After All-Star Weekend, the NBA's 2021-22 season officially entered its final sprint. Teams, players and even coaches will seize the last 20 games to consolidate or further improve their rankings.
Compared with the hierarchical and clear west, the various strong teams in the east are mixed together, and the final ranking is very unclear. We'll find veteran champion Spotra and his disciples coveting the Chicago Bulls' top spot, and Coach Spoo has a tendency to break into the top five. The Jazz's Snyder, Philadelphia's Sr. Rivers, the Lone Ranger's Kidd, the Nuggets' Mike Malone and the Bucks' Budenholzer are also strong contenders, but they still have one step to go to the list.
Now who is in the top five of the list, let's take a look.
Fifth J.B Bixtaugh (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Who would have thought that the once "swinging artifact" J .B-Bixtaf has now become one of the few famous coaches in the league. Under his leadership, the young Cleveland Cavaliers are likely to make their first playoff appearances in the post-James era, and they were once in the top half of the playoff circle, all thanks to Bixtaugh's tuning. This season, the Cavaliers' scoring ability is the highest in the league, and the defensive efficiency can also be ranked fourth in the league, which is really offensive and defensive.
Sitting on the top three of Mobley, Allen and Markkanen, and Lefour on the bench, Garland was selected as an All-Star for the first time - after losing Rubio and Sexton in succession, the Cavaliers did not tie their hands, but inspired more potential. Bikstav played a leading role in uniting the team and leading it out of its predicament.
4th Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors)
A month ago, Cole's ranking went far beyond that – after losing four of his last five games, the recent slump was a minus for the championship coach. The biggest problem is the Warriors' overstretched interior defense today, and when Dream Green can't play, the defense and passion he brings to the team is simply no one to make up for and replace. The decline on the defensive end caused the Warriors to give up the league's number one throne and the gap with the Suns widened.
The good news is that Stephen Curry and Clay Thompson have come out of the shadows of bad hands, and the increasingly hot state of the Splash Brothers indicates that the league will set off another bloody storm dominated by them. With the gradual return of injured players such as Green and Wiseman, coupled with Wiggins and Jordan Poole, who have made visible progress this year, what kind of answers the Warriors will deliver in the closing stage is worth looking forward to. The Warriors' record will also be directly reflected in Kerr's final ranking in this list.
3rd Place Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls)
Everyone said that the Chicago Bulls' most successful operation last summer was to sign DeMar DeRozan, but don't forget that it's also crucial that they find the right person to lead this talented team – Billy Donovan is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate. In fact, the Bulls have been missing some important names on the roster for most of the season: Zac Lavin, Alex Caruso, Ronzo Ball, etc., but that doesn't stop them from being the best team in the East.
Donovan's tactics for DeRozan not only helped the classically styled shooting guard become the master of key moments, but also set a new record of 35+ consecutive games, which also triggered a discussion about whether DeRozan would be elected MVP. Donovan, who is behind the scenes, deserves a nomination for Best Coach. A team on the edge of the playoffs to become the top powerhouse in the East is sometimes as simple as that.
2nd Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies)
The Grizzlies are another young team that has soared. Ja-Morant is delivering on his promise to be the "point guard god," but don't assume that the Grizzlies' take off is only about Morant's efforts. In fact, the Grizzlies still won games in many of Morant's absences, and they are the third team in the league to score 40 wins.
Taylor Jenkins' tuning of the Memphis Grizzlies on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends has made the young Janissaries a top team in the league, and many NBA analysts are very optimistic about the prospects of the Grizzlies, who believe that this group of young people will become the winners on the Stage of the Finals, not the Golden State Warriors or phoenix Suns. If the Grizzlies still have weaknesses, their physical fitness is indeed a major existing shortcoming, and if they can overcome this problem, then Jenkins is expected to go further.
1st Place Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns)
The Phoenix Suns have lost just 10 of their first 58 games, and it's no surprise they'll break the team's all-time record for a single-season win (62). The bad news is that the team's main controller, Chris Paul, will be recuperating for 6-8 weeks due to a broken thumb, which means that Monty Williams will be greatly tested. Whether his platooning and tactical arrangements can help the Suns through the current difficulties is as Monty has done before. In the first round of the series with the Lakers during last year's playoffs, Paul's shoulder injury was very serious, but Monty eventually helped the team rush out of the West all the way.
Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and Bridges will all play more roles, and if Monty can successfully win 63 games before the end of the season to maintain the league's number one, then the trophy of the best coach of the year will most likely be in his pocket.