their opponents.

Robertson’s pick: Brad Stevens. Stevens has increased his total wins per season every year he has been a head coach in the NBA. After directing the Celtics to the 1st seed in the East, he deserves this award. The Celtics squad this season is not perfect, but Stevens has done an amazing job at patching (temporarily, at least) any gaping holes on the roster.

Next: Wizards Set the Tone with Physical Game 1

Thanks for checking out this awards roundtable. Let us know who you think should take home some of these accolades!

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