NBA Coach of the Year award is heavily contested this year. A lot of coaches are in the running because of their achievements this season. Some of the front-runners are Frank Vogel (LA Lakers), Mike Budenholzer (Milwaukee Bucks), Nick Nurse (Toronto Raptors), Billy Donovan (OKC Thunder) and Brad Stevens (Boston Celtics).
The coach’s vote for the award grading their peers has been released. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweeted the result out. Mike Budenholzer and Billy Donovan are the winners of the coach’s vote. However, they aren’t the final winners. The players and media vote results will be released later. Coach Bud could repeat as Coach of the Year, after also winning it last season. The Milwaukee Bucks are the best team in the entire NBA. Their record is consistent because of Budenholzer’s system.
The Oklahoma City Thunder is one of the biggest surprise teams of the season. People’s expectations were low, as the team lost Russell Westbrook and Paul George,. Regardless, the team is comfortable in the playoffs. Billy Donovan has the perfect system around new point guard Chris Paul. Donovan isn’t likely to get the same share of the media or player vote.
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People are surprised that Toronto Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse hasn’t made it. Woj revealed that Nurse was one vote away from being named in a three-way tie.
ESPN Sources: Milwaukee’s Mike Budenholzer and Oklahoma City’s Billy Donovan voted the @NBA_Coaches 2020 co-coaches of the year. Story: https://t.co/gHhKgg3dM5
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2020
The NBA's 30 head coaches vote on the award. Toronto's Nick Nurse was one vote away from making it a three-way tie, per sources. https://t.co/ieujiIrsDB
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2020
NBA Coach of the Year outrage on Twitter?
People have not reacted calmly to this news. Nurse not winning the vote has people upset and worried about how the coach’s vote. However, this is not the final award. Nurse will likely pick up more votes in the other categories, as he has been the leading favorite for a while.
I guess Nick Nurse team gotta go 82-0 huh? It’s no way in hell he shouldn’t have got Coach Of The Year…Damn shame!!! That is all…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) August 3, 2020
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Don’t play the “OKC was projected to be a lottery team” card as the reason why Billy Donovan won Coach of the Year. Let me remind you what happened at the beginning of the season when NBATV projected where Nick Nurse and the Raptors would be: pic.twitter.com/OzFv1nW8B9
— Kris Pangilinan (@KrisReports) August 3, 2020
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Can’t trust anybody to vote right these days.
Coaches robbed Nick Nurse. https://t.co/7ydV9oqp98
— Duncan Smith (@DuncanSmithNBA) August 3, 2020
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When you see Mike Budenholzer and Billy Donovan win Coach of the Year over Nick Nurse: pic.twitter.com/QtQoZFPlHm
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) August 3, 2020
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Nick Nurse not winning COY is an absolute embarrassment and has devalued the award completely. I don’t care if this sounds like an overreaction. There is no coach in the league that could shine his shoes, including Bud.
— Drive and kick fascists in the throat (@socialistbucks) August 3, 2020
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Nick Nurse Robbed. Man played 19 games with a healthy starting 5 and has the 3 best record in the entire league. https://t.co/vzku4I1aam
— 🧬 (@Xric_) August 3, 2020
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Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors are second in the Eastern Conference (47-18). Despite losing Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors have made a genuine push to repeat as champions. The result is not final yet.
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SOURCE: Adrian Wojnarowski Twitter
