Terry Stotts has done a phenomenal job with the Portland Trail Blazers this season—so much so that rival coaches are singing his praises.
Here’s Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, per ESPN.com’s Royce Young:
Carlisle on Terry Stotts: "Right know I think he's frontrunner for Coach of the Year."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) February 25, 2016
This is a tough call.
Stotts most definitely deserves serious consideration. No one had the Blazers making the playoffs this year. Not after losing four starters in LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews. Many had them finishing with the worst record in the Western Conference, even challenging the Philadelphia 76ers for the absolute worst record in the league.
But general manager Neil Olshey put together a quality group of youngsters and veterans, and Stotts has them playing like a postseason team. The Blazers have the West’s seventh-best record and are within three games of a top-five slot.
All of which is incredible. But Coach of the Year awards are typically handed out to those manning contenders, and the Blazers aren’t yet a contender. Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs seems like a virtual lock to take home the honor for an NBA-record fourth time. The job he has done with the Spurs, incorporating LaMarcus Aldridge and accounting for the declines of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker while turning San Antonio into one of the best teams ever, is absolutely insane.
If Terry Stotts can push the Blazers to fifth place, his case gets real interesting. For now, he deserves some serious consideration, perhaps even the award itself. It’s just unlikely he wins.
