This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Terry Stotts got robbed.
Yes, I know. Steve Kerr deserved the NBA's Coach of the Year award. Any coach who can captain a ship to 73 wins — the most in league history — has to be bestowed the award.
That was the narrative after Kerr was named the league's top coach earlier in the week. But while the Golden State Warriors are historic, are favorites to win their second consecutive title, and Kerr is fantastic, the award should be Stotts'.
Before this season began, the Trail Blazers were projected to be one of the struggling teams in the Western Conference, and with good reason. LaMarcus Aldridge? Gone. Wes Matthews? Gone. Nic Batum? Gone. Robin Lopez? Gone.
Stotts lost four starters from a team that won the Northwest Division and garnered a top-four playoff seed last year. Let's put this in perspective: Of the four guys who left, all four became instant starters on their new teams. Three of them made the playoffs. Two of them are still in the postseason, and one is a centerpiece on a championship contender. That's a lot of talent to lose.
Damian Lillard was all that was left for Portland. Yes, he was an All-Star, one of the top point guards in the league and a great building block. But he was still only one guy. And the draft lottery is annually littered with teams that have that one building block, and little else (see New Orleans and Anthony Davis).
The Blazers wound up being the surprise of the NBA. They won 44 games and were one of the nine teams to beat the Warriors. They earned the fifth seed in the West, and on Friday knocked out the injury-depleted L.A. Clippers and advanced to the second round.
This doesn't impugn any of the work Kerr has done. He took a good team and made it a juggernaut. His ability to manage a locker room and multiple egos is first-rate. He's got a roster full of elite talent, and has maximized that talent.
But while Kerr has done a wonderful job, Stotts has performed a miracle. While Kerr has the best point guard in the league, an All-Star at shooting guard and power forward, and the best bench in the league, Stotts has gotten it done with a bunch of cast-offs and young guys who were unproven.
Most laud Golden State's success as the dominant reason for Kerr winning the award. But Kerr missed 43 games this season due to back issues. And the Warriors performed so well that Luke Walton, Kerr's interim replacement, won his first 24 games and became the hottest candidate on the coaching market before agreeing on Friday night to join the Lakers.
Portland has two legitimate scoring threats — Lillard and shooting guard C.J. McCollum. They comprise one of the best backcourts in the league, are explosive, can score at all three levels, and are generally a headache for any team to defend over 48 minutes.
But beyond those two, scoring is scarce. So what has Stotts done? He revamped his offensive scheme to fit the talents of Lillard and McCollum. He staggered his rotations so one of them is on the floor at all times. He surrounded them with hard-working athletes, guys who have something to prove and a lot to play for.
As a result, Mason Plumlee had a career season at the center spot. Moe Harkless had a good enough year at forward to command dollars on this summer's free agent market. Players like Ed Davis, Allen Crabbe and Al Farouq-Aminu contributed to a solid supporting cast.
Squeezing 44 wins out of this group is a spectacular accomplishment for Stotts. And by giving the award to Kerr, you may as well give the award to the coach of the best team each year. Because Stotts did the NBA's best coaching job this year.
Hands down.
Twitter: @tjonessltrib —
Walton L.A.-bound
Speaking of Luke Walton, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets were both granted permission to speak to him concerning their coaching vacancies and Walton decided to sign a contract with the Lakers on Friday night. The Lakers were an appealing destination for Walton. He played there, so he knows the landscape. The Lakers will have a bundle of money to spend in free agency, thanks to Kobe Bryant's retirement. They could have a top pick in the NBA draft, and they have nice returning pieces in D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. It's not as good a situation as Tom Thibodeau will walk into with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But there are certainly worse jobs out there, despite the relative dysfunction at the very top of the organization. Walton's hiring is a strong move by the Lakers organization.