Brad Stevens - not a single vote for COY from his rivals is a travesty


This was a vote by rival coaches - not the official award voted on by media members. And notice I used the phrase rival coaches in lieu of peers. Not a single one of Brad's rivals voted for him.

This was a vote by the National Basketball Coaches Association, meaning all 30 NBA head coaches got to vote. The winner was the Raptor's Dwane Casey who may also end up with the official COY award in June.

This is somewhat understandable since Casey is well respected and guided his team to the top record in the Eastern Conference in the regular season. What is not understandable is how in the world Brad Stevens got not a single vote.

What is that? Did the NBCA feel that Danny Ainge supplied Brad with such a powerhouse of talent that little coaching was needed. Perhaps they forgot that the Celtics have been decimated by injuries to their top players all season.


Or is it plain jealousy? I vote for this reason. Hell, the official award is named for Red Auerbach. I have no idea who this award is named after. I refuse to even look it up - with no disrespect meant to whomever it may be. Rival coaches grew not to like Red because he was so damn good, both as a coach and as an executive.

Red's protege, Danny Ainge, may be in the same position. He was a good coach and is one hell of a brilliant GM. Stevens may just be the recipient of some of the animosity directed towards Ainge and the Celtics generally. That would be sad, indeed.


According to the New York Times' Marc Stein, the following seven head coaches also received votes:

Philadelphia’s Brett Brown, Houston’s Mike D’Antoni, Indiana’s Nate McMillan, San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, Utah’s Quin Snyder, Portland’s Terry Stotts and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Doc Rivers.

Doc Rivers got at least one vote and Brad got none? This is not a joke - it's a travesty. The good side of all this? Fuel for tonight's Game Five versus the 76'ers. The Celtics players will see this as an affront to their coach and act accordingly. Not one of those 29 rivals had the honesty, self-respect and the moral conviction to do the right thing? It will take me some time to get over this!

Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

Photo via Omar Rawlings/Getty Images
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