He may have the best record in the NBA for the third consecutive season, but Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is lobbying for somebody else as the 2016-17 Coach of the Year.
After the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, Kerr proclaimed Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni as his Coach of the Year pick.
“I think the fit with the roster and Mike’s philosophy has been perfect,” said Kerr, per ESPN. “What he’s so good at is really giving his players confidence and belief. They’re obviously having an amazing year. My guess is that he’ll get the trophy. He’s earned it.”
D’Antoni is a popular pick for the award as he has transformed a Rockets team that won just 41 games in 2015-16 into a 51-win steamroller (with eight games still remaining) and put together a historically great offense that has smashed records left and right all year for three-pointers made and attempted. With Kerr taking home Coach of the Year honors last season, he’s about as strong of an endorsement as D’Antoni can get.
