- Golden State’s Steve Kerr is the odds on favorite to win the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year award.
- Steve Nash of the Brooklyn Nets is right behind Kerr in the latest BetOnline oddsboard at +900.
- Indiana’s Rick Carlisle has the shortest odds among coaches in their first year with their current team at +1400 while last year’s winner Tom Thibodeau of the Knicks is at +2200.
The NBA’s two Coach Steves – Steve Kerr and Steve Nash, have opened as the top two betting favorites to win the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year award
According to online sportsbook BetOnline, Kerr is the odds on favorite to win a second Red Auerbach trophy at +800 while incoming second-year coach Nash is right behind him at +900.
Chicago’s Billy Donovan and Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, whose teams were two of the most aggressive in terms of roster retooling during the offseason, have the third shortest odds at +1200 each. Los Angeles Lakers’ HC Frank Vogel, Phoenix’s Monty Williams, and Indiana’s Rick Carlisle are next at +1400. Carlisle has the best betting odds to win the award for a coach who will be coaching his team for the first time. Last year’s coach of the Year winner Tom Thibodeau of New York is in the middle of the pack at +2200.
2016 Coach of the Year
Four years ago today, Steve Kerr was named the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2015-16 NBA Coach of the Year, joining Don Nelson in 1991-92 and Alex Hannum in 1963-64 as the only Warriors coaches to earn the honor. pic.twitter.com/4SNWILXU56
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 26, 2020
Kerr was the 2016 winner of the NBA’s Coach of the Year award after leading the Golden State Warriors to the best regular season record in the history of the NBA, one campaign after he steered the team to the first championship in franchise history. But after five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals which led to three NBA titles, the wheels have fallen off the Warriors during the last two seasons, mainly due to injuries.
However, the Dubs have opened with the third best odds to win the NBA championship this season and the second shortest odds to win the Western Conference at the best NBA betting sites. With Klay Thompson coming back and Steph Curry second in the latest MVP oddsboard at BetOnline after a spectacular 2021 season, Golden State is expected to be in the title mix next campaign.
But the onus of leading the team will be on Kerr who will have to manage between his three veteran stars and his two young cornerstones in James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. If Kerr can take the Warriors deep in the playoffs after missing the previous past two postseasons, there’s a good chance he will win the Red Auerbach trophy for the second time in his coaching career.
Coach of the Year Buzz
Coach of the Year ‘buzz’ for Steve Nash has begun https://t.co/dvDhcWR4fK pic.twitter.com/5SPSG2hbhL
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) April 30, 2021
There was a lot of Coach of the Year buzz around Steve Nash last season after he successfully harnessed three massive superstar egos and was able to produce results for a Brooklyn Nets team that was the odds on favorite to win the 2021 NBA title.
Nash had never coached before but despite his inexperience in his new job, the Nets finished with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. However, like Kerr’s team, Brooklyn suffered significant injuries during their second round series against the Milwaukee Bucks and was eliminated after opening the series as a sizeable betting chalk.
But with all three of his superstars expected to be 100% next season, Nash has the same opening odds as Ker to win 2022 Coach of the Year honors. However, nothing short of a championship is expected of Brooklyn who opened the 2022 championship betting lines with the shortest odds to win it all. Winning the award is going to be a tall order for Nash because of the expectations but he’s a guy who has defied the odds to succeed even when he was a player.
