The NBA has named a Coach of the Year, and his name is not Ime Udoka.
Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns has taken home the award for the first time in his career, edging out Memphis’ Taylor Jenkins and Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, who placed second and third respectively.
Despite leading the Celtics to a 51-31 record and the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed, Udoka received just one first-place vote. His 46 total points ranked fourth amongst all of the league’s coaches. Minnesota’s Chris Finch was the only other rookie head coach to receive a vote.
Udoka helped the Celtics turn their season around after a less than ideal start. On Jan. 23, the team had a 23-24 record. Boston would go 28-7 over the final 35 games of the regular season, finishing with the NBA’s top-rated offense and defense.
